Kotobuki Long Life 寿き ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

(modern version) 

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

 (modern version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

 (older version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

  (older version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

  (older version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

  (older version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

 (older version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

 (modern version)

kotobuki   Long Life    寿き　ことぶき

Hanko seal

In everyday usage Japanese people speak of はんこ hanko, meaning the signature stamp. The more formal word for はんこ  hanko is 印鑑 いんかん  inkan. When you wish to reside more permanently in Japan, one needs to be registered with the local City Council. You would need to take your identification papers etc. together with your はんこ; this is called hanko registration, or 印鑑証明 いんかんしょうめい inkan-shōmei.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

みとめいん mitome-in seal display case

 

Some company is doing souvenir business.

 

 

Hanko information

Kotobuki Long Life

This image of　寿き ことぶき kotobuki, carved out of tortoise shell, signifies a wish to someone for a long, healthy and prosperous life. There are different forms of 寿き ことぶき kotobuki kanji with later ones being more simplified, as the writing in this text demonstrates.

Happy New Year 2014 新年明けましておめでとうございます shinnen akemashite omedetō gozaimasu

12 Houses of the zodiac

2014 午年 うまどし The Year of the Horse

2014

Happy New Year   

新年明けましておめでとうございます　

shinnen akemashite omedetō gozaimasu

Three wise monkeys

聞こえません　きこえません  kikoemasen  

cannot hear

聞こえない　きこえない  kikoenai

cannot hear

hear no evil

言えません　いえません　iemasen

cannot say

言わない  いわない　iwanai

cannot say

speak no evil

見えません　みえません　miemasen

cannot see

見えない  みえない　mienai

cannot see

see no evil

Three Wise Monkeys

東照宮　とうしょうぐう　Tōshōgū

Japanese paper dolls 和紙人形

Here is a link to a paper making video clip: This video was made by Smithsonian Education.

Search on YouTube for Smithsonian Education as they have a large selection of excellent videos on a great number of educational topics.

Here is another master at work. This video shows the making of the paper and different applications. All of them very difficult, so the artist is truly accomplished. It does give an idea of what is possible.

This video clearly demonstrates how Japanese paper is made.

Correct ただしい tadashii

With every stroke you add one. Every complete character means five, so everything or everyone is counted in lots of five.

Normally 正 means ‘correct’.

correct oral care to master!

tadashii ōraru kea o masutaa!

The tadashii counting is no different from our stick counting.

And the final word on the matter…

Yeah… quite correct!

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

A traditional Japanese cast iron kettle for tea ceremony ちゃがま chagama

 

 

ちゃがま　chagama

ちゃがま　chagama

ちゃがま　chagama

 

 

ちゃがま　chagama

 

ちゃがま　chagama

ちゃがま　chagama

ちゃがま　chagama

chagama are used for the tea ceremony.

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