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ISSN 1348-7906

19 25 24 9

7July

2007 No. 249

390

Collectors KeepOld RecordsSpinning in TokyoFirst Time Ever in Japan

a Cancer-Sniffing Dog!

Mr. SATOH Yuji and Marine

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On the seashore at Shirahama, Chiba prefecture, a

soothing sea breeze is blowing in. On the beach is an

amazing dog that has the ability to sniff out the smell

of human cancer. The dogs name is Marine, a 5-year-old

female black Labrador Retriever. Marine looks like a normal

dog, but why can she discover cancer? Her cancer sniffing

ability is attracting attention from the medical community as

she has the ability to play a significant role in future cancer

treatment.

5

Marine was trained as a search and rescue

dog. She received attention from the media

and appeared on TV demonstrating her ability

to sniff out dead bodies that had been lying on

the ocean floor or decomposing in the forest.

Marines abilities, however, are not limited.

Marine was trained at St. Sugar, Cancer Sniffing Dog

Training Center, which is located near the beach at Shirahama.

When training takes place, the loud barking of some 40 dogs

can be heard from the Center. These dogs are being trained on

a daily basis to become welfare dogs such as cancer-sniffing

dogs, and to be actively integrated into human society.

40

SATOH Yuji, a head trainer at the Center, recalled what a

hospital director once told him: Cancer has a special smell.

Satoh realized that Marines sniff-

ing ability was far greater thanthat of other Labrador Retrievers.

It made him think that perhaps

Marine could sniff out things that

had been digested in human bod-

ies, and might even be able to dis-

cover the presence of illnesses.

Satoh began training Marine to

become a cancer-sniffing dog. In

the training process, Satoh would

have Marine sniff meats, vegetables,

fruit and many other objects, espe-

cially things with less obvious smells

such as cucumbers, which are very

difficult to identify by smell. Then

First Time Ever in Japan

a Cancer-Snifng Dog!

St. Sugar, Cancer Sniffing Dog Training Center

Mr. SATOH Yuji and Marine

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Satoh would hide the same

objects in the same quantities

under rocks along the coast

and make Marine search for

them. A dogs ability to con-

centrate during training is

about 15 minutes at a time.

Taking frequent breaks, Satoh

continued to train the dogs.

15

Then, Satoh captured the breath of a cancer patient, and

made Marine sniff it. Sitting on the floor quietly, Marine

sniffed it. Under Satohs direction, Marine sniffed five boxes

containing five different breath samples. Only one bag con-

tained a breath sample from the cancer patient.

Now, Marine will sniff out and stop at a completely sealed

bag containing a breath sample from a cancer patient with

a success rate of almost 100%. Among the 40 dogs in train-

ing, there are only two that are on a fast-track special train-

ing course to become cancer-sniffing dogs like Marine: Shell

and Pearl. Even among dogs of the same Labrador Retriever

breed, depending on their different DNA, some have the abil-

ity to sniff out diseases, and others do not.

Seems Inc.

www.seems-inc.com/

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100%

40

DNA

Satoh was once a dog breeder. He has worked with about1,000 dogs in the past and

says, I deal with them feeling

that they are the best partners.

The trust between dogs and

people is the most important

thing. According to Satoh, if

the owners of the dogs are not

good people, the dogs do not

grow up to become good dogs.

He also claims, Dogs like

humans. They are important

animals that are friendly and

coexist with us. Dogs are great

observers of humans.

1,000

Satohs dog training might sound simple, but it is

actually hard work. Satoh

recalls, At first, I could not

collect breath samples of

cancer patients. I tried and

went around explaining what

we do to more than 30 hos-

pitals, but they all declined

to provide us with sample

breaths stating that they can-

not disclose personal infor-

mation. Satoh, however,

went on to train the dogs forthis innovative new development.

30

Satoh never makes training manuals for

the dogs. He keeps training the dogs as

he plays around with them, and he enjoys

spending time with the canines. He says,

When there are 10 dogs, there are 10 dif-

ferent characters. Their actions vary every

day. The dogs never act according to what

is written in manuals. It is us, humans, who

need to change our thinking and react flex-

ibly according to changes in the dogs.

1 0

10

Now, a company cal led

Seems Inc., which develops

sensor devices to discoverbreast cancer, has started

col labora t ing wi th the

Center to produce a sensor

that imitates Marines olfactory senses. If their

test operations succeed, the results will surely

bring a ray of hope to the medical industry.

St. Sugarwww.stsugar.com

Shell (left) and Pearl (right)

Marine playing with a dog trainer

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Mountain Opening to Climbers Mt. Fuji Climbing Season to Start

Topics & Events

July l

Fujinomiya-shi, Shizuoka-ken

Inquiries: Fujinomiya Sightseeing Association

1

Tel: 0544-2-5240

To mark the opening of the Mt.

Fuji climbing season, an event

will take place in Fujinomiya City,

a Mt. Fuji town, in Shizuoka

prefec tu re . Th e event wi ll st ar t

with Purifying at Wakutama

pon d in Sen ge n Shr ine ar oun d

midnight (time not yet fixed) and

more events will follow including

a declaration that the mountain is

open to climbers, a Japan-England

Friendship Exchange meeting that

includes a welcome of guest British

embassy staff, a Miss Mt. Fujicontest, and fireworks.

0

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Topics & Events

This is a two-day walking rally held at Kusatsu, a world famous

hot spring in Gunma prefecture. On the first day, the Shirane and

Yoshigadaira course is covered where you will enjoy riding in a

cable car and admiring the beautiful nature of the Shirane mountains,

known for their masses of dicentra. The second day is for the

Kusatsu hot spring course. This time you will have well and truly

soaked up the unique atmosphere of Kusatsu, which is reflected

through the song Kusatsu yoitoko, ichido wa oide (Kusatsu is

a very nice place, you should visit at least once). Each course has

walking tracks of different lengths.

2

1

2

3

Kusatsu Yoitoko!! Two-Day Walk

July ~ ,

Kusatsu-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma-ken

Participation fee: Adults 2,000 yen,

Students under high school age 500 yen

Inquiries: Kusatsu yoitoko!! Two-Day WalkExecutive Committee

2,000

500

Tel: 029--1

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Topics & Events

Sunflower Town is an event that lends a

poetic charm to early summer in the town of

Nogi in Tochigi prefecture. In the main ground,

nearly 170,000 sunflowers are blooming on

three hectares. Among the many sunflowers

on view, you can admire hybrid flowers and a

special variety called ruby eclipse. Within

the town there are 700,000 sunflowers in full

bloom. During the Sunflower Town event,

visitors are able to enjoy a large sunflower

maze, a product exhibition, a concert by

elementary and junior high school students, abingo game, a character show, a popular music

show and many other attractions.

