Ed 332926
Ed 332926
Ed 332926
ABSTRACT
A workbook for learning about Japan, its people, and
its culture through a broad exploration of the Japanese language is
presented. The aim of the book is not to teach the student to speak
Japanese; language is used primarily as a vehicle for teaching about
Japanese culture. The book is divided into six chapters: (1) A world
of words: imports and exports; (2) Breaking the code: Japanese
reading and writing; (3) It's a matter of meaning: Japanese manners;
(4) Kotowaza (proverbs and sayings); (5) Food for thought: the nature
of food; and (6) Oasobi (games and songs). Each chapter has
background information and activities. In addition, there are some
extra sections included in each chapter: tape listening, historical
notes, cultural notes, and updates. The workbook can be used
independently, in small groups, or with an entire class. It can be
made available in a lparning center in its entirety or it can be
disassembled and parts of it used to supplement a program of study on
Japan or the Japanese language. (DB)
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Reproductions supplied by EARS are the best thar. can be made
from the original document.
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Mice of Educations; Rematch and Improvement
\"?
k t*\
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC).-
WITH
PEGGY MUELLER
3
OMIYAGE
Consultants:
Naoyuki Ashida, Nippon Express USA, Inc. (Wood Dale, Illinois)
Jennifer Farkas, Dublin Schools (Dublin, Ohio)
Itsuko Mizuno, Chicago Board of Education (Chicago, Illinois)
Noriko Takada, Evanston Community Consolidated School District 65 (Evanston, Illinois)
Computer Graphics:
Sarah Lane
ISBN: 0-930141-37-7
Activities col itained within this book may be reproduced for classroom use. Duplication of
OMIYAGE text, CULTURAL, HISTORICAL and/or UPDATE NOTES is prohibited without per-
mission in writing from the publisher.
WATASHITACHINO
TOMODACHINOTAMENI
and
E;
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi
INTRODUCTION: HOW TO USE MIS BOOK xii
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE xvi
TAPE LISTING xvii
lb 6
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CHAPTER ONE
A WORLD OF WORDS: IMPORTS AND EXPORTS 1
JAPANESE LANGUAGE 3
LANGUAGE BORROWING 6
BUSINESS AS USUAL 19
BIBLIOGRAPHY 31
ANSWER SECTION 33
CHAPTER TWO
BREAKING THE CODE: JAPANESE READING AND WRITING 37
WHAT? NO ABC'S? BUT HAVE THEY GOT CHARACTER! 39
KANJI 39
KANA: HIRAGANA AND KATAKANA 64
BIBLIOGRAPHY 85
ANSWER SECTION 87
CHAPTER THREE
IT'S A MATTER OF MEANING: JAPANESE MANNERS 97
ETIQUETTE OF LANGUAGE 99
ETIQUETTE OF GIFT-GIVING 117
BIBLIOGRAPHY 123
ANSWER SECTION 125
CHAPTER FOUR
KOTOWAZA (PROVERBS AND SAYINGS) 127
TRADITIONAL KOTOWAZA 129
KARUTA 136
PICTURE THIS! 141
PICTURE THAT! 142
PICTURE THIS AND THAT TOGETHER! 142
BIBLIOGRAPHY 151
ANSWER SECTION 153
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CHAPTER FIVE
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: THE NATURE OF FOOD
AND ITS PREPARATION 155
THE EVOLUTION OF JAPANESE CUISINE 158
COMMON JAPANESE DISHES 160
RJE 163
SUSHI 167
SOYBEANS 171
SHOYU 175
FOOD FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS 180
JAPANESE MEAL 183
BIBLIOGRAPHY 189
ANSWER SECTION 191
CHAIYIER SUIC
OASOBI (GAMES AND SONGS) 193
TONGUE-TWISTERS 195
ANIMAL SOUNDS 198
SONG: MAIGO NO KONEKO-CHAN 200
SONG: KAERU NO UTA 202
SONG: OMATSURI BI 203
SONG: CHORUS OF INSECTS 204
GAME: JANKEN 206
GAME: ATCHI MUITE HOI 207
GAME: OCHARAKA 208
SONG: KAKURENBO 209
SONG: WI WI ZUKKOROBASHI 210
GAME: KANKERI 212
GAME: OSHIKURAMANJU 214
GAME: FURUTSU BASUKETTO 215
GAME: FUKU-WARAI 216
SONG: DONGURI KORO KORO 218
SONG: ZOU-SAN ZOU-SAN 219
SONG: CHULIPPU 220
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Omiyage would never have been brought to completion if it weren't for the work, involvement,
dedication, and just plain hard work of dozens of people. In the winter of 1983, four exuberant Japanese
exchange students arrived in Chicago to participate in a course on culture at the Urban Education
Program. They joined other international and American students from the thirteen campuses of the
Associated Colleges of the Midwest in this venture. These Japanese students and three additional groups
of students have been the catalysts of this work and our mentors throughout this project. Although their
names appear in the dedication of this book, we wish to acknowledge their willingness to share their ideas
and culture with us and with all who read this work.
A second roup to which we are extremely indebted is the Japan Foundation. Japan Foundation
Fellowships are awarded to educators internationally to help them learn about contemporary Japanese
society in order that they might enhance the teaching of global perspectives in schools in both countries.
The Japan Fellowship Program is co-sponsored in the U.S. by the National Council for the Social Studies
and is ably coordinated by Charles von Loewenfeldt, Incorporated.
In 1984, Linda Bubolz Ashida and Marilyn Turkovich received Japan Foundation Fellowships to travel
to Japan; Peggy Mueller was awarded one in 1985. The Foundation provided us with an exceptional
program and the opportunity to see Japan and to mee' its people. The value of this experience was
augmented by our being able to meet with our former students during our travels and share with them
progress on the contents of Omiyage.
In addition, six individuals deserve specific recognition: Naoyuki Ashida for continually brainstorming
ideas with us, initiating the process of including Kanji in this work, proofreading the book several times
and making the audiotape; Sarah Lane for creating all the computer graphic art and for assisting in
editing; Jennifer Farkas, Itzuko Mizuno and Noriko Takada for assuming the difficult role of consultants
to this project; and Izumi Imai for the rendering of the traditional drawings found in chapter two.
A curriculum project such as Omiyage must rely to a large extent on the work and creativity of others.
A number of sources have been an inspiration to us:
The activity Besu-Boru in chapter one was adapted from a similar exercise created by Ron
DiCe az° from Oberlin College.
In chapter two we drew rules and illustrations for writing Kanji from A Guide to Reading and
Writing Japanese, edited by Florence Sakade (Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1982).
xi
9
The illustrations of the zodiac animals were borrowed from The Japanese Fortune Calendar
by Reiko Chiba (Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1977). Japan Air Lines was very
generous in granting pemission to reprint several charts and maps from their Winds magazine
(September, 1984).
The Keigo chart in the chapter on Etiquette was taken from Japanese: The Spoken Language
in Japanese We by Osamu Mizutani (Tokyo: Japan Culture Institute, 1980).
The chapter on Food relied extensively on three works for reference and as primary source
material. "The Evolution of Japanese Cuisine," "Rice: The Staple Food of Japan," "Shoyu,"
and "Putting Spice in Your Life" are all adaptations of articles found in Palate Pleasers of
Japan: 1985 (Los Angeles: Apcon International, Inc., 1985). The "Palate Pleasing Menu"
contained in this chapter is directly borrowed from the same work. The Dengaku recipes are
adapted from the Book of Miso (Soquel, California: Autumn Press, 1976) and all of the
traditional figure illustrations (miso,mochi and plate drawings) come directly from this work.
Shizuo Tsuji's Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art (Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1980) was
quoted directly for instructions on "Using Hashi" and was a major source for illustrations on
making satsuma-imo kinton and Japanese vegetables.
"The Three Cardinal Rules of Preparing Japanese Food" was adapted from the Fall 1985
newsletter published by the Japan Information Service.
All Japan: The Catalogue of Everything Japanese (New York: Quill Publishing, 1984)
provided the quotes given on "Sashimi, Sushi and Mochi."
The activities for "Furutsu Basuketto" and "Oshikuramanju" were written by the authors and
orginally appeared in the series Video Letters from Japan (New York: Asia Society and TDK,
1984).
The traditional Japanese drawings, when not attributed to another artist, were obtained from the
following pubiications: Japanese Border Designs (New York: Dover Publications, 1975), Japanese Cut
and Use Stencils (New York: Dover Publications, 1967), Japanese Design Motifs (New York: Dover
Publications, 1984), Japan for Westerners (Washington, D.C.: Yes! INC., 1986), Japanese Stencil
Designs (New York: DoverPublications, 1980), Traditional Japanese Design Motifs (New York: Dover
Publications, 1983), and Treasury of Japanese Designs and Motifsfor Artists and Craftsmen (New York:
Dover Publications, 1972).
1o
xii
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
OMIYAGE is primarily a workbook for learning about Japan, its people, and its culture through a broad
exploration of the Japanese language. It is not a "how to" book on learning to speak Japanese. Even
though you will probably know many Japanese wonls and phrases and be familiar with Japanese writing
on an intivductory level after going through the activities here, you will probably know a great deal more
about Japanese culture. Words and phrases are often the best sources for our understanding of the people
who use them.
This book is divided into six chapters. Each chapter has background information and activities. In
addi tion, there are some "extra" sections included in each chapterTAPE LISTENING, HISTORICAL
NOTES, CULTURAL NOTES, and UPDATES. These sections will give you occasions to practice
language patterns consider historical roots of the language, reflect on patterns in the Japanese culture,
and learn about Japan today.
OMIYAGE can be used independently, in small groups, or with an entire class. It can be made available
in a learning center in its entirety or it can be disassembled and parts of it used to supplement a program
of study on Japan or the Japanese language.
There are a few things you should know about the organization of materials in this book. First, though
not all activities need be done in order, it wot ld help to go through the first two chapters in sequence.
Second, when an ACTIVITY is marked with an *, answers fer this exercise can be located in the
ANSWER SECTION at the end of each chapter. Finally, at the end of the book is a set of transparencies.
These transparencies can be used in a group presentation ou Japanese Kotowaza (Proverbs). Directions
for this activity are presented below.
1E_
OMIYAGE DIVISIONS
TAPE SELECTIONS
OMIYAGE comes with a tape that corresponds with a number of exercises in the book. The tape
selections will help you hear correct pronunciations of Japanese words, phrases, proverbs, tongue-
twisters, and songs; will give you further insight into the games and activities it accompanies; and will
provide you with an opportunity to practice the words you have learned.
To find a particular tape selec tion, consult the tape listing (these are located in the beginning of this book).
Each selection is introduced by title.
11
HISTORICAL NOTES
Over two thousand years ago, Confucius said, "Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to
know men." There is a history, no matter how insignificant, that exists in every individual word that is
spoken. For this reason, we have chosen language as the means through which to learn about Japanese
culture and audition. Nevertheless, there are occasions in this book when it is essential to also examine
history in order to gain a complete understanding of the topic in question. Consequently, we have inserted
HISTORICAL NOTES throughout OMIY AGE when we felt the information was especially pertinent.
CULTURAL NOTES
Language does provide insight into culture. What often happens, however, is that language evolves while
the cultural origins of the language are obscured by time. In these instances, it is helpful to examine some
of these cultural beginnings of language. For this reason, we have included CULTURAL NOTES in
OMIYAGE to shed some light upon some of the meanings behind tradition and custom in Japan.
UPDATE NOTES
At the same time that studying Japan involves becoming aware of its anciert heritage and strong
traditions, it also involves finding out about changes, contemporary expressie ls af culture, and new
developments. The UPDATE NOTES in OMIYAGE provide current news pertaining to the book's
topics.
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KOTOWAZA TRANSPARENCY ACTIVITY: PICTURE THIS! PICTURE
THAT! PICTURE THIS AND THAT TOGETHER!
Contents of Packet: Seven transparencies (one list of English and Japanese proverbs,
mree illustrations of English proverbs, and three illustrations of
Japanese proverbs)
Picture That!
Show the transparency illustrations of the Japanese proverbs, one by one. Since these will be unfamiliar
to most students, they will probably have more difficulty identifying the correct proverbs. You might
ask the students to discuss the elements of each illustration in an effort to determine the actual proverbs.
Record some of the suggestions they offer. After they have brainstormed several possibilities, show them
the ransparency with the list of Japanese proverbs. They should be able to match the illustrations with
the corresponding proverbs in this list. Once again, record the correct proverb on each transparency.
Discuss briefly with the students any patterns in beliefs and values represented in.these proverbs.
arcluttabiLaildahaLLSCIhrgi
Show the students each of the illustrations ofJapanese proverbs once again. Ask the students if they can
perceive any correspondence between any of the English proverbs and any of the illustrations ofJapane se
proverbs.
Finally, show the students the list of English proverbs and ask the students to try to match each one with
the illustration of the similar Japanese proverb. Since only seven of the included Japanese proverbs have
corresponding proverbs in English there will be five proverbs left over..
Discuss with the students the origins and meanings of proverbs in any culture. What similarities and
differences are noticed between English and Japanese proverbs?
Follow-up_kleas
1. Have students come up with other ptoverbs. Perhaps they can make their own illustrations
for these proverbs. Next, ask the students to look for the equivalent proverbs in Japanese
and/or other languages. The students can illustrate these as well. Display the students'
illustrations and proverbs in a book of Proverbs and Sayings Around the Globe.
3. Ask the students to work in small groups to come up with different ways to communicate
the content of other proverbs that they have been able to collect. You might suggest that
they act them out, videotape themselves acting them out, think of other ways to word the
proverbs, etc. Eventually have each group present its proverbs to the other groups. The
other groups must try to guess what proverbs are being presented.
,
XV
13
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
For Japanese words transcribed into Roman letters, follow these rules of pronunciation:
A as in father
I as in pizza
U as in rude
E as in pay
0 as in gg
Long marks or bars over the vowels u and o (3, 5) require that the sound be held for twice its
normal duration. The long marks are sometimes omitted from prominent place names as
Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and words that commonly appear in the English language as Shinto
or shogun.
There are no dipthongs in Japanese; therefore, each vowel must be pronounced separately. For
example, the name Taiki is pronounced Ta-i-ki (three syllables).
14
xvi
TAPE LISTING
I SELECTION ORDER ON TAPE
SIDE ONE
REFERENCE PAGE
*--;---, ,....:".--,A7v1
0 Is'-' --
SIDE TWO
xvii
I
A WORLD OF WORDS:
Students of a language can learn how it is written and spoken. We can also
study the history of that language, its contributions to other languages, and
its relationship to different language systems of the world. By consider-
ing these other aspects of a language, we usually begin to feel less
uncomfortable with the originally startling differences in writing and
speech. These additional aspects of language will also give us a better
understanding of the people who speak it.
The activities that follow will introduce you to the Japanese language and,
by extension, to the Japanese people. Expeeiencing what the language
looks and sounds like, sifting through its history and development, and
finding some words which are a significant part of your own language will
teach you quite a bit tri-re than just words themselves. In this first section
of the book, "A World of Words: Imports and Exports," you will see how
the Japanese language has contributed to English and, in turn, how the
English language has had influence on the Japanese language. As you
complete the various activities in this section you will find that your
Japanese vocabulary will be increasing. Most of the exercises deal
directly with the concept of borrowed words. However, in the activities
that present the language used by people in Japanese business we have
introduced some words and phrases that are indigenous to the Japanese
language.
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Japanese is one of the world's most frequently spoken languages. It is the
language of more than 100 million people who live on the islands that
comprise the country of Japan. It is also the primary language of two
ethnic groups in Japan: Koreans and Chinese. A little over one-blf
million Koreans and nearly 60,0(0 ethnic Chinese in Japan speak Japa-
nese. In the United States, Japanese is spoken by about one-half million
people. This number is surpassed by the slightly larger number of
Japanese who live in Brazil. Canada and Peru also have significant
numbers of native Japanese speakers.
3.
7
Linguists don't all agree on the origin of Japanese or its links to other languages. Some say that it is
probably related to Korean and Mongolian, and others point to some of the vocabulary similarities
between Japanese and other Asian languages such as Tibeto-Burmese languages.
ACTIVITY*
Japanese, with 120,000,000 speakers, is the tenth most frequently spoken language in the
world. Three other Asian languages are among the top ten languages of the world. See if you
can figure out what these three languages are. Then try to guess the remaining six with the
help of the clues given here.
18
4.
Now that you have determined the ten most spoken languages in the world, try some more activities.
1. Obtain a world map, devise a key and color the map to show where each of these languages
is the predominant or national language. For example, Portuguese is spoken not only in
Portugal but also in Brazil. Are there any other countries in the world wherePonu-
guese is the national language?
2. Using current world statistics, chart the numbers of people who speak each of the top ten
languages. You can expand your list from these ten languages to the fifteen or even the twenty
most spoken languages in the world. Consult a Wor/d Almanac or the United Nations
Statistical Handbook.
5.
Investigate in an encyclopedia the origins of languages and the relationships of one language to another.
For example, we know that Italian, Spanish, and French all have common origins. To what branch of
the linguistic tree does Japanese belong? If you do some research into this question you will find that
opinions vary as to the classification of Japanese. One group of linguists claims that Japanese and Korean
belong to the Altaic family of languages and classifies most other languages of East Asia as Sino-Tibetan.
Other linguists claim that Japanese and Korean are related neither to each other nor to any other language.
ACTIVITY
DETECTIVE WORK
As you read earlier, Japanese is spoken in several countries besides Japan. In addition to being
spoken in the United States, Brazil, Peru, and Canada, Japanese is spoken as a second language
by some people who live in Korea and Taiwan. It is also spoken by individuals who live on the
Ryukyus, a group of islands now governed by Japan.
See if you can find out why Japanese is spoken in these other countries. An encyclopedia might
be a good source for your investigation. You might want to construct a timeline showing when
and why the Japanese traveled to other parts of the globe. Include events that occurred in
countries other than Japan that might explain Japanese immigration.
LANGUAGE BORROWING
This language that we speak is part Germcn, part Latin and part Greek
Yes, this language has some Celtic and Arabic all in a heap
Well amended by the man on the street
Chactow gave us the word "ok"
"Vamos" is a word from Modco way....
This American folk song was written by Pete Seeger several decades ago. It highlights the fact that our
language is a mixture of other languages. Each of the words that we have in English that is borrowed
from another language is a result of contacts between English-speaking people and people speaking other
languages around the world.
This phenomenon is also true of the Japanese language. A significant percentage of Japanese vocabulary
is borrowed from Chinese. In fact, Kanji, a unique language of symbols, was a Chinese invention dating
from about three thousand years ago. Today Kanji is an important system of writing in Japan.
6.
20
pr
Even before the Chinese influence on Japanese, Korean words had become a part of the language.
Between the sixth and ninth centuries, Sanskrit words were brought from the Indian sub-continent
through Japan's connection with Buddhism. Several hundred years later, Zen Buddhist priests
introduced a numbei of words from Chinese. When the Portuguese traveled to Japan during the sixteenth
century a number of Portuguese words were absorbed into Japanese. Several hundred years later in the
eighteenth and ninteenth centuries there were exchanges in language between the Dutch and the
Japanese.
The chart below indicates some of the word borrowings that are now a part of Japanese.
21
ACTIVITY
As we have seen, other languages have influenced present day Japanese. As Seeger's song
indicates, English has also borrowed words from dozens of other languages. Below are some of
these words whose origin is not English. See if you can figure out what languages contributed
the words to our own. Group the words by the languages.
8. 22
HISTORICAL NOTE
Kabuki, a unique Japanese theater experience, dates back to the early seventeenth century. Not simply
a single play, a Kabuki performance, sometimes as long as six hours in length, can be four or five plays
interspersed with interludes of dance and mime. Once enjoyed primarily in Japan, Kabuki and Western
plays performed in Kabuki style are becoming more familiar to American and European audiences.
Kabuki is about everyday life and historical events that date back to Japanese feudal times. The stage
scenery, often indescribably beautiful, is usually designedby a distinguished artist. Dressed in elaborate
and stunning costumes, the actors seem to stcp out of history. The actors' white face make-up,
highlighted by exaggerated eye and lip outlines, is topped with brilliant stylized black wigs. The
movement of the actors is accompanied by a voice quality that is sometimes characterized by Western
audiences as "sing-songish."
