Go Tokyo Your Experience
During the Lunar New Year, many people are accustomed to posting the words “spring” or “fortune” upside down in order to bring good luck. So, do you know that similar customs also exist in Japan? In some areas of Japan, people use the character “ma” to pray for good luck, but they write it upside down!
Recently, a Japanese netizen was confused by the word “horse” and immediately sparked heated discussions. Let’s explore this interesting cultural phenomenon together
In the traditional Japanese equestrian festival of “Sagami Wild Horse Chase”, a preparatory activity was conducted for the training of horses.
The Sagama area in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, is famous for its long-standing close relationship with horses, with the most famous being the “Sagama Wild Horse Chase” equestrian festival.
Recently, the organizers of the festival discovered something strange while transporting horses
I always feel that this carriage is a bit strange, that’s why
The organizer of “Xiangma Wild Horse Chase” noticed that the words “Competitive Horse Transport Vehicle” on the carriage seemed to be off the mark
The word ‘horse’ has been reversed in writing!?
This topic immediately sparked a heated discussion among netizens, and many people wondered if the carriage had mistakenly pasted the words backwards?
Subsequently, insiders explained that this actually originated from a traditional way of praying for good luck in Tento City, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Perhaps this carriage also hoped to use this as a way to pray for blessings
Tento City in Yamagata Prefecture is an important place of origin for Japanese “shogi chess pieces”
As an important production area for shogi pieces, Tento City in Yamagata Prefecture has a unique culture related to shogi. The Japanese television variety show “Miaomin Inspection Team” introduced this place last year (2023)
Citizens of Tiantong:Chess pieces can be seen everywhere on the street, and they are also placed in the entrance of every household
Citizens of Tiantong:I feel that shogi pieces are more used for decoration and gift giving, rather than simply for playing chess
Entering the home of any Tiantong citizen
A large number of decorated chess pieces can often be seen at the entrance!
One common chess piece is the “horse” written upside down
In Tiantong City, this reversed horse character is called “Zuo Ma”. This is because in Japanese, the pronunciation of “horse” is Uma, and when reversed, it becomes Mau, which is the pronunciation of the word “dance”.
When it comes to dance, people often associate it with joyful scenes, so “Zuo Ma” is regarded as a symbol of joy and luck. So, chess pieces engraved with the word “Zuo Ma” became one of the common choices for Tiantong citizens when giving gifts!
The Japanese syllabary
The anti dance is “Mai”
Therefore, chess pieces engraved with the word “left horse” are believed to bring good luck
In addition to shogi pieces, various “left horse” blessing products can also be found in the market
The reversed horse character actually has such a special meaning!