This time, cultural event stuff.
Kagami Mochi are a traditional Japanese New Year decoration made of two mochi (rice buns) stacked on top of each other and a Daidai (a bitter type of orange) atop with a leaf. Sometimes there is a Konbu (a sheet) and dried persimmons underneath the Mochi which sits on a Sanpou ( Stand | 三宝) over a Shihōbeni ( Another Sheet | 四方紅) to keep fires away from the house in the coming months. Gohei ( Folded Paper Shinto Strips | 御幣) a type of Shimenawa ( An Enclosing or Boundary Rope | 標縄 or 注連縄 ) are also usually attached, as this is a decorative attachment affiliated with Shinto, which you will often see at Shrines which use these as a way to attain spacial-purity in Shintoism.[1] Other common decorations include Fans, Hemp knots and wrapping decorations made from polychromatic or gold ornamental designs.
It is said they are stacked this way as the mochi represents the new and old years coming and going, the Daidai a continuing line of success for a family. Kagami-Mochi are placed in the Kamidana (Home Altar | 神棚 ) as an offering to allow the gods to be aware of the passing of the New Year, just in case they got too drunk on O-Miki ( Sacred Rice Wine | 御神酒) or something the night before and forgot to bestow blessings on the mortals. This was engaged as part of the Shinto ritual of Kagami Biraki ( Opening the Mirror | 鏡開き) where the Mochi is broken with a hammer into around the middle of January and eaten in small pieces. I presume the mirror part has something to do with Amaterasu's mythology(?) which used mirrors as a motif to entice Amaterasu from her cave to welcome the Spring, or a Seasonal Change allegory from Winter to Spring. They are also placed confusingly (Buddhism is pretty clear that the Buddha was not a god per se) on the Butsudan ( Buddhist cabinet | 仏壇 ) in honour of the family at New Year, a time which in Japan is meant to be spent with family.
Kagami first appeared in the 1300's CE, with the origins being rather murky, but are thought to relate in some way to the importance mirrors held to Japanese people in these times. Kagami-Biraki as a ritual was begun by Tokugawa Ietsuna ( 徳川 家綱 | 1641-1680) around the Kanbun period (1661-1673 CE) as an auspicious ceremony meant to aid him in victory over his enemies in a coming battle. Around 1884, the practice of Kagami-Mochi began to be used in Judo dojos as a way to celebrate the New Year, spreading later to Aikido, Karate and Jujutsu dojos as well. Traditional Kagami-Mochi were made by hand, but modern versions are sometimes made from plastic moulds, and the Daidai with a Mikan orange.
This concludes Perezoso blog posting.
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