17

70

Sunflower Festival

July 25~29

Nogi-machi, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi-ken

Sunflower Big Maze fee: 200 yen for elementary students and above

Inquiries: Nogi-machi Tourist Association

25

29

200

Tel: 020-5-4153

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Topics & Events

July Issue Contents 7

COVER STORY 3-5

TOPICS & EVENTS 6-11

CHALLENGE!! 12-13

PARODY TALK 14-15

DO AS JAPANESE DO

16

Insight into Japan Japanology Textbook

17-24

JAPANESE PERSPECTIVES

CLOSE UP JAPAN TIPS FOR LIVING IN JAPAN

JAPANESE HISTORY MAKERS

TIPS FOR LEARNING JAPANESE

SPECIAL REPORT

25-27

INTERNATIONAL COUPLE SCENE

28-29

HIRA-TAI FORUM 30

VISA Q&A Q&A 31

MY JAPAN 32

NEW TREND 33

SUBCULTURE 34-35HOT SPOT 36-37

JAPAN QUIZ 38

The unauthorized reproduction, photocopying or copying of articles or photographs appearing in this magazine is strictly prohibited.

Publisher & Editor: HASEGAWA Katsuyuki Assistant Editors: Jonathon WALSH, SHIBASAKI Akemi Illustrations: YOSHIDA Shinko DTP: NAKADA Natsuko

45

360

6

30

7

1

2

7

4,281

Y

es 5

14

This is the 45th time Japans biggest toy show has benn held.

Many domestic and overseas companies will be participating

in it. This years theme is 360 angle Entertainment! Not only

toys but also games, fancy products, clothes for babies and kids,

amusement machines and kids products will be exhibited and

sold. The show will run between June 30 and July l . Last year

74,28l visitors attended over the two days. Events on stage will

include Yes! Precure 5 and Ultra hero. Held at Tokyo Big

Site West Hall 1 ~ 4. Admission free.

www.toys.or.jp/toyshow2007/

2007International Tokyo Toy Show 2007

30

770

7

7

8

1 2

1,200

This is the biggest book fair held in Japan, where 770

publishing companies from 30 countries will be participating

in a large hall. Materials such as publications, publishing

related services, educational software, a new teaching system

for schools and cram schools, various teaching materials,

digital media, etc. will all be on show. Many visitors from

bookstores, libraries and schools throughout Japan as well as

participants from overseas publishing companies and general

readers will be visiting the fair. Open to general public: July

7 ~ 8. Many books from a wide variety of genres will be sold

at discount rates. Held at Tokyo Big Site West Hall 1 and 2.

Admission fee: 1,200 yen.

www.tibf.jp

14

The 14th Tokyo International Book Fair

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Topics & Events

6

June 25

Please keep in mind that articles printed in Hiragana Times may be published without notice in PDF format,on the Hiragana Times website, in other media related to Hiragana Times and possibly by third party media approved by Hiragana Times.

PDF Web Hiragana Times Hiragana Times

U

M

AI

300

Ramen is the favorite food of many Japanese. Canned

ramen has recently hit the market. Food planning and

development company UMAI and a ramen shop in

Shinjuku called Menya Musashi originally planned canned

ramen to be used as emergency food in case of earthquakesand other disasters, but they have found the product has sold

unexpectedly well though vending machines, general stores

and discount shops. The noodles are made ofkonnyaku, a

jel ly- like food made from the starch of devil s tongue.

Canned noodles can be eaten without pouring boiling water

over them. Miso (soybean paste) and shouyu (soybean sauce)

flavored canned ramen are available. Sold for approximately

300 yen each at stores.

http://can82.jp

Mobile site

Ramen Now Comes in a Can!

1

420

210

While the dieting industry continues to boom, a new

product has gone on sale that helps people monitor the ir

weight toilet paper with a measuring scale. Many women

are concerned about their body-lines, particularly theirwaist-lines, but with this toilet paper they can measure their

waists secretly and accurately. A measuring scale showing

centimeters is printed on the toilet paper. Furthermore, simple

Yoga in the Toilet exercises that you can practice in the

toilet are also printed on the toilet paper. This toilet paper can

actually promote better health. The boxed toilet paper product

is 420 yen and the paper wrapped product is 210 yen. Sold by

Hayashi paper-manufacturing company.

www.hayashi-paper.com/

Measure Your Waist in the Toilet

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A Journey to the World of Ninja and Kengo

A Guide to the Kansai Area

2,500

Ni nja and samura i are well

known around the world. Among these two aspects of

Japanese heritage, ninja have always been very popular and

there are many movies in which ninja play an active part, and

also comic books and games in which ninja are the heroes.

Ninja didnt live in a fantasy world, but actually used to exist

and participate actively behind the scenes in the past in Japan.

The guide book introduces history, historic spots and oral

traditions about Iga and Koga ninja, and also great swordsmen

like MIYAMOTO Musashi. In both Japanese and English.

Published by Uniplan. Edited by John EINARSEN/Unio-

Corporation. 2,500 yen.

Vegan Restaurant Pocketguide

50

1,575

The old outdated public image of Japan being one of the

worst destinations in the world for vegetarians seems to still

be held by both visiting and resident foreign vegetarians. In

fact, there is a variety of specialized restaurants in Japansbig cities including Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka that treat vegans

from the heart and serve delicious food. This pocket guide

was created based on feedback from the author who actually

visited restaurants, ate the food and talked to staff. The guide

book contains information about approximately 50 vegan

and vegetarian restaurants, menus, maps and pictures of the

restaurant interiors and dishes. Written in both Japanese and

English by Herwin WALRAVENS. 1,575 yen.

www.childrenofthecarrot.info

Topics & Events

Present for Three people

3

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While former U.S. vice president Al GOREs Oscar

winning documentary feature An Inconvenient

Truth switched on a lot of lights in peoples

minds about the dangers that unchecked climate change could

wreck upon the world, ironically, the solution to combating

this grave threat lies partly in turning more lights off.

Heres a 5-step strategy to slash business costs, reduce waste,

and make your company more environmentally friendly.

Think Before you PrintA good first step is to change to using recycled or chlorine-

free paper. Another way that businesses can reduce stationery

and printing costs is to encourage staff to think before they

print 1/ Do you really need to print?, and 2/ Can you use the

Internet or e-mail instead?

