二拝二拍手一拝

A tradition of the New Year in Japan is to visit the 神社 (じんじゃ) - Shinto Shrine

The 神社 is a beautiful spiritual place often designated with a 鳥居⛩(とりい) - Shrine Gate, and two statues of either 狛犬 (こまいぬ) - lions or 狐 (キツネ) - foxes on each side, one with the mouth open representing the "a", the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, and the other with the mouth closed representing the "un", the last letter of the Sanskrit alphabet that represents the beginning and end of all things known as the "aum".

At the 神社, there is a specific way to pray to the deities or spirits of the world that is taught to us in this sign:

二 (に) - Two

拝 (ハイ) - Worship, Pray, Bow

拍手 (はくしゅ) - Clapping hands

一 (いち) - One

Translation: Two bows, Two hand claps, One bow

神前 (しんぜん) - Before God, Before an alter

に - Location particle

進ん(すす) - Proceed

 - だら - Conditional verb conjugation for Before/After, When or If

姿勢(しせい) - Posture, pose, stance, attitude, approach

を - direct object particle (thing acted upon)

正し(ただ) - Correct, straighten (posture), adjust

二拝二拍手一拝

の - Possessive particle marker

作法(さほう) - Manners, etiquette, way of making

で - Particle for by, with; で can also be for location or cause, purpose

お参りします(おまいり) - Visit (a shrine, grave), pray, worship

Translation: Straighten yourself when you proceed before the alter, pray on your visit with the etiquette of two bows, two hand claps, and one bow.

Let's break down each step individually,

1:

まず - First, to start

二回(にかい) - 2 times

深く(ふか) - Deep, strong, intense, profound

頭(あたま)

を

下げます(さ) - Lower, bring down, bend

その - That

深さ

は(wa) - Topic

腰(こし) - Hips, waist

九十(きゅうじゅう) - Ninety, 90

度(ど) - Degrees

に - Target to which motion progresses

曲げる(まげる) - Bend, curve, lean, slant

程度(ていど) - Degree, amount, approximately

が - Subject (doer or undergoes of action, state)

美しい(うつく) - Beautiful

と - Quotation marker before verb 言う or いわれています

いわれています - It is said

Translation: First, start with 2 deep head bends. The deep motion is a 90 degree bend of your waist. That is said to be the most beautiful pose.

2:

二拝した

あと - After

胸(むね) - Chest, breast, heart

の

前(まえ) - In front

で

両手(りょうて) - Both hands

を

合わせ(あ) - Matching

右手(みぎて) - Right hand

を

少し(すこ) - A litte

下(した) - Down

に

ずらして - Shift, slide (something away from something else), move (something out of the way)

二回手

を

打ちます(う) - Strike, hit, knock

二拍手

のあと - After

両手

の

指先(ゆびさき) - Finger, fingertip, toe, toe tip

揃えて(そろ) - Align, match, collect

祈り(いのり) - 

を

こめます - To put into (emotion, effort)

Translation: After two bows, put both hands matching in front of your chest. Shift your right hand down a little and clap two times. After two hand claps, align your fingers on both hands and give a heart felt prayer.

3:

最後(さいご) - Last

に

もう - Another

一回

深く

頭

を

下げます

Translation: Last, another one deep head bend.

Many 神社 or 寺 temples will also have a wooden box in front of the shrine. This is an offering box that you toss a coin into as a gift. Typically, you will toss the money in and then do the 二拝に拍手一拝.

Another tradition is purifying yourself at the 手水舎(ちょうずや). This is a water basin or tub, typically wooden or concrete, where you dip a wooden ladle to draw water to cleanse or purify your hands and mouth, NOT by putting it to your lips as it is used by thousands of people. You pour the water at an angle over your mouth so you do not pour water on your clothes and do not let the water fall back into the 手水舎. 

