Learn Japanese and about Japanese culture with JapanesePod101.com. When you hear about hanami (flower viewing) one often thinks of cherry blossoms, but before cherry blossoms bloom, there is another flower to be seen! Japanese Plum trees, ume, come into bloom long before cherry blossoms steal the spotlight. So, itune in to find out about these often overlooked plum blossoms.
This entry was posted on Saturday, March 4th, 2006 at 7:21 am and is filed under Japanese Culture Classes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
42 Responses to “Japanese Culture Class #9 - Japanese Plum Blossoms”
japanesepod101.com says:
March 4th, 2006 at 7:36 am
皆さん、(Mina-san) Apologies for the delay in the release of today’s episode, but…..apparently armadillos hold grudges!!!! The one that caused all the problems last week was not happy about the way he was treated, and he showed up again! This time with friends!!!! 
He, rather, they did a number on us! If anyone is experiencing extremely slow down loads with itunes:
please RIGHT click JapanesePod101.com and choose Podcast Update.
This should return the downloads to normal speed. 
Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu.
Apologies for any inconvenience caused! 
japanesepod101.com says:
March 4th, 2006 at 7:43 am
Part II
Pictures coming soon. 
Kairakuen:
Created in 1841 by Tokugawa Nariaki, Kairakuen・かいらくえん・偕楽園, located in Mito・みと・水戸 the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture・いばらきけん・茨城県 contains over 3,000 plum tree, and is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan!!
Mito Ume Matsuri is held during “peak plum season” February 20 to March 31.
Sources: (japan-guide.com)
For more info on the Mito Ume Matsuri:
http://www.mitokoumon.com
Ayu says:
March 4th, 2006 at 8:41 am
I can’t wait to listen to the podcast, I’ve heard about it from anime and manga…
Bryan says:
March 4th, 2006 at 8:56 am
these are the same cherry blossom that can also be found ‘in DC right?..i saw ‘em the last time i was there….how’d they get there?…lol
Alexander says:
March 4th, 2006 at 9:00 am
Heh. That was a good pod 
“It’s the end of the fiscal year”
“Ok, now break it down”
…
Yeah, Peter has weird humor… but very funny
And I once tasted umeboshi (was inside an onigiri). Gooooooddddd, that’s so sour!!!! Don’t like it much…… but the onigiri was good
Peace!
Ayu says:
March 4th, 2006 at 9:42 am
I want to make my own onigiri but not sure how. How do you make the rice triangle?? I love nori too btw…
d0w says:
March 4th, 2006 at 9:54 am
The more I tune into Japanese Pod, the more i find similarities in the Chinese and Japanese cultures. Soured Plums are really popular amongs the pregnant Chinese women. There is like 101 range of sour plums. They have it sweet, salty, sour, ultra sour and loads more.
Interesting similarties !
Matthew says:
March 4th, 2006 at 11:36 am
Completely off-topic here, but has anyone tried any pocket pc based Japanese learning software? I’m looking at Stackz from MindDate software. Can anyone recommend it, or any other flashcard learning software for PDA/Pocket PC?
Steve says:
March 4th, 2006 at 12:26 pm
Great podcast.
I was looking for my friends story about how her daughter brought in an Ume stick with the blossom on it…but sadly I could not find it…I will ask her where it is…or what as happened to it.
I have to say, I really like umeboshi…Pickled plums. It is oishii, and yes, it is goes well with rice. I also really like onigiri
I actually burned all the intermediate lesson on to CD…well actually I had to use 2 CD’s as one could only hold three. I have been listening to them in the car….which means my Coldplay and Gorillaz, Kaiser Chiefs and Killers CD’s have been put to one side…Now it is JapanesePod101 Intermediate lesson and maybe some Japanese music…Possible The Kung Fu Generation, or Triceratops
Going back to the pervious post. There is a female singer from Okinawa whom I really like. I love her voice, her name is Chitose Hajime.
I have also found this site which you buy some CD’s from singers from Okinawa:
The main page is:
It also as an interesting section on the History of Japanese music.
Anyway..It was so interesting to know that Hanami was once refering to Plum Blossom viewing.
Ume ochikochi 梅遠近 Plum-blossoms everywhere,
minami subeku 南すべく I should go south,
kita subeku 北すべく I should go north.
Is there a tradtional Japanese song for ume blossom, like there is for Sakura blossom?
I have an idea. I was thinking would it be a good idea to have a small Japanese quiz…say once a month…..Just something a bit fun…not serious but still enough to test ourselves with, then when it is time for the next quiz, you can reveal the answers for last months quiz….Just an idea…thats all.
Oh well, that’s enough from me today.
O-genki de
Steve
Peter says:
March 4th, 2006 at 7:40 pm
Bryan-san, very funny! Your post prompted me to look into the issue a bit, and I found some good reading:
http://www.nps.gov/nacc/cherry/history.htm
quite interesting!
Alexander-san, thanks! Yes, one of the toughest things for many Japanese to understand is Western humor (or at least my definition of it ). One of the main reasons I do this is to show you this “humor gap” as it is one thing you will definately come across.
