24 1 20 20 25 304

2February

2012 No. 304

450

Japan to the WorldJapan to the WorldISSN 1348-7906

Matsuyama A Literary Town with the Oldest Hot Spring in Japan

The Punctual Japanese

English 0120-937-711 8:00-21:00, seven days a week. Japanese 0120-771-179 8:00-21:00, seven days a week. Portuges 0120-677-871 9:00-17:00, Monday to Friday. Spanish 0120-677-872 9:00-17:00, Monday to Friday.

Chinese 0120-677-873 9:00-17:00, Monday to Friday. Tagalog 0120-677-874 9:00-13:30 14:30-17:00, Monday to Friday.

Topics & Events

February Issue Contents 2

Topics & Events 3-5

Spotlight, Social News

6-7

Trends 8-9

Feature

10-13

Japan Profiles 14-15

Glomaji (Global Romaji) Humor 16

Insight into Japan: 17-30Close Up Japan, Keys to Understanding Japan, Japan Watching,

Japanese History Makers, New Expressions & Buzzwords

17-30

Cover Story 34-37

Japanese Culture Vulture

38-39

Putting Japanese to Work

40-41Masterpieces of Japanese Film & Animation, Japanese Fairy Tale

42-43Japanese Cultural Understanding Test

45

From the Editorial Desk

46

Write the gift name, your name, address, gender, age, nationality and the article(s) you enjoyed in this issue and send it to us by postcard or e-mail. Competition closes February 5. Winners will be selected by lottery and receive gifts directly.

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An exhibition called In Japanese Garb Shoen, Kiyokata and Shinsui, will be held between February 11 and March 25. Some 60 works will be on display, with an emphasis on paintings of women by UEMURA Shoen, KABURAKI Kiyokata and ITO Shinsui. The exhibition aims to display the charms of traditional dress together with the grace of Japanese women.

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60

Gift for 5 couples (10 people)

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Spring by ITO Shinsui

1952( 27)

The Yamatane Museum of Art (Shibuya, Tokyo)Entrance fee: 1,000 yen for general public.

1,000

www.yamatane-museum.jp/

Evening Shower by IKEDA Terukata

1916( 5)

Dressed for Spring by UEMURA Shoen

1936( 11)

The Charms of Traditional Dress Coupled With the Grace of Japanese Women

Topics & Events

Jap@n Products

Vol. 1

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The Kyoto Kyo-Machiya Stay Arts Project Vol. 1 Encounters with Art and Life exhibition will be held from January 21 to March 4. Different artists works will be exhib-ited in four machiya (narrow, yet spacious townhouses tra-ditional to Kyoto) and its also possible for couples to spend the night in any one of them. Reservations are required for an overnight stay. Accommodation costs upwards of 27,000 yen per night (for two people).

www.art-kyomachiya-eng.com/

Experience Art in a Kyoto Townhouse

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In Japan, running has become a popular activity in recent years and many races are organized in large cities. The Kyoto Marathon 2012 will be held on March 11. Half mara-thons have already been held in the city, but this is the first full marathon that amateur runners can take part in. A unique characteristic of this race is the course that runs past many tourist sites including seven World Heritage sites. About 15,000 people are expected to participate.

www.kyoto-marathon.com/

Marathon to be Held in Kyoto

Shirayuki / Genuine Barley Shouchuu Hakaioh Sake Godzilla

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AKE

TM& 1989, 2011 TOHO CO., LTD.

Barley shouchuu in a Godzilla-shaped ceramic bottle. As attention has been carefully paid to coloring, this item can also be enjoyed as an ornament after the contents have been drunk. Pull off Gozillas head and a pouring spout appears beneath. Inside is a full bodied shouchuu (an alcoholic beverage) made from 100% barley. Made from Mino-yaki ceramic ware. Height 2cm. Volume 720ml. 10,500 yen. Limited production of 3,000 bottles.

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720 10,500

3,000

Konishi Brewing Company Ltd.

www.shirayuki.co.jp/

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The Tokyo Marathon 2012 International Friendship Run will be held on February 25. This running event aims to offer hospitality to runners from overseas and to encourage inter-national friendship. Participants will run a course of about two kilometers around the outer gardens of the Meiji Shrine. Along with their friends and family, non-Japanese runners entered for the Tokyo Marathon 2012 on the following day are eligible to participate. Japanese can also take part in the run. You may dress up in costume. Those wishing to participate must sign up before January 31. The entrance fee costs 2,000 yen.

www.tokyo2195.org/2012_en/intl

Running Event for Non-Japanese

Hyakunin Isshu for Beginners

TeZukA

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unkamura

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A s h o w c a l l e d Te Z u k A w i l l b e o n from February 23 to 27 at Bunkamura Orchard Hall (Shibuya, Tokyo). T e Z u k A i s a b o u t T E Z U K A O s a m u , t h e so-called God of Japanese comics. Musicians, cho-reographers and other art-ists will portray Tezukas world view. This is a joint production of British, Japanese and Belgian producers. Admission costs: 3,000 ~ 8,000 yen.

www.bunkamura.co.jp/

A Show Depicting the World of TEZUKA Osamu

TOKYO MARATHON FOUNDATION

Hyakunin Isshu is a collection of 100 waka (Japanese poems) by 100 poets, which can be enjoyed as a karuta (card) game. Suitable for beginners, this set contains 30 seasonal poems. Even if you cannot read the poems, you can play by matching up two cards that depict the same character. The set contains a poster that helps you to memorize the 100 poems of Hyakunin Isshu, a translation of the selected 30 poems, and an explanation of the rules in Japanese. This version of the game was created by AMANO Kei. Price: 1,500 yen.

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Gentosha Education Inc.

www.gentosha-edu.co.jp/

Gift for one people. 2

An anthology of poems written by SHIBATA Toyo, a 100-year-old poet, is currently in vogue. Shibata began to write poetry after the age of 90 and, to commemorate her 99th birth-day, published the collection Dont Lose Heart by herself. The collection came to the attention of a publishing company and became a best-seller. The anthology has already been published in countries such as South Korea, Taiwan and the Netherlands, and is also due to be released in other coun-tries, including Italy and Spain, in the future.

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Many have been deeply moved by the work: I couldnt help crying, wrote one reader; I want to tell my friends about it, wrote another. Together with Toyos second anthol-ogy 100 Years Old, over two million copies have been sold. Two poems in 100 Years Old are about her feelings of sym-pathy for those living in the areas hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake. These poems particularly struck a chord with readers.

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Spotlight

Spotlight

The Miracle Pine Tree has Given Birth to ChildrenA pine tree in the city of Rikuzen-Takata, Iwate Prefecture,

that survived the tsunami of the Great East Japan Earthquake is known as the Miracle Pine Tree. Since its the only one left from among about 70,000 the city had before the disas-ter, the locals have been striving to preserve it as a symbol of reconstruction. But as its roots have mostly rotted after being soaked in sea water, this has turned out to be difficult.

Sumitomo Forestry Group announced last December that they had succeeded in germinating seeds from the Miracle

Social News

100-Year-Old Poet in Vogue100

Thank you. Photo book of Shibata ToyoPhotos by HIKITA Masafumi

1,40 yenPublished by Asuka-shinsha

1,40

A calendar and an audio DVD have also been released. A photo book was published in December in response to requests from fans who wanted to see more of Toyos cheerful face. It contains scenes from her everyday life, a message in her own writing, a chronological table of her 100-years on the planet, and her correspondence with readers from areas hit by the disaster.