There is a delicate technique of pouring the water over your 左手(ひだりて) - Left Hand; then angling the ladle to pour over your 右手 without using your 左手 as it has just been purified when 右利き(みぎきき) - Right-handed (or opposite if you are 左利き (ひだりきき) - Left-handed). 

Many people do not know this technique or find it difficult to not get their clothes wet so they may just switch hands or assist their friends, family or partner with the purification. 

If you are living in Japan or live near a 神社 in your town, now you know how to pray to the shrine in authentic Shinto style.

And coming up, the New Year is the most popular time to visit the 神社 and make your New Year's wish, much like a New Year's resolution in the west.

Please leave a comment if you would like to let us know your New Year's wish. Also, if you enjoy Death By Kanji, please consider buying me a coffee using the link in the sidebar. It would be appreciated.

じゃあ、明けましておめでとうございます！

ジョシュア

放送室

Need to record? Find this room.

放送室 (ほうそうしつ) - Broadcast room, Recording Studio

Another word used is:

放送局 (ほうそうきょく) - Broadcasting station, Radio or Television station

Can also be used as a verb:

放送する - To broadcast

あのテレビ局はスポーツだけを放送している。

じゃ、まったね。

ジョシュア

節電 使用後は消してください

Conserving energy can save you money, and the planet. But money is more important, right?

お金を貯めるはめっちゃ大切です。

節電 (せつでん) - Conservation of Energy

使用後 (しようご) - After use

は - Grammar Particle to designate the subject of the sentence

消して (けして) - Turn off, Erase, Put out, Extinguish

ください - Please

節電

使用後は消してください

Translated - Conserve Energy: Please turn off after use

使用 (しよう) - Use

A time distinction can be added 使用 to designate when use is taking place;

使用前 (まえ) - Before; Before use

使用中 (ちゅう) - During; During use, In use

使用後 (ご) - After; After use, Finished using

最後尾

This is a common word you will see around Japan, especially if you are waiting to buy concert tickets or to get a seat at a restaurant.

最後尾 (さいこうび) - End of the line

Some lines in Japan can get very long, and to maintain a civil process of no cuts, a person working the event will stand at the end of the line with this sign. This makes sure that everyone knows - this is the end, stand here.

Sometimes they may also have a wait time estimate, but we all know those are bullshit. Save yourself and your workers a headache and forget the estimate. Just say, 最後尾.

And be careful of the hobbyist. This is a true story, an adult student at an English School I worked at when I worked in Japan told us once, their hobby was standing in lines. If they saw a line, they would stand in it and see where it would lead. Often times, it was to the opening of a restaurant or food stand. You need a lot of time to have this hobby.

When I was there, they also opened a Krispy Kreme donuts. The line was very long. It went around the corner and even cut across the street. They needed three workers to manage the line. One at the end of the line on one side of the street, one at the beginning of the line on the other side of the street and one at the end of the entire line on that side of the street as well.

I hope it was worth it.

終です。

ジョシュア

節分

Get your beans! 今日は節分ですよ！

節分 (せつぶん) - First day of Spring according to the Lunar Calendar and a festival when a person dressed as the 鬼 (おに) - Japanese Ogre or real Ogre arrives at your house and you, the children, throw 豆 (まめ) -beans at them to go away.

The 鬼 represents the harsh winter and the 豆 represent the seeds of Spring. In this ritual of throwing 豆, you are chasing away the 鬼, Winter and planting the seeds of Spring.

Is this any crazier than a groundhog coming out of hibernation and seeing or not seeing its shadow to predict 6 more weeks of Winter or 6 more weeks to spring?

Let me know in the comments or email deathbykanji@gmail.com

じゃね、

ジョシュア

福

This is the 招き猫 (まねきねこ) - Beckoning Cat. 

福 (ふく) - Blessing, Fortune, Good Will, Luck

These 招き猫 are often sold as good luck charms and are believed to bring good fortune to the owner.

The pose is a the 猫 on its hind legs holding a coin with the 漢字 福 written on it, while the other paw gestures for the viewer to come near.

