Japanese Language
January 23, 2008
- Sightseeing / Place to go -
-Tourist information = Kanko annaijo
-Tokyo Tower = Tokyo Tawah
-Zoo = Dobutsu-en
-Amusement Park = Yuenchi
-Museum = Hakubutsu-kan
-Art gallery = Bijutsu-kan
-Aquarium = Suizoku-kan
-Botanical garden = Shokubutsu-en
-Park = Koen
-Baseball ground = Yakyu-jo
-Temple = Tera
-Shrine = Jinja
-Golf course = Gorufu-jo
-Theater = Geki-jo, Eiga-kan (Cinema)
-Shopping Center = Shoppingu Sentah
Where is Ueno Zoo?
=Ueno Dobutsu-en wa doko desuka?
Which direction = docchi
Is it far from here? = Koko kara tooi desuka?
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November 28, 2007
- Post Office -
- Post office = yubin-kyoku
- Stamps = kitte
- letter = tegami
- weight = jyu-ryo / omosa
- express mail = sokutatsu
- mailbox, postbox = posto/yubin-posto
- registered mail = kakitome
- size = saizu/ookisa
- air mail = ea-me-ru, kokusai-yubin
- Where is the post office? = Yubin-kyoku wa doko desuka?
- How much does it cost to send this to ~ ?
= Kore wo ~ ni okuru niwa ikura desuka?
- I want to send this letter to ~(country).
= Kore wo ~ ni okuritai no desuga.
- I want to buy stams.
= Kitte wo kudasai.
COUNTRIES IN JAPANESE
- America = Amerika
- UK/England = Igirisu
- France = Furansu
- Germany = Doitsu
- Switzerland = Suisu
- Spain = Supein
- Italy = Itaria
- Australia = O-suto-raria
- New Zealand = Nyu-ji-rando
- Russia = Roshia
- Korea = Kankoku
- China = Chu-goku
- Hong Kong = Hon-kon
- Taiwan = Taiwan
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November 15, 2007
For Accidents and Emergencies
Accidents or Crime situations: Call 110 (Police)
Sudden Illness, Injury or Fire: Call 119 (Ambulance/Firetruck)
Useful Japanese in the event of an emergency
- Help! = Tasukete!
- Fire! = Kaji desu!
- Thief! = Dorobo!
- It's an emergency! = Kinkyu desu!
- Stop! = Tomare!
- Stop it! = Yamero! / Yamete!
- Go away! = Acchi e ike!
- Over here! = Koko desu!
- Please call the police. = Keisatsu wo yonde kudasai.
- Please call the ambulance. = Kyu-kyu-sha wo yonde kudasai.
- Please call the fire department. = Shobo wo yonde kudasai.
- Please call a doctor! = Isha wo yonde kudasai.
- Please help me. = Tasukete kudasai.
- I'm lost = Michi ni mayoi mashita.
- I lost my ~ = ~ wo nakushi mashita.
(I lost my wallet = Saifu wo nakushi mashita.)
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September 04, 2007
We get so many questions from expats everyday.
Please see below the answers for the questions we are often asked:
1. License for Motorbikes & Vehicles
Motorbikes over 50cc~under 400cc: age of 16 and over
Motorbikes over 400cc: age of 18 and over
Ordinary Vehicles: age of 18 and over
Heavy Vehicles: age of 20 and over with at least 2-year
driving experience of ordinary vehicle.
About International license, please check our previous blog
here.
2. Drinking and Smoking
Must be over 20-year of age to drink alcohol and
smoking cigarettes.
3. Voting Age
Age of 20 and over
4. Marriage Age
Male: 18 Female: 16
*Need parents’ permission if they are under the age of 20.
5. Mandatory Education
9 years in total. 6 years in Elementary (age 7-12), and
3 years in Junior High School (age 13-15).
School Grades’ cut off date is the 1st of April,
and a new school year starts in April.
*Fees for buses and trains, up to 12-year old
(Elementary School) it will be a half price of adults’ fees.
When they enter Junior High School they must pay the
full fee.
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July 05, 2007
Respectful language in Japanese is difficult.
We must choose our words according to the relative
age and social position of the person we are speaking to.
For example, the verb 'taberu' (to eat) changes to the
honorific 'meshiagaru' when the subject is a superior.
When referring to oneself, the humble from 'itadaku' is
used to show modesty.
So Keigo include both honorific and humble language, and
also we use polite language to show deference.
The auxiliary verbs -masu and -desu are examples of
polite language.
'O' --
The honorific 'o' is one of the most frequently used keigo forms.
It performs all three functions of keigo-honorific, humble, and
polite --- and is prefixed to both nouns and pronouns and
inflected words.
Honorific: the teachers honorable opinion (sensei no o-kangae),
Humble: speak humbly (o-hanashi moushiageru)
Polite: honorable water (o-mizu), honorable cold (o-samui)
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June 15, 2007
BASIC JAPANESE CONVERSATION 6
There are some special words you should remember
when you are invited to someone's house.
First, when you are entering someone's house,
you should say; 'Ojama shimasu', which means
'I hope I'm not bothering you.'
(Jama=bother, interruption)
Then, dinner starts.
Before you start eating, you should say;
'Itadaki masu', means 'let's eat'.
After you finish eating, you should say;
'Gochiso-sama deshita', means 'I've enjoyed the meal'.
(Gochiso=treat)
After the dinner, you are about to go home.
When you leave, you should say;
'Ojama shimashita'.
Literal translation is 'Sorry to have bothered you',
but it's more like 'Thank you for letting me in your place.'