DVD

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100

www.asukashinsha.co.jp/

Left: Don t Lose HeartRight: 100 years old1,000 yen eachPublished by Asuka-shinsha

1,000

Toei Dis t r ibu t ions Hayabusa Harukanaru K i k a n ( H a y a b u s a Return From Afar), will be released on February 11. To make the movie, the entire control room o f J A X A w a s r e c r e -ated. The character of the hero, YAMAGUCHI Shunichiro, played by W A T A N A B E K e n , is based on Professor KAWAGUCHI Junichiro, the projects manager. The film depicts the chal-lenges faced by the projects team of scientists and engineers.

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JAXA

Shochiku Distributions Okaeri, Hayabusa (Welcome Home, Hayabusa) will be released on March 10. This history of Japans space explo-ration program is told through a narrative that explores the emotional ties between a parent and his child. Outer space is depicted in powerful 3D imagery that both parents and children can enjoy.

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3D

Toei Company Ltd.

www.toei.co.jp/

Shochiku Co., Ltd.

www.shochiku.co.jp/

The unmanned asteroid probe Hayabusa returned to Earth on June 2010. After a seven-year journey to Itokawa, located three billion kilometers away from earth, the probe brought back rock samples from the asteroid. Being the first in the world to complete such a mis-sion (despite a failed landing attempt and engine trouble), Hayabusas success moved the nation.

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Film versions of the Haybusa story are being produced one after the other and are generating a lot of interest. Its unusual for so many f i lms to be made on the same theme. The movies have all been made with the consent of the J ap an A e r o s p ace Exploration Agency (JAXA) the body responsible for developing the Hayabusa project.

J

AXA

Pine Tree. To do so, they took apart pinecones and extracted 25 seeds. Eighteen of them sprouted when sown in wintry conditions of low temperatures. Theres a plan to transplant them to Rikuzen-Takata in the future.

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Okaeri, Hayabusa 20122012 3 10 ( )

Movies About Hayabusa to be Released

Hayabusa Harukanaru Kikan

20122 11 ( )

Yosakoi Naruko Odori is a dance that has been recently seen at festivals and events in areas all across Japan. While dancing to music, teams lined up in rows move down the street. The audience shows their support by cheering the dancers on. Flamboyantly deco-rated trucks, which also function as mobile stages, lead the teams of dancers. Unlike the Bon Dance which is performed in summer, the Yosakoi Naruko Odori is held throughout the year, regardless of the season.

The Yosakoi Naruko Odori originated in Kochi Prefecture in the Shikoku Area. It is thought that the custom has its ori-gins in a traditional dance that was performed indoors to the folk song, Yosakoi-bushi. The first Yosakoi Festival was held after the war in August 1954, with the aim of reviving and revitalizing society, bringing health and prosperity to the

townspeople.

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Yosakoi Naruko Odori has two rules. The first rule states that you have to hold a naruko in each of your hands. A naruko is a wooden instrument which, like a pair of castanets, clicks when you shake it. It was originally a farming tool used to drive birds away from crops.

The second rule states that you have to use the phrase Yosakoi Naruko Odori, somewhere in the performance. Yosakoi Naruko Odori is a song that TAKEMASA Eisaku, a composer from the Shikoku area, wrote for the Yosakoi

Kochi City Tourism Association

www.welcome-kochi.jp/yosakoi.html

Yosakoi Naruko Dance From Kochi Prefecture to all Regions of Japan

Festival. Nangoku Tosa O Ato Ni Shite (Leaving Behind Tosa, my Southern Home Town) was also composed by Takemasa and became a big hit when it was sung by Peggy HAYAMA. The local dialect is used in the lyrics of both songs, bringing to life the scenery of the Shikoku area.

Teams can comprise of a few dozen members, to a maxi-mum of 150 members. Its fun just to watch them perform synchronized dances in their colorful costumes. But the music, made to suit modern tastes by adopting such styles as jazz or rock, is also bursting with originality. Since around 1992, the dance broke out of Kochi and began to gain popular-ity around Japan. Beginning with the Yosakoi Soran Matsuri Festival in Hokkaido, the Yosakoi Naruko Dance was introduced to various parts of Japan.

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Office worker OTA Akane saw the Yosakoi Naruko Odori while on vacation and was charmed by it. About two years later she joined the Yosakoi Naruko Odori Circle in Tokyo.

The members of the circle vary in age and occupation, but when we dance together, in an instant, we feel united. I think the Yosakoi Naruko Odori impresses the audience because the performers themselves are really getting a kick out of it, she says.

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In order to deepen ties made through Yosakoi, the All Japan Yosakoi Meeting is held annually in Kochi Prefecture by the Kochi City Tourism Association. Held at five loca-tions around Kochi City on the final day of Augusts Yosakoi Festival, this event first took place in 1999. Now around 70

teams and about 5,800 people from within and without the prefecture take part in the event.

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Yosakoi is a festival that can be adapted to match the spirit of the times as well as the local culture. The tradition takes root in different regions and buds, contributing to the revital-ization of that area.

Yosakoi Festival, Kochi Chamber of Commerce & Industry

cciweb.or.jp/kochi/yosakoi/yosakoi.htmlText: MUKAI Natsuko

Naruko

It is customary for Japanese to be punctual. As Japanese are especially concerned about not being late, most have naturally acquired this habit. For example, in companies and public institutions, and for meetings with others, it is con-sidered common sense to be prompt. Though its possible to turn up late for a date with someone close to you, its always necessary to text to say youll be late.

If a train arrives even one-minute later than scheduled, Japanese railway companies announce their apologies over the PA. Moreover, Shinkansen (bullet train) arrival and departure times are timed within 15 second periods.

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For the Japanese who have been raised in such a time conscious society, it is sometimes hard to embrace the more laissez-faire attitude to time that comes with living in other countries. A Japanese living in Canada recalls an incident that occurred while moving house: when he called the electric company to confirm his appointment, he was told that, some-one will come by sometime between Monday and Wednesday, but I cannot guarantee exactly when. In Japan, such a way of conducting business would be unthinkable.

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The Punctual Japanese

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My University scholarship application was rejected just because I mistakenly turned it in during the afternoon, rather than the morning, which was the deadline. I think it lacks flexibility, added a Chinese man. I was apologizing every time I was late, so now I have a habit of saying gomennasai, said a French man. I was one-minute late for my part-time job, and everyone gave me the cold shoulder throughout the day, said a Nepalese woman.

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As regards to the railways in Japan, a Nepalese man com-mented: During rush hours, when the trains are packed with people, there are some passengers who run up to the train and pry open doors that are obviously closing. I can never understand such an attitude. Is time more important than life? On the other hand, a Korean man said: I was particularly impressed by the punctuality of the trains, as some stations dont have train timetables back in my home country.

It is ordinary for Americans to be late. Some buses and trains do not even have a timetable, and it is common for trains to be a half-hour late, said a puzzled Japanese resident of the US. However, some Japanese who have lived longer in such an environment have commented: Once you get used to that sense of time, you become very easy going. Thanks to this, I am more relaxed and not as frustrated as before.

