AccessJ

Etymology of Sasuga

2014-05-26T09:15:00.000+09:00

流石　(Sasuga) The word represents the feeling you have when a person whom you expect to perform well does, in fact, perform well, and you feel a sense of awe all over again at their amazing feat. To learners of the language, sasuga is a little frustrating in that it's one of those ridiculous ateji words whose reading and kanji characters don't match. But there's a cute little story about...

[Read full article.]

Etymology of Arigato

2014-05-12T09:15:00.000+09:00

The word "arigato" (有難う), or "thank you" in Japanese, finds its roots in the word arigatashi (有り難し), an archaic adjective describing rarity. Arigatashi was used in the Japanese language at least as early as 1000 years ago, as it is documented in both the Tale of Genji and Sei Shonagon's pillow book. Originally, the adjective indicated that an object was difficult to have or come by, or...

[Read full article.]

Words to Express Condolences in Japanese

2014-05-02T17:01:00.001+09:00

A quick translation from an all-around useful site on Japanese funerals. When you want to express condolences to a Japanese friend or acquaintance over his or her loss of a loved one, the appropriate phrases are: 哀悼の意を表しますあいとうのいをひょうしますFor written condolencesSomething akin to "Allow me to express my sadness and pain." お悔やみ申し上げますおくやみもうしあげますFor written or spoken condolences A humble way to say,...

[Read full article.]

TP#9: 英作文：京都大学2006前期

2014-02-01T10:02:00.000+09:00

問題：子供の頃にわたしが毎週欠かさず観たあるテレビ番組があった。その主役はどこにでもいそうな犬で、そいつがある町にふらりとやってきては、そこで起こった事件の解決に協力し､人間からほめられる前に姿を消して、また次の町に向かって旅をつづけるのだ。わたしをとりこにしたのは、一つの場所に安住せずに、たえず動きつづける、その姿だったに違いない｡解答例： When I was a child, there was a certain television show that I watched every week without fail. The hero was a run-of-the-mill dog who would wander in to some town, help solve some problem troubling the people there,...

[Read full article.]

TP#8: 英作文：京都大学2006前期

2014-01-31T09:30:00.000+09:00

問題：ものの見方や好みは人さまざまである。たとえば、駅前のハンバーガー店は、人々にとってどのような意味を持つだろうか。多くの人にとっては、ハンバーガーを味わう場であろう。しかし、肉が苦手な私にとっては、ハンバーガーを楽しむというよりは、仕事帰りにちょっと立ち寄り、コーヒー一杯で一日の疲れをいやす、くつろぎの場である。本を持ち込み、書斎代わりに使うことも少なくない。解答例： Different people have different perspectives and tastes. Take a hamburger shop in front of a station, for instance. What meaning does that shop hold for people? Many consider it a place to enjoy the taste...

[Read full article.]

TP#7: 英作文：京都大学2007前期

2014-01-30T09:55:00.000+09:00

問題：教育とは何かを考えるときに、私が決まって思い出すのが小学校の恩師の顔である。先生は、私たち生徒に、物事に真剣に取り組むことを教えてくださった。その教えは、これまでの私の人生の指針となっている。今から考えると、先生の教えが私の心に響いたのは、先生の尊敬できる誠実な人柄によるところが大きかったように思う。教育において考慮すべきことは、教える内容だけではなく、教える側の人間性でもあるのだ。解答例： When I think about what education is, always comes to mind the face of my favorite grade school teacher. He taught us to labor in earnest. That teaching has formed the philosophy of my life....

[Read full article.]

TP#6: 英作文：京都大学2007前期

2014-01-29T16:22:00.003+09:00

問題：最近久しぶりに旅行して実感したのですが、田舎の夜空には星が驚くほどたくさん見えます。科学的に考えれば、汚染がなく空気がきれいだからでしょうが、風景はそれを見る者の心を映すとよく言われます。雑事に追われて忙しいだけの生活からしばしの逃避行したあの時の私は、もしかしたら、めずらしく無邪気な子供のように心が澄んでいたのかもしれません。解答例：During a recent trip into the countryside--my first in quite some time--I was awestruck by the multitude of stars gracing the night sky. Science tells us this is because the air there is free of pollutants. But a certain old...

