Japanese New Year Decoration

This time I did not make the item on show. It was made for us by  a recent visitor from Japan.

In England, our Christmas decorations are mostly on winter themes, pine, holly, mistletoe, snow and so on.

So I thought it would be interesting to show you the different approach of the Japanese to New Year decoration.

Instead of just winter, this decoration includes symbols of all four seasons of the year,  pine for winter, artificial cherry blossoms for spring, artificial peonies and a butterfly for summer, and, most important of all, the staff of life, real rice for autumn and harvest.

It is a wreath, just as we have Christmas wreaths, but of a very different nature, to reflect a very different culture.