SEKIHAN

Sekihan (赤飯) is “red bean rice.” The rice is usually steamed with azuki (アズキ) beans. The azuki (アズキ) beans are dark red. When the beans are steamed with the rice, the color leeks into the rice, forming a pinkish color on the rice. Sometimes red food coloring is added to enhance the color. On top, the sekihan (赤飯) is sprinkled with gomasio (ごま塩). Gomasio (ごま塩) is a dry mixture of goma (ごま) or seasame seeds, and shio (塩) or salt.

Long ago, sekihan (赤飯) was served when a girl first got her period. The pink/red color of the rice is supposed to represent fertility. Nowadays, sekihan (赤飯) is served for special occasions, like birthdays, weddings, and graduations. The color red also represents happiness. Sekihan (赤飯) is usually served on happy occasions.

Sekihan (赤飯) is really easy to make. Take about three cups of glutinous rice, 1 tbsp of salt, 1/4 cup of azuki beans and three cups of water. 1/4 cup of food coloring is optional. Cook everything until the rice and beans are soft. It’ll probably take around 30 minutes. Then sprinkle the top with seasame seeds and some salt.

Izakaya

zakaya (居酒屋) is a place that serves food and drinks. I wouldn’t go so far as to call an izakaya (居酒屋) a restaurant. It’s more of a mini bar that serves food. It’s a place frequented by a lot of office workers called saraii man (サラリーマン) or salary man. It’s packed in the evenings. Workers go there to unleash all the stress they’ve repressed at work. Sometimes co-workers go there to complain about their boss and some heavy drinking may follow afterwards.

Izakayas (居酒屋) are noticeable by the paper lanterns that hang just outside the store. Some of the lanterns are red, and are called akachoochin (あかちょうちん) or red lanterns. The lanterns are meant to attract people to the store.

Some izakayas (居酒屋) are traditional and have tatami (たたみ) mats as seating. A tatami (たたみ) is a mat made by strips of straw woven together. Others are more Western and have stool chairs seen in Western bars.

Before you order, you’ll be offered a oshibori (おしぼり). An oshibori (おしぼり) is a moist white towel to wipe your hands before you eat. It’s a standard service offered at many izakayas (居酒屋). Typically a steaming, hot oshibori (おしぼり) is served in the winter, and a cold one is offered in the summer. Here’s an etiquette tip: don’t use the oshibori (おしぼり) to wipe the sweat off your forehead. I know it can get really hot in the summer, but it’s considered bad manners to wipe your forehead when you’re about to eat. If you really have to wipe off some sweat, bring your own handkerchief and dab your forehead gently.

Before I go, I just want to mention how convenient the menus are for foreign customers. The menus have pictures of the dish. This way, you know what you’re getting. A lot of the dishes are offered in larger quantities at discount prices. It’s a great place to go with a group of friends and share a large bowl of each food you’ve ordered.

Ok, got to go. Jaa ne (じゃあね)! See you then!

Midori no Hi

Midori no Hi (みどりの日) is Greenary Day. Greenary Day is kind of like Arbor Day or Earth Day and occurs every May 4th. It’s a day to respect nature and to spend time outdoors. People take family outings to public gardens and take a stroll in the fields. Of course, the majority of people just like to have the day off from work.

This whole day originated from the desire to name it after the late Emperor Shoowa (昭和天皇). However, the Emperor isn’t so popular in other countries, so the Japanese government felt it would be best just to name it Greenary Day. Supposedly the Emperor loved plants and so the day is supposed to indirectly refer to the Emperor.

Well turns out that the government decided to name a day after the Emperor, and just added Greenary Day for Golden Week. Golden Week or gooluden uiiku (ゴールデンウィーク) is sometimes called Oogata renkyuu (大型連休) or Oogun Shuukan (黄金週間). Golden Week (ゴールデンウィーク) describes a string of holidays that provide people the opportunity to travel or take a vacation from work.

Golden Week (ゴールデンウィーク) is a busy time in Japan. Many of the flights are booked and filled to capacity. If you do manage to get a ticket around this time, it’s going to be way more expensive than any other normal time of the year. One piece of advice I can give you, is that it’s a good idea to book a flight early. That way you don’t have to compete for a seat and pay outrageous prices for it.

Role-Play Bahasa Jepang

A : Furonto Gakari (Weni san)

A1 : Chirachapu no 1 dai senmon koukou sei, Weni san

B : Kankoukyaku (Eva-san)

Nihon no ryokousha wa Chirachapu ni houmon shimasu. Teruku penyu kaigan to bentengu pendemu e ryokou suru mae ni Chirachapu no Chiputorini hoteru de tomarimasu.