In Japan, to ask for someone to come closer, they hold their hand straight out or up with the palm facing down and curl their fingers back.

This is different than the American way of holding the palm up and moving the hand, or arm, back and forth as if they were grabbing them and pulling them closer.

This is a small cultural difference in gaining someone's attention, although 日本人 say, "来て、来て" (きて), while Americans say, "Come here" which translates the same.

皆さんに福が欲しいです。

じゃまた、

ジョシュア

明けましておめでとうございます！

(あけましておめでとうございます)

Translation: Happy New Year!

2022年です。漢字を学ぶことはdeathbykanjiで続けてお願いします。

ジョシュア

ハッピメリ クリスマス！

人形

A last minute Christmas gift idea for いい子供達 are 人形！

人形？なんですか？

T

人形 (にんぎょう) - Dolls

Get them while you Can!

ジョシュア

P.S. The sign behind it is obscured and the last 漢字 is 見られない, but can you guess what it is? Let us know in the comments or you can send us email at deathbykanji@gmail.com to tell us the answer.

おもちゃ屋

More great クリスマス gift are toys or おもちゃ ー おもちゃが欲しい！

This is a picture of a おもちゃ屋 in なんば, 大阪。

Jack フェイスマット半額 (はんがく) - Jack Face Mat Half the Price

定価 (ていか) - Regular price, list price (in small handwriting under the Tom and Jerry toy)

乗らないで (のらないで) - Don't ride on

倒れる (たおれる) - To fall over, Be destroyed, Crumble, Break

よ - Emphasis at the end of a sentence

Translation: Don't ride on or it will break.

This 漢字-->倒 was vめちゃ難しい to find. When you handwrite 漢字 you need to make sure you are as accurate as possible. Because on the sign the 漢字 looks separate from リ, but it is apart of it to make it one whole 漢字 word. They also drew it 土 underneath when the last line should be slanted.

Other than that, it is all pretty cool and ちょっと高いね。

じゃまた、

ジョシュア

日本物語

A great gift idea for the 日本語学生.

A book of 日本物語  (にほんものがたり) - Japanese Stories or fairy tales

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Each story is in 日本語 with the ひらがな over top the 漢字 the first time it appears and challenges you to remember how to read it when it appears again. Plus each 物語 has a vocabulary reference to study and learn new words and phrases that appear chronologically in the 物語, and the English version for maximum comprehension.

One of the other reasons I like this book it because it includes one of my favorite 日本物語, the 雪女 (ゆきおんな) - Snow Woman, and other interesting Japanese fairy tales that 子供 learn growing up.

The also comes with a CD of the 物語 being read to you, which you can play while you read along or play as a nice bedtime story as you fall asleep.

This copy was from the 図書館 which I always recommend checking out books before you buy to make sure it has the type of learning material and level you are looking for, plus it also saves you money!

Yet after reading this, I would put this on my buy list. I really enjoyed the 物語, the illustrations, the amount of 言葉 and 文法 was 素晴らしい plus the CD helped work on my listening skills.

If you have used this or think it is something you want, let us know in the comments below. And I hope you receive this gift for the holidays!

乾杯！

ジョシュア

レトロげーむ

It's Christmas time around the world and what does everyone want? 

お酒!

Well, not everyone. Lots of people want ゲーム! それは買って下さい.

キャンプ - Camp (Name of store)

レトロ - Retro

げーむ - Game

Translation: Retro Game Camp (visit there website)

This was a fun store in 秋葉原  (あきばはら) that had lots of cool retro games, systems and toys. A lot of these types of stores exist in the オタク centers of 日本 including 大須電気街 (おおすでんきがい) in 名古屋, 日本橋でんでんタウン in 大阪 and the mecca of オタク, アキバ in 東京 pictured　here, and featured in the アニメ Akiba's Trip I wrote about ここで.