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On the other side of the equation, what do non-Japanese think of this Japanese custom of punctuality? We asked non-Japanese people living in Japan. Mail and parcels came punctually during the specified hours and that surprised me at first, said one Canadian man. Japanese people arrive at least 15 minutes before the agreed time. If you are only a little bit late, they look cross. I cant understand why they get so upset, just over someone being late, commented one Korean woman.

I cannot guarantee exactly when ...

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To sum up, many non-Japanese people think that the Japanese can get a little hysterical with their obsession with time keeping. The tension on trains and at train stations that arises from the lack of elbow room makes a particular impres-sion on these people. On the other hand, there were a lot of comments that stated that Japanese people are reliable because they are strict about time and keep their promises.

So when did Japanese people become so time conscious? It seems there are various theories, but none precisely pins down the real reason. According to one theory, traditionally, Japanese people were generous with time. At the start of the Meiji era, a half-hour delay on the trains was very common and many factory workers were often late for their shifts. As

a result, at the start of the Showa era, approximately 80 years ago, the Scientific Management System was introduced. First created in the US, this system of managing workers was used to boost productivity in factories by standardizing elements such as time keeping.

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This theory states that ever since the Scientific Management System was introduced in the beginning of the Showa era, tar-diness and delays in both public institutions and private firms has decreased. Another theory suggests that during the Edo period, the samurai class considered tardiness and absence to be a sign of foolishness and those beliefs have remained strong in the national consciousness. It is also said that this punctuality originates from the astronomical and orientation systems the Japanese traditionally used; marking seasons and time according to the direction and length of the shadow made by the sun, rather than by the moon and the stars.

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While many history books from around the world have no record of the date, month, or year they were written, old Japanese literature such as the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan) is marked with the date, month, year, and even the Oriental zodiac. This also proves that the Japanese have long been conscious of the passage of time.

The fact that there are clocks in every part of Japan, includ-ing in parks, stores, and on billboards, may be related to the fact that Japanese are strict about time. Moreover, there are many people who use their cell phone as a watch, an alarm clock, and a stop watch.

LIANG Lin Lin, a Chinese native who has resided in Japan for three years, said, When I first came to Japan, I was late for school and work almost every day. But recently, I have become more conscious of time, and I am now able to balance my schedule better. Now my friends have more confidence in me.

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These days, there are more Japanese people who have become more relaxed about time, but keeping time is still very important for enjoying daily life in Japan. In recent years, there has been an increase in the numbers of punctual American businessmen and the numbers of firms outside of Japan that are strict about time.

Text: NAKAGOMI Kouichi

LIANG Lin Lin

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Up until recently the majority of Japanese wines were made for domestic consumption only. However, a long-term non-Japanese resident of Japan has changed all that. American Ernest SINGER, president of wine importer Millesimes Inc., has introduced Japanese wine to the international market by creating Shizen, a white wine made from the domestic Koshu grape.

S

hizen

I would say it has flavors and fragrances that are unique to Japanese cuisine and so the wine is basically made to go with sashimi. If youre making wine for Japanese food, it needs to be a velvet that shows off the diamonds, not something that competes with it, explaines Singer.

Back in 2003 Singer flew internationally famous wine-maker Denis DUBOURDIEU into Japan to act as consultant winemaker for the Japan Wine Project. Though at that time a lot of wine was made in Japan with the Koshu grape, the standard to which these wines were made was rather low with many winemakers guilty of either adding alcohol or sugar to hide poor quality. Dubourdieu created a light citrus flavored wine that was a great match for sushi. Like someone discov-ering the sea for the first time. This is a legendary wine that was sleeping, and I woke it up, explained Dubourdieu.

2003

Ernest SINGER

Japan Profiles Japan Profiles

Introducing Japanese Wine to the World

Millesimes Inc.

www.millesimes.co.jp/

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Grace Winery in Yamanashi , for example, now sells its wines to Zuma, an exclusive seafood res-taurant in London. The winery has been in the Misawa family for four generations and is currently run by MISAWA Shigekazu. His daugh-ter MISAWA Ayana is chief wine-maker and, learning from Singer, has improved winemaking techniques by adopting the European method of training the vines upwards, instead of growing them on trellis, which used to be the method traditionally used in Japan.

As Japanese food becomes more and more popular world-wide, there is a growing demand for a wine that matches the cuisines delicate flavors. Because of this, Koshus popularity looks set to grow.

Koshu

Singer took the first vintage of wine to world famous wine critic Robert PARKER to find out his opinion. Parker, who usually prefers a heavier wine style and is famously hard to please, gave the wine a score of 87/88 out of 100 and com-mented that the wine had great potential for improvement.

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Following four years hard work, in 2008 Singers Shizen was the first Japanese wine to receive approval for sale in Europe. After Singer gained approval for his wine, other Koshu winemakers followed his example and now three other Japanese wineries have begun to export their wines to Europe.

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Shizen

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Wine expert Lynne SHERRIFF is consultant to Koshu of Japan, an organization of 15 Koshu wineries that promotes the wine overseas, In the last four to five years, the quality has improved dramatically, with the result that some Koshu wines entering international competitions have picked up medals.

HumorHumor

[Gomibako](trash cans seen in front of convenience stores)

Oi oi, neko o sutetewa dame. Tabenasai, mottai nai.Hey! You cant throw cats away. You should eat them up, its such waste. SAITOU Kimi, Japan

Kyou mo post to machigaeta hito ga iru yo.Today too, some people mistook these bins for the post box. Pascale OLRY, France

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The following photos are scenes from daily life or cul-tural activities. Please enter your humorous comments about the photos written in Glomaji. Photos for the com-petition and a more detailed explanation of Glomaji are available at www.glomaji.com/humor/sample.pdf. The eight best comments will appear every month on this page along with the entrants name. A prize of 5,000 yen will be offered to the most humorous comment among them.

G

lomaji

www.glomaji.com/humor/sample.pdf

Glomaji

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[Ranndoseru](School satchel)

Aka shingou minnnade watareba kowaku nai! Hontou da ne.When everyone crosses together on a red light, were not scared. Thats so true. Soon KIM, Korea

Watashitachi wa kame no kodomo dewa arimasenn. We are not turtle offspring. KONDOU Maiko, Japan

Glomaji Communitywww.glomaji.com

[Shirobai](Patrol bike. A word made by combining shiroi and bike)

Kado o magattara, hennshinn da!Turn the corner and henshin! Raul HONTANA, Spain

Ore, konnnakoto shitete iino? Tada no arubaito nano ni.Is it okay for me to do this? Im just a part timer. KAWAI Fumito, Japan

[Pet Boom](Pets are treated as a family member)

Yappari, hontouno kodomo no hou ga kawaii nn da na.Its just as I thought, kids are cuter. Sarah FOTHERINGHAM, United Kingdom

Ninngennsama wa tema ga kakaru ne. Humans sure are a lot of bother. Jim COULSON, Australia

(Global Romaji)

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No. 071

Audio File Available for Premium Subscribers

www.hiraganatimes.com

G

lomaji (G

lobal R

omaji)

Multi-level Japanese Text

Insight into Japan is written also in Glomaji (Global Romaji).What is Glomaji (Global Romaji)?It is a new concept developed by Hiragana Times. Glomaji is the form of romaji used when inputting Japanese into a PC with Roman characters; it can also be used as a global method of communication in Japanese.

