Prefecture Ranking

Let’s say that you won a trip to Japan, but the catch is that you can only visit one prefecture. Which one would
you choose? Just out of curiosity, I did some online research to see which prefectures in Japan have the most
観光客（かんこうきゃく・kankoukyaku・tourists). I’ll share with you the top three, so that you can get some
basic information, you know, just in case you win that trip.

Typical scene of a scramble intersection in Tokyo

#1 東京
Number one prefecture is 東京(とうきょう・ Tokyo). If you want to see urban Japan, with the neon lights and
scramble intersections (see picture above), then this is your place. There’s Shibuya for shopping and people
watching (many gyaru, Lolita, and other crazy fashioned people), and the beautiful night scenery of Odaiba if
you want to go out on a romantic date. More tourist-y places include Asakusa and other お寺(おてら・otera・
temple) and 神社(じんじゃ・jinjya・shrine) which can basically be found anywhere in Japan, but all have their
own unique taste. Also, don’t forget 東京タワー(Tokyo tower) , the Eiffel tower of Japan.
#2 京都
If you want to indulge in old, historical, traditional Japan, 京都(きょうと・ Kyoto) is your place to be. Here,
you can find many of the most famous お寺 and 神社 in Japan. With the most facilities given the “national
treasure” title out of all of the prefectures, there’s nowhere better to see the history of Japan first hand.
The most popular city in 京都 is 祇園(ぎおん・gion), where one may be able to run into a real life Maiko or
Geisha (if you're lucky).
#3 北海道
It is a prefecture full of nature, and it is a great place to go to have some outdoor fun and to enjoy nature with
the whole family. The Northern Horse Park (yes, it is an English name), is popular for their horse back riding
and break/cheese making classes, popular to families with children. Another place to go is Souunkyou – a
popular 温泉(おんせん・onsen・hot spring) cite with a magnificent valley and waterfall, for those of you who
just want to kick back and relax.
Wrap up
Interestingly, the top three 観光地（かんこうち・kankouchi・tourist spot) were all very unique from each
other. But this is only an introduction to the vast array of interesting places Japan has to offer. If you’re
planning on going to Japan though, you should always consider going to the places with less tourists, because
those places tend to be the ones that you really end up remembering.
 Maiko of Gion, Kyoto
Vocabulary

Kanji Hiragana Romaji English

観光客 かんこうきゃく kankoukyaku tourists

お寺 おてら otera temple

神社 じんじゃ jinjya shrine

観光地 かんこうち kankouchi tourist spot

電車 Trains

Unlike the US, Japan's public transportation system, especially the 電車 (でんしゃ・densha・train), is very
well developed. In most cities, People can live comfortably without a car; infact, it is a recent development for
many families to start owning cars.

駅員 shoving people onto the 電車.

Being Punctual
The Japanese culture is very strict on time. Punctuality is an absolute must for all public transportation,
especially the 電車. This means that even if the train is running two minutes late, the 駅 (えき・eki・station)
plays an announcement of deep apology.
電車 マナー
Like a lot of things in Japan, there are always appropriate マナー (まなー・mana-・manner) codes. First and
foremost, talking on the cell phones is absolutely forbidden on 電車 in Japan. Texting is allowed in paces other
than the handicapped seats. If you absolutely must answer your phone, keep it short, because you'll get a lot
of nasty glares from people around you.
Also, if you are ever riding the 電車, be sure to offer your seats to elderly, disabled, and pregnant/nursing
people. Many young Japanese people do not do this as often anymore, but it is a highly respected act.
Besides, you'll feel good doing nice to someone else.
Rush Hour
Because most people go to and from work on the 電車, rush hour gets extremely hectic in Japan. People,
literally, get packed into the 電車 by the 駅員 (えきいん・ekiin・station staff) (see picture above). Obviously,
the inside of the train is jam packed, to a point where people cannot move or look at their own feet. In this
state, the 電車 is called 満員電車 (まんいんでんしゃ・manin densha・full train). Obviously, it is a very
uncomfortable place/situation to be in, but perhaps an experience worth trying if you are ever in Japan.
Problems
Though Japanese 電車 companies and the government has put in a lot of effort to combat the sexual
harassment problems on 電車 to better the riding experience for people, there are those who misuse and take
advantage of the circumstance. More recently, we hear of cases where people are wrongly accused of
sexually harassing someone, and with the notorious conviction rate of Japan, as long as a woman insists on it,
a man has a very slim chance of being proven innocent.
Women-Only cars
電車 have always had a problem with sexual harassment, especially during the rush hour 満員電車 time. To
combat this problem, recently the trains have dedicated a car to women. These 女性専用車両 (じょせいせん
ようしゃりょう・josei senyou sharyou・women-only cars), are dedicated to only women during the busiest
times of the day.