[Read full article.]

TP#5: 自由英作文：東京大学2011前期

2014-01-26T14:41:00.000+09:00

問題：次のKiyoshiとHellenの会話を読み、空所①と②をそれぞれ15-20語の英語でうめよ。①と②のそれぞれが複数の文になってもかまわない。 (Nishikawa) Kiyoshi: Have you read today's newspaper? Apparently, in England, it's illegal to sell pets--even goldfish!--to children under the age of sixteen because they may not be able to take proper care of them. Offenders can be put in prison for one year. Helen: Wow! (1) ________________________________ Kiyoshi: Yes,...

[Read full article.]

TP#4: 自由英作文：東京大学2011前期

2014-01-20T14:30:00.000+09:00

問題：次の英文を読み，その内容について思うところを50ｰ60語の英文で記せ。ただし，understand と pain は，一度しか用いてはならない。 It is not possible to understand other people's pain. 解答例①： Of course it's impossible to truly understand another's pain, because we cannot experience anything in the exact same way another person would. But that doesn't mean we cannot see when someone hurts and commiserate. Humans are empathetic creatures. We are able...

[Read full article.]

TP#3: 英作文：京都大学2005前期

2014-01-13T13:04:00.000+09:00

問題：女性が従来学問の世界で十分活躍できなかったのは、男性中心で作られてきた社会に原因があったことは疑う余地はありません。とくにわが国は従来年功序列の社会でありましたので、出産、育児のため女性が休むことは昇進の面で著しく不利でありました。今後は休んだ後の復職を容易にするとともに、復職後業績を上げれば速やかに昇進できる体制を作り上げて行かねばなりません。解答例：There is no denying that women's role in academia has been limited because the field has been constructed around men. Especially in our country, which has long rewarded seniority, taking a leave of absence for...

[Read full article.]

Pain Medication in Japan

2013-11-25T09:20:00.000+09:00

So, recently I talked a little about the big pharmacy chains in Japan. But if you're like me, even after you find and walk inside a Japanese pharmacy, you have a bit of difficulty identifying and choosing what you want to buy. Part of this is simple brand unfamiliarity, and part of it is the language barrier--and I'm sorry to say that in my experience, it doesn't get much better with time. Even...

[Read full article.]

Off Brand Medications in Japan

2013-11-22T09:00:00.000+09:00

Getting over the counter (OTC) drugs in Japan can be an expensive proposition. The Japanese drug market is heavily protected from foreign competition and large pharmacies and drug companies still have a cartel-like lock on the market, even after the liberalization of online drug sales. If you are looking to by in bulk it is actually sometimes cheaper to go to the doctor and get a prescription as...

[Read full article.]

Chain Pharmacies in Japan

2013-11-18T09:03:00.000+09:00

This is a list of some of the major nationwide and regional pharmacy chains in Japan where you can purchase OTC medical supplies. This list is by no means complete, but covers many of the major players in the Japanese pharmacy market. For more information about pharmacies and drugs in Japan, check out Dan's series of articles here on AccessJ: Pharmacies and Prescriptions in Japan Over the...

[Read full article.]

NISA: Nippon Individual Saving Accounts

2013-11-15T09:00:00.000+09:00

Warm up your engines, eager non-instutional investors, because a new type of tax free trust account is coming to town. That's right, I am talking about the much hyped NISA or Nippon Individual Saving Account (shogaku toshi hi-kazei seido 少額投資非課税制度) that is starting up next year. If you are investing in the future (and you should be!), then this new system is a good opprotunity to get your foot in...

[Read full article.]

Tips when Selling a Car in Japan

2013-11-11T09:41:00.000+09:00

I'm in the market for a new set of wheels--to replace my old ones. As I mentioned in my previous post, I've met a lot of people as I've visited a dozen new and used car dealerships to ask about buying something new, and about selling the one I have now. Much of the information differs from what (admittedly little) I knew about buying and selling cars in the US. In today's post, I'll continue to...

[Read full article.]

Japan Factoid: Nintendo playing cards

2013-11-08T09:00:00.000+09:00

Most die hard fans of games giant Nintendo have probably heard by now that the storied company was originally a playing card maker. But I bet you didn't know that to this very day you can still buy yourself a brand new set of 任天堂 cards. Yup, that's right, the company that makes 99.99% of its profits from games is still making cards for the Japanese market. Sound strange? Well it kind of is from...

