Image Credit: Miki Yoshihito, 2016 [CC BY 2.0] (Flickr)

Here’s one sure way to beat the heat this summer; head to Hokkaido! Just imagine that you’re cooling off in the winter climate, surrounded by all that 雪 (yuki; snow). While you’re there, you go racing down the slopes on your skis, churning up the 粉雪 (kona yuki; powdered snow) as you fly past, enjoying the cool air. You stop at the bottom of the hill and bend to pick up a handful of snow, watching as the fine powder trickles through your fingers. That is さらさら(sara sara), the fine texture of the powdered snow on the ski slopes.

Image Credit: Mark Resch, 2006 [CC BY 2.0] (Flickr)

If you’d rather slow things down, why not try building your own 雪だるま(yuki daruma; snowman)? If you head to a slightly warmer area, you’ll find ぼたん雪(botan yuki). This kind of snow is made up of larger flakes, and clumps together better than 粉雪(kona yuki). Better yet, you can 丸める(marumeru; make round) this snow into a 雪玉(yuki dama; snowball). Just be careful, or you might get caught up in a 雪合戦(yuki gassen; snowball fight)!

あけおめ、ことよろ！(akeome, kotoyoro) is something that you might receive as a text message from your Japanese friend at the start of the year. It is common to 略す(ryakusu; abbreviate) phrases in Japanese by taking a few characters from each word. There are actually two phrases here, the first being あけおめ, or あけましておめでとう (akemashite omedetō; happy New Year’s). This greeting can only be used after New Year’s, to celebrate the beginning of the New Year.

The second is ことよろ, or ことしもよろしく (kotoshimo yoroshiku), a phrase which conveys goodwill for your relationship with someone for the year ahead. Use this to let your Japanese friend know that you want to get along well with them for another year.

You’ll find a lot of these 略語 (ryakugo; abbreviated words) in Japanese, such as パソコン (pasokon), short for パーソナルコンピュータ(pāsonaru konpyūta; personal computer), or the world famous franchise ポケモン(pokemon), short for ポケットモンスター(poketto monsutā; pocket monster). Did you know that 教科書 (kyōkasho; textbook) is actually short for 教科用図書 (kyōka yō tosho)? The more Japanese words you learn, the more abbreviations you’ll discover, so keep an eye out!

Image Credit: Ryan McBride CC BY 2.0 via Flickr

If you’re headed to Japan for the ski season, why not balance out the cold temperatures with a dip in one of Japan’s famous 温泉 (onsen; hot springs)? You might even be able to visit a 露天風呂 (rotenburo; open-air hot spring) and enjoy the refreshing winter air. 温泉(onsen) have been used by Japanese people for hundreds of years, not only for washing, but also as a communal place for いやし(iyashi; healing relaxation). As a result there is a unique エチケット (echiketto; ettiquette) to be mindful of if you visit one. That’s why this month, we are talking about 温泉の入り方 (onsen no hairikata; how to enter hot springs)

The 温泉 (onsen) is a shared public space, so it is important to be respectful of others. Be sure to greet other patrons and wash your body at the 洗い場 (araiba; washing space) before approaching the 浴槽 (yokusō or 湯船 (yubune); bath), to ensure that the water stays clean. Before 入浴(nyūyoku; entering the water), you should perform 掛け湯 (kakeyu) by using a bucket to rinse your body with hot water. Be sure to get rid of all traces of soap on your body, and use this chance to adjust to the water temperature.

Image Credit: Ryan McBride CC BY 2.0 via Flickr

In Japan it is not considered 恥ずかしい (hazukashī; embarrassing) to enter the 温泉(onsen) naked. However, you often see people wearing a タオル (taoru; towel) in Japanese TV shows, even 入浴中 (nyūyokuchū; while in the bath). This is only for entertainment purposes, so please leave your towel outside of the bath, to keep lint from entering the water.

Visiting an 温泉 (onsen) is very relaxing and you should enjoy it, but please be careful of 湯あたり (yuatari; bath dizziness) and don’t stay in too long. We hope that you’ll enjoy visiting 温泉!

