Peckerwood Manor

Christmas is celebrated differently in Japan, yet much of it is recognizable. We see beautiful lights, Santas, and  decorated trees, and it is a time for getting together. But it diverges there because Christmas in Japan is for couples.  They exchange gifts and cozy up for romance. Though American food is preferred, KFC is  preferred ; it can get expensive, so they will have tasty Japanese romantic dinners or something delicious and homecooked.  It is common to see couples holding hands flushed with love and happiness. It is like Valentine's Day except on Decemeber 25th. Only about 2% of the Japanese people call themselves Christians, so it would make sense to carve out their own traditions and make this holiday something unique to them and reflects their culture.  Christmas Eve is for  kurisumasu ke—ki , a sweet sponge cake with filling, but the next day is for dressing up, making fancy dinner reservations, and staring into the eyes of your "ride or d...

The Lucky Cat, also known as Maneki-neko  招き猫 , is a beloved symbol in Japanese culture, believed to bring good luck, prosperity, and good fortune to its owner. You may have seen them in Asian businesses beckoning customers into shops.  The most well-known story about its origin is the legend of the Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo: A local priest lived in poverty but shared his meager meals with his cat even though he could barely care for himself. He wasn't sure how much longer he could care for the temple. One day, during a thunderstorm, a samurai who had been hunting stopped to shelter himself under a tree. A fascinating calico cat (thought to be a Japanese bobtail) was watching him with its paw in the air. The samurai was intrigued and left the shelter of the tree before it was struck by lightning. The samurai, grateful to the cat, followed the kitty to the temple. The samurai turned out to be a wealthy landowner and provided funding for the temple, which prospered.  When th...