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【No. 0504】Pension

May 5, 2016 10:32
I stayed in a pension the day before yesterday.

However, the meaning of "pension" is normally "money that is paid regularly as a retirement benefit," so it might be difficult to convey the meaning of the above sentence to English speakers.

"Pension" is the loanword from French.

In European countries, since pensioners have used their vacant rooms as student dormitories or boarding hostels, they refer "relatively inexpensive accommodation" as "pension."

In Japan, we also call "accommodation" "pension," but in general, it is Western-style.

Also, pensions in Japan are located in resort areas or sightseeing spots, and the room rates aren't inexpensive very much.

This seems to correspond to "B&B (bed and breakfast)" in the US and the UK, though we can eat both dinner and breakfast in most cases in Japan.

【No. 0499】Shoe Sore

Apr 30, 2016 16:30
Today, I walked a very long distance.

Unfortunately, since I wore unfamiliar shoes, I got a blister.

My skin was barked, and it hurts.

If you ignore your shoe sore, your foot may become arteriosclerosis obliterans.

Furthermore, if you ignore the symptom, there is a risk that causes a myocardial infarction and a stroke.

Therefore, you should wear shoes that fits your feet, and walk with a correct posture.

By the way, since your feet become slightly swollen in the evening, it's better to choose your shoes based on your evening feet.
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【No. 0497】Upside Down Rainbows

Apr 28, 2016 14:16
Today, I will to talk about upside down rainbows.

The upside down rainbow is a phenomenon that you can see an upside down rainbow.

Scientifically, it's referred to as a circumzenithal arc.

This rainbow forms an arc centered at the zenith above the sun, and the colors of the sun side is red, and the zenith side is blue.

It occurs when sunlight is refracted by grains of ice.

However, various conditions are needed, such as, the sun altitude is 32 degrees or less, there are hexagonal plate shaped ice crystals in clouds, the ice crystals maintain a horizontal posture, and winds are weak.

It's difficult to meet conditions, but I'd like to watch it someday.
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【No. 0496】Recorder

Apr 27, 2016 21:13
Today, I will talk about a musical instrument, recorder.

The recorder is an wind instrument that generates sounds by resonance of the air.

It is said that this instrument is the origin of all wind instruments, and was originally a tool to teach songs to birds.

Actually, almost all of the Japanese people have a practical experience about recorders.

This is because we use our own recorders at music classes in most Japanese elementary and junior high schools.

There are some reasons to use recorders, such as, it's easy to treat with small hands, easy to carry, durable, and inexpensive.

By the way, I learned how to use xylophones and harps in addition to recorders when I was a junior high school student.

I heard that many other countries don't use instruments in music classes very much, but I'm not sure whether or not it's true.
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【No. 0495】Features of Successful Men

Apr 26, 2016 20:48
Today, I will talk about features of successful men.

According to the study of Texas University, business managers who have low voice tend to earn much higher wages, and there seem to be many assets in their companies.

According to the study of New York University, men who are below average in height tend to earn much money, and their divorce rates tend to low.

According to the study of Texas University, people whose first sex ages are over twenty tend to receive higher education, and their incomes tend to be higher, compare to other people.

Also, according to the British psychologists, high income men seem to have a leaning toward small tits.

If you meet all of these conditions, you might have potential of rich.
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【No. 0492】iPhone in a Bathroom

Apr 23, 2016 14:42
After I moved to my new apartment, I came to immerse in a hot bath frequently.

Since I have to use a large amount of water to prepare a bath, I want to soak in the bath for a long time, but it's a little bit boring.

Therefore, I came to bring my iPhone in a ziplock to the bath, and enjoy dramas.

If you close the zipper of the ziplock, it will become waterproof, and you can touch the screen through the ziplock.

However, when you go out of the bath, condensation could occur within the ziplock.

In order to prevent the condensation, it's recommended to suck out the air in the ziplock by using a straw.
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【No. 0491】Takenoko Nyokki

Apr 22, 2016 21:46
Today, I will talk about the game "takenoko nyokki," which had been played in a Japanese TV program.

"Takenoko" means a bamboo shoot, and "nyokki" is an onomatopoeic word that represents a growth.

(Yesterday, I talked about "gnocchi," but its reading in Japan is completely the same as the reading of "nyokki.")

This game is normally played by around six persons, and it begins with a call "takenoko, takenoko, nyokkikki!" while joining their palms.

After that, players declare "1 nyokki!" "2 nyokki!" in order while raising their hands.

The declaration order is not determined, but if more than one person declare the same number, all of them will get defeated.