If games are on your Christmas list, comment below about which games you want and love to play.

げーむ好きですよ。

ジョシュア

侍音楽

Here's a CD I picked up from the 図書館 (としょかん) - Library

侍 (さむらい) - Samurai

日本 has a wide variety of traditional instruments known as 和楽器 

(わがっき) such as:

琴 (こと) - Koto; a stringed instrument played on the floor with two hands

三味線 (しゃみせん) - A three-stringed Japanese lute strung with fingers or a large pick called a 撥 (ばち)

琵琶 (びわ) - A four-stringed (sometimes 5) Japanese wooden lute

尺八 (しゃくはち) - A bamboo Japanese end-blown flute with 5 holes

太鼓 (たいこ) - Taiko is the general name from 'drum', yet there are many types of drums in Japan used for 能 (のう) - A music and dance drama that depicts ancient stories of Japan; used in festivals or for spiritual ceremonies and other purposes

There are a lot instruments of Japan and a more comprehensive list can be found here on Wikipedia, plus you can search on youtube for lots of examples on the sounds, how to play and music of these instruments that I recommend.

Japanese traditional music has meditative and minimalistic qualities that I like very much, ぼくは好きです！

Although this CD was more of a 侍 Chill beats soundtrack with electronic drum beats underneath the 琴と三味線, that 時々好きです。でも、もう和楽器が聞いてに欲しがりました。

もう、すぎね。

byebyeじゃん、

ジョシュア

餃子

I got this little trinket from a coin machine in Japan. It's a plastic version of a paper lantern that many shops and restaurants put outside to advertise what time of food or products they have for sale, which if the battery wasn't dead, would light up red like many of the paper lanterns you would see.

T

餃子 (ギョウザ) - A meat or vegetable filled dumpling

Many ラーメン or 居酒屋 (いざかや) have these to promote their shop, which might also say, 酒 (さけ) to also promote they are a bar that serves alcohol.

餃子 for the most part is very easy to make and is a very popular snack food, especially while drinking!

If you go to your local grocery store, you might find this product in the frozen section:

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餃子 isn't a traditional Japanese food. They learned it from the Chinese, so all of the 餃子 brands in a grocery store are from Chinese companies.

一番: Put some olive oil in a フライパン, heat and put the frozen 餃子 inside.

Then VERY IMPORTANT - Add a cup of water and cover the pan letting the water evaporate to create stream to make the 餃子 moist and sticky, which is why 餃子 is often called Pot Stickers.

二番: Once the water has evaporated or cooked into the 餃子, let cook while stirring and flipping to get a nice even brown on both sides.

T

三番: Once throughly cooked, it's time to eat - いただきます！

T

Note: There are ways to make hand made 餃子, but I am not that great of a cook to make my own. Yet if you are, I recommend going on YouTube and learning from a professional who can show you everything you need to prepare and cook you own 餃子! And if you do, remember to share it with us by sending pictures to deathbykanji@gmail.com 

ありがとうございます！

ジョシュア

まるよしビフテキ

Oh the places you can go to 食べもの!

While I was living in 四日市市 (よっかいちし), me and a friend of mine took a day trip to 伊勢 (いせ) to visit the famous 伊勢神宮 (いせじんぐう), the Ise Grand Shrine.

Afterwards we went to 松坂 (まつさか) another town to eat their famous 肉 at this restaurant.

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肉 (にく) - Meat

Ｏよし (the Ｏ is for circle which is around the よし as まるよし, as まる means Circle) - Maruyoshi brand symbol for the restaurant

松坂 - Matsusaka; A city in Mie-ken Japan famous for their beef

まるよし - Maruyoshi; the restaurant name

ビフテキ - Beef Steak; the restaurant's specialty

When I was there, I watched this video that gave me the craving to eat 松坂ビフ:

In 伊勢, we had meat buns or 肉まん with 松坂ビフand they were 美味しすぎ！！

At まるよし, we had the すき焼き of meat and vegetables that we cooked at our table, and cost about $100 for two people.