Chiputorini hoteru de.

A : Konnichiwa. Irasshaimase.

B : Konnichiwa. Heya o yoyakushitain desu ga…

A : Nan paku desu ka.

B : Kyou kara ni haku desu.

A : Hai, o-heya wa sutandaado to derakkusu ga atte. Dochira ga ii desu yo ka.

B : Sutandaado wa ikura desu ka.

A : Shoushou omachi kudasai. Ippaku nijuugoman rupia desu.

B : Hai., kore o kudasai.

A : Sumimasen ga. O-namae wa nan desu ka.

B : Yoshio Yamada desu.

A : Hai. Kore wa 157 ban no heya no kagi desu. Douzo. Oyasuminasai

B : Doumo.

Tsugi no hi

A : Ohayou gozaimasu Yamada-san.

B : Ohayou.

A : Oyasumi wa dou desu ka.

B : Totemo yokatta desu. Tokoro de teruku penyu kaigan wa koko kara chikai desu ka.

A : Hai, sou desu yo. Ikitain desu ka.

B : Hai. Asoko kara nani ga miraremasu ka.

A : Asa no kaigan no keshiki o nagamerarete tsuna o asobarete, utsukushii Nusakambangan shima o miraremasu.

B : Asoko e douyatte ikimasu ka.

A : Koko kara dete hidarigawa ni magatte, massuguikuto san saro ga arimasu. Soshite migi e magatte, THR teruku penyu mon made ite kudasai.

B : Hai, wakarimashita.

Doumo arigatou.

A : Iie.

Teruku penyu kaigan de.

B : A, tsukimashita.

Kono kaigan wa hontou ni utsukushii desu ne. Ara, are wa nami no shibuki ga arimasu Ikou..

B : Wa……..koko kara no houga. Motto motto utsukushii desu. Shashin o totta hou ga ii desu yo

Shasin o totte kara, Yamada- san wa kaigan de suwarimasu. Soshite, senmon koukousei ga Yamada-san ni chikazukimasu.

A1: A, ano hito wa Nihon-jin no you ni mite imasu.

Sumimasen ga, koko de suwatte mo ii desu ka.

B : A, douzo.

A1: Hajimemashite, Chiracapu no 1 dai senmon koukousei no Weni desu. Kankou gakka desu. Douzo yoroshiku. Anata no namae ga shitte mo ii desu ka.

B : Yamada desu. Kochira koso.

A1: Yamada-san wa hitori de ryokou shimasu ka.

B : Hai, sou desu.

A1: Itsu Chiracapu ni tsukimashita ka.

B : Kinou tsukimashita.

A1: Chiracapu o houmon suru no mokuteki wa nan desu ka.

B : Chiracapu no koto ga Jakaruta no toraberu to yonda hon kara shitte imasu.

A1: Sou desu ka. tokoro de donna kankouchi ga mou houmon shimashita ka.

B : Koko de kitabakari desu. Anou..are wa Nusakambangan shima desu ka.

A1: Hai, sou desu.

B : Asoko de, nani ga miraremasu ka.

A1: Nusakambangan shima wa keimusho no shima to moushimasu. Dakara asoko de keimusho no ken ga arimasu. Asoko mo omoshiroi kankouchi ga arimasu. Tatoeba, shirotsuna no kaigan, horaana, kankou no mori desu. Asoko e ikitai desu ka.

B : Iie, ikitakunai desu. Kono atari ni hoka no omiyage-ya ga arimasu ka

A1: Hai arimasu Watashi ni yoru to asoko e itta hou ga ii desu yo.

B : Aa… Omoshiro sou desu ne. Issho ni ikimasen ka.

A1: Hai, ikimashou

Omiyage ya e ikimasu

A1: Koko wa omiyage ya desu. Douzo.

B : Arigatou.

Waa.. Kore ga totemo kawaii desu ne… Nan desu ka

A1: Sore wa kai de tezaiku desu. Kau to omoimasu ka.

B : Hai, tomodachi ni katte agemasu. Doko de haraimasu ka.

A1: Anou… achira desu. Chiracapu no yumei na tabemono ga ippai arimasu yo…Siritai desu ka.

B : Ee… sono yumei na tabemono wa nan desu ka

A1: Chiracapu no yumei na tabemono wa kurupukku tengiri ya shio zakana nado ga

arimasu.

B : Doko de kaemasu ka.

A1: Anou mise e ikimashou.

B : Hai, ikimasu.