Features of Glomaji:1. Glomaji is a way of expressing Japanese with the alphabet and can be useful not only for those wanting to read the language, but also for learning

how to input Japanese characters into a PC using the Roman alphabet. It allows users to communicate not only with native Japanese, but also with Japanese learners all over the world.

2. It utilizes only 21 letters of the alphabet and about 100 phonetic syllables. You can read and write it without any knowledge of hiragana, katakana and kanji. Furthermore, unlike English Glomaji is pronounced exactly as it is written.

3. Katakana words adopted from English are not used. English words can be written with their original spelling within Glomaji sentences. This means it can be used as a communicative tool after acquiring basic Japanese grammar.

By using Glomaji, even beginners can participate in the Glomaji Community. The service is free of charge. www.glomaji.com

koubann The pronunciation of the Japanese ou combination is similar to the pronunciation of oa in float, NOT like the ou in would. In Japanese, vowels are pronounced separately, as in ko u bann.

koutsuu When one u is followed by another u they are pronounced separately, as in ko u tsu u.

* Further details about Glomaji are available at www.glomaji.com/rule/index.htmlEnglish furigana Notes

Examples(the) desk Words in parentheses are not translated into Japanese.[in fact] Words in square brackets are not translated into English.go When the English translation is different to the Japanese, the original Japanese is placed in < > after the English.and When a sentence is continuing in Japanese, the conjunction is shown in italics. ~ indicates the rest of phrase to follow

Glomaji Text Notes wa/ha, o/wo, e/he and zu/duThough the Japanese characters for wa, o, e, and zu are written as ha, wo, he and du (shown in black letters in Insight into Japan texts) when inputting Japanese text into a PC, Glomaji represents them phonetically as wa, o, e and zu.

coffee/ko-hi-Loan English words like coffee are written as they would be in English, therefore in Glomaji we simply type: coffee. Of course, if you were converting these words into katakana using a PC you would type ko-hi- in order to get . Katakana spellings are written in black letters in Insight into Japan texts)

you and toPlease note that when reading Glomaji, you pronounce the above spellings differently than if you were reading it as English text. You is pronounced as yo u (the u is pronounced as a separate consonant rather than blending with the yo. To is pronounced the same as the to from the Japanese word tomodachi (friend).

What will You do if Another Powerful Earthquake Occurs?

Close Up JapanClose Up Japan

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The first anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake is fast approaching. When the quake occurred, a German family traveling around Japan got caught up in the tsunami. Fortunately they were saved by a Japanese man and were able to safely return to Germany. Later, when they went to find the man whod saved them, the story was reported in the media, and became a much discussed topic. There were other heartwarm-ing stories about non-Japanese being rescued.

H

iragana T

imes

the Great East Japan Earthquake of the first anniversary fast is approaching

(the) quake occurred when Japan traveling around (a) German family

(the) tsunami in got caught up fortunately they a Japanese man by

were saved and safely return (to Germany) [home] were able to later

they the man whod saved them went to find when the story

(the) media in was reported and (a) much discussed topic became non-Japanese

being rescued heart warming stories (about) other there were

Higashi Nihonn Daishinnsai kara mamonaku 1 nenn ni narou to shiteimasu.

Jishinn ga okita toki, Nihonn o/wo ryokouchuu datta German/Doitsujinn ikka ga

tsunami ni nomikomaremahita. Saiwai nimo ikka wa/ha hitori no Nihonnjinn ni

sukuidasare, bujini kikokusuru koto ga dekimashita. Nochini,

German/Doitsujinn ikka ga sono onnjinn o/wo sagashiteiru to, sono hanashi ga

media/medhia de shoukai sare, wadai to narimashita. Gaikokujinn o/wo

hinannsaseta kokoro atatamaru hanashi wa/ha hokanimo arimasu.

Mata ookina jisinn ga okitara, doushimasuka?

read: ichi

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However, many non-Japanese were victims of the disaster. It is likely that another earthquake will catch us unawares. As the saying goes: Disaster comes when people least expect it. Now, many municipali-ties, as well as private organizations, have started to take disaster prevention measures to assist non-Japanese.

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lomaji

At present approximately two million non-Japanese live in Japan and 20% of these live in Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolitan Office reviewed the practices of their disaster prevention training for non-Japanese for 2012. More practical in nature, people are now advised to hide under desks or to exit buildings. The skills of language volunteers have also been improved in readiness for disaster.

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however many non-Japanese (the) disaster of victims were

another earthquake unawares will catch us it is likely (that) as the saying goes

disaster (people) least expect (it) when comes now many municipalities

as well as private organizations non-Japanese to assist (to take) disaster prevention measures

have started

at present Japan in approximately two million non-Japanese

live and 20% of these Tokyo in live Tokyo Metropolitan Office

two thousand twelve [year] for non-Japanese for (the) practices of (their) disaster prevention training reviewed

desks under to hide or to exit buildings [as well] more

practical (in nature) (people) are (now) advised disaster for in readiness language volunteers

of (the) skills also have been improved

Shikashi, ookuno gaikokujinn ga shinnsai no higaisha ni narimashita.

Mata jishinn ga yokishinai tokini okoru koto mo ariemasu. Kotowaza ni aruyou ni,

tennsai wa/ha wasureta koroni yattekimasu. Ima, kakuchi no jichitai

ya minnkann danntai ga gaikokujinn o/wo shiennsuru tame no bousai taisaku o/wo

hajimemashita.

Gennzai, Nihonn niwa/ha yaku 200 mann ninn no gaikokujinn ga

sunnde imasu ga, sono 2 wari ga Toukyou ni sunnde imasu. Toukyouto wa/ha

2012 nenn no gaikokujinn muke no bousai kunnrenn naiyou o/wo minaoshimashita.

Tsukue no shitani kakuretari, tatemono no sotoni hinann shitari, yori

jissenntekina shidou ga ukeraremasu. Saigai ni sonae, gogaku volunteer/borannthia

no ginou mo takamerareteimasu.

read: nihyaku

read: ni

read: nisenn juu ni

20

Useful Disaster Vocab

The language barrier was a problem for foreigners during the Great East Japan Disaster. Because they couldnt read kanji, many non-Japanese could not understand the nature and extent of the dangers they faced. The difficult technical terms used in the news added to their sense of unease.

G

lomaji

Close Up JapanClose Up Japan

the Great East Japan Disaster during (the) language barrier foreigners for

(a) problem was kanji (they) couldnt read because (the) nature (and) extent of

(the) dangers they faced many non-Japanese could not understand (the) news

in (the) difficult technical terms used (their) sense of unease added to

after shock

mud slide

fire

danger

off-limits

no thorough road

through road

cancelation of evacuation order

restoration (of services)

times of use

inflammables

loans and discounts

first-aid station

emergency measure

emergency hot meals

Higashi Nihonn Daishinnsai dewa/ha, genngo no kabe ga gaikokujinn ni totte

monndai deshita. Kanji/Kannji ga yomenai tame, nani ga donokurai

kikennna joutai nano ka ooku no gaikokujinn wa/ha wakarimasenndeshita. News/Nyu-su

de muzukashii sennmonn yougo ga tsukaware, fuann o/wo aorimashita.

yoshinn

doshakuzure

kaji

kiken

tachiirikinnshi

tsuukoudome

tuukoukanou

hinannkaijo

fukkyuu

riyoujikann

kakigennkinn

kashidashi

kyuugosho

oukyuushochi

takidashi

21

According to a survey conducted after the disaster by Weathernews Inc., most people got their informa-tion about the disaster from the television, or from sites accessed via their cell phones. However, as the strength of the quake intensified, more and more people began to get their information from the radio because of blackouts; in areas of seismic intensity of six (Japan Meteorological Agency Seismic Intensity Scale) and upwards, use of radios exceeded that of televisions.

