sparkle

공식적으로 - formally

신중하게 - considerately / thoughtfully

역설적으로 - paradoxically

잔인하게 - cruelly / zanily

진실로 - truly / truthfully

후 - after

의심스럽게 - doubtfully / questionably

순종적으로 - obediently

아니 - not

놀랍게도 - startlingly / surprisingly

언제 - when

더럽게 - nastily

상당히 - decently / significantly / appreciably

거의 - almost / nearly

열심히 - intently / eagerly

持ち物 - もちもの

もつ - to possess, to hold, to carry, to take (持つ)

もの - thing, object (物)

もちもの - one’s property, things you carry (持ち物)

How to form a noun from a verb with もの

1. put the verb in ます form (もちます) 

2.cut down the ます end (もちます) 

3.attach もの (もちもの) 

4. In the end we will get a noun (もちもの). 

Unfortunately it doesn’t apply for all verbs but I will list some of them which works with もの. 

たべもの - food　(食べ物)

のみもの - beverage (飲み物)

かいもの - purchased goods　(買い物)

かぐ - furniture  (家具)

もっている家具 - furniture you have, furniture you carry (持っている家具)

ている grammar

1.put the verb in て form (もって)

2.attach いる (もっている)

Be doing something, is/am/are doing

For example: 私はミルクを飲んでいます - I am drinking milk.

いふく - clothes (衣服) 

あつめる - to collect (集める)

そざい - raw materials (素材)

クラフト  - craft

ざいりょう - ingredients, material (材料)

どうぐ - tool, implement (道具)

タネ - seed  (種)

しょくぶつ - plant, vegetation  (植物)

めずらしい - unusual, rare  (珍しい)    

いく, いきる - to live, to exist (生く, 生きる)  

いきもの - living thing, animal  (生き物)  

Unagi hime (鰻姫)

Quick doodle before I work again. I wonder if its cute to make her fins look like ears 🥴

Unagi-hime is actually a deity of Yufu Cliff [由布岳] from Yufuin Basin [由布院盆地] (Yufu City [由布市], Ōita Prefecture) (above) commonly referred to as Unagu-hime [宇奈岐比咩神] and currently enshrined in Unaguhime Shrine [宇奈岐日女神社] (same location) (below).

According to the local legend, she was involved in turning the basin which was originally a lake into a livable land. She did so with the help of another, powerful deity named Michino'omi-no-Mikoto [道臣命] currently enshrined in Kesaki-gongensha (Shrine) [蹴裂権現社] (below).

He did so by stomping the ground hard enough to crack the surface alas, the water escaped from its gap where the only remaining body of water in the basin today became to be known as Lake Kinrin [金鱗湖] (below). ①

Though some Shintologist argue that her name was what transformed into today's word for eels which is Unagi [鰻] ② while others argue that Unagu [ウナグ] was a necklace worn by ancient shamans ③.

Sources:

1. Via Yufuin Tourism Association (official webpage)

2. "Nihon-no-kamigami Jinja-to-seichi 1 Kyūshū" [日本の神々 神社と聖地 1 九州] (1984) by Ken'ichi Tanigawa [谷川 健一] (1921-2013)

JRR #2: August 1 - August 13, 2020 

If you saw this earlier and noticed it was a giant wall of text, that’s because posting drafts from mobile seems to erase all links and other formatting in my posts. Note to self. Anyway: here’s to another set of resources. 

Yuki’s Japanese TV: He’s got a variety of video content from JLPT and grammar to vocab but also topics like food and life during a pandemic. What makes his channel extra special in my book (can you guess?) is that he speaks in Japanese. He does have some in English, and others where he speaks both, but as far as grammar—it’s in Japanese (from what I’ve seen). If that sounds intimidating, he hard subs a lot of his sentences (still in Japanese) and supplies graphics to help demonstrate points, so even if you don’t understand all that he says it’s still difficult to feel lost with Yuki.  

Automatic Japanese: I am in love with Asari’s channel! Most of her videos are spoken in Japanese and accompanied by Japanese and English subtitles (that she herself makes). She speaks with clarity and in a fair pace that I feel isn’t too fast or too slow, plus she’s given me some pretty solid learning tips this week. I also recommend checking out her IG! 

Learning Language with Youtube BETA: something I discovered from Asari! It’s similar to the LLN extension, but for YouTube. 

Learn Japanese with Noriko: a podcast in Japanese for listening practice, of course. But I love this one a little more because she offers some (limited) transcripts on her site, and that makes it a little easier (and more fun) for me to follow along. 

Erin’s Challenge! I Can Speak Japanese: having never used Erin’s Challenge, I’m not sure if this is an update of the old content or entirely new, but it’s here and ready to help you learn Japanese╭( ･ㅂ･)و ̑̑ ˂ᵒ͜͡ᵏᵎ⁾✩ It’s a series of basic and advanced skit videos with additional parts like key phrases, scripts, and manga for onomatopoeia. I went into Lesson 7 and found it to be, yeah–completely cheesy–but also fun!  

