JapanesePod101.com Blog

Today we would like to introduce you to our new friend videocaster Yukako Tajima, AKA Tajee. Tajee is a video podcaster from Tokyo, who currently splits her time between the US and Japan podcast/videocast scene.
She produces videocasts to help people who are interested in Japanese culture, and the language, and currently, she maintains the following blogs:

What’s Hot in Tokyo - Tajee, a podcaster from Japan, introduces hot culture and useful Japanese words!
Check out the latest one on Suica!

She also produces another blog on what is hot on the podcasting scene! This is really nice, as it is bilingual.

あみのタジーのポッドキャスト冒険ブログ Tajee’s Podcast Adventure! - A bilingual blog on what is hot on the podcasting scene!

Mina-san, be sure to check out Tajee’s sugoi work!

In Urdu (the national language of Pakistan), the word kal means both “yesterday” and “tomorrow.” Context determines the intended meaning. In a similar way, the meaning of 後 slip-slides from compound to compound, as we can somewhat grasp from its assorted yomi:

GO, nochi: after, later
KŌ, ushi(ro): behind
ato: afterward, subsequent, later, back, rear, remainder, retro-
oku(reru): to be late, to lag behind, to fall back

I say “somewhat” because in one sense, all the definitions look like close cousins. But from another perspective, that’s not necessarily so.

Concepts of “after” and “behind” can be tricky in both Japanese and English. To explore this, let’s think of those words in a spatial sense first.

If someone is walking more slowly than you, you can say in English that he’s “behind” you, that he’s walking “after” you, or that he’s “in back.” No difference.

In Japanese, too, 後 can indicate that something or someone is bringing up the rear, as in these words:

But if you shift to a temporal focus, some fuzziness creeps into both languages. In English, if someone says, “Let’s move the deadline back,” it’s unclear whether the new deadline is earlier or later than the old one.

Let’s see how it is in Japanese—specifically, in terms of 後—by considering these words:
Read the rest of this entry »

Hi everyone!

One of the most fun ways to learn a language is to play a game. Some of you might find it easy to learn language when you use your body and learn visually. If you are kinesthetic or visual learner, you should try “Fukuwarai”!
Fukuwarai is a Japanese traditional game which is usually played as a New Years game. “Fukuwarai” can help you to learn directions and parts of the face.

How do you play Fukuwarai? You have an outline of a blank face and paper cutouts in the shape of the eyes, a nose, and a mouth. The blindfolded player will place the cutouts of the eyes, mouth, etc., while other people give him or her directions by saying “うえ (up), した (down), みぎ (right), ひだり (left)”. When you give the parts of the face to the blindfolded player, you may tell the person what it is, for example, you can say “これは目です.” (This is an eye.)
You can find more details on the game at the website called “Kids Web Japan”. You may find other games as well!

How to Play “Fukuwarai”:
Here is a typical way to play fukuwarai with friends when you have the actual game set. You can also make one by hand out of paper.
• First, the players place a piece of paper with the outline of a face on it.
• Then one player is blindfolded with a handkerchief or some other type of cloth.
• The blindfolded player tries to place cutouts of the eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and nose on the face, while the other players shout instructions–for example, “Higher!” “To the left!” “There!”
• After the player places the pieces, the blindfold is removed so the player can view his or her handiwork.
• Most of the time, the face comes out looking ridiculous, and the players can’t keep from laughing.
• It’s also fun to see how the faces created by different players turn out.

You don’t have to wait for New Year’s to play!