New Year's Eve(I)

December 31 is one of the most important days for Japanese people. It is called 'Oh-Misoka.' ('Misoka' means 'the last day of the month' and 'Oh' means 'big' or 'grand')

Every member of a family is supposed to come home by this day so that they can celebrate the start of a New Year together as a whole family. I felt very guilty when I had to spend 'Oh-Misoka' in Australia, a long way from my old parents' home. I don't know very much how you feel about Christmas, but it might be a similar feeling to yours towards Christmas.

The most popular TV program on New Year's Eve has been a music show called 'Koh-haku Uta-Gassen.' ('Koh-haku' literally means 'red and white' but in this phrase it means 'male and female', 'Uta' means 'songs', and 'Gassen' means 'competition'.) 'Koh-haku Uta-Gassen' is broadcast by NHK and is watched by nearly half of the Japanese people every year. It is a ridiculous show, where singers are divided into two teams according to their sex and each singer from a team comes to the stage in turn. At the end of the show, judges decide which team has done better. 40 years ago, this TV program meant a lot to Japanese people, because this was the only opportunity to watch so many major singers at once. But now its meaning has been lost, because we can always watch them on everyday programs. Besides, people's tastes in music differ more and more, especially according to ages. So a daughter says "How cool!" about a male singer, while her mother says "Poor singing!" Her father says "Why don't we watch wrestling instead?" "Koh-haku Uta-Gassen" is no longer a binder of family bonds.

Don't I watch 'Koh-haku Uta-Gassen'? Yes, I do! I know it is ridiculous, but can't help doing so. I don't know why. Maybe because I am one of those typical Japanese or maybe because I don't know any other ways to spend 'Oh-Misoka'.