Archive for November, 2008
Japanese Funerals Posted by Ginny on Nov 16, 2008
Have you ever seen or experienced the traditional rites that are carried out in a Japanese funeral? Talking about death and thinking about the prospect of death can be a bit depressing, but hopefully you’ll still get something educational out of this post. Before the funeral takes place, the relatives of the dead place six coins…
Japanese Culture: Shichi-Go-San (七五三) Festival Posted by Ginny on Nov 15, 2008
Today is a day of pride for parents who have three, five or seven year old girls or boys. Every year on the 15th of November, children ages 3, 5, and 7 celebrate a rite of passage on the Shichi-Go-San (七五三) festival. Shichi (七) means seven in Japanese, while go (五) = five and accordingly san…
Japanese Food: Kyoodo Ryoori (郷土料理) Posted by Ginny on Nov 14, 2008
Kyoodo ryoori (郷土料理) translates to “regional specialities” in English. By “specialities” I mean a dish or cuisine that a particular region in Japan is famous for; and in which tourists flock to the region to try out the local cuisine. Every month or so I plan on highlighting a particular region with the food they…
Japanese Food: Ocha (おちゃ) Posted by Ginny on Nov 13, 2008
Ocha (おちゃ) is the Japanese word for tea. Japanese tea is important to the Japanese culture. It serves many important functions. Sometimes ocha (おちゃ) is served for the purpose of relaxation, sometimes for ceremony, and at other times it can serve as a source of treatment for one’s health. There are many different kinds of tea…
Japanese Language: Pronunciation Posted by Ginny on Nov 11, 2008
The Japanese language is called a “shallow” language. (At least that’s what the linguists call it.) It’s labeled as “shallow” because words and letters are pronounced as how they are written. If we compare the way Japanese words are pronounced to the way English words are pronounced, you’ll find that English is a “deep” language. …
Japanese Culture: Using Chopsticks Posted by Ginny on Nov 9, 2008
How many of you use chopsticks? For first-timers, chopstick use can be daunting and difficult at the same time. However, if you follow the Japanese mochikata (もちかた), or the way in which you should hold chopsticks, you will be able to use chopsticks seamlessly, in no time. First, hold the chopsticks using only your middle…
Japanese Food: Sake (さけ) Posted by Ginny on Nov 8, 2008
Today’s post will be on sake (さけ). Sake (さけ) is an alcoholic beverage in Japan made from rice. It is usually diluted with water so as to lower the alcohol content. (Though I can still manage to get dizzy from just one bottle!) There are many different kinds of sake (さけ), and I’m here to…