Japan, Japan and Japan! 3

So have you managed to find answer to the question I threw yesterday ‘what are they’? 昨日の質問「これは何ですか」の答えがわかりましたか。 The answer is – sakadaru. This is a barrel for sake, Japanese rice wine (you can see sake in the barrel in the above photo)! 答えは酒樽[さかだる](= sake barrel)です。酒[さけ]を入れる入れ物です。上の写真[しゃしん]の樽[たる](= barrel)の中にお酒が見えますよね?

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Japan, Japan and Japan!

Have you looked at today’s (26 March 2019) New Zealand Herald? The Travel sections show all sorts of info on Japan! They are about Tokyo, Kobe and what to do in Japan etc. There is a big ad on a trip to Japan there! It must be because of #RWC2019 ! 今日、3月26日ののニュージーランド・ヘラルド紙[し]を見ましたか。日本への旅行の記事[きじ](= article)がいっぱいです! 東京[とうきょう]について、神戸[こうべ]について、日本でするべきことなどなど。旅行[りょこう]代理店[だいりてん](= travel agency)による大きな日本旅行の広告[こうこく](= […]

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Blossom forecast

As you might have heard, Japanese people love cherry blossom. みなさんも知[し]っているように、日本人は桜[さくら]が大好きです。 Around this time of year, people are itching to know when would be the best time to visit a nearby park etc. to see beautiful cherry blossom. For this purpose, all sorts of organizations put ‘cherry blossom forecast’ out each year. You can have a […]

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Cat called cat

I read news about a cat on New Zealand Herald this week. Why do I want to mention this news here, would you ask? – the answer is… the cat is named neko; neko means ‘cat’ in Japanese. Yes, this word ‘neko’ is a Japanese word! Isn’t it interesting (=^・・^=)? 今週のニュージーランド・ヘラルド紙[し]にねこのニュースがありました(=^・・^=)。どうしてそれをここに書くかというと、、、そのパパモアに住むねこの名前がNekoだからです。ニュージーランドのねこの名前が「ねこ」だなんて、おもしろいですね。 If you are interested […]

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Taiko concert in Hamilton this Saturday!

If you missed Kenji’s performance on Wednesday, don’t be sad! Kenji and his associates will throw a proper concert in Hamilton tomorrow (= Saturday 23 March 2019). Please come along. Apparently, a biwa performer will be there too (see the picture below re: biwa). 水曜日[すいようび] に大学にいなかったみなさん! 大丈夫[だいじょうぶ]です、ケンジさんは今週の土曜日のコンサートをハミルトンでします。びわ奏者[そうしゃ](= performer)の方も出られるそうですよ。楽[たの] しみですね! びわ/biwa

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Taiko drumming

Mr Kenji Furutate, the professional taiko drummer, came to the University of Waikato yesterday (20 March 2019) and gave a wonderful performance during its culture hour (which is 1-2pm every Wednesday). 昨日(3月20日)、ワイカト大学のカルチャー・アワーに太鼓[たいこ]奏者[そうしゃ](= taiko drummer)の古立[ふるたて]ケンジさんが来てくださいました。 It was not so long, but we all enjoyed his energetic performance; thanks, Kenji! 短[みじか]い間[あいだ](= short time)でしたが、とてもすばらしい太鼓の演奏[えんそう](= performance)でした。ケンジさん、ありがとうございました!

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Eight years ago today… 8年前の今日。。。

It was eight years ago today; the Great East Japan Earthquake hit Japan. 8年前の今日、東日本大震災[ひがしにほんだいしんさい](= the Great East Japan Earthquake)が起[お]きました。 You can see remarkable recovery in the affected regions now. At the same time, more than 50,000 people still cannot go back home. People are still looking for the body of their loved one… It is […]

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Japan Day 2019 3

Apparently, around 45,000 people visited Japan Day 2019 last weekend. It was indeed so so so crowded! 先週[せんしゅう](= last week)のJapan Day 2019 には、45,000人が訪[おとず]れた(= visited)そうです。確[たし]かに(= indeed)、本当に混[こ]んでいました(= was crowded)! There were quite a few food stalls there. I did not eat much as there were so many people and long queues there… However, I managed to have takoyaki (tako means […]

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Japan Day 2019 2

There was a taiko (= Japanese drum) and shamisen (= a Japanese musical instrument) concert in Japan Day 2019. That was powerful and exciting! Japan Day 2019 では、太鼓[たいこ](= Japanese drum)と三味線[しゃみせん](= a Japanese musical instrument)のコンサートもありました。とてもエキサイティングなコンサートでした! Lucky you, people in Hamilton!; that taiko master, Kenji Furutate (see in the above picture) will come to Hamilton later this […]

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