1)

2)

E

Re-think Packaging- Purchase office beverage supplies (coffee, tea, sugar, milk,

etc.) in bulk. Try to avoid buying single-serve items such

as individually-wrapped teabags, spoons, coffee and sugar

sachets.

- Switch from disposable cups to reusable cups and glasses.

- Choose packaging that can be recycled.

- Ask suppliers to take unwanted packaging back for reuse.

12

Creatingan Eco-Friendly

Ofce

Text: Jonathon WALSH

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With thanks to Sustainable Business Networkwww.sustainable.org.nz

Purchasing Power- Can equipment be leased, shared or swapped instead of pur-

chased?

- Does the product have a sleep mode for when it is not

being used?- Is upgrading, reconditioning or extending the useful life of

our current model a better option?

- Can it be easily repaired or upgraded?

- Can this product be recycled, sold or donated when it is fin-

ished with?

?

?

Dim the Lights on Your Power Bill- Look for opportunities to maximize natural light by position-

ing sitting areas in places that receive the most natural light.- Avoid overheating in summer months by making better use

of trees, blinds, etc.

- Since about half the light from a fluorescent lighting tube is

absorbed by the inside of the fitting, install reflectors into fit-

tings to redirect light.

- Use energy efficient light bulbs where possible and clean fit-

tings regularly.

- Install occupancy sensors in rooms that are infrequently

used, such as toilets, store rooms, etc.

Encourage Energy Saving BehaviorSwitch off lights in meeting rooms and other rooms that are

only used for short periods, and to make sure all computers

and other office equipment are turned off when they are not

being used. Other effective techniques to save energy includeensuring energy-saving features are installed on PCs, printers

and photocopiers, using blinds to reduce keep out the heat in

summer and cut air conditioning costs, and using the stairs

instead of the elevator.

Simply by establishing a few easy-to-follow guidelines,

management can encourage staff to become more environmen-

tally aware, and cut costs and increase profits in the process.

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CIA: The number of cases where insurance has not beenpaid by life insurance companies is now said to be more than

one million, and cases of nonpayment by non-life insurance

companies number almost 400,000. How come?

Dir.: Most people take out policies with insurance companies

with the vague idea that their life and/or assets will be covered

by their insurance if something goes wrong. However, in the

contracts customers sign, there are many clauses containing

special policy conditions that prevent the insurance companies

from having to pay out.

CIA

100

40

CIA: What clauses are these?

Dir.: As an example, if you buy insurance that will refund

you for the treatment you receive at a hospital even after

hospitalization, they may not pay you unless you apply for

the payment. Another example is insurance policies that

boast that no prior medical checks are necessary. They thenwont pay you when you do get sick because they will claim

that you were sick before you purchased the insurance.

Although many people believe that their insurance will cover

them fully if they buy insurance that stresses it will cover

cancer, myocardial infarction and cerebral embolism, etc., a

loophole may be written into the contract saying something

like You will be paid when you are diagnosed with the

condition that has restricted you from working for more than

60 days.

CIA

60

CIA: But no one will buy insurance after having read the thick

by Hiragana Times CIA

Insurance Companies Only Want Excellent Customers

Many cases of nonpayment by insurance

companies have recently come to light inJapan. Hiragana Times CIA interviewed

bus ine ss ins ur anc e ex pe rt Mr. URA NO

Tadashi , who is a lso the d i rec tor of

Association of Medical Victims, about the

situation.

Hiragana Times CIA

EN FLAT TOKYO03-3288-2355 info@mmtl.jp www.mmtl.jp

No key money, guarantor, agent fee required.

Utility expenses included in most rooms.

Fully furnished and internet access.

Yotsuya (easy access to Shinjuku and Tokyo.

Waseda House (near Waseda university and Shinjuku )

Waseda Residence (near Mejiro sta. high grade apt.)

Yoga apartment (11min from Shibuya to ya sta)We are an apartment and guesthouse agency,

providing accommodation the center of Tokyo since 2003.

Apartment: 115,000month

Guesthouse: 59,000month

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contract information written in small print, will they?

Dir.: Thats right. Companies are doing their best to ensure

they do not have to pay out on insurance claims. Even if you

are paying for insurance that guarantees, for example, that

your family will receive some ten million yen when you die,

when you reach 60 years old, the coverage will be reduced

to only two or three million yen. It means that the higher the

possibility there is of you dying, the less likely the insurancecompany is to pay the insurance.

CIA

60

200 300

CIA: I wonder if the sales staff of insurance companies

explain these things to their customers?

Dir.: As you know, insurance companies are always recruiting

new sales staff. What the companies expect from newcomers

is that they will recruit only their relatives who will likely not

ask too many questions about the insurance policy conditions.

Also, the companies take into account as a matter of course

that the sales employees will quit soon after being recruited.

So, the insurance companies will never explain the clauses in

great detail.

CIA

CIA: But wont customers who are badly treated cancel their

insurance policies?

Dir.: This is better for the insurance companies. Actually,

they want this to happen. Listen! People who get sick or are

involved in accidents are not good for

the insurance companies. The companies

do not need this kind of customers. They

only want excellent customers who never

get sick, who never get involved in accidents,

but who just silently keep paying their insurance

premiums that keep swelling the profits of the

insurance companies.

CIA

?

Comment from CIA CIA

No t only in su rance companie s, but al so other medica l

businesses need to be structurally reformed. There are doctors

who treat patients little by little charging every time, and give

dying patients lots of medicine or life-prolonging injections

in order to earn more money from them. Human beings have

made remarkable progress in medical treatments to fight HIV,

however, on the other hand some pharmaceutical companies

abandon patients who cannot afford to buy such medicines

due to high prices and are subsequently left to die. Everybody,

please remember! medica l treatment is not for helping

those in need; rather it is a business that profits from helpless

people.

J

ames

CIACynically Insulting Agency

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A Shop where any Product can be Purchased forOnly l00 yen

100

At the peak of Japans bubble economy around 1990, it was said

that commodity prices in the country were the the highest in the world.

But after the bubble burst, Japan began to suffer from a deflationary

economy, and now subsequently, prices for many products seem to be

cheaper than those in other developed countries. The shop symbolic

of this trend is called the 100 Yen Shop. Many of these stores have

opened in Japan and they are thriving. At 100 yen shops, you can buy

almost any product for just 100 yen. They sell an abundance of products

ranging from stationery, underwear and health goods, to wall clocks and

food, and many of them are reasonably good quality.

