Archive for December, 2008
Japanese Culture: New Year’s Eve in Japan Posted by Ginny on Dec 23, 2008
This December 31st will be a busy day all over Japan. New Year’s Eve is called Oomisoka (大晦日) in Japanese. Towards the end of the year many companies will hold office parties called boonenkai (ぼうねんかい). Boonenkai (ぼうねんかい) can be translated as ‘end-of-the-year party.’ Many employees will present an oseibo (おせいぼ) or an end of the…
Japanese Culture: Christmas in Japan Posted by Ginny on Dec 22, 2008
Christmas is not a national holiday in Japan. Nevertheless, some people still find time to celebrate Christmas, even after a long day at work. The Japanese have a tendency to take a tradition and make it uniquely their own. Some of the things that I’m going to mention in this post are going to sound…
Japanese Culture: Christmas Eve in Japan Posted by Ginny on Dec 21, 2008
Christmas Eve or crismas ebu (クリスマスイブ) the way Japanese people pronounce it, is often a romantic holiday. If someone asks you out on a date on Christmas Eve, it’s usually a sign that the person is serious about you. On Christmas Eve, you’ll see lots of young couples walking and holding hands. Sometimes I get…
Japanese Culture: Tennoo Tanjoobi (天皇誕生日) Posted by Ginny on Dec 19, 2008
What is Tennoo Tanjoobi (天皇誕生日)? Tennoo Tanjoobi (天皇誕生日) is a national holiday in Japan. Translated in English, it’s the Emperor’s Birthday. Which emperor are we talking about here? It’s the current and living Emperor Akihito (明仁). Emperor Akihito (明仁) was born on the 23rd of December. As a result, every year on the 23rd of December…
Japanese Food: Regional Specialty Posted by Ginny on Dec 15, 2008
Welcome to the second post of kyoodo ryoori (郷土料理). The kyoodo ryoori (郷土料理) post is a montly run post where we visit a region and the special food that region is known for. Today, we’re gonna to check out the Kansai (関西) region. The Kansai (関西) region contains a host of famous cities like Osaka…
Japanese Music: J-pop Posted by Ginny on Dec 15, 2008
J-pop is a shortened form of the word Japanese pop. The term J-pop came into existence in the 1990s, in response to the spread of Japanese pop culture, music and entertainment throughout eastern and southeastern Asia. J-pop is a familar and prominent feature of Japanese entertainment. TV commericials, movies and video games often contain the…
Japanese History: Samurai (さむらい) Posted by Ginny on Dec 13, 2008
I recently watched a movie on dvd called The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise and Watanabe Ken. It wasn’t too bad, and it rekindled my admiration for the samurai (さむらい) code. First off, what is a samurai (さむらい)? A samurai (さむらい) is a swordsman of noble rank. The samurai (さむらい) class was actually created to serve…