Interesting Facts! #12

12. Have you seen the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha"? Do you know what a "geisha" is?

-In the Kyoto dialect, they call them げいこ (geiko) and they are professional artisans of the Japanese culture; they sing, dance, perform the tea ceremony, play instruments—like the shamisen or koto—,write calligraphy, and are excellent conversationalists. They are the epitome of Japanese femininity, and are treasured in Kyoto. So, you are aware of them, yes? But are you sure what you're thinking of is actually a げいこ and not something else? If you're picturing a Japanese girl with bright flower pins in her hair and wearing a long-sleeved kimono, then I'm afraid to tell you that she is not a げいこ (geiko), but rather a げいこ in training, or as they call them in Japanese: まいこ (maiko).

-Compulsory education in Japan ends after middle school. This means that once one graduates from middle school, they can start working and not have to go to school. Very few middle school girls choose to forgo high school education and pursue the life of a げいこ, but when they do, many go to Kyoto, the birthplace of the げいこ. From there, they must go through several years of training, from two to six years, until they can be considered a true げいこ. There is no age limit to a げいこ, but まいこ are usually under the age of twenty. The Gion District in Kyoto is famous for their げいこ and まいこ, and after 5:30 PM they will come out to start their work day.

                                                                    The more you know~

Interesting Facts! #11

11. Many students participates in one or more school clubs.

-Almost all Japanese middle and high schools have after school clubs available; almost all of the students participate in one or more clubs. Club activities are very important to the students as they not only teach them about certain sports, such as volleyball and soccer, but also of their own culture, such as the traditional tea ceremony or archery club. Clubs will sometimes meet during lunch hours, but most will meet after school, with the sporty clubs often lasting late into the evenings. There is cultural club, such as tea ceremony (さどう, sadou) or archery (きゅうどう, kyudou). For sports you usually must pay for the extra equipment and the practices often last late into the night, and must also attend the games and tournaments. 

ぶかつどう、ぶかつ [部活動] [部活] club activities (bukatsudou, bukatsu)
〜ぶ [〜部] ~club (~bu)
ぶんかぶ [文化部] cultural club (bunkabu)
さどうぶ [茶道部] tea ceremony club (sadoubu)
けんどうぶ [剣道部] kendo club (kendoubu)
きゅうどうぶ [弓道部] archery club (kyuudoubu)
げんがくぶ [弦楽部] strings club (orchestra) (gengakubu)
けいおんぶ [軽音部] light music club (like a band: guitar, vocals, synthesizer) (keionbu)
すいそうがくぶ [吹奏楽部] wind instrument club (suisougakubu)
しょどうぶ [書道部] calligraphy club (shodoubu)
びじゅつぶ [美術部] art club (painting) (bijutsubu)
                                                                  -The more you know~

Interesting Facts!! #10

10. Tips and Suggestions..

-In Japan, when someone makes a suggestion or tip to you, they are usually telling you/asking you to do something instead. Where as in the US culture you can choose to take the tip or suggestion, in Japan sometimes it is a command rather than an option. Particularly if they start the sentence with できれば (dekireba)… (if you can...), this seems to always be a command rather than a suggestion as it may sound to western ears.

先生: できれば、しちじに来てほしい。(sensei: dekireba, shichiji ni kite hoshii.)
Teacher: If you can, I'd like you to come at seven o'clock.
せいと: はい！わかりました。(seito: hai! wakarimashita.)
Student: Alright, I'll be there!

-Japanese is difficult not in that it uses kanji and the grammar is strange compared to English, but that there exist innumerable euphemisms that only those who have been exposed to the culture for a certain period can catch in a conversation. What they say is not always what they mean. You can translate something into English but direct translations are often incorrect and misleading.

                                                         -The more you know~

Interesting Facts! #9

9. はつ○○  (hatsu..) The first X

-In Japanese culture, the New Year is very important to them. The first shrine visit made on the New Year is called はつもうで (hatsumoude). The first tea ceremony is called はつがま (hatsugama). On はつもうで, the family visits their local shrine and makes a wish and receive blessings. Sometimes the women will wear traditional kimono. The unmarried women may wear ふりそで (furisode), and older women—whether married or unmarried—may wear ほうもんぎ (houmongi) or つけさげ (tsukesage) (different types of kimono.) はつがま is much the same in terms of きもの(kimono), but not many wear the ふりそで anymore as they are difficult to put on and are very expensive. Typically, はつがま is when women will wear their most elegant きもの that are still within the limits of the formality of a tea ceremony.

-Some shrines and temples have millions of visitors. Praying to the first sunrise of the year has become a popular practice since the Meiji era (1868–1912). Even today, crowds gather on mountaintops or beaches with good views of the sunrise to pray for health and family well being in the new year. 

-A few days after Christmas, the entrances to many homes, stores and buildings are decorated with a pine and bamboo 門松 (kadomatsu). This decoration is prepared to welcome the Shinto gods and derives from the Shinto belief that the god spirits reside in trees. Furthermore, the display of pine, which stays green even in winter, and bamboo, which grows quickly and is ramrod-straight, expresses the desire to obtain virtue and strength to overcome adversity.                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                             -The more you know~