The bullet train can go up to 180mph.

Vocabulary

Kanji Hiragana Romaji English

電車 でんしゃ densha train

駅 えき eki station

駅員 えきいん ekiin station staff

まんいんでんし
満員電車 manin densha full train
ゃ

マナー まなー mana- manner

地震 Earthquake in Japan

On March 11, 2011 at 14:46 (JST) a 地震 (じしん・jishin・earthquake) of M9.0 occurred in the Pacific Ocean,
just 130 km (80miles) off the nearest shore of Japan. This 地震 was the strongest in the history of Japan and
fifth strongest in the world since 1900.
Soon after the 地震, a massive 津波 (つなみ・tsunami) swept through the pacific coast of Japan destroying
everything in its path. The greatest damage was done in the Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukuoka prefectures. The
death toll may rise over 20,000.

X marks where the earthquake occurred. Red marks the area with the largest damage due to the 津波.
被災者 - Survivors
The 被災者 (ひさいしゃ・hisaisha・disaster victims) have been temporarily placed in shelters (commonly
school gymnasiums and community centers). Shortages of water, food, and supplies are currently a concern.
The main problem is the shortage of gas and oil; Gas is needed to transport supplies and people to and from
the shelters. Shelters also do not have enough oil to sufficiently heat the shelters, and thus 被災者 must bear
the harsh winter climate of northern Japan (below freezing on most days). Hospitals in the area are overflowed
and also suffer from a shortage of supplies and power. Many patients have lost their lives in the process of
moving to safer hospitals. Cutting back on electricity consumption is also important among the regions that
were relatively unaffected by the disaster. Planned blackouts are occurring in different regions around Tokyo.
Radiation
Among the heavily affected areas (Fukushima prefecture) was a nuclear powerplant. Radiation is already
leaking out from the plant, and whether or not a larger leakage or explosion can be prevented or not will be a
hot topic of concern for the world.
How to be more informed
The Japanese media, especially news, is focusing heavily on the 地震. If you are interested in learning more
on the up-to-date information on this disaster, there are many live online streams of Japanese news channels.
Although Japanese streams of news have become unavailable as of March 25th, English news streams
continue; please take a look at NHK World.
The world is stepping up to help
Many countries are sending aid to Japan in this time of disaster. For the first time in history, China has sent a
disaster aid team to Japan. Hopefully this will be a representation of a large step toward improving the long-
term political and historical dispute between Japan and China. These foreign aid and volunteer organizations
will be key to a prompt rescue of the 被災者 recovery of Japan.

The tsunami waves swept through residential areas causing devastating damage.
Vocabulary

Kanji Hiragana Romaji English

地震 じしん jishin earthquake

津波 つなみ tsunami tsunami

被災者 ひさいしゃ hisaisha disaster victims

 日本円 ￥ Japanese Yen

Whenever you go to a foreign country, it's good to have knowledge of the country's currency- especially coins.
Nobody wants to be the clueless foreigner holding up the cash register line trying to scavenge through their
coin purse picking out the exact change.

Japanese yen 小銭
小銭 - Coins
The Japanese 円 (えん・en・"en," not yen) has 6 小銭 (こぜに・kozeni・coins) that are used on an everyday
basis. In the US, we mainly use pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Though we also have the 50 cent and
one dollar coins, we do not see or use them as often. The U.S. 小銭 are tricky because it's hard to quickly
distinguish what the value is. The great thing about Japanese currency (especially with the 小銭) is that, for
the most part, the value of the currency can be easily identified.

