In today’s podcast, Yumi digs deep into an interesting superstition which caused the birth rates to plummet one year in the 1960s. It has to do with the Chinese Zodiac, the Edo period, and Natsume Souseki. Listen to find out about this fascinating bit of historical trivia.

KEY VOCABULARY:

十二支(じゅうにし) 12 animal signs of Chinese zodiac

干支(えと) 60 year cycle of 12 zodiac signs and 5 elements in Chinese astrology

暗記(あんき)する memorize

~歳違(さいちが)い  ~ years apart

ひと回り １２年 [one full cycle of 12 zodiac signs]　　

~年区切(ねんくぎ)り(で) by ~ year segment

マンモス校(こう) very large school; school with a large number of students

当(あ)たり前(まえ) usual; common; ordinary

少子化(しょうしか)  declining birth rate [少 (few; a little); 子 (child); 化 (change toward)]

根強(ねづよ)い  persistent; deep-rooted; deep-seated

迷信(めいしん) superstition

とんでもない  outrageous; terrible

江戸時代(えどじだい)  Edo period [the last era of ruling of samurai government]

八百屋(やおや)  produce store; fruits and vegetable store

小説家(しょうせつか) novelist; fiction writer

現代的(げんだいてき)な modern; contemporary

世代(せだい) generation

~年生(ねんう)まれ  born in year ~ [one word and it’s adjective]

気(き)にする worry (about)

明治時代(めいじじだい)  Meiji period [the first era after the fall of the samurai government]

For upper beginners to intermediates. Listen to the short podcast and then answer the comprehension questions on the website: https://thejapanesepage.com/nihongonotane-index/

Take a quiz on this episode here:

https://thejapanesepage.com/podcast-nihongonotane-121

If you are a Makoto+ member, you can find the transcript, English translation, key vocabulary, and a downloadable PDF for printing:

https://MakotoPlus.com/podcast-nihongonotane-121-m

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