MIJC some photos

I will collect some photos of our activities..

Copyright(C) 2013-2014 MIJC – All Rights Reserved.

MIJC Japanese Conversation group No.32

Friday, January 24, 2013, 6:00pm – 8:30pm
At Valley library – Oregon State University

– How have you been?
– How was your new year holidays?
– About Japanese new year holidays
– About new year special dishes (Osechi ryori)
> Osechi ryori
> Nabe > Sukiyaki, Shabushabu etc
> about the ingredients
– About your special food you ate during new year holidays
– About food you like
:
:
We studied and practiced talking about these topics in Japanese, eating Japanese sweets I brought from Tokyo..
Thank you!

Japan now – vol.7

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Japan now – vol.7
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Ex-Governor of Tokyo, Inose Naoki resigned for an obscure money problem last December,
so again the gubernatorial election is going to be held on Feburary 9th this year.
Last week a former premier, Hosokawa Morihiro suddenly ran for the election setting a goal of
breaking with nuclear power generation.

This year is the 2nd year with Abenomics, the economic policy of the Abe Shinzo administration.
The markets report that the economic conditions are beginning to pick up by lower yen, high stock prices and remedied psychology among individuals and businesses.

For example, on New Year’s Day, BIC Camera at Yurakucho, Tokyo sold 4K television at a price of
1.68 million yen, which became hot topic. BIC Camera has already increased sales by 10% over the previous year.

As a whole, major appliances such as air conditioners or refrigerators are selling well just before the consumption tax is increased in April.

Today’s Kotowaza – proverb

Today’s Kotowaza – proverb
【Related with ANIMAL – 動物 (どうぶつ) [Doubutsu]】

This year 2014 is a year of the Horse in our Oriental Zodiac (animal symbols).
We call it “Uma doshi” (午年). Each animal symbol comes back with a period of twelve years.
The Uma doshi came along in twelve years again.

So today I’ll introduce a proverb related with Uma (馬 = horse).

馬の耳に念仏 (うまのみみにねんぶつ)
Umano Mimini Nenbutsu

key words:
Uma – The kanji of the animal Uma itself is generally written as 馬. = horse
Mimi – 耳 = ears
Nenbutsu – 念仏 = a Buddhist chant

implications:
Uma no mimi –> the target to which someone gives a Budhist chant
Nenbutsu –> It is worth listening to a Budhist chant for people but not for horses.

usage:
Do you agree with the premise that anyone who is not interested in whatever you like at all won’t listen to it and it isn’t so valuable to give the person any word which is related to it?

Could you guess how to use it? (^^)..V

Japanese special dishes no.3

I continue to share the photos of Japanese special dishes..
Today’s photos are Shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ).
Shabu-shabu is also one of the most popular and traditional dishes in Japan.
Shabu-shabu is to soak raw and sliced meat of beef in hot water of a pot for a short time and then to eat the meat with a special shabu-shabu sauce with Daikon-Oroshi (grated Japanese radish)and vegetable boiled in the pot.
Just like Sukiyaki or any other Nabe ryori (鍋料理 – なべりょうり), Japanese people usually eat it in winter because it is warm and is good to eat together.

In these kinds of Nabe ryori for winter, you can eat both meat(肉 – niku; for Sukiyaki, 牛肉 – gyuniku(beef) is used, for Shabu-shabu, 豚肉 – butaniku(pork) is usually used) and a lot of winter vegetables such as Hakusai(白菜 – はくさい), Daikon (大根 – だいこん – Japanese radish), Shiitake (椎茸 – しいたけ – Japanese mushroom), Negi (葱 – ねぎ – Japanese green onion) and even Japanese Tofu (豆腐 – とうふ : usually for Sukiyaki, 焼き豆腐 – やきどうふ is used).
Therefore, it is very healthy and gives Japanese people a lot of energy to prepare and spend a winter. Everything tastes especially good.

I would say it is a valuable wisdom from Japanese people of former days and Japanese people have been thinking a great deal of the things from the people of the past. In addition, nowadays Japanese chefs (or even ordinary people) actively have been developing various new dishes. After eating nabe ryouri, people usually cook Zousui (雑炊 – porridge of rice and vegetables), and this time my family added raw noodles instead of rice.

Japanese special dishes no.2

I share the photos of Japanese special dishes..I will share more photos on the next time..!
Today’s photos are mostly Sukiyaki (すき焼き).
Sukiyaki is one of the most popular and traditional dishes in Japan. Japanese people usually eat it in winter because it is warm and is good to eat together.

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Japanese New Year – Oshogatsu

In Japan, Oshogatsu (お正月) – New Year day is more special than Christmas day and Japanese people spend their special holidays, in particular, from January 1st to 3rd called San-ga-nichi (三が日 or 三箇日) mostly with their families. Each family usually cooks special new year’s dishes called Osechi ryori (おせち料理 or 御節料理) and enjoys eating them together. You can buy various processed products such as Kamaboko(fish minced and steamed). Nowadays even various kinds of Osechi ryori bento boxes are available on the market. Yet my family cooked most of the traditional dishes as usual.
Enjoy the photos of the traditional and special dishes of the new year!

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