Where does the name Japan come from? In Japanese it is 日本 [nihon] or [nippon] and bares no resemblance to “Japan”. The name Japan seems to have originated from Cipangu, which was first mentioned in Europe in the accounts of the travels of Marco Polo. Japan appears for the first time on a European map  in 1457, although it appears much earlier on Chinese and Korean maps such as the Kangnido. Following the accounts of [...]]]> 「Japan」の由来は！？The origin of the word Japan??

Where does the name Japan come from? In Japanese it is 日本 [nihon] or [nippon] and bares no resemblance to “Japan”. The name Japan seems to have originated from Cipangu, which was first mentioned in Europe in the accounts of the travels of Marco Polo. Japan appears for the first time on a European map  in 1457, although it appears much earlier on Chinese and Korean maps such as the Kangnido. Following the accounts of Marco Polo, Cipangu was thought to be rich in silver and gold, which in medieval times was correct, owing to the volcanism of the islands and the possibility to access precious ores without resorting to unavailable deep-mining technologies.

Some other pronunciations in Southeast Asia of the word Japan are:

1. Modern Shanghainese:  Zeppen

2. Modern Japanese Cipangu is written as ジパング

3. Mandarin Chinese: Ri4ben3

4. Cantonese: Yat pun

5. Korean: Ilbon

6. Vietnamese: Nhật Bản (Nhựt Bổn)

7. Min Nan  (Hokkien): Jit-pun, which has influenced the Thai name

8. Thai: Yipun

*Older Hokkien  speakers may use Ue-kok (倭國) and in the past Korea used 倭國, pronounced Waeguk.

It is also interesting to note that the word “China” is derived from Cin,  a Persian name for China popularized in Europe by Marco Polo as well and derived from the Sanskrit Cīna.

In Japan the sixth month of the lunar new year is called 水無月 [minazuki] and is often used in referring to June in the western calender today. There are many origins of this word. Literary, the main interpretation is the month when 梅雨[tsuyu] (the rainy season) ends and the water dries up.

日本では旧暦は6月を水無月と呼び、現在では新暦6月も用いている。文字通り、梅雨が明け水が涸れてなくなる月であると多く解釈されています。

A new website, ‘Japanese in Anime and Manga’, for learners of Japanese who like Japanese animation and comic books, is now open! It’s an e-learning site that offers a fun way to learn a number of character/genre-based Japanese expressions which appear in anime and manga.

Website features： (1) The site was created with lines actually used by characters in anime and manga works popular overseas as a basis. Users can learn a casual style of Japanese not [...]]]> Japanese Anime and Manga Website

A new website, ‘Japanese in Anime and Manga’, for learners of Japanese who like Japanese animation and comic books, is now open!
It’s an e-learning site that offers a fun way to learn a number of character/genre-based Japanese expressions which appear in anime and manga.

Website features：
(1) The site was created with lines actually used by characters in anime and manga works popular overseas as a basis. Users can learn a casual
style of Japanese not found in the usual textbooks and dictionaries.
(2) With anime-style characters, and explanations given in the form of manga, users can learn through a unique anime/manga view of the world.
(3) Users can learn in a fun way through quizzes and games, choosing their own preferred study contents and method, according to their own level and interests.

Contents：
Character expressions: Users can study expressions distinctive of 8 characters typically found in anime and manga.
Genre expressions: Users can study expressions typical of 4 genres (Love, School, Ninja, Samurai) popular overseas.

The following contents are now open: ‘Character Expressions’,‘Love Word Quiz’, ‘Ninja Kanji Game’,‘Samurai Expressions by Scene’and‘School Expressions by Scene’.

The Sanshin is a three string Okinawan instrument from which the Japanese shamisen (三味線) originated. The original sanshin consists of a python covered body, neck and three string and has close ties to China where it was introduced from in the 16th century. During World War II many Okinawans made shashin from tin cans called kankara sanshin.