It was a great trip and a lot of fun that I highly recommend to anyone in the area or looking to do something different on their vacation.

乾杯！

ジョシュア

勇吉ふぐ

11月には食べ物の月だよ。

ふぐは食べませんか？　ちょっと危ないね？　

もし、ふぐを食べたら、気をつけて下さい。

専門店にふぐを食べてはいい感じと思います。さらに専門店でめっちゃおいしい。

勇吉 (ゆうきち) - Two Kanji put together to make a unique shop name:

The Kanji 勇 means Courage, Bravery, High Spirits, Heroism

The Kanji 吉 Good Luck, Fortune, Joy, Congratulations

千日前店 (せんにちまえてん) - Sennichimae Shop; Sennichimae is an Osaka shopping district near the Dotonbori river and Namba.

ふぐ - Fugu; Blowfish

専門店 (せんもんてん) - Specialty Shop

でも、勇吉で食べないんです。千日前の歩いての時に写真を撮っただけなのに。。。

じゃ、また千日前に勇吉に行きましょう！

ジョシュア

アイドリング禁止

Doing our part to save the environment isn't a consideration, it's a reality. Most or none of us are in a position to change environmental policy, yet there are small things we can do everyday to save energy, clean up nature and release less pollutants into the world.

Although driving is a necessity to getting to and from work everyday, there is 1 thing we can all do presented in this sign:

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アイドリング - Idling (Leaving you car on while you sit in it)

禁止 (きんし) - Stop

Translation: Stop Idling

ご - An honorific prefix

近隣 (きんりんさま) - Neighborhood, Vicinity

様 (さま) - Way, Manner; Polite Suffix

へ - Preposition Particle indicating movement or direction

の - Posessive Particle 

配慮 (はいりょ) -  Consideration, Concern, Trouble

に - Preposition Particle indicating movement and direction

ご協力 (ごきょうりょく) - Cooperation, Collaboration

下さい (ください) - Please, Appreciation

Translation: Please cooperate with consideration for the neighbors.

Alternative Translation: The neighbors would appreciate your cooperation on this concern.

タイムズサービス - Times Service

株式会社 (かぶしきがいしゃ) - Public Company, Corporation

Translation: Times Service Corporation

We would all appreciate your concern on this issue.

お願いします。

ジョシュア

一番好きなハロウィンのJ-Horrorの映画

一番好きなハロウィンのJ-Horrorの映画は：

                Photo: Sadako of Ring by Joshua J. Wood

僕の一番好きなハロウィンのJ-Horrorの映画はリングです。

リング is a Japanese horror movie from 1998 based on the novel of the same name by Koji Suzuki. This story brought the character of さだこ into the pantheon of classic horror characters.

さだこ is an 怨霊 (おんりょう) - a Vengeful Spirit who used 念写 (ねんしゃ) - Projected Thermography or the ability to use psychic power to burn images onto photographs or video to 祟る (たたる) - transmit a curse on the viewer.

さだこの祟るは give's the viewer of the videotape 一週間 to follow the rules of the 祟り or 死.

I won't spoil any more of the 映画 for you, but I do おすすめ - recommend this movie to watch during ハロウェン.

ジョシュア

ジャックオランターン

一番好きなハロウィンのものは：

ジャックオランターン - Jack-O-Lantern

私たちは？一番好きなハロウィンのものは？

怨霊

明日は憎しみを学んだ。今日は we learn that too much 憎しみ will turn you into this:

怨霊 (おんりょう) - Revengeful Ghost

And you don't want to be a 怨霊 because then you will never be at peace even after a 厄払い (やくはらい) - Exorcism, you might enter a world that you don't want to 入る (はいる) - Enter.

Yet it does make for good お化け話 (おばけばなし) or 怪談 (かいだん) - Ghost Story.

👻"ブー！！！"