You may find something serious or get something expensive during the New Year holidays.

Yesterday, passenger planes and the Shinkansen (bullet trains) were overcrowded with people going back to their hometowns during the New Year holidays. International airports were filled with travelers who were encouraged to go abroad because of the strong Yen. As you can see, the New Year holidays are traditionally for family gatherings, although more and more younger people are willing to take advantage of the longer holidays to go on a trip. Because of that, in December, there are fights between parents and their children over how to spend the New Year holidays since older parents, especially those who live far from their children, really want them to come home.

Anyway, I've noticed that a special TV commercial has been frequently broadcast since a week ago. It says that you should please try to watch your old parents carefully and see whether or not there is something unusual with them while you visit them during the holidays. It also shows the significant symptoms of dementia and numbers to contact if you find something unusual. Actually, the number of people suffering from dementia has been sharply increasing in Japan, so both society and individuals pay attention to how to prevent themselves from getting it. It's been said that noticing dementia symptoms in an early stage is key since there are effective ways of slowing the progression of it, although dementia isn't treatable. I'm aware of these things, however, I didn't expect TV commercials like this to be broadcast.

On the other hand, there is a special promotion to encourage senior citizens to spend more money for their children and grandchildren during the New Year holidays. Actually, younger married couples tend to rely on their parents when they have to buy something expensive for their children. This is because people over 65 usually have a lot of savings since they could receive a lot of money when they reached the mandatory retirement age; in contrast, their married children are struggling to make a living since they have been suffering from the recession.

Under these circumstances, some major shopping malls, most of which are open during the New Year holidays, have already displayed the traditional dolls called ひな人形/hina-ningyo (the first picture) and back-to-school merchandise for incoming pupils so that senior citizens, their children, and their grandchildren can take advantage of the New Year family gathering to go there together to buy them. That way, they can buy something that their children and grandchildren will really like. 

The first item is a set of traditional dolls which are displayed at home to pray for young girl's happiness around the Doll Festival/ひな祭り on the 3rd of March. Many grandparents are willing to buy them before their baby girls have their first Doll Festival. Many kinds of the dolls are very expensive. The second item mainly refers to student desks/学習机（the second picture) used at home and Japanese school bags called ランドセル/randoseru (the third picture. The new school term begins in April in Japan). Until two years ago, these things started being displayed in February. I've heard that the promotion succeeded this year.

I wish you all the best in 2011!