For example, if you want to go home, you could ask your boss the following.

帰っても良いでしょうか。
kaette mo ii deshou ka
Nuance: May I go home now?

If you are talking to one of your colleagues, however, you can use this instead. (This is kind of a standard way to say it -- not overly polite, but not casual.)

帰っても良いですか。
kaette mo ii desu ka
Nuance: Can I go home now?

If you are chatting with friends, the following are fine.

帰っても良いかしら。
kaette mo ii kashira
Nuance: Do you mind if I leave?

帰っても良いかな。
kaette mo ii kana
Nuance: I wonder if it's okay for me to leave. (Implies more doubt, like asking oneself in addition to asking the listener)

かしら is mainly used by women, but you will hear certain men use it too sometimes (very rarely). かしら is a casual way to ask a question (or ask for confirmation), but it has a nice sound, so it leaves the listener with a good impression -- AS LONG AS the listener is your friend and equal and not your superior.

I always thought that かしら was higher on the "politeness scale" because one of my very good (and very polite) friends uses it all the time. What I realize now is that she uses it with me because I am her friend AND she wants it to sound nice. My mistake was thinking that she uses it only because it is polite. (And that is a serious mistake in my thinking, because I should have recognized that she wouldn't be using very formal language with me.)

This is one of the most difficult things about learning Japanese. The choice of words depends on the relationship between the people who are talking, their gender, the situation, etc. This is, I'm sure, true of all languages to a certain extent, but it is extremely well developed in Japanese. This means that the usual language learner's trick of learning by mimicking what is said to you doesn't always work in Japanese, and can even be quite detrimental to your language development. (For example, it is very common to hear foreign men speak in a somewhat more feminine way because they learn by listening to their Japanese girlfriends and wives.)

Words in another language are like tools in your dad's workshop. Even if you know what a lot of them are, if you don't know how to use them, they are worthless, or worse yet, they may even hurt you. This means that it is important to give as much attention to learning the USAGE of the word as the MEANING by looking up examples of the word in use (http://www.alc.co.jp is good for this), asking your colleagues, and testing out the usage of words on good friends (since they are, hopefully, least likely to be offended if you use the wrong level of politeness).

So, to sum up, if you are a woman, you might want to try using かしら to make your Japanese sound more refined -- remembering that it just sounds nice and is not particularly polite. Just be sure to take account of the relationship between you and the listener (and all the other usage variables) before you do!

A 17th century set of Hyakunin Isshu Karuta

The special dishes and decorations, the visits to shrines or temples, the family gatherings, the greetings, even the pre-holiday cleanings, make O-Shogatsu ( the Japanese New Year Celebration) fascinating for me. They reveal how the Japanese  make a clean break with the past and then make a fresh, new start- with the strong desire for the health, prosperity and happiness of the family, the community and the nation, manifesting itself in the amassing of  ENGI-MONO (縁起物)- objects, words, colors, etc, which are believed to have a POSITIVE impact on the world. In addition, there are also objects, words, colors etc, which are compiled to keep all forms of misfortune away. What is fascinating, is what it is that determines the making of GOOD ENGI- symbolism and connection expressed through shape, name,color, etc. I have given numerous examples of this in my past  few Tsukublog articles.Here are some things which are symbolically auspicious:

 Oranges (DAIDAI), because their Japanese name DAIDAI also means GENERATION BY GENERATION- thus representing the wish for the continuation of the family line.

Shrimp- because their bent backs resemble the bodies of extremely old people- expressing the hope to live a long life.

Buckwheat noodles (soba): are eaten on New Year`s Eve  because ( among other reasons) they break easilly, representing a clean break with the past year.

As my articles show, the list of these ENGI MONO goes on and on.

The presence of this type of symbolism extends even, or should I say extends naturally, to traditional New Year`s games. For example, there is HANE TSUKI , a game in which decorative paddles ( HAGOITA, which are ENGI MONO in themselves) are used to battle a shuttle cock back and forth. This batting away of the birdy symbolizes batting away mosquitos, and illness.

Very clever.Like all the other ideas for ENGI MONO which have been popularized over the years.

There is another very popular traditional New Year`s game, however, which rather than having a significantly auspicious symbolism ( though I would suggest that it might), is a surprising celebration of Japan`s  classical culture- specifically, its poetry- in which the players must familiarize themselves ( and in many cases memorize) one hundred poems of varying degrees of complexity and difficulty. 

The name of the game is Hyakunin Isshu Karuta ( The One hundred Poets, One Hundred Poems Card Game), and I first encountered it years ago while spending an O-Shogatsu with a Japanese Family. After a long leasurely afternoon of eating and drinking, the everyone in the house, young and old suddenly got down on the TATAMI floor to play a card game. One hundred cards were spread on the floor. Each, I was told contained the last segment ( SHIMO KU) of a poem. What we were to do was to try to grab up these cards as their first portions (KAMI KU) were chanted.

Playing hyakunin Isshu Karuta with a wooden tablets insted of cards (Tsukuba 2011)

As you might have guessed, since I was a complete beginner in Japanese at that time ( and was unfamiliar with these poems), I ended up with not a single card when the game was over.

Still, I never forgot that game. Being the stubborn obssesive personiltiy that I am, in the subsequent years I studied and studied, until what was once an exotic hum to me ( as the peoms are recited), are now clearly understandable pieces, which evoke all their possible interpretations in my mind when I hear them.

Yes, it was that one game of Hyakunin Isshu Karuta, which started me off on my ongoing relationship with Japanese poetry.

The cards ( in this case wooden tablets) are usually arranged in alphabetical (A, I,U,E) order to make finding them easier

Let me tell you a little bit more about what the Hyakunin Isshu is- and maybe you too will catch the addiction.