Recently, many people have begun visiting 100 yen shops first, and

then they will go to other shops if they cannot find what they are looking

for. In fact, most products at 100 yen shops are so cheap that it may

puzzle you as to how they can supply them at such an incredibly low

price. Therefore, once you drop into a 100 yen shop, you will be tempted

to buy many products you see because they are only 100 yen. This

means that when you leave the shop, you may end up with far more

products than you originally intended to buy. Interestingly, this may well

be their aim.

1990

100

100

100

100

100

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How is it that an island with such poor resources could

achieve such remarkable economic growth? One of the major

reasons for this is that Japanese are experts in creating good

products. It is safe to say that Japanese are not generally good

at inventing great products that change society such as cars

and televisions, but that they have great talent in innovation,

particularly in skillfully miniaturizing products.

Automaker Toyota, which started out manufacturing smallcars and later became a global household name, and Sony,

which enjoyed great success in miniaturizing audio equipment

such as Walkmans, are two good examples of the Japanese

way of creating original products by innovating existing

products. Common characterist ics of innovative Japanese

products are their ease of use and efficiency. It can be said that

the best-kept secret behind the success of Japanese products is

quality control.

Japanese enterprises thoroughly adopted the idea of total

quality management (TQM), an innovative system advocated

by an American, Professor William DEMING, after World

War II and built trust in made-in-Japan products through

their strong focus on quality. Furthermore, they focused on

kaizen (improvement). It is not an exaggeration to say that

the success of Toyota is owed greatly to this kaizen. The

term kaizen is now used worldwide.

Japanese have proved that it is possible to succeed by

improving work processes and adding value despite lack

of originality. You could say that the skill of creating better

pr oduc ts by im pr ov in g them is a di st in ct ive Ja panese

characteristic.

No. 016

Japanese are Goodat Innovation, not Invention

kaizen

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On April 16, 2007, a Korean student fired at random and

killed 32 students at Virginia Technical College in the U.S.A.

The next day in Japan, the mayor of Nagasaki was shot and

killed by a gangster, and in Machida city, Tokyo, another

gangster fired a gun at a police car and hid in a house. There

have been many gun tragedies up to this point including

the Colombine High School incident, and the Hattori

incident, among others.

Surprisingly, after the incident occurred in Virginia, people

came out in strong opposition to gun control. Many insisted

that fewer students would have been killed if only they had

carried guns. They appear to be emphasizing the fact that the

American Constitution guarantees that Americans are able

to possess guns, and have been able to since the countrys

foundation. It is understandable that in the time of the pioneers,

people had to rely on guns when local security was poor.

The United States Permits its Peopleto Possess Guns, But ...

2007

4

16

32

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However, the Constitution states the following: A well

regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free

state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not

be infringed. You will see that the interpretation of militia

has been changed to that of citizen. This is a very similar

situation to how the Japanese Constitution bans the possession

of armed forces, however it has been interpreted to allow the

country to possess a Self Defense Force.

USA is Extraordinarily Nervous About

Nuclear Proliferation

Behind this news, it has become known that American

politicians and the National Rifle Association (NRA), which

has the slogan Guns dont kill people. People kill people

and also the Gun Owners of America (GOA), are in each

others pockets. Seventy percent of murders in America are

caused by guns. That is more than 200 times higher than

the murder rate in Japan where the possession of guns isforbidden. And when considering the ratio of gun-related

murders to population in both countries, it is still more than

100 times higher. It is apparent that possessing guns is more

dangerous than not possessing them.

Among developed countries, America is the easiest country

in which people can purchase firearms. Many Americans use

the logic that possessing guns is necessary in order for them to

protect themselves since guns are already widespread among

mafia and terrorist groups. Although it can be said that this is

their own fault, it might affect countries where the possession of

guns is forbidden, that is, where the gangsters of such countries

have obtained guns and threaten the lives of their citizens.

America is now extraordinarily nervous about nuclear

proliferation. If American logic is followed, any country will

have the right as a matter of course to possess nuclear weapons

to protect their people, and this will then lead to the logic that,

Nuclear weapons dont kill people. People kill people. The

U.S.A. should learn from Sword Hunting, the gathering up

of all swords except those ofsamurai, accomplished by general

TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi about 400 years ago and realize that

now they should carry out Gun Hunting.

7

200

100

400

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In Japan, when you call or refer to someone in daily life,

it is common to do so by adding san after his or her family

name, such as SUZUKI-san. However, this suffix differs

according to the personal relationship between the speaker,

and the location. In the office, it is customary to call a person

according to his or her title, such as Kachou (Section

Chief), Buchou (Department Manager) or Shachou

(President). Many people refer to their subordinates as kun,

such as Suzuki-kun besides calling them by their position

name.

When people call their male co-workers, they usually add

kun or san after his or her family name, such as Suzuki-

kun or Suzuki-san. Otherwise they simply call them by

their family name, such as Suzuki. However, most people

refer to female co-workers whether they are subordinates

or co-workers as, for example, Suzuki-san, ie: by adding

san after her family name. There are no distinct regulations

How you Refer to a Person in Japan Depends onYour Personal Relationship with the Speaker

Hir@gana Times Friends

Hir@gana Times

Friends

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for the use of suffixes after peoples names. The terms a

person uses really depends on how the speaker sees the person

he or she is referring to.

As for foreigners who are not familiar with Japanese

customs such as these, it is not rude to add san after the

family name when calling their superiors. However, Japanese

will feel uncomfortable when they call a superior by their

first name, ie: Ken, which is more in line with western

practices. Although the foreigner in question may well want to

demonstrate a certain level of intimacy, Japanese will take it

as being too much, so it is better not to refer to people by their

first names in the office.

When do you use san, kun and chan?

Outside the office, when a male calls a male friend, it is

appropriate for each to refer to the other by only using the

family name and not adding san. Young people prefer to

call each other by their first names, ie: Ken. When a female

calls a female friend, many will do so by only using the first

name, such as Yumi, or by adding chan after the first

name to make Yumi-chan. Between couples, however, most

call each other by the first name.

Children are commonly referred to by their first names

with the addition of chan whether they are boys or girls like

Ken-chan and Yumi-chan. Their names are sometimes

shortened for smoother pronounciation. For example, the

name Takuya becomes Taku-chan. As for boys, instead of

adding chan, some people refer to them by adding kun, ie:

Takuya-kun.

