Unit 12 O-MO-TE-NA-SHI Japanese Culture
REVIEW

Put the following Japanese into English.
1. 柔道は、対戦相手が素手でお互いを投げたり、組み打ちをし床にねじ伏せるかして、勝者を決めるスポーツです。
2. 空手は、手や足を使い相手を蹴ったり、打ったりする格闘技です。
3. 剣道は、侍の伝統を受け、刀を使った剣術の技に従って、何世紀もの格闘の結果生まれた競技スポーツです。
4. 相撲は、日本式の重量級のレスリングで、相手を丸い土俵の外に出してしまう
か、相手の足の裏以外の体の部分に土をつけたら、勝負ありです。
Traditional Events in Japan (1)

日本の伝統行事
お正月(1)

CONVERSATION 1

Key words:・tidings

便り

1. Listen to the conversation without looking at the text.
2. Now repeat after the teacher, looking at the text.

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A: Tell me about Japanese traditional events.
B: The Japanese New Year, celebrated from January 1st to January 3rd, is avery special occasion. This is the “festival of festivals” in Japan. In mostWestern countries, the biggest holiday is Christmas, right?
A: Yes.
B: In Japan, it is the New Year. Most Japanese start the new year by going toa nearby shrine to pray for health and happiness in the coming year. Many
people often go back to their parents’ home in the country. Instead ofsending Christmas cards, we send New Year’s Day postcards so that they
arrive on 1 January. We do this to give our faraway friends tidings ofourselves.
3. Read the conversation until you memorize it.
4. Role playYour teacher plays the role of A and you play the role of B.
CONVERSATION 2

Key words:・refrigeration 冷凍保存
・bestowを授ける

1. Listen to the conversation without looking at the text.
2. Now repeat after the teacher, looking at the text.

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A: Do people eat anything special?
B: Yes. The Japanese eat a special selection of dishes during the New Yearcelebration. Many of these dishes are sweet, sour, or dried, and are keptwithout refrigeration so that people have something to eat when all thestores are closed for the holidays. People also eat mochi, which are ricecakes made from sticky rice.
A: What else do people do?
B: They place kadomatsu (made of pine and bamboo), a traditional
decoration for the new year holiday, in pairs at the entrance of buildings. Itis to receive the deities of the year, who will bestow blessings on everyone.
And on New Year’s Day, people have a custom of giving children smallenvelopes with money in them, which is known as otoshidama.
3. Read the conversation until you memorize it.
4. Role playYour teacher plays the role of A and you play the role of B.

節分花見

CONVERSATION 3

Key words:・purify

清める・transience

はかなさ

1. Listen to the conversation without looking at the text.
2. Now repeat after the teacher, looking at the text.

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A: What other traditional events are there?
B: Setsubun in February is for celebrating the end of winter and thebeginning of spring. People throw roasted soybeans while shouting “Demonsout! Good luck in!” The beans are supposed to purify the home by forcing
out the evil spirits. Then, as part of bringing in good luck, we eat roasted soybeans, one for each year of one’s life.
A: That sounds interesting.
B: In April, people gather under the cherry blossom trees to eat, drink andsing. This cherry blossom viewing is called hanami, which is an eagerly awaited national event in Japan. To Japanese people, the sakura (cherry blossoms) symbolizes the transience of life because the blooming season is very
short.

3. Read the conversation until you memorize it.
4. Role playYour teacher plays the role of A and you play the role of B.
PRACTICE SENTENCES

Put the following Japanese into English.
1. たいていの日本人は、新しい年の健康と幸せを祈るために、近くの神社へ行って新年を迎えます。
2. 私たちは、遠くにいる友人たちへ、近況を知らせるために、年賀状を送ります。
3. 日本人は、お正月のお祝いに、特別な料理を食べます。
4.２月の節分は、冬の終わりと春の始まりを祝うものです。
5.４月には、桜の木のもとに集い、食べ，飲み、歌います。

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