The origin of Kabuki is not clear. However, it is believed that Kabuki dance was
begun by Okuni, a Japanese court woman skilled in traditional
dance. Okuni is said to have traveled to Kyoto one summer
where she participated in an annual dancing event.
It was the custom in Kyoto for Buddhist
dances to be performed along the bank-; of
the Kamogawa River. Okuni made a liv-
ing dancing there and later went to
Edo (Tokyo) where she joined
other dancers and actors and
founded a theater. This
was the start of Kabuki.
9.
BEST COPY AVAILABLE 23
ACTIVITY*
By this time you might be thinking about the words we have in English that are borrowed from
Japanese. There are quite a few. Many of these words can be classified in specific categories:
Art, Clothing, Food and Things that Relate to Cooking, Sports and Games, and People or Groups
of People. After you listen to the words on the tape, write each of them in the appropriate box on
the next page.
TAPE LISTENING
Listen to this series ofJapanese words which have been borrowed into English. There are twenty-
nine words given here. Tne list of words will be said in its etairety and then repeated a second
time. As the words are read through during the second round, there is a pause provided for you
to repeat each word.
10.
24
Orgi
_...-_ 0 I
jalk
ART FORMS
CLOTHING
SPORTS/GAMES
PERSON (GROUPS)
11.
25
ACTIVITY*
ENGLISH IN JAPANESE
There are approximately 7,000 English words used in the Japanese language today. Not all of
these are familiar to us sinov many of the words have to do with technology. In most cases, the
words have been altered by Japanese pronunciation. Sometimes, too, words are abbreviated in
the process of language exchange. A good example of this would be the transformation of
pineapple juice to pine juice. In this instance the pronunciation is the same as English but the word
pineapple has been abbreviated. This, however, is not always the case as you will see by working
with the words listed on this page.
TAPE LISTENING
Listen to cach word and write its English equivalent in the blanks on the next page. Each of the
fifty words will be said slowly. There will be a pause after each word so that you can repeat it
and try to match the speaker's pronunciation. At the end of the recording, if there are still some
words that you haven't been able to identify, use the English l provided here.
ENGLISH WORDS
12.
26
e 1. Apito
ENGLISH IN JAPANESE
26. Napukin
2. Bampa 27. No-airon
3. Baketsu 28. PI Idngu
4. BOnasu 29. Alma
5. Buzeki 30. Pato
6. Chariti 31. Patoka
7. ChOku 32. Pikunikku
8. Depato 33. Puro
9. Deto 34. Posuto
10. Epuron 35. Purinto
11. Ereki 36. RekOdo
12. Esukareta 37. Saikuringu
13. Gemu 38. Secohan
14. Gia 39. Shitsu
15. Gurtlpu 40. Sofa
16. Handoru 41. SupOtsu
17. Heddo raito 42. SurO tri5
18. Hosutesu 43. Suto
19. Konkurito 44. Taiya
20. Konsato 45. Teburu
21. Kuliningu 46. Terebi(jon)
22. Kusshon 47. Toranku
23. Maku Donarudo 48. Toransu
24. Modan 49. Ukurere
25. MOM 50. Yotto
CULTURAL NOTE
Another borrowed English word, hassuru (hustle), was first introduced to Japan via baseball. The
Hanshin Tigers, a professional team, brought the word home with them to Japan after their pm-season
tiaining camp in the Unit, 4 States in 1963. Because of this connection with baseball, hassuru means to
work rapidly and with energy. Hassuru does not suggest a shady activity as "hustle" sometimes does in
the United States.
SUPOTSU
When it comes to sports, there are many Japanese words which have been borrowed from the
English. In fact, not only the names of games have been borrowed from English, but many of
the terms used within the sports activities also come from the English language. The three
activities that follow are all associated with sports. In the first match each of the Japanese words
with the picture that illustrates that sport.
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9.
SUPOTSU KOTOBA
TAPE LISTENING
Below are listed words that can be separated into three categories. The first is Kc. Vbal talk that
can be associated with sporting events (e.g., safe, fight, get two, etc.). The other two categories
are words that relate to the games of golf and tennis. The twenty borrowed words are read twice
on the tape. As you hear the words list them in the appmpriate columns below.
29
ACTIVITY*
BESU-BORU
Read the following story all the way through. Then identify the English equivalent for each of
the underlined words. Write the COITCCt translation of each word or phrase in the space provided
following the story.
One warm spring evening Jun, Aya and Rieko went to see (1) besu-bOru, a
sporting aame now as popular in Japan as it is in the United States. In fact, it's
almost as popular as another import from the States, (2) a-i-su-ku-ii-nan. Before
the game got under way the three watched the (3) pit-clia (4) uomingu ap-pu.
Then the man at the (5) mai-kurohm (or (6) raudo-suDika) shouted, (7) "Eurcz
bOru!"
It was at this point that each of the (8) pureya on the home (9) chtmu took his
position on the (10) daiyarnondo, and a (11) nr,nha of the opposing team came
up to the (12 ) pureto. The pitch was a (13) sura-böru that floated in real (14) surO-
trashon. This was the first (15) sutoraiku-auto of the game, 3114 there was a loud
(16) gm from th', (17) sutando. Feeling was particularly hip. J.. this time because
it was the first game of the (18) Warudo shirizu. The lineups read like a (19) mil
from the (20) "Huzuhu obu Biggu Rigu BesubOru."
The second batter got a (21) hitto, although it dropped very near the right field
(22) fauru rain. The (23) rinni looked as if he might stretch it into a (24) tsubesu-
hitto or even a (25) surlbesu-hitto or a (26) homkran. When he finally scored,
the (27) sukda bodo registered (28) wan-ran.
Jun got so excited at this point that he asked what would'. ppm if the (29) hc/fu-
hal& should (30) fanburu? Aya and Rieko laughed saying, "You are at a (31)
besu-biku (31) emu not (33) Lata-Jsuli." Quickly all of their attention turned
back to the game for at that moment the (34) pinchi-hitto in the middle of a batting
(35) suranpu was threatening to giverlie (36) pitchq a (37) panchi. The (38) kochi
on third base looked about to blow a (39) hytizu, for it generally was a case of
(40) puvia-supOtsu-manshippu. The game came to an end and the three friends
yelled out with a victory cry, (41) "hippu,hippu. ;lure!"
16.
ACTIVITY*
17.
31
CULTURAL NOTE
Irk
01.ri;e,
MARTIAL ARTS IMPORT
UPDATE
All-Japan
32
18.
BUSINESS AS USUAL
Japan exports more cars than any other nation. Many of these automobiles make their way to the United
States each year. This is also true of media equipment: radios, televisions, cameras for still photography
and for movies, tape recorders, technological equipment and parts. The major exports from the United
States to Japan include soybeans, lumber and fruit.
The more our two nations conduct business, the more obvious is our need to get to know one another.
One way of beginning to understand Japan is to look at the language that comes out of Japanese business.
Like the Japanese language in general, words that are a part of daily business transactions have
tremendous significance and convey important notions. As is often the case with translations, exact
translations of Japanese business words into English do not necessarily convey the full concepts of the
word or phrase. In some cases they give the listener only half the story and are frequently confusing. The
exercises that follow will help you see what this means.
A single word or phrase often carries a heavy load of meaning because of its historical origin or cultural
meaning. For example, consider the meaning of these phrases used in English. What do these terms mean
in the business and work world? Where did they originate?
Notice that some of these terms (ball-park figure) make reference to cdtural phenomena (e.g., ball parks)
which give us a basis for understanding the idiom's meaning.
Japanese business uses idioms and phrases which, similarly, reflect history and cultural contexts far
beyond the simple translation. In the exercise that follows match the Japanese word and meaning on the
e left side (column A) with the current business meaning on the right side (column B) by writing the
appropriate number in the blank.
33 19.
ACTWITY*
1. Aota - gai "To buy a green paddy field" - in the past ( ) A farewell salute to a co-
this saying referred to the farmer who worker who is going to an
needed to borrow money from a merchant overseas assignment.
in exchange for harvested rice.
2. Abura wo uras "He's selling oil" - before the advent of ) The "right-hand man" of a
electricity, street vendors sold oil for person in power.
lanterns. When people weren't doing
their job individuals mockingly said this
phrase.
3. Kuromalas "Black curtain" - in the past, kuromaku ( ) A company going "to raid"
referred to the back-drop of a stage. schools to "sign-up" stu-
dents who are about to
gniduate.
6. Kata-taiald "Tap on the shoulder" - a worker being ( ) "To loaf on the job."
approached by a superior.
7. Kaki-ire-doki "The season when earnings are big" - ) The manual piecework
originally the phrase meant to "put up which a homemaker does
as security" (literally to write an IOU). at home.
10. Nippachi This is not really a word since it is ( ) A time when businers is
composed of two figures, 2 and 8. traditionally bad.
20.
34
11. Hirwandon "A lamp in broad daylight." A term that describes the
rush season for selling.
12. Tozona "Outside person" - in feudal days it was A person whose existence
customary for a person to enter the service within an organization is
of a lord at a very early age and serve for not regarded as essential.
life - a person who entered in adult life
was a tozama.
14. Katte-deru "Play to enter the fray" - originated as a Hint that it is time to
gambling term. retire - if government
employees take the hint,
they are promoted one rank
and receive a larger
pension.
HISTORICAL NOTE
In 1899 the Rockomobile 11 Standard, an American ;team-powered car, was brought to Japan. By 1902
buses made in Japan, incorporating internal combus ion engines from the United States, were traveling
Japanese city streets. In 1907, the Takuri, the first totally Japanese car, rolled off the assembly line.
Three years later, Ford's Model T was introduced to the Japanese public. By 1925 the demand for
automobiles in Japan far exceeded the capabilities of Japan to supply them. It was then that the Ford and
General Motors companies were permitted to open assembly plants in Japan.
In 1929, 30,000 American cars were produced, a figure that would remain constant until 1939 when the
assemblage of foreign cars in Japan came to an end. By 1941,1suzu, Nissan, and Toyota were collectively
pro(' acing 40,000 cars a year.
21.
35
ANL_ I
CULTURAL NOTE
Ishin-densin can literally be translated as "what the mind thinks, the heart communicates." This phrase
implies that communication can be accomplished without the use of words. Ishin-densin as a business
practice is deeply rooted in Japanese society and reflects the Japanese people's belief in the harmonious
interplay that should take place between an individual and the group.
Another word closely related to ishin-densin is hara. In Japanese, hara means "stomach" or "abdomen."
In reference to business practice, the hara of the individual would be his/her true intention, purpose or
specific desire. When a negotiation or business transaction takes place, the persons involved do not
customarily reveal their wishes directly. Hence, both (or all) parties need to be attentiv.; to the clues given
by the other person(s) in order to determine what is each party's intention.
To be effective in determining someone's unspoken goals, one must listen carefully to the way things
are said, read facial expressions and body postures, and, in general, be sensitive to subtle innuendoes and
implications of speech and behavior.
Hara might be considered, for example, in the sale of a car. To determine the seller's bottom line price
it would not be typical for a Japanese buyer to ask outright, "What is your best asking price?" Neither
would the seller ask, "What is your final offer?" Instead, they would both engage in conversation and
perhaps even silent moments - each one trying to sense what the other was thinking.
36
22.
11P
11_
ACTIVITY*
Listed here are a number of phrases that incorporate the term hara. The transliteration and literal
translation for each phrase have been given. Try to determine what the phrase might mean or
symbolize.
1. NARA WO WATTE
HANASU To cut open the stomach and talk
HISTORICAL NOTE
Puku is another way of reading the character for hara. In feildal times, Seppuku, the act of commit-
ting suicide, was considered an honorable act. A condemned Samurai warrior could choose to die at
his own hand rather than at that of an executioner. Voluntary seppuku was sometimes also practiced
to show protest, loyalty to a superior or despair. The Japanese prefer to use the synonym seppuku
for what is known more familiarly in the West as hara kid.
23.
37
ACTIVITY*
TAPE LISTENING
Japanese business language is filled with hundreds of words borrowed from English. The pro-
nunciation of these words, though close to English, of course reflects the sounds and intonation
of the Japanese language. Twenty-four words in Japanese which have been boirowed from
English are given here. In the left column you will find the Japanese pronunciation of the word.
Listen to the tape to hear how each word is pronounced. In the right column there is sometimes
a clue given for the English meaning of the word. Between hearing the words and seeing the clues
you should be able to determine what the words are in English. Write your answers in the spaces
provided.
1. Pi-aru
2. Bosu
(A derogatory use of the English word - refers to
someone who got a position through force)
3. BUmu
(Rapid increase in popularity)
4. B3nasu
(Extra allowances paid twice a year)
5. Komasharu
(Message on TV or radio)
6. Komyunikeshon
(Exchange of thoughts)
7 . Konekushon
(An associate, relation, acquaintance or friend
having some power or influence)
24.
38
8. Konpyugf
9. Konsarutanto
(One who gives professional advice)
10. Kosuto
(The price paid)
11. Masu-komyunikeshon
(Masukomi)
12. Masu-purodakushon
13. Afeka
(Manufacturer of a product)
14. Mishin
15. Mt&
16. Ofu-reko
(Giving information but not wanting it to be used
officially or to be connected with the giver's name)
17 . Plitsu
18. Rimöto-kontoraru
(Rimokon) (Device to operate a machine from a distance)
19. Säbisu
20. Saran!'
21. Sutoraiko
22. Toppu
23. Toredo
(The act of buying, selling, or exchanging -used
primarily when referring to baseball)
24. niza
(Consumer of consumer goods)
MOIDEILA 1117
At Mitsubishi Motors, automotive innovation began back in 1917. That year, Japan's very first series-
production automobile, the Mitsubishi Model A, was introduced.
UPDATE
Chrysler Corporation and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation have finalized plans for an equally-owned
U.S. small car manufacturing venture. Chrysler chairman Lee A. Iacocca and Toyoo Tate, president of
the fourth-largest Japanese motor vehicle maker, announced in October, 1985, that the new company
will build a $500 million assembly plant near the central Illinois towns of Bloomington and Normal.
Slated to go into operation in late 1988, the facility will pmduce a Mitsubishi-designed and engineered
two-door subcompact for the 1989 model and a four-000r sedan about 18 months later. When the factory
is in full operation, it will have the capacity to turn out 180,000 cars a year and will employ 2,500 workers.
Each partner will get half of the factory's output for sale through its own U.S. dealer network.
4 ()
26.
..
.: .: " .. :. . ; .:.
...,
.:. ..
,
CULTURAL NOTE
There are a number of other words that reflect very clearly the Japanese consciousness of the fine art of
negotiating.
HONNE is a term used when talking about a person's intentions as in, "This woman's honne is very
clear" or "That man's honne is difficult to read." In the former case it might be easier to negotiate; in
the latter, however, negotiation could be difficult.
Being a negotiator may be tough if an individual's personal position is in conflict with TATEMAE or
the principlesior philosophy of the company.
KANGAETE OKIMASU, "I'll think it over," usually is a revealing phrase in negotiation. It suggests
that the final answer will be "no." This is understood as a polite way of expressing a negative outcome.
NEMAWASHIliterally means "to dig around the root of a tree to prepare for transplanthig." Essentially
this means to lay the groundwork for the negotiation. Since it is necessary for everyone to agree on a
matter, nemawashi is very important.
NEWAZA-SHI is a business term borrowed from the art ofJUDO. NEWAZA is an offensive technique
used by a contestant lying on a mat. In business, NEWAZA-SHI is the person who executes a surprise
move that significantly alters the negotiation process.
27.
41
ACTIVITY*
AMERICAN PRACTICES
Listed here are several Japanese business terms and descriptions of their meaning. On the line
provided, write the American practice that corresponds. You will use seven of the nine terms
listed above.
1. Arubaito This term is the Japanese version of the German word, "arbeit,"
meaning "work." Arubaito refers to part-time work done in
addition to another occupation.
3. Dame-oshi This is the act of reminding and reconfirming so that things will
go smoothly as previously arranged or promised.
5. Kasai-hi This term refers to money spent for maintaining social contacts or
entertaining friends. It is said that the majority of expensive bars
and night-clubs in Tokyo would close overnight if ICasai-hi were
abolished.
6. Mai hamu This individual often gives up annual holidays so that (s)he can
work. (S)He is thought of as an eager beaver employee racing
along the promotional track in a company.
7 . Ocha wo nomu The first thing company workers do when they arrive at the office
is to drink green tea. It is also served at mid-morning , in the
afternoon and during meetings.
UPDATE
Today in Japan there are over 70,000 robots working alongside humans. Robots have moved into the
assembly line, taking over such jobs as painting, welding, inspecting, and measuring. Tapan leads the
world in robot production, manufacturing approximately 20,000 each year. Of all the robots in use in
the world, nearly 70% can be found in Japan.
Mechaironics, a new word coined in Japanese from the combination of the two English words
mechanism and electronics, is used to explain robot technology. It refers to machines and tools
containing micro-computers.
29.
43
CULTURAL NOTE
KAO
Maintaining one's image or saving face is a concept that is understood throughout the world. In Japan,
Kao (face) is a vital concept in the culture. The predominance of this notion is reflected in the many
sayings and expressions which incorporate Kao. Several of these sayings deal not only with the notion
of keeping your actions proper and forthright so that you are viewed as respectable, caring and honest,
but they also have to do with keeping your face visible.
44
30.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Encyclopmdia Britannica. The New Encyclopedia Britannica Macropedia, Volume 10. Chicago:
Encyclopmdia Britannica, Inc., 1974.
Madsen, Sheila and Bette Gould. The Teacher' s Book of Lists. Santa Monica, California: Goodyear
Publishing Co., Inc., 1979.
Miura, Akira. English Loanwords in Japanese. Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1979.
Schwarz, Edward A. and Rieko Ezawa. Japanese Illustrated. Tokyo: Shufunotomo Co., Ltd.,
1982.
Shipley, Joseph T. Dictionary of Word Origins. New York: Philosophical Library, 1945.
Umesao, Tadao, ed. Seventy-Seven Keys to the Civilization of Japan. Osaka: The Senn Foundation,
1985.
Wallechinsky, David, Irving Wallace and Amy Wallace. The Book of Lists. New York: William
Morrow and Co., Inc., 1977.
31.
45
ANSWER SECTION
FOODS AND THINGS THAT RELATE TO COOKING: Hibachi, Sake, Shoyu, Sukiyaki,
Tempura, Teriyaki
PERSON (GROUPS): Geisha, Honcho, Issei, Mikado, Nisei, Samurai, Sensei, Shr3gun,'4coon
46 33.
ENGLISH IN JAPANESE (Pages 12 - 13)
1. Bareboru 6. Gorufu
2. Aisu-hokke 7 . Besu-Boru
3. Batominton S. Bebi-gorufu
4. Tenisu 9. Aisu-suketo
5. Rora-suketo
KOTOBA: Auto (out), Chansu (chance), Faito (Fighting spirit), Gettsu (double play), Kikku (kick),
Sefu (safe)
GORUFU: Alan (iron), Badi (birdie), Bogi (bogey), Gurin (green), I guru (eagle), Pa (par), Pata
(putter), Patto (putt). Ti (tee)
TENISU: Bore (volley), Kurabu (club), On-rain (on the line), Rabu (love), Tenisu-koto (tennis
court)
34. 47
SUPOTSU BORROWED WORDS (Page 17)
1. Heart-to-heart talk
2. Reveal what is on one's mind
3. Become resigned to something
4. (S)he is a treacherous person
35.
JAPANESE BUSINESS LANGUAGE (Pages 24 - 25)
1. Moonlighting
2. Pep Talk
3. Featherbedding
4. Old Boys' Network
5. Expense Account
6. Workaholic
7. Coffee Break
36.
e
0
INTVIII.-
-
,
'IfJ)
BREAKING THE CODE:
JAPANESE READING
AND WRITING
0
50
WHAT? NO ABC'S?
BUT HAVE THEY GOT CHARACTER!
Many people are mystified when it conies to understanding Japanese because, instead of using the Roman
alphabet of most languages of the West, the Japanese use quite a different system of writing. They write
with about 2000 symbols called characters. Writing with so many characters is obviously more
complicated than writing with twenty-six letters; however, the Japanese system of writing is not as
complicated or as mystifying as it first appears. The first key to demystifying Japanese is to know that
the characters the Japanese use in writing fall into three different categories: KANJI, HIRAGANA and
KATAKANA.
Below you will see an illustration of the three different types of Japanese characters. Examine the
illustrations carefully and see if you can recognize how Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana differ from one
another. The brief explanations in the chart will help you.
