JET Tales: stories from rural Japan
This website is a record of my experiences in the JET Programme as an AET (Assistant English
Teacher) in two Japanese public high schools.
Lagniappe: basic vocab
- -dera/-tera
- suffix for "temple" - for example, Kiyomizu-dera
- -dori
- suffix for "street/road" - for example,Oike-dori means Oike Street
- enkai
- party, for example, an office party; end-of-the-year party; new-year's party, welcome party;
farewell party, etc.
- futon
- a pillowy sleeping mattress (shikibuton), a quilt (kakebuton), or a blanket (mofu) that
is folded up and stored somewhere when not in use; nothing like Western futons (i.e. some
kind of seat or sofa that can be coverted into a bed)
- ginko
- a lovely tree (Ginko biloba) with fan-shaped leaves that are lime-green during the spring
and summer and a soft, buttery yellow color during the fall. Botany.com tells me that ginko trees are
"thought to have originated in China" and "grow well in the city." That's certainly true - they are a
common sight along the boulevards of Kyoto.
- gaijin
- properly "gaikokujin" meaning "foreign country person" in Japanese, this is a general term
applied to any foreigner (i.e. non-Japanese)
- gengo
- Japanese custom of expressing the years according to imperial era. The current era
began with Emperor Akihito's succession to the throne in 1989, changing the gengo from
"Showa" to "Heisei." The year 2002, for example, is also known as "Heisei 14."
- hanami
- flower viewing parties, particularly for sakura (cherry blossom) season in April
- hanko / inkan
- a small stamp with the family name of a person, a hanko stamp serves as a
legally-binding signature in Japan. Names of Japanese people are in kanji; the names
foreigners are usually in romaji or katakana. This stamp is required for a variety of
documentation and should be kept in a safe place.
- hiragana
- one of the three forms of written Japanese, hiragana are a phonetic syllabary used for
words of Japanese origin. Of the two syllabaries, this is the one that looks swirly, not
angular
- -ji
- another suffix for "temple" - for example, To-ji means To Temple
- jidou-hanbaiki
- vending machines. It is unbelievable how widespread vending machine are throughout
Japan. Products range from non-alchoholic to alchoholic beverages, cigarettes, snack food,
instant noodles, ice cream, and even meals. The successful functioning of vending machines is sometimes cited as proof of safety of Japanese society. This is not unlikely, since vandalism of these machines is almost unheard of.
- -jinja/-jingu
- suffix for "Shinto shrine" - for example, Yasaka-jinja
- -jo
- suffix for "castle" - for example, Niji-jo means Nijo Castle
- kanji
- one of the three forms of written Japanese, kanji are Chinese characters (ideograms) used
in Japanese place names and personal names. The kanji for Tokyo, for example, translate as
"east capital"
- karaoke
- a video sing-along where you (and maybe your friends or co-workers) supply the vocals. A
night out can be expensive when drinks and/or snacks are included, so check what the prices
include and the time allotment before you begin.
- katakana
- one of the three forms of written Japanese, katakana are a phonetic syllabary used for
words of foreign origin. Computer, for example, is pronounced "konpyuta" in Japanese
and written in katakana
- -kawa/-gawa
- suffix for "river" - for example, Kamogawa means Kamo River
- keitai
- a "keitai denwa" is a mobile phone. They come in an array of styles and colors and
generally look much cooler than anything people are using back home. Keitais are
nearly ubiquitous and are used almost everywhere. In fact, you may see students using
them in class to send or check their email.
- kiku
- chrysanthemums are popular in Japan as a typical fall flower. They come in a variety
of colors and are part of the Imperial Household crest. Kiku are also important for
Japanese when they are visiting gravesites.
- koban
- a police box. It might be useful to know where your neighborhood koban is. Ask your
supervisor or neighbors.
- kotatsu
- a piece of furniture common to most Japanese households, this merely looks like a low
table. However, there is an electric heater underneath the table top, which can be removed
from the base. In winter, a blanket is draped between the base and table top and people
sit with their legs undeneath this. Highly recommended.