Hito’s World: a fun game for learning kanji that I think is best for beginners–either that, or for hammering in the romaji spellings. Or at least in regards to the level I’ve worked up to. (And speaking as someone who never remembers which way is left or right–as in I literally bombed the same A&P quiz twice because I confused left and right–I really have to think about whether I need to type 右 or 左. It’s… a mental exercise.) I wish it allowed or accepted hiragana, but I know it’s a WIP. You can also join r/Hito and check out the road map. 

Tobira Vocabulary: Anki deck for Tobira (obviously). Beware: although it says it’s a complete vocab set, I’ve read two comments that claim otherwise. 

Tobira Kanji: includes kanji and vocab from all Tobira chapters. Another option if Anki’s not your thing (+ it may actually contain all vocab?). I’ve tried both the Tobira Anki deck and Memrise course, and I actually prefer Memrise in this case. But that’s just me. 

Learning ENG & JPN: I did a lot of hunting to find this again, and I almost thought it was a lost resource—this is a blog run by a native Japanese speaker who is learning English. Posts are short and written in both English and Japanese while containing interesting tidbits about Japan and its culture. 

Oshaberi Izakaya: this is a completely free way to get in some speaking practice with other learners organized by Japanese teacher Izumi Ise. They meet up a few times a month, but you’re not required to attend all meetings. 

星座・せいざ・astrological signs

おひつじ座・牡羊座・おひつじざ・Aries (3/21～4/19)

おうし座・牡牛座・おうしざ・Taurus (4/20 ～ 5/20)

ふたご座・双子座・ふたござ・Gemini (5/21 ～ 6/21)

かに座・蟹座・かにざ・Cancer (6/22 ～ 7/22)

しし座・獅子座・ししざ・Leo (7/23 ～ 8/22)

おとめ座・乙女座・おとめざ・Virgo (8/23 ～ 9/22)

てんびん座・天秤座・てんびんざ・Libra (9/23 ～ 10/23)

さそり座・蠍座・さそりざ・Scorpio (10/24 ～ 11/22)

いて座・射手座・いてざ・Sagittarius (11/23 ～ 12/21)

やぎ座・山羊座・やぎざ・Capricorn (12/22 ～ 1/19)

みずがめ座・水瓶座・みずがめざ・Aquarius (1/20 ～ 2/18)

うお座・魚座・うおざ・Pisces (2/19 ～ 3/20)

Index: [Commonly written・Kanji・Furigana・English]

「魔法使いの嫁」の単語：第７

I’m supposed to be studying some Italian, but instead, I was googling in my computer how to learn a new language (no, googling how to learn will not teach you shit, you have to sit down and learn your target language not how to do it, I know but I’m lazy.) and I came across LingoHut, and I have to share it.

I don’t know if someone ever talked about this page, but if they did is worth mentioning again.

So basically you go to the website and in the Home Page you have to choose what is your first language and what language are you trying to learn.

Once you choose it’ll take you to another page in which you have tons of lessons, for ex. In Italian, there are 109 lessons.

I haven’t checked every lesson yet but for example, the first one is greetings and such. You click that lesson and you have 16 flashcards that will show you the word in your target language and the translation, at the same time that someone pronounces the words.

Below the flashcards, you have this  ⬇️

And basically is a bunch of game, an easy matching words kind of game, some kind of tic tac toe with words, a memory game do you know the one that kids play in which they have to find the matching pictures? Same but with words and lastly a listening and matching game.

Below the bar of the games, we have the vocabulary list of the words we are taught in that lesson, and you can click the word and listen the pronunciation.

In the end, you have a bunch of the next lessons.

The lessons vary from the content it can be greetings, numbers, health stuff, office words, computer terminology, etc.

The website doesn’t have every language in the world, but it has a lot of them. choose your target language, in my case Italian, and enjoy, is fun and simple if you want to practice or do something related to your target language but you don’t have the willingness that day to study something more consistent like structure.

Jokes aside, if you have found out that you’re moving to Kyushu, congrats. I know everyone who loves their area says this, but you’re really lucky to get a placement here.

Kyushu is one of the lesser traveled areas of Japan for a lot of tourists. It doesn’t have the excitement of Tokyo or Osaka, nor the old architecture of Kyoto, or the uniqueness of Okinawa or Hokkaido, so it’s often overlooked.  But that doesn’t make it any less special!

So What’s Up With Kyushu?

Kyushu (九州) Translates to Nine Provinces in English, which is a call back to the old provinces. As of now there are 8 prefectures, which technically includes Okinawa. It’s very close to mainland Asia. In fact, Fukuoka is closer to Seoul than it is to Tokyo. This made it the gateway to Japan back in the day. 

