年賀状 （ねんがじょう）

12月に日本人がすることといえば、次の３つ。 　１．忘年会（ぼうねんかい） 　２．大掃除（おおそうじ） 　３．年賀状をおくること 年賀状はSMSやEメールで送る人も増えましたが、今でも大勢の人がオリジナルのカードを作って友達やお世話になった人におくります。 　赤(あか)い字(じ)で「年賀(ねんが)」と書(か)いて12(１２)月(がつ)25(２５)日(にち)までにポスト(ぽすと)に入(い)れると、必(かなら)ず、元旦(がんたん)（がんたん）に配達(はいたつ)されます。元旦(がんたん)というのは1月1日のことです。 お雑煮（ぞうに）や、お節料理（おせちりょうり）を家(いえ)族(ぞく)と食べながら、届(とど)いた年賀状をよむ・・・。それが元旦の楽しみです。

年賀状 (New Year Card)

During the month of December, the Japanese would do 3 of the following:

1. Year End Party

2. Special Clean Up

3. Send Nenga Jyou (New Year Cards) 

As technology advance, people use SMS or E-Mail to exchange New Year Greetings. Even so, there are still people who send out the traditional Nenga Jyou. When you post your Nenga Jyou, these two characters "年賀" has to be written with red ink and posted before 25th December. This is the time when all the post offices in Japan are kept busy. The post office would have to store all the Nenga Jyou before they can start delivering on the 1st January, New Year’s Day.

The Japanese would have Ozouni (Japanese Soup with Mochi Rice Cake) and Osechi Ryori (Japanese New Year Food) while reading the postcards that arrived. This is the joy and fun of Gantan (New Year). 

年越しそば と 除夜の鐘

  "New Year's Eve Buckwheat Noodles"　＆

”Joya no Kane”The tolling of　temple bells at midnight

日本では１２月３１日は「大晦日　（おおみそか）」と呼ばれています。
この日の夜、長寿を願ってそばを食べるのが古くからの伝統です。


3１ December, the last Day of the year is called "Ōmisoka (大晦日)"
Eating buckwheat noodles, and wishing for longevity has remained as one of the good old traditions of the night. 

大晦日の夜には日本中のお寺で１０８回鐘を鳴らします。これは「除夜の鐘」と呼ばれ、最大の仏教儀式の一つです。
日本の仏教信仰によると、人間は108の煩悩（ぼんのう）があると言われ、一年で蓄積された煩悩を全て洗い流すために、同じ回数鐘を鳴らします。
毎年、多くの人々が除夜の鐘の儀式を楽しみにしていています。特に京都の知恩院は大勢の人が集まることで有名です。７４tもある日本一大きな鐘を１７人もの僧侶が鳴らします。


  
Joya no Kane or the tolling of temple bells at midnight is the ringing of the bronze bell (temple bell) for 108 times around 12:00am on New Year's Eve (December 31). It is one of the biggest Buddhist ceremonies and it takes place throughout Japan's Buddhist Temples. The number 108 is sacred in many religions and there are a lot of meanings and coincidences regarding it. 

According to Japan's Buddhist beliefs, 108 is the number of passions and desires entrapping us in the cycle of suffering and reincarnation. Therefore, the 108 bell chimes symbolize the purification from the 108 delusions, sufferings and evil passions accumulated over the past year.

The Japanese New Year bell ringing ritual is actually an enjoyable experience, and the best place to watch Joya no Kane is the Chion-in Temple in Kyoto.
The large sized bell from the Chion-in Temple, cast in 1633, is the heaviest in Japan (74 tons) and a team of 17 monks are required to ring it properly at the New Year ceremony!

Autumn Foliage 紅葉

Japanese and tourists to Japan flock to view Cherry Blossoms in Spring and in Autumn, 

viewing of autumn leaves is a popular activity.

For more information about the Autumn Foliage,

click here: http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/calendar/october/foliage.html

Chinatown といっても

 

シンガポールのチャイナタウンには、イスラム教やヒンドゥ教寺院、それに韓国レストランや洋風のバーまでいろいろな建物が立ち並んでいます。まさに”ROJAK"！

現代的なビルだらけのシンガポールですが、この辺には歴史を感じさせるショップハウスも多く残っています。

特に裏通りにはショップハウスを改装したおしゃれなカフェやレストランがたくさんあります。

東京やNYにもまけない素敵なお店では、オーチャードの喧騒に疲れた大人たちが静かに時間を楽しんでいます。もちろん私もその一人。

皆さんも、お気に入りの店をさがしにチャイナタウンへ行ってみませんか。

At Singapore's Chinatown, other than the mosque and Hindu temple (and also Chinese temple), Korean restaurants and westernized bars can be readily seen in the district. It is just like "ROJAK"!