Generally, a wife of another person is called Oku-san

(Mrs.), and a husband of another person is called Danna-

san (Mr.). When you introduce your wife to others, there are

several ways to refer to her including Kanai, Kami-san,

Tsuma, Nyoubo and in the Kansai area, Yome-han is

commonly used. When you introduce your husband to others,

many people use terms such as Shujin, Danna and Otto.

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In the 16th century when rival warlords were fighting,

strong warlords all over Japan had a desire to unify the

country and subsequently fought each other. Among them

UESUGI Kenshin (1530~1578), a warlord in the Echigo

region (present day Niigata prefecture), was skilled at battle

and had won almost all of the 70 battles he had fought.

However, he had never fought to further his own ambitions

including to expand his territory. The pious Shingen hated

fighting, but instead made a fortune by creating special

clothing using local materials for the market.

Speaking of Kenshin, all Japanese recall the famous

Battle of Kawanakajima. This conflict started in 1553 when

TAKEDA Shingen, a warlord in Kai (present day Yamanashi

prefecture) who had ambitions to expand his territory, invaded

the northern part of the Shinano region (present day Nagano

prefecture) located in south of Kenshins territory of Echigo.

Kenshin had been asked by the heads of powerful families in

Shinano for help. At that time Takedas army was considered

to be the strongest in Japan. Both fought five times at

Kawanakajima (in Shinano), but neither army won the battles.

In this era, besides Kenshin and Shingen, there was another

strong warlord. He was ODA Nobunaga, a feudal lord who

ruled the small region of Owari (present day Aichi prefecture).

16

1530

1578

70

1553

A Warlord who Fought only for Justice

in Wartime

UESUGI Kenshin

UESUGI Kenshin

Kawanakajima

UESUGI Kenshin

Japan Sea

Kawanakajima

Shinano

Kai

Echigo

ODA Nobunaga

TAKEDA Shingen

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With his genius strategy, Nobunaga expanded his territory

piece by piece. Nobunaga was afraid of Kenshin who fought

in order to maintain peace and order and who was respected

by many other warlords. Nobunaga sent presents to Kenshin

and formed an alliance with him on the understanding that

he would protect the Muromachi shogunate (Kyoto), which

Kensin supported and whose power was fading away.

Sending Salt to the Enemy

After that, Nobunaga and Shingen, both of whom were

aiming to unify Japan, had a showdown at an area that is now

Shizuoka. However, an unexpected ending was to befall them.

Shingen died from disease just before the big battle. After

defeating Takedas army with a new weaponthe firearm

that he possessed in massive numbers, Nobunaga secretly

urged Kensins subordinates to switch their allegiance and

join him. After learning of this, Kenshin became furious and

started to attack Odas army. Then, both armies came face-to-

face near Tedori River (present day Ishikawa prefecture).

Kenshin had his forces attack Nobunagas firearm-equipped

army on a rainy night when Nobunagas men couldn't use

their guns, and won a great victory. However, in 1578 while

Kenshin was preparing to advance against Nobunagas forces,

he became ill and died, and fate began to favor Nobunaga.

Lots of anecdotes about Kenshin were left behind. One

well-known story was that he sent salt to his long-standing

enemy Shingen whose territories were far from the sea and

were lacking salt. So, Sending salt to the enemy became

a proverb. It is used even now in situations where One will

help ones enemy when they are in trouble.

Before Shingen died, he left his will to his son Katsuyori

After I die, rely on Kenshin. He has a keen sense of

fatherhood, so he will never let you down if he is asked. On

the other hand, when Kenshin heard of the death of Shingen

while dining at a table, he dropped his chopsticks and burst

into tears, saying He was a great man. Furthermore, when

his subordinate said, Now is the best time for us to attack

Takedas territory, Kenshin said It is a shame and rejected

the idea. Kenshin died at the age of 48.

(

)

1578

48

On the top line this page in last months issue, the words, Gunma prefecture should have read Tochigi prefecture.

We apologize for any confusion caused.Correction

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Dialects Create Familiarityand Softens Speech

[ ]

Audio Version Information

Annual SubscriptionFee: 6,000 yen (avail-able only for a 1-yearsubscription period.)

6,000

iPod

English and Japanese are recorded in al-

ternative order sentence by sentence. This

means you will be able to understand them

even without using a textbook.

Texts are recorded a little slower but still

close to normal speaking speed, so they will

be easy to listen to and will be ideal for those

people wanting to learn Japanese and/or

English.

You will be able to directly listen to recordingson your PC, or download them on your iPod

and other mobile devices.

Features

In January 2007, HIGASHIKOKUBARU Hideo, a former

entertainer, was elected as governor of Miyazaki prefecture.

It is believed that his speech, Miyazaki wo dogenka sen to

ikan (We must do something for Miyazaki), spoken in the

local dialect to citizens of the prefecture during the election

campaign, played a big role in his surprise victory. Ex-Prime

Minister, TANAKA Kakuei also skillfully used his Niigata

dialect in his speeches and subsequently attracted voters. In

the movie Hula Girl, which was shown in the summer of

2006, actors and actresses spoke in the Fukushima dialect,

which was successfully used to provide a distinctive flavor to

the movie, and played a part in the good reviews of the movie.

There are dialects everywhere in Japan. Take for example,

Ookini which means Thank you in Kansai dialect and

is used in the Osaka area. Oideyasu means Welcome

in Kyoto dialect. These dialects are used by people of these

regions on a daily basis.

Dialects help to create familiarity. They vary by region, but

you can roughly guess which region the person comes from

by his or her dialect. In the best-selling mystery book Suna

no Utsuwa (A sand container, written by MATSUMOTO

Seichou) that sold more than one million copies, a dialect was

used as the key to solve the case.

In the various regions of Japan, dialects are used by citizens

in their daily lives, but the media uses the Tokyo dialect as

the standard dialect of Japan. Therefore, foreigners will not

have any difficulties being understood by Japanese if they

are learning the standard Tokyo dialect. Considering that

English has now become the standard world language due to

globalization and other reasons, the Japanese language still

has its own role, so dialects should also be respected as part of

the characteristics of local culture.

2007

1

2006

100

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25/4025

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Postage included

SAL (Surface Air Lifted) SAL

Payment Method

1) Credit Card Visa, MasterCard, American Express,

JCB or Diners Club.

2) Cash on delivery (only in Japan. Please pay when you receive the first

delivery)

H

ow was it? says MOTOYAMA Roselle, a

Philippino woman working as a home helper

at a special Tokyo nursing home for the elderly

called Silver Wing as she talks cheerfully to an elderly

woman she is bathing. Philippino women are known

for their caring nursing skills and have subsequently

become vital laborers in Japans welfare nursing

industry.