- maneki-neko
- this is not just a cute statue of a begging cat. Frequently seen at the entrances to stores
and restaurants, it is believed to encourage good business or prosperity.
- manga
- comic books which come in a wide variety of themes, ranging from juvenile to pornographic.
It is not uncommon to see grown men unabashedly reading pornographic manga on trains
and subways. There are also fantasy/adventure comics which may be more familiar to
Westerners. These are divided into shoujo for young women and shounen for
young men. Shoujo themes are magic and/or romance; all characters are depicted as
beautiful and fencing or swordfighting is frequently involved. Shounen themes are robots/
technology and Battle of some kind; graphic violence and sometimes nudity are much more
pronounced than in girls' manga and anime. Very popular manga are frequently made into weekly
cartoon series for public television broadcasting.
- matsuri
- festival, for example, Gionmatsuri (Gion Festival of Kyoto) or Yukimatsuri (Snow Festival
of Sapporo)
- meishi
- business cards are widely used by adult Japanese of every social level. They help
establish rank between people, which may be useful when wondering how to address
someone. Never stick a meishi in your pocket or write on it after someone has given it
to you. This is profoundly rude. Accept it with both hands, bowing slightly (or more, if it is from a
Very Important person), look at it attentively, and then just hang onto it until your conversation
is finished. Foreigners are not always expected to know the proper etiquette for this, but
sometimes these situations do arise.
- momiji
- Japanese maples (Prunus cerasus et al.) have teeny-tiny leaves that turn spectacular
colors in late fall - November in Kyoto. If you can stand the picture-snapping masses, Ginkakuji
(the Silver Pavillion) and Kiyamizu Temple in Kyoto are my favorite places for momiji-viewing.
As with sakura in the spring, everyone has their favorite places to watch.
- Nihon/Nippon and nihonjin
- Japan and Japanese people
- noren
- split, hanging curtains seen in the entrances to many restaurants or shops. They hang down
when an establishment is open for business and are folded up when it is closed. There are
many different kinds, for example, hayanoren (indoor), sotonoren (outdoor), nannoren (hang
halfway down), and naganoren (hang to the ground).
- omiyage
- a gift or souvenir brought back from a trip for friends and especially for co-workers. A large
box of small cookies or candies usually does well for offices.
- onsen
- hot springs are very popular in Japan, from resort towns to mountain retreats. Bathing is
communal and usually segregated by gender. Never, never bathe or bring soap into the
bath/pool itself. There are designated showers or washing areas - bathe there, then soak.
- pachinko
- a bizarre gambling game that has been likened to vertical pinball. There are large,
neon-monstrosity pachinko parlours everywhere. And I mean everywhere.
- romaji
- Japanese words written in romanized script. Many traffic signs and store
names are written in romaji.
- sakura
- cherry blossoms (Prunus 'yedo-zakura', 'hisakura' et al.) are the Japanese
national flower. In Kyoto, sakura come into bloom in April. As with momiji-season, the
crowds are insane and giddy with cameras. Kinkakuji (the Golden Pavillion) in Kyoto
is a hot spot for sakura-viewing. As with momiji in the fall, everyone has their favorite
places to watch.
- sumomo
- Japanese plum blossoms (Prunus salicina, cerasifera et al.) appear very early
in the year, sometimes as early as February if the winter weather is mild. Kitano-tenmangu in Kyoto is the place to go for ume-viewing. Crowds are not as bad as with sakura or momiji-viewing
season.
- torii
- as an entrance gate to a Shinto shrine, a torii is always some form of two cross-pieces
atop upright pillars. These are usually painted red or orange, but may also be left as
unpainted stone, concrete, or wood.
- tatami
- straw or rush mats measuring 180x90 cm. In Japan, rooms are measured according
to the number of tatami mats that would fill the floorspace - even if the floor is tiled or
wooden. An average 1-room apartment, for example, is 6 tatami mats - also called a
"6-tatami" room. Tatami may smell musty in warm weather, and shoes should be
removed before walking on tatami.
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