Kyushu is more rural, laid back, and in general, has friendly people. With the exception of Fukuoka City, the population is shrinking… because everyone is moving to Fukuoka City. If you’re moving to a town with less than 10 000, then you probably will be one of the few young adults in the area. Don’t fret though, that just means you’ll probably be doted on a whole bunch by the old obasans and ojisans of the area.

That being said, there is has been some revitalization going on in some of these towns. With people from big cities being disenfranchised with the rat race and looking for a more balanced lifestyle. You’ll see young faces and find out that they were living in Tokyo and Osaka beforehand and just needed a bit of a break. You’ll typically see these folks running trendy cafes, creating cool funky art, and trying to up tourism in the area. 

Speaking as a Canadian, the winters here are mild, with the average low being about 4-5 degrees Celcius (39 Fahrenheit). That being said, schools and apartments are well insulated and lack central heating, so you’ll want to keep yourself warm with a kotatsu and several sweaters. You may get the occasional flurries, but any snow we do get melts by mid morning, unless you’re up in the mountains. 

The summers are quite the opposite. They’re hot and humid with temperatures going well up to high 30s (90s) or maybe even 40. It can be pretty rough, so be sure to wear lots of sunscreen and drink lots of water. 

What’s there to do? 

As you can probably guess, because Kyushu is so rural, it means that if you’re a nature lover, you can get your fill of hikes which take you off the beaten track more often than not. You can explore forests, coastal lines, old temples, landmarks, and so much more. 

Kyushu is also home to many volcanoes. The nice thing about that is that you get a whole lot of hot springs. So, if that floats your boat, then you’re in luck. Oita and Kumamoto probably have the most famous places to bathe, but every prefecture has their own little local places to soak. 

This year, Japan is also hosting the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and there will be a few games going on in Oita, Fukuoka, Kumamoto. If you’re a rugby fan, then I suggest trying to get some tickets (if they haven’t already sold out)

I’m an otaku and need to get my anime fix. What am I gonna do if I’m far away from Akihabara? 

Hey, we all need are fix. And don’t worry, we got you covered. 

Quite a few! The biggest one though would be Yakushima. If you’re a Studio Ghibli fan, this island is the inspiration behind the forest in Princess Mononoke.

I would also recommend going to Kitakyushu as they have a very informative Manga Museum on top of a anime goods plaza.  

If you’re a train otaku, then you should check out the  Kyushu Railway History Museum which is also in Kitakyushu. You get to see all these cool retro trains, but you can also get a keychain that features your station on it (assuming your town has a train station)

There are also several cosplay events, doujinshi conventions, and anime-themed bars. You can do it, homie. 

What’s Western Kyushu? And why are you planning to only cover that area in detail? 

When people talk about Western Kyushu (西九州), they typically mean Nagasaki and Saga. I’m covering that area because it’s my stomping grounds. I live in Sasebo City, with my home being very close to the Nagasaki/Saga border. Because I don’t want to make this a huge wall that goes on forever, I’ll be covering them in the next few posts. 

What should I check out to hype myself up?

Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization

Find Your AJET Block

Jalan Event (Japanese Only. Click on the prefecture you are looking for)

Have you ever wanted to tell someone about “the time when…” ? Then you need the 時(toki)- clause. 

時-clause refers to the English “when” clause. It describes the time of an action or state. It can follow; plain forms of verbs, nouns + の, い-adjectives, or な-adjectives followed by な. 

Lets takes a look

Plain form of verbs + 時

1.) 家に来る時、電話してください。(uchi ni kuru toki, denwashite kudasai.) -> Please call me when you come to my house. 

2.) 分からない時は、聞いてください。(wakaranai toki wa, kiite kudasai) -> Please ask me when you don’t understand. 

3.) 勉強していた時に、友達が来ました。(benkyoushite ita toki ni, tomodachi ga kimashita) -> My friend came when I was studying. 

4.) 分からなかった時、先生に聞きました。(wakaranakatta toki, sensei ni kikimashita) -> When I didn’t understand I asked the teacher. 

Noun +の+ 時  *negative=noun+じゃない時

1.)学生の時、たくさん勉強しました。(gakusei no toki, takusan benkyoushimashita)-> I studied a lot when I was a student. 

2.) クラスメートじゃない時は、山田さんの名前を知りませんでした。(kurasumeeto ja nai toki wa, yamada san no namae o shirimasen deshita) -> When Yamada was not my classmate, I did not know his/her name.

Pain/ Non-Past Form of Adj.’s   *regardless of tense* 

1.) 暑い時、ビーチに行きます。(atsui toki, biichi ni ikimasu) -> I go to the beach when it’s hot. 

