Little Japan Dictionary

断捨離 (Danshari)

22nd May –皐月

断捨離 (Danshari) is the new mindset of cleaning, consists of 3 processes:

断 (Dan) – stop buying stuff which is not necessary

捨 (Sha) – throw away the things which are no longer used at home

離 (Ri) – stop the obsession toward things / buying

This mindset was established by Mrs. Hideko Yamashita. She said that in order to live comfortably, the house need to have enough space. Therefore, conducting 断捨離 can make the life at home comfortable.

Nowadays in Japan, more and more people think less things at home is a virtue and aiming to become ミニマリスト (Minimalist). However, it is also true that Japanese are famous for keeping many things at home. Even the actual size of land for each houses are small, many Japanese know how to storage things well.

On the other hand, the houses where keeps way too many things at home, called ゴミ屋敷 (Gomiyashiki) or 汚部屋 (Oheya) has been a huge problem in Japan.

Those houses causes pests, terrible smells from the garbage and arson incidents. Therefore, people who live in ゴミ屋敷 need to conduct 断捨離.

Are you interested in doing 断捨離? Here is the method:

1. Taking all the stuff out and find out what you have at home.

2. Classify the items into “things you use” and “things you don’t use”. If you can’t decide, put them in “things you don’t use”.

3. Throw the things you don’t use. *Do not hesitate!

4. Put the things you use back in the storage.

One research found that the percentage of people who regret after 断捨離 was about 15%, so most people are satisfied.

Many people are now forced to stay at home those days. Why don’t you try 断捨離 in this perfect time?:)

居酒屋 (Izakaya) – Japanese pub

21st May – 皐月

Have you ever heard of Izakaya? It’s a type of Japanese pub where you can have alcohol and food. It opens in the evening and many of them opens till midnight, some places open till morning.

Izakaya has many foods which cost around hundreds yen up to thousands yen per plate. In most cases, alcohol costs at least about 400 yen. As each menu is cheap and small, people order variety of foods from the menu.

This is pretty common drinking place, people go not only with friends but also often with coworkers. In Japan, it is normal go for a drink with boss, upper positioned people to keep a good relationship in the work place.

In case when you get a chance to go to Izakaya, I would like to introduce Izakaya rules, mainly with workmates!

-where you seat does matter.

When you are escorted to the seats / room, the seat position implies who are upper and lower position in work place – Generally, the further the seats are from the door, the higher the person’s position is. Thus, the lowest position (newbies) have seats close to the door. For the long table, boss should take a seat in the middle area. If the room is 和室 (Washitsu = Japanese style room with Tatami, some ornaments in 床の間(Tokonoma = alcove)), Boss should take a seat in front of Tokonoma. Where boss takes seat is called 上座 (Kamiza), close from the door area is called 下座 (Shimoza).

-お通し (Oto-shi)

Before ordering any food, waiter / waitress brings food which nobody asked for. This is called お通し(Oto-shi). The purpose of this food is to fill in the time until the ordered food comes. Normally in Izakaya, people order drinks first and drink will come quick but food does not. Therefore, お通し is a snack for the first drink. In most case, お通し will be charged and it costs about 300 to 500 yen. Some places take this as seat charge, so be ready for it!

-do not drink or eat until 乾杯 (Kanpai)

Even your drink comes before everybody, you have to wait until everybody gets drinks. After 乾杯 (Kanpai = cheers), you can finally enjoy drinking and eating!

For Japanese culture, if other people’s glass is empty, you should encourage the person to drink (You can reject the drinks if you do not want anymore). This poring alcohol for others is peculiar culture in Japan, called お酌文化 (Oshaku Bunka). Furthermore, if you pour drink by yourself, it means you think others are inconsiderate, therefore maybe it is better to wait till others recommend you! When other person pour the drink for you, you should hold the glass with both hands.

-3 types of payment

There are 3 different situation for paying the bill after Izakaya drinking with coworkers:

1. Higher position people pay for all = 奢り　(Ogori)

2. Higher position people pay more amount than others. 傾斜配分 (Keisha Haibun)

3. Everybody pay the same amount = 割り勘 (Warikan)

Any situation, it is a manner to show the attitude of willing to pay, so at least taking a wallet from the bag is better. If not doing it, probably the higher position people would think about you as impudent person!

Recently, I have heard that there are some scamming Izakaya where deceive foreigners to charge more than Japanese customers. Therefore, it is better to check the reviews when you choose where to go!