The Hyakunin Isshu is a collection of WAKA (和歌)- Japanese poems of the TANKA variety.. Unlike English poetry which often invovles RHYME,  these poems are created by fitting ideas into a set number of sylables- specifically 31 (MISOHITOMOJI, 三十一文字), broken up into phrases of 5-7-5-7-7 ( longer than the mere 5-7-5 pattern which was popularized later with HAIKU poems).

The reason that this unusual syllabic rhythm was set upon as the standard form for WAKA poetry was that  it was in this particular pattern (5-7-5-7-7) that the God SUSANOO NO MIKOTO anounced his marriage. This form was thus deemed to be the WAY THE GODS SPEAK. Thus waka were used to express thoughts and feelings which could not be expressed in normal everyday speech.

As its title , ONE HUNDRED POETS. ONE HUNDRED POETS suggests, the Hyakunin Isshu is a selection of 1oo WAKA by 100 different poets - 79 men ( including 8 Emperors, and 13 Buddhist monks) and 21 women ( including 1 Emperess. The first poem of the collection is  attributed to the Emperor Tenji (626-671), and the last to retired Emperor Juntokuin (1197-1242), and thus the anthology spans the works from a period of 500 years.

Among these works are some (one each of course) by Japan`s  greatest NAMES in classical poetry and literature: Otomo no Yakamochi, Ono no Komachi, Ki no Tsurayuki, Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon.

All the poems in the Hyakunin Isshu strongly reflect the tastes and sensibilites of its compiler, FUJIWARA NO TEIKA (1162-1241), a highly respected poet in his own right and an advocate of  aesthetic principles which he developed emphasizing the expression of the SPIRIT OF THINGS ( mono no kokoro) over realism ( Teika`s ideas would have a MAJOR impact on the Japanese culture of the Muromachi Period- especially on The Noh Theater, and The Tea Ceremony).

The subject matter dominating the collection also reflects Teika`s own particular preferences, with  LOVE poems (43 out of 100)making up a large portion, followed by SEASONAL POEMS ( 32 out of 100), with works on what serely must have been Teika`s favorite season- autumn, predominating these.

With only 100 poems, the Hyakunin Isshu is the slimmest volume among Japan` great anthologies of classical poetry. But that`s what makes it so great ( for me, at least). Japan`s poetic traditional boiled down to its essence. It a most convenient medium through which to work your way into the world of traditional Japanese aesthetics.

And not only this. Working to understand these poems will lead you on the road to exploring many other aspect of Japanese culture nature and history.

It is interesting how this influential collection came into being ( whether the story is true or not, no one is sure). It is said that Teika was asked to select one hundred poems, which would be written on sheets of paper to decorate the sliding doors of a mountain villa in a place called Ogura ( this is why, though there have been many subsequent alternative Hyakunin Isshu, i.e. one hundred warrior poets, one hundred women poets, etc.) Teika`s collection, the standard, is referred to as the OGURA HYAKUNIN ISSHU).

This ( and more) is all detailed in Teika`s extant diary- the MEIGETSU KI (明月記).

An old set of hyakunin Isshu karuta

The fact that the poems Teika selected were originally written on sheets of paper ( at the even number of one hundred), made it conducive for them to be made into a card game- with distinctive illustrations of the poets and in an even more distinctive script( supposedly based on Teika`s idiosyncratic calligraphy).

The idea of this card game, by the way, most probably would not have arisen without the arrival in Japan of the Portuguese, who introduced playing card ( among other things) to this country. This is reflected in the use of the Portuguese based word KARUTA  (carta) for the game.

For those who are not ready to tackle the poems Teika selected in their original language, there are MANY translations. In fact, some say that the first work in Japanese ever rendered into English was the Hyakunin Isshu.

You can find numerous translations online, including this 1909 version by William Porter:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/hvj/index.htm

Tsukuba`s very own Shaney Crawford (founding member, editor and frequent contributor to TsukuBlog), has also been working on a translation of the anthology, and she has already completed English renditions of the first 30 poems:

http://www.shaneycrawford.com/2002/03/hyakunin-isshu-my-interpretations/

These should help you get started off on your own road into the world of Hyakunin Isshu - which naturally should at some point get you into reading into the poems for yourself . It is only by close examination of each poem in its original that REAL appreciation can be achieved. 

The reason for this is not only the fact that the poems are written a specialized form of classical Japanese ( if that were the case, looking up each word in the dictionary would  be enough to achieve understanding), but these works abound in puns and allusions which are completely lost in translation. There is even a poem ( number 22), whose beauty lies in its play on the construction of the Chinese character for the word storm( 嵐), which is made of  a mountain (山）on top of wind (wind)!- this makes for a mighty difficult challenge for tranlators.

Let me give you one more example. Since this is Tsukublog, I will present the case of poem number 13 of the collection, which just happens to be set in Tsukuba.

The second half ( shimo ku) of poem number 13- which is set in Tsukuba- it reads: KOI ZO TSUMORITE FUCHI TO NARI NURU

The poem is attributed to the Retired Emperor Yozei-In(868-949) and goes like this:

筑波嶺の峰より落つるみなの川
恋ぞつもりて淵となりぬる
Tsukuba ne no mine yori otsuru minano-gawa
Koi zo tsumorite fuchi to nari nuru

Which I will DIRECTLY translate, or rather explain the general meaning as:

From the peaks of Mt. Tsukuba flows the Minanogawa River which forms deep pools ( at the foot of the mountain) . In the same way my love for you has grown (strong and) deep.

What has to be dealt with by the translator in the case of this poem is conveying the significance of Mt. Tsukuba for the aristocrats at that time, as well as the meaning of the characters used to write the name of the river MINANOGAWA.

For the educated Japanese of Yozei-In`s time, Mt Tsukuba represented COUPLES, ROMANCE, and SEX.