You may have already heard of the word おもてなし (omotenashi; hospitality), as its popularity has increased since becoming a keyword in the bid for the 2020 東京オリンピック (tōkyō orinpikku; Tokyo Olympics). The true meaning of おもてなし stretches beyond the simple meaning of its English translation. It is an underlying part of Japanese culture, said to originate from 茶道 (sadō; tea ceremony). During tea ceremony, the host aims to もてなす(motenasu; entertain) their guests. The host will try to anticipate and meet their guests’ every need, without expecting anything in return.

You may have experienced this hospitality already when walking into a Japanese store and hearing a chorus of いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase; welcome), or when the cashier carefully gives your card back with both hands. In Japanese, customers and guests are both referred to as お客さん(okyaku-san), which is a sign of how well customers are treated. Of course, you don’t need to work in a Japaneseコンビニ (konbini; convenience store) to practice おもてなし, you can do it any time to make someone feel welcome.

If you’d like to know more about おもてなし, you can come along to our upcoming 水引(mizuhiki; decorative paper cord) workshop in November, where you can explore the spirit of おもてなし together with the Japanese customs of gift-giving. Click here to join the workshop.

Image Credit: Tommy C. CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr

Is anison a new Japanese word? As you may have guessed, anison is a compound word derived from アニメ (anime) and ソング (songu; song), and has been a growing trend in the J-Pop music scene for two decades. A large number of アニソン (anison) titles either originated from or are featured in Japanese anime.

Perhaps the 21st century will soon be defined as the height of アニソン in J-Pop history. キャラソン (kyara-son; character song) song by 劇中アイドル (gekichuu aidoru; anime idols) in アイドルアニメ (aidoru anime; idols anime) are frequently sung during Japanese pop song TV shows, and anison are often listed on Japan’s mainstream music ヒットチャート (hitto chaato; charts). Today, audiences fill up the 日本武道館 (Nippon budookan), a famous Tokyo concert hall, for live performances of anison by 声優 アーティスト(seiyuu aathisuto; voice actor artist).

If you’d like to enjoy this Japanese trend, simply round up some friends and head over to your nearest カラオケ(karaoke). During your next visit to Japan, you can also try going to a 夏フェス (natsu fesu; summer festival), where you could meet anison artists.

This month, we’re continuing the theme of 仏教 (bukkyō; Buddhism) related articles. Have you ever wondered how a Buddhist might pay their respects to Buddha?

One answer is 声明 (shōmyō; chanting). This is just one of many Buddhist practices, and is sometimes performed in front of a 仏壇 (butsudan; Buddhist altar). The practice is just a little bit musical, with the 声明 varying in pitch and rhythm. Usually the chanting is a reading of お経 (okyō; sutras), which are Buddhist scriptures.

However, what if your voice was tired, or you wanted to pay your respects quietly? Why, simply try a spot of 写経 (shakyō; hand-copying sutras) instead! 写経 involves carefully copying お経 by hand, paying attention to your 習字(shūji; calligraphy). This calming activity is a form of meditation.

If you’re interested in knowing more about 仏教 and trying some of these activities yourself, be sure to sign up for our next culture workshop here!


Images: © Kyoto Tourism Council

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Every year in Japan around August 13-16, most people head back to their 実家 (jikka; parents’ home) and gather with their families to honour the spirits of their ancestors. This is a custom from 仏教 (bukkyou; Buddhism) called お盆 (obon).

お盆 begins with a 迎え火 (mukaebi; welcome fire) and 提灯 (chouchin; lanterns) being lit to guide spirits back to their homes. お墓参り(ohaka mairi; visiting and cleaning your ancestors’ graves) takes place, 盆踊り (bon odori; a dance to welcome and honour the spirits) is performed, and offerings of food and drinks are laid at the 仏壇 (butsudan; Buddhist altars).

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The word お盆 can also refer to the food trays on which such offerings or dishes are placed. Finally, お盆 comes to an end with an 送り火 (okuribi; fire to see off the spirits) and lanterns being lit once again, this time to send the spirits back to the world of the dead.

お盆 is one of the most important events during the year in Japan. With many people travelling home, the roads and public transport get incredibly packed, and often smaller shops close during this お盆休み (obon yasumi; obon holiday) period – something to keep in mind if you’re about to head over for a holiday.