Archive for June, 2010
Royal Wedding Attire Posted by Ginny on Jun 29, 2010
Seventeen years ago in June, Prince Naruhito (皇太子徳仁親王) married a commoner named Masako Owada (小和田 雅子) : After the ceremony, the Prince changed into a black suit and the newly crowned Princess changed into a white wedding dress. The actual wedding ceremony was held in the traditional Japanese style for royals. In the heat of…
Japanese Gardens Posted by Ginny on Jun 26, 2010
In some parts of the world, the weather is getting warmer and more people are venturing out to see the different varieties of Japanese gardens on display. A Karesansui (枯山水) is a type of garden where the natural landscape is used in a harmonious manner to create a picturesque scene. Gardens of this variety…
のが + … Posted by Ginny on Jun 23, 2010
You can indicate whether someone is good at something by using のが上手です. 比嘉さんは日本語を話すのが上手です = Mr. Higa is good at speaking Japanese (ひが/比嘉 = Higa. さん = Mr. は = subject particle. にほん/日本 = Japan. ご/語 = language. を = direct object marker. はなす/話す = speak. のがじょうずです/のが上手です = is good at [doing]) You can also indicate…
Fathers in Japan Posted by Ginny on Jun 20, 2010
Japan is one of the many countries that will celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June. Father’s Day is a day when children show their appreciation for their dads, but for some fathers in Japan, this won’t be possible. This year, child custody laws in Japan grabbed the attention of the international media…
Origami Posted by Ginny on Jun 17, 2010
Origami (おりがみ) is a traditional Japanese art form of paper folding. Basically, origami is a flat piece of paper formed into a work of art without any glue or scissors. The most iconic origami design is the paper crane. The paper crane has become internationally known through the struggles of a young girl named Sadako…
Japanese Soccer Posted by Ginny on Jun 14, 2010
The man of the hour in Japan is Keisuke Honda (本田 圭佑). Here’s the reason why : Makoto Hasebe (長谷部誠) is the vice captain for the Japanese soccer team. He’s a talented midfielder who has played for the German club VfL Wolfsburg . Takayuki Morimoto (森本 貴幸) is currently the youngest player to debut professionally…
Expressing Purpose Posted by Ginny on Jun 11, 2010
The particle に plus a motion verb can be used to express purpose : レストランにカレーを食べに行きました = I went to the restaurant to eat curry.(Or, I went to the restaurant for the purpose of eating curry. Or, I went to the restaurant in order to eat curry.) (レストラン = restaurant. に = to. カレー = curry…