wa - Relaxing in Japan

Showings and Instructions

tenji (展示)… a showing of a museum

hyōji (表示)… showing on the computer screen display or on signs

shiji (指示)… instructions or directions

Basic Japanese Characters

Kinkakuji in Kyōto

京都: 金閣寺　Golden Pavilion, Kyoto
Originally uploaded by anglia24

This is the nicest photo I could find from flickr today.
Kinkakuji (金閣寺) is a temple and one of the most popular sightseeing spots in Kyoto.

How to Find Clinics in Japan

When you need a doctor, you need to recognize the names of medical branches.

Japanese relatively recently founded clinics have names with kurinikku (クリニック) in katakana.

Here is a list of clinical branches.

• skin doctors - hifuka (皮膚科 or 皮フ科)
• eye doctor - ganka (眼科)
• otolaryngologists - jibiinkōka (耳鼻咽喉科)　= ear, nose, and throat - mimi hana nodo (みみ、はな、のど)
• gynecologists - fujinka (婦人科)
• obstetricians - sanfujinka (産婦人科)
• physicians or general practitioners - naikai (内科医)
• dentists or dental clinics  - shikai (歯科医), dentaru kurinikku (デンタルクリニック)

If you don't know which part of your body has a problem, visit a general hospital whose name usually ends with byōin (病院).

When Your Mind is Immersed in a Certain Atmosphere

When something is immersed in some substances like a liquid, we use the verb hitaru (浸る).

If your mind is replete with a happy feeling, you are immersed in a happy atmosphere.

We describe it as "tanoshii kibun ni hitaru." (楽しい気分に浸る).

If your mind is replete with the remaining atmosphere that you have just enjoyed, you are immersed in such a atmosphere. We describe this situation as,

yoin ni hitaru 余韻に浸る

Basic Japanese Characters

Haiku and Tanka

Haiku 

Haiku is a style of Japanese poetry. A haiku is a short verse composed of three phrases: 5 syllabics, 7 and 5. Each haiku includes a season word called kigo.

haiku 俳句
kigo 季語

Let me show you a sample haiku.

Ikemizuno   池水の

Nihoini geshino   にほひに　夏至の

Yokaze kana   夜風かな

by Takeda Outou    武田鶯塘

 

Here is my translation.

The smell of pond water

The Summer solstice night breeze

 

The summer solstice night breeze (geshi no yokaze) is a season word in this haiku.

Tanka 

Tanka is another style of Japanese poetry. A tanka is composed of five phrases: 5 syllabics, 7, 5, 7, and 7. It has 31 syllabics in total.

 

tanka 短歌

 

The following sample tanka includes a season word but it does not have to have one.

 

Natsu no yo wa   夏の夜は 

Mada yoi nagara  まだ宵ながら 

Akenuru wo   明けぬるを 

Kumo no izuko ni   雲のいづこに 

Tsuki yadoru ran  月宿るらむ 

By Kiyohara no Fukayabu 清原深養父 

 

On a summer night

It is the early hours of the night

Yet the sun has already come out

Where in the clouds

Is the moon sheltering behind?

 

Onono Komachi (小野小町), a legendary poet, wrote a famous tanka:

 

Hana no iro wa    花の色は 

Utsurini kerina     移りにけりな 

Itazurani   いたづらに 

Wagami yoni furu   わが身世にふる 

Nagameseshimani  ながめせし間に

By Onono Komachi  小野小町 
  

 

The color of the flower

Has changed

Vainly,

While I was viewing myself getting older,

And a long rain damaging the flower and my love-life.

This tanka also has a season word, nagame. Nagame comes from nagaame (長雨) or a long spell of rainy weather. The Japanese rainy season comes in June. I hope the rainy season will end soon.

For better translations, please find books on Kokinwakashū.
Man’yōshū is also an anthology of classic tanka.

Basic Japanese Characters by Calligrapher Nao

Flowers and Fireworks

a sasanqua
a Japanese camellia
山茶花 (sazanka)

a flowering dogwood
花水木 (hanamizuki)

a safflower
紅花 (benibana)

Japanese flower arrangement
生け花 (ikebana)

the art of Japanese flower arrangement
華道 (kadō)

fireworks
花火 (hanabi)

Basic Japanese Characters

Year after Year, Month after Month, etc.

年々    nennen … year after year

月々    tsukizuki … month after month

日々    hibi … day after day

人々    hitobito ... people

山々    yamayama ... mountains

木々    kigi ... trees

花々    hanabana ... flowers

品々    shinajina … products

神々    kamigami … gods

口々    kuchiguchi … With the particle ni, kuchiguchini （口々に） is an adverb. If people say something kuchiguchini, each person says something.

色々    iroiro … variety

三々五々    sansangogo … This describes that small groups of people or things scatter. The second and fourth characters become today’s character.

Basic Japanese Characters

Tiny, Meek and Weak, but Handy, Maybe

Tiny
ちっちゃい chicchai

a small piece of land
(a cat's forehead)
猫の額 nekono hitai

(as small as a cat's forehead)
猫の額ほど neko no hitai hodo

Meek and Weak
おとなしくて、気弱 otonashikute, kiyowa

being meek and weak
(a cat you are borrowing from somebody)
借りてきた猫 karitekita neko

pretending as if they were meek and weak
(in a cat suit)
猫をかぶっている neko wo kabutteiru

Handy?
使える？ tsukaeru?

a cat's hands
猫の手 neko no te

You might need something as useful as a cat if you are extremely busy.
(You wish a cat helped you.)
猫の手も借りたい neko no temo karitai

Basic Japanese Characters

Movies Making You Cry

movies or a movie ... 映画 eiga.

泣ける映画 “nakeru eiga”

This is a kind of movie.

When you see “nakeru eiga”, you find yourself crying.

泣かせる映画　“nakaseru eiga”

a movie that makes you cry

泣かされた “nakasareta” or more politely,

When a movie makes you cry, you can say this phrase.

Or if you want to say this more politely, you can say this.

泣かされました “nakasaremashita.” 

Basic Japanese Characters

Hearty Hospitality

hearty hospitality
真心込めたおもてなし "magokoro kometa omotenashi"
真心を込めたおもてなし "magokoro wo kometa omotenashi"

to pour your heart into something you are doing
真心を込める "magokoro wo komeru"

a present given or chosen with great sincerity
真心のこもったプレゼント "magokoro no komotta purezento"

to use up your heart in doing something
真心を尽くす "magokoro wo tsukusu"

Basic Japanese Characters