Japanese Kakigori Summer

Summer in Japan is hot, but it's the humidity that makes the heat unbearable. People cool themselves off with fans or make their own shade by carrying parasols, however, for some real refreshment, everyone looks forward to a colder, tastier treat. Kakigori, or shaved ice, is a little bit of snow heaven amidst the relentless blazing sun. The store front will usually have a hanging sign that simply says "ice" in Japanese, and with recent scorching temperatures, it's like looking at a magical oasis.

TV shows and magazines rank kakigori shops during the summer, which makes everyone flock to the popular locations. Though the buzz adds to the long wait in line, it's worth it. The delicate fluffiness and delicious topping sauce are simply not to be missed. Flavors range from fruity to traditional tastes like green tea or soy bean (kinako). Unlike ice cream it doesn't fill up your stomach, so you might finish wanting seconds! Why don't they have this in New York?

 

Kinako kakigori

 

Kiwi kakigori

 

Kinmokusei (Fragrant olive) kakigori

 

Blueberry kakigori

 

Strawberry milk kakigori

Egoyomi: Japanese Picture Calendars

Here at Commune, we're ecstatic that our owner Aki is expecting a baby girl next month in March!

As her maternity leave begins next Sunday, we have been very busy accommodating her clients' appointments before she goes on her break. Her weekend schedule is often fully booked a week before with a number of requests to be on the waiting list. Despite the frenzy, we are looking forward to her due date and counting down the days.

Did you know during the Edo period in Japan, people referred to image based calendars to understand what month it was? These rather creative calendars were called Egoyomi ("picture-calendar") and designed for those who were illiterate with "hidden" element. During this period, each month was either 29 or 30 days and distinguished as "small months" (Sho no tsuki) or "large months" (Dai no tsuki). Every 2 or 3 years, a thirteenth month called Uru-zuki was included to incorporate leap year.

Can you believe that this late Edo Ee ja nai ka parade theme picture is actually a calendar? The "large months" are represented as men and "small months" as women with a child as the leap year month. The clothes also distinguished its respective month. Can you guess which one is January?

How about this one Momotaro-themed one? The character pertains to the Year of the Dog and again has the hidden element to represent the months. Can you identify where?

Tada! Here the large months (大 - dai) are concealed on his shoulder. Very clever.

  

Not all calendars however were so tricky. Take this one from 1840, the Year of the Rat. This one lays out each month with two rat characters as a story narrative for the year.

We can only imagine how real people used these calendars long ago in Japan, it would certainly be difficult to schedule appointments this way! Although these are absolutely fascinating, we prefer sticking to the good 'ol numerical calendars. See more of these Egoyomi calendars here!

Happy Holidays !

Make sure to come check out our Winter Wonderland window this season!

And if you are late shoppers, we still have plenty of great gifts in stock for your last minute shopping stop.  We've got you covered!

We hope everyone will celebrate the joy of the Holidays with good company, great food and drinks. We wish you all lots of happiness and prosperity in the New Year.   

Cheers!

 ~

Please note our opening/closing hours during the holidays:

Dec 24th - Open 11am-8pm

Dec 25th - Closed

Dec 29th - Open 11am-8pm
Dec 30st - Jan 2nd - Closed

We will reopen on Friday Jan 3rd at our regular hours,
Tues through Sat 11am-8pm

~

 

New hair on your mind?

We are so excited about our new tumblr page! Created with hair lovers like us in mind. You can now visit the page for inspiration before heading to our salon, or just for the fun of following us on tumblr.

Time for a fresh new cut and color.
Spring cleaning!

Again, the salon is open every day of the week except Mondays.
11am-8pm

This season,  don't wait the last minute to book your appointment!

Holidays are crazy enough, booking your appointment this month will make everything easier.
A good thing to check off of your "to do" list right?
Give us a call and get your spot in advance.

✂