A1: Ja, kore wa Chiracapu no yumei na tabemono desu. Kore wa kurupukku tengiri to kore wa shio zakana desu.

B : Kurupukku tengiri. Nan de tsukurimashita ka.

A1: Kurupukku tengiri wa komakai sawaro ga tokona o maze awaserarete, choumiryou o

kuwaeraretemasu. Sunawachi, koshou, tamanegi, kukui no mito aji wa desu. Tabete

mitai desu ka.

B : E... Ii desu ka.

A1: Hai, douzo. Ikaga desu ka.

B : Oishii desu ne. Ikura desu ka.

A1: Hitotsu tsumi wa yon sen rupia desu.

B : Sore ja, gotsu tsumi o kudasai. Kore… okane wa…

A1: Hai, sore kara, nani o shimasu ka

B : Mou ni ji desu. Hoteru e kaeru to omoimasu.

A1: Doko de tomatte imasu ka

B : Ciputorini hoteru de tomatte imasu.

A1: A... sou desu ka. Koko kara amari tokunai desu kara, annaishimasen ka.

B : Iie, daijoubu desu. A, kore…. watashi no imeeru desu. Itsuka imeeru de yarimashou…

Sore jaa, sayounara ne, Rani-san…

A1: Hai. Ki o tsukete kudasai. Sayounara

Yamada-san wa Ciputorini e ikimasu.

Hoteru ni touchaku shimasu.

A : Konnichi wa Yamada-san. Tsuaa ga dou desu ka.

B : Tottemo omoshirokatta desu ga, tsukaremashita.

A : Dewa, douzo go yukkuri. Kore wa oheya no kagi desu.

B : Doumo.

A : Dou itashimashite.

Shawa o abite, asa shoukuji o shite kara, Yamada-san wa furonto e chekku ooto ni kimasu.

Furonto de.

A : Yamada- san, ohayou gozaimasu.

B : Ohayou. Chekku ooto o shimasu. Kore wa o-heya no kagi desu.

A : Hai, shoushou o machi kudasai.

Omataseshimashita. Koko de sain o shite kudasai. Kore ga (harawa nakereba)

(naranai) ryoukin desu.

B : Hai,. Kore …okane wa…

A : Kono hoteru ni houmon suru koto ga doumo arigatou gozaimashita.

Negawakuba itsuka mou aeru koto ga dekimasu. Ki o tsukete kudasai.

Sayounara.

B : Sayounara…

DOUMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA

Workshop MGMP

Since Tuesday, May 5 2009, I've been joining upgrading for English Teachers Association in LPMP Jateng. The topic focuses on KTSP, Modul, KKM and some more. I met some old friends who ever joined upgrading in Jakarta a couple years ago. It's the funniest program I've ever joined due to the unwell prepared programs.
See U soon

Constitution Day

May 3rd is Kenpoo Kinenbi (憲法記念日) or Constitution Day in Japan. Kenpoo Kinenbi (憲法記念日) honors the 1947 Constitution of Japan. The Constitution of Japan is a legal document that guarantees certain fundamental rights to the Japanese people. The Constitution is called the Peace Constitution or Heiwa Kenpoo (平和憲法). It’s a constitution set up after WWII and it enabled Japan to move into a democratic form of government.

There are a total of 11 articles in the constitution. The three most important articles (in my opinion) are the first three. The first article states that the emperor of Japan is only a figure head and cannot be worshipped as a god. Although it’s true that the Japanese royal family has no official governing power, they are still respected as royalty and while perhaps not worshipped, they certaintly are given a lot of respect.

The second article has to do with the disarmament of weapons and the promise to never engage in war. This is also another controvercial article because Japan has participated in several wars, namely the Korean war, the Iraq war and others. Of course Japan has never declared war on any nation since the 1947 constitution, but it hasn’t exactly been neutral, if you know what I mean. Just because Japan’s involvement in these wars are minor doesn’t really ignore the fact that they are technically going against the constitution. The general consensus among the people of Japan is anti-war in any form so there’s that complication as well.

Lastly the third article lists the rights of every citizen in Japan. Things like the prohibition of slavery, right to fair trial, freedom of speech etc, are all in there. It’s a lot similar to the U.S. Bill of Rights and that shouldn’t be a surprise. The Constitution was influenced by the U.S., as they were the victors of the war.

In sum, Kenpoo Kinenbi (憲法記念日) is a day to reflect on Japan’s progress towards a democratic nation. It’s also a day when people take tours around the National Diet Building. The National Diet Building is called kokkai gijidoo (国会議事堂) and located in Tokyo. It’s a stunning building. I recommend you go see it!

Leadership style in the near future