There is a lot of free resources online for learning to play the sanshin Uta34.com is one that has both contemporary and [...]]]> 三線 Sanshin

The Sanshin is a three string Okinawan instrument from which the Japanese shamisen (三味線) originated. The original sanshin consists of a python covered body, neck and three string and has close ties to China where it was introduced from in the 16th century. During World War II many Okinawans made shashin from tin cans called kankara sanshin.

There is a lot of free resources online for learning to play the sanshin Uta34.com is one that has both contemporary and classical sanshin pieces to listen to as well as sheet music to play.

This is another resource that allows you to create your own sanshin piece and it plays the piece for you. Below is a photo of a sanshin with a synthetic python skin.

Now due to the enthusiasm of such people as individual followers and Koushin forum people, Koushin pagodas (庚申塔) were built. These Koushin pagodas are placed on slightly elevated plateaus and overlook roadsides, communities or fields and are thought to worship things such as: good harvest, good health and to expel epidemics in the communities that they are built in. On the Kunisaki peninsula in Oita prefecture in north-eastern Kyushu there are quite a number of these Koushin pagodas [...]]]> Koushin Pagodas today (3)

Now due to the enthusiasm of such people as individual followers and Koushin forum people, Koushin pagodas (庚申塔) were built.
These Koushin pagodas are placed on slightly elevated plateaus and overlook roadsides, communities or fields and are thought to worship things such as: good harvest, good health and to expel epidemics in the communities that they are built in.
On the Kunisaki peninsula in Oita prefecture in north-eastern Kyushu there are quite a number of these Koushin pagodas remaining. It looks as though that the Kunisaki peninsula could be one such area with a relatively high distribution density compared with the rest of the country.
Kunisaki peninsula consists of 10 (2005/12) municipalities: Bungo-Takada (豊後高田市), Matama(真玉町), Kakaji(香々地町), Kunimi(国見町), Himeshima(姫島村), Kunisaki(国東町), Kitsuki(杵築市), Aki(安岐町), Musashi(武蔵町), and Ota(大田村). In this entire area it is estimated that there are approximately 1000 of these Koushin pagodas.

バリアーフリー is ‘barrier free’ it is used to mean ‘accessible for wheelchairs’. They are applying this to the sidewalk, fine make it more accessible but wait a moment. What do they mean by ‘barrier free’? They cut down all the trees and pull up all the bushes, which by the way were not in the way because there was plenty of room to get a wheelchair or even for two to pass. Making the sidewalk a little more smoother [...]]]> バリアーフリー　Barrier free

バリアーフリー is ‘barrier free’ it is used to mean ‘accessible for wheelchairs’. They are applying this to the sidewalk, fine make it more accessible but wait a moment. What do they mean by ‘barrier free’? They cut down all the trees and pull up all the bushes, which by the way were not in the way because there was plenty of room to get a wheelchair or even for two to pass. Making the sidewalk a little more smoother to help wheelchairs to get by easier maybe ok but still there was no reason to cut down all the trees and pull up all the bushes. So why did they cut down the trees? To get their work trucks to pass on the sidewalks more easily. This is like why did they widen the paths in the garden for? To get the tractor through so they can plant/harvest faster and produce more volume. I can think of a number of solutions, 1. use the road for their trucks, or 2. use smaller machines, or 3. manual labor. So I am sure they say well we cannot cause problems for traffic, small machines or manual labor are just too much work = lazy workers. I have seen entire roads built by hand in some countries and I don’t see why they can’t do it in anywhere else, I believe being developed doesn’t make the excuse.  Many countries, like China divert roads to go around trees just because they want to preserve them and not cut them down. The tree has been there longer than us and could be there long after we are gone. Don’t they realize how hot it gets on a a black asphalt sidewalk in the summer? I wonder what they(we) are going breathe when all the trees are gone?