This is because  the oldest collection of Japanese poems the Manyoshu, as well as the Chronicles of the land of Hitachi ( Hitachi no Kuni no Fu-doki  , refer to Mt Tsukuba as having been the most famous location for special COUPLING festivals, at which men and women, most of whom had never met before, would GET TOGETHER. These ceremonies which were held twice a year in spring and autumn were called KAGAI. The reason that Mt Tsukuba would have become an important place for such rites was because of its TWIN PEAKS, which for the Japanese naturally represented the male and the female.

According to poems in the Manyoshu, the men and women who wanted to participate in the KAGAI would gather on Mt Tsukuba at a river called the MINANOGAWA. The name of this river is spelled with the Kanji characters 男女川, which directly translated mean the MAN-WOMAN RIVER.

Thus we can see that the place at which the poem is set Mt Tsukuba, as well the MINANOGAWA river, were terms pregnant with meaning for educated Japanese, and this makes understanding the poem extremely difficult without delving deeper.

(It is obvious that Yozei-In did not ever actually visit Mt. Tsukuba ( there are no deep pools which form at its base), but rather selected the setting of his love poem for its symbolic significance).

(It is interesting that Tsukuba`s most most famous Sake Brewery, located at the foot of Mt Tsukuba calls its brand-　Minanogawa (男女川).One reason its products are so delicious is that it uses the water that flows from the peaks of Mt. Tsukuba.)

Anyway, I`d better stop now. VOLUMES could be written about the complexities  these poems and their backgrounds ( and many volumes HAVE in fact been written about them!).

I hope that you too take the leap into this special poetic world-  maybe by O-Shogatsu ( New Year`s) next year you will be ready to take on your Japanese friends in a game of Hyakunin-Isshu Karuta!

1 Comments

• At January 11, 2011, Keiko wrote:

  Your article reminded me of chlidhood when I played hyakunin ishu card game with my family and guests.You gave me inspitation to practice playing again. I forgot many of the poems but now I am playing everyday with my daughter. Thank you for helping even Japanese to enjoy Japanese culture.

Well, as you might expect, in Japan things are a bit more complex. On the last days of December, when meeting people for what is probably the last time of the year, the Japanese part with an expression which is equivalent to what is used in most languages, YOI O TOSHI O, or Have a Good New Year.

What is difficult to remember ( for foreigners) when speaking Japanese, however, is that this expression is only used UP TO midnight of December 31st. Once the clock strikes midnight, for the next seven days or so, people greet each other with AKEMASHITE OMEDETO- GOZAIMASU, or in its simplest and most casual form OMEDETO-.

Since in modern Japanese OMEDETO is an expression used in very much the same way as the English word CONGRATULATIONS, this New Year`s greeting could now be literally translated as- CONGRATULATIONS UPON THE (OCCASSION OF THE) OPENING (OF THE NEW YEAR).

Besides the fact that there are different greetings for BEFORE and AFTER the ringing in of the new year, both these greetings sound quite usual, aand at first glance simply like two slighty different ways of saying the same thing. 

However, a look at the etymology of the word OMEDETO- shows OMEDETO to have quite an unusual meaning for a New Year`s greeting . It is also quite revealing about the roots of Japanese culture.

 Omedeto, originally derived from the Kanji characters  ome (お芽) de (出） to (度う), which together mean: May your sprouts appear, or May your sprouts sprout forth.

In other words, the opening of the new year, which before the Japanese adopted the Western Calendar took place sometime in February, was a time to pray for good crops and the coming forth of vegetation in general, in the upcoming year.

This use of this expression as a New Year`s Greeting  by the aristocrats and courtiers and the members of the Imperial Family was a reflection of the fact that it was the role of the Emperor , as a high priest of the nation of sorts, to carry out rituals and pray for bountiful crops. I think it could even be said that the romantic ( sexual) daliances so famously associated with the court,(which are celebrated at New Year`s by many Japanese through the card game Hyakunin Isshu- which is based on a collection of classical poetry) were in fact also believed to be part of the ritual function to guarantee success in agriculture throughout the land.

It goes without saying that it would have been only natural for farmers in early spring ( at the old New Year) to greet each other with- may your seeds sprout! 

The connection of New Year`s to agriculture is still clearly evident by the fact that even in big cities Japanese families put up New Year`s decorations consisting of rice stalks and other plant matter. These decorations, and O-Shogatsu( New Year`s) itself, are a celebration of LIFE, RENEWAL and the BOUNTY of NATURE.

So on the occassion of this New Year`s Day, Id like to wish you a big OMEDETO-

may all your seeds take root and flourish!

And if you are interested I have written about an obscure but fascinating Japanese custom- to refrai from killing mice during the first 3 days of the year, during which the little critters are called YOME GA KIMI (嫁が君):

http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/01/traps-are-back-up-as-three-day-new-years-moratorium-on-mouse-catching-ends/

1 Comments

• At January 1, 2011, NoVo (Nora) wrote:

  OMEDETOOO!

  So, for such connected reason, I received a bag with vegetables from my neighbor with

  'Akemashite Omedetoo Gozaimasu'!))

  Happy New Year with lot's of sunnies smiles from the children first!

I have said it again and again. Japanese culture and the Japanese language are endlessly interesting. The deeper you look the more surprising it gets.To illustrate this point once more, this time on the the first day of the new year, I`d like to talk about something which in most countries and most languages is quite simple- New Year`s Greetings.

Well, as you might expect, in Japan things are a bit more complex. On the last days of December, when meeting people for what is probably the last time of the year, the Japanese part with an expression which is equivalent to what is used in most languages, YOI OTOSHI O, or Have a Good New Year.

What is difficult to remember ( for foreigners) when speaking Japanese, however, is that this expression is only used UP TO midnight of December 31st. Once the clock strikes midnight, for the next seven days or so, people greet each other with AKEMASHITE OMEDETO- GOZAIMASU, or in its simplest and most casual form OMEDETO-.

Since in modern Japanese OMEDETO is an expression used in very much the same way as the English word CONGRATULATIONS, this New Year`s greeting could now be literally translated as- CONGRATULATIONS UPON THE (OCCASSION OF THE) OPENING (OF THE NEW YEAR).