When asked what they considered the most important steps to take in the event of a disaster, most people responded with having an emergency kit and having emergency rations. This was followed by a method of contacting family members and knowing the location of shelters. To make yourself ready for a disaster you should set aside a radio, a torch, water, and other necessities. Forewarned is forearmed.

G

lomaji C

ommunity

www.glomaji.com

6

in (the) event of (a) disaster the most important steps (to take) what they considered when asked

most people (having an) emergency kit (and) (having) emergency rations with responded followed by

family members (a) method of contacting (and) shelters of knowing (the location) (this) was

(a) disaster (to make yourself ready) for (a) radio and (a) torch water

other necessities set aside (you) should forewarned is forearmed

Weathernews Inc. by after (the) disaster conducted

(a) survey according to most people (from the) television or sites accessed via (their) cell phones from

(their) information about (the) disaster got however (the) strength of (the) quake intensified as

more and more people blackouts because of (the) radio from (their) [disaster] information

began to get seismic intensity of six (Japan Meteorological Agency Seismic Intensity Scale) (and) upwards areas (of)

in (that of) televisions (use of radios) exceeded

Shinnsaiji no tame no mottomo taisetsuna junnbi wa/ha nanika to iu toi niwa/ha,

ooku no hito ga bousai goods/guzzu hijyoushoku to iu kaitou deshita. Tsuide

kazoku to no rennraku shudann hinannjo no kakuninn deshita.

Saigaiji no tameni, radio/rajio to kaichuu denntou, mizu

nado o/wo sonaeteoku bekidesu. Sonae areba urei nashi.

Kabushikigaisha Weathernews/Ueza-nyu-zu ga shinnsai go ni okonatta

chousa ni yoruto, ookuno hito ga terebi ya keitai site/saito kara

saigai jouhou o/wo eteimashita. Shikashi, yure ga ookiku naru ni tsurete,

yori ooku no hito ga teidenn no tame radio/rajio kara saigai jouhou o/wo

eru youni narimashita. Shinndo 6 (Kishouchou shinndo kaikyuu) ijou no chiiki

dewa/ha terebi o/wo koemashita.

read: roku

22

Japanese have a fondness for hygiene and generally take a bath every day. For the Japanese a bath room is not only a place to clean the body, they also see the bathtub as a place in which they can take their time to total-ly relax. As all of the family will use the same hot water, the bathtub is only entered after washing the body.

There are onsen (hot springs) all over Japan and onsen resorts are the most popular travel destinations for Japanese. In recent years Day Onsen facilities have been popping up in residential areas one after another, allowing people to enjoy an onsen with ease. These facilities are fitted out with a variety of amenities such as open air baths, Jacuzzis, saunas, restaurants, barber shops and massage parlors that can be enjoyed at a very reasonable price.

Keys to Understanding Japan

Keys to Understanding Japan

Japanese are Very Fond of Bathing

Japanese (have a) fondness for hygiene and generally every day take a bath

the Japanese for (a) bath room only (the) body to clean (a) place

is not (the) bathtub [bathing] as (they can) take (their) time to (totally) relax (a) place (in which) (they) also see

(the) same hot water all of (the) family will use as (the) bathtub

(the) body washing after is (only) entered

hot springs all over Japan there are and onsen resorts Japanese for

the most popular travel destinations are (in) recent years residential areas in

day onsen [called] facilities one after another have been popping up with ease to enjoy (an onsen)

allowing (people) open air baths Jacuzzis saunas restaurants barber shops

(and) massage parlors such as a variety of amenity (these) facilities are fitted out with (a very) reasonable price

at (that) can be enjoyed

Nihonnjinn wa/ha seiketsu zu/duki de hotonndo mainichi furo ni hairimasu.

Nihonnjinn ni totte yokushitsu wa/ha, tannni karada o/wo arau basho

dewa/ha naku, yubune ni tsukari yukkuri kutsurogu basho demo arimasu.

Onaj i oyu o/wo kazoku minnna de tsukau tame, yubune niwa/ha

karada o/wo aratte kara hairimasu.

Onnsenn wa/ha Nihonn no kakuchi ni ari, onnsenn resort/rizo-to wa/ha Nihonnjinn ni

mottomo ninnki no aru ryokousaki desu. Kinnnenn wa/ha, juutakuchi ni

higaeri onnsenn to yobareru shisetsu ga aitsuide deki, tegaru ni tanoshimeru

youni narimashita. Rotennburo, Jacuzzi/jaguzi-, sauna, restaurant/resutorann, rihatsutenn,

massage/massa-ji nado samazamana kokochiyoi setsubi ga ari, yasui kakaku

de tanoshimemasu.

Nihonjinn wa/ha ofuro ga daisuki

23

Many non-Japanese seem to have an image of Japanese as a diligent and serious race who dont tell many jokes. But in fact Japanese are very fond of laughter. Japan has traditional forms of comedy such as kyo-ugen, rakugo and manzai.

by Hiragana Times Editor-in-Chief

Japanese are Not Only Diligent

In addition, comedy programs are broadcast on TV every day. Senryu, which is humorous version of haiku, the shortest form of poetry in the world, is very popular. Newspaper, TV and radio programs hold sen-ryu contests and many readers / viewers / listeners of all ages compete by contributing works.

many non-Japanese Japanese of jokes (who) dont tell many

(a) diligent and serious race as (an) image to have seem

but in fact Japanese laughter are very fond of Japan

kyougen rakugo (and) manzai such as traditional comedy of

forms has

in addition TV on every day comedy programs

are broadcast (the) world in the shortest (form of) poetry haiku of

(which is) humorous version senryu very popular is newspaper and

TV radio programs senryu contests hold and

all ages of (many) readers viewers / listeners by contributing

works compete

Sorebakarika, Terebi dewa/ha, mainichi owarai banngumi ga

housousareteimasu. Sekai de ichibann mijikai shi, haiku no

humor/yu-moabann de aru sennryuu wa/ha daininnki desu. Shinnbunn ya

terebi, radio/rajio no banngumi wa/ha sennryuu contest/konntesuto o/wo mouke,

wakamono kara nennpaisha made no dokusha, shichousha ga toukoushite

sakuhinn o/wo kisoiatteimasu.

Ooku no gaikokujinn ga Nihonnjinn ni taishite, joke/jo-ku o/wo amari iwanai

kinnbenn de majimena kokuminn de aru to iu image/ime-ji o/wo motte iru you desu.

Shikashi, jissai no Nihonnjinn wa/ha owarai ga daisuki desu. Nihonn niwa/ha

kyougenn, rakugo, mannzai nado no denntoutekina owarai no

bunnka ga arimasu.

Nihonnjinn wa kinnbennna dake dewa/ha arimasenn

24

I felt tense observing the situation. This is because recently there have been cases when a young person has been told off in which they react violently to the person telling them off. The old man smiled and said to the young man, Here. You dropped this. The young man bashfully received and said, Thank you. Without thinking about it I laughed.

