December (1930s Fujiya Calendar)

December, 1930s Fujiya Hotel promotional calendar: the atmosphere of calm is at odds with the illustration’s description (verso), listing year-end activities that allow us “to throw evil away with the dying of the old year” and “turn over a new life” in the new one. These are General Cleaning, year-end sales and the Year-End Market (Toshi no ichi), pine decorations, “toshi-koshi soba” (soba noodles to bring prosperity), and my favorite, the “joya no kane,” the 108 peals of temple bells throughout the country, to remove the 108 negative emotions that distract us from ultimate happiness. The flower of the month: Sazanka, the winter camellia. See the calendar at https://rej.lib.rochester.edu/viewer/2301