Besides the fact that there are different greetings for BEFORE and AFTER the ringing in of the new year, both these greetings sound quite usual, aand at first glance simply like two slighty different ways of saying the same thing.

However, a look at the etymology of the word OMEDETO- shows OMEDETO to have quite an unusual meaning for a New Year`s greeting . It is also quite revealing about the roots of Japanese culture.

Omedeto, originally derived from the Kanji characters ome (お芽) de (出） to (度う), which together mean: May your sprouts appear, or May your sprouts sprout forth.

In other words, the opening of the new year, which before the Japanese adopted the Western Calendar took place sometime in February, was a time to pray for good crops and the coming forth of vegetation in general, in the upcoming year.

This use of this expression as a New Year`s Greeting by the aristocrats and courtiers and the members of the Imperial Family was a reflection of the fact that it was the role of the Emperor , as a high priest of the nation of sorts, to carry out rituals and pray for bountiful crops. I think it could even be said that the romantic ( sexual) daliances so famously associated with the court,(which are celebrated at New Year`s by many Japanese through the card game Hyakunin Isshu- which is based on a collection of classical poetry) were in fact also believed to be part of the ritual function to guarantee success in agriculture throughout the land.

It goes without saying that it would have been only natural for farmers in early spring ( at the old New Year) to greet each other with- may your seeds sprout!

The connection of New Year`s to agriculture is still clearly evident by the fact that even in big cities Japanese families put up New Year`s decorations consisting of rice stalks and other plant matter. These decorations, and O-Shogatsu ( New Year`s) itself, are a celebration of LIFE, RENEWAL and the BOUNTY of NATURE.

So on the occassion of this New Year`s Day, Id like to wish you a big OMEDETO-

may all your seeds take root and flourish!

And if you are interested I have written about an obscure but fascinating Japanese custom- to refrai from killing mice during the first 3 days of the year, during which the little critters are called YOME GA KIMI (嫁が君):

http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/01/traps-are-back-up-as-three-day-new-years-moratorium-on-mouse-catching-ends/

2 Comments

• At January 1, 2012, Rurousha wrote:

  Hallo! This is a long-time fan of your blog finally leaving her first comment to say happy dragon year! I'm looking forward to your stories in the next 12 months!

• At January 2, 2012, ginni-California North Coast wrote:

  Omedeto! Happy New Year - Avi & All!

  So - please tell this 'foreigner' trying to get it right - can you give the kanji for "Omedoto" pretty please? I'll put it in my Japanese Glossary! Thanks ever so much - and Have A Really Good One! May You Be Happy!

  ginni, California North Coast

  you gave this:

  > originally derived from the Kanji characters ome (お芽) de (出） to (度う) <

By Avi Landau

One of the great points of pride for the people who live in my town, Hojo, near the foot of Mt. Tsukuba, is that this mountain, so close at hand ( and to the people`s hearts), is mentioned in the Manyoshu- the oldest collection of  classical Japanese poems ( compiled in the 8th century) and one of the cornerstones of Japanese civilization- more times than Mt Fuji !

Now how is it, you may ask, that in this land of majestic peaks and mysterious volcanoes, that what could be considered a mere hill ( at 877 meters in height) would be mentioned more times by the poets of yore than what is now one of the world`s most ( if not THE most) famous mountain?

Well, the answer lies in Mt. Tsukuba`s shape. Its twin peaks have long symbolized for the inhabitants of this archipelago the interaction of the MALE and FEMALE FORCES.

For this reason, mentioning the mountain implied not merely the geographical entity itself- or perhaps not even at all- but the powerful force it represented- the subject of so much of the worlds poetry- love and sex.

The best known of the Manyoshu`s poems mentioning Mt. Tsukuba, one which is part of the Hyakunin Isshu collection of poems, surely speaks of the mountain in a purely symbolic way ( as I have discussed in a previous post) as its author describes the Minanogawa River (男女川- these characters literally mean: the Man-Woman River), a stream which still flows down from the valley between the Male and Female peaks, as a gushing river. The Emperor who composed this well known work clearly had not actually visited the mountain ( or even if he did, used the mountain and the river in a symbolic way).

Today I will introduce another one of the 25 Manyoshu poems which mention Mt. Tsukuba ( as opposed to the 13 which refer to Mt. Fuji). Once again, the mountains symbolic presence is more important than the mountain itself. It goes like this:

筑波嶺の　彼面此面に　守部据ゑ　母い守れども　魂ぞ会ひにける 

( TSUKUBANE NO OTEMONOMONI MORIHESUE HAHA IMOREDOMO TAMAZO AINIKERU)

Anonymous

Which I translate loosely in order to convey what I have found this poem to mean:

As the twin peaks of Mt Tsukuba watch out far and wide over the plain

my mother keeps watch over me

But despite her vigilance,

his soul and mine

have become mates

( Avi Landau)

Let me now break down the poem word by word so that you may interpret it for yourself  and decide what the original writer had in mind.

TSUKUBAMINE NO- Mt. Tsukuba`s ( and as I have mentioned this name automatically carried with it connotations of men and women, marriage, and  getting together physically)

OTEMONOMONI ( an archaic expression meaning here and there).

MORIHESUE ( guardmen)- I am not sure if this actually refers to specific guardmen who were actually present on Mt Tsukuba itself  ( I have never heard of such a thing) or just  symbolic chaperones or guardians of young girls virtues- I have omitted mentioning guardmen and make the whole mountain itself on vigilant guard over the Kanto Plain ( as it actually seems to be.

HAHA IMOREDOMO ( mother watches over me)

TAMA ZO ( SPIRITS, SOULS)

AINIKERU ( have met).

This poem was either written by, or from the point of view, of a young girl of good family. The difficult point, it seems to me, of interpreting this poem, is deciding whether or not the secret lovers have actually met and made physical love, or if they have merely come together IN A DREAM.

