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Shiki Novel Translations 3.3.0
Aug. 29th, 2014 11:55 pmLinks to Chapters
Chapter 3 - 1
Chapter 3 - 2
Chapter 3 - 3
Chapter 3 - 4
Chapter 3 - 5
Chapter 3 - 6
Chapter 3 - 7
Cultural Notes:
3 - 2
Rokuyou - The Six Days of the Week
While Japan operates under the solar Gregorian Calendar, in the Meiji Restoration the Rokuyou or six day lunisolar calendar was popularized for astrological purposes. The six days go in the order given below, with the first of the Gregorian calendar month corresponding with the day in a cycle. For example, the first day of the first month of the year, January, will always be the first day in the list below (Senshou), the first day in the second month of February will always be the second (Tomobiki), the first day of the sixth month, June, will always be the sixth day (Shakkou). Then it starts over again with the first day of July always being the first (Senshou) again, with the first day of December again being the sixth (Shakkou).
In 3-3-2, Matsuo Seiji states to Seishin that despite the next day being Tomobiki, they would like to hold Motohashi Tsuruko's funeral as quickly as possible regardless. According to the Rokuyou calendar, there are auspicious and inauspicious times to undertake certain tasks. This system isn't terribly prevalent in modern day Japan, but it does have some influence for more superstitious sorts. Most calendars will not denote these details, though which one each date falls on can be calculated without.
Senshou - Preceding Victory - Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon l. A good day for beginnings, in the morning.
Tomobiki - Pulling Along a Friend - Lucky in the morning and night, unlucky from noon to dusk. According to some it means calamity and misfortune bring friends (more misery) and according to some, it's the second luckiest aside from Taian. Particularly bad for funerals, implying the friend will be pulled into death.
Senbu - Preceding Loss - Bad luck in the morning, good luck after noon. A day to avoid hasty judgments.
Butsumetsu - Buddha Perishes - Overall bad luck, unpopular for weddings or business launches. Sometimes appropriate for funerals.
Taian - Great Ease - A lucky day, popular for many undertakings such as weddings and mergers.
Shakkou - Red Opening - Unlucky except for between 11AM and 1PM. Considered worse luck than even Butsumetsu. The red indicates a need to be especially careful of fire or blood drawing injuries.
3 - 5
Honzen - The Honzen is the central feature of a family altar, usually a statue of the Buddha but sometimes also a scroll or painting. Ozaki bringing it out of his family altar to Setsuko's bedside would be considered sacrilege to more traditional folk.
3 - 6
"I'll be getting into the bath when I get back so leave the water in for me." - Japanese baths tend to leave water in them more like a simmering hot tub for relaxation than the western baths refilled and drained between each. The bath is kept warm and full until the entire household has finished bathing. There's usually a small, quick showering area for rinsing off dirt and actually cleaning one's self before getting into the bath.
Chapter 3 - 1
Chapter 3 - 2
Chapter 3 - 3
Chapter 3 - 4
Chapter 3 - 5
Chapter 3 - 6
Chapter 3 - 7
Cultural Notes:
3 - 2
Rokuyou - The Six Days of the Week
While Japan operates under the solar Gregorian Calendar, in the Meiji Restoration the Rokuyou or six day lunisolar calendar was popularized for astrological purposes. The six days go in the order given below, with the first of the Gregorian calendar month corresponding with the day in a cycle. For example, the first day of the first month of the year, January, will always be the first day in the list below (Senshou), the first day in the second month of February will always be the second (Tomobiki), the first day of the sixth month, June, will always be the sixth day (Shakkou). Then it starts over again with the first day of July always being the first (Senshou) again, with the first day of December again being the sixth (Shakkou).
In 3-3-2, Matsuo Seiji states to Seishin that despite the next day being Tomobiki, they would like to hold Motohashi Tsuruko's funeral as quickly as possible regardless. According to the Rokuyou calendar, there are auspicious and inauspicious times to undertake certain tasks. This system isn't terribly prevalent in modern day Japan, but it does have some influence for more superstitious sorts. Most calendars will not denote these details, though which one each date falls on can be calculated without.
Senshou - Preceding Victory - Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon l. A good day for beginnings, in the morning.
Tomobiki - Pulling Along a Friend - Lucky in the morning and night, unlucky from noon to dusk. According to some it means calamity and misfortune bring friends (more misery) and according to some, it's the second luckiest aside from Taian. Particularly bad for funerals, implying the friend will be pulled into death.
Senbu - Preceding Loss - Bad luck in the morning, good luck after noon. A day to avoid hasty judgments.
Butsumetsu - Buddha Perishes - Overall bad luck, unpopular for weddings or business launches. Sometimes appropriate for funerals.
Taian - Great Ease - A lucky day, popular for many undertakings such as weddings and mergers.
Shakkou - Red Opening - Unlucky except for between 11AM and 1PM. Considered worse luck than even Butsumetsu. The red indicates a need to be especially careful of fire or blood drawing injuries.
3 - 5
Honzen - The Honzen is the central feature of a family altar, usually a statue of the Buddha but sometimes also a scroll or painting. Ozaki bringing it out of his family altar to Setsuko's bedside would be considered sacrilege to more traditional folk.
3 - 6
"I'll be getting into the bath when I get back so leave the water in for me." - Japanese baths tend to leave water in them more like a simmering hot tub for relaxation than the western baths refilled and drained between each. The bath is kept warm and full until the entire household has finished bathing. There's usually a small, quick showering area for rinsing off dirt and actually cleaning one's self before getting into the bath.