1円 (ichien): this is the smallest coin and is made of aluminum. It is extremely light and hard to
confuse with the others - it just feels the cheapest.

5円 (goen): this is the only coin that uses the Kanji 五 instead of the number 5. Though the
number is not easily identifiable, the color and donut shape of the 小銭 is very distinct.

10円 (jyuuen): this is the only copper colored 小銭.

50円 (gojyuen): similar donut shape as 5円, but silver. Side note: Currencies with holes in them
are very rare.

100円 (hyakuen): silver 小銭 with no hole.

500円 (gohyakuen): Now, this is an interesting 小銭. It is roughly valued as 5 U.S. dollars, but is in the form of
a coin. With a coin worth so much, it makes much more sense in Japan to carry a coin wallet instead of just
throwing all the change in your pocket and letting your washing machine eat it.
お 札 (おさつ・osatsu・Bills)
1,000円札 (せんえんさつ・sen en satsu・1000yen bill) is the lowest worth お札 in Japan. The
man portrayed is Hideo Noguchi, a famous bacteriologist from the early 1900s).

2,000円札 (nisen en satsu): this bill is rarely used. It is somewhat similar to the $2 bill in the
U.S.. You can get this お札 easily at the bank, but not many people seem to use it.
 5,000円札 (gosen en satsu): This bill is interesting because a woman is portrayed. Her name is
Ichiyou Higuchi, a famous female author.

10,000円札 (ichiman en satsu): portrays Yukichi Fukuzawa, an ex-samurai, author, translator,

entrepreneur, and teacher who founded the prestigious Keio University.

Japanese yen お 札
Japanese people are more likely to carry and use cash instead of credit and debit cards. Also, unlike in the
U.S. and using 100 dollar bills, one can use a 10,000円札 to buy a 150円 bottle of juice at the convenience
store, with no hesitation or questioning.
Vocabulary

Kanji Hiragana Romaji English

円 えん en "en", not yen

小銭 こぜに kozeni coins

お札 おさつ osatsu bills

制服 School Uniforms

Walking around in Japan, you'll see a lot of 学生 (がくせい・gakusei・students). Their 制服 (せいふく・

seifuku・uniform) make it especially easy to point them out. Compared to the U.S., there are a whole lot more
schools in Japan that require students to wear 制服. The vast majority of 中学 (ちゅうがく・chuugaku・junior
high) and 高校 (こうこう・koukou・high school) require students to wear 制服, which obviously has its pros
and cons. This month's JOL will introduce some of the different kinds 制服 that people (notice how I didn't say
学生) wear.

学ラン&セーラー服 (left), ブレザー (right)

学ラン&セーラー服
The traditional type of school 制服 are 学ラン (がくらん・gakuran) and セーラー服 (せーらーふく・se-ra-
fuku・literally "sailor clothes"), displayed in the left photo above.

学ラン refers to the male 制服 of this style, usually all black with a mandarin collar (short,
unfolded stand-up collar). Outside of class, this type of 制服 is commonly worn by Japanese
male cheer squads. It's nothing like American cheerleading, and it's hard to explain in words, so
if you're curious I'd suggest you look up a video of 応援団 (おうえんだん・ouendan) online.

セーラー服 can be identified by the collar flap that squares off in the black like a mini-cape and
tied ribbon that hangs in the front. It's said to be modeled after the 制服 of foreign sailors, and
hence the name, "セーラー".