As I have said, Mt Tsukuba carries with it sexual connotations, and the mentioning of the mountain seems to me to be suggestive. However, the poet(ess) says- our TAMA (魂) have met, and this might indicate that the lovers have met in a dream ( which in those days might have had just as much significance as getting together in person.

I have decided to render the work in English with the latter interpretation. Though the young girl`s mothers is protective of her daughter and concerned about who she will marry to the point of obssession, it is the girl herself, in the freedom of dreams who decides her own destiny.

Still, I could change my opinion about it tomorrow- but thats what makes certain poems great- they carry different meanings for anyone who reads them- and can be understood differnetly at different times in ones own life.

 No matter what you think the poem means, when I read it ( along with the 24 others that mention Mt. Tsukuba, I cant help but share the excitement of my neighbors, in that these works, so old- yet so fresh, were written with OUR mountain in mind. 

I have written more about poems mentioning Mt. Tsukuba in this article on the HYAKUNIN ISSHU poetry collection:

http://blog.alientimes.org/2011/01/a-new-years-card-game-hyakunin-isshu-karuta-%E7%99%BE%E4%BA%BA%E4%B8%80%E9%A6%96%E3%81%8B%E3%82%8B%E3%81%9F-is-a-gateway-to-the-sublime-world-of-classical-japanese-poetry/                                                                        

I have owned two electronic dictionaries in the past. Both of them were Canon Wordtanks. However, the last time I bought an electronic dictionary was in 2001 and they have changed a lot since then. It used to be that Canon was the only one that foreigners could use, but now there are lots of choices. (And I am not sure if the current model of the Wordtank is still foreigner-friendly.)

If you are thinking of buying an electronic dictionary, you might want to try asking around to see what people are buying these days. A good place to ask about this is TAIRA, a local mailing list that includes about 1000 members. There should be a few people on the list who have recently purchased an electronic dictionary and who are willing to give you advice. This topic comes up on TAIRA every now and then, so you can also look in the archives for some general advice.

Advice about models
* Japan Shop (Since this shop is mainly for people who are not already in Japan, you might want to use this site to compare models and then buy the one you choose at one of the local electronics shops.)

See also...
* Electronic Dictionaries: A Buyer's Guide (Dated, but still useful.)
* How to Choose a Good Dictionary (Mainly for paper dictionaries, but some general points to consider.)
* Article on Kanji Dictionaries in Alien Times

1. A new level will be introduced between levels 2 and 3 in 2010, making 5 levels in total. The new system will then consist of levels N1 to N5.

2. From 2009, levels 1 and 2 will be offered in July and all four levels will be offered in December.

3. The questions that have appeared on past tests will no longer be published.

(Source: http://www.jees.or.jp/jlpt/pdf/20080525_jlpt_kaitei_report_en_pre01_0718.pdf)

Also, it seems that they are going to offer a test site in Ibaraki this year.

(Source: http://www.jees.or.jp/jlpt/en/jlpt_guide.html)

Perfectly clear skies, ideal temperatures, and deliciously aromatic air. In other words, GLORIOUS WEATHER!

I ran into a Japanese acquaintance of mine, a gentleman in his seventies, and greeted him with one of the most typical (and mundane) of all Japanese expressions: II TENKI DESU NE(It’s a fine day, isnt it?). Of course, I was expecting the set-pattern response of SO DESU NE (It sure is!). Instead, this older and cultured man responded with an expression rarely used in regular conversations these days (though it is still sometimes used by the weather-man), which struck a chord and has lingered with me since he said it.

After I greeted him he looked up at the sky with a pleased look in his eye and said: “Nippon Ba-Reh!”, which could be directly translated as, “There`s not a cloud in the sky over Japan!”, or “It’s a beautiful Japanese Day!”

It’s too bad that this powerful expression has been falling into disuse with the younger generation (maybe it sounds too old fashioned or too patriotic), because I think it is a profound and uniquely atmospheric way to express the joy of being in Japan when the weather is this good.

By the way. Nipponbare is also the name of a variety of rice.

Let’s enjoy this delicious weather while it lasts!

and if you are interested, here is a song that I wrote: CLEAR SKIES- recorded by the Tsukuba based band The TenGooz:

http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/12858

Bushwhacking through a veritable jungle of reeds which had all turned the color of straw for winter, we approached a small thicket. Suddenly I heard an excited cry - So-bai !

I looked to my left and there they were-wild plum ( ume ,梅) blossoms blooming unusually early in the year.

The word so-bai, made up of the Kanji Characters- SO 早meaning early, and BAI 梅　meaning plum, is used to express these blossoms which bloom in winter before most of the other UME, which we expect to see in March.

I have often written of how the plum blossom has been considered  auspicious by the Chinese and the Japanese ( because it is resistant to cold and blossoms early in the year) and of how plum blossoms were also an important symbol for O-Shogatsu ( New Years).

This might seem odd to many, because now, the most famous places for viewing plum blossoms ( for example, the Kairaku-En Garden in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture) are in bloom in March, the month with which the Ume is now most closely associated with.

Early Plum Blossoms- Tsukuba, 2010

Depending on the region and weather conditions, however, there are plum trees which bloom in February and even January, as evidenced by the tree we found in Tsukuba.

Given the fact that the Japanese used to celebrate New Year`s usually somtime in February ( as the Chinese still do), according to the old calendar, it is only natural that these blossoms became associated with the new year and RENEWAL in general.

The So-bai certainly helped to lift my spirits. Cold and heavy hearted, plodding through the dead reeds, they helped ressure me that the meadow would, in the not too distant future, burst forth in color.

That is if the bulldozers dont get to it first.