2.) 暑い時、ビーチに行きました。(atsui toki, biichi ni ikimashita) -> When it was hot I went to the beach. 

な-adj + な＋時

1.)暇な時、よく映画を見ます。(hima na toki, yoku eiga o mimasu) -> When I’m free, I often see a movie.

2.) 暇な時、友達に電話しました。(hima na toki, tomodachi denwashimashita) ->I called my friend when I was free. 

２５歳時は、漫画家になりたい。(nijuugo sai toki wa, mangaka ni naritai) -> I want to be a cartoonist

日本へ行く時、日本人友達を会いたい。(nihon e iku toki, nihonjin tomodachi wo aitai.) -> I’d like to meet Japanese friends when I go to Japan.

Nouns:

料理人・りょうりにん –> chef

八百屋・やおや –> greengrocer

野菜・やさい –> vegetable

豆・まめ –> bean

じゃがいも –> potato

醤油・しょうゆ –> soy sauce

味噌汁・みそしる –> miso soup

にんじん –> carrot

豆腐・とうふ –> tofu

大豆・だいず –> soy bean

豆乳・とうにゅう –> soy milk

玉ねぎ・たまねぎ –> onion

材料・ざいりょう –> ingredients

にんにく –> garlic

鍋・なべ –> pot

蓋・ふた –> lid

薬缶・やかん –> kettle

きのこ –> mushroom

流し・ながし –> sink

きゅうり –> cucumber

Adjectives

新鮮・しんせん –> fresh

細かい・こまかい –> fine (e.g. chopped finely)

生・なま –> raw; uncooked 

Verbs

混ぜる・まぜる –> to mix; to blend; to stir

刻む・きざむ –> to chop; to mince

温める・あたためる –> to heat up 

沸かす・わかす –> to boil (water)

茹でる・ゆでる –> to boil (something in water) 

腐る・くさる –> to rot; to go bad; to spoil

片付く・かたづく –> to tidy up; to put in order

注ぐ・そそぐ –> to pour

描く　『えがく』　drawing a picture

自然　『しぜん』  nature/drawing nature

落書き　『らくがき』  doodling

静物　『せいぶつ』   still life

写生　『しゃせい』する  to sketch from life

絵　『え』をする　  to do art, to draw, to paint, to sketch

アタリ   pose sketch

ラフ  rough sketch

メイキング   “making”; step by step from sketch to completion

水彩　『すいさい』  watercolor

アクリルペインテイング  acrylic painting

わびさび  The beauty that comes from imperfection and transience

渋い　『しぶい』  The muted coolness of simplicity and minimalism

ゆげん  The sense of beauty that comes from a subtle awareness of the unseen

物の哀れ　『もののあわれ』  The beauty that comes from a sensitivity to and awareness of the impermanence of things

Hi guys! Today I will be talking about Japanese homophones and when to use them. These are the ones that I used to have a lot of trouble with, but there are a lot more so I encourage you to research/study more homophones.

　1.　あつい

暑い　“used when talking about the weather (temperature)”

熱い　“hot to the touch” or “full of enthusiasm”

厚い　“to be thick”

　Examples

今年の夏は特に暑いですね。

     This summer is especially hot.

このスープは熱すぎて食べれない。

     This soup is too hot to eat.

サリーは桜のセブチへの熱い思いに心を動かされた。

     Sally was moved by Sakura’s enthusiasm towards SEVENTEEN.

このシャツの記事はすごく厚いね。

     This shirt’s fabric is very thick.

　2.　あう

会う　“to meet someone”

合う　“to go together/match” or “to come across something”

　Examples

京都でお気に入りのYouTuberに出会った。

     I bumped into a YouTuber I like in Kyoto.

この色は肌色に合わない。

     This colour doesn’t complement my skin tone.

一生に一度の大チャンスに巡り合った。

     I came across a once in a lifetime chance.

　3.　あたたかい

暖かい　“warm weather”

温かい　“warm to the touch” or “having emotion/empathy”

　Examples

この部屋は暖かいですね。

     This room is warm.

のどが痛いから温かい飲み物を飲みたいな。

     I want something warm to drink because I have a sore throat.

とても心温まる話でした。

     It was a very heartwarming story.

　4.　あし

足　“a foot or feet from ankle outwards”

脚*　“legs from the waist down” or “something that serves a similar purpose”

　Examples

そのアイドルの足はめっちゃでかいね！

     That idol’s feet are really big!

私の脚が長かったらよかったな。

     I wish my legs were long.

椅子の脚が壊れてますよ。

     The chair leg is broken.

*While there is an official distinction between “足” and “脚”, there are many cases in which “足” is used to write “脚”. This is because the kanji is easier to write!

　5.　はやい

早い　“early”

速い　“fast”

　Examples

早起きだね。

     You wake up early.

佐藤さんって脚速い。