What is Oosouji 大掃除

Japanese has many rituals around ending and beginning of the year. Saying goodbye to the old year to welcome the new. Bounenkai 忘年会 literally translates to 'Forget Year Meeting', typically an office party celebrating the end of another calendar year. 23rd is a public holiday to mark the Emperor's Birthday Tenno-Tanjyoubi天皇誕生日 (which will be renamed the Retired Emperor's Birthday Joou-Tanjyoubi 上皇誕生日soon). Christmas is acknowledged as a fun event in schools, an excuse for couples to go on dates, and decoration enthusiasts to put the tree up and bake intricate cakes. Food preparation for New Year's Day is also important - if not cooked in traditional family or regional way, then ordering packs of Osechi ryouri おせち料理 are sorted at the local supermarket or department store. (Small versions or segments are also available at Seven Eleven, which makes me wish it was available at MY local Seven Eleven.)

On the last week of the year, something similar to Spring Cleaning, is done to the house. Oosouji literally means 'Big Clean'. That is, top to bottom dusting to vacuum, throwing out rubbish or sorting out donations, every single room. It is a family job. The intention is to purify the environment to start the year fresh, but it also serves as a clean space for visitors (eg extended family), as well as respect for visiting Spirits/Gods.

There are several guidelines on how to Oosouji:

• Start at the top. Dust, then windows and walls, and finally the floors.
• Start at the entrance and work clockwise. This method follows the Feng Shui map, and allows the energy to exit the house.
• Have several boxes prepared in each room to place items to discard. These can be sorted for donation.
• Involve the family so they have a say in what stays and goes, and individually take responsibility for their own banishing of old energy.

Before.

There were furniture sitting outside that needed to go, which took about 6 months to find someone willing to take it to the tip for us. It finally happened yesterday! In total the removal could be said it took 4 years, when the 2-seater couch got removed during the initial clean-out at the end of 2012.

After (yes I know there's still stuff on the little table).

As I used my Norwex dust mit and the window cloth yesterday at the cleaning job I washed it overnight, today's cleaning happened backwards. Floors first, while I waited for the items to dry. Windows and mirrors next, and then finally dusting using the freshly-dried mit.

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I endeavor to continue space clearing for year 2018. Happy New Year and thank you for reading!

Subcategory - Bathroom Creams and Gadgets

There is often a space under the basin that is used for storage space. Ours has three drawers, and one large area that includes access to the drain pipe. Aside from storing soap next to the pipe, the drawers have never been efficiently used. Additionally, it was constantly rearranged by the child 'getting into things'. There is only a small area of the basin where storage surface is available.

The heap, which was less than I thought it was going to be.

Creams and applications I inherited from mum, three First Aid Kits, random make-up (not all, just some), electronic personal care equipments, single-use bottles from hotels and sample packs from mlm parties, and unused razors, all had a place somewhere on the two shelves, stacked on top of each other. Along with two Sylvanian Family houses, the residents and contents I believe (I hope!!) are in the shed somewhere.

Unused shampoo bottles and feral soaps were disposed of by husband during our trip away 👍 He had also gathered hair pins and bands in one heap into the shelf 👎

There weren't much emotional processing for the tidying and releasing process, but rather acknowledging of getting frustrated at E for climbing onto the kitchen bench, getting into the creams, poking at the bottles, bringing stuffed animals to be hair brushed. (Nappy failing and pee leaking that had to be cleaned up and thanking it didn't get onto the STUFF).

Categories. Electronics, make-up, hygiene liquids, hair products, accessories.

No please don't climb onto the bench until everything is off... oh there's space available now? Fine. Just stop touching the stuff! Last few items she started to hand them to me and I was still paranoid she was going to open it or throw it or both.

The sample sachets I put where the night routine oils are kept so I see them and use them in conjunction with the other products and get used.

The total of discard products (!!!) minus actual rubbish like old hair-ties.

The bottom of the shelves are visible!

The biggest take-away from the process was the mindfulness during the sorting. To buy only items that will be used might be applicable in other instances, except there's an element of compatibility also with body care.