December 2013
Season’s Greetings!
Well, a short but sweet koyo season is rapidly fading as the chill of winter takes hold. Kotatsus and electric blankets across the region are being dusted off and plugged in, and those without shiver with cold and poorly concealed envy. Thanks to the sudden switch from Halloween to Christmas decorations in shop windows it may have felt like the holiday season was upon us from the 1st of November, but now December is truly upon us.
December brings us festive celebrations, end of term exams and farewells to 3rd years. Along with all that comes the [in]famous bonenkai; or, as my invitation appropriately translated it, “the year forgetting partyâ€. Look forward to lots of organized fun, compulsory drinking and excellent bingo prizes – last year I came 
away with a Kitty-chan roomba! My tip: make friends by grabbing a bottle and running round to top people up. Be aware that if drinking sake when someone offers you a top-up, it is polite to finish your drink immediately so you can accept the offer – losing count of your sake top-ups is both easy and dangerous. Fortunately, the rule is: what happens at enkai, stays at enkai (until the next one anyway).
If you’re staying in Japan over Christmas, make sure to go local and pre-order yourself a bucket from KFC and follow it up by a strawberry-topped cake – not quite turkey and Christmas pudding, but certainly a cultural experience! A further festive confusion is to be found at the Osaka Christmas market, where you can get a taste of traditional German markets and a much needed mulled-wine. 
However, approach the nativity scene with an open mind, for, as at Japanese temples, you may just find baby Jesus in his manger being bombarded with 1\ coins! Internationalization at its best.
Myself, I will be returning to Blighty for the first time, the family are already stocking up on cider, cheddar cheese and real bacon, and I have raided the local traditional Japanese gifts shops for as much kitsch as my suitcase can hold (though I later discovered many of my gifts at Daiso for significantly cheaper).
Of course, whilst away I will be staving off Japan-sickness with the December issue of the Hyogo Times. You can tell the weather’s changing by all the indoor activities we have this month; two recipes, a restaurant review and a follow up on the Osaka European Film Festival. For those braving the cold for the beautiful Kobe Luminarie, you can read up here on what it’s all about. Plus Lorna’s been researching local Christmas plans, and there’s much more besides. So curl up under your kotatsu, enjoy a leisurely read and we’ll see you in January when the Hyogo Times will be introducing some exciting new regular features for 2014.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Char
