Learn the superstitions about sleeping facing north and plump ears
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Eric: Hello and welcome to Culture Class: Japanese Superstitions and Beliefs, Lesson 4. Sleeping Facing North and Plump Ears. I'm Eric and I'm joined by Risa. |
| Risa: こんにちは！(konnichiwa!) Hi, I'm Risa. |
| THE TWO SUPERSTITIONS |
| Eric: In this lesson we’ll talk about two common superstitions in Japan. The first superstition is about bad luck. What’s the superstition called in Japanese? |
| Risa: 北枕, (きたまくら, Kita makura). |
| Eric: Which literally means "north pillow." Risa, can you repeat the Japanese phrase again? |
| Risa: [slow] 北枕 [normal] 北枕 |
| Eric: In Japan, it's believed that it's bad luck to sleep with your head towards the north. |
| Risa: According to one story, the Buddha died with his head pointed toward the north. |
| Eric: Now it’s customary to lay a corpse with the head directed to the north. |
| Risa: Like Buddha. |
| Eric: So bedtime is one time you may not want to emulate Buddha? |
| Risa: I think so, yes. |
| Eric: The second superstition is about good luck. What’s the superstition called in Japanese? |
| Risa: 福耳, (ふくみみ, Fuku-mimi). |
| Eric: Which literally means "Plump ears." Let’s hear it in Japanese again. |
| Risa: [slow] 福耳 [normal] 福耳 |
| Eric: In Japan, it's believed that people with plump ears will be rich in the future. |
| Risa: Right big ears are a good thing! |
| Eric: It's because plump ears are one physical feature of several important figures. |
| Risa: Buddha and many of the Seven Gods of Happiness have big, fat ears. |
| Eric: So the bigger the ears, the bigger the windfall? |
| Risa: I’m not sure if that’s how it works. |
Outro |
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| Eric: There you have it - two Japanese superstitions! Are they similar to any of your country’s superstitions? Let us know in the comments! |
| Risa: またね！(matane!) |
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