The other day a young man smoking a cigarette was walking in front of me on the street. After a while he threw his cigarette butt away on the pavement and kept walking. This was dangerous as it was still lit. Then an old man who had been walking after him picked it up and approached him, tapping him on the shoulder.

I felt tense observing (the situation) recently (a) young person

has been told off when telling (them) off (the) person to (in which they) react violently cases

there have been (this) is because the old man smiled and (the) young man to said

here you dropped (this) [that] (the) young man bashfully received and

thank you [that] said I without thinking about (it) laughed

the other day (the) street on (a) cigarette smoking (a) young man in front of me

was walking after a while he (his) cigarette butt (the) pavement on

threw away and kept walking (it) was still lit as (this) was dangerous then

him after (who) had been walking (an) old man it picked up and him

approached (the) shoulder on tapping (him)

Watashi wa/ha kinnchoushite mimamorimashita. Saikinn wakamono ga

chuuisareta tokini chuui o/wo shita hito ni bouryoku o/wo furuu jikenn ga

okiteiru kara desu. Sono koureisha wa/ha nikori to shite, wakamono ni iimashita.

Kore, otoshimono desu to. Wakamono wa/ha terenagara uketori,

Sumimasenn to iimashita. Watashi wa/ha, omowazu waratteshimaimashita.

Sennjitsu, douro de tabako o/wo sutteiru wakamono ga watashi no mae o/wo

aruiteimashita. Shibarakusuru to, kare wa/ha mijikakunatta tabako o/wo hodou ni

sute arukitsuzu/dukemashita. Hi ga tsuitamama de kikenn desu. Suru to

wakamono no ato o/wo aruiteita koureisha ga sore o/wo hiroi, sono wakamono ni

chikazu/duite kata o/wo tatakimashita.

has meanings:Im sorry.Excuse me andThank you.

25

G

lomaji

There are many other instances in which humor can peacefully settle a difficult problem. People kept leaving their bicycles outside of a store that was located close to the station. The store owner put up a sign that read, Dont leave your bicycles in front of our store. But it didnt work.

One day the long suffering store owner changed the warning notice. After this, nobody left their bicycles there. It reads, The bicycles left here have been abandoned, so please feel free to take them.

other humor (a) difficult problem peacefully can settle

instances (in which) many there are (the) station to (that) was (located) close a store of

outside [many] people (their) bicycles kept leaving (the) store owner

(your) bicycles (our) store of in front dont leave (that) read

(a) sign put up but it didnt work

one day (the) long suffering store owner (the) warning notice changed

after this there (their) bicycles left nobody

[there] it reads here left (the) bicycles

have been abandoned (so) feel free to take (them) please [that]

Hokanimo humor/yu-moa de yakkaina monndai o/wo nagoyakani osameta

rei wa/ha ikutsumo arimasu. Eki ni chikai aru mise no

mae ni, ookuno hito ga jitennsha o/wo tometeimashita. Mise no shujinn ga

Jitennsha o/wo mise no mae ni tomenaide kudasai to kaita

kannbann o/wo tatemashita ga, kouka ga arimasenn

Aru hi nagaiaida komatteita tennshu wa/ha keikokubunn o/wo kaemashita.

Suruto, mise no mae ni jitennsha o/wo tomeru hito wa/ha inakunarimashita.

Soko niwa/ha, kou kakarete imashita. Kokoni tometearu jitennsha wa/ha

suterareta mono desu. Gojiyuuni omochi kudasai to.

Shipwreck Contributed to the Opening of the Country

John Manjiro

26

Some peoples lives are dramatically changed by an unexpected incident. Born into a poor fishermans family in present-day Kouchi Prefecture, NAKAHAMA Manjiro, later called John Manjiro, sailed out into the Pacific Ocean in a small boat on a fishing trip with four companions when he was just 14 years old. Unfortunately, they ran into a storm and six days later had drifted to Torishima, a small desert island 760 kilometers away. There they survived by catching fish and birds. Luckily, five months later, an American whaling ship visited the island. Manjiros fate took an unexpected turn.

1

4

4

6

7

60

5

1827 1898

(an) unexpected incident by dramatically (peoples) lives are changed [there are] some

present-day Kouchi Prefecture in (a) poor fishermans family into born later

John Manjiro called Nakahama Manjiro (he was just) fourteen years old when

four companions with (a) small boat in the Pacific Ocean into on (a) fishing trip

sailed out unfortunately (they) ran into (a) storm and six days later seven hundred and sixty kilometers away

(a) small desert island Torishima to had drifted there fish and

birds by catching (they) survived five months later luckily

(an) American whaling ship the island visited

Manjiros fate (an) unexpected turn took

Futoshita dekigoto kara gekiteki ni jinnsei ga kawaru hito ga imasu.

Gennzai no Kouchikenn no mazushii ryoushi no ie ni umare, nochi ni

John/Jonn Manjirou to yobareru NAKAHAMA Mannjirou wa/ha, 14 sai no tokini

nakama 4 ninn to kobune de Taiheiyou ni sakana o/wo tori ni

dekakemasu. Unnwaruku arashi ni ai, muika go ni 760 kilo/kiro mo hanareta

chiisana mujinn tou, Torishima ni nagaretsukimashita. Sokode, sakana ya

tori o/wo tsukamaete ikitsuzu/dukemasu. 5 kagetsu go kouunn nimo,

American/Amerika no hogei senn ga kono shima o/wo otozuremasu.

Mannjirou no unnmei wa/ha, omowanu houkou ni mukaimasu.

Nihonn no kaikoku e/he koukennshita hyouryuu

read: juu yonn

read: go

read: yo

read: nanahyaku rokujuu

27

At that time, Japan had a closed door policy and foreign vessels could not enter Japanese ports. Back in 1837, the American merchant ship Morrison had come to the aid of some Japanese who were lost at sea, by tak-ing them back to Japan. However, the Tokugawa Shogunate drove the ship back with cannons. Suspected of being spies or of attempting to escape the country, Japanese returnees feared for their lives. The ships captain, William H. WHITFIELD instead took them to Hawaii.

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4

Manjiro decided to travel to the USA. The captain was so moved by his passion that he took him to the USA, leaving his four fellows behind in Hawaii. He called Manjiro John Mung and treated him very well; as if he were his own child. Furthermore, Whitefield gave Manjiro the opportunity to learn English, math-ematics, navigation and more at schools in his home town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts State. He excelled in his studies.

G

lomaji

at that time Japan had (a) closed door (policy) and foreign vessels

Japanese ports could not enter [in fact] eighteen thirty-seven [year] (back) in

(the) American merchant ship Morrison (who) were lost at sea (some) Japanese

(had come to the) aid of Japan to (by) taking (them) back however (the) Tokugawa Shogunate government

cannons with drove (the ship) back Japanese returnees [also] (being) spies

or (of attempting) to escape (the) country of suspected (their) lives [loss of ]

feared for William H. Whitfield (the ships) captain

them Hawaii to (instead) took

Manjiro the USA to to travel decided

(the) captain his passion by was so moved that (his) four fellows Hawaii

in leaving behind the USA to (he) took (him) he

Manjiro John Mung called and (his) own child as if (he were)

treated (him) very well furthermore (his) home town of Massachusetts State

Fairhaven in schools at English mathematics navigation and more

(Whitefield) gave (Manjiro the) opportunity to learn he excelled in (his) studies

Touji, Nihonn wa/ha sakoku o/wo shiteita tame gaikoku no fune wa/ha

Nihonn no minato ni hairu koto ga dekimasenn. Jissai, 1837 nenn niwa/ha

America/Amerika no shousenn Morrison/Morisonn gou ga hyouryuushita Nihonnjinn o/wo

tasuke, Nihonn ni okuritodokemashita. Shikashi, Tokugawa bakufu wa/ha

taihou de oikaeshiteshimaimashita. Nihonnjinn kikokusha mo spy/supai

ya dakkoku no utagai o/wo kakerare, inochi o/wo ushinau

osore ga arimashita. William H. Whitfield/Uiriam H Hoittofi-rudo sennchou wa/ha,

karera o/wo Hawaii/Hawai e/he tsureteikimasu.

