The year-end schedule has come rushing in like a tidal wave again, hasn't it?
A high-energy, hyped-up Christmas is fine, but I also love the laid-back, chill atmosphere of the New Year.
The New Year is not only the start of the year, but also a festival to welcome the Toshigami-sama (New Year deity), who descends from the mountains bringing blessings for the year ahead. The kadomatsu serves as a landmark, the shimenawa acts as a sacred barrier while the deity is visiting, and the kagami mochi serves as an offering of food for the deity. The idea is to say, "Welcome, deity. Please, have a bite to eat at our place," and encourage them to stay as long as possible.
Let's put a shime-kazari on your bike, too
Come to think of it, back in the day, many people used to attach shime-kazari (sacred straw decorations) to the front grilles of their cars. I always loved that ambivalent contrast of a traditional Japanese decoration hanging from the cold, shiny grille of a modern machine.
The reason you see them less these days might be due to the dilution of traditional culture, or perhaps because cars have become so electronically controlled and "black-boxed" that it's harder to feel attached to them. But if that's the case, why not try it on a bicycle—something we use as a daily transport or for hobby and play?
I’d love to invite a deity onto my bike to pray for traffic safety, good health, and safe travels. So, while I’ve been handcrafting a simple shimenawa for my bike every year for the past 15 years, this year I asked the flower shop Tumbleweed (@tumbleweed) in Nakamura Ward to make a few for me, and I’ve decided to distribute them.
New Year Bicycle "So-fuku" Shime-kazari
Made by Tumbleweed
Materials: Rice straw from the Yokoyama family farm, etc.
Handmade locally, just like many traditional shimenawa
When it comes to flowers in Nagoya, it’s Atelier Michikusa and Tumbleweed. We trust them with all our flower and greenery needs at Circles and All-Weather. The rice straw used for these shimenawa was harvested from the rice field of our Circles mechanic, Makoto-san. The "So-fuku" (running luck) lettering is there to bring good fortune as you ride. Aside from inviting a deity, it feels like it might bring all sorts of blessings. Of course, it's perfect for anything that moves, not just bicycles.
Back when I was a messenger riding 100km a day, I used to do a few things for good luck to avoid unavoidable bad fortune on the road. While traffic safety isn't just about praying to the gods, peace of mind is genuinely important.
Along with deep cleaning your room, why not clean up your bike and add a shime-kazari to welcome the New Year feeling refreshed?