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Introduction of Japanese Culture |
| Here are some pasasges about Japanese culture written by the 9th grade students of 2011. They wrote it in pairs or three, with the help of the NS, native speaker and a JTE. Each passage is not long, since they only had less than 30 minutes to finish their works. Some of their simple drawings are attached, as well. Sentences in red colors are added by their JTE. |
Festival |
| This is "Hanamaki Matsuri." It's a festival. It's held three days a year. Many people join it. It's very interesting.
This is Hanamaki Festival. It is held for three days every year. Many people visit the festival. People can look at various mikoshi. Do you know Hanamaki festival? It is held early in September. You can see "Mikoshi" and "Dashi." It is powerful and beautiful. You can also eat delicious food. Why don't you go? Hanamaki festival is held in the first weekend of September. "Mikoshi" is a small carriable shrine to be carried by many people in "happi." |
| This is called a happi. It is used when you go to a festival. It is put on when you carry Mikoshi.
It is a thin coat people join festivals usually wear. |
| This is called a "Yukata." It is used when you go to a summer festival. It has many colors. It is very beautiful, don't you think?
"Yukata" is like a light kimono, created from Japanese traditional clothes. |
| July 7 is the Tanabata Festival. We write our wishes on pieces of paper and hang them from a branch of a bamboo. It is very fun, don't you think?
July seventh is "Tanabata." We write our dream on "tanzaku." There are many stars in the sky. We call it "Amanogawa." This is called "Tanabata." It is a star festival in Japan. It is held on July 7th. It is said that "Orihime" and "Hikoboshi" meet on that day every year.
It is said that "Orihime," a princess and "Hikoboshi," a prince, both living apart can see once a year on July 7. We Japanese people make cards with a wish and put them in bamboo branches to pray the wish comes true. |
| This is called "Miyachusai." It's a school festival. In the festival, we have many interesting events. Many people come to see the festival.
It's the name of the school festival of our school, Miyanome JHS, abbreviated as "Miyachu." |
Food/Drink |
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This is called a "chawan." It is used when you eat rice. All Japanese people have "chawan."
It's a rice bowl to eat rice, and it is made of China. Not ALL Japanese people have it, but most of us do. |
| This is called "sushi." Sushi is food. It is made of rice and raw fish. It's very good, don't you think?
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| This is called "wakame." It is loved by many people. Kombu is as loved as wakame, too. Why don't you eat it?
We Japanese people like seaweed. "Wakame" is soft seeweed, and "kombu" is kelp. There are many kinds of seaweed, and these two are popular. |
| This is called "oden." It is food. It's made of different food, like konnyaku, egg, hanpen and so on. It's very delicious.
Hot "oden" is tasty, healthy food to eat. devil's tongue, boiled egg, chikuwa and so on are stabbed by skewers to be heated and served. |
| This is a picture of Onigiri. It is made of rice and nori. We put a pickled plum, salmon and so on inside.
It's called rice balls in English. "Nori" is laver, a kind of seaweed. |
| This is "nihonshu." It's called "sake" in America. Drink it, and you will become happy and crazy. But I don't want to drink it.
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Samurai time |
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| This is a "ninja." He was a spy during the Muromchi era. He had a "ninja sword" and "shuriken." He used magic. It's so convenient.
Muromachi era began in 1338 until Edo era (1601). Ninjas had a special training to protect their boss. |
| There were "samurai" a long time ago. They had "katana." They used it to fight many enemies. Samurai are very cool, don't you think? |
| This is called a "katana." It is used when you fight. It cuts well. It is very cool, don't you think so?
This is called a "katana." It is a Japanese sword. It was used a long time ago in Edo era. The people were called "samurai."
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Others |
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He is called "tennou." He is a symbol of the Japanese people. Once he was the chief of Japan.
"Tennnou" is the Japanese emperor, and now it is a symbol of Japan. |
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They are called "Youkai." Like monsters for Americans. They are stronger than human beings.
Girls drew these "youkai"s. "Youkai" should be scary, but here they're pretty.... |
| This is called a "kotatsu." It is used when it's cold in winter.
It's a leg warmer. A thick blanket covers a low table with a heater inside. A wooden board is set on it, allowing us to study, eat food, or play games. |
| This is called a comic. It is read when you are free.
Japanese "manga" comics are very popular all over the world now, such as Pokemon. |
| This is called a "shamisen." It is used when you play Japanese folk songs.
It is a traditional Japanese musical instrument just like a guitar. We pick three strings of it, with a huge pick called "bachi." |
| Shogi is a traditional Japanese game. It is very popular in Japan. It is very interesting. Why don't you play with us?
It is very similar to chess. 40 wodden flat pieces with Chinese characters written on both sides are used in total. Each piece except King and Gold has a character to be able to change as a Gold. |
| There are many earthquakes In Japan, because there are many plates under Japan.
As you know, a huge earthquake occurred on March 11, 2011. We'll never forget the tragedy, as well as a warm heart of people living all over the world.... |
