Season 3 is here! Starting fresh, this zen word, Beginner’s Mind, inspired me.  Thank you for your support!! Looking forward to the new season!!

Key Words:

Shoshin 初心
Beginner’s Mind

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As we pass the autumn equinox, manjyushage starts to bloom in Japan. In this episode, I talk about the exciting topic of the equinox, the season of o-higan, and blooming red spider lilies. Check out Instagram and Facebook for my painting of red spider lilies! 

Key Words:

Shūbun no hi 秋分の日
Autumn Equinox

O-higan お彼岸
Buddhist holiday

Higan baba 彼岸花
Manjyushage 曼珠沙華
Red spider lilies 

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In autumn, we hear the sound of insects. Here is a children song with pleasant insect onomatopoeia, first published in 1910.

秋になると虫の声が聞こえてきますよね。明治43年初出され、虫のオノマトペが心地よい童謡「虫のこえ」をご紹介します。

Song practice: 15:32
Whole song singing: 34:36

Sound video of insects in this song:
https://youtu.be/VLclzP03xjM?si=gmv-PsnXffCIdo7y

Key Words:

Mushi no koe 虫のこえ
Voices of Insects

1
Aa matsu mushi ga naite iru 
Chin chiro Chin chiro Chin chiro rin

Aa suzu mushi mo nakidashita 
Rin rin Rin rin Rīn rin 

Aki no yonaga o naki toosu 
Aa omoshiroi mushi no koe

2
Kiri kiri Kiri kiri Koorogi ya
Gacha Gacha Gacha Gacha kutsuwa mushi

Ato kara umaoi oitsui te
chon chon chon chon suicchon

Aki no yonaga o naki toosu 
Aa omoshiroi mushi no koe

Lyrics in Japanese:

1
ああ 松虫が鳴いている 
ちんちろ ちんちろ ちんちろりん

ああ鈴虫も鳴き出した
りんりん りんりん りいんりん

秋の夜長を鳴き通す
ああ おもしろい虫の声

2
きりきり きりきり きいりきり こおろぎや
がちゃ がちゃ がちゃ がちゃ くつわ虫

後から 馬追い 追いついて
ちょん ちょん ちょん ちょん すいっちょん\

秋の夜長を鳴き通す
ああ おもしろい虫の声

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Japanese is a vowel driven language. A research published in 1978 revels that the Japanese hear the sound of nature in an unusual way because of the characteristics of the Japanese language.

日本語は母音が強い言語です。昭和53年に発表された研究によると日本人は自然界の音を少し変わった方法で処理しているそうです。 

Key Words:

Unō 右脳
Right hemisphere

Sanō 左脳
Left hemisphere

Gojyū on  五十音
a table of the Japanese kana syllabary

Onomatope オノマトペ
Onomatopoeia 

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If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, please reach out using this form: 

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Japan is the only country which has a national holiday to honor the blessings of the oceans. In this episode, I talk about the history of the Marine Day in Japan (7/20). 

Key Words:

Umi 海
Ocean

Umi no hi 海の日
Ocean Day

Meiji maru 明治丸

Ryōkai 領海
Territorial Sea

Setsuzoku Suiiiki 接続水域
Contiguous Zone

Haitateki KeizaiSuiiiki 排他的経済水域 
Exclusive Economic Zone

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If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, please reach out using this form: 

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Celebrate Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. This means the shortest night of the year. I talk about a festival to celebrate the summer solstice and related words.

1. What is Summer Solstice
2. Festival and related word
3. Mont Saint Michel 

Key Words:

Geshi 夏至 
summer solstice

Meoto iwa 夫婦岩
wedded rocks

Mijikayo 短夜
summer short night

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If you have questions or topics you’d like me to cover, please reach out using this form: 

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One of the influential travel poets and priests is Saigyō,  who lived when the world was changing drastically in his lifetime in the early 12th century in Japan. I look at the most well-known poem by him, who loved cherry blossoms and the moon.

Saigyō  西行 

願わくば (negawakuba)

花の下にて (hana no shita nite) 

春死なん (haru shinan)

その如月の (sono kisaragi no)

望月の頃 (mochizuki no koro)

Hokumen no bushi 北面の武士
The imperial palace guards for the north side 

Taira no Kiyomori 平清盛

Minamoto no Yoritomo 源頼朝

Shin kokin waka shū  新古今和歌集
New Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern 

Hyakunin Isshu  百人一首
One hundred people, one poem

Oku no Hosomichi 奥の細道
The Narrow Road to the Interrior

Sanka shū 山家集
Collection of a Mountain Home

Hirokawa-dera temple 弘川寺

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Celebrate Vernal Equinox (Northern /Southern Hemisphere), happening 3/20 (in U.S.) & 3/21 (in Japan). I talk about:

1. What is Equinox?
2. Higan
3. Food

Key Words:
Vernal Equinox・shunbun no hi・ 春分の日

Higan ・that shore・彼岸

Shigan ・this shore・ 此岸

Atsusa samusa mo higan made・hot and cold until higan・暑さ寒さも彼岸まで

Botamochi ・ ぼたもち 

Tsukushi ・horsetail・ 土筆

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Join me to take a look at classical literature about “timing” along with Hemingway.
タイミングについて、ヘミングウェイや古典から検証してみます。

The Sun Also Rises・ 日はまた昇る・ hi wa mata noboru

Ecclesiastes・ 伝道者の書・ dendōsha no sho

Tao Te Ching ・老子・ rōshi 

I Ching ・易経・eki kyō

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During the season of Chinese New Year, I share a story from the Great Learning, one of the Four Books in Chinese Literature. Every day is a new opportunity to renew ourselves.

Key Words:

大学・Daigaku・the Great Learning
Tang ・First king of Yin Dynasty 

湯之盤銘曰
荀日新
日日新
又日新

yono ban no mei ni iwaku 

makoto ni hi ni arata ni

hibi ni arata ni

mata hi ni arata nari to

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