Sakura Drops

Japanese Basics

2007-12-17T15:55:00.000-08:00

I thought this would be neat to share some basic phrases with you all:

Domo (dohh-moh; Thank you or Hi!)

le (eee-eh; No or Don't mention it.)

Hai (hah-ee; Yes)

Wakarimasen (wah-kah-ree-mah-sen; I don't understand.)

Shiriiriasen (she-ree-mah-sen; I don't know the answer to that question.)

Zenzen (zehn-zehn; Not at all or It was nothing.)

Ii desu ne (ee-ee deh-soo neh; That's a great idea!)

Yatta(yaht-tah; Yahoo! I did it.)

Gambatte(gahm-baht-teh; Go for it! or Try your best!)

Omedeto (oh-meh-deh-tohh; Congratulations!)

Yokoso (yohh-koh-soh; Welcome!)

Shinpai shinaide (sheen-pah-ee shee-nah-ee-deh; Don't worry!)

Makasete (mah-kahTseh-teh; Count on me!)

So, so (sohh, sohh; You're right, you're right!) Used when you agree with someone's statement. This phrase is similar to what you mean when you say "yeah" in the middle of an English conversation just to let the other person know that you're listening.

Dame (dah-meh; You're not allowed to do that or That's bad!) Used when you want to stop someone from doing something or when you want to say that something is bad or impermissible. You'd never say this phrase to a superior or to someone older than you. You can say it to children, siblings, or very close friends.

Enryo shinaide (Don't be shy)

Japanese guests often refuse food or drink offers at least once. If you're the host, say enryo shinaide (ehn-ryoh shee-nah-ee-deh).

Mottainai (What a Waste/It's too qood)

Say mottainai (moht-tah-ee-nah-ee) to object to waste. You can also say it if someone lacks a true appreciation for something valuable.

Osakini (Pardon me, but I'm ieavinq now)

When you have to leave a gathering early, say osakini (oh-sah-kee-nee; literally means earlier) to display your thoughtfulness for others.

Sasuga (I'm impressed by you, as usual)

Sasuga (sah-soo-gah) literally means "as might have been expected," but it's commonly used as a compliment. If a friend wins a competition, say pasuga.

Gambatte (Try your best!)

The Japanese believe that the effort is more important than the result. If a friend's going to take an important exam, say gambatte (gahm-baht-teh) to her.

Shoganai (There's no choice/There's nothing that can be done)

When you're in a jam and none of the possible solutions will work well, choose one and say shoganai (shohh-gah-nah-ee), which shows that you've resigned yourself to the situation.

Okage-sama de (Luckily/Thanks to you)

If someone asks ogenki desu ka (oh-gehn-kee deh-soo kah; How are you?), answer with the modest okage-sama de (oh-kah-geh-sah-mah de) rather than genki desu (gehn-kee deh-soo; I'm fine). The original meaning is that your well-being is due to God and others, including the person you're talking to.

Gokuro-sama (Thank you for your trouble)

If you're the boss, say gokur5-sama (goh-koo-rohh-sah-mah) to each of your workers when they say good-bye to you at the end of the day.

yoroshiku (Pleased to meet you/1 appreciate your helping me)

You can say yoroshiku (yoh-roh-shee-koo) when you first meet someone, as in you're pleased to meet him. You can also say it after asking a favor of someone, in which case it means "I appreciate your helping me."

Taihen desu ne (That's tough)

Use this phrase to show sympathy, such as when your friend tells you about her difficulties.

Kamakura Era

2007-12-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

n 1185, the Minamoto family took over the control over Japan after defeating the Taira clan in the Gempei war. Minamoto Yoritomo was appointed shogun in the year 1192 and established a new government, the Kamakura Bakufu. The new feudal government was organized in a simpler way than the one in Kyoto and worked much more efficient under Japanese conditions.