日本食事マナー (Nihon Shokuji Manner) – Japanese eating Manner

20th May – 皐月

When you visit Japan, you might be fascinated by the variety of food you can eat there. While there are many food options, I would recommend you to try the actual Japanese food (和食 = Washoku).

If you have a chance to try 和食, there are several rules / manners you should follow;

1. Put your palms together and say いただきます (Itadakimasu) before eating, ごちそうさまでした (Gochisousamadeshita) after eating.

This is the appreciation toward the animals and plants to become food for us, and also gratitude for people who are involved in making food for us ( planting, transporting, selling, cooking etc).

2. おしぼり (Oshibori) is only for wiping hands.

Before foods come, you will be handed towels or wet wipes called おしぼり. This wet towels are only for wiping hands, not for mouth, face or table.

3. Lift the bowls up for eating.

For the お茶碗(Ochawan) お椀 (Owan) = bowls, you have to lift them up when you eat. Not lifting them is breaching manner.

4. Do not rest elbows on the table while eating.

5. Eat the food with light taste to stronger taste.

Eating stronger taste first can ruin the other lighter taste food. Normally starting from soups in order to drink it while warm.

6. Do not put the half-eaten food on the plate.

You should cut the food into small pieces by chopsticks, so you don’t need to show the half-eaten food to others.

7. Make sounds while drinking hot drinks / soups.

Unlikely to other culture, making sounds for hot drinks / soups are considered as good manner in Japan. (Green tea, ramen, miso soup etc).

8. Of course using chopsticks correctly is important!

刺し箸 (Sashi bashi) – stabbing food with chopsticks

寄せ箸 (Yose bashi) – bringing plates near by using chopsticks

迷い箸 (Mayoi bashi) – choosing what to eat with chopsticks “which one should I eat~~~?” Pointing foods

Those are considered as bad manner so it is better not to do it.

Seems like many rules to follow, hope you can remember those manners:)

Extra info: 和食 has fixed positions for each dishes. In many case, 和食 consist of 一汁三菜 (Ichijuu Sansai) – one soup, three sides. The positions are following:

主食 (shushoku) rice: left-front

汁物 (Shirumono) soup: right-front

主菜 (Shusai) main side dish: right-back

1 副菜 (Fukusai) pickled veggies, veggies: middle

2 副菜 (Fukusai) salad, boiled food: left-back

JKの流行り (JK no Hayari) – Trend in Japanese high school girls

19th May – 皐月

JK stands for 女子高校生 (Joshi Koukousei), which means high school girls. They are very conscious about the latest trend and even create the new cultures / trends.

In addition, JS is the abbreviation of 女子小学生 (Joshi Shougakusei) = Elementary school girls, JC stands for 女子中学生 (Joshi Chuugakusei)= Junior high school girls, JD as 女子大学生 (Joshi Daigakusei)=University female students.

One Japanese Marketing company did a research about the JK’s coming new trends for 2020. Here are some of the predictions:

-チャイボーグ (Chaibo-gu)

After the huge trend on Korean style makeup オルチャンメイク (Oruchan Meiku) among JK, now another makeup style is called チャイボーグ (Chaibo-gu) – this is the combined words of Chinese and cyborg, meaning of the perfect beautiful Chinese lady style. Since the late 2019, the how-to videos of チャイボーグ has been increased and many JK mimic the style.

-ピープス (Pi-pusu)

This has often used as a hashtag on Instagram, signify the new street fashion. This style is themed as ‘sick / illness’ and is called 病み系 (Yami kei) – Red lips and eye shadow, super white skin and wearing black clothes. Yami kei style use Yami retouching for photos, by using darker filters. For Instagram photos, there are many bright and happy color photos everywhere, however more and more ピープス style photos have posted by JK nowadays.

赤ちゃんのための行事 (Akachan no tame no Gyouji) – Events for babies

18th May – 皐月

Following the yesterday’s blog お食い初め (Okuizome = the very first food that baby eats), today’s blog is also about babies’ events that is held for the first 1 months they are born.

お七夜 (Oshichiya)

The celebration feast event for the new born baby. It is held 7 days after baby is born (counting from the day after they are born. eg: when baby is born on 18th May, Oshichiya is held on 25th May). Gathering relatives and grandparents and announce the baby’s official name. This announcement is called 命名式 (Meimeishiki) and write baby’s name on the paper and put on the house shrine altar. When the mother gets well after giving birth (床上げ = Tokoage), family will take the paper off from there.