Although Singapore is full of modern high rise buildings, over at Chinatown, many shop-houses which have abundance of historical and heritage values, still remain. Many stylish cafés and restaurants can be seen within those beautifully-restored shop-houses along the the streets of Chinatown.

These retail and restaurants are comparable to those in the modern cities such as Tokyo and New York. However, unlike those in the bustling Orchard, at Chinatown, one can enjoy some peaceful and quiet time  (with some friends or alone). Needless to say, I am also one of them.

Would you also like to explore Singapore's Chinatown to search for a shop which you will like?

Pandas@Singapore!

Time flies, doesn't it? We have just entered the final quarter of the year 2012.

The month of September was an eventful one for Singapore! One of the occasions was the arrival of our new residents Kaikai and Jiajia. If you haven't been following the news lately, here's an update! Kaikai and Jiajia are a giant panda couple from Chengdu, China.They have landed in Singapore on 6th September 2012. The pair will be in Singapore on a 10-year from the government of China. This also marks the strong ties between both the countries over the past 2 decades.

Well, if you are eager to meet the panda pair, we are sorry to inform you that they will only be joining the zoo family after November as they need time to settle down with special care. However, if you are a true panda fan, you can sign up to be a Chengdu Pambassdor at their facebook page. Over at the page, you can be updated with the latest pandas news and photos.

Okay, till next entry!

-Aoba Admin

J-WAVE is BACK!!!

I guess this is not a piece of fresh news to all J-POP fans out there. However, it is definitely good to highlight to all who have yet to know about it.

When was the last time you have watched a popular Japanese drama or variety show on our national television channel? Was it the occasional weekend Japanese movie? Or...
Now, fret not! Other than the many K-POP options which are readily available, we have our J-POP choices as well!

Firstly, the well-rated Japanese variety show, VS Arashi has been on air since last month on every Monday at 20:00. Not only is the game show highly entertaining, it also helps to chase the Monday Blues away, leaving you with only laughter and occasional suspense.

Not interested in variety show?
The channel also has a J-Drama on air on every Saturday at 23:30. Also a production of FujiTV, Zenkai Garu (Full Throttle Girl) features a girl dreaming to be an international lawyer, making multi-billion yen. This drama has earned itself many great comments from the netizens.

So now, other than the other online platforms, all our fellow J-POP fans can choose to tune in to our national television channel for your weekly scoops of j-entertainment. Who knows? Maybe they may decide to bring in more similar shows & dramas in the near future.

After saying so much, you may ask, "Where exactly can I catch these programmes?!"
Click on this link for more details!

-Aoba Admin

JLPT (Dec 2012)

The next coming Japanese Proficiency Test will be conducted on 2 December 2012 (Sunday) by the Japanese Cultural Society in Singapore.

Registration will be open from 21 August to 14th September 2012 (Mon-Fri, between 2.30pm to 8.00pm) at JCS.
Online registration is also avaiable at www.jcss.org.sg from 21 August to 2 September 2012.

Alternatively, if you are an active student of AOBA, you may wish to apply or the test with us.
Please register your interest with $2 for the application from at AOBA reception latest by 1 September. Bring along 2 recent passport-sized photos and test fee for submission of completed forms.
All completed forms must be submitted to AOBA by 10 September 2012, else you will have to do self-submission at JCS.

Test fee for each level is as follows:
N1: S$65.00
N2: S$65.00
N3: S$65.00
N4: S$55.00
N5: S$55.00

Bento （弁当）

Bento （弁当）is a single take-away meal or a home-packed meal in the Japanese cuisine.
It originated from the late Kamakura Period (1185 - 1333) when dried cooked rice named hoshii 糒 was developed. Since then, the presentation of bento went through much evolution throughout the history of Japan.
Although bentos are now sold almost everywhere in Japan, many Japanese homemakers still spend much time and effort to prepare a delicious and appealing bento for their spouse and children.