Mannjirou wa/ha America/Amerika e/he wataru kesshinn o/wo shimasu.

Sennchou wa/ha Mannjirou no jounetsu ni kanndou shi, 4 ninn o/wo Hawaii/Hawai

ni nokoshite America/Amerika ni tsureteikimasu. Sennchou wa/ha

Mannjirou o/wo John Mung/Jonn Mann to yobi, jibunn no kodomo no youni

kawaigarimashita. Sarani, furusato no Massachusetts/Masachu-settsu shuu,

Fairheven/Feahe-bunn no gakkou de, Eigo, suugaku, koukaijutsu nado o/wo

manabasemasu. Mannjirou wa/ha shuseki deshita.

read: senn happyaku sannjuu shichi/nana

28

After sailing the seven seas on a whaling ship, Manjiro headed out to the west of America to make money in order to return to Japan. In America it was the time of the western pioneers and, everyone had a chance to make money from the California Gold Rush. When he had made enough money, he forwarded it to Hawaii. Once he was reunited with his Japanese friends, he returned home. It was 1851, a period during which the shogunate government was vacillating over whether Japan should open the country or not.

7

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However, from the vocabulary list he left behind, Manjiro seemed to have had difficulties in English listen-ing. For example, he wrote nai in katakana for night, winda for winter, gei for gate, sunrei for Sunday, wara for water and ko-ru for cool. As Manjiro wrote English sounds in katakana, small sounds like t and d were left out. However, they somewhat resemble English pronunciation.

/ night

/ winter

/ gate

/ Sunday

/ water

/cool

t

d

G

lomaji C

ommunity G

lomaji

however he left behind (the) vocabulary list from English listening in

to have had difficulties (Manjiro) seemed for example night for nai winter for

winda gate for gei Sunday for sunrei water

for wara (and) cool for ko-ru katakana in (he) wrote

Manjiro English sounds katakana in wrote as small sounds t and

d like were left out however English pronunciation (they somewhat) resemble

Manjiro (a) whaling ship on (the) seven seas sailing after

Japan to return in order to money to make (the) west of America

to headed out America in (it was the) time of (the) western pioneers and

(the) California Gold Rush from everyone to make money

(a) chance had (enough) money (he) had made when he Hawaii

to forwarded (it) (his Japanese) friends with (once he) was reunited home

(he) returned (the) shogunate government (Japan should) open (the) country whether or not over

was vacillating eighteen fifty-one [year] a period during which (it) was

Shikashi, Mannjirou ga nokoshita tanngoshuu kara, Eigo no kiki tori ni

kurushinnda yousu ga ukagaemasu. Tatoeba, yoru wa/ha nai (night), fuyu wa/ha

uinda (winter), monn wa/ha gei (gate), Nichiyoubi wa/ha sanrei (Sunday), mizu

wa/ha wara (water), samui wa/ha ko-ru (cool) to katakana de kakareteimasu.

Mannjirou wa/ha Eigo no oto o/wo katakana de kaita tame, chiisana oto no t ya

d nado wa/ha habukareteimasu. Shikashi, Eigo no hatsuonn ni niteimasu.

Mannjirou wa/ha, hogeisenn ni notte nanatsu no umi o/wo koukai shita ato,

Nihonn e/he kaeru tame no okane o/wo kasegu tame America/Amerika seibu

n i mukaimashi ta . Amer ica /Amer ika wa/ha se ibu ka i taku j ida i de,

California/Kariforunia wa/ha Gold rush/Go-rudo rasshu de darenimo kanemouke no

chance/channsu ga arimashita. Shikinn ga dekiru to Mannjirou wa/ha Hawaii/Hawai

e/he mukaimashita. Nakama to gouryuushite, Nihonn ni

modorimashita. Bakufu ga kaikokusuru ka douka de

yurete ita 1851 nenn no koto deshita. read: senn happyaku gojuu ichi

29

Manjiro was selected to serve as a member of a delegation to America along with well-known figures such as KATSU Kaishu and FUKUZAWA Yukichi. Back in the USA he rejoiced when he was reunited with Mr. Whitfield after such a long time. Meeting his benefactor proved to be a fateful occasion. If they hadnt met, Manjiro would not have been able to make such a big contribution to the opening of Japan to the world.

When he returned to Kochi, his home town, Manjiro was treated as a samurai. In an era in which the gulf between classes was huge, such a change in status was unprecedented. Manjiro, who possessed knowledge of America, was considered to be a precious asset. One and half years later, Americans black ships forced Japan to open up to the world, throwing the country into chaos. The shogunate summoned Manjiro to Edo (present-day Tokyo) in order to find out more about America.

1

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lomaji Comunitynih

(his) home town Kochi to (when he) returned Manjiro (a) samurai as was treated

(the) gulf between classes was huge in (an) era (in which) status in (such a) change

was unprecedented America of knowledge (who) possessed Manjiro

(a) precious asset was considered to be one and half years later Americans black ships

Japan to open up to the world forced (the) country chaos into throwing

(the) shogunate more about America find out in order to Manjiro

Edo (present-day Tokyo) to summoned

Manjiro Katsu Kaishu and Fukuzawa Yukichi such as well-known

figures along with America to (to serve) as (a) member of (a) delegation was selected

back in the USA he (Mr.) Whitfield [captain] with after such a long time

(he) was reunited when rejoiced (his) benefactor meeting to be (a) fateful occasion

proved they if hadnt met Manjiro (the) opening of Japan to the world to

(such a) big contribution to make would not have been able

Mannjirou wa/ha KATSU Kaishuu ya FUKUZAWA Yukichi ra yo ni shirareta

jinnbutsu to tomo ni America/Amerika e/he no shisetsu danninn ni erabaremashita.

America/Amerika ni modotta Mannjirou wa/ha, Whitfield/Hoittofi-rudo sennchou to hisashiburini

saikai shi, kanngekishimasu. Onnjinn to no deai wa/ha unnmeitekina mono

deshita. Kono futari ga deawanakereba, Mannjirou ga Nihonn no kaikoku ni

ookiku koukenn suru koto wa/ha arienakatta koto desu.

Furusato no Kouchi ni modotta Mannjirou wa/ha, bushi no taiguu o/wo

ukemasu. Mibunn seido ga kibishikatta jidai, mibunn no hennkou wa/ha

sennrei ga arimasenn. America/Amerika no jijou o/wo shitteiru Mannjirou wa/ha

kichou na sonnzai deshita. 1 nenn hann go, America/Amerika no kurofune ga

Nihonn ni kaikoku o/wo semari, Nihonn wa/ha daikonnrann ni ochiirimasu.

