JAPAN: JAPANESE PREPARE TO WELCOME IN THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE

Record ID: 753020

  • Title: JAPAN: JAPANESE PREPARE TO WELCOME IN THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE
  • Date: 27th December 2000
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (DECEMBER 27, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) MV: STALL OUTSIDE OF DEPARTMENT STORE SELLING NEW YEAR ORNAMENTS CLOSE-UP OF PINE AND BAMBOO ORNAMENT MV: WOMEN LOOKING AT ORNAMENTS INSIDE OF DEPARTMENT STORE SCU: SNAKES WITH BOBBING HEADS CU: GOLD-COLOURED CERAMIC SNAKE SV: PEOPLE LOOKING AT ORNAMENTS SCU: BLUE SNAKE ORNAMENT TOKYO, JAPAN (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCES
  • Embargoed: 11th January 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TOKYO, OSAKA AND KAMAKURA, JAPAN
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Environment,Politics,Religion,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA8BD3YB9OK6KI1RKATWQMTQOLC
  • Story Text: The end of the year 2000 is only a few days away and Japan is bidding farewell to the Dragon year according to the Chinese zodiac and preparing to welcome the year of the Snake.
    Businessmen in Osaka on Wednesday (December 27) exchanged a python for a bowl of sea horses, which are called "dragon orphans" in Japanese, symbolising the end of the year of the dragon and the coming of the year of the snake.
    The annual event was held in the Tsutenkaku, a tower and a tourist attraction in the western Japanese city.
    All over Japan, people are preparing for the New Year.
    Housewives are heading for department stores to buy snake-shaped knicknacks for the house, and traditional Japanese New Year's ornaments.
    At the zoo children who have just started winter holidays are flocking to the snake exhibit, where a special corner has been set up to let the children hold the slithery reptiles and have their picture taken with them.
    Dozens of children of all ages crowded around the snake corner while their parents took aim with cameras.
    Meanwhile in the seaside town of Kamakura, elderly people washed money at the snake shrine and prayed for wealth and prosperity in the coming year.
    "I use the money that I have washed here to buy ornaments for the New Year and also underwear. Underwear is something that one always wears, and there is a belief that if you use money for this purpose, you will always 'wear' money and it will not run out," said one woman.
    In Japan, snakes are believed to be the messenger of the goddess of wisdom, money and music and are very auspicious.
    The shrine located in a cave has a stream running through it and also weathered stone and wooden snakes to which people direct their prayers.
    People put their money, either bills or coins, in small baskets and pour water from the stream over it. Money which has been washed is said to increase in the coming year.
    "I dropped my wallet in the water last year and there was a lottery ticket inside it. I won 50,000 yen (440.1 U.S.
    dollars) with that lottery ticket, so it works," said another.
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