The first week of babies’ birth was the hardest part of life or death for babies and mothers in the old times, as that time there were poor medical systems in Japan. Therefore, Oshichiya was such a huge cerebration day for Japanese and this tradition is still inherited nowadays.

お宮参り (Omiyamairi)

Going to the shrine to wish for the babies’ health. This event is normally held a month after the birth – strictly speaking, if the baby is a boy, 31st and 32nd for a girl after their birth. The shrine is chosen based on the closest one where baby was born, and father side grandparents traditionally come for this event (However, nowadays it does not matter which side of grandparents come).

While many people visit shrine to individually wish for the baby, there are another way to conduct Omiyamairi – ask for priest to do purification and recite ritual prayer. In this case, family have to reserve the time and pay certain amount of money as honorarium. Either way, people tell the god about the baby’s birth and ask for the protection from god.

お食い初め (Okuizome)

17th May – 皐月

お食い初め(Okuizome) is for the new born children to cerebrate their first food they eat.

Okuizome is held around 100 – 120 days after the baby was born, it’s around the time when milk teeth come out. But of course at this age, babies cannot eat foods that adult eat, thus parents / grand parents just pretend to give the food using chopsticks for this ritual. By doing so, family wish for the baby’s health and hope he / she will never suffer from hunger.

The general menu for Okuizome can be 一汁三菜 (Ichijuu Sansai) Style = one soup with 3 side dishes. Often case can be:

-お頭付き魚 (Okashira Tsuki Sakana) fish with head

-赤飯(Sekihan) steamed rice with red beans

-煮物 (Nimono) boiled food

-吸い物 (Suimono) clear broth soup

This ritual has been done since Heian period and still exist nowadays! In Heian period they used rice cake instead of those foods. In old time, due to malnutrition and unsanitary condition, it was harder for babies to survive compare to now. Therefore, people in the past tend to believe wishing for certain circumstances at the point of lifetimes, especially younger age.

還暦祝い(Kanreki Iwai) – 60years old cerebration

16th May – 皐月

Japanese culture has special cerebration for turning point of years. One of the big cerebration can be 成人式 (Seijinshiki = 20years old) and 還暦祝い (Kanreki Iwai) for 60 years old.

For 還暦祝い, traditionally people who turned 60 years old wear red hat and vest. However, nowadays, this custom is vanishing and instead of that, people give red items to the person who turned 60 years old. But why red?

In Japan, there are special almanac called 十干十二支 (Jikkan Juunishi) and it takes 60 years to go through all the almanac years. When people become 60 years old, the year returns to the same one as the born year. For babies, they are given red clothes – this is because red is considered as the color of talisman protecting from evils, and also avoid from sickness. Therefore, red is the special color for 60 years old too.

In the past, living until 60years old was such a big deal, and considered as long life not like nowadays. Also, Japan used to use 数え年 (Kazoe Doshi) which counts as 1 years old from when people are born (and every New Year’s Day, all people get older). Thus people back then used to cerebrate Kanreki at 61 years old.

After 60 years old, there are still special cerebration ages:

古希 (Koki) – 70 years old

喜寿 (Kiju) – 77 years old

70th special color is purple

傘寿 (Sanju) – 80 years old

米寿 (Beiju) – 88 years old

80th special color is yellow-brown (gold)

卒寿 (Sotsuju) – 90 years old

白寿 (Hakuju) – 99 years old

90th special color is White

百寿 (Hyakuju / Momoju) – 100 years old

Hope we can cerebrate 百寿!:)

日本語言い回し (Nihongo Iimawashi) – Japanese word expressions

15th May – 皐月

In the most of languages, there are unique expressions (wording) that non-native speakers cannot understand at first. Something like sentences that do not mean the actual wordings but create other meanings. Today’s theme is Japanese ことわざ (Kotowaza=proverbs) you can use in the normal conversations.

-へそで茶を沸かす Heso de cha wo wakasu

= Boiling tea on the bellybutton

Meaning: very foolish, things that are impossible to do

Eg: 泳いでアメリカに行くなんて、へそで茶を沸かすようなものだ。(Oyoide Amerika ni Ikunante, Heso de Cha wo Wakasu Youna Monoda) = going to America by swimming is such a foolish idea

-三日坊主 Mikka Bouzu

=Skin head for 3days

Meaning: get bored easily, quit within 3days

Eg: 朝の運動は、三日坊主で終わった。( Asa no Undou wa, Mikka Bouzu de Owatta) = Morning exercise habit did not last for long.