After Yoritomo's death in 1199, quarrels for supremacy started between the Bakufu of Kamakura and the Imperial court in Kyoto. Those quarrels for supremacy found an end in the Jokyu disturbance in 1221 when Kamakura defeated the Imperial army in Kyoto, and the Hojo regents in Kamakura achieved complete control over Japan. By redistributing the land gained during the Jokyu disturbance, they were able to achieve loyalty among all the powerful people throughout the country. The emperor and the remaining governmental offices in Kyoto lost practically all effective power.

Chinese influence continued to be relatively strong during the Kamakura period. New Buddhist sects were introduced: the Zen sect (introduced 1191) found large numbers of followers among the samurai, which were now the leading social class. Another new Buddhist sect, the radical and intolerant Lotus Sutra sect was founded in 1253 by Nichiren.

In 1232 a legal code, the Joei Shikimoku was promulgated. It stressed Confucian values such as the importance of loyalty to the master, and generally attempted to suppress a decline of morals and discipline. Tight control was maintained by the Hojo clan, and any signs of rebellions were destroyed immediately.

The shogun stayed in Kamakura without much power while deputies of him were located in Kyoto and Western Japan. Stewards and constables controlled the provinces tightly and loyally. Indeed, the Hojo regents were able to bring several decades of peace and economic expansion to the country until an external power began to threaten Japan.

By 1259, the Mongols had conquered China and became also interested in Japan. Several threatening messages of the powerful Mongols were ignored by Kamakura. This resulted in the first Mongol invasion attempt in 1274 on the island of Kyushu. After only a few hours of fighting, however, the large naval invasion fleet, was forced to pull back because of bad weather conditions. This was very fortunate for the Japanese since their odds against the large and modern Mongol force were not favourable at all.

Due to good preparations, the Japanese were able to maintain a strong defence for several weeks during a second invasion attempt which occurred in 1281. But again, the Mongols were finally forced to withdraw mainly because of bad weather. Kyushu remained in alert for a possible third invasion attempt, but the Mongols soon had too many problems on the mainland in order to care about Japan.

The consequences of the many years of war preparations against the Mongols were fatal to the Kamakura government since they resulted only in expenditures and no profits. Many of the loyal men who were fighting for Kamakura, were now waiting for rewards that the government could not pay. Hence, financial problems and decreasing loyalty among the powerful lords were some of the reasons for the fall of the Kamakura government.

By 1333 the power of the Hojo regents had declined to such a degree that the emperor Go-Daigo was able to restore imperial power and overthrow the Kamakura Bakufu.

Edo to Tokyo

2007-12-02T00:36:00.001-08:00

Edo era (1603-1867)

It was not until 400 years ago that today's one of the largest cities in the
world, Tokyo, or former called Edo, came into the stage of history.

Ieyasu Tokugawa won the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the most important battle in the history of Japan, and soon took control of the country. In 1603, he established his government in Edo.

Kyoto remained as the official capital, for the emperor stayed there, but it was the Shogun Ieyasu who was the most powerful man in the country.
Soon, people and economy started to gather in the new city in the east.

Ieyasu dedicated his life in making the basis of Tokugawa family Shogunate which he succeeded, and his successor kept on ruling the country for more than 250 years, until 1867.

This was the period called Edo era. People lived mostly in peace, and culture like Kabuki or Ukiyo-e bloomed. The population of the city was already over a million in the 18th century.

In 1853, American general Perry came over to Japan with 4 battle ships huge enough to frighten people of Edo, who had not experienced war for over 2 centuries. Perry demanded Edo government to open the country, that had been closed long against foreign countries.

This started the Meiji restoration - end of Tokugawa shogunate and the
restoration of imperial rule, through civil wars and great confusion.
In 1868, the emperor moved to Edo and renamed the city to Tokyo. Thus, Tokyo became the capital of Japan both officially and substantially.

Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa era (1868-1945)

From the hunger for foreign culture, and the fear of the country falling more behind from western countries, people of Japan, especially those in Tokyo, absorbed western civilization greedily. Telecommunication service started in 1869 and the steam locomotive in 1872. People started paving roads, and built western styled buildings with bricks and stones.

Nothing seemed to stop the modernization, but in September 1923, Great Kanto Earthquake broke down the city. Actually it was more the fire that caused the damage - 140,000 deaths and 440,000 building demolitions, equivalent to 1.4 times the national budget at that time.

People had to build up the city once again from rubble, but their desperateness lead to the opening of subway in 1927, Haneda airport in 1931, and Tokyo port in 1941.
But at the same time, Japan started to follow militarism, and the war with the United States, began. Tokyo was air-bombed nearly 130 times, among which the largest attack on March 10th 1945, killing 100,000 Tokyo residents.

When Tokyo fell into the hands of American troops in August 1945, the population of the city had fallen to 3 million, about the half of the number before the war.

Showa and Heisei era (1946-)

Under the control of general McAurther and the American GHQ (general headquarters), Tokyo started its third regeneration. In 1947 the new constitution came into effect, and in 1949, the 23 special ward system started in the present style.

In 1952, GHQ left Tokyo and Japan regained its sovereignty. But it was the Tokyo olympic games in 1964 that made Japanese people feel the real restoration. Same year, Shinkan-sen (bullet train) started its service between Tokyo and Osaka.

This period through 60's and 70's that gained rapid growth is called "high-level economic growth period". Though it came to an end in 1973 by the oil shock, Japan's economy started to boom again in the 80's - but this time, thing were different.

Land and stock prices went sky high. Banks were so confident that the rise would never stop, so they would ask companies to make huge loans to buy more land. It seemed impossible for an average citizen to buy a house in Tokyo.

But, the next decade came with the burst of the economic bubble. No one believed that a bank would go bankrupt, but even major banks had to face tough realities.
90's in Japan is called "a decade lost". The economy remained stagnant, or went even worth.

Now, four years after the arrival of the new century, signs of recovery started to show at last.

And Tokyo is trying to open a new phase, as a true international city. Under the government run "Yokoso! - welcome Japan campaign", Tokyo is trying to archive visits of foreign people more than ever. The goal is 10 million people annually by the year 2010.

Life in the Castle

2007-10-22T15:51:00.000-07:00

Rank and Caste System

Up until the 1500s, Japanese society was split into two widely separated groups. There was the nobility, who had all the money and power - and the peons. By the 1550s, the peasants began to riot. Their tax burden was determined by the land they farmed, and no allowances were made for bad weather or crop problems. They had to pay 2/3rds of the "theoretical income" in taxes every year, or else. Many sold their kids into slavery or prostitution to pay their taxes.

As peace came onto the area, a new order settled into the system. Samurai were now administrators rather than military rulers and protectors. "Ikki" formed - community organizations that helped the farmers organize and make decisions. The daimyo, or regional warlords, now got a base pay from their samurai which did not tie directly to give spots of land. This meant the samurai were more autonomous and a daimyo was more of a government post than a controller of actual events in a region.

Many changes were enacted to help bring stability. Several sword hunts ensured that only those who should have weapons did have them. The Iga province - a hotbed of ninja activity - was attacked by government forces and over 4,000 ninja were killed.

Between the work of the Ikki and the desire for peace, more laws were passed to enforce social stability. The lower classes were generally very pleased with these changes. While the laws might be seen to put down the lower classes, from the peasant point of view, they actually said "if you do this, you will be safe from harm". For example, there were rules about non-nobles getting off a horse if approaching a noble who was on foot. As long as the peasant followed the rules, they knew the noble could not take action against them for disrespect.

On the downside, it is very hard for people in most modern, free societies to understand what it meant to live in a caste society. If you were born into a social group, you were stuck there for life. It governed what you could wear, where you could live, who you could talk to, who you could marry, and what you could do. The ONLY way for someone below the priest level to elevate was to become a priest.

