About Japanese Language

Bean-Throwing on Setsubun

2010-02-03T12:26:46Z

February 3rd is "Setsubun." On setsubun there is special ritual called, "mamemaki (bean-throwing)" to expel demons and invite fortune. I enjoyed doing mamemaki when I was little. We opened the windows of the house at night and my mom threw roasted soybeans saying "Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi (Get out Ogre! Come in Happiness!)." After mamemaki, we'd eat one soybean for each year we'd been alive. By doing so, it is believed people won't get sick during the year. When I was a child I wished I could eat more beans than my age, but now I have to eat too many! By the way, The Japanese astronaut, Souichi Noguchi, tried "mamemaki" a few days ago in the International Space Station, although he used small chocolates instead of soybeans. You can check out some pictures.
Japanese translation

Bean-Throwing on Setsubun originally appeared on About.com Japanese Language on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 12:26:46.

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Exams, Superstitions and Kit Kat Bars

2010-01-27T11:01:57Z

The "National Center Test for University Admission" was held on January 16th and 17th. It is a universal examination for Japanese universities. All national/public universities require applicants to take this exam. During the exam season the superstitious nature of the Japanese becomes apparent. In fact you will find various lucky charms being sold around this time. The most popular are charms purchased from a shrine or temple. However, the Kit Kat (a chocolate bar) is also popular. Why? The Japanese pronounce it as, "kitto katto." It sounds like "kitto katsu" which means, "You will surely win". Parents often buy Kit Kats for their children for exam days. It is just a fun play on words, but if it makes them feel better why not!
Japanese translation

Exams, Superstitions and Kit Kat Bars originally appeared on About.com Japanese Language on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 11:01:57.

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Yukidaruma - Japanese Snowman

2010-01-20T19:28:55Z

When it snowed I was excited to make a snowman. I tried to put two large snowballs together, just like how I used to do it in Japan, but I was told that it has to be three snowballs in North America. The Japanese word for snowman is "yukidaruma". "Yuki" means, "snow" and "daruma" is a round wish doll with no arms or legs. It represents the Zen monk, Bodhidharma, and snowmen in Japan are modeled after it. It is always very interesting to find out culture differences, even when it is only snowmen. How do you say a snowman in your language and what do they look like?
Japanese translation

Yukidaruma - Japanese Snowman originally appeared on About.com Japanese Language on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 19:28:55.

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The Year of the Tiger

2010-01-13T11:28:08Z

It is the year of the tiger. The Japanese zodiac is divided into 12 years. Each year is named after an animal: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and boar. If you are born in1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, 1938, 1926, 1914, 1902..., you are born in the year of the tiger. You might wonder how twelve animals are chosen for the zodiac. There is a Japanese folk tale called, "The Origin of Juunishi". You can watch a cute animated version of this story on Youtube. It is in Japanese with no sub-titles. However, since the narrator speaks rather slowly, and uses simple phrases, I think it will make for a fun listening practice. Enjoy!
Japanese translation

The Year of the Tiger originally appeared on About.com Japanese Language on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 11:28:08.

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Happy New Year

2010-01-06T11:13:10Z

How was your holiday? Christmas in the west is such a fun time, but after Christmas is over, I always feel it's little too quiet and something is missing. On New Year's Eve, I felt I needed to do something so I started a big house cleaning. It is kind of like "Spring Cleaning," but it is to purify the house for the coming year and to drive out impure influences. I felt good after the cleaning, and ready for the New Year. Anyway, as for my "Japanese Language" site, I will continue to do my best to make it better. Your comments or suggestions are always welcome. I wish you a Happy New Year.
Japanese translation

Happy New Year originally appeared on About.com Japanese Language on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 at 11:13:10.

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Susan Boyle to Sing NHK's "Kouhaku Uta Gassen"

2009-12-30T00:07:53Z

Susan Boyle, the Scottish singer who made a sensational debut in April on the TV show "Britain's Got Talent" will sing on "Kouhaku Uta Gassen" on New Year's Eve. "Kouhaku" is a popular annual Japanese music show watched by millions. Performing on Kouhaku is said to be a huge honor and big highlight in a singer's career. It is rare for a foreign singer to be invited as a guest - this is very big news in Japan. Her performance of "I Dreamed a Dream　("Yume Yaburete" in Japanese)" from "Les Miserables" will be surely one of the biggest moments of the show this year.

Susan Boyle to Sing NHK's "Kouhaku Uta Gassen" originally appeared on About.com Japanese Language on Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 at 00:07:53.

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The Beauty of Snow

2009-12-28T19:51:09Z

There are some areas that have a lot of snow in Japan. Nagano hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998. Skiing and snowboarding is quite popular, especially among young people. Since my hometown, Kobe, doesn't have much snow, I always get excited when it snows. There is a Japanese word, "yukigeshou," which means, "to be covered by a blanket of snow". It is written with the kanji characters for "yuki (show)" and "geshou/keshou (makeup)". I think snow is so beautiful, and it does completely change familiar scenery.
Japanese translation

The Beauty of Snow originally appeared on About.com Japanese Language on Monday, December 28th, 2009 at 19:51:09.

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Popular Japanese Baby Names for 2009

2009-12-17T00:13:27Z

I saw a survey of popular Japanese names for 2009. The top 5 names for boys are, "Hiroto," "Shouta," "Ren," " Souta" and "Sora". The top 5 names for girls are, "Rin," "Sakura," "Hina," "Yua" and "Yuna". Since Japanese names are usually written in kanji (sometime in hiragana), even the same name can be written in many different ways. Having "ko" at the end of a name (like my name, "Namiko") was quite common for girls a while back, but I only see one name ("Riko") that has this pattern in the top 50 list this year. Many of the girl's names are two syllables and have a cute sound. It is interesting that the list of the names is quite different from my classmate's names at elementary school. It might not be too long till a younger generation finds my name grandma-ish.
Japanese translation

Popular Japanese Baby Names for 2009 originally appeared on About.com Japanese Language on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 00:13:27.

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Shiwasu - December in Japanese

2009-12-09T23:32:05Z

It is already December. Time flies, doesn't it? The Japanese word for December is "juuni-gatsu," which literally means, "twelfth month." Each month has an older Japanese name, and December is called "shiwasu." The old names are not commonly used today, but "shiwasu" is the one that you would hear more often than the others. It is written with kanji characters for "master, teacher" and "to run." There are several theories for the origin of the name, "shiwasu." One of them is that December is so busy that even a priest to pray on the run. It is a busy season, but I like to remind myself to slow down.
Japanese translation

Shiwasu - December in Japanese originally appeared on About.com Japanese Language on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 23:32:05.

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The Nutcracker - Kurumiwari Ningyou

2009-12-02T12:39:14Z

I went to see "The Nutcracker" ballet the other day. "The Nutcracker" is one of the many Christmas traditions in North America, but the Japanese don't think about it in the same way and it is performed anytime of the year. Oddly, Beethoven's 9th has seasonal nature in Japan, it is usually played before the end of the year. When I was a little girl, I loved watching ballet. I dreamed of being a ballerina when I grew up. It has been quite a while since I last saw "The Nutcracker". I was quite moved by the performance and felt it was so nice to see it live. The dancing looked so effortless and graceful, but I can imagine it requires a strong mind and a lot of practice to be a dancer at that level.
Japanese translation

The Nutcracker - Kurumiwari Ningyou originally appeared on About.com Japanese Language on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 12:39:14.

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