Ayu-san, we’re going to address that! They are really great! Starts with the rice, as you need the “sticky” Japanese rice.
Some pictures
http://blog.greggman.com/japan/onigiri/onigiri.htm
Some instructions
http://www.shejapan.com/jtyeholder/jtye/living/onigiri/onigiri1.html
dOw-san, yes, there are many! I think we’ll try to compose a list of them! One of the most unique features about the Japanese is their ability to absorb outside influence, while at the same time give it a Japanese “twang” or twist!
Matthew-san, Jonas-san or Nathan-san will be along shortly!
Gevorg-san, yep, just slide the top part down a bit and you have ushi. Maybe to help remember you can think of noon, at what time the sun is the highest in the sky (give or take an hour or two for all you astronmers out there), and associate noon with the top part being ALL the way at the top. Did that make sense?
Steve-san, as always, thanks for the great post! We’d love to hear the story if you find it! Wow, we’re making the daily trip with you! That’s great! Yes, the intermediate are particularly good to listen to over and over! The stuff in there is the real deal!
Chitose Hajime…I’ll have to check her out. I am a little behind on my JPOP these days.
Blossom song…..not sure, but let’s ask Sakura! I too would like to hear her again!
As for the quizzes, were up to something.
Gil says:
March 4th, 2006 at 8:06 pm
I lives an hour south of Mito. I lived in Bandou Ibaraki. I used to go to mito all the time with my schools club
Sakura says:
March 4th, 2006 at 8:24 pm
Bryan-san, the cherry trees in Washington DC seem to have been sent from Japan as a gift. As you say, the main kind of cherry (Somei Yoshino) there is the same one that we go and see for cherry hanami They are very nice!
http://www.nps.gov/cherry/indexB.htm
By the way, the one we introduced is this one. Ume.
Some of the famous ume spots “ume no meisho” are also included.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2013.html
Alexander-san, your umeboshi reaction is so funny! 
Some old people put sugar on umeboshi and eat it by itself to go with green tea. Hehehe.
Ayu-san, I found an interesting piece about rice and making onigiri on the Japan Forum’s site. On page 3, they show a photo of the shape of the hands for making it triangle. It’s funny the way everybody’s onigiri triangle is different. Mine tends to be fat and roundish. I wonder what yours are going to be like. 
www.tjf.or.jp/eng/ge/gepdf/ge01rice11.pdf
d0w-san, very interesting! Umeboshi used to be extremely popular among Japanese pregnant women, too! Omoshiroi desu ne—. It’s just that nowadays, doctors are very strict about not taking too much salt when pregnant I’d love to try those different kinds of Chinese umeboshi!
matane!
Sakura says:
March 4th, 2006 at 8:42 pm
Sorry, three in a row 
Steve-san, I love Chitose Hajime, too! Very exotic and cool.
And thank you for Buson’s great haiku It’s so perfect for this lesson! Suteki desu ne.
By the way, I don’t know any traditional “ume” song. But we will definitely do the “sakura” song
Jonas says:
March 4th, 2006 at 11:02 pm
Peter-san, Sakura-san: Otsukaresama! Interesting about the sakura in washington
Matthew-san: I use Stackz on my PDA, and I love it! It is by far the best flashcard program out there that I’ve found, both on PPC and PC. I’ve actually been using Stackz for over 2 years now! So I have no problem recommending it.
Jonas
RobGillon says:
March 5th, 2006 at 1:45 am
This lesson was great for me! I will be going to Japan in April, so I am sure I will see many cherry blossoms, but now I’ll also have to ask the locals where I can go plum blossom viewing too! Thanks for the great information!
Steve says:
March 5th, 2006 at 2:06 am
Peter-san.
Has soon as I find the story, I will post it here. Mmmmmm! is there a hint of a quiz on the way
Sakura-san.
I am looking for to the sakura song I am also pleased you appreciated the Buson’s Haiku.
O-genki de
Steve
Sakura says:
March 5th, 2006 at 6:36 am
RobGillon-san, wow you are coming to Japan at a nice time! Here is a site that introduces some major “ume no meisho” around Japan (it’s only in Japanese). It also shows when the ume at the spot is usually best for viewing. But I heard that ume is blooming a little bit later than usual this year (and it will also be affected by the weather we will have during March), so I don’t know how much they can be counted. In April, ume in the Kanto region may be over or near to the end, but the Tohoku region will probably be going into the best ume season.
http://www.jtb.co.jp/season/spring/ume/?AreaCode=02
hillary says:
March 5th, 2006 at 11:36 am
thank you so much for providing this wonderful service! i download daily, and feel refreshed each time. keep up the good work!
jay says:
March 5th, 2006 at 1:06 pm
I love mondays! 3 jpodcasts to catch up on
another great lesson, funny and informative!
RobGillon says:
March 6th, 2006 at 12:17 am
Sakura-san, thank you for this site, and I’m glad to hear that things are blooming later this year, as according to the calendar, nothing is blooming by the time April comes around, but like you said, if things are blooming later, then I may be in luck!
I hear that the Kyoto area is one of the best for Sakura, and I’m going to meet a friend there for at least one day so hopefully she will be able to point me towards somewhere which is good but not too touristy!
