JAPANESE Newsletter January 2015

JAPANESE Newsletter
January 2015
Dear Students and Families,
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu! (Happy New Year!)
It is a very cold season in Japan. This year in the Chinese Zodiac, is the year of the
Sheep. Some parts of Japan record deep snow.
After the Japanese people celebrate the New Year on 1/1, they go to Hatumoude. (to
visit the first shrine of the New Year in Japan.) And pray for a Great New Year.
Eating Osechi (traditional Japanese New Year foods in their special boxes called
jūbako (重箱), which resemble lunch boxes) and Ozoni (a Japanese soup containing
mochi rice cakes), Japanese people pray for peace and health in the family.
In January, the first two weeks, we will focus on the “Winter” theme. In second two
weeks we will focus on the “Weather” theme.
See you at the Japanese class!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Akane
Winter
ゆきだるま(雪達磨)
おしょうがつ(お正月)
たこあげ(凧揚げ)
てぶくろ(手袋)
マフラー
こたつ
ゆきのけっしょう(雪の結晶)
つらら(氷柱)
Pronunciation
yu-ki-da-ru-ma
o-sho-u-ga-tu
ta-ko-a-ge
te-bu-ku-ro
ma-fu-ra
ko-ta-tu
yu-ki-no-ke-ssho-u
tu-ra-ra
English
snowman
New Year
playing with a kite
gloves/mittens
scarf
Japanese leg warmer
snow flakes
icicles
Weather
pronunciation
あめ(雨)
あらし(嵐)
はれ(晴れ)
かみなり(雷)
たいふう(台風)
ひょう
たつまき(竜巻)
かぜ(風)
くもり(曇)
にじ(虹)
a-me
a-ra-shi
ha-re
ka-mi-na-ri
ta-i-fu-u
hyo-u
ta-tu-ma-ki
ka-ze
ku-mo-ri
ni-ji
English
rain
storm
sunny
thunder and lightning
Hurricane
hail
tornado
wind
cloudy
rainbow
Basic Japanese cursive syllabary (Japanese alphabet) -- Pronunciation
あ
か
さ
た
な
は
ま
や
ら
わ
い
き
し
ち
に
ひ
み
り
う
く
す
つ
ぬ
ふ
む
ゆ
る
を
え
け
せ
て
ね
へ
め
れ
お
こ
そ
と
の
ほ
も
よ
ろ
ん
a i u e o
ka ki ku ke ko
sa shi su se so
ta ti tu te to
na ni nu ne no
ha hi hu he ho
ma mi mu me mo
ya
yu
yo
ra ri ru re ro
wa
wo
n