There are many Japanese expressions with the word insect (虫, mushi) in them such as: 「虫の居所が悪い」, (mushi no idokoro ga warui) or “To be in a bad mood”, and 「腹の虫が治まらない」, (Hara no mushi ga osamaranai) or “I can’t take insults like that lying down”. The truth is there are three insects in the human body from birth.

There is a “Koushin Omen” (庚申縁起), which has been passed along from the Koushin shrine at Shiten’ou (四天王寺)Temple in Osaka. [...]]]> About the Koushin belief (2)

There are many Japanese expressions with the word insect (虫, mushi) in them such as: 「虫の居所が悪い」, (mushi no idokoro ga warui) or “To be in a bad mood”, and 「腹の虫が治まらない」, (Hara no mushi ga osamaranai) or “I can’t take insults like that lying down”. The truth is there are three insects in the human body from birth.

There is a “Koushin Omen” (庚申縁起), which has been passed along from the Koushin shrine at Shiten’ou (四天王寺)Temple in Osaka. I will explain this Koushin Omen below.
On Koushin eve, while people are asleep the three insects escape from the body and rise up to the sky and inform the god of sky about the person’s good and evils. After listening to the information the god of the sky, would respond relative to the importance of the sin and either shorten the person’s lifespan or even take the person’s life away. In order to escape such misfortunes, it is said that you should do good, stop doing all evils and on Koushin eve, make offerings of incense, flowers, and food and before going to sleep recite the name of Buddha in your mind.
This custom, such that on Kanoe’saru (庚申の夜) eve, while wishing for good health, you don’t sleep well came down from the nobility of the Heian period (784–1184??), and was passed along to the Samurai class of the Kamakura period(1192-1333??), and eventually began to infiltrate itself slowly into the general public.
Moreover, during the Edo period (1597-1864), this custom spread throughout the country and a group to worship the Koushin in every area was organized called the Koushin forum (庚申講). Before long, it became one of the popular beliefs of the peoples.

Koushin is one of the twelve horary signs. An ancient Chinese idea of the origins of all the things in the universe. The five elements: wood (木, Moku), fire(火, ka), earth(土, Do), gold(金, Gon), and water(水, Sui). These elements is what makes up what is known as Gogyou (五行). The division of these elements into the: e (兄、エ) and to (弟、ト) is called Jikkan (十干). These are as follows, Kinoe, 甲（キノエ）; Kinoto 乙（キノト）; Hinoe, 丙（ヒノエ）; Hinoto, 丁（ヒノト）; Tsuchinoe, [...]]]> 「庚申」 “Koushin” (1)

Koushin is one of the twelve horary signs. An ancient Chinese idea of the origins of all the things in the universe. The five elements: wood (木, Moku), fire(火, ka), earth(土, Do), gold(金, Gon), and water(水, Sui). These elements is what makes up what is known as Gogyou (五行). The division of these elements into the: e (兄、エ) and to (弟、ト) is called Jikkan (十干). These are as follows, Kinoe, 甲（キノエ）; Kinoto 乙（キノト）; Hinoe, 丙（ヒノエ）; Hinoto, 丁（ヒノト）; Tsuchinoe, 戊（ツチノエ）; Tsuchinoto, 己（ツチノト）; Kanoe, 庚（カノエ）; Kanoto, 辛（カノト）; Mizunoe, 壬（ミズノエ）; Mizunoto, 癸（ミズノト）. The Jikkan and the twelve horary signs (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Boar) when combined make up 60 varieties. For example, Kinoe’ne (甲子), 乙丑 (kinoto’ushi), Hinoe’tora (丙寅), etc, etc…. In here, there is one called: Koushin (庚申) or Kanoe’saru. This fits into the calendar such that every 60 days, a Koushin day is observed and this comes around once every 60 years. The celebration of Kanreki, 還暦 (or the celebration of one’s 60^th birthday), comes from the meaning of a returning to the beginning in this sexagenary cycle.