Year-End Kabuki Signboards Raised at Minami-za Theater

KYOTO, Nov 26 (News On Japan) - The annual “Kichirei Kaomise Kogyo” Kabuki program, a long-established event that signals the arrival of the year’s end in Kyoto, is set to begin shortly, and Minami-za in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Ward held its traditional “maneki-age” ritual on November 26th, raising wooden signboards bearing the names of the performers.

Each name is written in bold strokes using the distinctive Kanteiryu calligraphic style, filling the boards from edge to edge with the wish that the theater will be packed without empty seats throughout the run.

This year’s performances will be held from December 1st to 25th, with breaks scheduled on the 9th and 17th.

Source: Kyodo

Heavy Snow And Bitter Cold Persist Along Sea Of Japan Coast

Intermittent snowfall has continued across areas along the Sea of Japan coast under the season’s strongest cold wave, and Fukui Prefecture issued a special weather alert on January 24th warning of significant heavy snow, with forecasters expecting conditions to worsen again through January 25th.Snowfall intensified around Fukui Prefecture overnight on January 22nd, with even low-lying areas in Hokuriku recording above-average snow depth for this time of year.

Japan Heads Into Snap Election

The Japanese government decided at a Cabinet meeting on January 23rd to dissolve the House of Representatives, with the Lower House set to be formally dissolved at a plenary session later in the day, effectively launching the election campaign.

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Straw Serpent Bites Heads in Kyoto

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