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Crater Lakes in Japan Posted by Ginny on Jun 18, 2011
Have you even seen a volcanic water crater? It’s one of the most beautiful sights that nature has blessed Japan with. It’s one of those things where you have to see it to understand its beauty! Mount Aso (阿蘇山) is a mountain range that consists of five major peaks. One of these peaks is named…
Japanese Lullaby Posted by Ginny on Jun 15, 2011
There’s a Japanese lullaby called 揺籃のうた (yurikago no uta). It means “Cradle Song” in Japanese. It’s a sweet song sung to get babies to fall asleep. Have a listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDvPiqzz81A&feature=related 揺籃のうたを (yurikago no uta o) A cradle song カナリヤが歌うよ (kanariya ga utau yo) A canary sings ねんねこねんねこねんねこよ (nenneko nenneko nenneko yo) Nenneko nenneko nenneko 揺籃のうえに (yurikago…
Outstanding Okinawa Sites Posted by Ginny on Jun 12, 2011
Okinawan culture is a rich culture with a long history. There are still some remnants of Okinawa’s past that tourists can visit today. For instance, there’s the Shikinaen (識名園), which was a garden where the royal family relaxed and entertained guests. The Shikinaen is a garden that is distinctly different from the other gardens of…
Top Three Japanese Shintō Shrines Posted by Ginny on Jun 9, 2011
There’s quite a few Shintō Shrines that you can visit in Japan, but here are the top three Shintō Shrines that have a rapport in Japan. Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社) is a Shintō shrine built on the island of Itsukushima. This Island is located in Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県). Itsukushima Shrine is a famous shrine because its…
Japanese Roe Posted by Ginny on Jun 6, 2011
Roe refers to the ovaries or the eggs of certain seafood like fish, sea urchins and other marine life. Tobiko (飛び子) is the roe of the Flying Fish. The color of tobiko is usually reddish orange, but when squid ink is added to the tobiko, they can change the color to black. In addition, when…
Japanese Festivals in June Posted by Ginny on Jun 3, 2011
There are quite a few interesting festivals in Japan for the month of June. If you have some free time this summer, why not go to the Dontsuku Festival (どんつく祭り) in the town of Higashiizu (東伊豆町)? The Town is located in Shizuoka Prefecture (静岡県). In the Dontsuku Festival the townspeople carry large phalluses through the…
Soap Bubbles! Posted by Ginny on May 31, 2011
There’s a cute Japanese children’s song called “Shabondama” (しゃぼん玉). Shabondama are ‘soap bubbles’. It’s an old Japanese children’s song, but it’s a prominent one, so take a listen: しゃぼん玉 飛んだ (shabondama tonda) The soap bubbles flew away 屋根まで 飛んだ (yanemade tonda) As far as to the roof 屋根まで 飛んで (yanemade tonde) As far as to the roof and……