Skip to content

Essay

  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0697】World Diabetes Day

Nov 14, 2016 10:21
Today is World Diabetes Day.

Diabetes is a kind of disease that makes blood sugar level rise chronically, and it occurs when insulin which lowers blood sugar level doesn't work.

In reaction to the fact that diabetic patients have increased throughout the world, WHO specified November 14 as World Diabetes Day in 1991.

November 14 is the birthday of Frederick Grant Banting, who discovered insulin.

In this day, various facilities are lighted up blue all over the world, and several events and symposiums related to diabetes are held.

The blue light up comes from the World Diabetes Day's symbol "blue circle."

However, according to a study at Northwestern University published in PLOS ONE in this year, the risk of diabetes might increase by being exposed blue light.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0696】Ton Chin Kan

Nov 13, 2016 15:26
Today, I'd like to talk about the Japanese phrase "ton chin kan."

"Ton chin kan" expresses that things are not consistent, something is irrelevance, or someone is stupid.

For example, you can say something like "don't say ton-chin-kan na koto (irrelevant comments)," or "he is ton-chin-kan (stupid)."

Originally, this word was an onomatopoeic word that represents hammer sounds by blacksmiths.

In a blacksmith shop in the Edo period, a master and a disciple strike with a hammer alternately to make a Japanese sword.

Since different sounds resonate at irregular intervals, the onomatopoeia "ton chin kan" has come to express the above meanings.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0695】Momiji Gari (To View Autumn Leaves)

Nov 12, 2016 13:14
Today, I will talk about the Japanese phrase "momiji gari."

"Momiji" means "autumn leaves," "gari" means "to hunt," and this phrase means to visit mountains for viewing autumn leaves.

"Gari (karu)" was originally used to mean to hunt beasts or birds in fields or mountains.

This meaning expanded, and it came to mean to go to fields or mountains for taking something.

Foe example, you can say something like "kinoko gari" (mushroom hunting) or "ichigo gari" (strawberry hunting).
(I heard that "mushroom hunting" is popular in Europe countries.)

Furthermore, currently "gari" comes to be used for "autumn leaves" to mean "to view autumn leaves."
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0694】Pocky & Pretz Day

Nov 11, 2016 17:10
Today is Pocky & Pretz Day in Japan.

Pretz is a stick-shaped snack that has been sold since 1963 by the Japanese confectionery maker "Ezaki Glico."

Also, pocky is pretz coated with chocolate, and has been sold since 1966.

Since both snacks are long and thin, November 11 (11/11) was established as the anniversary in November 11, Heisei 11 (1999 in the western calendar).

Today, you can find campaigns or events related to these snacks in various stores.

By the way, many other companies and organizations also defined November 11 as a anniversary day.

There are about 30 different specific names, and my favorite one is "Binary Day."
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0693】Abura wo Uru (Sell Oil)

Nov 10, 2016 20:14
Today, I will talk about the Japanese idiom "abura wo uru."

The literal meaning of "abura wo uru" is "to sell oil," and it expresses that someone neglects on his/her work temporarily or has an idle talk.

In the Edo period in Japan, oil sellers chatted with customers for a long time when they sold oil.

Oil has high viscosity, and it took a long time to transfer the oil to customer's container, so oil sellers spent the time talking.

From this fact, to neglect work or to have an idle talk came to be referred to as "abura wo uru."
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0692】"皿" (Plate) and "血" (Blood)

Nov 9, 2016 21:48
Today, I will talk about the derivations of the similar kanji "皿" (which means "plate") and "血" (which means "blood").

The kanji "皿" comes from a hieroglyphic character that symbolizes "plate".

In the kanji "血", the added shape "ノ" on "皿" means a cup of blood, and "血" expresses a plate that contains blood.

In the past in China, it's said that people devoted human's (or animal's) blood poured into a plate to God during festivals.

This is the reason why "plate" and "blood" have the similar kanji.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0691】Zuboshi

Nov 8, 2016 00:01
Today, I will talk about the Japanese word "zuboshi".

Originally, "zuboshi" is the term of Japanese archery, and it shows a black circle in a hoshimato, which is one of archery targets in Japan.

Since archers aim at the center of "zuboshi", it has come to mean "vital point," and come to express "to guess correctly."

For example, you can use "zuboshi" in the following situation:

Man A: "Hey, you like that girl of your classmate, don't you?"

Man B: "No, no no, you you're wro wrong."