More on Plums ( ume, 梅） in Japanese culture:

http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/03/plum-crazy/

and a comparison with Sakura ( cherry blossoms):

http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/04/look-at-the-etymology-of-the-word-sakura-for-a-deeper-understanding-of-japans-unique-celebration-of-cherry-blossoms-o-hanami/

More early bloomong plum blossoms.- These at Tsukuba`s botanical garden on January 23rd 2010

A New Year`s decoration for 2011- The Year of The Rabbit

For at least 3,000 years, the Chinese have organized the world around them  using a special system they developed which divided time and space into units of twelve- in the form of an ordered set of symbols which they called the SHI ER CHI (十二支). The earliest extant  evidence of the use of this system can be seen in fragments of tortoise shell which were unearthed by archaeologists. These were engraved with characters designating these units, sometime during the Shang Dynasty (1766 BC and 1122 BC) .

Many centuries later, during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE ), each of these 12 units came to be asscociated with a specific animal. Some scholars suggest that this occured possibly because of the influence of the Greek zodiac, which the Chinese might have come to know via India. But no matter how or why a set of animals came to represent each of the twelve units, this concept has added plenty of symbolic depth (and appeal) to the system, since the unique characteristics of each of these animals could be used for fortune telling ( not unlike the astrology which developed in Europe- except for the fact that in the Chinese system everyone born in the same year had the same sign!) and also,  quite importantly, artists and craftmen had animal motifs (so rich in possibilities) to work with  each year ( in cycles of twelve).

Since in days of old, Japan was influenced by nearly all things Chinese, it is only natural that this system used for designating years, months, days, time of day, and direction was adopted by the Japanese. This happened officially during the reign of the Empress Suiko in the early 7th century.

Over the subsequent centuries, this system- called ETO, or JU-NISHI in Japanese, gained terrific popularity ( because of the fortune telling and decorative opportunities I have already mentioned)- especially in the Edo Period (1600-1868).

Even after the Japanese abandoned their old calendar and started using the Western (Gregorian) system, they have still clung firmly to the Chinese Zodiac.In fact now it might be more to be more popular than ever.

( For the sake of brevity I have simplified my explanation of the system which besides the use of the 12 zodiac sign also applies an additional ten stems and five elements- but FEW Japanese are familiar with these today- search for: JIKKAN JUNISHI, for more details)

A NO-USAGI ( Japanese hare) one of Tsukuba`s common wild mammals

So while the Chinese, with their traditional calendar, are still in the Year of the Tiger ( until February 3rd 2011), in Japan, where the new year now begins in January,　we  have already entered THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT.

  With cleverly designed rabbit motifed decorations on display just about everywhere over the past few weeks, I have had rabbits on the mind. Let me share with you some of what I find particularly interesting about RABBITS IN JAPANESE HISTORY AND CULTURE, and also about Japan`s wild rabbits (hares, in fact)- especially those right here in Tsukuba ( where they are still plentiful). 

A ZODIAC DECORATION ( Eto Kazari) for this year

Rabbits, so cute and gentle, so furry, soft and warm are one of the animals which the Japanese are most familiar with. Not only are they popular pets ( there was a veritable house-rabbit craze in the Meiji Period), but most schools and kindergartens keep them ( in a pen outdoors), to teach kids about resposibility and caring for living creatures.

Besides being symbols of peace, docility and cuteness, they are also considered to be lucky. This is because the Chinese character usually used to write this animals name- 兎　(another character - 卯, is used to represent the rabbit as a zodiac sign) is very similar to the character 免 ( manukareru), which means to get rid of, or make vanish- in other words- rabbits some believe that rabbits will make BAD LUCK DISAPPER. Just in the same way as when you spot a rabbit in the wild and- in the blink of an eye- ITS GONE!

An apple peeled to look like a rabbit for New Year`s Day 2011

The only problem with this current image of rabbits is that the animal adopted as the fourth sign in the Chinese/Japanese zodiac was not exactly the rabbit ( an animal which breeds in burrows underground and which was introduced from Europe probably just before the Edo Period) but THE HARE- an animal native to Japan ( in several species) and which has played a major role in folklore and mythology.

As oppossed to symbolizing cuteness, these animals were considered cunning tricksters ( like BUGS BUNNY), because they damaged vegetable crops no matter how hard you tried to stop them. Evidence of this belief can be found in various folk tales featuring very tricky and mischivious hares ( just like BUGS). The most famous of these stories is probably KACHIKACHI YAMA-  a childrens story in which a rabbit cruelly tortures and finally kills a tanuki, which had killed an old woman ( Yes, Japanese old children`s stories are just as violent and gruesome as European children`s stories!)

Importantly, hares were also considered symbols of  fertility ( as they are in most of the rest of the world). for the reason that they breed like....... well, uhh,.... like....RABBITS ( as the phrase goes). 

It is because of this connection with fertility and abundant offspring that the ancient Asians ( Indians, Chinese, Japanese, etc) have long said that there is a rabbit (hare) on the moon ( in Japan it is actually pounding mochi rice cakes). When I first heard this after coming to Japan, I was really puzzled by why there should be such a story. Now, however, it seems perfectly logical to me since I have to know that THE MOON has also been considered to be deeply connected to pregnancy and childbirth. Thus, the MOON, a God of Conception and Childbirth, with a servant, the symbol of fertility- the HARE - are a natural combination.

Rabbit (no-usagi) tracks near my house in Konda, Tsukuba

Since rabbits were associated with having children, there were various folk beliefs which existed throughout Japan linking rabbits with prayers for easy delivery. Eating rabbit meat to ensure the mother and child`s safety was customary in certain parts of Japan, while in others ( interestingly) it was shunned- in the belief that doing so would lead to the chlid being born with a hare-lip ( mitsu-guchi, 三っ口). And though the practice of eating rabbit meat before delivery ( or the belief that it should be avoided) have completely died out, there are still a few shrines around Japan which are dedicated to rabbits as  messengers of the God(s), that are popular places to pray for conception and then easy delivery ( the OKAZAKI JINJA in Kyoto and the Tsuki Jinja (調神社) in Saitama City- are two of the most popular Rabbit-related Shrines). 

