I am Mie, teach Japanese at a Japanese language school in Tokyo. My Blog is mainly about Japanese grammars and what's happening in Japan, cultures, news .... a bit of everything! Hope you enjoy it!
My name is Mie, I teach Japanese in Tokyo. This blog is for someone who is interested in the Japanese Language, culture and everyday life. Hope it helps you :-)
Sky Tree now tallest structure in Japan Tokyo Sky Tree, a new tower under construction for terrestrial digital broadcasting, reached 338 meters Monday, surpassing Tokyo Tower and becoming the tallest structure in Japan. Kyodo News
東京都(とうきょうと)墨田区(すみだく)： Sumida ward, Tokyo 建設中(けんせつちゅう)： under construction 新(しん)タワー： new tower 東京スカイツリー： 抜(ぬ)く： surpass 国内(こくない)で： 最(もっと)も高(たか)い： the highest 建造物(けんぞうぶつ)： structure 保持(ほじ)： keep 記録(きろく)： record 約(やく)半世紀(はんせいき)： about half century 塗(ぬ)り替(か)えられた： has been beaten/changed
It was a very cold day like a middle of winter and snowing in Kyoto yesterday. I heard that it was snowing a little bit in Tokyo too. April is coming soon but still it is too cold. Feel sorry for Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)
It’s been a week since Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) started to bloom. Sakura has not been in full blossoms yet because it has been sometimes cold and sometimes rained. (It is said that within a week Sakura is in full bloom.) I took some photos of Sakura near my place. The blossoms were about half of them.
桜(さくら)： Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) 咲(さ)き始(はじ)める： start to bloom 約(やく)１週間(しゅうかん)： about a week ずっと～： it’s been ～ since 寒(さむ)かったり雨(あめ)が降(ふ)ったり： sometimes cold, sometimes raining 天気(てんき)が悪(わる)い： weather is bad 満開(まんかい)： full blossoms 普通(ふつう)： usually, normally 開花(かいか)： bloom ～てから： after ～ ～になる： become ～ ～と言(い)われている： it is said that ～ 近所(きんじょ)： neighborhoods 写真(しゃしん)を撮(と)る： take photos 半分(はんぶん)： half
Application of JLPT for July 4th Sunday has started from today, March 26th. Object levels are from N1 to N3, takes place in Japan and some other oversea countries. However, the pass lines are not announced yet. I wonder when we will know it? There are 3 more months left! Gambatte kudasai!
行(おこな)われる： take place 申(もう)し込(こ)み： application 始(はじ)まった： has started 対象(たいしょう)レベル： object levels 場所(ばしょ)： place いくつか： some 海外(かいがい)の国(くに)： oversea countries 合格(ごうかく)ライン： acceptance line, pass line 発表(はっぴょう)されていない： has not announced yet かな？： I wonder
On 23rd (Tue) evening, JR Yamanote Line had stopped due to JR Saikyo Lines’s wire troubles. Most of people who commute to Tokyo office use trains, the impact would become very big when major train lines like Yamanote Line stopped. I got home about 1 hour later than usual. Announcements at stations are mostly in Japanese, someone who do not understand Japanese would become nervous. (Only few people can speak English.) Also special terms are very difficult. For example, ｢運転を見合わせています｣ means ｢電車がとまっています｣.
JR埼京線(さいきょうせん)： JR Saikyo Line 架線(かせん)トラブル： wires 影響(えいきょう)： impact, influence 山手線(やまのてせん)： JR Yamanote Line 湘南新宿(しょうなんしんじゅく)ライン： JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line 通勤(つうきん)： commuting 主要(しゅよう)の： major 路線(ろせん)： route, line 不安(ふあん)になる： become anxious, get nervous 特別(とくべつ)な： special, particular 運転(うんてん)を見合(みあ)わせています： to suspend 意味(いみ)： meaning
TOKYO, March 22 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Cherry blossoms bloomed Monday in Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The "someiyoshino" cherry blossoms in Tokyo came out six days earlier than on average for the area and one day later than last year, said the agency, which reports on this closely watched marker of spring every year. The agency said its officials confirmed the first blossoms on the someiyoshino trees designated as "sample trees" at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine. They counted "five or six blooms" on the sample trees, fulfilling the requirement the agency sets to declare it a blooming tree. The cherry blossoms will likely be in full bloom in about one week.
気象庁(きしょうちょう)： Meteorological Agency 昨日(きのう)： yesterday 桜(さくら)： Cherry Blossom 開花(かいか)宣言(せんげん)： The agency said its officials confirmed the first blossoms ソメイヨシノ： Someiyoshino is the most common type of cherry trees in Japan 例年(れいねん)： usual 去年(きょねん)： last year 遅(おそ)く開花した： bloom later 靖国(やすくに)神社(じんじゃ)： Yasukuni Shrine 花(はな)が咲(さ)いたら： when the Cherry blossoms 約(やく)１週間(しゅうかん)： about a week 満開(まんかい)になる： in full blossoms
Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) season is just around the corner! I took some photos of Sakura in my neighborhood. It was almost like typhoon last night (Saturday night) but it seems like it is going to be a beautiful day today. Sakura most likely start to bloom today or tomorrow.
桜(さくら)： cherry blossoms 季節(きせつ)： season もう： already すぐそこ： right over there 金曜日(きんようび)： Friday 携帯(けいたい)： 携帯電話, cell phone 撮(と)りました： took photos 土曜日(どようび)： Saturday 台風(たいふう)のような： like typhoon いい天気(てんき)になりそう： seems like it is going to be fine 咲(さ)き始(はじ)める： start to bloom
HourFace is easy. Just take or pick a face photo and upload. In a minute, 3D face is downloaded and starts moving and blinking like real human. The face is even gradually becoming older (increasing skin blemishes and wrinkles, and slackening). If you upends iPhone, the face is getting younger by degrees (making a skin clear, and eyes bigger).