KANJI
III 111 ** Used in writing the main parts of a sentence such as verbs
ti Id a and nouns. Also used for writing family and given names.
HIRAGANA
KATAKANA
39.
51
ACTIVITY*
WHAT A CHARACTER!
IS IT KANJI, HMAGANA, OR KATAKANA?
Now that you have studied the chart on the previous page, see how well you can do on your own
distinguishing one type of character from another. The excerpt ofJapanese writing on the following page
was taken from a No Smoking/Chain Lock sign that is posted in rooms at the Ana Hotel in Hiroshima.
It contains the three types of characters. Sixteen characters in the sign are circled and numbered 1-16.
See if you can accurately identify each character: is it Kanji, Hiragana, or Katakana? Write your
answers in the blanks provided.
1. 9.
2. 10.
3. 11.
4. 12.
5. 13.
6. 14.
7. 15.
8. 16.
40. 52
2 3
UV, ®7
Z-1-*4=Alt1:4:
IV 00)11, 14"7*x.12 &< tz.=
14
9*{: 1:1)
reOt
NOTICE
When you are inside the room, please double-lock the
door with bolt and door-arm.
When you have a caller, check through the peep-hole
before opening the door.
CULTURAL NOTE
According to the Gyokuhen Dictionary, Chinese ideographs number 22,726 while the Koktfiten lists
42,174 ideographs and the Kaibe 55,425. There are only a few ideographs of Japanese invention
expressing words and notions indigenous to Japan.
WE JAPANESE
53 41.
HISTORICAL NOTE
v% 11
111111)
It?P on-yomi: uma
kun-yomi: ba
Ion-yomi: ashi
kun-yomi: soku
The Japanese borrowed these ideograms and eventually began to use them as phonetic symbols without
regard to their particular pictorial meanings. Later they modified the shape or simplified many of the
Kan'', which gave rise to Hiragana and Katakana.
42.
54
It is important to note that while the Japanese borrowed the c:saracterizations of a word, they did not take
on the spoken language of the Chinese. The Japanese had already developed their own unique spoken
language and they simply adopted the Chinese characters for the purpose of writing. For each Kanji they
borrowed, they kept the Chinese pronunciation but they also gave each character their own "Japanese"
pronunciation. Therefore, for each Kanji character there are at least two pronunciations:
/.1(7)(\sit CAA
1111
on-yomi: yama
kun-yomi: san
" ". 4 .
..
. .
...
,
):1
on-yomi: tsuki
4i,
kun-yomi: getsu
Of the thousands of existing Chinese characters, 1850 are prescribed by the Japanese Ministry of
Education as being essential for everyday use and normal communication. Of these 1850 basic Kanji
used in Japanese, 881 have been designated as the basic requirement for youngsters completing their
sixth year of elementary school.
rr
t) t)
43.
re-
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
In Japanese, names are usually written in Kanji. Although there are about 2000 Kanji characters that
are commonly used in Japanese, it may become easier than you think to recognize Japanese names
because some characters are used very frequently. Two characters that are often used in family names
are:
83 (pronounced da or ta)
al (pronounced yama)
In fact, these two characters combine tk. form one of the most common names in Japan:
Notice that although Yamada is the family name (often referred to as the last name in English), it is
written first. There are no middle namec in Japanese, so Tomoko, the given name (or first name in
English), is written next. This is the standard format for writing names in Japanese.
Since every Kanji represents one word, all Japanese names have meaning. In fact, many family names
are also names of things found in the natural environment. For example, die literal meaning of yama is
"mountain," and da or ta means "rice field." Therefore, Yamada means "mountain rice field."
44.
ACTIVITY*
On the following pages you will see three different charts containing Japanese family names written in
Kanji.
CHART 2 and CHART 3 contain names that include the characters al and ,
respectively. (Remember that 1.11 is pronounced yama and it means mountain," and n is
pronounced no and it means "field.")
You will notice in CHART 2 and CHART 3 that there are many blank spaces under the
Pronunciation and Meaning colums. Refer to the names in CHART 1 and look for the Kanji
that will help you figure out and fill in the missing pronunciations and meanings in
CHART 2 and CHART 3.
EXAMPLE
You know that the second character is pronounced yama and means "mountain" but you do not know
the pronunciation or meaning for the first character, A . Look for a name in the first chart that contains
this character. You will see that the name& Ili contains this character, is pronounced Asada, and means
"shallow rice field." So the first name in the second chart must be pronounced Asayama, and it must
mean "shallow mountain."
45.
57
I
CHART 1 13] (DA OR TA)
KANJI PRONOUNCIATION MEANING
CHART 2 OA (YAMA)
&al
0W Shiroyama White mountain
w 0.J
al 41
46.
Maruyama Round mountain
CHART 3 (NO)
GIVEN NAMES
In Japanese the given name (often referred to in English as the first name) is of great significance. The
given name is often believed to be linked to the fate of the individual. Therefore, many families express
their hope for their children by choosing the most appropriate name. They can choose from auspicious
names, cautionary names or names of mat beauty. They often choose the name by consulting with a
Shinto priest. The parents provide the priest with the date and time of the child's birth and the family
name. The priest analyzes the characters in the family name, including the number of strokes, and he
also consults zodiac charts. After studying this information, the priest chooses several names that may
bring the child good fortune.
This process of name selection is actually a profession called seimei-handan. The practitioners of this
profession are not only sought out to give names but also to change names. For example, an individual
might want to change his or her name to one that will bring better fortune.
Below you will see a chart of common names for males and females. You will notice that many of the
female names end in -ko which means "child." This is a diminuitive form similar to the English
diminuitive form of "-y" at the end of some names such as Peggy, Patty, and Billy.
.§ m Kaori Perfume A-
Noboru Rise
JINDAI-MOJI
It is believed that Jindai-moji were originally used only by members of the imperial family. These
ancient letters were used to designate the name of the god who resided in a particular shrine. Jindai-moji
began to disappear as Chinese Kanji slowly replaced them over 1700 years ago.
7 sg A
49.
WRITING KANJI
Probably by now you can recognize Kanji, so you should be ready to practice writing Kanji. When
preparing to write Kalil you need to know how many strokes it takes to make each charnter (remember
that a character may have as many as 23 strokes!), in what directions the strokes should be made and in
what order the strokes should be drawn. There are eight basic rules for writing Kanji to help you figure
this out. Learning these rules, as all Japanese must do, and committing them to memory involve a good
amount of practice.
Below is a summary of the eight basic rules for writing Kanji. They have been adapted from an excellent
resource, A Guide to Reading and Writing Japanese. Study the rules and then try your own hand at
writing some basic Kanji in the writing worksheet that follows.
fok
=. .
41-
50.
62
OTHER RULES
0 *-
la
1
-"
5 1.
63
1-
1111111k
1111111.
it ille
,
A )11:1
1-1-ktit
, .
.........
.._ ......____
....... ....._
, 1
i
.
1
i . 1
,
,
I i ______ ,
... . ....__
_......._ .
ll'A , 10, ,
,
.
.
1
..
. . . .
,
,
L
. _. .__..._
. ,
_. .
t
II.1 .
.
.
.
I
I
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i
.
. .
1 I
I
I
H.
I
. H. i
I
I
. 1
.
. I
1 . i
I
- .. . ... - . . . .- I
I leraloymis
- .. , ..
Ns.,
-
41". NM
.1,
. % O.° 11. la:
0
v. OP
11
di'
.
I
. 1 1/
11,4,
,,, -
I
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__....._ .
li
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1
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52.
64
II
r
gerive-Ipp. MIN/
. . .
. - -,-- .. ." -
1 t y (0 cyci 1.4( Vp
I
;
- 1 -
.._....
__..
I TT 11
.........
....._
. _
tii fft
,
t Lt 111 El3
9
ACTIVITY
ir11111
ichi --
ara.
ni sr
4. ...ir
111NOWII
41111
410111
t
san
-
MENNE,
...%
=alb A
sommilll
-6
r
ar _
a
shi
V n in 0 179
a
go a
11 .1.
41100 ,IMM11,
54.
06
roku
4..
shichi sasfoio
4111t
hachi
1
8
=11111
ku
ft
10
-
First, the numbers 1 through 10 will be said one time and you can listen, following along on
the pronunciation section of the chart above. Each character will then be repeated a second
time with a pause after each for you to practice the pronunciation. After you have practiced the
pronunciation and after you have practiced writing the numbers in Kanji several times, perhaps
you could listen to this section of the tape again and practice writing the numbers in Kanji as
you hear them. Then refer back to your practice sheet to correct your work.
55.
67
ACTIVITY
TAPE LISTENING
YUBIN YA -SAN
Almost every language has a counting song or chant. A common counting chant in English is "One, two,
buckle my shoe." Yubinya-san is a popular children's counting song and game in Japan. Children often
sing it while playing with a jump rope. When you sing a word or syllable in the song that is marked with
an "x" you must jump; when you sing a word where an "s" is marked you must jump Bag touch the
ground.
x x x x
-40-
1 Yu - bin ya-san 0- to-shi-mo-no Hi - rot- te a- ge-ma-sho
* * * *
r
.... 44. 4
* * * * x x
In Japanese there are several vvays to say a number. You will notice in this song another common
way to say the numbers "foe' and "seven."
56. 6S
CULTURAL NOTE
You will remember that Kanji characters are significant because each character was originally symbolic
of some aspect of Chinese life or thought. The same is true for the numbers written in UV:
ACTIVITY*
NUMBERS 11 THROUGH 19
Writing the numbers 11 through 19 is not difficult if you know the numbers 1 through 10. The numbers
11 through 19 are simply written by combining the number 10 with another number. For example,
11 is written "ten-one" or in Japaneseju-ichi. The number 12 is written "ten-two," orja-ni, etc. Fol-
lowing this pattern, see if you can complete the chart below. Write the pronunciation for each number
and the Kanji. You will notice that the number 14 is written in for you because it has an inegular
pronunciation. All of the other numbers follow the same pronunciation as the numbers 1 through 10.
PRONUN- PRONUN-
CIATION KANJI CIATION KANJI
11 JU-ICHI +__.... 16
12 JU-NI
+ :----. 17
13 18
14 JU-YON + IN 19
15
*Consult ANSWER SECTION
57.
ACTIVITY*
NUMBERS 20 THROUGH 90
An interesting fact about Japanese numbers is that there is no Kanji for zero. Therefore, to write
numbers 20 through 90 in Kanji, the Japaneie combine the number 10 with the numbers 2 through 9.
For example, the number 20 is written "two-ten" or, in Japanese, ni-ju. The number 30 is written
"three-ten" or san-ju. In other words, you just count the number of tens. Following this pattern, see
if you can complete the chart below. A few examples are done for you.
PRONUN- PRONUN-
CIATION KANJI CIATION KANJI
,
20 NI-JU ± 60
..._...
30 SAN-JU 70
40 80
50 90
ACTIVITY*
Which is your favorite month? Is it April or July? The words written above in italics are the Japanese
words for April and July. Gatsu is the Japanese word for "month." Do you remember what the words
shi and shichi mean? You probably remember from working with the activities on numbers that these
words mean "four" and "seven," respectively. Therefore, you can see that in Japanese the months are
named by taking a number and combining it with the word for month. April, the fourth month, is shi
gatsu and July, the seventh month, is shichi gatsu.
58. 7
The chart below contains the names of the twelve months written in Kanji. See if you can fill in the
Japanese pronunciation and the English for each month. The months are not written in order, so you will
need to decipher the Kanji in order to fill in the blanks. April and July are already done for you. (If you
410 cannot remember the meaning of some Kanji, refer back to the previous activities on numbers.)
44.
4r.
KANJI PRONUNCIATION ENGLISH
TRANSLATION
tE Shichi-gatsu July
3 aA
4 +A
5 E 11
6 AA
7 A
8 +:.--)3
9 AA
io ic A
11
12
71
ACTIVITY*
You will recall that in writing the names of months in Japanese you took a number and combined
it with the word for month. Time is expressed in a similar manner. You take the number for the
hour and combine it with the characto for time (JO. Thus, "one o'clock" would be ichi-ji in
Japanese and"t wo o'clock" would bego-ji. Following this pattern see if you can fill in the blanks
in the chart below. You will notice that in the Kanji column the character for ji is always written
in but some of the characters designating the hour are missing. Do you remember how to write
the numbers in Kanji? If not, look back at the previous sections on writing numbers to refresh
your memory and then write them in the appmpriate blanks.
2. a I* 80-.ii
4. i* ni-ji
5. ku-ji
,
6. + 1* eleven o'clock
,
7. * three o'clock
8. I* mku-ji
9. -b I* seven o'clock
Throughout history, various systems for telling time have been developed. The Japanese developed an
early method for expressing time, days and years that was based on a zodiac system which was originally
introduced to them by the Chinese. This zodiac ie.. Insists of twelve different animals. These
animals are listed below in Japanese (Katiji) and
EA
Mi Snake/Serpent 12 1,- I Boar
61.
73
The system of using the zodiac to express the days and hours was used before the Meiji era. The days
were divided into cycles of twelve, and each day in the cycle belonged to one of the signs or animals of
the zodiac. The same was done with hours. However, the 24-hour day was divided into i welve two-hour
periods, each corresponding to one of the twelve zodiac symbols.
Below you will see a clock that shows how the two-hour intervals were named according to the zodiac.
You will notice that the names of the animals for each two-hour interval are written in Kanji. Refer to
the illustration on the opposite page to decipher the Kanji and fill in the names of the animals in English
and Japanese to the right of each character. Check your answers by referring to the chart on the previous
Page.
62.
CULTURAL NOTE
The zodiac has always been an integral part of Japanese life. The animals of the zodiac are often re-
fetred to throughout Japanese history, folklore, literature and art. There is an interesting story about
how the twelve animals of the zodiac were chosen.
On a certain New Year's day long ago Buddha gathered the animals and together told them that
he would like to choose twelve animals to represent the years. He arranged a competition in order
to help him arrive at his decision. TNe first twelve animals who arrived at a certain place on a given
day in order to pay homage to him would be those he selected. The cat VMS not present at the
gathering, so Buddha told a mouse to relay the information about the competition to the cat. All the
animals agreed to participate and Buddha told them when they would begin and end the race.
On the day of the race and just before it was about to begin, the ox decided to get a head start because
he knew he couldn't run fast. When he began his trek towards the finish line he Wed to notice that
the little mouse was hanging on his tail.
Thv race finally began, but by now the ox was almost at the fmish line. Just before he could cross
it, however, the little mouse swung from his tail over the line, taking first place. The ox obviously
came in second. Buddha chose the mouse and the ox and the ten other animals who closseAl the finish
line as the animals of the zodhc. The mouse forgot to tell the cat about the race so the cat was not
included among the twelve winners. This is why Cats and mice do not get along even today.
The symbols of the zodiac are no longer used in telling time, but tiley are still used to refer to the years.
There are a number of superstitions in Japan that revolve around the old system of telling time. For
example, since the tiger is considered an animal of darkness, ceremonies and special events are usually
not scheduled during the hour of the tiger (three to five p.m.).
63.
75
KANA: HIRAGANA & KATAKANA
The word Kana refers to the two sets of Japanese characters that were developed from the Chinese Kanji:
Hfragana and Katakana. These two sets of characters each contain 48 simple symbols with 23
variations. Where each Kanji represents a whole word, each Hiragana or Katakana symbol represents
one phonetic syllable. Also, each Hiragana has a corresponding Katakana with the same phonetic
pronunciation.
The chart below shows how some of we Hiragana and Katakana were derived from Kanji.
HIRAGANA
Remember that Hiragana are used mainly to write pronouns, adverbs and sentence fragir ents. Hiragana
are the first characters taught to children when they begin preschool or kindergarten at age four or five.
By the time they go to first grade, most children have learned all of the hiragana characters.
Before you practice your skill at deciphering Hiragana, study the Hiragana chart on the following page.
Look at the first row and you will see the five Japanese vowels. You will notice that in each of the
following rows a different consonant is combined with each of these vowels to create new phonetic
syllables (each row represents a different consonant-vowel combination). In the second row the vowels
are combined with "k," in the third row the vowels are combined with "s," and so on (some consonants
do not combine with all of the vowels and the "n" row has only one possible combination).
You will also notice that after the "n" row, the characters are very similar to those in the first rows of
the chart. For example, look at the "k" row and then look at the "g" row. The characters beginning with
the "k" sound are exactly like those beginning with the "g" sound except for the two small strokes written
on the side of the latter characters (these strokes are called nigori or dakuten in Japanese). The
characters beginning with the "z" sound are like those beginning with the "s" sound; the characters
beginning with the "b" and "p" sound are like those beginning with the "h" sound, etc.
64. 76
A I U E 0
KA KI KU KE KO
t
SA SI
1.,
SU
"r t
SE
t
SO
TA CHI TSU TE TO
"C k
NA NI NU NE NO
0
HA HI FU HE HO
it 0* 4,1- a
MA MI MU ME MO
I :5 Its
YA I YU E YO
Jtb gb 4:
RA RI RU RE RO
6 h Z 41. 5
WA U
*)
N
A.,
G GA GI GU OE 00
7) te <S* 11
IA ZI ZU ZE ZO
BA BI BU BE BO
a ti: ,, -< W
PA PI PU PE PO
117 rf ,it ir
DA DI DU DE DO
TAPE LISTENING
To practice the pronunciation of the Hiragana syllables, listen to the tape and follow along from left
to right on your chart. Each syllable is said once with a brief pause during which you can repeat it.
Hiragana was formed in the 9th century by a Buddhist Saint called KO-BO DA-I-SHI. Amazingly, in
addition to creating a set of 48 syllables, he arranged them in a poetic verse called I-RO-HA without
using a single syllable twice.
I RO HA NI HO HE TO
lo 6 II
CHI RI NU RU WO WA KA
dablobt.
YO TA RE SO TSU NE
1 ta
NA RA MU U WI NO
0
0 KU YA MA KE FU KO E TE
A SA KI YU ME MI SHI
Ko 6
WE HI MO SE SU UN
ACTIVITY
0 200
t 1 T
0 300
KILOMETERS
67.
KATAKANA
Katakana characters today are used mainly to write words of foreign origin or borrowed words. You
will notice by looldng at the Katakana chart on the following page that the chart contains the same
phonetic syllables as the Hiragana chart and that the characters follow the same pattern of consonant-
vowel combinations, but the characters are written differently.
0. .
Mb.. vair O. Ala. 4.
t1111C311
ma 111a
.. *RI
Ink .1
aaaa int Nei, am.
a 4... a am. Ilan.
..... # k 41111. Al
68.
80
A I U E 0
7 4
K KA KI KU KE KO
* k .Y =
S SA SI SU SE SO
*9- z'i A t 9
T TA CHI TSU TE TO
NA NI NU NE NO
..... X * )
H HA HI FU HE HO
" t 7 A
to1 MA MI MU ME MO
7 1.4. .)1 t A
YA I YU E YO
V A
R RA RI RU RE RO
3 9 )1/ 1/ cr A
W WA I U E 0
7
N N
:.
A
6 GA GI GU GE 00
t'
13
i
ZA
BA
ZI
B i
ZU
BU
ZE
BE
ZO
BO
PA PI PU PE PO
1 --, 711
D DA DI Du DE DO
F'
69.
01
ACTIVITY*
TAPE LISTENING
THE CHALLENGE OF THE "L" AND THE "R"
English words which begin with an "1" sound pose a unique situation when borrowed by the Japanese
language. In Japanese there is no sound symbol or Roman letter for "1." Therefore, all English words
that begin with the sound "1" have that letter substituted in Japanese by "r," which is the closest sound
to "I" in Rome(/' or Roman letters.
The wokls listed below are words the Japanese have borrowed from English. Follow the words as they
are said on the tape. Notice that all the words begin with the written letter "r" even though the "r" is being
pronounced as if an "1" were the first letter of the word. The fifteen words are said twice. As you listen,
try to write in the English word. A helpful hint in figuring out the English word would be to eliminate
the sound of the "u" which is an ending on several of the Japanese words.
I. Raberu 9. Ranpu
ACTIVITY*
In the Ifiragana section you practiced deciphering Japanese characters. In this section you will not only
practice deciphering the Katakana characters, but you will also have a chance to practice writing them.
Now that you have hut a good amount of practice with pronunciation you should be well-prepared for
the next step of deciphering Katakana.