Recently, there is an increase in popularity in a type of bento named deco-ben which is an abbreviation of decoration bento. Deco-ben was originally created to promote better eating habits among children. However, now it has evolved to a point where deco-ben contests are held in Japan and other countries.

Below are photos of some yummy deco-bens. Don't you find them cute and appealing? =P

Anpanman Deco-Ben

Tanabata Deco-Ben

Nemo Deco-Ben

More than just a delicious lunchbox, a person can also have fun admiring the display of art in his bento. Well, not to forget to appreciate the time and effort taken to make it as well.

Laksa vs Rakusa らくさ

Do you know the meaning of both the word laksa (in Singapore context) and rakusa らくさ (in Japanese context)?

Note: Both laksa and rakusa らくさ have the same pronunciation.

Laksa is a spicy cuisine in Singapore. It is a coconut curry soup with thick rice noodles, usually served with sliced fish cakes and fried bean curd puffs. The eateries in Singapore usually customise their laksa with a wide range of ingredients such as seafood and chicken. Despite the warm and humid climate, this spicy dish is rather popular in Singapore.

Now, are you craving for a bowl of  piping hot laksa? =P

Although laksa and rakusa らくさ have the same pronunciation, their meanings differ to a large extent.

Do you want to take a guess at the meaning of rakusaらくさ?

In the Japanese Language, the word rakusa らくさ（落差） means difference.

For example, risou to genjitsu no rakusa 理想と現実のらくさ means the difference between ideal and reality.

The Japanese (especially the older generations) enjoy playing with common-sounding words to create a humorous or rhetorical effect. This is known as dajare in Japanese. It is actually similar to punning in the English Language. Using both laksa and rakusa, we can create a dajare as follows:

 

シェフが変わってから、特にラクサの味の落差がはげしい。

(Shefu ga kawatte kara, toku ni rakusa no aji no rakusa ga hageshii.)

Meaning: The taste of the laksa differs to a great degree after a change of chef.

 

Perhaps, it might be a little difficult for some to enjoy this pun if you do not have some knowledge of the Japanese language. However, at least we have learnt the meaning of both words for now :)

 

If you have enjoyed this dajare entry, please stay tuned for more! We will be updating the blog with similar entries every now and then. If you don’t, let us know what you would like us to write about. Who knows? Your idea may be the next entry we will be working on. :)

The Origin of the Tanabata Festival （七夕の由来）

Tanabata is one of the five seasonal festivals 五節句 (gosekku) that were celebrated when Japan was using the lunar calendar but are still observed after Japan started using the Gregorian calendar on 1 Jan 1873.  Tanabata was originally celebrated on 7 July on the lunar calendar and is now celebrated on 7 July or 7 August (7 July on the lunar calendar roughly falls on to 7 August on the Gregorian calendar).

Tanabata is also known as the star festival and has its origins in a famous Chinese legend.  According to the legend, Emperor Tentei who lived beside the Milky Way (天の川Amanogawa) had a daughter named Orihime (織姫 weaving princess).  She was a weaver who made kimonos.  When Orihime came of age, Emperor Tentei arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi (彦星), a cowherd who lived on the other side of the Milky Way.  It was love at first sight for both Orihime and Hikoboshi and they were married soon after.   The couple enjoyed their married life so much that they neglected their usual duties.  This angered Emperor Tentei who decreed that the couple were to be separated by the Milky Way.  Orihime was devastated by her father’s decision.  Moved by Orihime’s grief, Emperor Tentei relented and allowed the couple to meet once a year on the evening of 7 July only if Orihime worked hard at weaving during the year.  As a result, if Orihime did not put in sufficient effort in weaving during the year, Emperor Tentei may make it rain on that day, making it impossible for Orihime to cross the Milky Way and the couple would have to wait for another year before they have a chance to meet again.  

 

Today, people celebrate Tanabata by writing their wishes on small pieces of colourful paper called  tanzaku (短冊), and hanging them, sometimes together with other *decorations, on sprigs of bamboo.   In line with the legend of Orihime and Hikoboshi, people usually wish for improved skills and abilities.  After the festival, the bamboo, along with the tanzaku and decorations are usually set afloat on a river lighted with lanterns or burned after the festival.

Many cities in Japan organise Tanabata festivals with colourful displays along their streets. The most famous of these are the ones held in Sendai (仙台) and Hiratsuka, Kanagawa (平塚、神奈川).

*If you wish to learn more about the decorations used for the festival, please read our related blog post here.