「おふくろの味」という表現を聞いたことがありますか？ 「おふくろ」とは「母親」のことです。文の構成は「バナナの味」や「リンゴの味」と同じですが、「おふくろの味」は母親をなめてみて味わうのではありません。 「おふくろの味」とは「母が作ってくれた料理の味」を指しているのです。特に、大人になったときに幼少時代から味わってきた母の家庭料理を懐かしむような場面で使われます。レストランの料理と違って、家庭料理は家々によって材料や味付け、調理方法が異なります。そして自分の家族だけが食べてきた味は、家族との思い出をも含んでいるため、「おふくろの味」を好ましく思うのです。 日本人が「おふくろの味」と聞いて思い起こすメニューは、味噌汁や肉じゃが、きんぴらごぼうなど、日常的に食卓にのぼる和食だそうです。しかも、女性よりも男性の方が「おふくろの味」を懐かしく、おいしく感じる傾向にあるとか。その理由は、日本では女性の方が料理をする場合が多く、自分の食べてきた味を元に調理できるのに対し、男性は自ら料理して「おふくろの味」を再現する機会が少ないからだと考えられます。 ちなみに、「おふくろ」ということばは室町時代から使われ、その語源には諸説あります。代表的な説は、母親が金銭を袋に入れて管理していたことから、「ふくろ」と呼ばれるようになり、丁寧な言い回しの接頭語「お」をつけて「おふくろ」という語が生まれたという説です。しかし、正確な語源は分かっていません。 ＝＝＝＝ Have you ever heard of the expression ofukuro no aji or “mother flavored”? Ofukuro means mother.　The... Show more

Sushi Sushi is probably the most famous Japanese food. Make your way to Tsukiji Fish Market, one of the largest fish markets in the world, for some of the freshest sushi around Soba and udon Soba, buckwheat noodles, and udon, thick noodles made from wheat, are two of the most popular types of Japanese noodles. Tofu Let's face it; tofu doesn't have the best reputation in the West. Even if you aren't crazy about tofu or just can't shake its bland, flavorless image, you're sure to find a tofu recipe that will make you reconsider this Japanese delicacy Shabushabu Shabushabu is a dish that uses thin slices of meat dipped in boiling water or broth, which you then dip into a flavored sauce and eat. Ramen Ramen is a... Show more

How much do you really know about Japan? Test your knowledge of Japan with this fun quiz! This lesson will test your basic knowledge of Japan by quizzing you on five areas of knowledge: geography, pop culture, travel, economics, and myth-busting. Questions: 1. How many prefectures does Japan have? 2. Below are the names of three popular characters that originated in Japan. Can you put them in order of their creation, from oldest to newest? 3. Which one is not located in Tokyo? 4. Where does Japan's economy fall in the rankings of world economies? 5. True/False: Japan's main staple diet is sushi. Answers: 1. 47. 2. Godzilla (1954), Hello Kitty (1974), and Pikachu (1995) 3. Mt. Fuji. 4.... Show more

Dear Listeners, Golden Week has started! In Japan, almost everyone gets the week off from work - even us! As a student of Japanese, you should enjoy Golden Week too! We can’t give you days off of work or school, but we can offer you an Instant 28% OFF 1-year Premium subscription at JapanesePod101.com. Click here to get it now! So what is Golden Week exactly? At the end of April/beginning of May, 4 national holidays fall within the workweek. This gives everyone a super long weekend. In Japan, Golden Week is synonymous with travel - both domestic and international. The Shinkansen trains are super crowded and hotel reservations are impossible to find. To learn more about Golden Week, listen to these Golden Week... Show more

Welcome to Part 3 of our Valuable Information on Living in Japan series! This time we will go over credit cards, taxes, and insurance. If you have any questions or information that you would like to share about living in Japan, please leave us a comment! Valuable Information on Living in Japan part 3 ●  Credit Cards Most major credit cards issued overseas can be used in Japan at major restaurants, hotels, department stores, etc. (please note, however, that Japan is still very much a cash society, and there are many stores and restaurants that do not accept credit cards) . However, it is said to be difficult for foreigners to get a Japanese credit card, and there are many stories of people getting rejected when they apply for... Show more

Many of our readers are probably familiar with Valentine’s Day, and even celebrate it in their home country. Valentine’s Day probably conjures up images of hearts, red roses, Valentine candy, and maybe even the cute little Valentine’s Day cards you used to exchange in elementary school.  But do you know how Valentine’s Day works in Japan? The Japanese Valentine’s Day has its own set of unique customs and rules that set it apart from the holiday celebrated around the world.  First of all, while in western countries it is common for both men and women to give gifts on Valentine’s Day, in Japan, the gift-giving is left strictly to the women. Girls and women give chocolate (either handmade or store-bought) to a significant other or someone... Show more

Hi everyone! Welcome to Everyday Kanji! In this series, we're going to present pictures of kanji seen in various places in Japan taken by the team members at JapanesePod101.com. That's right - kanji seen and used everyday! The theme for this week is kanji found on envelopes used to put money into for special occassions. Let's take a look! ① お年玉 (o-toshidama) = New Year’s gift of money The word お年玉 refers to a gift of money given to children and young adults on New Year’s. Typically, this money is put in a small envelope called an お年玉袋 (“o-toshidama bukuro”, o-toshidama + bag). The お年玉袋 in the picture has a tiger (虎, tora) because 2010 is the Year of the Tiger. お年玉 (o-toshidama) ● 年 (toshi) = year ● 玉 (tama) = ball ... Show more

In Japan, November 23rd is a National Holiday called 勤労感謝の日(Kinrou kansha no hi) which means Labor Thanksgiving Day.  This holiday was originally a national festival called "Niinamesai" meaning "Harvest Festival." At the festival, the emperor dedicated the year's harvest to the Shinto Gods and ate it to celebrate the harvest of that year. This holiday is similar to Thanksgiving Day in the United States in both the timing and concept.  But, considering that this holiday is held to give thanks to people's hard work in addition to the harvest, it is also similar to "Labor Day" in the US.  Both of these holidays are very similar in that they give us a good opportunity to express our thanks to one another. There isn't a special meal that... Show more

Shichi-Go-San (七五三 seven-five-three) is a traditional festival day in Japan when parents celebrate the growth of their children and pray for their future and well-being when their daughters turn three or seven and their sons turn three or five．Originally, this event was held on November 15th.  However, these days people often celebrate it on the nearest weekend because it is not a national holiday. There are some regions where they don't celebrate sons who turn three years old. Parents usually dress their daughters in kimono and their sons in hakama, which are formal Japanese skirtlike trousers. They then take them to a shrine or temple to celebrate their growth and pray for their health. They also take family pictures as a keepsake. ... Show more

Baseball fans in Japan and abroad are celebrating the win of the Yankees in the World Series, and the performance of one player in particular - Japanese baseball player Hideki Matsui, who helped lead the Yankees to victory and was named MVP. Matsui, who has been playing with the Yankees for seven years, is the first Japanese player ever to receieve the honor of MVP. Despite having been with the Yankees for seven years, Matsui still does his interviews all in Japanese. Here is one of his interviews conducted right after the Yankees amazing win with the original Japanese and an English translation.  Hideki Matsui interview ―今の気持ちは？ 松井秀喜外野手「最高ですね。この日のために１年間頑張ってきたわけですから。何年もここ（ヤンキース）にいましたけど、初めてここ（ＷＳ優勝）までこれて最高です」  ― Well, how... Show more