Sandboxes of a different kind. 砂箱 すなばこ sunabako snow box

If you live with snow, it is an important kanji. 

Wouldn’t you think?

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

Obviously the sand boxes are a seasonal thing in heavy snow areas.

Sapporo City: sand to stop you from sliding.

Please, help yourself as you wish.

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

Even trains need it, if the wheels were to loose some traction on the rail.

SNOW IN HOKKAIDO

Useful kanji for city life 上 うえ 下 した

famous ski resort in Nagano Prefecture

Uemura-gawa 

The two kanji 上 and 下 are used often to indicate two place names that are similar, but need to be separated. In English we tend to do that with Upper and Lower, as in Upper Manhattan and Lower Manhattan. In Japanese they use the kanji 上 and 下, but pronounce them as  上 かみ and 下 しも .

If you think this is bad, there is even worse down there!

Usually people are more positive:

上には上がいる。
うえにはうえがいる。

If you think this is great, there is even better up there!

Useful kanji for city life 開ける open 閉める close

akeru   開ける  open　shimeru  閉める　close

The kanji on the buttons looks slightly different from the usual version; this is because they are abbreviations. This is a bit unusual in an elevator. Oh well, must be a fashion statement.

エレベーター

エレベーター

エレベーター

エレベーター

エレベーター

エレベーター

エレベーター

エレベーター

エレベーター

エレベーター

Useful kanji for city life 押す push 引く pull

osu  押す　おす   and  引く　ひく　hiku 

osu hiku

Rubbish bins ゴミ箱 ゴミばこ

(photos from internet for educational purposes)

Way Road Path Street 道 みち とう どう

 
If you want to remember this kanji, think of an important man (head, samurai) running up the road.

A very good way to demonstrate the usage of kanji in Japanese is to have a closer look at the NCEA Level II kanji 道, which means way, road, path and street and can be pronounced in three different ways:　みち or とう or どう. 

Students will ask “How do you know which one it is?” The answer is really: “You don’t”; “You have to remember”. Practice makes perfect. Don’t forget if you live in Japan you are surrounded by kanji, so you would see how they related to your real world.

Here are a few examples. We also added some extra kanji that are required for NCEA Level II, so they should now make more sense:

Road Day

NCEA Level II kanji

What do Japanese youngsters like to do?

But is it?

Well for the “Happy Few” it is, but most have to work – 

long hours and cheap wages: アルバイト arubaito.

800 – 1000 yen an hour

 

Japan’s oldest person passes away, Kawasaki

Matsuyama Public Bath, Shikoku

Tatami-maker たたみやさん tatamiyasan

たたみやさん　tatami-ya-san　tatami-maker

Links to tatami factory:

http://etatami.webdos.net/tatami-product02.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNrW1Jrhsd4