The Castes of Feudal Japan:

Eta - 'untouchables' - did tanning, butchering, handling of the dead
Ninja - spies and assassins
Yakuza - mob members, gamblers
Heimin - peasants, merchants, artists
Priests - monks and nuns of Shinto or Buddhist religions
Buke - samurai, daimyo, and other military members
Shogunate - the immediate group of the Shogun, his family and officials
Imperial Court - The emperor and families

The Samurai of Ancient Japan

2007-10-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

The Japanese samurai warriors came into existence in the 12th century when two powerful Japanese clans fought bitter wars against each other - the Taira and the Minamato. At that time the Japanese shogunate, a system of a military ruler, called the shogun was formed. Under the shogun the next hierarchy were the daimyo, local rulers comparable to dukes in Europe. The Japanese samurai were the military retainers of a daimyo. And finally you may have heard of ronin. Ronin are samurai without a master. This is what happened to the 47 Ronin in the famous story of Chushingura after their lord was forced to commit suicide.

According to historians the fierce fights between hostile clans and war lords was mainly a battle for land. Only 20 percent of Japan's rugged and mountainous area can be used for agriculture. Samurai warriors had several privileges. They were allowed to wear two swords - a long one and a short one. Commoners were not allowed to wear any weapons at all. At a certain period samurai warriors were even allowed to behead a commoner who had offended them.

The Japanese samurai caste itself had different ranks with different privileges. A basic ranking system from the twelfth century distinguished three major ranks:

* kenin - meaning "housemen". They were the administrators or vassals.
* mounted samurai - Only high-ranking samurai warriors were allowed to fight on horse-back.
* foot soldiers

During the end of the 15th century, the Ashikaga shogunate had lost control over the country. Powerful feudal lords had ravaged Japan in a series of civil wars lasting for roughly 100 years. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi could finally unify Japan, he introduced a series of reforms thus changing the life of the samurai class. He made the samurai live permanently in castles. Until then they were farming their own land during peacetime. It was like the change from an army of draftees to an army of professionals. To finance the system, Toyotomi Hideyoshi introduced a rice taxation system under which every samurai warrior received a certain amount of rice depending on his rank.

The samurai warriors had an ethic code of behavior called bushido, meaning "way of the warrior". The central point of the bushido was complete loyalty towards the lord, the daimyo.

Belonging to the Japanese samurai class was a hereditary membership.

The Imperial Palace....

2007-10-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

Edo Castle (Edo-jo) was the home castle of the line of Tokugawa shoguns who ran the Edo government which ruled Japan for roughly 260 years (from the beginning of the 17th century until 1867). It was originally built in 1457 by the daimyo Ota Dokan, who was also well-known as a poet. As it was the castle of the founding shogun of the Edo government (Tokugawa Ieyasu), it became the building that symbolized the prestige of successive shoguns, and was also the center of political power. It was the largest castle in Japan in those days, with the inner compound measuring roughly 8 km in diameter, and the outer compound measuring around 16 km. The castle donjon with a five-tiered was an enormously high building with a stone wall measuring 51.5 m from ground level. This was destroyed, however, in the great fire of 1657. It is currently the Imperial Palace of the Emperor of Japan.

Oshashiburi Desu Ne!

2007-10-14T20:42:00.001-07:00

This blog is dedicated to my love for the Japanese culture - one of honor, dignity, and loyalty. Through the years this country has prospered to becoming a large country.
I'm currently trying to learn this most difficult language of over 4 different character scripts (basically four different alphabets all with different meanings.) The four scripts are Kanji, Hirigana, Katakana, and Romaji.

I have a desire to go to Japan one day and actually experience the old culture of a unique country. I've prayed about my desire to learn Japanese and so far the Lord has blessed and if at any time in the future he sees fit for me to go then I hope that I'll be able to leave to see Tokyo.