In addition, the last person who didn't declare will also get defeated.

Although this is a simple game, it's psychological and difficult to win.
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【No. 0490】Gnocchi

Apr 21, 2016 14:44
Today, I will talk about gnocchi.

Gnocchi is a type of pasta, and is a traditional Italian dish.

It had been cooked by using only flour, but nowadays, it's cooked by combining flour and potatoes.

Also, I heard that people eat gnocchi on Thursday in Italy.

Since there was a Christian rule that prohibits Christians from eating meat on Friday, they came to eat very filling dishes, and the dish became mainly gnocchi.

By the way, "gnocchi" is the plural, and the singular form is "gnocco."

Actually, what I just wanted to say today is the last sentence.
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【No. 0489】Geko

Apr 20, 2016 13:17
Today, I will talk about the Japanese word "geko."

Originally, this word expressed the lowest rank people in the ancient Japanese political system (Ritsuryosei), which divides social statuses into four ranks.

In wedding ceremonies in those days, the highest rank people (joko) drank 8 sho (14.4 liters) of alcohol, while the lowest rank people (geko) drank 2 sho (3.2 liters) of alcohol.

From this fact, the word "geko" came to mean a person who can't drink alcohol constitutionally.

As you can see from the etymology, this word contains meanings of discriminations and insults.

Therefore, you must be careful to use this word because it may be impolite.

There is no problem in cases that you use the word to refer to yourself.
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【No. 0488】Photic Sneeze Reflex

Apr 19, 2016 21:02
Some people will sneeze when they see a bright light like sunlight or a fluorescent light.

I think there are also many people who try to sneeze by watching sunlight when they almost sneezed.

This phenomenon is called "photic sneeze reflex."

Because of light stimuli, some people tend to sneeze when they feel bright.

Approximately one in four people have this symptom, and it's believed that trigeminal nerve is greatly related to this.

Also, statistically, it's thought that the photic sneeze reflex is inherited as a dominant trait.

However, the medical evidence hasn't been clear.
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【No. 0487】Moles

Apr 18, 2016 20:15
Today, I will talk about moles.

Basically, moles dig a tunnel in the soil and live in there.

Since there is almost no sunlight in the soil, moles' eyesight have atrophied, and they can see almost nothing.

Instead, since their senses of smell and hearing have evolved, they can figure objects ' shape out by smells and sounds.

Also, since moles are a big eater, they seem to starve to death if they don't eat anything for twelve hours.

By the way, its said that the moles digging speed is similar to the speed of snails.

I feel that their lives are tough.
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【No. 0486】Japanese Phrases Derived from Katana

Apr 17, 2016 16:57
There are many Japanese phrases that were derived from Katana.

Today, I will talk about two phrases of them.

・Moto no saya ni osamaru (katana is sheathed) ･･･ to get back together.

Once you unsheathe katana, it's difficult to fit other scabbards, but it's easy to fit the original scabbard.

For this reason, the phrase was born.

・Nukiuchi ･･･ to conduct something suddenly without any advance notice.

Originally, nukiuchi meant to unsheathe katana and cut someone simultaneously.

However, this phrase came to be used in various situations.

For example, we refer to a test that is conducted without notice as "nukiuchi test."
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【No. 0485】Sweetness of Onions

Apr 16, 2016 15:20
Today, I will talk about onions.

Onions is the most sweet vegetable in the world, which includes fructose, glucose and sucrose.

However, since allyl sulfide included in onions is too strong pungent component, you will feel that raw onions are gingery.

Allyl sulfide is highly volatile, and this will be reason to cry when you cut onions.

Also, if you heat allyl sulfide, it will become propyl mercaptan, which has a high sugar content.

Although propyl mercaptan has fewer calories, it's said that the sweetness is 50 times as sweet as sugar.

Onions are an excellent ingredient that is delicious and nutritious if you cook it properly.
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【No. 0484】Stones of Sea Otters

Apr 15, 2016 18:19
Today, I will talk about sea otters.

Although sea otters have a big appetite, they can't swim quickly, so they live on shellfish.

When sea otters eat shellfish, they slam it into a stone that is placed on their stomach.

Actually, sea otters are an only animal that uses tools except for primates.

Also, sea otters are very particular about stones.

In fact, after they decide their favorite stones, they will continue to use them.

In addition, they sometimes boast to other sea otters about their stones.

Basically, they store their stones in their sagging armpits, but some sea otters seem to store in specific places.

