Japanese lifestyle ~23~ New year Ekiden

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!
あけましておめでとうございます。
Kotoshimo yoroshikuonegai shimasu.
ことしも　よろしくおねがいします。

This is Japanese greeting. Everyone say when you meet someone at the
beginning of the year.
I like this time. We call the beginning of the year "Osyougatsu"　お正月
I have a lot of things to write about this season. I will write little by little.
Hopefully, I would like to keep writing this blog in this year as well.

1st January, there is big event in my hometown. It is "New year Ekiden".
Ekiden is one of the Japanese sports. It is not known world widely but it is well-known sport in Japan.
Runner of the team run about 12 km~15km. And each runner has to pass a sleeves, called tasuki
to the other runner. Each team has 7 runners so the athletes run about 100km altogether.
Each team compete the time.
Top athletes in Japan join this competition. Runner of London Olympic joined this competition
in this year.  Well known press come to this Gunma prefecture to broadcast this competition every
year.
Fortunately, this event happens near my hometown. I took some photos here.

I thought watching by the road is much funner than watching on TV.



I was so impressed to see runners.

In this season, Japanese people say Houhu of the year.（抱負ほうふ）(houhu)
It means, the aim (or hope) you want to achieve in the year.

I personally started to write some stories at the end of the year.
It was not so long story. But that was what I wanted to do from many years ago.
That was children's story. My "houhu" is to write some stories in this year.

What is your houhu in this year?

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