2022 / The Year Of The Tiger

2022 is the year of the Tiger – a “Fire Tiger” in fact, to be exact, signaling a coming period of prosperity. According to Wiki: “Its motion is upward and its energy is convective.” I know you’ll join me in saying, shouting, “Thank fuck for that!”

The cover picture above is a hand towel that I received as a gift with posh box of traditional Japanese New Year food: all preserved, salted meats, fish cakes, and pickled vegetables – a bit like the equivalent of a seasonal hamper from Harrod`s or Selfridges, but without the pies, crusts, or carbs.

This is supposed to tide you over the New Year holiday, which in 2022 runs to the 4th of Jan. You see, in a country still deeply, deeply, rooted in tradition, everything does actually close here. Sure, the odd convenience store might be open, but there are no delivery truck drivers working, so very quickly shelves become bare. In the past I’ve discovered to my cost that gas stations are also shut.

So you fill up, stock up, and hole up, only venturing out perhaps to a shrine, to say a prayer, sound the temple bell, for those that you love. Below is a list of tiger-themed tracks – not quite off the top of my head – some tongue-in-check, some totally terrific – to help you ring in the new.

James Bright – Flying Tiger