Rabbit Kayo -- Welcome to 2023!

 

Well, a Happy New Year to everyone out there and welcome to 2023! 新年あけましておめでとうございます。

As would usually be the case in my family, we had the traditional o-zoni（お雑煮）breakfast this morning after the New Year's greetings. Because our ancestors originally hailed from western Japan, our o-zoni have round mochi in a miso soup. Folks in the Kanto area, however, tend to grill square mochi before putting the cakes into a clear soup. I've had both styles but in each case, I'm always careful to chew pieces of mochi well and over several seconds lest I end up a victim of choking. French kissing a vacuum cleaner isn't my idea of enjoying January 1st.

Anyways, getting onto the first business of KKP this year, 2023 is known as the Year of the Rabbit and I've illustrated that with the thumbnail of the cute little bunny at the top of the article. Not that I'm into astrology, but I did manage to find what Rabbit people are supposed to be like from the website Chinese New Year, although the paragraphs below don't tell the whole story:

To outsiders, the Rabbit’s kindness may make them seem soft and weak. In truth, the Rabbit’s quiet personality hides their confidence and strength. They are steadily moving towards their goal, no matter what negativity the others give them.

With their good reasoning skills and attention to detail, they make great scholars. They are socializers with an attractive aura. However, they find it hard to open up to others and often turn to escapism.

A plain and routine life is not their style. Though conservative and careful in their actions, they need surprises every so often to spice things up.

Just to let you know, I'm not a Rabbit but a Snake person, so it'll be a few more years before I commemorate that. However, as the first article for 2023 on "Kayo Kyoku Plus", I thought I would pay tribute to the occasion by putting up some rabbit-themed songs or songs that have something to do with rabbits just for kicks.

1. Dali -- Moonlight Densetsu (ムーンライト伝説）(1992)

Well, the main character's name is Usagi after all.

2. Petits Rabbit's -- Daydream Café (2014)

All of the cafés in the franchise "Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka"（ご注文はうさぎですか）have rabbits in their titles among other rabbit connections.

3.  Miharu Koshi -- Hashire Usagi （走れウサギ）(1985)

4. Noriko Sakai -- Aoi Usagi (碧いうさぎ) (1995)