*Consult ANSWER SECTION
82
70.
Convert the following words written in Katakana to English by referring to your Katakana chart. First,
write the Roman syllables in the spaces provided under each word written in Katakana . Then say the
syllables together and see if you can figure out what the word is in English. Write it in the blank on the
right. Remember that the "ri s' in Japanese are pronounced like "l's," and the final vowel "u" sound is
often dropped in English. All of the words below have been borrowed from English so they should be
recognizable. One example is done for you.
KATAKANA
I.
7 )1/
fu ru. tsu
5. 3r4 *- 4 h
6 7 1,
7. 74
8.
9.
71.
CHALLENGE NOTE: The following activities will include mare Katakarta deciphering activities. As you do the
activities, see if you can refer less and las to the Katakana chart. In other words, see how many Katakana characters
you can begin to recognize from memory.
ACTIN ,i."rY*
Below on the left you will see the names of several cities written in Katakana. Match them up with the
appropriate city written in English on the right. Refer to your Katakana chart to help you with the
deciphering. After you complete the activity and check your answers in the answer section of this
chapter, study the words written in Katakana . Cover up the words written in English and see if you can
eventually "decipher" or read the words written in Katakana without referring to the English words on
the right.
Anchorage
Chicago
Honolulu
Los Angeles
New York
F. 7 San Francisco
G. 7> Seattle
H. p Vancouver
Now that you have had practice deciphering the names of the cities written in Katakana it should be easy
for you to mad the chart on the ner page that you will need to use to answer your clients' questions. See
if you can read the names of the cities from memory without referring to the English in the matching
activity above.
72.
84
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CITY AIME' MOWN! WS TAXI AIRPORT TAX PORTERAGE
iw
_
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!OMAN SO CENTS /0 ''' )100140S 3 DOLLARS I DOLLAR
7*1.0 7 :d 5) 10 Mt. Y3 Mk 15 nib%
33.40DOLLAIS pow.," 30 CENTS
t/ X :1 41. :, 7,9;,.:,3 :2 m NA 2 NI 306 DOdlel.ARS
30 Ws.
130LLAN3
5. 400OLLAIS ---''' 23-30DOLLARS 50 CENTS
0.1:/Vk7 DI:idA,IMMINI 45 mIA. 45 min.
II.- 22 DOLLARS
i DOUAI'S 3 DOLLARS 1 DOLLAR
14 DOLLARS 50 CENTS
US DOLLARS 3 DOLLARS
Ift)A.A *l 110 A -M2:5 30 Mk 30 tab%
3-1 DOLLARS
1/7A Y.7AMINge 15 WA,
9 DOLLARS
#4g.:, #4ii>01Mg* isnot fr
30 PEsos
4 )1*,:i=t/f 4 ISM2N1 RP" 223 PESOS
AM
1012 PESOS
40 Aga.
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40 DOLLARS 5.20 DOLLARS 200 CO MINOS
/13 ......J
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ANSWER:
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
65 73.
ACTIVITY
Now that you have successfully deciphered and read the Katakana in the chart on the preceding page,
you should be ready to practice writing it. The names of four cities are written in Katakana on the left.
Follow the examples done for you in the practice squares and practice writing each word several times,
writing one character per square. The examples are written stroke-by-stroke to show you which stroke
to write rust and in which direction to write each stroke. Practice writing all of the characters uniformly
in size.
74.
S6
ACTIVITY*
GLOBETROTTERS
To continue polishing your Katakana deciphering skills, imagine now that you are a travel agent in Japan.
Your clients are flying from Tokyo, Japan to various parts of the world. In order to answer some of the
questions they ask regarding their trips you will need to refer to the flight map from Japan Air Lines on
the following pages. You will notice that many of the cities are labeled in Katakana only. They are some
of the same cities that were seen in the previous activity so you should easily recognize them. You may,
however, want to decipher the Katakana and label the cities in English too before you begin helping your
clients.
I
"Ir>
0
0
o 0 0
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
ANSWER:
You also tell her that Japan Air Lines does not fly directly into Rio de Janeiro, so she will fly into which
closest city?
ANSWER:
,A:
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ACTINICTY
LAUNDRY LINGO
As in the United States, some hotels in Japan offer laundry service for their guests. Mr. and Mrs. Naruse
have been staying at the Sun Route Hotel in Tokyo for several days and they have decided to have some
of their clothing cleaned through the hotel laundry service. See if you can answer the questions below
regarding their laundry order. In order to do this, of course, you will need to read the form they filled
out on the following page and decipher the Katakana or, in some cases, the Kanji.
2) g Le A 3) ..7_
b.) Did Mr. Naruse have any undershirts cleaned? If yes, how many?
1) 2) At I 3) 141
b) How many dresses did Mrs. Naruse have cleaned? Were they washed or dry cleaned?
2) *7E4 3)
b) Did Mr. Naruse have any ties cleaned? If yes, how many?
4. Which of the following words written in Kanji is Mr. Naruse's family name?
1) BEI 2) 3) al El1
2) 4 3) h'4
b) Did Mr. and Mrs. Naruse have any articles of clothing pressed? If yes, what?
6. You will notice that the second column of the laundry form is written in English, under the heading
Article. Those words correspond to the words written in Japanese in the first column. Some of the
words have been left off so you can practice reading the Japanese. Now that you have practiced
reading some of those words in Japanese and have answered the above questions, see if you can fill
in the words in English in the second column.
80. D2
ive*Isif(t)15
1'11" LAUNDRY SERVICE Please dial " 3 "
ft ,/30 *MIN* A
-
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DATE f if ROOM NO. NAME
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NOME
Laundry is now accepted on the first floor.
Any claim concerning the finished articles must be reported with this list within 24 hours from
the date of delivery.
We ars not resPonsible for shrinkage, change of color or wear and tear and tear custom idly
resulting from the process of cleaning unless some Imolai instructions are given In advance,
or for any valuables left in pockets or attached to garments.
Llability other the above-mentioned is limited to 10 times the service charge for each item.
* it
WASHING
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COUNT AMOUNT COUNT AMOUNT COUNT ** TOTAL
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81.
ACTIVITY*
Kadowaki Yoshinao is a professional baseball player in Japan. He is on his way to the United States for
spring training in Phoenix, Arizona. This is the third time he has flown to the United States with Japan
Air Lines (JAL) and he has decided to fill out the comment card provided in his copy of Winds,the flight
magazine for this airline, to let JAL know he has been pleased with their service. Although everything
on the card is written in Japanese there are a few words you could decipher: those written in Katakana,
of course. With a careful look, you could even decipher a few Kanji characters. Look over the comment
card and see if you can answer the following questions.
bh.. i
I
1111Allif 4111.1
A
1. What are the three "classes" you could choose to fly on Japan Air Lines?
3. What type of characters did Kadowaki use to write his name on the form: Kanji, Katakana,
or Hiragana?
4. What are the Japanese characters for "month" and "day"? Practice them in the boxes below:
Ii month
I
day
FT
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83.
9 5
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BIBLIGAAPHY
Chamberlala, Basil Hall. Japanese Things. Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1981.
Chiba, Reiko. The Japanese Fortune Calendar. Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1977.
Encyclopmdia Britannica. The New Encyclopedia Britannica Macropadia, Volume 18. Chicago:
Encycloptedia Britannica, Inc., 1974.
Miura, Akira. Japanese Words and Their Uses. Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Thule Co., 1983.
Sakade, Florence, ed. A Guide to Reading and Writing Japanese. Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle
Co., 1982.
Taylor, Harvey M., ed. English and Japanese in Contrast. New York: Regents Publishing Co., 1979.
Young, John and Kimiko Nakajima-Okano. Learn Japanese. New College Text, Volume 1. Honolulu:
University of Hawaii Press, 1984.
Walsh, Len. Read Japanese Today. Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1982.
85.
.4
IM
bi
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41wfafliWt
IS IT A FIELD, A RICE FIELD, OR A MOUNTAIN? . . . READING KANJI
(Pages 46 - 47)
I
CHART 2 (YAMA)
Asayama Shallow Mountain
Shiroyama White Mountain
Nishiyama West Mountain
Aoyama Shallow Mountain
Yamamura Village Mountain
Murayama Mountain Village
Yokoyama Side Mountain
Ishiyama Stone Mountain
Maruyama Round Mountain
Hirayama Flat Mountain
Toyama Far Mountain
Yamanaka Mountain Center
Yamashita Mountain Below
Yamakawa Mountain River
Yamashiro Mountain Castle
Yamauchi Mountain Inside
Okayama Hill Mountain
Yamaguchi Mountain Mouth
98
88.
CHART 3 (NO)
11 ju-icht
12 ju-ni
13 ju-san
14 ju-shi
15 ju-go
16 ju-roku
17 ju-shichi
a&=
.",r
-.'".--JM--
18 ju-hachi
)
19 ju-ku
NUMBERS 20
THROUGH 90 AK-44f "tilui
(Page 58)
20 ni-ju
30 san-ju
40 shi-ju (yon-ju)
50 go-ju
60 roku-ju
70 shichi-ju
80 hachi-ju
90 ku-ju e
,
90.
.1 e0
WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE:
SHI GATSU OR SHICHI GATSU?
(Pages 58 - 59)
1. Shi-gatsu April
2. Shichi-gatsu July
3. Go-gatsu May
4. Ju-gatsu October
5. San-gatsu March
6. Ku-gatsu September
7. Ichi-gatsu January
8. Ju-ni-gatsu December
9. Hachi-gatsu August
10. Roku-gatsu June
11. Ni-gatsu February
12. Ju-ichi-gatsu November
Ism_
I
tilk_AnntsrAtici CI
101 91.
WHAT JI IS IT? (NANJI DESU KA?) (Page 60)
92.
102
e DECIPHERING AND WRITING KATAKANA
(Pages 70 - 71)
1. Fu ru tsu Fruit
2. Ro ma n su Romance
3. Te re bi jo n Television
4. I n su ta n to Instant
5. Dai na ma i to Dynamite
6. Gi fu to Gift
7. A i su ku ri mu Ice cream
8. Na pu ki n Napkin
9. Ku ri su ma su Christmas
10. Su te re o Stereo
A. Seattle
B. Mexico City
C. San Francisco
D. Sao Paulo
E. Vancouver
F. Chicago
G. Miami
H. Los Angeles
I. New York
103 93.
GLOBETROTTERS
(Pages 75, 77)
A. Seattle
B. Mexico City
C. San Francisco
D. Sao Paulo
E. Vancouver
F. Chicago
G. Miami
H. Los Angeles
I. New York
94. 04
LAUNDRY LINGO (Page 80)
o 1. a) 3
b) yes, 3
2. a) 3
b) 1, dry cleaned
3. a) 2
b) no
4. a) 2
5. a) 3
b) yes, 4 shirts
mm
2. Executive Class
3. Kanji
4.1-A1 ifil
Month Day
95.
105
0
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IT'S A MATTER
OF MEANING:
JAPANESE Lr7;31
MANNERS I_
0
106
ETIQUETTE OF LANGUAGE
The Japanese language has a very strict set of guidelines about the use of polite or respectful language.
Whenever two people speak, there is a strong con xiousness of the relationship of one person to the other,
and the relationship between the two people will dictate the kind of speech each person will use with the
other. For example, if the listener is of higher status (older, of higher professional position or higher social
status) than the speaker, the speaker must adjust his/her speech accordingly and use certain keigo
(honorific forms). Keigo is divided into two categories: sonkeigo (respect forms) and keiOgo (humble
forms). There is also a category of neutral forms that are used among people who are equal in status or
who know each other very well. The chart below provides some examples to help you understand the
various uses of keigo.
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ENGLISH JAPANESE
KEIGO
(HONORIFIC FORMS)
TO DO NASARU SURU
As children grow, they must learn ev en more personal referents that are appro-
priate for young adult and adult use. In fact, there are twenty-six different ways
of expressing "I" in Japanese. Of these twenty-six variations, five are most
common. Their uses are summarized below:
WATASHI OR WATAKUSHI
This is the most common way to express "I." Both men and women can use it.
For people whose native language is not Japanese, this is the safest way to say "I"
if they do not knovs the other variations very well. Male speakers will usually use
watakushi or boku.
BOKU
This is used only by males and most often between boys and young men. Many
boys change from boku to ore during junior high school or high school, since
boku is somewhat naive-sounding for older boys. However, adult males still
use boku for very informal situations when speaking with older people. For
formal occasions older men would use watashi or watakushi.
100.
1S
ORE
Ore is also used only by males. Young men in junior high school begin using this
after switching from using boku. Ore is used in informal situations, and it is
impolite to use it in formal situations. If a young man were speaking to an older
Ave'
person or a person of higher status, he would switch to watashi or watabAshi.
44,
ATASHI
This is a variation of watashi, but this is used only by women. It is a more
colloquial and informal style. 1111
0.14
VI. I
ATAI
This is a variation of atashi that is used by little girls.
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Although WATASHI, BOKU, ORE, ATASHI, an I ATM are the most common
#A4P1
styles of expressing "I," there are some unique styles that are used only for special IIIZ$
occasions:
CHIN 11j1
This is a special variation that only the Emperor can use when he describes
himself.
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WASH!, OIRA,WATE
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These are all older dialectical variations of "I." They are all used by men.
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SHOSEI, TEMAE
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These variations for men are used when the speaker wants to emphasize his I 116
modesty. 11 *::::
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101.
109
DEFINING SELF AND OTHER:
THERE'S MORE TO THIS THAN MEETS THE "I"
With all of these variations of speech (kelp and personal referents) that reveal status differences,
politeness, deference and intimacy between speakers, a non-Japanese speaker probably questions how
the Japanese determine which forms to use in different situations. Before any conversation begins in
Japanese, the speakers will evaluate their relative position or relationship with the other(s). Various
factors must be taken into consideration: social distance, social position, age, sex, the nature ofprevious
interactions and the contutt of the situation (business, social, etc.).
In the case when it is obvious that the person listening is older or of higher professional status, a polite
form of speech is necessary. If the listener is younger or of lower professional status, then informal
speech can be used. However, there are many instances in which it is not easy, even for Japanese, to
determine which level of speech they should adopt. In such cases they will rely on certain aids to help
prevent an embarrassing or insulting use of language:
When strangers meet in Japan, if they are men they will almost always exchange their
business cards or meishi. The exchange of business cards is common also in the United
States but it has nothing to do with determining speech patterns. In Japan, however, the
meishi serve the primary purpose of identifying the social status of each person. The title
or company affiliation printed on the card provides an important clue to the recipient of
the card as to the appropriate level of speech to adopt with the other.
102.
110
Sometimes it is not possible to determine quickly another person's status. Miscalculations do occur.
Furthermore, lack of awareness or skill in the language can lead to awkward moments in personal
relations:
It wasn't until much later, after the American's spoken Japanese had improved consid-
erably, that he realized what had happened. He himself had adopted an inappropriately
presumptuous level of speech. Furthermore, many Japanese find that Caucasians look
older than they many are. So, the Japanese professor had miscalculated the Ameriwn's
age and mistakenly assumed him to be a colleague. He therefore embarrassingly adopted
a far too deferential speech pattern toward the American graduate student he had just met.
When the professor realized this after reading the letter of introduction, he undoubtedly
felt too uncomfortable to continue conversing, and he probably left the office to find a
student who could show the American around.
Business relations can easily be affected by the use of inappropriate levels of language.
An American personnel manager of a Japanese company in the U.S. highly valued an
applicant's ability to speak Japanese (a valuable asset in dealing with the many Japanese
clients of this company). He thus hired the gentleman over other applicants who did not
speak Japanese but had mom experience in the business. The personnel manager became
distressed, however, when he found out that the new employee he hired was irritating
many of the Japanese clients instead of pleasing them by speaking with them in Japanese.
He found out that his new employee did not know enough Japanese to use formal or polite
levels of sneech that would be expected when dealing with clients, especially since he was
meeting them for the first time. His adoption of an informal level of speech was very
irritating to many of the Japanese clients, and it created some awkward and uncomfort-
able situations for the company.
111 103.
THERE'S MORE TO THIS THAN MEETS THE "I". ..
Perhaps you will have assumed that occasions do arise in daily life when people of equal or at least near-
equal status will engage in conversation. If you read the keigo chart on a previous page, you will note
that neutral forms of verbs do exist. Yet even when two people of equal statue . engage in conversation,
neutral forms are not always adopted. It is interesting to note how these situations are oftea handled:
Between young male equals, each speaks as though the listener were his inferior, and both use
less polite speech toward the other.
Between female equals, each speaks as though the listener were her superior, and both use
more polite speech.
Between male and female equals, she speaks with deference and he speaks without it.
Younger Japanese will insist that the use of neutral forms is becoming more and more common, at least
between themselves. This trend is something that upsets many older Japanese who believe that the young
Japanese are losing their appreciation for manners and etiquette.
CULTURAL NOTE
Second, there is little need to resort to profanity in a language where the use of inappropriately formal
or informal levels of speech can be adNuately insulting. For example, imagine a situation in Japan in
which you are angered by your boss. Although extremely unlikely, you decide to abandon your tendency
towards enryo (reserve or restraint) and insult your boss. Instead of resorting to profanity, you could
adequately insult him by addressing him with a neutral or informal level of speech. Although this
behavior would be unlikely and would be considered a severe course of action, it would undoubtedly be
insulting.
104.
112
SAN
You have seen that the Japanese show respect towards others by adjusting the language they use. A young
Japanese would show respect towards a superior by choosing an appropriate polite form for the subject
"I" and by choosing polite forms of verbs. An additional way to show respect is to address people with
appropriatc tides. A very common title of respect in Japanese is san. The various uses of the title san
are outlined below.
San is attached to a person's last name to function in the same way as the English titles, "Mr.,"
"Mrs.," and "Ms." For example, the equivalent of "Mr. Tanaka" or "Ms. Tanaka" in Japanese
would be Tanaka-san. In Japanese, the tide san does not indicate gender as titles do in English.
Therefore, it must be determined from the context whether Tanaka-san means "Mr. Tanaka"
or "Ms. Tanaka."
San is not usually used to address business colleagues who are higher in status than the speaker.
A company employee would address his or her boss with a title instead of san. Some
of the titles that might be used include shacho (company president), bucho (department chief),
and kacho (section chief).
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000 _ __
San may be attached to first names to address cousins, neighbors or children who are older than
the speaker. If the listener is younger than the speaker, the first name alone, the first name plus
the suffix-chan, or a nickname may be used.
San is also attached to kinship terms to address one's relatives if the person being spoken to
is older than the speaker. For example, a child would address his or her mother by saying
okasan. To address younger relatili es the speaker would add -chan to the person's first name.
San may be added to occupation titles to refer to people of various occupations. Daiku means
"carpenter." To address a carpenter you would say daiku-san, or literally, "Mr./Ms. Carpen-
ter." Some other occupation tides are otnawari-san (police officer), yubinya-san (letter
carrier), and denkiya-san (electrician).
San is never used by itself or in reference to oneself. In English one might say, "I am Mr.
Jones." In Japanese, however, one would never say the equivalent, Watashi wa Tanaka-san
desu ("I am Tanaka- san"), since san is a mark of respect and it would be presumptuous to refer
to oneself in such a manner.
105.
113
KINSHIP
Respectful language in Japanese is also revealed in kinship terms, the language used to address family
members and reladves. You have read that the suffix - san is used in a variety of ways, including to
address various family members. Children refer to their grandmothers and grandfathers as obasan ano
ojisan; they address an older sister and an older brother as onesan and onisan. These titles are usually
used rather than first names alone. It would not be polite to address an older family member by name
alone.
ttliXtild Grandfather
1;ft A. Grandmother
Otousan Father
Older Brother
106.
114
It is, however, acceptable to address younger faintly members by name alone or by adding the
diminuitive suffix -chan to the first name. The use of -chan could be consideied the equivalent to the
English use of "-y" or "-ie" as endings for children's names or use of the word "little" before the name.
For example, a small child with the given name "Ronald" might commonly be called "Ronnie" or "Little
Ron."
The chart on the opposite page will help you learn the terms that are used among family members to
address one another. The English translation of some of the words has been left out because you should
be able to fill in the missing blanks by finding the woids in the paragraph on the opposite page. Fill in
the blanks in the chart and then test your understanding of the use of kinship terms by completing the
Family and Family Acquaintances acrostic activity on the following pages. You may need to refer to
previous sections in this chapter to complete the acrostic activity.