顔写真(かおじゃしん)： head shot 生(い)きているかのように： looks as if it is like a human 動(うご)き出(だ)す： start to move 年(とし)をとっていく： getting old 若返(わかがえ)らせる： make it younger たった数十秒(すうじゅうびょう)： only a few seconds まばたきをする： blink 地面(じめん)： ground 垂直(すいちょく)： vertical 徐々(じょじょ)に： gradually シミ・シワ： blemishe・wrinkle たるむ： sag 逆(さか)さ： upside down 肌(はだ)： skin
Too cute girl, Beckii Cruel. Beckii, 14 year old girl, lives in the Isle of Man who uploads her movie to YouTube which became very popular. She has come to Japan several times. She also came here for a fashion event “Tokyo Girls Collection” on March 6th as a model. You can read her interview from here (in Japanese) : She says she likes “ne” in Japanese in her interview. What is your favorite Japanese word? Beckii : I like “ne” (smile). It is cute. “Ne” has various meanings which can be used in many occasions. I like it. There is not such a word in English which seems like no meanings yet seems has lots of meanings.
可愛(かわい)い： cute ～にもほどがある： there is a limit for anything 可愛いにもほどがある： there is a limit for cute too, she is too cute 自分(じぶん)の： herself, in this context 動画(どうが)： movie 人気(にんき)が爆発(ばくはつ)した： explode in popularity イギリス・マン島在住(ざいじゅう)： lives in the Isle of Man 来日(らいにち)： comes to Japan モデルとして： as a model 参加(さんか)した： participated
⑩ look for keywords Words/phrases that are used many times are important.
⑪ essay and novels Pay attention to the part that are about feelings and emotions. It is often described with ｢～と思う・感じる｣｢～考えさせられた｣｢感動した｣｢～だろう｣
⑫ conversations in a story Subject (action agent) is often omitted in Japanese language. Therefore, think carefully who said it. For example, if a sentence end with ｢～と思うの｣｢～と思うわ｣ are used by women. Or ｢～だぞ｣｢やめろよ／よせよ｣ are often used by men. You will know who is in the social higher position with Keigo (honorifics) if it is used in a conversation.
2010 July JLPT, the exam will start in the afternoon! Maybe you could study till late at night the day before for overnight cramming. Its passing mark still has not been announced yet, the application starts from March 26th till April 30th. For JLPT July exam is N1 – N3 only, will be held in Japan and some oversea countries. http://www.jees.or.jp/jlpt/en/jlpt_guide_2010_1st_e.html
試験(しけん)時間(じかん)： exam schedule time 前日(ぜんじつ)： the day before 一夜漬(いちやづ)け： overnight cramming, hasty cramming 遅(おそ)くまで： till late at night 大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)かも： omitted かもしれません, maybe it would be ok 合格点(ごうかくてん)： passing mark 発表(はっぴょう)になっていません： has not been announced yet 申(もう)し込(こ)み： to apply, application 日本国内(にほんこくない)： in Japan 一部(いちぶ)の海外(かいがい)の国(くに)： some oversea countries
The number of men who brings homemade lunchbox to the office called “Lunchbox boys” is increasing these days. It cost about 700 – 1200yen in Tokyo when you eat at a restaurant. But it cost only 300yen if you cook it so you can save money and you can eat your favorite foods. It is not good for your health if you eat hamburgers at a fast food restaurant even it is cheap. There is a site “Lunchbox boys Park” which you can upload your own lunchbox photos taken by a cell phone and chat is also available.
最近(さいきん)： recently, these days 会社(かいしゃ)： office (literally meaning is a company) お弁当(べんとう)： lunchbox 自分(じぶん)で： by one’s self 作(つく)って持(も)って行(い)く： make and the take it to go ～と呼(よ)ばれる： it is called ～ 増(ふ)えている： is increasing ～そうです： I heard/read that ～ お昼(ひる)に： at lunch time お店(みせ)で食(た)べたら： if you eat at a restaurant 1200円(えん)かかる： it costs 1200 yen 節約(せつやく)できる： save money ～し～し： reason connective 安(やす)くても： even if it is cheap 体(からだ)によくない： not good for your health
⑦ word replacement For example, if ｢Aは減少し続けている｣ in a paragraph, there are another words are used in answers. Such as ｢減って来た｣｢少なくなっている｣｢多くなることはないでしょう｣. Look for another expressions in answers.
⑧ structures Structures of explanatory notes or editorials in Japanese is as follows (1) introduction of the topic (2) concrete examples, facts, data or explanations (3) conclusion, author’s opinion or thouths
Therefore, questions like ｢著者はどう思って／考えているか｣｢著者の言いたいことは何か｣ are in the last part.
⑨ check the source first Author’s name, books title, publishers are written at the end of the paragraph. Read it first, it gives you an idea what it is about.
④pay attention to conjunction For example, “dakara” and “shitagatte” are indicating “causes and reasons”, therefore, in the pattern of “(sentence A) dakara (sentence B)”, sentence A shows causes or reasons and sentence B express result. If you pay attention to conjunction, you will know sentence flows.
⑤do not think too deeply You do not need to understand what it is said 100%. If I would say extreme conclusion, it is ok if you can choose a correct answer even if you do not understand what it is about. Do not spend too much time.
⑥if you against what the write says Sometimes scientific descriptions are easier even if it is written with a lot of difficult words because they are all about the facts. However, it often happens you do not want to agree with what the writer says when you read editorial comments. Never mind even if you feel “why?” or “it sounds not correct” when you read.
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