ブレザー
Recently schools have been switching to or offering the more modern 制服 style,ブレザー (ぶれざー・
bureza-・blazer) (photo above right). Obviously from its name, this 制服 incorporates a blazer for both
genders. The jacket is usually a solid color, but unlike the 学ランand セーラー服, it's common for the bottoms
of these 制服 to be a different color than the top. The skirts are almost always plaid, but the male pants are
usually a different design (often a solid or subtle design).
So non-students wear 制服?
As foreshadowed in the intro paragraph, people other than students do wear 制服 in Japan. Not only that, a 制
服 that a real 学生 wears outside is not necessarily the 制服 from their school.
Faux 制服 can be found in many department stores, and there are many popular specialty apparel stores just
for that purpose. Many of popular clothing brands will have a line of faux 制服 too. Prices can be pretty steep,
amounting to a couple hundred dollars for the whole set, which is comparable to the official school 制服.
People buy faux 制服 for many reasons, like if you're no longer in school and want to feel nostalgic (or if you
look young enough, to be able to act like a 学生), or even if your school requires you to wear a セーラー服 but
you've always wanted wear the ブレザー. Since it's so typical to see hundreds of real 学生 with their 制服, it's
pretty easy to blend in unnoticed.

Faux 制服 section at a female apparel store.

Vocabulary

Kanji Hiragana Romaji English

学生 がくせい gakusei students

制服 せいふく seifuku uniform

Japanese Relationship Words That Don't Exist In English

It's February, the - of love! Or so say the many chocolate, flower and jewelry shops that are trying to push
Valentine's Day on to you. I've wanted to do a newsletter on Japanese words that don't have English
translations for a while now… and since that would be too broad of a topic, this - we'll look narrow the topic
down to words and phrases that relate to the theme of love and relationships.

恋の予感
恋の予感 (こいのよかん・koi no yokan) is a term made up of two parts. First, 恋 (こい・koi・crush, or love)
and 予感 (よかん・yokan・presentiment). It's a term that refers to the feeling that you may falling in love, that
you feel love WILL BE in the air (not "is").
arrow-r 恋い焦がれる
Now this one's a bit poetic. The first part of this term is the same as the pervious, but it's now attached to 焦げ
る (こげる・kogeru・to burn). It's the feeling of pain that comes with being madly in love. Basically, you love
someone so much that you can almost feel your heart burn.
甘え
甘え (あまえ・amae) is a word based off of 甘い (あまい・amai・sweet). It's the act of letting your guards
down, showing your "sweet side". It has a broad definition and not one act is defined as 甘え. It can be subtle,
like you feel more at ease when you are with your significant other, or you actually act different (say, speak
childishly) around people that you feel comfortable with.
照れ隠し
A combination of the word 照れる (てれる・tereru・to be embarrassed) and 隠す (かくす・kakusu・to hide).
Meaning, quite literally that. It's not necessarily just for relationships but if you read manga or watch anime,
you've probably seen an example of this (ie. a character gives their crush a gift and says "I DON'T HAVE A
CRUSH ON YOU, DON'T GET THE WRONG MESSAGE.")
好き
The literal translation of "I love you" is 愛してる (あいしてる・aishiteru) in Japanese. But there's a more
common phrase 好き (すき・suki) this phrase is often translated into "I like you" or "to like", and that's true,
but depending on the situation すき can mean both (or either) like or love. It's actually more similar to how
"love" is used in English. "Oh my gosh, I LOVE chocolate" doesn't mean you are romantically in love with
chocolate, it means you like chocolate. Similarly, if someone says 好き to you in Japanese, it doesn't
necessarily mean they aren't head-over-heels madly in love with you.
 Typically in Japan, Valentine's Day is a day for women to give chocolates to men and/or friends. Men give back on "White Day"
which is March 14.
Vocabulary KanjiHiraganaRomajiEnglish恋こいkoicrush, or love予感よかんyokanpresentiment焦げるこげ
るkogeruto burn照れるてれるtereruto be embarrassed隠すかくすkakusuto hide

Weired and Cool ギフトガイド

It’s right around the holiday season, perhaps you’re already busy with some holiday shopping. This month,
we’re talking about all the corky, awesome gadgets and おもちゃ (omocha・toys) from Japan! Perhaps it can
be a helpful ギフトガイド (gifuto gaido・gift guide).
The endless possibilities of ラジコン
As a kid, one of my favorite toys was my ラジコン (らじこん・rajikon・short for “radio control” – RC toys).
The newest feature to ラジコン is the winding charger. No batteries, just hook up your vehicle to the controller
and start winding away (like the battery-less flash lights) and voila, your ラジコン is charged. The types out
right now are geared towards younger kids and have very simple controls (wind forward to go straight, wind
backwards to turn back) but this would be a good base to branch out from.
Portable Rice Tube
That picture pretty much sums it up. It’s a portable rice tube, because a rice ball just isn’t portable enough. You
stuff the tube with rice and filling, then close it up with a twisty bottom that helps you push out the rice as you
eat it. Now you can fulfill your おにぎり (onigiri・rice ball) cravings while on the go!