When you study the words in the chart, notice that the words for "Aunt" and "Uncle" are exactly the same
as the words for "Grandmothei" and "Grandfather" respectively, except for the bar over the vowel.
Remember that this bar requires that you hold the vowel sound for twice its normal duration (see
Pronunciation Guide in the introduction section of Omiyage ).
.....
ACTIVITY
Look at the family tree on the following page. What do you notice about the way names are written in
Japanese? Is it the same way we write names in English? How can you tell?
If you look carefully, you will notice that the family name (or last name as we know it in English) is
written first. In the United States, we sometimes write our family names first on forms or applications,
but in Japan the family name is customarily written first.
By completing the activity that follows the family tree, you will demonstrate your understanding of
kinship terms and terms of politeness that family members use with each other and wiui friends.
107.
115
FAMILY AND
Shibata Hideki Shibala Noriko Shibala Naoyuki Shibata Kimiko Okame Ay ami Okame Hiromi
15 13 12 8 141 1 9 1
11 6
108.
BEST COY AVAILABLE
FAMILY ACQUAINTANCES
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117
109.
ACTIVITY*
FAMILY ACROSTIC
Below are 16 questions related to the family. The answer to the questions can be found by consulting
the family chart and portrait tree on the preceding pages. You will see that one or two numbers av tar
beneath the blanks of each of the answers. After you have completed an answer, transfer the leuer (s)
above the numbered blank(s) to the corresponding numbered blank(s) in tilt: Japanese Phrase Box on the
following page. If you answer all of the questions correctly to identify the numbered letters, you will
learn two helpful phrases in Japanese. Phrase #1 is how to tell someone your name. Phrase #2 is how
to ask "How are you?"
17 23
PHRASE #2:
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
*Consult ANSWER SECTION
119
MEETINGS, GREETINGS AND PARTING EXPRESSIONS:
MORE LANGUAGE OF POLITENESS
When the TV series Shogun appeared a few years ago, some English speakers were exposed to spoken
Japanese for the first time. Greetings such as konnichi wa and ohayo became recognizable for many of
the viewers. Although the general translation for these two words is "Good day" and "Good morning,"
respectively, they must be chosen carefully because there are guidelines for their use. These rules depend
on the relationship of the speaker to the person being addressed.
The words for greeting and parting, similar to keigo, have different levels that reveal the relationship of
one person to another. For example, if you greet someone older or of a superior social or professional
position, you might have to use a different greeting than if you address someone younger or of a lower
social or professional position.
Study the meanings and the guidelines for use of the greetings and parting expressions listed below.
Then, in the story which follows, try to fill in the blanks with the most appropriate phrase to use as a
greeting or parting expression. For each blank choose the best response from the three provided.
00
000 Ir
TAPE LISTENING
On the tape, the following greetings and parting expressions are first said slowly with a pause for
you to practice. Each phrase will be repeated a second time at a normal speed - again with a pause
for you to practice.
'I 12.
1
OHAYO/OHAYO GOZAIMASU $34.5 C.:#t Orr
Ohayö ("Good morning") and ohaya gozatmasu ("Good morning" in a more formal sense) arc usually
used only in the early morning, up until ten or eleven o'clock. Use of one of these greetings implies
relative frequency of meeting. You would wet a person you had not seen for a few weeks differently.
Ohaya alone is used among peers or younger people. With superiors the more formal ohayo gozaimasu
would be used.
KONNICHI WA 4a
Konnichiwa ("Good day") is a salutation used during the day, both in the morning and afternoon. While
konnichi wa is neutral with respect to formality, it would probably not be used between immediate
family, close friends or co-workers.
KONBAN W A 40* a
Like konnichi wa, konban wa ("Good evening") is neither formal nor informal, and it is used to greet
people outside a person's immediate family and friendship groups.
OYASUMVOYASUMINASAI *.Ittz
Oyasuminasai and oyasumi arc used primarily among close friends and family. They mean "Sleep well"
t
or "Sleep tight." They are usually exchanged between people who expect to see each other the following
day.. Oyasund alone may be used with peers or younger family and friends.
ITEKIMASU 0-,"CtrIt
Itekimasu (literally, "I'm leaving") is a common phrase said to family members before leaving the house
for school, work or other outings.
ITTE RASSHAI 1/
Itte rasshai (literally, "Please go and come back," or, roughly, "O.K., you're leaving; see you later") is
used in response to itekimasu to acknowledge a person's leaving the house.
TADAIMA
Tadaima is a comtron phrase said to family members on the same occasions an American would say,
"Hi, I'm home" (when returning home for the day or after a period of several days or weeks ). Literally,
it means "I have returned just now."
IRASSHAVIRASSHA1MASE 06 teN
Irasshaimase could be translated as "Welcome" or "Come in." It is used to welcome people into one's
t
home. It is also heani frequently in restatrants. When the customers enter a restaurant the employees
will usually greet them by saying irasshaimase. Many large department stores hire people to stand at
the doors and welcome people with this phrase and a bow. The more informal irasshai is usually used
in the home to welcome close friends or relatives.
113.
121
ACTIVITY*
After a long week of studying, Toshiyuld decides to accept an invitation to spend Saturday
evening at his cousin Hideki's house. He is looking forward to seeing Hideki because, although
they both live in Tokyo, they do not often see each other. Toshi leaves school Saturday at noon
and goes home to pack a bag. When he arrives home he greets his mother at the door by saying,
(1) (Tadaima, Okaeri, Itte rasshai). His mother replies, (2)
(Tadaima, Okaert, Oyasurni).
Toshiyuki prepares his bag and then sits down for a light lunch with his mother. After lunch he
is ready to go to Hideki's house on the Tokyo subway. When he leaves the house he says to his
mother, (3) (km rasshai, Konbanwa, luekirnasu). S he replies, (4)
(Irrasshaimase, hte rasshai, Konnichi wa).
Toshiyuki walks a few blocks to Shinjuku station. He puts 170 yen into the machine for a ticket
to Kuramae near Hideki's house in the Asakusa neighborhood. While walking to the platform
to catch the train, Toshi bumps into Mrs. Watanabe, a friend of his mother. He bows and says,
(5) (Ohayo, Konnichi wa, Konban wa).
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114.
122
Just before 2:30, Toshi arrives at Kuramae station and he walks the few blocks to his cousin's
home. His aunt Yasuyo comes to the door and Toshi bows and greets her by saying (6)
(Konnichi wa, Tadaima, Irasshaimase). Toshi then offers his aunt his omiyage
(gift - when visiting someone's home in Japan it is common to bring a gift). Toshi's omiyage is
a box of cot les which his mother made. Toshi steps inside, removes his shoes and walks into
the family room where Hideki is watching TV. He greets Hideki by saying, (7)
(Konnichi wa, Tadaima, Irasshaimase).
Toshi's uncle returns home from work at about 7:00 p.m. Toshi bows and greets his uncle by say-
ing, (8) (Konnichi wa, Konban wa, Ittekimasu).
Toshi's aunt and uncle invite Hideki and Toshi to join them that evening for diiner at the
Seiyoken restaurant in the Ueno neighborhood. When they enter, the hostess and several other
employees standing nearby greet them by saying, (9) (Ittekimasu,
Irasshaimase, Konban wa).
0 0
After dinner, the family returns home and they all watch a movie on TV. At about 11:00 Toshi
decides to take his bath and go to bed. When he leaves the family room he says to his aunt and
uncle, (10) (Oyasumi, Oyasuminasai, Ohaya). Toshi turns to Hideki
and says, (11) (Oyasumi, Oyasuminasai, Ohayo).
Toshi wakes early the next morning. When he gets up, his aunt and uncle are already up and are
reading the Sunday edition of die Asahi Shinbun, one ofJapan's largest newspapers. Toshi greets
his aunt and uncle by saying (12) (Ohayö, Ohayo gozaimasu, Oyasumi-
naesai). A few minutes later, Hideki comes in and says, (13)
(Ohayö, Oyasumi, Ohayö gozaimasu). Toshi and Hideki sit down for breakfast. Yasuyo serves
them a typical Japanese breakfast of rice, miso soup, otsukemono (a kind of pickle), nori
(seaweed) and ocha (tea).
Toshiyuki and Hideki spend some time together Sunday morning and afternoon. At about 4:00
p.m. Toshiy uki gets ready to go. After packing up his things and saying his good-byes, Toshi
heads out to the subway to return home. When he arrives at home about one hour later he greets
his family by saying, (14) (Tadaima, Okaeri, Itte rasshai). Toshi's
mother and father both respond by saying, (15) (Tadaima, Okaeri, Itte
rasshai).
Bowing is a very important part ofJapanese cultural etiquette. The bow serves many purposes. The bow
is used in greeting, to express thanks, to apologize, to ask favors, and to say good-bye.
SAIKEIREI
This words means "highest form of salutation." Saikeirei is the most formal kind of bow. It was used
before World War II to pay respect to the Emperor. Today it is used very rarely and onl y in the most
formal situations.
This is a common bow for greeting. The ordinary bow may be done from a kneeling position on the floor
or from a standing position. To do this bow from a standing position, stand upright with your hands at
your sides and bend your body to a 30 degree angle. At the same time, lower your hands, palm-down,
to the knees. Pause and then return to the standing position.
After an initial greeting, the light bow is often used to express thanks, to apologize or to say good-bye.
It is done in the same way as the Ordinary Bow, except that it is done at a slighter angle, usually fifteen
degrees.
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CULTURAL NOTE
Department stores in Japan hire young people whose only task is to stand at the store entrances and
welcome customers as they enter the store. They greet people with the phrase irasshaimase and a bow.
The bow is so important that the training for this job often includes a class on bowing. The greeters learn
to employ appropriate form, including the position of the hands, and the angle of the bow. Since the angle
of the bow determines the level of respect, the greeters must be very careful to adjust the bow to a deeper
angle if a store manager or recognized individual of high rank or status passes through the entrance.
Students in the bowing classes practice many times and are corrected until they master the bow because,
just as it could be insulting to address someone with an inappropriate level of speech, it could be equally
insulting to greet someone with an inappropriate bow.
116.
124
ETIQUETTE OF GIFT-GIVING IN JAPAN
ACTIVITi *
Whem is the last time you gave a gift? lb whom did you give it? What was the occaswn? The giving
of gifts is an important aspect of all cultures. For example, in American culture, many people give gifts
for birthdays and Ilannukah or Christmas, Many cultures have their own uniq .4) patterns associated with
the giving and receiving of gifts and mementos, and this is certainly true of the Japanese culture.
To better understand the custom of gift-giving in Japan, read the following story or "manners mystery."
Then, see how well you can explain the "mystery" by answering the question at the end of the story with
the best explanation (A, 11, C, or D) provided. After you make your choice, check your answer in the
answer section. There is an explanation for why each choice is right or wrong. After you read the
explanation for the answer you chose, read through the others also and you will learn some important
things about gift-giving in Japan.
Pat Crosby is an American college student who recently arrived in Japan to study for one year. He is living with
a Japanese family, Mr and Mrs. Oda and their ten-year-old daughter. One evening soon after his arrival in Japan,
the Odas invited Pat to join them for dinner at the home of their friends, the Nakano family. Pat was happy to act:ept
the invitation. He had not met the Nakanos yet, and he was looking forward to meeting another Japanese iamily,
especialt because they had a son Pat 's age. While Pat was preparing to leave for the Nakanos' home, he remembered
that he had heard that gift-giving is a voy common custom in Japan. He decided it. would be nice to bring a gift to
the Nakano family. He had some framed photographs that he had taken of his home town in the United States, and
he chose one that he thought the Nakanos might like to have. He quickly wrapped the phot3 with some white paper
and red and white ribbons that he had bought in a gift store in Japan.
When the Odas and Pat arrived at the Nakano home, Pat presented his gift. Mr. Nakano aGeepted the sift, thanked
Pat quietly and put the gift aside. Pat thought that Mr. Nakano was going to wait for the appropriate moment to open
the gift, and Pat was anxiously waiting because he was looking forward to sharing the significance of the photograph
and some of his background with them. Pat w:ited patiently all evening, but they neve: did open the gift. Pat was
very puzzled and wondered what he had done wrong that the Nakanos did not open the gift.
117.
125
QUESTION: What did Pat do wrong?
A. Nothing.
B. Pat made a mistake in using the red and white ribbons to wrap the gift. The Nakanos did not
want to open the gift because it would bring bad luck.
C. Being an American, Pat should not have given a gift. Gift-giving is a special custom among
Japanese but the Japanese do not expect Americans to participate in the tradition. The Nakanos
did not want to insult Pat by not accepting the gift, but they were too embarrassed to open it in
front of everybody so they put it aside and decided to open it after the Odas and Pat left. Then
they would thank Pat quietly the next time they saw him or they would write him a brief note.
D. Pat should not have given a gift on this occasion. Gift-giving is an important custom in Japan,
but gifts are usually exchanged only an special occasions and holidays. A gift would never be
bmught just for a visit as Pat had done, so the Nakanos wen., too embarrassed to open the gift in
everyone's presence. They decided to accept the gift anyway and to open it after the guests left.
E. Pat should not have given a gift to people he did not know well.
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118.
A GIFT.GIVING TIMELINE
Read the following timeline of gift-giving. It will help you understand more
about gift-giving in Japan, and it will help you do the next activity.
ICHI JANUARY New Year's Day. A national holiday in Japan. Families gather together for
GATSU a traditional holiday meal. Children receive a special allowance of money.
Employees of a company often will visit the families of their bosses and
bring gifts. Typically, the gifts are canned foods, cookies, cakes or sweets.
The selection of gifts is very important. These kinds of food products that
are selected as gifts are sold in special sections of department stores; they
are not just everyday foods that you might find in a grocery store.
Oiwai: The name for the kind of gift that is given throughout the
year for happy occasions such as weddings or birthdays.
SHICHI JULY Okhugen: A traditional mid-year gift that young businessmen give to their
GATSU superiors. It is always given by subordinates to their supervisors or bosses.
HACHI AUGUST Bonasu: This word, an adaptation of the English word "bonus," refers to
GATSU an additional amount of money given by a company to its employees. It is
an amount over and above the person 's salary, and it is given mid-year (July
or August) and again in December.
119.
12 7
ACTIVITY*
A GIFT-GIVING TIMELINE
Below you will find several paragraphs that briefly describe various occasions in which a gift is given.
Read each paragraph and determine the appropriate gift for each situation. Study the timeline on the
previous page before doing the activity, and then see if you can complete the activity without referring
to the timeline.
1) Mr. Uchida works for a Japanese auto company in Tokyo. He has just returned to work after spending
a week of vacation with his family in Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan. In Hokkaido he bought
somc corn which he gave as a souvenir of his trip to his boss and several other colleagues upon his
return. Is the gift he gave to his colleagues considered a bonasu, otchugen or omiyage?
2) Satoko, a young Japanese girl living in Kyoto, goes out one day to buy a birthday gift for her
girlfriend. Will the gift that Satoko buys be considered omiyage or oiwai?
3) Mr. Imai returns to his home in Itami City after a month-long business trip in the United States. He
brings home several gifts that he bought for his wife, Tomoko, while traveling around the States. Are
the gifts that Imai-san brings to his wife considered oiwai, omiyage, or omake?
4) One hot summer day, Mrs. Uchida goes to buy meat from her favorite butcher. She asks for 500 grams
of ground beef. The butcher puts the meat on the scale and Mrs. Uchida notices that it registers as 520
grams. The butcher says nothing, wraps the meat and charges Mrs. Uchida for only 500 grams of meat.
Is this "gift" of 20 grams of meat "thrown in" without charge considered a bonasu, make, or
oiwai?
120. 1-2 S
5) Mr. Usami arrives home one evening in December and tells his wife he would like to go out to
eat to celebrate the extra amount of money he has just received from his company. Is this "gift"
from his company considered omit°, otchugen, or bonasu?
7) Mr. and Mrs. Ebisu are going to a friend's wedding this weekend. Mrs. Ebisu goes out to buy a
nice gift, and she has it wrapped with the appropriate white and gold mizuhiki. Is the wedding gift
she bought considered oiwai, omiyage, or omake?
121.
129
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Japan Culture Institute. A Hundred Things Japanese. Tokyo: Japan Culture Institute, 1975.
Japan Culture Institute. A Hundred More Things Japanese. Tokyo: Japan Culture Institute, 1980.
Miura, Akira. Japanese Words and Their Uses. Rutland, Vermont: Chsines E. Tuttle Co., 1977.
Mizutani, Osamu. Japanese: The Spoken Language in Japanese Life. Tokyo: The Japan Times,
Ltd., 1981.
Smith Robert. Japanese Society. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1983.
Young, John and Kimiko Nakajima-Okano. Learn Japanese: New College Text, Volume 1.
Honolulu: Unh asity of Hawaii Press, 1984.
130 123.
ANSWER SECTION
1. thirty-seven 9. okasan
2. onEsan 10. sixty-two
3. Akira 11. Naoyuki
4. Okame 12. Shibata Kimiko
5. twenty-one 13. Usami-san
6. yubin-ya-san 14. Usami-san
7. Hideki 15. Yoko-chan
8. - chan 16. Onisan A A4 A
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A WEEKEND WITH TOSHIYUKI (Pages 114 - 115)
1. Tadaima 8. 1 'onban wa
2. Okaeri 9. Irasshaimase
3. Ittekimasu 10. Oyasuminasai
4. Itte rasshai 11. Oyasumt
5. Konnichi wa 12. OhayU gozaimasu
6. Konnichi wa 13. Ohay61
7. Konnichi wa 14. Tadaima
15. Okaeri
125.
131
TO GIVE OR NOT TO GIVE: A MANNERS MYSTERY (Pages 117 - 118)
A. Correct,
Pat did not do anything wrong. It was appropriate for Pat to bring a gift and the Nakanos were probably
very happy to receive it; however, in Japan, gifts are not usually opened in the presence of the giver. The
Nakanos would open the gift after the Odas left and then telephone them to thank them for visiting and
to thank Pat for the gift (sometimes the Japanese will open a gift given by an American because they know
that Americans usually do open gifts in thc presence of the giver).
B. Wrong.
Colored ribbons, called mizuhiki, are used to wrap gifts, and it is true that you must be careful to choose
the appropriate colors of mizuhiki according to the occasion. Pat, however, had appropriately wrapped
his gift with red and white which are the colors for general occasions (such as visiting) or for happy
occasions (such as birthdays). White and black mizuhiki are used at the time of a death or for a funeral.
Gold and silver are used for wedding gifts.
C. Wrong.
Gift giving is a special custom among the Japanese, but it does not exclude Americans. If an American
were to give a gift, it would be accepted the same as if it were given by another Japanese.
D. Wrong.
There are many appropriate times for gift giving, and visiting is one of them. It is very common for a
family visiting another to bring a gift. Usually it would consist of cake- eweets, or nice fruits. Since Pat
is visiting from the United States, however, Pat's gift would be appropriate as a souvenir gift or omiyage.
E. Wrong.
It is customary for Japanese to be very conscious of the relationships among people, and this does
sometimes affect who gives a gift to whom and when it is appropriate. However, when making a visit,
even if it is the first visit as it was for Pat, it does not matter what the relationship is between the giver
and the receiver. It was appropriate for Pat to bring a "visiting gift," even though it was the first time
he was meeting the family.
1) omiyage 5) bonasu
2) oiwai 6) oseibo
3) omiyage 7) oiwai
4) make
116.
0
KOTOWAZA:
PROVERBS AND
SAYINGS
0
133
e Proverbs mirror the thinking of a nation.
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TRADITIONAL KOTOWAZA
Furuki o tazunete, atarashiki From studying the old, we learn the new
o shiru
Naite kunzsu mo issho, waratte It is the same life whether we spend it crying or
kurasu mo issho laughing
129.
134
KOTOWAZA
Proverbs and sayings that have been passed on from one generation to another are a part of every culture
in the world. They express aspects of the life, ideas and beliefs of a people. In Japan, proverbs (katowaza)
have been refened to as the "collected wisdom of mankind." In the United States, proverbs and sayings
were collected by one of the nation's earliest citizens, Benjamin Franklin; the witty Franklin even added
a few of his own. In Spain, Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, called proverbs "short
sentences from long experiences."
