New Year – Learning English and Japanese

Toru Jan 20, 2024Jan 23, 2024 greeting card, Japanese culture, kanchū mimai, mochū hagaki, mourning, nengajō, New Year, postcard, ritual

Mo ni Fukusu (喪に服す – Mourning): Part 2

Mo ni Fukusu: Part 2 喪に服す Part 2 During the period of mo ni fukusu (喪に服す – “mourning”), there are Read More

Animal Culture Diary Essay Japanese tradition Science Uncorrected

Toru Dec 24, 2023Jan 01, 2024 dragon, fractal, greeting card, mathematical formulas, nengajō, New Year, programming, three-dimensional, zodiac

Nengajō (年賀状 – New Year’s Greeting Card): Part 2

Nengajō: Part 2 年賀状 Part 2 On the nengajō (年賀状 – “New Year’s greeting card”), the zodiac animal of the Read More

Culture Diary Essay History Japanese tradition Uncorrected

Toru Dec 23, 2023Jan 01, 2024 celebration, custom, exchanging greetings, greeting card, indebted, Japanese, nengajō, New Year, relatives, tradition

Nengajō (年賀状 – New Year’s Greeting Card): Part 1

Nengajō: Part 1 年賀状 Part 1 Today, I wrote nengajō (年賀状). 私は今日、年賀状を書きました。 Nengajō is a traditional Japanese greeting card for Read More

Essay Etymology Idiom Japanese tradition Uncorrected

Toru Mar 25, 2019 0 Comments ancestral spirits, as if, bon, busy, came, come, festival, job, moving, New Year, retirement, same time, together, very busy

Bon to Shōgatsu ga Issho ni Kita-yō (盆と正月が一緒に来たよう – Very Busy)

Bon to Shōgatsu ga Issho ni Kita-yō 盆と正月が一緒に来たよう I am very busy now because of retirement, entering a new job, Read More

Culture Essay Etymology Japanese tradition Uncorrected

Toru Jan 01, 2019 0 Comments god, greet, holiday, home, incoming year, New Year, New Year's holiday, sleep, stay

Neshōgatsu(寝正月 – Staying at Home during the New Year’s Holiday)

Neshōgatsu 寝正月 Happy New Year. あけましておめでとうございます。 This year I have done ‘neshōgatsu‘ (寝正月). 今年は「寝正月」をしました。 ‘Ne‘ (寝) means “sleep” and ‘shōgatsu‘ Read More

Culture Essay Etymology History Japanese tradition Kanji Uncorrected

Toru Jan 03, 2018Jan 03, 2024 children, etymology, kagami mochi, New Year, otoshidama, toshidama, toshigami, tradition, year's gift, year's soul

Otoshidama (お年玉 – New Year’s Gift Money)

Otoshidama お年玉 There is a kind of New Year events called お年玉 (otoshidama), which is important for children. 正月の重要な行事の一つに、「お年玉」があります。 Otoshidama Read More

Culture Essay Etymology History Japanese tradition Kanji Uncorrected

Toru Jan 02, 2018Jan 03, 2024 brush, calligraphy, Edo period, imperial court, improvement, ink, January 2nd, kakizome, New Year, ritual

Kakizome (書き初め)

Kakizome 書き初め On January 2nd in various places of Japan, a traditional event called 書き初め (kakizome) is held. 日本では1月2日、「書き初め」と呼ばれる伝統行事が各地で行われます。 The Read More