Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report.
Carlos notes:
On November 12th, the Japanese-language program on the Reach Beyond Australia radio brought the Japanese tradition of celebrating longevity.
“…Japanese people often find joy in longevity, don’t they?
As they accumulate years and reach a certain age,
they are truly given special names.
Of course, since it is said that we are an aging society,
there isn’t really an atmosphere where living a long life itself is celebrated much, but
even so, as a custom in Japan, for example,
the celebration of one’s 60th birthday is called Kanreki (60th birthday).
Kanreki.
Because it means “returning to the beginning,”
there is a feeling that one becomes a baby again, so
they wear a red chatchanko (traditional red vest) and put on a red hat, right?
Kanreki.
This is for 60 years old…”