O-Kuni-nushi-no Mikoto with the rabbit Inaba no Shiro Usugi

Another reason that hares have been have been worshipped at certain shrines, or in some places are believed to have the power of prophecy ( for example, predicting the weather) is because of a very famous story in Japan`s oldest text, the KOJIKI. Let me summarize it for you. It explains how one particular rabbit/hare came to be a deity  (USAGI GAMI).

因幡の白兎-Inaba no Shiro Usagi ( the Furless Hare of Inaba)

O-Kuni-Nushi-No-Mikoto ( who is one of the major figures in Japanese mythology and an important KAMI (God) enshrined at Izumo Grand Shrine in Shimane Prefecure), was carrying the baggage for his brothers, the eighty deities (八十神), who all wanted to vie for one particular maiden`s hand in marriage ( she is called YAGAMI-HIME, 八上比売).

Suddenly they came across a miserable looking hare whose fur had been stripped off. The brothers tell him to wash in sea-water and then go dry off in the mountains. When he did so, he got even worse. His skin started to crack and peel. All he could do was sit and cry in self pity.

O-Kuni-Nushi-No-Mikoto, asked him why he had ended up in such a state. The hare explained that he had been living on an off-shore island and wanted to get to the mainland. In order to do so, he tricked a crocodile  though most now translate the word used here-WANI (crocodile), as shark!) into carrying him across the sea, by challenging the gullible creature to comparing who had more relatives ( the hare is always a trickster!).

When the crocodile realized he had been deceived, he ripped off the hare`s fur, and left him to suffer.

Hearing this story, O-Kuni-Nushi, a great healer, suggested that the hare  wash in pure water and then roll in the pollen of kama grass.

The hare obeyed these instructions, and the remedy did the trick! The hare was cured.

In his happy state he predicted that O-Kuni-Nushi, and not any of his brothers would marry YAGAMI HIME.

This prophecy came true. And thus, the hare became the USAGI GAMI - Rabbit/Hare Deity- enshrined till today at the Inaba no Shiro Usagi Jinja Shrine in Tottori City.

A rabbit figurine which contained my fortune- from the Okazaki Shrine in Kyoto

Another interesting Hare related myth which has led to the animal`s deification I learned about while visiting  the city of Uji (famous for tea and the magnificent Byodoin Hall) in Kyoto Prefecture. At Uji Shrine I read about how the Emperor Nintoku`s son, while once fleeing  for his life, was guided to safety by a hare ( what probably really happened is that he  followed the trails in the bush made by rabbits or other small animals). That is why a Hare-Deity is believed to protect the shrine. Some even say that the place name UJI derives from Usagi- miCHI- Rabbit-Road!.

On the volcanic island of Sakurajima (桜島) in Kagoshima Prefecture, there also seems to have been a belief in a rabbit/hare deity which was called O-Mimi-Naga-Sama (お耳長様)- Lord long-Ears! An Edo Period text contains thid story:

On Sakurajima Island there lived a large hare which was believed, by the local residents, to be the deity of the mountain ( the island is a volcano). Because of that, no one there ever ate hare meat. In fact, even mentioning the word hare ( USAGI), was believed to bring on a stomachache. Thus, in conversation everyone would refer to this animal as Lord Long Ears ( O-Mimi-Naga-Sama).

Once a member of the Satsuma Clan ( the rulers of that region) came to island for a hunting expedition, and killed an big, old hare. The Volcano erupted. Hunting was subsequently banned.

I have found that in many other parts of Japan, as well, the word USAGI was not spoken in vain. Other names were used instead.

Pulling the fortune out from the rabbit`s bottom!

For those of you who study Japanese, you might have come across this curious feature of the language. When counting rabbit/hares the word WA ( 羽) is used ( in Japanese different counting words are used for different things). The odd thing is that this is the counting word used for counting BIRDS! ICHI WA, NI WA - one bird, two birds.

Some explain  this by saying that is because rabbits/hares jump ( like flying) and their ears look like feathers ( and also because their meat tasted like chicken!).

The real reason, however, is more interesting.

Since the adoption of Buddhism, the eating of the meat of four-legged animals has been frowned upon ( though not anymore!). In fact, during the Edo Period, the Tokugawa Family officially banned the eating of such animals.

The trouble was, that the Tokugawa`s in fact loved eating RABBIT. In fact it was a regualr feature of their New Year`s Dishes ( O-Sechi).

How did they get around the law that they themselves promulgated and enforced?

Easy. They called hares BIRDS ! Case closed!

By the way, besides eating the meat, the Japanese also used the fur, to make brushes for calligraphy. Such brushes were long considered to be The highest quality.

My fortune revealed!

Hares are still plentiful in Japan (with plenty right here in Tsukuba), though they are difficult to spot. And once you do, they are gone in a flash. What you CAN find ( and I do everyday!) are their distinctive tracks (see photo above), and their scat, which occurs as small clusters of ball-like turds.  ( the excrement that you see is food that has been digested TWICE! Did you know that rabbit`s/hare`s food passes to their anus one time, and is then taken out and rechewed! The second time through it is excreted!)

Also, just as in the story from Uji, the hares create a series of paths through the bush which humans and dogs can use to negotiate Tsukuba`s often impassable wilds.

The other day I came across the remains of a hare killed by a goshawk ( not a pleasant sight!).

A hare`s tail- part of the remains I found in the woods behind my house (January 2011)

The hares ( no-usagi) which live on the island of Honshu ( Japan`s largest island) can be divided into two types (subspecies)- the type which can be seen in Tsukuba: the KYUSHU NO-USAGI, Lepus brachyurus brachyurus ( see picture above) which is nocturnal, eats grass, leaves, bark and freshly sprouted leaves, and usually hides in the woods or brush during the day.....

and the TOHOKU NO-USAGI, Lepus brachyurus angustidens, which is quite similar in habit and appearance, except for one astounding characteristic: these hares turn pure white in winter! Another reason why the ancients might have considered them as sacred creatures.

