Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 28 2009

Today's Word- indemnity, compensation
Pronunciation- baishou
Kana- ばいしょう
Kanji- 賠償

Poll Results- What is your favorite color?

Red- 2 votes (18%)
Orange- 0 votes (0%)
Yellow- 2 votes (18%)
Green- 0 votes (0%)
Blue- 4 votes (36%)
Purple- 2 votes (18%)
Pink- 1 vote (9%)
None of the above- 0 votes (0%)

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 27 2009

Today's Word- victory or defeat, match, contest, game, bout
Pronunciation- shoubu
Kana- しょうぶ
Kanji- 勝負

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 26 2009

Today's Word- importance, stress, serious concentration
Pronunciation- juushi
Kana- じゅうし
Kanji- 重視

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 25 2009

Today's Word- understand
Pronunciation- wakaru
Kana- わかる
Kanji- 理解する

Facts about Japan

Here are some facts about Japan if your interested:

• Japan has 192 volcanoes, of which 58 are still active.
• Japan has an area slightly smaller than California and has a population of 126 million, making this country the fifth most populous in the world.
• The five main islands of Japan are Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, Hokkaido and Okinawa.
• English-speaking policemen wear a red armband.
• Shintoism, Buddhism and Christianity are the main religions practiced in Japan.
• The three largest corporations in Japan are 1) Mitsubishi, 2) Sumitomo, and 3) Itoh.
• Japan's unemployment is about 3 percent.
• Tradition says that the eldest son and his wife have the major responsibility for caring for his parents.
• Most Japanese have studied English in school, but their studies were geared toward passing exams, not holding conversations. As a result, many hesitate to speak English, but may understand more than most Americans give them credit for. They may therefore be offended if spoken to in broken English.
• There are approximately 250 colleges in Japan, with 80% of them located in the Tokyo area.
• Very few Japanese appreciate being called mama-san or papa-san, so forget what you've seen in the movies.
• The Japanese consider it inappropriate to show affection in public.
• The average female marries at age 24 and the average male at age 27.
• In most homes and some restaurants, you'll have to remove your shoes before entering.
• Green tea is the national drink of Japan.
• Japanese drive on the left side of the road.
• Water is safe to drink, except in the most remote areas of the country.
• Hashi (chopsticks) are the normal eating utensils. Using them is easier than you might think.
• Some restaurants and nightclubs might be closed to foreigners; it's best to check before you enter.
• It's not unusual to hear Japanese slurp as they eat ramen or other noodle dishes; but, it is impolite to smack your lips, speak with your mouth full, or use a toothpick in public.
• Many Japanese restaurants have plastic or wax food on display in windows or cases to show passersby the types of food served.
• Bar snacks are not usually free.
• Japan is the largest importer of food in the world.
• Tipping is not an accepted practice in bars, restaurants, taxis, etc.
• Travelers checks and credit cards are not accepted in many restaurants.
• Bargaining in Japan is not generally accepted. The price listed is the price you pay.
• Japanese do not use personal checking accounts, so personal checks are not acceptable payment outside of U.S. facilities. U.S. dollars must be exchanged on base or in a Japanese bank prior to making purchases off-base.
• Stores are usually closed Jan. 1-3 to celebrate the New Year.
• Sumo is the national sport of Japan, despite the popularity of baseball. Sumo wrestlers are often 6 feet tall and weigh more than 300 pounds.
• If you visit a public hot bath, remember the tub is for relaxing, not cleaning. Shower before entering the tub.

