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…
Neighborhoods in Tokyo Posted by Ginny on Mar 3, 2011
There are special places in Tōkyō that are known for possessing certain qualities that are different from the other neighborhoods in Tōkyō. Let’s see where those special places are: Yūrakuchō (有楽町) is a neighborhood that gives you a small glimpse of what Japan looked like in the prewar period. There are lots of izakaya (居酒屋)…
Snail Song Posted by Ginny on Feb 28, 2011
There’s a cute Japanese children’s song calledかたつむり(katatsumuri) , which means “snail” in Japanese. It’s not often that you hear songs about snails, so this one really stands out in my memory as one of those nostalgic childhood songs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BdtggRdFrk&feature=related でんでん虫々 (dendenmushimushi) snail かたつむり (katatsumuri)snail お前のあたまは (omae no atama wa) your head どこにある (doko ni aru)…
Japanese Haiku Continued Posted by Ginny on Feb 27, 2011
We’re going to continue to talk about the haiku. If you missed the previous post about the haiku, please read that first! Let’s take a look at this particular haiku: 几市 (i-ka-no-bo-ri) a kite きのふの空の (ki-no-u-no-so-ra-no) in yesterday’s sky ありどころ (a-ri-do-ko-ro) in the same place This haiku is by Yosa Buson (与謝蕪村), who was a…
Haiku Posted by Ginny on Feb 26, 2011
An haiku (俳句) is a Japanese form of poetry that consists of five moras for the first line, seven moras for the second line, and back to five moras for the third line. Let’s look at some examples of Japanese haiku. By the end of this post, I hope you will be inspired to write…
Japanese Dogs Posted by Ginny on Feb 24, 2011
Do you like dogs? I myself happen to like dogs. If you feel the same way, let me tell you about some dog breeds that are native to Japan. Akita Inu (秋田犬) are loyal, friendly and energetic dogs. However, they are mischievous animals and sometimes cause trouble for their human masters by destroying property. That’s…
Japan’s Painters Posted by Ginny on Feb 21, 2011
Japanese painters like Kanō Eitoku and Ogata Kōrin are masters of their fields. (For more on these painters, check this article out: https://blogs.transparent.com/japanese/japanese-painters/) However, there were other talented painters, but not as famous as Kanō Eitoku and Ogata Kōrin. Fujiwara Takanobu (藤原隆信) excelled in drawing portraits. His most famous work is the portrait of Minamoto…