Even though people in different parts of the world speak different languages and live different lives under
different conditions, human lives have many things in common. Hence, though a particular proverb is
unique to a people, it is not surprising that a similar wise thought often exists in proverbs from other
cultures.
Most proverbs are small sayings offering advice or teaching a person how to act under certain
circumstances. in some cultures proverbs are filled with alliteration (e.g., Many a mickle makes
130.
135
a muckle). In others hyperbole is common. This is especially true in proverbs from the Middle East
tradition (e.g., Fling him in the Nile and he will come up with a fish in his mouth).
In Japan proverbs abound. Linguists estimate that over 20,000 Japanese sayings and proverbs exist.
Although some of these sayings have been adapted from the Chinese, the majority of them are indigenous
to Japan.
What follows is a series of activities which will introduce you to traditional proverbs and sayings of
Japan. In three of these activities you will be comparing Japanese proverbs to their English counterparts.
As you work on these exercises it might be interesting to note whether or not the proverbs are giving what
you would consider to be good advice.
CULTURAL NOTE
For many centuries, Kyoto was the capital of Japan. It is said that the people of Kyoto weic excep-
tionally fond of clothes while the people of Edo (the old name for Tokyo) put their love and money
into food. Hence, the Japanese saying:
131.
136
TAPE LISTENING
The fifteen Japanese proverbs and sayings written below are read on this portion of the tape. Each
proverb is read twice. Listen carefully to the first reading and then uy repeating the phrase by yourself
in the space provided on the tape. Follow this by saying the proverb along with the speaker on the tape
when it is repeated the second time.
1111111....
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ACTIVITY*
Below are listed fifteen Japanese proverbs and sayings. In the right column you will find a similar
number of traditional English sayings. For each Japanese saying in the left column find an English
saying in the right which corresponds in meaning. As you read the Japanese proverbs in translation,
try to read the Japanese version of each.
4. One wl.r) has gone is forgotten day by day ( ) A fly in the ointment
Saru-mono hi ni utoshi
132.
5. Ignorance is Buddha ( ) Misery loves company
Shiranu ga hotoke
9. One stitch now is worth ten stitches afterwards ( ) When in Rome do as the Romans do
Ima no hitohari, nochi no tohari
11. People suffering from the same disease have ( ) It's no use crying over spilt milk
mutual sympathy
Dabyo ai awaremu
MaL11111___
12. Spilt water never returns to the tray ( ) Where there is smoke, there is
Fukusui bon ni kaerazu fire
13. Obey the customs of the place where you are ( ) Birds of a feather flock together
Go ni irite wa, go ni shitagae
14. Where there is no fire, there is no smoke ( ) A stitch in time saves nine
Hi no naki tokoro ni, kemuri wa tatanu
15. Single effort, double gain ( ) Kill two birds with one stone
Iklgo ryötoku
138 133.
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CULTURAL NOTE
In Japanese folldore there are a number of kotowaza about a legendary figure named Bimbo. Bimbo
literally means "poor man" or "poverty." As the story goes, Bimbo, a farmer, and his wife were
childless throughout most of their lives. Then, one day as Bimbo was working his fields, a fierce
storm erupted. When the sky finally cleared, Bimbo looked down at the drenched soil and found a
little boy lying there. He took the child and quickly ran to his wife. Together, they decided to adopt
the boy and name him Raitaro, "First Born of the Thunder God."
However, as a young man Raitaro assumed the shape of a dragon and flew off never to be seen by
his earth parents again. Bhnbo and is wife could not get over the loss. As Bimho approached old
age he became a wealthy man and changed his name to Kanemochi, meaning "Rich Man."
Nonetheless, even his riches could not stop the emptiness that filled his life. When Bimbo and his
wife were buried, their gravestone was carved out of a rock in the shape of a dragon.
Binsbö kodakara
Children are the treasures of the poor
Bimbb taka-makura
Poor people can sleep soundly
134.
13;)
ACHVITY*
In Poor Richard' s Almwsack (the word "almanac" in Ben Franklin's time was spelled with a "k"), Franklin compiled
hundreds of proverbs, aphorisms and sayings that praise honesty, industry and prudence. Many of these proverbs were
borrowed from various European cultures and some were mated by Franklin himself. To show the universality of sayings
that sum up bits of wisdom and advice, a number of proverbs from Japan have been collected which correspond to the themes
of Franklin's writings. Match the sayings from Poor Richard' s Almanack on the left with their Japanese counterparts on the
right.
3. Speak not but what may benefit others or ( ) Short temper is liable to loss
yourself. Avoid trifling conversation. Tanki wa sonki
4. Lose no time. Be always employed in some- ( ) It is the effect of one's own fault
thing useful. Cut off all unnecessary action. Mi kara deta sabi
5. Here comes glib-tongue, who can outflatter ( ) The mouth is the entrance of calamity
a dedication and lie like ten epitaphs Kuchi wa wazawai no moto
6. If passion drives, let reason hold the reins ( ) Easy to say, hard to do
lu wa yasuku okonau wa katashii
7. There are no ugly loves, nor handsome ( ) Not to say is better than to say
prisons lwanu wa, iu ni masaru
8. Wealth is not his that has it, but his that ( ) When hungry, all tastes delicious
enjoys it Himojii toki no, mazui-mono nashi
0. An egg today is better than a hen tomorrow ( ) Where there is comfort, there is suffering
Raku areba ku ari
Karuta is a game traditionally played by the Japanese during the New Year holidays. There are two
variations of the game, Irohagaruta and Hyakunin-ishu. Both of these are played with two decks of
cards. One of the decks has pictures on it; the other has sayings and phrases or poems.
Irohagaruta, Japanese alphabet cards, number ninety-two. Irohagaruta is most frequently played by
children while Hyakunin-ishu is an adult version of Karuta. Hyakunin means "one hundred people"
and ishu means "one poem." These words refer to the one hundred poems penned by Japanese poets
during the seventh and eighth centuries. Each year master Hyakunin-ishu players gather to test their
memory skills in a national competition held on New Year's Day. This event has helped make Hyakunin-
ishu a type of national game among the Japanese.
Since Hyakunin-ishu is so demanding to learn we have included directions for making and playing
Irohagaruta. You can play this game to practice recognizing Hiragana and at the same time become
familiar with famous sayings. Note that the picture-side of each card has the first syllable (in Hiragana)
of the saying on the reverse side. If the reader reads the saying in Japanese, listen for the first syllable
and identify the corresponding Hiragana character to find the correct card.
GAME RULES
1. A minimum of three people is necessary to play the game.
2. Players must remain quiet throughout the game so that everyone can hear the reader.
3. Players must keep their hands folded in their laps unless they are touching or reaching for a
picture.
4. If a player touches the wrong picture card after the reader has read the card, then that player
automatically loses any further chances for that round.
136.
141
3. The reader mixes the word cards and then reads one card. The card should be read in Japanese
and English.
4. The player who first finds and touches the corresponcUng picture card gets to keep both cards.
5. The game continues until all the picture cards have been retrieved.
6. The player with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.
ACTIVITY
On the following pages you will sec sample cards from an Irohaganua game as well as the list of sayings
and phrases for the game. There are two decks with 46 cards in each deck. There will be 46 pictures
to illustrate the 46 sayings and phrases. Cards can be the size of regular American cards or bigger. On
one set of cards copy the sayings. This will be the deck the reader uses. The picture cards will have to
be drawn to illustrate each of the sayings and phrases. You might want to refer to the next few pages for
an example of what a commercial set of Irohagaruta cards looks like.
IROHAGARUTA SAYINGS
I Inumo arukeba bEmi ataru If you do it too much, you get into trouble
1".. NI Nikumarekko yoni habakaru When people around you hate you, the world
accepts you
e TO foranu tanukino kawazanyo 11) N't count the br.iger skins before you kill the
baciga
137.
142
t CHI Chirimo tsumoreba yamawnaru Even a small amount of dust makes a
mountain when it gathers
RI Ryoyakuwa (ri-youyaku)
kuchini nigashi Good medicine tastes bitter
__ 11
tz. TA Tabiwa rnichizure yowa nasake Spend you life keeping friends
TSU Tsukiyoni kamao nuku When you are careless, you fail
138.
143
42 NE Nenniwa Nenoire You can never be too careful
ti MU Murigatareba darihikkomu When you are being selfish, social rules don't
work
0 NO Nodomotosugire atsusa wasureru You rely on someone when you are having a
hard time, you forget his/her kindness when you
get over it
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SA Sanben mawatte tabakonish3 Get rest after doing whatever you have to do
g KI Kiite gokuraku mite jigoku It's diffemnt seeing it than hearing about it
1.., SHI Shiranuga hotoke You don't have to get upset when you don't
know about bad things or "Ignorance is
Buddha (bliss)"
04 HI Hyotan (hi-youtan) kara koma Some things come from very unsuitable places
# SU Sukikoso monono jyozunari If you like doing it, you'll improve fast
NOTE: Consult the Hiragana under the "Language Section" in this book to help you decipher the phonetic sound key on
each card. For example, three cards pictured on these pages are:
140.
145
PICTURE THIS!
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Have you ever pictured a proverb? What image comes to mind when you hear, for example, "A rolling
stone gathers no moss"? This activity will help you "picture" some famous sayings and proverbs.
On the following pages labeled "English Proverbs" you will see drawings that depict seven sayings. See
if you can match each picture with the saying it represents. To check your answer consult the list of
English proverbs below. Although there are twelve sayings, only seven proverbs correspond to the
pictures. Try to figure out the proverbs first before looking at the list provided.
142.
147
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bush, Lewis. New Japanalia: Past and Present. Tokyo: The Japan Times,1982.
Corwin, Charles, ed. A Dictionary 1 Japanese and English Idiomatic Equivalents. Tokyo:
Kodansha International, Ltd., 1980.
Encyclopedia Britannica. The New Encyclopcedia Britannica Micropcedia, Volume VIII. Chi-
cago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1974.
Espy, William. Another Almanac of Words at Play. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc.,
Publishers, 1980.
Hearn, Lafcadio. Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan. Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc.,
1976.
Seward, Jack. Japanese in Action. New York: John Weatherhill, Inc., 1968.
Yamaguchi, Momoo and Setsuko Kojima. A Cultural Dictionary of Japan. Tokyo: The Japan
Times, 1980.
151.
154
ANSWER SECTION
3_
KOTOWAZA
2rier
Eh.
153.
155
POOR RICHARD'S ALMANACK IN JAPANESE?
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157
The Japanese people delight not much in flesh, but
they live for the most part with herbs, fish, barley and
rice: which things are their chief nourishments.
For the most part the subtle flavors of Japane se food come
from the use of sake wine, mirin (another kind of sake ),
shoyu (soy sauce), and fish stock. The latter is used in the
same way that we in the west would use chicken or beef
stock.
157.
158
THE EVOLUTION OF JAPANESE CUISINE
Japan is fortunate in that its geography and climate work together in producing a bounty of agricultural
products. Food is as accessible as the nearest shoreline, and these islands boast thousands of miles of
seashore. That seashore is also responsible for bringing many external influences into contact with
Japanese cooking.
For example, in the latter half of the third century, water irrigation methods were introduced to Japan.
Salt, alcohol and vinegar came into use as seasonings. Deep sea fishing netted bonito, tuna and other
marine products, and cereals gradually became a staple of the diet. Fish and salt from a specially
designated section of seashore called Nashio no tokoro were harvested for the emperor's table.
In the seventh century, the influence of the Chinese culture in the Japanese diet became evident. Shoyu,
miso, and other condiments from the mainland were introduced. Food preparation was expanded, and
kneading, boiling and roasting came into use. New dimensions entered the cuisine as vinegaring, eating
rice with raw fish, and drying and pickling became popular.
During this period, the Buddhist religion was under government protection. With this protection came
a ban on the use of meat. Since the killing of animals was illegal, seafood gained primary importance.
Rice was limited to the privileged ruling class; the common people could work in the rice fields but could
not eat the result of their labors.
In the 16th century, Zen priests who committed themselves to a vegetarian diet ate Chinese foods such
as netto (fermented soybean), konnyakyu (yam cake) and kamaboko (processed fish cakes). Tea was
introduced and became the very popular drink it still is today. In the middle of this century, nobles were
treated to hocho-shiki or "entertainment" cookery. This flashy style of cooking is still practiced today
in specialty J apanese restaurants and may be recognized by the chefs agile use of knives and chopsticks.
It was at this time that shoyu as it is known today went into production, and meat was reintroduced by
Christian missionaries from Europe. When the Portuguese arrived at Tmegashima in 1543, drastic
changes began to occur in Japanese food culture. Western ships brought bread, biscuits, wine and beer.
All of these items would eventually find a place in the Japanese diet.
During the Edo era (1603-1867) regional cooking became popular; each geographical area became
known for special dishes particular to the region. The common people enjoyed a sumptuous variety
158.
1 5;)
of food, and restaurants offering popular dishes such as sushi, tempura, and noodles opened. Nagasaki
cookery, a combination of Chinese and European cooking, appeared as a result of the trade between the
Dutch and Chinese in Nagasald.
In the beginning of the Meiji era (1868-1911), people began eating meat cooked in pots, such as sukiyaki.
By the 1870's, eating meat had become very popular.
In the 1930's, Western vegetables, milk and sauces were introduced as new ingredients for cooking. This
began a new phase in Japanese cuisine: the merging of Western and Chinese cooking methods.
Today, restaurants along the busy streets of Tokyo offer not only a myriad of Japanese dishes, but
hamburgers, milk shakes and fried chicken. In a traditional Japanese household, however, miso soup is
served for breakfast, fish for lunch, and soup and a variety of other dishes for dinner.
CULTURAL AND
HISTORICAL NOTES
RED BEANS
When /ed beans are boiled, the skins fall off, causing the starch and white htsides of the beans to pop out.
The samurai of the Edo era (1600-1867) thought this metamorphosis was much like hara-kiri, the act
of committing suicide by stabbing oneself in the abdomen. Therefore, young women would never serve
red beans to their vamurai friends.
SEA BREAM
the Chriwrnai: goose or Thanksgiving turkey, tai (fish of the carp family) broiled with salt is a
traditional ho;:day (fish in Japan. It is also used to celebrate other special occasions such as weddings
and school entrance or school graduation ceremonies. As the main course, sea bream is always served
totally intact (from head to tail) and broiled to a brilliant red color.
159.
1 6 fj
It goes without saying that rice is the main element in each Japanese meal. Today it is not uncommon
to start off the day by eating rice with a raw egg. Noodles (thin and wide, hot and cold), buckwheat called
soba and wheat called Won are a/so common as a base in a meal. Soybeans also appear in many forms:
in soup (miso), in cake form (tofu ), and as a seasoning.
In the box below are listed some of the most common dishes that make up the standard Japanese diet.
How many of these have you heard about or actually eaten?
HIYASHI Somen are fine white noodles made of buckwheat flour (they are similar to
SOMEN vermicelli). Illyashi somen refers to a particular way of preparing noodles.
Somen are cooked and then cooled over ice cubes. They are then served on
a thin bamboo rack as they drain. Each mouthful is dipped in a cool seasoned
broth. Unlike other Japanese meals, this one requires that the person eating
actually slurp the noodles to get the sauce - no easy task. This is a favorite
summer meal.
MISO-SHIRU Miso-shiru is a soup made from stock and soybean paste (miso). The
heaviness of the flavor and the saltiness vary depending on the kind of miso
used and the seasoning added. There are hundreds of varieties of miso and
there are even stores in Japan that sell only miso. With so many varieties of
miso-shiru it is said that if a wife and a husband cannot agree on one style of
making miso-shiru the marriage is not likely to succeed. Miso-shiru is eaten
almost every day and it is the primary element of a traditional Japanese
breakfast.
OCHAZUKE Ochazuke is an informal Japanese meal made quickly by pouring green tea
over rice. There are many varieties of ochazuke . The most pc:nilar are made
with flaked white fish, salted salmon, tuna, and salted cod roe.
160.
161
ONIGIRI Onigiri arerice patties shaped as triangles and delicately stuffed with pieces
of salmon, vegetable, or pickled plums.
SUKIYAKI Sukiyaki is meat cooked in a broth with vegetables and sometimes noodles
called udon-suki. It is often eaten by dipping the meat in a raw egg.
TEMPURA Tempura is a meal of lightly battered and deep-fried vegetables and/or fish.
TEPPAN- Teppan-yaki is a very popular meal in the United States. Restaurants here
YAKI that serve teppan-yaki usually have large tables with frying centers in the
middle. Trained chefs cut and prepare vegetables, meat and seafood in view
of the customers. One of the most popular teppan-yaki restaurants in the
United States is Benihana's of Tokyo. In Tokyo this same restaurant is known
as Benihana of New York!
TERIYAKI Teriyaki may be made of chicken, fish or beef. The meat is generally boned
and grilled or cooked in a broiler. It is then glazed with a sweet sauce made
with soy sauce and other seasonings. Teriyaki sauce is readily available in
the United States at Oriental stores or markets.
UDON Udon is a popular luncheon meal which consists of thick wheat noodles
served in a broth. Vegetables and seafood are frequently included in this
traditional dish.
161.
162
CULTURAL NOTE
Certainly, food is an integral part of any country's national life and identity. When you are separated
from your native cuisine for a considerable length of time, it is perfccdy natural to feel as though some
essential part of your life is missing.
A country's cuisine is more than a unique array of flavors, spices and food preparadons. The culinary
arts of a country, handed down and refined from generation to generation, are also a reflection of its
national character. In the case of Japan, its culinary arts reflect a tradition of attentiveness to nature and
an aesthetic sense often recognized as uniquely Japanese.
In preparing Japanese food, there are three cardinal rules which should be followed. First:
In this way, each Japanese dish becomes a canvas and the chef, an artist. Thus, when creating a menu,
Japanese cooks always consider the color, texture and shape of the foods they will serve and the
containers in which they will be served.
If it is autumn, for example, it is advisable to prepare fish and vegetables that are most fresh in the
autumnal season and also to select dishes, plates and bowls with fall patterns and designs. It is wrong,
moreover, to use a lacquer soup bowl with a cherry blossom design in autumn (as cherry blossoms signify
spring). Nor should one use a cool cut glass container at any time but during the summer. A seasonal
atmosphere is created through the clever use of garnishes. In the fall, a red maple or a chrysanthemum
leaf set delicately alongside the main course can suggest the mood of a crisp autumn.
162.
163
The most popular Japanese dish during the long winter months is nabemono. This casserole-type dish
is traditionally cooked right at the table over a gas ring or on a hot plate. The most popular nabemono
are shabu-shabu, yosenabe, mitzutake, and suldyaki.
The preparation of nabemono is simple. AU the ingredients are cut into small, bite-size pieces and
arranged on a platter as aesthetically as possible. Then, the soup stock is brought to a boil and the meat,
fish or chicken, and various kinds of vegetables are placed into the pot to cook. As they are cooked, diners
pick tidbits out of the casserole with their chopsticks and then dip them into a delicious soy sauce mixed
with lemon juicf sesame seeds, grated ginger, and/or other seasonings.
Sashimi is an excellent example of this. These thin slices of the best portions of fish such as sea bream,
tuna and yellow-tail are immensely popular in Japan and are served raw with only a small dish of soy
sauce and horseradish on the side for the individual diner to use according to his/her taste. Sashimi is
one of the great delicacies of Japanese cuisine and, for anyone who might not already know, it does not
smell fishy at all and tastes more like a succulent sliver of filet mignon.
/11111.11111\
\
RICE
Rice is to Japan what tortillas and beans are to Mexico and what bread is to people in other parts of the
world. In fact, it is hard to imagine Japan without rice. Not only is rice the major element in Japanese
meals, it is also the major crop grown in the country.
As a part of their association with rice, Japanese farmers for thousands of years have paid homage to
Mari, the Shinto rice god. Even today, miniature shrines to Inari dot the rural countryside.
Gohan is the Japanese word for cooked rice (or meal), and kome is the Japanese word for uncooked rice .
When the Japanese purchase kome they always ask for okome. You may remember that "o" is a prefix
which signifies honor. Okome, then, means "honorable rice."
163.
164
ACTIVITY
Rice is a global crop. Locate the places in the world where it is grown. Why is it
grown where it is?
Some countries grow enough rice just for themselves. Which countries are these?
Identify the countries which are the world's chief exporters of rice. Which coun-
tries are the major Importers?
Japan has a varied climate. What type of climate is needed to grow rice? What
other conc'itions are necessary?