Man A: "You look so upset. My guess must be zuboshi (correct), haha."
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0690】Miso wo Tsukeru (Put Miso)

Nov 7, 2016 10:07
Today, I will talk about the Japanese idiom "miso wo tsukeru."

"Miso" is fermented soybean paste, and "miso wo tsukeru" literally means "put miso (on surface of something)."

In addition to the literal meaning, "miso wo tsukeru" can express "to fail in something" or "to lose face."

In the past in Japan, people put miso on burn areas as a private treatment method.

Since burn wounds imply some sort of failure, the phrase "miso wo tsukeru" (put miso on burn areas) came to imply failure too.

Note that this phrase can express the literal meaning like "kyuri ni miso wo tsukeru" (put miso on the cucumber).
  • in Essay
  • 4 min read

【No. 0689】Morning Spiders and Night Spiders

Nov 6, 2016 14:04
In Japan, there is a superstition that is related to spiders like following:

"Let morning spiders get away even if they are your foes, kill night spiders even if they have children."

I was also told something like this superstition when I was child, but I'm not sure the reason.

I found a theory that morning spiders represent visitors and night spiders represent thieves on the Internet, but there is no scientific basis.

In general, house spiders are beneficial insects that eat injurious insects like flies or cockroaches, so I basically don't kill spiders even when I find them at night.
  • in Essay
  • 4 min read

【No. 0688】Ame Futte Ji Katamaru

Nov 5, 2016 21:27
Today, I will talk about the Japanese proverb "ame futte ji katamaru."

The literal meaning of this proverb is "the ground solidifies after a rainfall," and it expresses that a relationship would get better after a conflict or a trouble happened.

If it rains, the ground will become soft, and if the ground dries, it will be more firm than the initial state.

This phenomenon came to be used for human relationships.

There are also similar expressions in English: "After a storm comes a calm" and "After rain comes fair weather."

However, I'm not sure whether or not these English phrases are used mainly for human relationships like "ame futte ji katamaru."
  • in Essay
  • 3 min read

【No. 0687】Nuka ni Kugi (Nail Rice-bran Paste)

Nov 4, 2016 18:55
Today, I will talk about the Japanese proverb "nuka ni kugi."

"Nuka" means "rice-bran paste," "kugi" means "nails", and "nuka ni kugi" is used to express that there is no effect.

For example: Giving a caution to him is nuka ni kugi (meaningless).

This proverb comes from the fact that even if you nail soft rice-bran paste, you can't obtain any effect.

Also, there is another proverb "noren ni udeoshi," which has the same meaning as "nuka ni kugi."

"Noren" means a curtain-like cloth hanging down over an entrance of Japanese stores, and "udeoshi" means an arm wrestling.

Of course, to arm-wrestle with noren is meaningless like nuka ni kugi.
  • in Essay
  • 3 min read

【No. 0686】Culture Day

Nov 3, 2016 13:05
Today (November 3) is Culture Day, which is a national holiday in Japan.

Culture day was established in 1948, and the purpose is to love the peace and liberty and to promote culture.

In Japan, many events will be held today:the award ceremony of Order of Culture by the Emperor at the Imperial Palace, the All Japan Kendo Championships at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, and the exhibition of a full-dress defense ship by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

Some museums and art galleries will open free or held special events.

Also, today is known as a day that the probability of becoming clear skies is high, so I hung my bedding (futon) to dry at my balcony in this morning.

By the way, unfortunately today is not a holiday in my university.
  • in Essay
  • 4 min read

【No. 0685】Teppan (Iron Plate)

Nov 2, 2016 21:06
Today, I will talk about the Japanese slang "teppan".

"Teppan" usually means "a iron plate" literally, but it has also the adjective meaning of "no doubt" or "reliable".

For example, if you say "a teppan joke," it will mean "a joke that surely makes everyone laugh."

The etymology is very simple: a teppan (an iron plate) has an image as solid.

This slang has been used since the mid Showa era (around 50 years ago) among gamblers.

For example, if you say "a teppan race" on a horse racing, it will mean "a race that is almost certain to win (though the payment rate is low)."

In recent year, this slang has rapidly spread to our lives through comedians.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0684】Tanuki Neiri (Sham Sleep)

Nov 1, 2016 20:43
Today, I will talk about the Japanese phrase "tanuki neiri."

"Tanuki" means raccoon dogs, "neiri" means "to sleep," and "tanuki neiri" expresses that someone pretends to fall asleep.

Raccoon dogs are very timid, so if you surprise them, they'll faint for a while.

Also, it has been thought that raccoon dogs can deceive people in Japan.