Thank you!
John (jolaba) says:
March 6th, 2006 at 10:35 am
Peter-san,
Thank you for another interesting episode of JCC. Omoshiroi kata! I also like umeboshi but not so much for eating. They are very tasty when you put them in a warm glass of sho-chu- oishii desu!
Thank you.
John
JP says:
March 6th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
Ohh, How about a lesson/conversation in a Karaoke Bar? I’m sure all of you could sing…
Nathan says:
March 7th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
John-san,
I think you mean 面白かった, or “omoshirokatta”.
Peter-san,
You can indeed get 梅酒 in the U.S. It’s one of my roommate’s favorite alcoholic beverages - 梅酒 and Sprite I can’t say I’ve tried it, though!
John (jolaba) says:
March 7th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Nathan-san,
Thank you for the correction. My friend had corrected that very point with “oishikatta” this morning. I should have had her edit my Japanese before posting!
Nathan says:
March 7th, 2006 at 6:28 pm
John-san,
No problem! One of the best ways to learn is by getting out there and making a few mistakes (and then learning from them, of course)
Peter says:
March 8th, 2006 at 9:27 am
Hillary-san, thank you for listening! Please keep the posts coming!
Jay-san, as always, the pleasure is our! Thanks for understanding our warped sense of humor!
Rob-san, please keep us update on your plans! Perhaps I can finally answer your question face-to-face!
John-san, thanks for the post! Yes, you’re right on that one! You should be writing for us. Keep the posts coming.
JP-san, we’re working on it.
Nathan-san, 梅酒 and sprite!! Wow! Sounds interesting.
Akvile says:
March 8th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
thanks for information about umeshu - it’s a drink I really like, but I never knew up to now how it was properly called in Japanese…:)
Ayu says:
March 9th, 2006 at 1:52 am
I just updated my podcast, and all of the sudden all the podcast that I’ve downloaded all gone….
Why it is like that??And there’s no Lesson #43
*faint*
Cris says:
March 13th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
okay, for one, this is my absolute favorite podcast, but even though you guys are awesome, you made a mistake. In the lesson notes for this one, in the text it says: By: JapanesePod.com.
I checked japanesepod.com, and it redirects you to another site, plannedchildhood.org …….. I’m sure a lot of people make the mistake of typing in japanesepod.com, so maybe you could buy the domain from them, or ask them to not redirect it there and redirect it here.
So, theres two things you might want to fix, just to make it that much better.
Jonas says:
March 15th, 2006 at 7:53 am
Cris-san: Thanks for pointing this out. This will be fixed first time in the morning.
Jonas
Sharon says:
March 21st, 2006 at 4:27 am
Hello Peter さん、Sakuraさん
私は台湾の林です。Friends call me Sharon and Lin (林) is my family name. I am so happy that I found this podcasting. Yeah, I am late but still very enjoy the classes. I usually listen to your program on the way to work and home. It becomes very important thing to me, specially when I’m on the MRT(Taipei metro) where I felt boring in.
Today I listened to this one and I couldn’t help to repeat the program twice! It is a very pleasant to learn all the words about those花、梅 と 桜 !
I also you mentioned Hokkaido, the BEAUTIFUL north land of Japan. I went there last fall, also my first time in Japan. It was really wonderful. And you know what I got my first time try the 梅干 with rice and お握り in Hokkaido. I like it very much! Well I have to admit that I do like sour flavor. 
Also my mother makes 梅酒 sometimes, last month she just gave me one bottle. Like Japanese, some Taiwanese make the 梅酒 at home too(my grandma also did).
Ah, the つゆ season in Taiwan is coming. I plan to go Japan in May. I think I’ll miss the season of seeing sakura blossom but I will join the 浅草の三社祭. Guess it’ll be fun!
Thank you for the program, I’ll keep learning. I’ll also introduce my dad this nice program. He can speak some Japanese but always likes keep learning more! I bet he’s going to fall in love with it, haha.
じゃね!
René Malenfant says:
March 31st, 2006 at 11:24 pm
Etymology of “tsuyu”. There are lots of possibilities. Nobody’s really sure:
http://gogen-allguide.com/tu/tsuyu.html
John C. Briggs says:
March 9th, 2007 at 1:59 am
“All Time Favorite JPOD Moments”
Time marker 7:40.
S: “It’s the end of the fiscal year”
P:“ah, fiscal, can you break it down”
S: “fiscal year”
P: “Yeah, what does it mean in English”
S: “That’s… that’s the English
I love that one. Peter does it so dead-pan.
John
John C. Briggs says:
March 9th, 2007 at 2:07 am
Save Peter Campaign™.
Time Marker 15:25
That is “Humid” not “Yumid” ピーター先生
John
Daniel Beck says:
March 9th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
That is “Humid” not “Yumid”
Briggsさん、
I don’t think Peter先生 will understand what you wrote there. It would be like if I wrote to you that is “humid” not “humid”.
John C. Briggs says:
March 9th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Beckさん,
Well I guess we can forgive him because “To Err is Yuman”.
John
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Category: Japanese Culture Classes |
Topic: plum blossoms
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