Smarthan made by Takara Tomy

For the fresh-squeezes juice lover
Sarcasm doesn’t always work in writing, but given the nature of this month’s newsletter, this seems to be an
appropriate time: Haven’t you always wished that you could just drink Grapefruit juice straight out of the fruit
like with coconut juice? Well of course you have and there’s a solution!
There’s a gadget called グレフルチューチュー (gurefuru chu-chu-). グレフル is short for グレープフルーツ
(gure-pu furu-tsu・grapefruit) and チューチュー (ちゅーちゅーchu-chu-) is an onomatopoeia to suck.
Basically, this gadget lets you drill a hole into a グレープフルーツ and then mash up the insides so you can
drink the juice with a straw.
If anything, watch the commercial. It has a stereotypical “crazy Japanese” theme song that’ll at least give you
a chuckle.

グレープフルーツ juicer

Vocabulary

Kanji Hiragana Romaji English

おもちゃ おもちゃ omocha toys

ラジコン らじこん rajikon RC toys

おにぎり おにぎり onigiri rice ball

チューチュー ちゅーちゅ chu-chu- to suck

Second New Year? 年度末

March is a very busy time of year in Japan. It's when the 年度 (ねんど・nendo・ Japanese fiscal year) ends
to start a new. To be accurate, the end of the Japanese fiscal year, called 年度末 (ねんどまつ・nendomatsu・
"matsu" indicating "end") is on March 31st and 年度始め (ねんどはじめ・nendohajime・ "hajime" means
beginning) is on April 1st.
 年度末 is a busy time for Japanese businesses that need to balance their books
There's no exact transition for 年度 in English. Most closely, it means "year" but is different than the 年 (ねん or
とし・"nen" or "toshi"・ year) referring to the calendar years. 年度 is the "years" in English terms like, "fiscal
year", "academic year", etc. While there are ways in Japanese to refer to specific year-terms (ie. 学校年度 (が
っこうねんど・gakkou nendo・ school (or academic) year)), 年度 is an overarching word that refers to all of
these generally.
For companies and government workers
For businesses and governments in Japan, 年度末 is a very busy time of year because they need to balance
their books and prepare for the next 年度. For most office workers in departments that deal with budgets and
money (ie. sales, accounting, finance, etc.), March/April is a time for long hours. Same goes for government
employees. The Japanese yen tends to fluctuate in value around this time of year because of the last-minute
movement of money and businesses dealing with new budgets and human resources decisions.
For Schools
In Japan, the 学校年度 or 学年度 (がくねんど・gaku nendo) for short starts in April. It's like June in the states,
when teachers and students prepare for graduation, but instead of having a couple months of summer break,
they go right back in with the 新年度 (しんねんど・shinnendo・ new year) the next month. Most schools hold
their graduations at the beginning of March and students will have a couple weeks of spring break.

March is the time for graduation for most Japanese schools.

For those unaffected by 年度
For individual lucky enough to not be bombarded with work during this time of year, 年度末・年度始め is a
pleasant time to enjoy the outdoors. The graduation and new 学年度, in Japan is commonly associated with
the bloom of 桜 (さくら・sakura・ cherry blossoms). With the beginning of spring and warmer weather,
people will have picnics by 桜 trees, called お花見 (おはなみ・ohanami・ literally "to look at flowers").
Vocabulary

Kanji Hiragana Romaji English

年度末 ねんどまつ nendomatsu end of fiscal year

beginning of
年度始め ねんどはじめ nendohajime
fiscal year
cour / television
クール くーる ku-ru
season

桜 さくら sakura cherry blossoms