Bakufu wa/ha America/Amerika no jijou o/wo kiku tameni Mannjirou o/wo

Edo (gennzai no Tokyo/Toukyou) ni yobiyosemasu.

read: ichi

30

This term means damage caused by rumors. After the nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima Prefecture, people have been so afraid of radioactive contamination that refugees from regions within Fukushima have been discriminated against, and produce from that region including vegetables, meat and industrial products have been avoided.

New Expressions & Buzzwords

(Damage Caused by Misinformation)

Originally this word meant self-catering, but it has now acquired a second meaning. The term refers to the process of digitalizing data to make a digital book by cutting up pages of books or magazines to feed into an image scanner. This word was at first a slang term.

(Digitalization of Print Books)

Text: KINOUCHI Hiromichi

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lomaji

rumors by caused damage (this term) means Fukushima Prefecture in

(the) nuclear power plant accident after radioactive contamination (people) have been afraid of so ~ that regions within Fukushima

from refugees have been discriminated against and vegetables and meat industrial products

including that region from produce has been [also] avoided

this word originally self-catering meant

but now (a) second meaning (it) has acquired (a) digital book

to make (pages of) books or magazines cutting up by

(an) image scanner to feed into data digitalizing (the) process of

(the term) refers to at first (a) slang term [as] (this word) was

Kono kotoba wa/ha motomoto suiji (jibunn de shokuji o/wo tsukuru) o/wo imishimasu

ga, saikinn wa/ha chigau imi de tsukawareteimasu. Dennshi shoseki ni

suru tameni shoseki ya zasshi o/wo saidann shite,

image scanner/ime-ji sukyana- o/wo tsukai data/de-ta o/wo dejitarukasuru koto o/wo

iimasu. Saisho wa/ha slang/suranngu to shite tsukawareteimashita.

Uwasa kara okoru higai no koto o/wo iimasu. Fukushima kenn no

gennpatsu jiko no ato, houshanou hibaku o/wo osoreru amari, Fukushima chiiki

kara no hinannminn ga sabetsu saretari, yasai ya shokuniku, kougyou seihinn

nado sono chiiki kara no seisannbutsu ga sakeraretari shiteimasu.

Fuuhyou higai

Jisui

31

Makoto Visa Office Immigration Lawyer

SUGITA Makoto

TEL: 03-5858-84915-33-17-212 Kameido Koto-ku TokyoE-mail: sugita@makoto-visa-office.com 29(567$

:Shinjuku: Itabashi : Nihonbashi : Kanda: Den-en-chofu NEW!

Green Forest HightsWarabi Stn. (JR Keihin Tohoku)

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www.ongakuza-musical.com

Machida, Tokyo:Jan. 20 ~ 22, 2012

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Shabondama TondaSora Made Tonda

(Blow Bubbles,Blow Them Into Space)

Original Japanese Musical by the Ongakuza

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Theater Company CARAMELBOX 2012 Spring Tour 1Toritsukare Otoko(Enthusiastic Man)

Tokyo: February 16 ~ 29Nagoya: March 10 ~ 11Osaka: March 15 ~ 20 2012 1 www.caramelbox.com/

Theater Company CARAMELBOX 2012 Spring Tour 1Toritsukare Otoko(Enthusiastic Man)

Tokyo: February 16 ~ 29Nagoya: March 10 ~ 11Osaka: March 15 ~ 20 2012 1

Non-Japanese will receive a 15% discount. When making a reservation, please mention Hiragana Times.

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Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, is on a plain bounded to the west by Seto Inland Sea, and to the east by the Shikoku Mountains one of the highest mountain ranges in western Japan. Because of its unique geo-graphic conditions, the city is rarely hit by typhoons or other natural disasters, and is blessed with a warm and mild climate. Matsuyama Castle is the symbol of the city and is located in its center. From the square at the top of the mountain 132 meters above sea level where the castle stands, you can enjoy views of the city, the mountains and the sea.

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You can take a cable car or a lift to the top of the mountain. Matsuyama Castle is the largest castle in Shikoku. Although it was built before the Edo period, the castle has a keep (a cen-

tral tower) and is one of only 12 such castles that remain in Japan today. The keep offers a 360-degree pan-oramic view. Within the castle you can try on a suit of armor, an attrac-tion which is popular among tourists.

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Tokyo

Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture TokyoMatsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture

Matsuyama A Literary Town with the Oldest Hot Spring in Japan

Botchan Train

Dougo Shopping Street

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MASAOKA Shiki, was a great haiku poet, and brought baseball to Matsuyama. As he was an enthusiastic baseball player when the game was first introduced to Japan, Shiki used the pen name No Ball, which was derived from his child-

hood name Noboru.

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A famous haiku by Shiki is, Kaki kueba/ Kanega narunari/ Horyuji (Eat a persimmon/ And the bell will toll/ At Horyuji). By producing a number of haiku related to baseball, such as, Mari nagete/ Mitaki hiroba ya Haru no Kusa (Throw a

ball in an open space/ To see spring grass in the field), he con-tributed to popularizing baseball through literature. At a liter-ary museum called Matsuyama City Shiki Memorial Museum, you can learn about Matsuyamas traditional culture and lit-erature through such anecdotes about Shiki.

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At the foot of Matsuyama Castle is Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum. The museum presents Saka no Ue no Kumo, a historical novel by SHIBA Ryotaro that depicts how Japan grew into modern nation during the Meiji period. As well as dealing with the Meiji period, the museum has exhibits that retrace the steps of the novels characters AKIYAMA Yosh i fu ru , AKIYAMA Saneyuki and MASAOKA Shiki in Matsuyama. In addi-tion, it has interactive exhibits about the development of the town, giving visitors an opportunity to get a sense of the passage of time.

There are a number of sites in Matsuyama asso-ciated with the (aforementioned) three characters. They include Akiyama Kyoudai Seitan-chi the birthplace of the Akiyama brothers, where Yoshifuru and Saneyuki used to live, and Shiki-dou (Shiki Hall), a reproduction of a house where Masaoka lived, which enable you to see how the three spent their childhood. Whats more, the streets around Matsuyama Castle are designed to match with the period that the novel Saka no Ue no Kumo is set in.

Matsuyama Castle

Cable car

MASAOKA Shiki

Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum

Akiyama Kyoudai Seitan-chi

Shiki-dou

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Another famous figure in Matsuyama City which is also known as the town of literature besides Shiki is NATSUME Soseki. Shiki and Soseki were friends who discussed haiku together. The author of the novel Wagahai wa Neko de Aru (I Am a Cat), Soseki is considered to be such an influential figure, that his image was printed on 1,000 yen bills. His mas-terpiece Botchan, a story about a teacher who moves to Matsuyama from an urban area, introduces the city and is a work of deep profundity.

Operating in Matsuyama City is the Botchan Train, modeled on a small locomotive which appears in Botchan, and the Madonna Bus, a vintage bus with a front engine. The unusual sight of these classic vehicles driving about the modern city is refreshing and evocative of times gone by. Traveling around the city on these cute trains and buses allows you to enjoy their retro feel to your hearts content.

Two kilometers northeast of Matsuyama Castle is Dogo Onsen, the largest tourist site in Matsuyama City, a spot which can be accessed by riding the Botchan Ressha. After arriving at the station, the train sits on display until its next departure, and is a popular spot for taking commemorative photos. The