Archive for May, 2010
Japanese Condiments Posted by Ginny on May 29, 2010
ポンず (ponzu) is a dark and watery dipping sauce made of rice vinegar, seaweed, fish flakes, lemon and sometimes soy sauce. からし (karashi) is a type of mustard made from crushed seeds. It is a dipping sauce that is yellowish in color. わりした (warishita) is a sauce made of soy sauce, salt and sugar. It is often…
Probably Posted by Ginny on May 26, 2010
でしょう can be a way to express probability, or a prediction or a guess. あの人が加藤さんでしょう = That person over there is probably Mr. Katō. (あの = that over there. ひと/人 = person. が = particle. かとう/加藤 = Katō. さん = Mr. でしょう = probably) If you want to indicate the possibility of something or someone not…
Contemporary Japanese Weddings Posted by Ginny on May 23, 2010
Some Japanese couples decide to have Western styled weddings. Both the parents of the bride take part in the ceremony. The father of the bride walks the bride down the aisle, and the mother of the bride lowers the veil over the bride’s face. Both the mother and father’s actions are symbolic of giving the…
Traditional Japanese Weddings Posted by Ginny on May 20, 2010
Traditional Japanese weddings tend to take place at Shintō shrines. Pictured to the right is a headgear called a tsunokakushi (つのかくし). The tsunokakushi covers the bride’s topknot, which is a kind of hairstyle called bukin takashimada (ぶきんたかしまだ). When the bride puts on the tsunokakushi, she is showing her resolve to be an obedient and patient wife…
Please Don’t… Posted by Ginny on May 17, 2010
When you want to ask someone from refraining to do something, you can use the negative short form of the verb with でください. Here’s an example : ここで食べないでください = Please don’t eat here. (ここ = here. で = particle. たべないでください/食べないでください = please don’t eat) If you’re unfamiliar with the short form, maybe this page will…
Whaling and Dolphin Hunting in Japan Posted by Ginny on May 14, 2010
The Cove is a film documenting the dolphin hunting industry in Japan. The film has won many awards, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Film. Basically, the film focuses on the dolphin hunting industry in Taiji (太地), Japan. If you were apathetic about the whaling and dolphin hunting industry, this film may change your…
Onsen Posted by Ginny on May 11, 2010
An onsen (おんせん) is a hot spring bath, meaning that the hot water comes from a heated spring. Traditionally, onsens were bathing facilities where people gathered to get clean. Nowadays, people have the convenience of having a bathtub at home, so getting clean isn’t the main reason why people go to the onsen. Onsen resorts…