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Once rice is planted it needs tending. Discuss the entire cycle of planting,
maintaining and harvesting the crop of rice.
After rice has been harvested there is a process for preparing it for market. Discuss
the processing of the crop once it has been harvested.
Use charts, graphs, and drawings to illustrate your research. You might want to divide this project
among several people. You can even enlarge it to include Jections on:
164.
165
HISTORICAL NOTE
An old Japanese cooking verse provides a helpful hint on the right way to
cook rice to perfection:
In the language of the Japanese, the word for rice ready for eating is gohan. Translated literally, that
means "honorable food" and is an indication of the great esteem in which this simple food is held.
Centuries ago, rice was not only the most important element of the Japanese diet, but it actually took the
place of money. Powerful feudal lords were ranked according to the amount of rice they controlled and
amassed. And even after cash entered the Japanese economy, samurai warriors were paid not in gold,
silver or copper, but in fixed amounts of rice.
For a very long time, ironically, the small-scale farmers whose patient, back-breaking work produced
the rice, almost never could afford to eat enough of the precious grain. Perhaps that's partially why even
today it is considered ill-mannered to leave rice in one's bowl. By the Edo era (1603-1867), it became
possible for the common people to gain a somewhat larger share of that most desirable of foods. But it
was not until shortly before World War II that a system of control and distribution made rice available
on an equitable basis to rich and poor, farmer and (..ity dweller.
The Japanese have long preferred white iice over unpolished rice because of its smoother texture, lighter
taste and digestibility. Today, short-grain white rice, steamed until fluffy, is served as an important part
of virtually all traditional Japanese dishes, whether the main part of the meal be meat, fish or foul. Rice
goes on picnics in the form of riceballs, or becomes a simple, light meal when hot tea is poured over it.
In contrast to the Western preference for the long-grain, non-glutinous, Indian type of rice, Japanese like
their rice sticky, which lends itself to handling with chopsticks. It can also be molded into hand-held
morsels of food (such as sushi) along with other ingredients.
166 165.
ACTIVITY*
The general nan le for rice in Japanese isgohan. In fact, the word for meal is gohan as well. Need-
less to say, a Jar anese meal is not complete without a bowl of rice. There are many words to de-
scribe rice in Pipanese. Using a Japanese cookbook, see if you can match the words for rice which
appear belay, with their corresponding meanings. You already know two of dm meanings. If you
look ahead to the next page of this book you'll be able to figure out another term.
4. RAISU ( ) General name for rice; word also means meal in Japanese
ACTIV _1 Y
Even in the United States there seem to be many types of rice available. Define or find out
what is meant by all the rice terms listed here.
166.
167
.
SUSHI
CULTURAL NOTE
168
ACTIVITY*
Ita is the Japanese name for a sushi maker, mat means "in front" and san is an honorific title.
Sashimi is a word that often confuses people in the U.S. It simply means "fresh fish that is not
cooked." Very frequently individuals mistakenly refer to fresh raw fish as sushi. When sashimi is
placed on top of or stuffed inside vinegared rice, it is called sushi. Sashimi can be served with soy
sauce and various flavorings.
Most of the sashimi that is served as sushi is familiar to Americans. There are a few exceptions such
as kohada, a silvery, black, dotted fish that is related to herring, and tai, a fish that closely resembles
red snapper. In fact, red snapper is often offered as tat in U.S. sushi bars.
Below are listed eight types of fish that are used in making sushi. The Japanese names have been
given for each description. Select the correct English name for the fish from the ten listed here.
Abalone Salmon
Geoduck Shrimp
Halibut Squid
Mackerel Tuna
Octopus Yellowtail
4. /Ica A fish that has a long tapered body with ten anns
8. Toro (fatty) A fish usually sold in cans in the U.S; frequently made
into a salad
*Consult ANSWER SECTION
168.
CULTURAL NOTE
The most important element in Japanese cooking is rice, but all the virtues of good Japanese
cooking and eating are present in beautifully sliced sashimi: freshness (nothing fishy is allowed),
seasonal savvy (fish, like fruit, must be taken at the right time), an almost occult skih with the knife,
and eye-pleasing presentation. If all these requirements are handsomely met, the sashimi course
at the beginning of the meal may very nearly upstage all the rest. . .
Whatever sort of sushi takes your fancy, make sure you eat it in the right spirit. Eighteenth-century
playgoers in Edo (Tokyo) took it to the Kabuld with them and munched it while they watched their
favorite actors. Eat sushi eagerly, hungrily, and as copiously as your pocketbook permits. Learn
the Japantse names of the fish. Let the stalwart spirit of the true Tokyo native seep into your soul
as the sushi goes down.
Sashimi is the crowning glory of a meal. It is the sashimi, served early in the meal that delights the palate
and demonstrates from the start the artistry of the chef. Sashimi must always be fresh. In this case
freshness means more than using the fish immediately after it is caught. It also refers to the best time
of the year to eat certain kinds of fish. Why, if fish are so prevalent amund Japan, would people be
concerned with eating a particular type of fish at a certain time? The Japanese claim that there are many
factors that affect the taste of the fish: changing sea currents, spawning times, the temperature of the water
and what the fish itself eats during various times of the year. The seasonal chart below lists the best times
for eating various fish.
1 7 1) 169.
ACTIVITY
MAKING CHMASHIZUSHI
This is a relatively easy kind of sushi to make. The fish and vegetables ere mixed in with the rice;
hence, it is called chirashkushi (scattered-style sushi).
Prepare the rice as indicated below. When the rice is done, mix in the vinegar dressing
immediately with a large paddle. Allow the vinegared rice to cool. Stir in the vegetables and
crabmeat mixture. Then gently add the toppings.
THE RICE
Combine 2 1/2 cups of cold water and 2 cups of rice in a cooking pot and let the rice soak for 30
minutes. Cover the pan and boil at a high setting until the steam comes out. Reduce the heat and
cook for approximately 17 minutes.
OMELET GARNISH
Beat 3 eggs thoroughly with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Pour enough eggs into a frying pan to coat the
bottom of the pan with a paper-thin layer. Cook the eggs over a moderate heat for 30 seconds,
then turn the paper-thin omelet and cook until firm. Slide the omelet onto a flat dish and cook
5 or 6 more omelets in the same fashion. With a large, sharp knife slice the omelets into the
thinnest possible pieces. Pieces should be long (4 inches) and narrow (1/8 inch).
170.
171
Traditional shoyu Wier
SOYBEANS
Almost as important as rice to the Japanese diet are soybeans. Just like in the west we take wheat and
make it into breads, pasta, cakes and cereals, the Japanese make soybeans into three major products: tofu,
miso and shoyu (soy sauce). The Japanese have been doing this for over a thousand years.
Soybeans are a truly remarkable food. They are 35% protein, a higher percentage than that contained
in any other food. It would take five ounces of meat to equal the protein in 1/2 cup dry soybeans (or 1
cup cooked).
Of the three primary products that come from soybeans, shoyu (soy sauce) is the one with which we are
most familiar. A salty brown sauce, shoyu is one of the primary seasonings in Japanese cooking. In the
past, shoyu was used to help preserve food. Historically, it found its way to Europe via Dutch traders,
and it was a popular seasoning in the court of Louis XIV.
Miso is made from crushing boiled soybeans and adding them to wheat, 'barley, or rice. This mixture,
along with a yeast, is then left to mature for months or even years. The result is a kind of fermented bean
paste. Miso is used in dozens of ways - as an ingredient in soups or for dressings, as a pickling agent,
and as a spread on grilled foods, There are many varieties of miso, each made by adding a different
ingredient.
Tofu is sometimes referred to as "soybean curd" or even "soybean cheese." Tofu is made from curd
and it does resemble a cake of cheese. Because of its high protein content, tofu is sometimes referred
to as "another meat" or "meat of the field." It is made by crushing soybeans and separating them into
pulp and milk. The milk is then divided into curds and whey. The curds are poured into molds and cooled
for several hours. Unlike miso, tofu is best when fresh since it can keep for just a few days. However,
like miso it has innumerable uses in Japanese cooking.
Tofu can be cooked in various ways. It can be eaten cold with shoyu. This simple dish is called hiya-
410 yakko. Another common dish, yu-dofu, is a special winter dish made with rniso soup and vegetables.
171.
172
HISTORICAL NOTE
Some 600 years ago in Japan there was a form of drama that was very popular in rural villages. In one
of the plays from this period there appeared a very popular story about a Buddhist monk who did a dance
on what resembled a pogo stick. The setting of the play was a rice paddy. The monk's name was
Dengaku Hoshi and 1) 's dance became known as dengaku or "music in the rice paddy." Years later
someone decided to cut tofu into squares, broil it on a skewer, and call it dengaku. It seemed that the
tofu placed on a stick reminded people of Dengaku Hoshi.
The drawing on this page from the early 1800's is a work by the great Japanese illustrator Hokusai. The
illustration reveals that preparing dengaku continued to be a significant part of Japanese culture even
into the nineteenth century.
Today dengaku is still a very popular preparation of tofu. Restaurants throughout Japan specialize in
dengaku and it is said to be a favorite food of some of the local gods. Grills like the one in Hokusai' s
drawing are still used today as they were nearly two centuries ago.
Making dengaku is relatively easy. Pieces of the tOfu are cut into small cubes P ,:llaced on bamboo
skewers. The skewers are usually soaked in salted water for several hours so they woa t burn 'In placed
over the flame. Once the tofu has been skewered, it is placed on a cloth and allowed to stand for ah
15 minutes until firm. The tofu is sometimes dipped in or spread with miso prior to broiling or it is m
with a special sauce.
172.
173
ACTIVITY
Try your hand at making dengaku. You'll need a hibachi (grill) or a broiler in a stove. Select
one of the toppings below to serve with the dengaku. Enjoy some freshly brewed tea with your
snack.
You'll need to purchase miso and tofu for each of the following recipes. Cut the tofu into small
cubes, prepare and broil as described on the preceding page.
Mix all ir, :edients in a saucepan. Cook 3 minutes while stirring constantly. Remove from
heat. Cool. Serve with dengaku.
Mix ingredients and cook in the same manner as indicated above (red nerimiso ). Brush
dengaku with nerimiso prior to broiling. Keep the remaining nerimiso for use as a sauce.
LEMON MISO
Combine miso, sugar, and water and proceed as above. After removing from the heat, mix
in lemon juice and lemon rind. Allow to cool.
174
ACTIVITY
The importance of the soybean lies largely in the fact that the seeds can
be produced more cheaply than those of any other leguminous crop. This
is due to both its high yielding capacity and to the ease of harvesting.
These facts alone insure the increasing importance of the crop in the future
when the land shall be called upon to yield its maximum crop of food.
There can be little doubt that the soybean is destined to become one of the
major American crops.
The Soybean
The quote above appears in The Soybean, written in 1923. The authors, Piper and Morse, reveal
great foresight in their predictions about the soybean. Frances Moore Lappd in her notable work,
Dietfor a Small Planet, agrees with Piper and Morse. Conduct research on any of the following
to find out more about the versatile soybean.
Create a calorie ratio and cholesterol content chart for those same
foods.
Investigate the countries that grow soybeans and show how they
use their soybeans (human consumption, animal consumption,
export, conversion into another product).
There is much conjecture that the world will face a serious food
crisis in the future. Present an argument, complete with facts,
to show how soybeans miRht be the solution to the problem.
174.
175
SHOYU
To say that soy sauce (shoyu ) is the primary seasoning in Japanese cooking would be a gross
understatement. This pungent, salty brown sauce is the all-purpose seasoning for all types of meat,
poultry, seafood and vegetables. You'll find it at every category of Japanese restaurant, from the sushi
specialist to the full-menu establishment.
No stranger to the West, soy sauce was the "secret seasoning" said to have delighted guests at the court
banquets of Louis XIV of France. Present-day Americans are discovering that using soy is an
outstanding way to enhance the flavor of many foods.
While chemical or non-brewed soy sauce is available, it's generally conceded that the best kind is made
naturally by fermenting soybeans, wheat, water and salt - and nothing else. Non-brewed soy sauce is
made in about three days; its flavor and aroma obtained by adding different amounts of corn syrup for
sweetness, salt for saltiness and caramel color for color. The quality and complex flavor of the best soy
sauce, however, is obtained by a process that takes a minimum of four to six months. A large Japanese
supplier of soy sauce employs this traditional Japanese method in making the sauce that it produces right
here in the United States (Wisconsin), and it is readily available in supermarkets and Asian food stores.
When using soy sauce for Japanese cooking, make certain that you purchase thc correct soy. Though
equally favorable, Chinese soy is saltier, has a denser taste and affects food differently.
Some recipes call for light-colored soy sauce, which is clearer and thinner than the dark, but also saltier.
In the United States, the dark variety has become the regular kind of soy sauce; it can be used in plIce
of light without drastically changing the ultimate taste of the dish you're preparing. All the light sauce
is imported and thus more costly, but you can economize by buying the dark at your supermarket and
a small bottle of light at a Japanese store.
175.
171
ACTIVITY*
VEGETABLES
Have you ever thought about the variedes of vegetables you eat? Broccoli, string beans, lima
beans, brussel sprouts, peas, and carrots are common fare in the U.S. For the most part in the U.S.
these vegetables are cooked separately and served with other dishes. These vegetables are also
eaten in Japan along with typical Japanese vegetables such as renkon, daikon, gob(); shoga, and
takenoko .
These varieties (renkon, daikon, gob c shvga and takenoko) are used by cooks in the United States,
but others are unique to the gastronomy of Japan. Many of the vegetables below are used in one
pot meals (similar to stews), some are deep-fried, and others are pickled.
Read the descriptions next to each Japanese vegetable and see if you can figure out its
corresponding name in English. Use the illustrations and list of names in English to help you
identify the correct English name of each vegetable. One is completed for you as a sample.
JAPANESE VEGETABLES
squash
Daikon One of the most common vegetables
used in Japanese cooking. Its name
literally means "great root." It is thought to
t
aid digestion.
176.
177
Gobia Long slender root that sometimes measures
over 24 bodies in length. Although it
doesn't tiftve much of a taste itself, it
absorbs other flavors during the cooking
FOCUS. Used in China as an ancient
medicine and regarded among the ancient s
Chinese cabbsim
dishes.
SEAWEED
Although considered quite exotic in the Unite4 States, dried seaweed, nod, is one of the most typical
foods of Japan. Essential to certain kinds of sushi, it is produced in many forms and grades of quality.
High-quality nori is made by processing the sprouts of a sea-plant belonging to the red algae family, then
drying it in thin sheets.
Appropriate as an offering to God and just right as a betrothal present, seaweed is also perfect for those
side dishes so important to a great Japanese meal. Seaweed is as versatile as it is varied. Indispensable
to the traditional Japanese breakfast, the most common type of seaweed sold in the United States is nori
seaweed. Nori is typically used for making sushi, but it can also be added to scrambled eggs, used as
a garnish for soup or fried in batter as a delicious tempura.
Another seaweed, hUild, is great sauteed in oil or prepared with abura-age, fried soy bean curd, and
seasoned wi4 soy sauce, sugar and mirin. It is good with rice and excellent as a sandwich filling, too.
There are many other varieties of seaweed. Some, like konbu, are somewhat sweet and are processed
into snack foods and candy; others, Ike wakame, can be enjoyed alone in a vinegared salad dish called
sunomono or in miso soup.
PICKLED VEGETABLES
The Japanese fondness for pickled vegetables is related in part to the preponderance of white rice in their
daily diet. With its very subtle, bland taste and a total abseace of salt content, rice needs to be eaten with
something flavorful or spicy. Pickled vegetables contain two to five percent salt, and each vegetable has
its own, quite distinctive taste.
To the Japanese, most vegetables are suitable for pickling, including those that aren't normally eaten
raw, such as eggplant, burdock, pumpkin and lotus root. Some vegetables can be preserved through
pickling. In addition to the flavor enhancement, pickling also enables seasonal vegetables to be enjoyed
months after their harvest.
178.
1 7;)
WASABI AND GINGER
Perhaps two of the best known Japanese seasonings - certainly known to all sushi fans - are wasabi
(Japanese horseradish) and shoga (ginger). Wasabi is a root that grows in Japan near cool mountain
streams. Although it is often compared to Western horseradish, the two are not related. (American
horseradish is related to the mustard plant.) In order to sample the delicious flavor of this plant, you must
first peel off the thick greenish-brown skin. Once grated, it becomes the definitive and essential
seasoning for raw fish. It can be placed directly on the fish or mixed with soy sauce for a wonderful and
spicy dipping sauce. Be careful when using wasabi - a little bit goes a long way.
Ginger, also a root, is an extremely versatile and tasty spice. It can be added to almost any type of meat
or menade to lend it a somewhat spicy, yet delicate, typically Japanese flavor. It is used in teriyaki
sauce, tempura, tofu boiled in water, and in dressings to make salads. Gail - sliced ginger pickled in
sweet vinegar - is served as a garnish to sushi. It helps to clear the palate between bites and also aids in
digestion.
The Japanese commonly use two types of pepper for seasoning: sans10 and aka-tagarashi (red pepper).
SanshO is a greenish-brown powder that comes from the fruit of the Japanese pepper tree. Like the
Japanese saying, "small but piquant," the unique pungency and aroma of sansha goes well with rich
foods, for example, unagi (eel) dishes. Additionally, the young spring leaves of the pepper tree are also
used in a variety of tofu dishes and in miso dishes.
Aka-tögarashi is hot! It is commonly used in stews and sauces made in winter and is said to be good
for circulation of the blood. It can also be used in pickling cabbage and radishes.
SHICHIA - 1 I
This spice is actually a combination of seven spices: aka-togarashi, sesame seed, poppy seed, orange
peel, beefsteak plant, sansh5, and nori. A pungent spice, shichi-mi goes well wit:1 miso, soy sauce and
oil. It is used in rr '.xed dishes such as stew and all stir-fried dishes.
Rice remainF the most profound ceremonial food. When someone dies, a "pillow meal"
of a single towl of pure white boiled rice is placed at the head, with a single chopstick stuck
upright it. It is a solemn thing to see, and has created two meal taboos that most Japanese
respect Never leave your chopsticks in your rice, and always eat more than one single
bowl.
All-Japan
CULTURAL NOTE
MOCHI
The honorific form is o-mochi. Heavy, chewy mochi cakes are made by pounding hot steamed glutinous
rice in barrel-sized wooden mortars with a large wooden mallet; then, handfuls of the sticky paste are
scooped up and patted into rounds of various sizes. The sound of rice pounding was once commun in
the last days of December, when many households made fresh mochi for the New Year 's festivities.
Today most mochi is machine processed and sold ready-made. The same kinds of ready-made mochi
available in :apan are to be had at Japanese stores in America. Cakes may be freshly made by the
proprietor, or they may be factory made and packed, vacuum sealed, in plastic. If fresh, the mochi will
probably be in round cakes or in sheet form; if made commercially, mochi comes in packaged squares
or in sheet form.
Me usual wRy of eating mochi is simply to grill it and eat it with a flavor complement such as a soy sauce
nip or a wrapper of toasted nori seaweed. When gilled, mochi will double in size, and a crisp skin will
form. The same principles apply to grilling mochi az to marshmallows - do not let it blacken, but a crisp,
well-browned skin is delicious.
As is the case in many cultures, determing what food is eaten on special occasions in Japan is
bound by tradition. In this exercise you will match some food customs with the special occasions
on which they are practiced. Although you may not know much about some of these special days,
the clues given in the descriptions of the customs should help you make good guesses.
3. Mochi are formed into diamond shapes and these are tinted pink,
green, or white. Sweet sake sprinkled with peach blossoms is also
served on this day.
On this day gifts of fish, eggplant, and cut cucumber are offered
along with noodles. The noodles are seen as "ropes" for tying
up gifts. Horse and cow images are cut from the vegetables
symbolizing the animals that will carry the gifts on along journey.
7. Tai is ranked as the finest fish in the sea. It is served whole on this
occasion as it symbolizes joy and hope in its entirety. To cut it
implies separation.
Sweets (okashi in Japanese) are always popular almost everywhere in the world no matter what the
season. A specialty of the Japanese New Year is satsurna4mo kinton, a kind of pudding made of sweet
potatoes and sometimes chestnuts. The recipe below should be followed adventurously. Sugar is added
to taste. The consistency of the final product can be thin or thick, and it can be served either hot or cold.
