Category Archives: Obentō 02-009

109 Hiragana Names, Obentō 01-061, Obentō 02-009

What’s in a name? Japanese First Names

24/10/2012 lamihome Leave a comment

名前なまえ Name (=the reputation you have when you stand before people)

What’s in a name? Names are special to parents and grandparents – sometimes a child is named after a senior member of the family. Sometimes a child is named because of special qualities wished for. Sometimes a name is chosen, because it sounds pleasant and sometimes parents go to great lengths to consult experts on kanji writing, so that the chosen name will reflect good luck. Whatever the chosen name may be, as in any language, it is hoped that the child wears the name with pride.

The problem with names is that families may choose a particular kanji for their child. Unless one knows, one may not be able to read it straight away A lot of memorisation will come into it. Name cards, めいし meishi, will also help later on in one’s career. Here are some simple examples.

109 Hiragana Names, Obentō 01-061, Obentō 02-009, Obentō 02-020

What’s in a name? 中なか naka in, inside, within

23/10/2012 lamihome Leave a comment

What’s in a name? This time we have a look at the kanji for in or inside. It is used often in names, showing the location of where the family originally lived within the village, or where their property was in relation to the rest of the village. It could also have been used to show social standing – all sorts of reasons.

Here are some everyday names that contain the kanji 中なか naka.

One can also see it at the end of a name:

Interestingly, the kanji can also be pronounced as ちゅう chū. However, as such it doesn’t happen in Japanese names or surnames. It does appear as such in many Japanese everyday words, just not as part of a name.

Clothing, Obentō 01-061, Obentō 02-009, Obentō 02-076, Osaka 大阪, Presents

The Koshino Legend

21/04/2012 lamihome Leave a comment

Hiroko Koshino　ひろこ　こしの

Junko Koshino　じゅんこ　こしの

Michiko Koshino　みちこ　こしの

The family brand name is Koshino, which is written , but this shop and company have decided to “be different” and to use katakana and write it right to left – stand out from the crowd. If you’re famous, you can do almost anything!

コシノ　becomes　ノシコ

ノシコ

Here are the creations:

(You’d better have a nice cheque book!)

ノシコ

A TV promotion programme interviewing

guests to the exhibition opening:

“Huh? All the way from New Zealand?”

ノシコ

ノシコ
The Koshino Exhibition

ノシコ

Note that the signs above these shops are organised all three in a different way:
The tickets shop on the left is top to bottom, left to right.
The Koshino shop in the middle is right to left.
The shop on the right hand side is left to right: travel wave.

ノシコ

ノシコ
The Real Koshino

ノシコ

If you would like to explore some more:

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/AJ201109099792

http://junkokoshino.com/

http://www.elle.com/Runway/Ready-to-Wear/Fall-2010-RTW/HIROKO-KOSHINO/HIROKO-KOSHINO#mode=base;slide=0;

ノシコ

01 FL 047 Family, Grammar, KD 3-008 Family, KD 3-009 Family, KD 3-017 Airlines, Mirai 2-007, Obentō 01-061, Obentō 02-009

Talking about someone else’s family

07/04/2011 lamihome Leave a comment

Here is a summary of all the useful family words

01 FL 047 Family, 104g Family, Grammar, KD 3-008 Family, KD 3-009 Family, KD 3-017 Airlines, Mirai 2-007, Obentō 01-054, Obentō 02-009

Introducing my family

04/04/2011 lamihome Leave a comment

This is my family

The Japanese language has different words for members of the family depending on whether they are your own family, or someone else’s family. Then they also have a different way of talking to members of their own family and a way of talking about members of their own family when they are not present. Amid all this children make short-cuts and parents have their own way of communicating with their own children; that is no different in any other language or culture.

On the left (orange) you see the word as it is used for talking about someone else’s family and on the right (light blue) you see the word as it is used when talking about your own family when they are not present.

Sometimes Japanese use the title ちゃん chan instead of さん san, to show how close they feel to that person. It is a form of endearment.

Men and boys use ぼく boku in informal conversation, meaning ‘I’.

However, when you talk to your own younger brother you would use his name (even if abbreviated) and add くん kun to it. You would never refer to him by his rank, if he is a lower rank. It would be regarded as humiliating. The same you would do when talking to someone else’s younger brother. It is not cool to put someone down, even though you know he is younger.

However, when you talk to your own younger sister you would use her name (even if abbreviated) and add ちゃん chan to it. You would never refer to her by her rank, if she is a lower rank. It would be regarded as humiliating. The same you would do when talking to someone else’s younger sister. It is not cool to put someone down, even though you know she is younger.

We have added another point here (a little related because it is about modesty):

Another point that should be made is that, if you begin to learn Japanese, try very hard to leave out the word わたし watashi or ぼく boku or あなた anata. Sometimes it is essential so as not to confuse people, but in 9 out of 10 cases it is perfectly well understood that the conversation is about you or me. To use those pronouns would be a form of attention seeking; no different from (example):

ME wanting to talk about MY horse in MY meadow when the sun was shining on MY land and MY horse jumped over MY fence and then MY vet came to ME to give ME HIS bill for HIS consultation. It all happened on MY land. So there!

Really annoying and one would think that person does not have many friends.

Therefore introduce yourself as:

スミスです。 (My name) is Smith.　or

なまえはスミスです。 (My) name is Smith.

Don’t say:

わたしのなまえはスミスです。

(It really means: “Attention, please! Please note that MY name is Smith!”) Just way too much!

04 LA 095 Imperial Family, 06 TT 066 Tokyo Landmarks, Obentō 02-009, Tokyo 東京

Imperial Palace Tokyo 皇居　こうきょ

22/02/2011 lamihome Leave a comment

The Imperial Palace in Tokyo is exclusively the residence of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan in the Emperor’s function as Head of State and the Empress in her support role as his wife.

The role of the Emperor is to formalise laws, which Parliament has decreed, and to attend official functions as the Government requests. The Empress is the patron of many charitable organisations, thus supporting the Emperor in his function as the Symbol of the Nation, the People of Japan.

The throne is referred to as the Chrysanthemum Throne. Both Emperor and Empress lead an intensely private life and any public duties are carefully organised so as to maintain dignity and respect between the Imperial Family and the people, while being dutiful in their relationship with the People and Parliament.

It is the Prime Minister who has the overall responsibility for the governing of the country on the instructions of and the policies set by Parliament.

The Japanese Parliament is referred to as the Diet. The palace is located in the heart of Tokyo in the beautiful Chiyoda district. It is not far from the business centre of Tokyo, Marunouchi. As you can see from the sky photo, the palace is a green enclave in a metropolitan city.

Imperial Palace (Tokyo) 皇居　こうきょ　kōkyo

This word refers only to the palace in Tokyo.

The correct word for ‘palace’ is 宮殿　きゅうでん kyūden

The President of Afghanistan confers with His Majesty.

A foreign ambassador makes his presentation to offer his credentials at the Imperial Palace. His Majesty sends either a traditional coach or a limousine.