Nanpa means player, a seducer, or someone that pick ups on women (oftenly) in the streets
by Clém
Izakayas are informal Japanese bars that serve alcoholic drinks and snacks. It's a casual place for after-work drinking and it seems very appreciated of Japanese. According to me it is very different from European bars but the atmosphere is similar as it's a place to relax and have fun !
by Clém
ごちそうさまでした: Gouchisousamadeshita (formal) or only gouchisousama (informal) is the japanese phrase for thanking for the food once someone finishes eating.
I recently learned about a fashion subculture which arose in the 1990s amongst Japanese schoolgirls, called kogyaru.
Here are some links about this subculture movement if you are interested:
https://blogs.uoregon.edu/postbubbleculture/2010/03/30/japanese-subculture-kogals-and-lolitas-rebellion-or-fashion/
https://the-comm.online/blog/the-history-of-gyaru/
https://haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/subcultures-and-scenes/gyaru/
Shotengai (商店街) means 'shopping street' in Japanese and is typically used to refer to a traditional covered street lined with local shops. It is closed to traffic, and perhaps comparable to a shopping arcade. They can often stretch for miles!
Osaka's Tenjinbashi-suji is Japan's longest shotengai, and is approximately 2.6km long!
生きがい(いきがい): ikigai. This is a japanese word with no english translation that relates to "reason for living". "Iki" comes from life, and "gai" from value.
お冷(おひや): cold water. It is frequently used in the restaurant context when someone wants to order more cold drinking water.
侘び(わびさび) - WABISABI: this japanese concept represents the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
プリクラ is the name for popular photobooth machines in Japan, and is short for プリントクラブ, or 'print club'. In the booth, you can take cute stylised photos with your friends, and then edit on the image afterwards with effects like make-up, doodles, and stickers. You can find such photobooths in most arcades!
For more information, you can visit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldfish_scooping
https://www.bokksu.com/blogs/news/kingyo-sukui-japanese-goldfish-scooping-at-home
https://fromjapan.info/topics-about-5-games-to-try-at-japanese-festivals/
(source: shutterstock)
Kamen 仮面 (かめん) means mask in Japan. Native speakers use this noun to refer to a mask or something to hide someone’s face in Japanese. Additionally, people occasionally use this as a metaphor for something to conceal the truth or something similar.The kanji expression of “kamen” consists of the following two characters:
仮 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘temporary’, ‘false’, or such in Japanese.
面 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘face’ in Japanese.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “kamen” literally means a temporary face in Japanese.
For more information, you can visit:
https://japaneseparticlesmaster.xyz/kamen-in-japanese/
(Painting of Izanami and Izanagi by Kobayashi Eitaku, 1880-90)
Kami - 髪 (かみ)、means hair. While referring to ‘hair’ Japanese also use the term “kaminoke” (髪の毛) to avoid confusion.
Kami - 紙、means paper.
Kami – 神 (かみ)、means god. This term could also be used as an adjective that refers to ‘godlike’ in Japanese.
For more information, you can visit:
https://japaneseparticlesmaster.xyz/kami-in-japanese/
読み方【よみかた】(reading): しょほうせん
意味【いみ】(meaning): medical prescription
see also: 処方せん【しょほうせん】 (same meaning)
処方【しょほう】: prescription; formulation; formula; recipe
処【ところ】・【ショ】: dispose, manage, deal with, sentence, condemn, act, behave, place
方【かた】・【ホウ】: direction, person, alternative
箋【ふだ】・【セン】: paper, label, letter, composition
読み方【よみかた】(reading): じこくひょう
意味【いみ】(meaning): public transport timetable; timetable, schedule
時刻【じこく】: time; (the) hour
時【とき】・【ジ】: time, hour
刻【コク】: engrave, cut fine, chop, hash, mince, time, carving
表【ヒョウ】: surface, table, chart, diagram
Welcome!
In Japan, there are multiple ways of saying "welcome"!
ようこそ
ようこそ is a common way Japanese people say "welcome".
いらっしゃいませ
いらっしゃいませ can be a phrase people hear often as they enter stores, restaurants, etc!
めんそーれー
めんそーれー is similar to ようこそ but in Okinawan dialect!
読み方【よみかた】(reading): 流れ星
意味【いみ】(meaning): shooting star; falling star; meteor
see also: 流星【りゅうせい】 (same meaning)
流【なが.れ】・【リュウ】: current, a sink, flow, forfeit
星【ほし】・【セイ】:star, spot, dot, mark
読み方【よみかた】(reading): こうかんりゅうがく
読み方【よみかた】(reading): たなだ
読み方【よみかた】(reading): とざん
意味【いみ】(meaning): mountain climbing
登【のぼ・る】: climb
山【やま】・【サン】: mountain
自動販売機 「じどうはんばいき」:Vending machine
Vending machines are a common sight in Japan, and many not only sell non-alcoholic beverages, but alcohol, food, and cigarettes. There are also some that can be found selling goods like ice cream, souvenirs, rice, instant noodles, and even 御御籤「おみくじ」(or fortune papers at shrines and temples). Wherever you are in Japan, you can always be sure you're not far away from a vending machine! There is even one at the summit of Mount Fuji!
Nanpa means player, a seducer, or someone that pick ups on women (oftenly) in the streets by Clém