The KYUSHU type live mainly on the eastern side of the mountains which run down the center of Japan. The TOHOKU type live on the western, snowier side.

There are other varieties ( subspecies) of the Japanese hare, for example the the SADO NO-USAGI (佐渡野兎), Lepus brachyurus lyoni, which inhabits Sado Island in the Japan Sea, and the OKI NO USAGI (隠岐野兎), Lepus brachyurus okiensis, which lives on the Oki Islands ( the same islands from which the Inaba no Shiro Usagi hailed from!). 

 Of even greater interest is- pentalagus furnessi- the Amami no kuro-usagi (奄美黒兎)- the Amami black rabbit, a protected, short-eared species which can only be found in the forests of Amami O-Shima and Toku no Shima in the Amami Chain south of Kyushu. This creature is considered to a remnant of the rabbits which once inhabitted the Asian continent, but now only survive on these islands.

An Amami no Kuro-usagi- a rare endemic species of short-earred rabbit

I think I will take a break now. I feel guilty leaving so much more unsaid ( nearly every line Ive written could have been expanded into a story of its own ( thoughts can also breed like rabbits!) but I think its time to say ....

That`s All Folks!

Last  year I wrote about TIGERS IN JAPANESE HISTORY AND CULTURE:

http://blog.alientimes.org/2010/02/the-tiger-in-japanese-history-and-culture-a-brief-look/

Rabbits in Autumn ( Toｋusa Ni Usagi Zu, 木賊に兎図)- 1786

A painting of rabbits on wood from the 18th century ( found at Kyoto`s Daikaku-Ji Temple)

5 Comments

• At January 20, 2011, Mamoru Shimizu wrote:

  My notebook for Rabbit

  Last night was a Full-moon and I could watch the rabbit, name unknown, but very famous in Japan for using a KIINE (pestle) and Usu (wooden bowl) to make Omochi. Imagination was needed because she or he was standing slantwise. One can picture his or her grey ears against the white moon.The next full moon will be ,as Avi-san mentioned recently.

  Japanese wild rabbits change their color from light brown to white during winter where there is snow on the ground from winter to spring like the Hokuriku area and the Hokkaido area. Raicho, a bird which lives in very high-mountains such as the Japanese Alps also change their color from brown to white during winter. Protection. Usually humans can not change their colors like this even he or she wants to. Only in the political world can one change colors so easily!!

  Also in that world they are running away like rabbits.

  I have mentioned before that I like snow, but living in a part of Japan with a lot of snowfall would be different, I am so sorry to see news that there were so many senior citizens who had accidents and died or were injured while removing snow from their roofs, especially in the Hokuriku area. In Hokkaido the shape of the roofs is much steeper and the snow is much more powder like, so there is not such a great need for snow removing. Rabbits would slip off those roofs.

  At the moment I am practicing a Japanese old children`s song for our male chorus, one of them is “Machibouke”( Waiting too much:Its the Story about a farmer who once got a rabbit just in front of him to be stricken at a stump of tree, then he thought if he wait again he can get another rabbit: from proverb of 韓非子（KANBISHI：Chinese ancient philosopher, Mr. Yamada Kousaku made poem in Meiji era）to admonish people not to stick to old customs too much.

  Rabbit raising and sheep raising in Japan has its peak during WWⅡ because of military demand of hide or wool for clothes or neck covers in winter preparation in Chinese continent. Now Japanese rabbit are kept for pet and sheep for GINGISKAN-NABE (Mongolian style of BBQ, famous in Hokkaido) or experimentally purpose.

  Why Western people think dried leg of rabbit is symbol of good luck? Mine is an Omamori (good luck player just like shrine made one) which my daughter made more than 25 years ago.

• At January 21, 2011, alice wrote:

  There are 2 differences in the 12 zodiac signs between the Chinese and Japanese. In place of goat and pig, the Japanese have sheep and boar. Imagine the surprise or amusement when a Japanese friend found out that she is born in the year of pig according to the lunar calendar.

• At January 21, 2011, Keiko wrote:

  Hello Avi,

  I read your long blog abot rabbits. It contained many interesting informations about rabbits in Japan. The most interesting story was about the digestion. It was my first time to hear that rabbits eat their food two times.The first time removing the half digested food from their own O-shiri with their mouth. After that I was reading more about the rabbit digestion system. Thank you for always showing me new things in every day things.

• At January 26, 2011, JJ Leatherman wrote:

  Thank You so very much for the wonderful information.

• At February 3, 2011, Avi Landau wrote:

  Mamoru-San! Tonight will be the TRUE beginning of the Year of the Rabbit, according to the old calendar ( which the Chinese still use). For the occassion I re-read my post on Rabbits in Japanese Culture, as well as your comments on it.

  Thank you for mentioning and reminding me about the RABBIT`S FOOT, which was a popular lucky charm when I was a boy growing up in the US.

  To tell the truth, I had no idea what the origin of that superstition was, so Ive been doing a little checking.

  What I have found is intriguing for me, since the symbolic connections related to rabbit foot charms are similar to those that appear in traditional Japanese culture ( and in East Asian culture in general).

  I am referring of course to sexuality, and the moon.

  It seems that the rabbit`s foot was a charm which was believed to bring the bearing good luck in gambling and picking up women.

  Interestingly, an authentically powerful rabbits foot ( unlike those cheap keychains which were popular when I was a kid)had to be killed in the light of the FULL MOON ( among other criteria).

  Like so many aspects of Japanese culture, the rabbits foot ( and other elements of american culture) show multiple and diverese roots- in this case CELTIC and AFRICAN.

  Thanks for reminding me about those furry lucky charms. It brought back memories.

  Keep your ears open tonight for the FIREWORKS which will surely be set off by some of the many Chinese residents in this area.