電気を消しましょう

An important message for saving the planet and for saving money on your electricity bill.

電気 (でんき) - Lights, Electricity

を - Noun to verb connecting particle

消しましょう (けしましょう) - Turn off, Erase

Translation: Let's turn off the lights!

The verb ending ~ましょう along with the です form でしょう are a Probability or Let's verb form used to advocate for a preferred action or agreement on a subject that could translate to right? or isn't it?

例：

カーフェに行きましょう。Let's go to a cafe.

そのテレビ番号は面白いでしょう。That TV show is interesting isn't it?

And many times you will hear people say でしょう？ during a conversation to show interest and agreement in what is being said.

So the next 日本会話 you have, give it a go and watch your 友達の顔 light up with excitement.

じゃ、また。

ジョシュア

文

This is a typical sign you see on lamp posts throughout Japan.

スクール ゾーン - School Zone

文 (ぶん) - Sentence, Literature, Art

大阪市 (おおさかし) - Osaka City

Translation: School Zone

This type of sign is REPRESENTATIVE. As 文 is more of a cultural symbol for Learning rather than how its literal meaning of sentence as in 文を書きます。(ぶんをかきます - Write a sentence.)

And 文化 (ぶんか) is the word for culture. 

Other words include;

文学 (ぶんがく) - Literature

文章 (ぶんしょう) - Writing, Composition, Article, Essay

作文 (さくぶん) - Writing (an essay, prose), Composition

論文 (ろんぶん) - Thesis, Essay, Paper, Article

文 has other readings such as: ふみ、あや、モン that translate into words referring to arts, letters, style and others related to writing.

For more on this check your dictionary and language books to learn more.

じゃ、今日は以上です。

ジョシュア

すぐに高い所へひなん

I saw this in a book I was reading to my nephew about earthquakes and volcanoes.

地震 (じしん) - Earthquake

津波 (つなみ) - Tsunami; A large wave 

すぐに - Immediately, At once, Right now

高い (たかい) - High, Tall

所　(ところ) - Place

へ - Grammar Particle used to denote direction

ひなん - Evacuation, Finding shelter, Taking refuge, Seeking safe haven

伊東市 (いとうし) - Itoushi; A City in Japan

Translation: Earthquake, Tsunami Immediately seek safe haven in a high place. Itou City.

The 漢字 for ひなん is 避難, my guess is this 漢字 is difficult for children to read concerning the importance of the information being addressed. And just as we have fire drills and, unfortunately, active shooter drills coastal cities in Japan have Earthquake and Tsunami drills.

When I was living in 四日市市, I would go to Nagoya on 日曜日 and take Japanese lessons at the 名古屋国際センター (なごやこくさい) Nagoya International Center. One 日曜日, we took a field trip to the disaster prevention office and participated in a couple of drills.

One was a platform that looked like a Japanese home kitchen with a hydraulic floor to simulate a 地震 with instructions on standing in doorways and getting under the table as cover from falling objects of ceiling. Then turning off the gas in case any tanks, hose or other equipment was damaged and causing a leak. The simulation was similar to riding a mechanical bull.

The second one was a maze with no lights and filled with smoke to simulate a burning building that you would had to escape from. In the dark, you had to feel the walls to find your way out and stay low to the ground away from the smoke. This was a simulation and I've been to a number of haunted houses, but this experience was terrifying. I felt like I was going to have a panic attack going through this maze. And as hard as it may be to believe, my cell phone didn't have a flashlight on it. Thankfully all phones have flashlights on them and in a situation like that, i would be able to turn it on to help find my way out.

And that experience was good because the 3/11 地震 that caused massive destruction and loss of life from a large 津波 also set off a wave of after shocks that shook my apartment pretty bad one night. I jumped up and stood in the doorway until it was over and turned off my gas after it was over. Luckily there wasn't any damage, because although it was strong, it was short.

I've been in a number of 地震 and they are not that fun, so I hope you will never have to experience them.

But if you do, remember this advice and to すぐに高い所へひなん.

それは以上です。

ジョシュア

自転車出入口

Japan is has a large bicycle culture and you might be tempted to park it on the street. Well, if you do, you might come out to your bike being impounded by the authorities. 

Why? Because they hate illegal bicycle parking. And once they get your bike, your better off going to the 自転車屋 to buy a new one, because the fee to get it out of impound is high, the impound lot is way out in the middle of nowhere, and once you get it back, if you can find it, you can't take it back on the train, you have to ride it all the way home.

And if you go the impound and they don't have it, then it was probably stolen.

So take it from me, just park your bike in a designated lot or space, or park it in an alley where the authorities won't find it. Plus, put a lock on it and never spend too much on it unless you plan on going for long expeditions through the countryside.

Which means this sign will be very helpful for you.

自転車 (じてんしゃ) - Bicycle

出入口 (でいりぐち) - Exit and Entrance

先 (さき) - Ahead

Translation: Bicycle Exit and Entrance 50 meters ahead.

Pretty simple.

以上です。

ジョシュア