And when you get home, you should say;
'Tadaima.' - I'm home! 
June 01, 2007
several staff who provide additional assistant service.
They will ask you if you wish to get a full tank of gasoline.
Q: Mantan desuka? (Would you like a full tank of gas?)
Before you say yes or no, you need to choose the type of
gasoline, regular or high-octane gas.
A: Regular Mantan de onegai shimasu.
(full tank of regular gas please.)
or
A: HAIOKU Mantan de onegai shimasu.
(full tank of HIGH-OCTANE gas please.)
If you wish to get only 2,000 yen worth of gasoline,
then you say:
Regular NISEN-YEN BUN onegai shimasu.
(2,000 yen worth of regular gas please.)
*for the other amount in Japanese please check here.
http://blog.realestate-tokyo.com/archives/50594504.html
Payment can be made by credit card at the most of stations.
When you use credit cards issued by oil companies such as
Eneos, Showashell, Mobil, Cosmo and other major companies,
discount of 2-3% will be made at the gas stations under the
oil company of the card issued. Some cards give you
points everytime you fill your car and you can use those points
to purchase goods at the service station or get discount by
using points. Gasoline prices in Japan are very expensive
as well as European countries.
Over recent years, service station without staff
(self service station) is getting popular as it's cheaper than
the others with service staff.
April 18, 2007
BASIC JAPANESE CONVERSATION 5
Parts of the Body
Head - Atama
Face - Kao 
Eye(s) - Me 
Nose - Hana
Ear(s) - Mimi 
Mouth - Kuchi
Chin - Ago
Throat - Nodo
Shoulder(s) - Kata
Neck - Kubi
Back - Senaka
Chest - Mune
Arm(s) - Ude
Elbow - Hiji
Waist/Hip - Koshi
Stomach/Abdomen - Onaka
Buttocks - Oshiri
Thigh(s) - Momo
Wrist(s) - Tekubi
Hand(s) - Te 
Finger(s) - Yubi
Knee - Hiza
Leg(s) - Ashi
Foot/Feet - Ashi 
Sore, hurt, painful - Itai
Itchy - Kayui
(Example)
-My leg hurts.
Ashi ga itai desu.
-I have a headache. (= My head hurts.)
Zutsuu ga shimasu. (= Atama ga Itai desu.)
*headache = zutsuu, zu=head, tsuu=pain
-My eyes feel itchy.
Me ga kayui desu.
April 13, 2007
Painting with India Ink (Sumi*) alone (sumie) was
introduced from China long time ago.
Sumie includes both outline drawings, called
Hakubyoga, and paintings using variations in the ink,
shading and blurring, called Suibokuga.
There are two methods used in Suibokuga.
In one the form is sketched in pale ink, then gone
over with darker ink. In the other, the form is
drawn all at once, without any preliminary outline.
From the Kamakura period Suibokuga received
serious attention, and in the Muromachi period
the Zen monk Sesshu (1420-1506) developed a typically
Japanese style of Suibokuga, and the art entered its
golden age.
Suibokuga subjects include people, flowers and birds,
and landscapes.
Above all, the Sansuiga (mountain and water) genre of
landscape produced a great number of masterpieces.
*SUMI (India Ink)
Sumi was introduced from China in ancient times.
It is made by mixing soot with glue and a small amount of
fragrance to solidify it, then molded and dried.
Produced chiefly in Nara Prefecture.
Two main types of soot are used.
One, from burning the branches and roots of
pine trees, makes a very fine grade of Sumi
with a bluish cast when diluted. The other,
from burning rapeseed, paulawnia or sesame oil,
gives a slightly brownish ink. Sumi with a high glue
content has a certain sheen.
April 11, 2007
satori (enlightenment) through sitting in
meditation (zazen).
Meditation as a method of mental concentration
was long practiced in India. Buddhism's founder
Shakyamuni incorporated it as a means of reaching
enlightenment.
Meditation reached China and a sect centered around
the practice of meditation (Chinese Ch'an) was formed.
The Ch'an sect taught that every aspect of daily life was
part of meditative discipline, and emphasized attaining
enlightenment by direct intuition, without dependence on
scriptures.
Ch'an (Japanese Zen) was brought to Japan early
in the Kamakura period by Japanese monks who had
studied in China. Eisai (1141-1215) taught the Rinzai
school and Dogen (1200-1253) the Sohtoh school.
In the Edo period, the Ming Dynasty priest Ingen
introduced the Ohbaku school.
Zen greatly affected Japanese culture. Zen priests
like Sesshu were renowned ink-painters, and
dry landscape gardens and tea ceremony came from Zen.
Moreover, kendo, judo, and other military arts
developed under its influence.
How to do Zazen - How you should sit to meditate
-Sit on the floor with your legs crossed and
your hands lightly clasped on your thighs.
-Straighten your back, tuck in your chin and
breathe gently.
-Open your eyes slightly and look about a meter
in front of you.
-Then you concentrate mentally, shutting out
idle thoughts, and enter an idea state of mind.
Zen is quite popular in other countries too.
If you are interested, many Zen temples have
meditation groups, and anyone can go to sit.
Why not give it a try? But if you doze off
during meditation, you'll be struck on the shoulder
with a stick called Kyosaku, so take care.
SOUN-IN TEMPLE
Address: 4-1-12, Higashi-Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo
click here for their web-site,
then click 'ZEN SESSION' for English page.
Here is an interesting web-site about Zen we found.
If you are in the office reading this blog, turn your
PC speaker off before you click this!
http://www.do-not-zzz.com/