Therefore, people thought that the faint of raccoon dogs is fake to deceive us, and we came to refer to "sham sleep" as "tanuki neiri" (raccoon dog sleep).

By the way, I heard that the English phrase "fox sleep" means "sham sleep."

Japanese people have thought that foxes can also deceive us like raccoon dogs, so the English phrase is very interesting.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0683】Abekobe

Oct 31, 2016 01:49
Today, I'd like to talk about the Japanese word "abekobe".

"Abekobe" means "opposite" or "reverse", and this has been used since the Edo period.

Example: The world in the mirror is abekobe(opposite) to the actual world.

"A" in "abekobe" means a faraway place ("there" in English, "achira" in Japan), "ko" means a close place ("here" in English, "kochira" in Japan), and "be" means its surroundings.

Originally, "abekobe" was "achirabe kochirabe", but it was abbreviated.

Also, there is another words "achira kochira" and "achikochi" that omit "be" in "achirabe kochirabe."

However, the main meaning is different from "abekobe"; "achira kochira" and "achikochi" means "various places."
  • in Essay
  • 3 min read

【No. 0682】Mago nimo Isho (Clothes Make the Man)

Oct 30, 2016 14:09
Today, I will talk about the proverb "mago nimo isho."

"Mago" means a person who carries people and luggage while leading a horse, and "isho" means dress clothes.
(Currently in Japan, there is almost no people who work as mago.)

This proverb expresses that everyone will look good by wearing dress clothes, even if he/she is a low ranked person like mago.

Note that if you say this proverb to others, it can be rude.

Also, since the reading "mago" can mean "grandchild", some people think that "mago nimo isho" means "any cloth suits a grandchild," but this thought is wrong.
  • in Essay
  • 1 min read

【No. 0681】Hyakubun wa Ikken ni Shikazu (Seeing is Believing)

Oct 29, 2016 15:25
Today, I will talk about the proverb "hyakubun wa ikken ni shikazu."

"Hyakubun" means "to hear something 100 times," "ikken" means "to see something once," and this proverb expresses that you can get better understanding by seeing once than hearing 100 times.

For example, a beautiful scenery is certainly fit the "hyakubun wa ikken ni shikazu."

Currently, this proverb is also used to mean that since hearsay information might be wrong, you should see it for yourself.

In other words, it says that before you believe every word someone says, you should confirm them with your eyes.

By the way, this proverb comes from historical records of the Han Dynasty.
  • in Essay
  • 3 min read

【No. 0680】Appare

Oct 28, 2016 21:54
Today, I will talk about the Japanese word "appare."

"Appare" expresses that something is very respectable or admirable.

Also, it can be used alone like "attaboy" when you praise something excellent.

For example, you can use it something like "teki nagara appare da" (although you are a competitor, you deserve to be praised), or "appare na sigoto buri" (you do an admirable work).

The word "appare" comes from the "aware", which meant strong feelings of sorrow or joy.

Currently, "aware" mainly expresses "sorrow" or "pity", while "appare" expresses "acclaim".

Please be careful not to say "aware" when you praise someone.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0679】Bo ni Furu

Oct 27, 2016 20:32
In the yesterday post, I introduced a phrase "mizu no awa," which means that efforts end in vain.

Today, I'd like to talk about the phrase "bo ni furu," which has the same meaning of "mizu no awa."

The literal meaning of "bo ni furu" is "to swing a pole," and it implies that a merchant walks around to sell goods while shouldering a carrying pole with baskets hung at both ends.

Also, such an act or a merchant was referred to as "boteburi" or "furiuri".

In Japan during the Edo period, boteburi have to sell fish and vegetables until the baskets would empty.

Furthermore, even if all goods were sold, the profits were small.

From this fact, "bo ni furu" comes to mean "efforts end in vain."
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0678】Mizu no Awa (To End in Vain)

Oct 26, 2016 21:50
Today, I will talk about the Japanese idiom "mizu no awa."

"Mizu" means "water", "awa" means "bubble," and "mizu no awa" can express "bubbles that float on a surface of water" literally.

However, in most cases, it is used when you express that your efforts or works end in vain.

For example, when you say "my efforts become mizu no awa (bubbles on water)," it means that your efforts disappear like fleeting bubbles that float on water.

Also, there is another expression "suiho ni kisu," the literal meaning of which is "to return back to bubbles on water."

"Suiho ni kisu" has exactly the same meaning of "mizu no awa," but I think it sounds smarter (this is my personal opinion).