?

Japan faces an urgent need to cover

growing labor shortages in a society

that is graying at an alarming rate. The

Philippines, in contrast, has a strong record

of sending its own laborers to work as care-

givers in foreign countries, and with the stable pay offered by

many positions, it is considered a popular occupation. When

both governments realized their needs could be met, Japan

signed an agreement starting with the Philippines to accept

Philippino caregivers into Japan.

There are thought to be more than 200

Philippino residents working in wel-

fare/nursing communities in metropolitan Tokyo.Three Philippino women, MOTOYAMA Roselle,

MIYASHITA Eileen and Cielo NACPIL work at

Silver Wing, all of whom have Home Helper Grade 2

certificates and who are married to Japanese men and

raising families in Japan.

200

Social Welfare Corporation, Silver Wing

Foreign Women Home

Helpers Supporting JapansWelfare Community

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3

It is a tiring job, but its fun! says Roselle, who has lived

in Japan for 12 years. She came to Japan as a dancer at first.

When she was dancing for shows at night, the pace of her life

was different from that of her husband,

and she used to regularly get worn out,both physically and mental ly. It was

then that her Philippino friend at her

workplace told her about home helper

jobs. She subsequently decided to study

for the certificate.

1 2

After attending school and studying

for four months, she obtained her certif-

icate. She never has a problem in every-

day conversation, although she says,

Learning kanji is still hard. She was dispatched to SilverWing right away, and has now been working there for one

year. Philippinos are known to live in big families. Roselle

says, Those elderly people are like my own grandmothers

and grandfathers.

Roselle sings Japanese childrens songs from time to time

with the elderly people. Likable and charming, she is very

popular at Silver Wing. Some elderly users of the day service

call up in advance to make sure she is there. When they find

she is not, they are often disappointed and complain in a

good-natured manner.

Eileen also says that elderly

people are l ike my own

family. The main job of the

home helpers is to assist the

elderly to take baths. There

are three types of bathing

services. This includes one

where comparatively healthy

elderly people are washed,

one called chair bathing for users who have difficulty

walking, and bed bathing for handicapped people.

These home helpers assist 30 to 40 elderly people to bath

from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon. Bathing

is seemingly harder work than helping people eat or go to the

toilet. Cielo never misses applying cold pads when she goes

to bed at the end of the day, and her tenontothecitis is chronic.

Nevertheless, to make her job more stable, Cielo hopes to

Roselle

Eileen

Cielo

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study more and acquire Home Helper certificate Grade 1 and

gain more experience in the field.

30 40

Silver Wing provides services such as long stays, day ser-

vices (where facilities are used during daytime only), short

stays and emergency stays. With a variety of recreational

activities such as music concerts and games, the number of

users is high.

Some elderly have difficult moods. The staff say that there

are about one in 10 people who get mad and hysterical to pre-

vent being bathed. However, the professional home helpers

have good team work skills and react with kindness to elderly

people experiencing stress. Roselle says, The job is hard and

not so highly paid, but considering the stability it brings to

life, this is much better. I would not like to go back to my for-

mer night job.

10

All three Philippine women who work at Silver Wing

think alike when they say, the home helpers job gives an

orderly structure to our lives, and a good amount of commu-

Social Welfare Corporation, Silver Wing

www.silver-w.jp/

nication with the family. It is good work.

SEKIGUCHI Yukari, the vice manager

of Silver Wing comments appreciatively,

Those women have great communication skills with theJapanese staff and they really work hard.

3

Now, at a time when supply and demand of workers is not

well balanced, considering the lack of Japans welfare care-

givers, it is inevitable that more Philippinos will be hiredto work in Japans welfare industry in future. Women like

Roselle are pioneers in their field and model case studies that

demonstrate how the home help services provided by foreign

caregivers can work.

SEKIGUCHI Yukari

Jazz concert scene

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When a young New Zealand man experienced the

scenic wonders of Norway in the early 1960s,

little did he know it would set the stage for his

future sons marriage to a Japanese woman almost 40 years

later.

1960

40

Fast forward to 1989 when the mans youngest son, Jon,

answered a penfriend advert from a Norwegian girl called

Magni. Jons enthusiasm for Norway fostered by his father

s experience there led the two to become close friends.

Then, in 1995, Magni introduced Jon to a Japanese girl called

Harumi and the pair soon formed a purely platonic relation-

ship as penfriends. But when Jon was working in the UK in

1997 & 1998, their friendship began to take on a more roman-

tic edge despite the fact they had never met.

1989

1995

1997

1998

The death of Jons father in

1998 and his mother in 1999 led

him to resign and return home to

Auckland where, not wanting to

return to work immediately, he

took off on a 4-month backpack-

ing adventure around Asia. When he landed in Tokyo in July

1999, Jon and Harumi finally met for the first time.

1998

1999

1999

7

The attraction was strong and two weeks later the pair

announced their new relationship to Harumis parents. Jon

returned to NZ, and after a few trips back and forth to each

others countries including 6 months Harumi lived in NZ in

2001, Jon moved to Japan in March 2002 and they married the

following year.

Fate Brought Couple Together

The International Couple Scene

Jon with Magni

Jon & Harumi

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2001

2002

3

Harumis parents had a lot of trouble accepting me, I think

partly because they were worried their daughter may leaveJapan, and whether I could sup-

port her wherever we lived, Jon

recalls. But this all changed after

the couple held their wedding cer-

emony in Auckland in 2004, and he

now enjoys a good relationship with

them.

2004

Harumi says the main difficulties of living

together at the start were that she had to take

more responsibility for her foreign partner and

cope with pressure from her parents. Jon says commitmentand sheer bloody-minded determination were crucial to over-

coming these challenges. Also, pretending you dont have a

Plan B makes you much more determined to make sure Plan A

works.

29

Text: Matthew DAVIDSON

Every day we are teachers and students, Jon says about

the highlights of a mixed relationship. We learn and teach

each other about our respective cultures, countries and lan-

guages it is incredibly stimulating. With a same-culture rela-

tionship you only have to learn about your partners personal-ity, but in an international relationship you also have to

learn about a whole new culture, which makes every day

like the Discovery Channel. It is almost like going

back to school all over again.

With two cultures, two

countries and two languages,

we have double the flexibility

of same-culture couples, says

Jon, who now works as a writer. We have houses in twocountries, as well as double the opportunities available for

future childrens education, holidays, investing and eventual

retirement it is great!