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 24 2009

Today's Word- not very, not much, remainder, rest
Pronunciation- amari
Kana- あまり
Kanji- (Does not have Kanji)

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 23 2009

Today's Word- middle school
Pronunciation- chuugaku
Kana- ちゅうがく
Kanji- 中学校

Arizona

I just found out that for April vacation were going to Arizona. I'm really excited and the cool part is that my friends are going to Phoenix as well but not on the same day. It would be cool if we got to meet up with them. Anyway I was looking at stuff to do in Arizona on the web and I saw this add that was advertising Arizona so I clicked on it and it said that I could print a booklet of things to do. So I signed up, put in my e-mail address, clicked on the one I wanted and write after i confirmed everything, a note popped up saying that I should expect it in my mailbox about 2- 4 weeks from now (Rip -off). I'm still surfing the net for stuff to do in Arizona on our vacation not that we desperately need to find stuff to do before the trip. I mean we could always just find stuff to do when we're there, but just in case, if your reading this post, comment on a place that was fun to go to or something that you thought was fun there. One of the things I heard you could do was horse back riding which sounds really fun. The last time I road a horse was when I was about 4 or 5 and I was at the farm. It wasn't even fun because the little ponies were chained up and forced to walk around in a circle all day with kids on their backs (poor horse). All in all, I'm looking forward to it. (And don't forget to comment if you've been there)

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 22 2009

Today's Word- noon, mid- day
Pronunciation- shougo
Kana- しょうご
Kanji- 正午

A Timeline of Japan's History

A brief history of Japan...
10,000 B.C.- 300 B.C. Jomon Period; Skillful fishing developed; Clay figures made; Basic agriculture began; Government structure began
300 B.C.- 250 A.D. Yayoi Period; Bronze tools first appeared; Permanent farming villages established; Cloth woven
250 A.D.- 538 A.D. Kufon Period; Highly aristocratic society; Armor and weapons common
538 A.D.- 710 A.D. Asuka Period; Arrival of Buddhism; Significant artistic, social and political changes
710 A.D.- 784 A.D. Nara Period; Capitol of Nara established; Efforts to document history and literature began; Widespread of written language
784 A.D.- 1185 A.D. Heian Period; The peak of Japan's art, poetry and literature; Considered a high point in Japanese Culture
1185 A.D.- 1333 A.D. Kamakura Period; Said to be the Beginning of the Japanese middle ages
1333 A.D.- 1336 A.D. Kemmu Period; Three years in between the fall of Kamakura Shogunate and the rise of Ashikaga Shogunate
1336 A.D.- 1573 A.D. Muromachi Period; The early years are known as the Nanboku- cho Court Period and the later years are known as the Sengoku Period
1573 A.D.- 1603 A.D. Azuchi- Momoyama Period; This Period is named after their castles, The Azuchi Castle and the Momoyama castle
1603 A.D.- 1867 A.D. Edo Period; Beginning of the Edo
1600 A.D. Battle of Sekigahara
1707 A.D. The eruption of Mount Fuji
1868 A.D.- 1912 A.D. Meiji Period; Japan started modernizing
1912 A.D.- 1926 A.D. Taisho Period; The period of "Great Righteousness"
1926 A.D.- 1989 A.D. Showa Period; Emperor Hirihito ruled Japan
1941 A.D. December 7th Japan attacked Pearl Harbor
1945 A.D. August 6th First atomic bomb dropped in Hiroshima
1989 A.D.- Present Heisei Period; Japan's current period named by Emperor Akihito after the death of his father, Hirohito, the Showa emperor
...or maybe not so brief. :-)

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 21 2009

Today's Word- Stone
Pronunciation- ishi
Kana- いし
Kanji- 石

Who is Robert Veale?

Konnichiwa bloggers. This is the first blog I've done so it's probably not going to be the best blog you've ever read (Hopefully I'll get better at it as I write more). Anyway, as you know my name is Robert Veale. I'm a 12 year old boy who was born in Wales and moved to America at a very young age. Now, you might be wondering why instead of the basic "Hello" or "Welcome" I put "Konnichiwa" at the beginning of my blog. That's because I'm teaching myself Japanese. I've just always wanted to go to Japan (and I can guarantee that some day I will go). I think I'm getting pretty good at it. I could probably have a very basic conversation with someone in Japan just to figure out how to get places or to tell how much something is or even read a menu. There is actually an article on how I'm learning Japanese on my Mom's blog. http://www.heatherveale.blogspot.com/
My other family members are my younger sister, Emma, and my Dad (and my two cats), but that's enough about me for now. Be sure to look for my other posts coming soon (as soon as I can think of something else to write about). ~Robert