ACTIVITY
INGREDIENTS
1. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into pieces (similar to making potatoes for mashing). Wash
and let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Boil potatoes in a good amount of water. Cover with a lid. When tender, take from the heat,
drain and cool.
3. In a saucepan combine water and sugar. Bring to a boil. Remove any foam from the surface.
Cool to room temperature.
4. Mash sweet potatoes (use a sieve or fork) to a puree and add to sugar water.
5. Blend potato syrup mixture, egg yolks and plach of salt in the top of a double boiler. Cook
until the mixture is thick.
7. Serve hot or at room temperature as a pudding or shape mixture into small balls.
Balls can be made to resemble chesmuts if molded with a cotton cloth or ru, 'kin. Place minture in center of the cloth
com_kustfigur.fingouLizamilla Unwithro nd cloth a
182.
1
JAPANESE MEAL
Is it soup before or after salad? Does dessert always come last? How important is the order of food in
a meal? In Japan, as in most cultures, there is a common practice for the order in which "courses" are
served. Of course, the format varies depending upon whether the occasion is a formal or informal one.
The Japanese have a formula for recalling what constitutes a traditional meal. It is: ichliu sansai or "soup
and three." During an informal meal soup would be followed by uncooked fish, a grilled dish and a
simmered dish. Servings of rice and pickles would be essential and the meal would conclude with fresh
fruit.
"Soup and three" emphasizes that there is a definite beginning to a Japanese meal (the soup) and a middle
(the three main dishes). The end of the meal is always rice, pickles and tea. During a formal meal, just
as elsewhere in the world, the standard fare is expanded significantly. The beginning of the Japanese
meal would include three possible items: appetizer, clear soup and sashimi. The middle selections vary
(check the chart below) and the meal concludes with boiled rice, tniso soup, pickles, tea and fresh fruit.
Procedures for serving Japanese food vary from those common in the West. The mosz obvious difference
is that Japanese food is served in separate dishes for each person at the table. The dishes are beautiful
in decor and frequently reflect patterns of the seasons. Although dishes are served separately and at
various times, it is not expected that the eater would complete one dish before moving on to the next. The
Japanese custom is to enjoy the various dishes throughout the meal.
INFORMAL FORMAL
Soup Appetizer - Zensai
Uncooked Fish - Sashimi Soup - Suimono
Grilled Dish - Yakimono
Simmered Dish - Nimono Uncooked Fish - Sashimi
Grilled Food - Yakimono or One-Pot
Steamed Food - Mushimono Dish
Simmered Food - Ninsono Nabemono
Deep-Fried Food - Agemorso yinle
183.
184
ot
tth
rL.,
1 84.
1S5
ACTIVITIES
OM.
On the preceding page there is a sampling of a Japanese menu prepared by Palate Pleasers of
Japan. Though not comprehensive, it does present you with a wide variety of Japanese foods.
Creating a Japanese meal can be a real culinary adventure. Try your hand at planning one.
Consult the menu and locate a Japanese cookbook from a library to help you with this activity.
Find out what constitutes each dish and plan your menu (considering the correct order for serving
the food, the season in which the food is being served, and the manner in which it is being served).
The previous pages in this chapter should give you some added background for this activity.
Enjoy this gastronomical adventure!
USING HASHI
Eating Japanese food with a knife and fork just doesn't seem right. Hashi (chopsticks) are
standard fare and replace all the eating utensils we use. Chopsticks come in all sizes, lengths, and
styles - from plain wooden olles to elaborately decorated and lacquered ones. Most individuals
unfamiliar with chopsticks seem to have some difficulty when it comes to using them for the first
time no matter what type of chopsticks are used. All it takes is patience and practice.
There are two main points to remember in using chopsticks. If you hold them too close to the
point, leverage is lost, and it is harder to pick up foods. Secondly, do not hold chopsticks too tight.
Y ou will only get o cramp, and your ability to use them will be impaired.
185.
TABLE MANNERS
To prepare to eat a Japanese meal, read the list of table manners given
ITADAKIMASU
It is customary before eating to say, itadaldmasu. This is a type of greeting that etpresses a
person's appreciation for being given food. After eating it is customary to say, 0,:wlaisosanui-
dahlia, which means literally, "I have been given quite a treat."
Other important table manners can be divided into two major categories: general rules be
followed throughout the meal and specific etiquette regarding eating rice.
GENERAL RULES
1. Don't pick up your chopsticks until the senior members preseki, have done so.
3. Don't place food with liquid sauces on the rice or eat with the sauce dripping.
4. Don't use your own chopsticks when helping yourself from a serving dish. If there are no
separate chopsticks, either request an extra pair or use the top of your own.
6. It is comet to make a loud smacking round when eating noodles. (The cool air goes into the
mouth with the tbod making it possible to eat the noodles while they are steaming hot.)
7. Use chopsticks to pick out solid bits of food from your soup bowl, then drink the liquid.
9. Allow the senior member to sit in the seat of honor (the seat which is the farthest from the
entrance of the mom).
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186.
RICE RULES
1. Rice bowls are always placed on the left-hand side of the table. The left hand is used to take
the cover off the rice bowl. When removed, the cover is placed to the left facing up.
2. When rice is being served, take up your empty bowl with both hands.
3. After the rice has been served, place it down on your tray or table before eating it.
4. Unless there is soup, it is customary to begin eating the rice first before the other food.
5. Hold the rice bowl with four fingers on the bottom, together
and not spread out. The thumb should rest lightly on the brim.
188
187.
RIAT CflPY AVAII API F
ACTIVITY*
In the first section of this book, "A World of Words: Imports and Exports," there are many
activities that deal with English words that have been incorporated into the Japanese language.
When it comes to food and drink vocabulary, the Japanese have dozens of words that owe their
origins to English. The three words which are the title of this activity (fruit salad, fruit juice and
fruitcake) are good examples.
Read through the list of words below. Try to determine w:.tat the English word is for each of these
Japanese-borrowed words. Review the pronunciation guide at the beginning of the bock to assist
you in pronouncing the words correctly.
188.
II IN.-
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Martin, Peter and Joan. Japanese Cooking. New York: Signet, 1972.
Good illustrations and background information on cooking utensils and traditional cooking
techniques. Over 200 recipes for all courses.
Subtitled Food and Fable, Customs and Etiquette, What the People Eat, Richie's book is an
informative history book of Japanese food.
Shurtleff, William and Akiko Aoyagi. The Book of Miso. Soquel, California: Autumn Press, 1976.
Presents the story of miso (fermented soybean paste) and demonstrates how to make and use it.
As much an information book on nutrition as a cookbook.
Shurtleff, William and Akiko Aoyagi. The Book of Tofu. Soquel, California: Autumn Press, 1975.
Provides instructions for making tofu, gives an analysis of tofu' s nutritional value and offers
over 500 recipes for using it. Excellent illustrations and background information throughout
the book.
190 189.
Solomon, Charmaine. The Compl:te Asian Cookbook. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1979.
Ibis is a good comparative volume on Asian cooking. Nearly the size of an unabridged
dictionary, it is filled with a fair amount of background information on many of the dishes and
hundreds of recipes.
Statler, Oliver. All-Japan: The Catalogue of Everything Japanese. New York: Quill, 1984.
Written by eight of the world's foremost experts, this catalogue contains sections on lifestyle
and culture. The chapter on food and drink covers material on Sashimi and Sushi, Noodles and
Bean Curd, The Japanese Meal, Ceremonial Food, Garnishes, Portable Meals, Beer and Whis-
key, and Coffee Shops.
Steinberg, Rafael. The Cooking of Japan. New York: Time-Life Books, 1969.
A picture cookbook offering a geat deal in the way of Japanese history and culture. Part of the
International Time-Life Cookbook series.
Suwa, Eriko, editor. Palate Pleasers of Japan. Los Angeles: APCON International, Inc., 1985.
This small booklet is published annually and is filled with cultural and historical information
about Japanese food. It is superbly illustrated and has a selection of recipes to highlight each
of the information sections covered. Available through APCON International (PPJ Department,
420 Boyd Street Suite 502, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Price $6.50 including postage and
handling).
Tsuji, Shizuo. Japanese Cooking: A Simple Act. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1980.
This was (for our purposes) the definitive work on Japanese cooking. Filled with pictures,
illustrations, background material, and recipes, it is a superb introduction to Japanese
gastronomy.
190. 191
ANSWER SECTION
e FOOD FOR THOUGHT: THE NATURE OF FOOD AND ITS PREPARATION
1. ( 2 ) Shinmai
2. (5) Koine
3. ( 4 ) Raisu
4. ( 1 ) Gohan
5. ( 3 ) Genmai
6. ( 7 ) Okoge
7. ( 6 ) Meshi
8. ( 10 ) Sushi-Meshi
9. ( 9 ) Okayu
10. ( 8 ) Sekihan
191.
192
VEGETABLES (Pages 176-77)
2. Harvest 6. Child-birth
4. Boys' Day
OASOBI
194
TONGUE-TWISTERS
People all around the world seem fascinated with tongue twisters. In English we have familiar verses
like "Sally sells sea shells by the seashore" and:
One common characteristic of tongue-twisters in any language is that they are filled with alliteration.
Most of the words start out with the same letter and make the tongue-twister both difficult and fun to say.
Here are several tongue twisters in different languages. Notice that even the English translations are as
challenging to say as the original phrases.
195.
195
The origins of the following Japanese tongue-twisters are not definite. However, we do know that most
of them are recent creations, since the language used is rather up-to-date and written in free-flowing
conversational Japanese. Scholars believe that each major period in Japanese history had its share of
tongue-twisters that conveyed aspects of the culture of the time.
Tongue-twisters may not be thought of as significant keys to knowing a culture. Nonetheless, there are
few people who haven't learned several in their youth. Regardless of the language used, the mastery of
a tongue-twister is an accomplishment. In fact, news commentators in Japan must study tongue-twisters
to help them improve their speech fluency.
TAPE LISTENING
JAPANESE TONGUE-TWISTERS
196.
3. AKA MAKI GAMI AO MAKI GAMI KI MAKI GAMI
Red rolled paper, blue rolled paper, yellow rolled paper
197.
197
ANIMAL SOUNDS
There is a Mexican-American song, "De Colores, " which tells about the rooster that sings, quiquiriqui.
If that rooster were singing in English he would be saying cock a-doodle-do. If this same rooster were
Japanese the sound would be kokeko kokeko kokeko kokekoko. How is it that when an animal makes a
sound, that sound is heard differently by people who speak different languages? The answer has
something to do with linguistics, especially the varied structures of our different languages.
Below are listed animal sounds in Japanese, English, French and Spanish. The first six animals listed
make sounds which, though heard differently by speakers of different languages, have certain similari-
ties. Study the chart to see which ones are similar to the Japanese version for each animal. There ale
two additional animal sounds given in Japanese. See if you can find out what these animal noises are
in other languages.
Try recording the sounds and play them for others. See if they can guess which animal it is that makes
the noise and if the) can guess the language from which the sound comes. Collect the sounds of other
animals in as many different languages as you can.
ANIMAL SOUNDS
HORSE hi-heen
DUCK ga-ga
198. 1
TAPE LISTENING
Listen to the tape that accompanies this unit on "Animal Sounds." You will hear eleven
sounds in Japanese. Listen to the sounds first. They will be repeated. During the second
time that you hear the sounds match each animal listed below with its appropriate
Japanese animal sound. You might want to refer to the previous page before you
continue this exercise.
ANIMAL SOUNDS
ANIMAL SOUND
1. Bird ( ) bu-bu
2. Cat ( ) hi-heen
,
3. Cow ( ) ga-ga
4. Dog ( ) Pr-Pt
5. Pig ( ) moh
6. Rooster ( ) wan-wan
7. Horse ( ) laird
8. Mouse ( ) kokekoko
9. Duck ( ) n'yao
199.
199
MAIGO NO KONEKO-CHAN
Children's songs are popular in Japan just as they are in the rest of the world. They are usually short so
they are easy to memorize.
The following song is well known by Japanese children. It tells the story of a lost kitten who cannot
remember her name or where she lives. Since the police dog doesn't know anything about her, he is in
trouble too because he doesn't lmow how he can help.
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Mura no chinju no kamisama no How glad all the people, young and old
Kyoo wa medetai omatsuri bi It's time for celebration at the village shrine
Don-don, hyara-ra, don, hyara-ra Ding-dong, ding-dong
Don-don, hyara-ra, don, hyara-ra Ding-dong, ding-dong
Asakara kikoerufre taiko I hear drums and flutes all day long.
203.
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19 mu - shi o ko - e
205 205.
JANKEN
Janken, Stone-Paper-Scissors, is the most popular of children' s games in Japan. The game can be played
in several ways. Frequently it is used to decide who will take the first turn in another game or activity
e
or even to decide the order in which people will take their turns. However, Janken is often played just
for the fun of the game itself.
ACTIVITY
The game is a simple one. Each player faces his/her partner or members of the group and says Jan-ken
pon. When you say pon you hold your hand in one of the three positions illustrated below. A fully
opened hand indicates paper (pa), a closed fist means stone (gu), and the extended-index finger and
middle finger repiesent scissors (choki)
If there is a tie (meaning that two "stones", two "papers", or two "scissors" are shown), the game begins
again. This time, however, the chant is different. Say the words aiko desho immediately after the tie.
On the word sho , make one of the hand positions.
The game goes on until there is a winner. If you're going to play Janken for a long period of time, you
can keep score with your left hand. When you win, tuck your thumb into the palm of your hand. Each
time you win tuck in another finger. If you like, the game can continue even after all your fingers or your
opponent's fingers have been pulled in. On the sixth win, extend your small finger. On the seventh,
extend your next finger, etc.
206. 216
ATCHI MUITE HOI
6 Atchl muite kcal is a continuation of Janken that is usually played with two people. First, the two people
play Janke& The winner of Janken has the advantage in Atchi mite hoi. Immediately after winning
Janken, you say Atchi mite hol. At the moment you say hoi you point your finger in one of four
directions: UP, DOWN, TO THE RIGHT or TO THE LEFT. At thab same time as you point your
finger, your opponent nods his or her head in one of the four directions. If your opponent happens to
move his or her head in the same direction as you point, he or she loses Atchi muite hoi and the game ends
(or starts over if you want to play several games and keep score with your left hand as is done in Janken).
However, if the Janken loser moves his or her head in a direction other than the direction in which you
point, the game continues without a pause, beginning again with Janken.
The game moves along very quickly. The winner of Janken must be determined quickly so that the
words Janke» pon-atchi mite hol can be chanted without missing a beat and started over without a
pause. The rapid pace is part of the fun of the game.
207.
207
OCHARAKA
Ocharaka is a slightly different version of Janken. It is played with two people. Each person faces his/
her partner. Throughout the game, the left hand is held palm-up and the right hand is held palm down.
Partners should have opposite hand positions.
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ACTIVITY
1. Take hold of your partner's hands and shake them up and down three times. As you do this
say: se se se no.
2. Cross your arms and take hold of each other's hands again. Shake them up and down
three times while saying: yoi yoi yoi.
3. Clap your hands and then clap your partner's open hand with your right hand repeating ocharaka
three times.
4. After the last ocharaka show hoi and demonstrate one of the Janken hand positions (i.e.,
scissors, paper, rock);
If you lose you bow and say Maketayo which means "I lost:"
If you and your opponent give the same sign say Doten which means "it's even" and
then put your hands on your hips.
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5 Ja - n ke - n po - n yo a- 1 -ko - de - sho
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Mou ii kai Ma - da da yo
Mou ii kai Mu - - I yo1
209 209.
ZUI ZUI ZUKKOROBASHI
Zui Zui Zukkorobashi is a song and game. Before playing the game, read through the translation of the
song. Then listen to the tape. A literal translation of the song is difficult so a rough translation is given.
Zui Zui Zukkorobashi is an interesting song because it contains words that provide interesting cultural
information. The title of the song, and dop-pin-shan, and don-do-ko-sho are nonsense words.
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The game that is played when singing Zui zui zukkorobashi can be played with any number of people,
although it is usually played with three to eight people. First, one person is chosen to be it (perhaps by
playing Janken). Then everyone stands in a close circle and puts in their fists. The person who is it points
to the fists one by one while everyone sings the song. The person whose fist is being pointed to on the
very last word of the song is it for the next round.
CULTURAL NOTE
In the early history of Japan, each community had one water well that served the entire community.
The women of the communities would gather together around the well to do the wash and prepare
food, and the children would play together. In the song above one of the children drew a rice bowl
around the well.
211 211.
ACTIVITY
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To play: Pick a spot on the ground for the can. Play Janken to determine who will be it. To begin
the game, one child (other than the person who is it) runs and kicks the can as far as possible,
yelling Kankeri! Atthe moment the can is kicked, all the players scatter and hide. It must
run after the can, place the can in its original spot, sit down and count to 100 with his or her
eyes covered in order to give the players time to hide. After counting, it can begin to look
for the others and try to tag them.
The object for the person who is it is to find and tag all of the players while guarding the can
so no one can kick it. As long as it has one foot on the can, no one can kick it. When it moves
away to look for the others, the players can try to kick the can. Any player who is tagged
must sit out in a previously determined area for the "captured ones."
The object for the players is to kick the can without being tagged. If a player successfully
kicks the can (before it steps on it or before it tags the player), anyone who was tagged can
run free and it must get the can, count to 100 again, and continue playing. Any time someone
kicks the can he or she must yell Kankeri.
213.
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Winter in some parts of Japan means cold, icy and snowy weather just like it does in some parts of the
United States. In Japan, children have found a way of dealing with the cold by playing a game known
as Oshikuramanju. Oshikura means "to push" and manju refers to a traditional cake that has a sweet
paste in it. The object of the game is for the players to push or gently shove each other. In this way you
make a manju and everyone gets warmer as they play. On the next cool day try playing the game.
DIRECTIONS
Gather in a circle and choose one person to be in the middle. This person represents the manju. You can
select this person by playing Janken or by asking for a volunteer.
The game begins with the participants forming a circle with their backs toward the inside of the circle.
At this point the players begin to chant:
The chant is repeated over and over again in a sing-song fashion. As the chanting continues, the group
moves toward the center gently swaying and pushing and shoving each other (the chant translates as
"You are being pushed but don't cry").
214.
214
ACTIVITY
Equipment Necessary: Chairs that can easily be removed; one less than the number of people
plaYing
To play: Make a large circle with the chairs. Each player except cde who will be it sits in a
chair. Then the players begin "counting off' with the names of three or four fruits
(For example, "Apple," "Banana," "Ctange," "Strawberry," "Apple," "Banana," etc.).
It is important that each person remember the name of the fruit assigned to him or her
for the duration of the game.
When everyone has been given the name of a fruit, the game begins. The person who is
it stands in the middle of the circle and calls out the name(s) of any fruit(s). Anyone
whose fruit name is called must get up and change chairs. It must also find a chair, so
someone else will be left without a chair. That person will be it the next round.
It can call one or more groups of fruit (for example, "Orange and Apple"). If it
wants everyone to change, she or he should say, "Furutsu basuketto!"
Study the chart below and play the game using Japanese names for the fruits.
Ichlgo
(se-chtelto)
Sakuranbo
(sa)ato-ran-pos)
Plomo Suika
(io-sud Budoo
(swee-tes)
(boo-dos)
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215.
215
1P
ACTIVITY
FUKU-WARAI
Fuku-warai to the Japanese is what Pin the tail on the donkey is to people in the United States. The
name Fuku-warai translates as "happy face." The smile and other parts of the head are placed on the
face of Otafuku, a Japanese goddess of happiness. In contemporary Japan, Fuku-warai is usually
purchased in kit form. A large poster of the face of Otqfuku is included along with facsimiles of eyebrows,
eyes, ears, nose and a smiling mouth. Although Fuku-warat is frequently played during the New Year
holiday season, it is fun to play anytime. Don't let your age stop you from jumping in and enjoying the
game.
1. On a large poster board draw the outline of the face of Otqfuku. Use the one in this section as a
model.
2. Draw and color the ears, eyebrows, eyes, nose, and smiling face on construction paper and then cut
them out.
3. Hold up a box containing the face parts for the player. He or she must select one of the parts, figure
out what it is, and pin it to Otqfuku.
The game can continue with each person trying to complete the entire face or with individuals taking
turns. The more accurately the part of the face is placed, the better luck the player will have in the New
Year.
216.
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217 217.
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