By the way, sea otters look very cute, but their sexual appetites seem to be very strong.
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【No. 0483】Orange Day

Apr 14, 2016 22:26
I didn't know it, but today, April 14th seems to be Orange Day.

This day was established by citrus farmers of Ehime Prefecture in 1994, and it's a third round of love anniversary, following Valentine's Day and White Day.

The reason why the name is Orange Day is because the flower language of an orange is "a pleasure of a bride."

Also, it's not popular at all, but today seems to be "Friendly Day" and "Partner Day" too.

By the way, today has been established as "Black Day" in Korea.

People who couldn't get boyfriends/girlfriends in both of Valentine's Day and White Day seem to comfort each other the Black Day.
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【No. 0480】Sazae-san [Part 2]

Apr 11, 2016 08:18
Today, I will finish yesterday's entry.

The Japanese national animation "Sazae-san" is broadcasted in the evening every Sunday.

Some Japanese people become depressed after watching Sazae-san, because they have to go to school/work next day.

This symptom is sometimes called "Sazae-san syndrome," which is similar to "Blue Monday Syndrome."

Also, it is said that you can predict changes of Japanese economy by observing the viewer ratings of Sazae-san.

This is because if the economy improve, people will go to eat outside the home on Sunday evenings, and the viewer ratings of Sazae-san will drop.

To tell you the truth, I don't think that this animation is very fun, but you can see it with a light heart.

If you come to Japan, please be sure to watch it.
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【No. 0479】Sazae-san [Part 1]

Apr 10, 2016 12:00
Today, I will talk about the Japanese national animation "Sazae-san."

Sazae-san has been broadcasted since 1969, and this year is 46th anniversary.

The number of broadcasts and episodes exceed 2350 and 7000, respectively.

Sazae-san entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running animated TV series.

Sazae-san is one of slice-of-life anime, and the characteristic is to do rock-paper-scissors at the end of the broadcast.

Also, any DVDs of Sazae-san haven't been released with the author's wishes.

Therefore, there are many episodes that we can't watch again.

Continue to Part 2.
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【No. 0478】Tenki-Ame (Sunny Rain)

Apr 9, 2016 11:26
Yesterday, I talked about the etymology of "kitsune-no-yomeiri (rain when the sun is shining)."

This phenomenon is officially expressed as "tenki-ame" or "hideri-ame" in Japan ("tenki" and "hideri" mean "sunny," and "ame" means "rain").

Today, I will explain the scientific occurrence reasons of the tenki-ame.

The conditions are able to be divided into two major cases.

One is that rain clouds dissipate before raindrops reach the ground.

If the clouds are convective clouds, since it tends to dissipate after the rainfall, it's easy to become tenki-ame.

Another one is that rains come from a long distance by strong crosswinds.

This phenomenon is often found in mountainous areas.

Also, since sunlight will hit raindrops during the tenki-ame, you will be easier to find rainbows.
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【No. 0477】Kitsune-no-yomeiri (Fox Wedding)

Apr 8, 2016 16:11
Yesterday, I introduced the phrase "kitsune-no-yomeiri (fox's wedding)," which means a rain when the sun is shining.

Today, I will talk about this phrase.

Originally, the "kitsune-no-yomeiri" expresses a weird traditional event in Japan.

In this event, we visit a mountain and make a lantern procession in the night.

Since this scene looks like a Japanese traditional wedding by foxes, we call it "kitsune-no-yomeiri (fox's wedding)."

Also, since a rain when the sun is shining is weird as with the fox's wedding, we call the rain "kitsune-no-yomeiri" too.

I heard that some regions in several countries such as the UK and Brazil also refer the rain as "fox's wedding."

By the way, other countries often refer the rain using other animals.

For example, it's called "monkey's wedding" in Africa, and "mouse's wedding" in Arab countries.
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【No. 0476】Rain in Japan

Apr 7, 2016 19:07
It rained today.

In Japan, there are many variety names that express rain.

Today, I will talk about some representative ones among them.

Harusame (spring rain) ･･･ A drizzle of early springtime.

Tsuyu (rain of molds) ･･･ A period of long rainy season from June to July.

Yudachi (evening shower) ･･･ A heavy rain in the evening in summer.

Akisame (autumn rain) ･･･ A rain in a long period of time from late August to October.

Shigure (time rain) ･･･ A rain in a short period of time from autumn to winter.

Niwaka-ame (instant rain) ･･･ A rain that comes suddenly and stops in a minute.

Kitune-no-yomeiri (fox's wedding) ･･･ A shower when the sun is shining.

By the way, there are also many wind names in Japan.