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Soon after I came to Japan, I arranged to meet my Japanese

friend at a coffee shop near a large train station. I saw a young

girl distributing plastic-wrapped packs to people walking by

in front of the station. I was curious as to what was inside

them. As I wanted to get one, I walked slowly toward the girl,

but she looked away and ignored me.

Looking back at her, I saw her continuing to distribute the

pack with a smile to a passerby who came by after me. But

he didnt take it and ignored her instead. After taking a closer

look, I found there were some who took the pack, and others

who didnt. As I walked on wondering about it, another girl

who was distributing plastic-wrapped packs came into view.

I took more and more interest in the situation and walked

by the girl, but she didnt offer a pack to me. I was offended

by this. She gave it to Japanese but not to me. I wondered

whether it was because I am a foreigner. If so, I must be

being discriminated

against. When I met

my f r i end a t t he

coffee shop, I told

her about i t . She

said that the girl was

distributing packs of

tissue paper.

She also told me that an advert was either printed on the

pack or inserted inside it. The reason I was not offered a pack

by the girls was because the company sponsoring the advert

was not promoting itself to foreigners. Now I understand.

Some days later, when I had a cold, I happened to seesomeone distributing packs of tissue paper. Since I inevitablywanted one, I stretched out my hand. Then, she gave it to me

with a smile. What a nice country!

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31/4031

It has been ten years since I came to Japan. After study-

ing at a Japanese language school and graduating from

a university, I obtained a job in a trading company . At

present, my visa status is Special is t in Humanities /

International Services. I have heard there is a possibility

that I will be able to obtain permanent residence. Please

explain this, in particular about term of residence.

According to the Immigration Law, therequired conditions are as follows: The behavior

of the person must be good, The person must

possess property or suitable ability to make an

independent living and The permanent resi-

dence of the person must bring benefit to Japan.

These conditions will be judged from specific points of view,

but as for the term they will be judged as follows.

(l) In regard to your present status of residence, you must have

been staying in Japan under a visa that authorizes the longest

term of residence. In your case, it is necessary that three-

year-stay is permitted against your visa of Specialist in

Humanities/International Services.

3

10

10

Immigration Lawyer

Overseas Law Firm Training in England and Germany for two years

Office: 3-15-14-302 Higashi Ikebukuro Toshima-ku, Tokyo

2

3-15-14-302

TEL: 03-3985-4661 FAX: 03-3985-4662

E-mail: kurokawa-office@mbg.nifty.comwww.kurokawa-office.com

Please Advise me AboutPermanent Residence in theCase I Obtain a Job AfterStudying in Japan

KUROKAWA Koji

(2) The person must have been staying in Japan for more than10 consecutive years. In your case, you have been in Japan for

at least 10 years, but those who have changed their visa status

from a Pre-College Student Visa or College Student Visa to

a Working Visa are required to have been in Japan for more

than five years after the change of visa. After checking your

compliance with this condition, we advise you to consider

when to apply for permanent residence.

10

10

5

(3) Although I have not explained this in much detail, there is

a possibility that permanent residence may be granted in the

case where your contribution to Japan in the academic, indus-

trial fields, etc. is recognized, even if your stay in Japan has

been less than 10 years.

10

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The top-selling record in Japan is Oyoge!

Taiyaki-kun or Swim, Taiyaki-kun! (Taiyaki

is a fish-shaped sweet pancake) sung by

SHIMON Masato in 1975. More than 4.548 mil-

lion records were sold. It is believed that Shimon

did not receive any financial benefit from his huge

hit besides a 50,000 yen lump-sum royalty payment.

There are still other beautiful athletes, such as KURIHARA

Megumi, who returned this year to the womens volleyball

scene after recovering from injury, and SUGAYAMA Kaoru,

who gained the nickname Princess Kaoru. UEMURA Aiko, acompetitor in Mogul skiing, should also be among them.

1975

!

454.8

5

Editorial

What things do you like about Japan?

What things do you dislike about Japan?

Name: Federica CARLOTTO

Country: Italy

Job: Postgraduate Student

Stay in Japan: 2 years

2

I loveAmazake

I am very fond ofamazake (a sweet drink

made from fermented rice) because it is soft

to drink. And I like the Japanese autumn

with its beautiful tinted autumnal leaves,

especially the entrance of Mt. Takao at that

time of the year. Also, views from Tokyo

Tower and Roppongi Hills are wonderful.

Shrines and temples are splendid.

Salarymen's Black BagsMost Japanese salarymen carry a black

bag. It seems to me that they lack individu-

ality. Also, whenever I enter a restaurant, in

particular izakayas (a Japanese-style bar),

staff will welcome me saying Irrashai

mase in a loud voice. Why do they have to

shout in such loud voices?

Japanese TechnologyOne of the things that I like most about

Japan is its technology. From daily use

equipments to robotics, the technology is

of such a high standard and brings many

conveniences to peoples lives. Japanese

technology is also very famous worldwide

for its high quality and long life.

Difficult LanguageThe Japanese language has three scripts:

Hiragana, katakana and kanji. Kanji is too

difficult and widely used everywhere mak-

ing daily life slightly complex.Kanji should

be supplemented by hiragana / katakana or

English.

Name: Sanjay Kumar JHA

Country: Nepal

Job: Student

Stay in Japan: 8 months

8

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33/40

These days, beautiful athletes

are appearing one after

another in Japanese sports

and their presence is creating a

boom. Beach volleyball idol ASAO

Miwa is among the sportspeople

that viewers are paying much

attention to. At the Japan Tour

held at Tokyos waterfront district

of Odaiba during Golden Week,

the beach volleyball area was so

crowded that extra guards had to be

employed to control the hundredsof spectators who came to see her.

OGURA Kumiko and SHIOTA Reiko, who are called

Ogushio, are known as a beautiful pair of women and have

brought popularity to the badminton world in Japan. Beautiful

athletes have the power to change minor sports into popular

sports. Now in Japan, female sports are more popular and

receiving more exposure from the media than male sports.

Japans belles of the golf circuit, MIYAZATO Ai and

YOKOMINE Sakura, have been leading the boom with

their charming looks and strong performances. Because of

their presence, female pro-golfers are in the spotlight more

often than the men. Furthermore, the figure-skating world,

which produced ANDO Miki and ASADA Mao as well as

ARAKAWA Shizuka who won a gold medal at

the Torino Olympic Games, are at the zenith of

their powers.

