Hello everyone,
I hope you’ve all had a good start to the New Year! Here at ARI, we had a lovely time over the festive period. On the 25th, we held a big Christmas party – not on the 24th, as we’re used to in Germany. In fact, we actually had to work that day. We waxed the floor in the classroom building so that it would look nice for the new year and hopefully last a long time.
I wasn’t really in the Christmas spirit during Advent, but that changed on 25 December. The Christmas tree was festively decorated with baubles and fairy lights, and there was a fire crackling in the fireplace. In the evening, we held a big celebration. The staff all brought food and we enjoyed the delicious dishes together. For dessert, we volunteers had baked fruit and biscuits.
Once we had all eaten our fill, we played a Christmas game together, wearing funny costumes based on the ARI theme. There were angels wearing Yukatas, for example, and instead of a donkey and an ox, there was a goat, a chicken and a pig. After that, we played a gift-giving game. It was great fun, and I really enjoyed the evening.
Christmas marked the start of the holidays. This meant that we had plenty of free time, and we only had to complete six tasks in total, such as cooking and looking after the animals. During this time, we volunteers did a lot together, strengthening our friendship by eating ramen and going on trips. It was lovely getting to know each other better and recharging our batteries for the year ahead. Everyone was noticeably more relaxed. Overall, it was very quiet without the participants – we all miss them a little.
We had a great time on New Year’s Eve, too. In the evening, we had cold soba noodles. Apparently, it’s customary to eat them on New Year’s Eve. You must also finish all the noodles, as leaving any behind is said to bring bad luck in the new year. Afterwards, the other volunteers and I walked to the nearby Nogi Shrine. Although it was very cold, we were able to warm ourselves up with hot soup and Japanese snacks. There were lots of food stalls around the shrine.
Shortly before midnight, we joined the queue to offer thanks to the gods worshipped at the shrine. There were lots of people there to do the same, so it took quite a while before it was our turn. We were still waiting when midnight struck. We counted down the seconds and wished each other a happy new year.
After a while, we finally arrived at the altar. We bowed, clapped our hands, and made a wish. Then, after bowing again, we put some money into the designated offering box. Five-yen coins are said to bring the most luck. Afterwards, we bought a lucky charm containing a prediction for the future. I was “lucky” – though that’s the lowest level. Nevertheless, I hope it will be enough for 2026!
Another thing that surprised me in a positive way was that nobody set off fireworks. There were no fireworks or loud bangs. This is definitely better for the environment and the animals.
Another highlight of the holiday was my trip to Tokyo. On the last day, I took the train into the city centre with three other volunteers. As it was the last day of the holidays for many Japanese people, everywhere was very crowded. Among other things, we walked to the famous Shibuya Crossing. Afterwards, we visited the Meiji Shrine, which is located in a beautiful wooded area. This gives the whole place a special, almost magical atmosphere.
After enjoying a delicious dinner at a ramen restaurant, we drove back to the ARI together. Overall, I really enjoyed the day. Seeing what life is like in a huge city was truly fascinating.
Thanks for reading.
Until next time!
This text was automatically translated using an AI-powered translation system.