-臭いものに蓋をする Kusai Mono ni Futa wo Suru

=Put the lid to the smelly thing

Meaning: temporarily concealing disgraceful behavior and the things that are inconvenient for oneself.

Eg: 日本の政治家はいつも臭いものに蓋をする。( Nihon no Seijika wa, Itsumo Kusai Mono ni Futa wo Suru)= Japanese politicians always hide things that are inconvenient for them.

琴線に触れる Kinsen ni Fureru

=Touching the harp strings

Meaning: reacting to a little thing. Very touching.

Eg: 彼の演奏は琴線に触れるものだった。(Kare no Ensou wa Kinsen ni Fureru Mono datta) = his playing was very touching.

There are heaps interesting proverbs existing in Japan. I would like to introduce more of them in the coming blogs:)

日本プラスチック問題 (Nihon Pulasuchick Mondai) – Japanese Plastic Problem

14th May – 皐月

The shameful fact is that Japan creates second worst country where creates huge amount of plastic wastes.

It was reported that annual number of plastic bags used by Japanese is 300~450 per person. Moreover, each year 183 plastic bottles are used per person in Japan, calculated by the total amount of plastic bottle wastes.

Behind this fact, there are several ironical reasons that can be related to this problem. For instance;

-過剰包装 (Kajou Housou) – Overwrapping

Because Japanese are relatively sensitive for the safety and cleanliness, many of the products from Japan is overwrapped. Even just for small snacks to the vegetables, everything comes with plastic wrappings (However micro plastic can harm people so Japan should consider about this problem too…). It is understandable why Japan is one of the worst countries where produce huge amount of plastic wastes!

-レジ袋 (Leji Bukuro) – Plastic shopping bags

There are still many shops where offer plastic bags for free in Japan. Some shops charge fees for plastic bags but still places such as convenience stores, drug stores etc gives them as free. Most likely, customers think it is of course natural to get the bags each time (even for only one small thing they bought!) therefore not offering bags can be considered to be bad customer service. Without saying ‘I do not need a bag’, the workers will give the plastic bags without hesitation.

There are waste separation boxes in some places so people does try to recycle plastics. However, most of those separated plastics are burned to use as a energy so it generates another issues of air pollution. Remaking new plastic products from the plastic wastes costs a lot money, thus only few percents are recycled to be reused in Japan.

Having an interest toward this issue is the only way to reduce the amount of plastic wastes, I believe. Plastic wastes not only harm animals and nature but also will impact humans in the end (eg: eating micro plastic effected fishes will cause illness to men). It is hard to change the lifestyle at once, but just a small steps by each of us, something like bringing own bags, can save the world and keep the earth to a little healthy.

日本の天然記念動物 (Nihon no Tennen Kinen Doubutsu) – Japanese Natural Monument Animals

13th May – 皐月

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:Nihonkamoshika-akita.JPG

-カモシカ (Kamoshika)

As it has the name ‘Shika’, some people might have thought it is related to deer. However it is actually species related to cows. Kamoshika lives in the steep mountains. Due to the extinction of ニホンオオカミ (Nihon Ookami = Japanese wolf), Kamoshika increased its numbers, but because of the deforestation it has been losing the number. Kamoshika does not attack people so if you see them on the mountain, do not panic!

-奈良の鹿 (Nara no Shika)

Famous deer on the street in Nara is also specified as a natural monument. Those dears are believed to be the servant of the god therefore they have been treated carefully and preciously taken care of.

-マリモ　(Marimo)

Only exists in one Hokkaido lake, 阿寒湖 (Akan ko). It has a round shape and looks like a plants under the water. Marimo is formed with strings of alga, when many of them are intertwined, this round and hard shape is made. They prefer the area where has a lot sunlight. It is said that when Marimo becomes 6 cm, it takes about 150 to 200 years. One biggest Marimo was recorded as 30 cm .

-イリオモテヤマネコ (Iriomote Yamaneko)

As the name shows, the wild cat イリオモテヤマネコ only exist in Iriomote island, Okinawa.They are believed to have come from China in ancient time. They live in beach, forest, mountains etc so pretty much everywhere in that island.

Let’s keep the beautiful nature and live in the same earth for many years!