At the end of the year now, Japan is in the throes of "bonenkai," or "forget the year" parties. I wonder, though -- shouldn't we be having "forget the millennium" parties?
Let's forget this entire millennium for a moment and go back 1,000 years. One thousand years ago was before the Kamakura period, the "Tale of Genji" and Hello Kitty; before the Mongol invasions of Japan and the construction of the Golden Pavilion. One thousand years ago, the great Buddha at Todaiji had been built, Kobo Daishi had developed the Shingon Buddhist sect and Kyoto was the capital. One thousand years ago today, in the middle of the Heian period, the citizens of Japan were having a bonenkai:
Mr. Fujiwara: "We look back upon the year and forget it. Now we welcome the new year and the dreams of a new millennium."
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