Tanabata, the star festival

Tanabata, also known as the "star festival", takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year, when, according to a Chinese legend, the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet.

During Tanabata, Japaneses write two wishes on two colorful pieces of paper (called tanzaku), and hang these pieces of paper on a specially erected bamboo tree. They believe that the wishes will become true.

I remember that my sensei during the extensive Japanese course explained to me why they put their wishes on the bamboo tree, she said that the tree will take these wishes to god. She asked me then to write two wishes and put them on the tree. So, I said that I cannot because my religion forbids me to do that, if I want to ask something from god, I should ask him directly. Elhamdulileh, she respected my opinion ^_^ without any problems.

The problem with Tanabata is that Japaneses celebrate it in schools, teachers asks children to hang their wishes on bamboo trees and tell them different stories on Tanabata. For a muslim child, believing that the tree will make their wishes true is not good. It is very difficult to raise a child islamically in Japan, since Japaneses still believe in such matters. The good thing with Japaneses is that they respect other religions, when a muslim asks teachers that his child will not participate in such celebrations, they accept without any problem.

History of Tanabata:
Tanabata originated more than 2,000 years ago with an old Chinese tale called Kikkoden. Once there was a weaver princess named Orihime and a cow herder prince named Hikoboshi living in space. After they got together, they were playing all the time and forgot their jobs. The king was angry at them and separated them on opposite sides of the Amanogawa River (Milky Way). The king allowed them to meet only once a year on July 7th. This is why tanabata is also called the Star Festival. People say that Orihime and Hikoboshi can't meet each other if July 7th is rainy, so they pray for good weather and also make wishes for themselves. From (http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanesefestivals/a/tanabata.htm)

How to clean toddler teeth?

I think it is not safe to use a toothpaste for a toddler even if the manufacturer says it is safe. I never used a toothpaste for my son who is a toddler, as the dentist has recommended to wait until he can spit the toothpaste out.

In Akachan honpu and Kawachi, it is possible to find wet tissues for cleaning toddler teeth, I think it is the safest one. The tissues are called in japanese: HAMIGAKI NAPPU (歯磨きナップ）.

Mugi-cha

Roasted barley tea is the best drink for summer, called also mugi-cha in japan (麦茶), it is a popular tisane made from roasted barley. In Japan, it is regarded as a summer beverage. Many people in Japan believe that mugicha helps to cleanse the body.

You can buy prepared mugi-cha from shops, but I prefer to prepare it at home. I bought a bag of roasted barley (198yen, topvalue brand), the bag contains 52 small bags. I put one small bag in 1.5l of water and put it in the fridge for about 1 or 2 hours and the mugi-cha is ready.

You can give mugi-cha to children, it has no side effects. In the nursery school where my son is, they start to give mugi-cha from age 6 months. In shops specialized with baby food, it is possible to find mugi-cha for babies.

How can you travel cheap in Japan

You might be interested in discovering the beauty of Japan. Have you heard that traveling in Japan is very expensive? Well, traveling in Japan is not necessarily expensive. Fortunately, there are cheap ways to enjoy traveling in Japan.

• Transportation: Japan Railway (JR) provides very cheap tickets that you can use to take JR trains anywhere in Japan. These tickets are called 18 kippu. They are usually sold during vacation (see here). 18 kippu are sold as a set of 5 tickets. You are allowed to share with other people. One 18 kippu costs 2.525 円 (about 24 $) and you can use it for 24 hours with different JR trains! So convenient. You can plan your trip in advance by using this database of transportation in Japan.
  

• Hotel: There are youth hostels (Japanese website, English website) everywhere in Japan. Usually, one night costs around 3000円 (about 29$). Youth hostel is a dormitory, where you share your room with other people. An excellent opportunity to make friends. Women dorms and men dorms are separated in Japan. In some youth hostel you can stay in family rooms, but usually they are more expensive. I personally like staying in youth hostels because they are clean, cheap and offer a friendly environment, like a home!
  

• Food: Generally, the managers of youth hotel provide you with sanitary hot water if you ask. Now, you may ask what you can do with hot water. What about having Nescafe with sweets that you brought from home as breakfast? What about having sea food cup noodle as dinner? Moreover, some youth hostel have shared kitchen. So nice, you can cook your dinner and prepare sandwiches or obento for lunch.

Finally, is it safe to travel in Japan? Yes it is! Actually, Japanese are glad to meet foreigners that are interested in their local customs and sightseeing. If you behave politely and respectfully then you receive warm welcome and generous help.

Enjoy your trips :) !