[Read full article.]

TP#2: Difficult Japanese Phrases

2013-11-06T07:43:00.000+09:00

Some of the most difficult words to translate are those that are context sensitive, or need wildly different translations depending on context. I'll take a look at four tricky Japanese → English interpretations in context today: ① もったいない (mottainai), ② しょうがない (shou ga nai, also 仕方ない shikata nai), ③ 面倒くさい (mendoukusai), and the pervasive Japanese ④ よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegaishimasu)。 ①...

[Read full article.]

Tips when Buying a Car in Japan

2013-11-04T09:42:00.000+09:00

I'm in the market for a new set of wheels, and have been to visit just about every new and used dealer in my immediate area, plus a few more across town (and out of town). A lot of the people I've met have been very cool and have shared their tips with me about buying and selling cars in Japan. Much of the information differs from what (admittedly little) I knew about the process in the US. In...

[Read full article.]

Translation Practice #1

2013-10-30T07:18:00.000+09:00

This is a foray into the world of Japanese university entrance exam translations (大学入試英作文), with some notes on the things I learn along the way. Without further ado, let's get started! Today's source is a list of 2009 private university problems from the ticc PukiWiki. 四季の移り変わりがはっきりしている我が国で、とりわけ色とりどりの花が咲く春と紅葉に彩られる秋になると、自然がとても美しいと感じる。（津田塾大、2009） I find the whole "Japan has four seasons" appeal...

[Read full article.]

Shinsei Bank: More Free Convenience Store ATMs

2013-10-29T12:23:00.002+09:00

More good news for lovers of Shinsei Bank, one of the few personal banking options in Japan that provides services in English and believes in 24-hour ATM access: Shinsei bank card holders will now not only be able to deposit and withdraw cash at all Shinsei, Yucho Bank, and 7-11 ATMs across the country, but also at Lawson, Family Mart, and Daily Yamazaki ATMs. (As well as associated ATMs in a...

[Read full article.]

It's in Your Blood: Japan's obession with blood types

2013-10-25T09:00:00.000+09:00

For a long while, I thought that the standard blood groupings ( A, B, AB, and O) only had to do with microscopic antigens on my cells. Boy was I wrong. As it turns out, your blood type determines everything about you core personality...or at least that is what many people in Japan seem to believe. Personally, I think the whole idea of blood types as a basis for determining your personality is as...

[Read full article.]

Your Visa Status After Divorce in Japan

2013-10-21T09:38:00.000+09:00

"What happens to your visa status after you get a divorce?" I've heard a variety of opinions on this subject from forums like Gaijinpot. Some people claim that divorce, for those staying and/or working in Japan on a spousal visa, means renunciation of your status of residence (在留資格). Others assert that you are still eligible to stay in the country until the printed date (在留期間) on which that...

[Read full article.]

The Immigration Bureau's Online "e-Notification" Service

2013-10-14T09:43:00.000+09:00

Under Japan's recently revised immigration laws, foreign residents of the country are explicitly instructed to inform the Ministry of Justice Immigration Bureau of any changes to information they've registered with the bureau. For example, when you change jobs or get a divorce, you're now required to notify the immigration bureau and can face penalties for failing to do so. To ease the burden of...

[Read full article.]

What is a "Special Permanent Resident", Anyway?

2013-10-07T09:08:00.000+09:00

"Special Permanent Resident." It's a term that plagues Japanese immigration legalese, and I've only ever had a vague inkling of what it means. It identifies a group of people that, for some reason or other, has been granted special permission to be in Japan indefinitely without needing to notify the immigration bureau of working situation or marital status, but whose members are still not...

[Read full article.]

Juki Card and e-Tax

2013-09-27T09:00:00.000+09:00

As you may have noticed, LP has been hard at work on articles about the Juki Card (AKA the Basic Resident Registry Card) system that has just been opened up to foreigners. As we have mentioned before, in addition to containing your registered alias (tsushomei 通称名), the Juki Card can be used as an electronic identifications for official government transactions over the internet. Perhaps the most...

[Read full article.]