When a beautiful female athlete with a high level of abil-

ity appears, the sport will very quickly be spotlighted.

Consequently, the business of providing training for those

children who aim to be the stars of the future will likely

explode, and new, strong and beautiful stars will be born from

among them. It can definitely be said that beautiful athletes

are the magic charms of the sporting world.

33

Beautiful Athletes Changing the Sporting World

Tokyo Chunichi Sports Newspaper (above) and Sports Hochi (left)

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UK

October is one of many bars that have sprung up in Tokyo

which serve as havens for people who want a place to chill outlistening to good vinyl, and which along with the citys hundreds

of record stores seem to suggest that interest in records and

record collecting is very much alive in Tokyo.

When it comes to record shopping Tokyo is a record

collectors dream, says October regular and

record collector Kirk DANBY as he sits at

Endos counter sipping on a pint of Guinness.

You can usually find stuff in great condition

as Japanese people tend to really look after

their records. As for shops, I go everywhere

in search for the missing piece I am looking

for Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Takadanobaba, Mitaka,

Kichijoji, Koenji all have great shops, he says. Gradingin shops is usually spot on and prices are decent.

In between lighting up a cigarette, serving a double scotch

and pulling a few pints of Guinness, ENDO Hiroyuki

somehow manages to slip a record onto one of his decks

and gently lower the needle. As Jimi HENDRIXs guitar

on Little Wing begins to fade out, Endo flicks a switch and

propels the music forward 25 years to Blurs Parklife.

25

At October, Endos largely

counter-only bar buried in the

web of backstreets leading away

from Koenji Station, Endo keeps

an eclectic collection of several

thousand singles and LPs that run

the gamut from 1960s Garage andFreakbeat to Weird Al YANKOVIC

and that include gems such as a

Chinese punk cover of the Sex

Pistols Anarchy in the UK, a contender

for the strangest record in his collection.

They cant pronounce the words, Endo

says holding up the records distinctly

communist art-influenced sleeve. Crazy.

1960

LP

Collectors Keep Old RecordsSpinning in Tokyo

October Tel: 03-5306-2924

ENDO Hiroyuki

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35/4035

For collectors like Danby and Endo, the Internet also throws

open opportunities. Nowadays, most shops are online, whichopens up endless possibilities as to where to find records,

Danby says. Whether buying at a shop or online, the factors

that determine value are same. Records are valuable in part

due to their rarity, their condition, and what people are willing

to spend on the record, Danby says. Ive seen very rare

records sit in shops for years as nobody is willing to spend the

money on them.

Every so often record collecting hits the news because

someone is willing to spend a fortune on a rarity a copy of

the Sex Pistols withdrawn version of God Save The Queen

on A&M sold on eBay last year for over 12,000 pounds, while

the lone acetate cut by the Quarrymen before they transformed

themselves into the Beatles is valued at least in the region of

100,000 pounds. For most record collectors such excesses

go against the spirit of record collecting, as

Danby explains. If people are buying only to

speculate that the record will increase in price

over the years, I think they are missing the

point of it, he says. Dont buy records to

have them sit on a shelf they are there to

be played.

A&M

1

2

288

10

2,400

With Parklife back in its sleeve and the Pogues LP Red

Roses For Me careering around the bar to the approval of

Pogues collector Kirk Danby, Endo dives into his collection

in response to a request from someone at the far end of the

counter, making sure that vinyl doesnt stop spinning for the

record lovers at October.

LP

Text: Rob GOSS

Kirk DANBY

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Closed on: Year-end and the beginning of theyear, Mondays, and the day after national

holidays (open during Golden Week and summer

holidays).

Opening hours: 10:00 ~ 17:00

Admission fee: 500 yen

1-4, Aza-Chuo-cho, Niikappu-cho, Niikappu-gun,

Hokkaido

10:00 17:00

500

059-2402

Tel: 0146-45-7833

www.niikappu.jp/record/

This is a museum that will

teach you about the history of

records. The museum houses

approximately 720,000 records

that have been contributed

from all over Japan dating

up to 2007, and if requested,

you can listen to any of them

through a musical system with

the largest speaker in Japan. Other events such as a concert and a performance

can also be enjoyed. The town is also well known for producing race horses.

2007

72

"Listening to it My Way"Museum with Huge Record Collection

Re.cord Museum

http://www.niikappu.jp/record/http://www.niikappu.jp/record/

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JAPAN QUIZ

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Q.: What are these dishes called inJapanese?

A present will be awarded to everyonewho answers all the questions correctly!

1. Free one-time Hiragana Times partyadmission ticket (next month in Tokyo orOsaka).2. Audio Insight into Japan for 1 month(next issue).*The above can be used by people besidesyourself.Send all your answers and the number of thepresent (1 or 2) together with your name, sexand nationality to quiz@hiraganatimes.comby the end of June 2007.*Applicants must be non-Japanese. Theanswers will be published in the next issue.

1. Hiragana Times

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2.

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1 2

6

: quiz@hiraganatimes.com

1

A dish wherei n g r e d i e n t slike seaweedand sa lmona r e p l a c e dover rice and then doused in Japanesetea.

A kind of so up no odl e mad e fr omChinese-style noodles. One of the mostpopular dishes available.

A d ish made f rom Chinese-s ty lenoodles fried with beef and vegetablesand flavored with sauce.

A d ish whereingred ien tss u c h a sp i e c e s o f s h r i m p ,squid, and meat are mixed togetherwith cabbage in a flour mixture and friedon a hot plate. It's covered with finelychopped or ground seaweed, bonito fishflakes and sauce before being eaten.

About Japanese Cuisine III

III

Party held twice a month. Check our website for details!

2WEB

JAPAN QUIZ Answers: June issue 6

1 3.

Mobile phone 4.

Consumer Loan

5. Convenience Store 6. Mens Store 7.

Furniture

A dish where pieces of ch icken andspring onions are placed on a skewerand grilled then dipped in a bitter-sweetsauce or salt.

2

A dish where boiled noodles, formed

from a kind of kneaded flour, are dippedin a broth containing chopped seaweedpaper and spring onion before beingeaten.

A d i s h w h e r e b o i l e d n o o d l e s ,formed from a kind of kneaded flour,are served in a broth with otheringredients.

mailto:quiz@hiraganatimes.commailto:quiz@hiraganatimes.comhttp://www.hiraganatimes.com/mailto:info@hiraganatimes.commailto:quiz@hiraganatimes.commailto:quiz@hiraganatimes.com

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