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Japanese Folktales Posted by Ginny on Mar 24, 2011
Japanese folklore is always interesting and usually features some supernatural animal. In many cases these animals can talk and can perform some miraculous feat like shape shifting. The folktales often have a moral or a lesson that can teach us about life and how to behave and so on… Bunbuku Chagama (ぶんぶく茶釜) is no exception…
Japanese Proverbs Posted by Ginny on Mar 21, 2011
The tsunami and earthquake of Japan caused a tremendous amount of devastation that is still wreaking havoc on the country. In situations like this, a few Japanese proverbs come to mind. 泣き面に蜂 = Nakitsura ni hachi This proverb is very apt in this situation because it means that misfortune rarely comes in a single blow…
Japanese Newspapers Posted by Ginny on Mar 17, 2011
If you want to read up about the situation in Japan, why not read a Japanese language newspaper to find out? Japanese newspapers use a lot of kanji, which can make it difficult to read for beginner level readers of Japanese. For example Yomiuri Shimbun (読売新聞) had a headline like this: 東日本巨大地震、死者・行方不明者１万２千人超 東日本 = eastern…
Japanese Condolence Messages Posted by Ginny on Mar 14, 2011
The recent tsunami and earthquake in Japan has saddened and shocked many people all over the world. In a situation like this, what is the right thing to say? If you’re wondering how to express your condolences in Japanese, there are several ways to say it. 心からお悔やみ申し上げます (kokorokara okuyamimōshiagemasu) This phrase means “Please accept my…
Earthquake and Tsunami of Japan Posted by Ginny on Mar 12, 2011
As you’ve probably already heard by now, Japan was hit by an 8.9 earthquake. The level of damage that an earthquake can cause is measured by the Richter scale. A “7” on this scale can cause major damage while a “9” can cause damage across several thousands of miles. Since this earthquake was an 8.9…
Japanese Festivals in March Posted by Ginny on Mar 10, 2011
There are some cool Japanese festivals in March. Let’s take a look at what they are! The Todaiji Shunie (東大寺修二会,) is a festival that features several priests who carry large fire torches across a balcony. The locals try to catch some of the sparks from the torches because they believe that the sparks will keep…
Rice Posted by Ginny on Mar 7, 2011
Rice is an important part of a traditional Japanese meal. The usual type of rice is a white, non glutinous kind, but did you know that there are other varieties of Japanese rice and rice dishes? Genmai gohan (玄米御飯) is brown rice. Brown rice has a nuttier flavor than white rice. In the postwar era…