Archive for September, 2010
Teru Teru Bōzu Posted by Ginny on Sep 7, 2010
Teru teru bōzu (てるてる坊主) is a nursery rhyme sung by Japanese children. The lyrics are somewhat disturbing, especially the part about drinking sake and head severing. It’s not exactly appropriate for children, but everyone just seems to sing the song without really paying attention to the meaning. So sing along and learn some Japanese while…
Mon Posted by Ginny on Sep 4, 2010
Mon (紋) is a Japanese term referring to an emblem that idenitifies a clan, family, individual and even an occupation or rank. Mon were especially useful in an iliterate society. Peasants could see the crest and easily indentify the family without having to inquire any further. Mon were also used on military equipement to distinguish…
Outstanding Onsens Posted by Ginny on Sep 1, 2010
An onsen (温泉) means “hot springs” in Japanese. Basically an onsen is supposed to be a bathing area where the water is hot and comes from the natural environment. There is an endless supply of hot springs in Japan, but a few stand out as unique. Arima Onsen (有馬温泉) is famous for its two springs…