WAttention LA vol 21 Spring 2017 by WAttention LA

O N O R T H F R O M T O

Picturesque Tohoku Japan’s Traditional Landscape at Its Best Japan’s traditional landscape is all about the perfect balance between man and nature. When visiting Tohoku, travelers are offered stretching views of satoyama farmlands and countless examples of traditional architecture embodying local wisdom, artistic beauty and impressive vitality.

Revisiting Traditional Architectural Wisdom: Thatching

Tono Furusato Village photo provided by Iwate Tourist Association

Thatching is the traditional Japanese craft of building a roof with dry vegetation like straw to achieve warmth and sustainability while also saving energy . In Tohoku, there remain many thatched roof houses that resemble a poetic retreat from the modern day. With stunning mountains as backdrops and beautiful creeks gently flowing, this is the ultimate destination for meditation and relaxation.

Tono Furusato Village Often used as a shooting location for movies, the nostalgic looking village also doubles as a tourist attraction where visitors can experience traditional Japanese craftwork like bamboo art and pottery making. The outgoing and friendly staff is dedicated to helping everyone get the most out of their visit. Cultural Experience Activities at Tono Furusato Village Hours: 9am-5pm (Mar. to Oct.), 9am-4pm (Nov. to Feb) Access: 25 minutes from JR Tono Station by bus Admission: 540 yen (Adults), 320 yen (Children)

You can sample home-made sake known as Doburoku at a traditional winter festival, Dobekko Festival.

Denshoen Park Traditional farming, authentic culture and local wisdom are carefully preserved at these charming thatched roof houses. Here, you can listen to Japanese folklore, try your hand at making Japanese crafts and savor local specialties. Hours: 9am-5pm (Last entry at 4:30pm) Access: 25 minutes from JR Tono Station by bus Admission: 320 yen (Adults), 220 yen (Children)

Oshira-sama: A household deity unique to the Tohoku region. Made with 30 cm long mulberry sticks, Oshira-sama statues usually come in pairs, with the male figure representing a horse and the female a human.

Instructors at Furusato Village are known as “Maburitto members,” or “protectors” in the Iwate dialect. © Tono Tourism Association Tono Furusato Village

Unrivaled Beauty: Apple Fields When Japanese think of Aomori, sweet, juicy apples spring immediately to mind. Aomori has such a long history of growing apples that apple fields have become an integral part of its local landscape. Hirosaki Apple Park is home to over 1,500 apple trees of 80 varieties and visitors are welcomed to assist with all stages of apple production, including apple picking. The park staff also arrange a series of activities throughout the year to show off their deeply rooted "apple pride."

Apple Picking Experience at Hirosaki Apple Park Hours: 9am-4:20pm (Aug. to mid-Nov.) Access: 20 minutes from JR Hirosaki Station by bus, 7 minutes walk from bus stop to park Admission: Free (The apples you pick will be charged at 320 yen per kilo)

Step Back in Time: Kakunodate’s Samurai Residences, Akita Prefecture Take a relaxing stroll around Kakunodate to immerse yourself in history. While many traditional Japanese buildings have been lost due to fire, weather and deterioration from age, the houses along Samurai Street have stood undamaged for over 300 years. Known as the “Little Kyoto of Tohoku,” the town maintains the refined, elegant atmosphere of old Japan. © Kakunodate Tourist Association

Hiburi-Kamakura is a one-of-a-kind traditional event held in February. People swing a bale of burning straw to wish for safety in the coming year.

Visit the Glorious Past: Merchant Houses in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture Sakata, with its ideal geographic location, flourished as a trade center and major port from which goods were shipped from Tohoku to Kyoto and Tokyo in the Edo Period (1603-1867). Traces of the port’s glorious past are still clear in the present: in Sankyo Soko, a storehouse for rice built in 1893; a villa of the wealthy Honma family; and Soumaro, one of the most prominent Japanese restaurants in Sakata during the Edo Period. Beside its well preserved architecture, you can also enjoy a dance performance by Maiko (Geisha apprentices).

See Nostalgic Edo: Ouchi-juku Post Station in Shimogo, Fukushima Prefecture Ouchi-juku prospered in the Edo Period as an important post station connecting Aizu (parts of Fukushima and Niigata P r e f e c t u r e s ) a n d N i k k o i n To c h i g i Prefecture. Traditionally, the streets were lined with inns and houses providing lodging and meals to transient guests. The town was designated as a Group of Traditional Buildings by the government in the 1980s and has since remained a popular attraction. WAttention Los Angeles

sting e r te ings

In Find

ら外国人かい白見た面！！！語日本

Japanese Language

Discover new interesting Japanese words and phrases from a Japanese learner’s point of view with the aid of a Japanese teacher. Let’s get started!

☺

T od ay ’s W or d Pronunciation 発音

ただいまおかえりFor⇔ m さつかんどうしあい

Okaeri⇔Tadaim

形

感動詞／挨拶

ction / Greeting

Interje

one at ting from some home, the gree lease come "p y all er W hen you reach (lit ai 意味 aeri or okaerinas o is home will be ok rson at home wh ily wish from the pe a fam is is eir Th th of "). ck rn ba fe retu rward to the sa rning will reply tu reall y looking fo re is o wh n , the perso se tadaima member s. Then s from the phra originally come ). me with tadaima. It ho ve jus t got back kaerimashita (I ha

Meaning

To da y’s Le ar ne r:

character or mind-set Some people describe Japanese as ‘kind’, ‘considerate’ or ‘polite’. This n☺ expressio unique culturally this use to appears in these interjections. Let us try い

Itteki masu This pair is used when people are leaving their home or office. The former is an expression of ‘I’m going out now, but definitely coming back’ and the person who sees them off will say itte

Ittera sshai rasshai, which means ‘enjoy your outing but please come back here’. Both really consider ‘come home safely’…how nice is that!

いただきます⇔ごちそうさま Itadaki masu

These are salutations for a meal. Before eating, you should say itadakimasu which shows your respect and appreciation to people who prepare the food, who cultivated the ingredients (e.g. farmers) as well as thanking nature for helping to grow vegetables and other ingredients. In response, chiso from gochiso sama originally

VOL.

Vic tor ia Ng from Sing apor e

In this day and age, it is rare for people to be conscientiously polite – especially outside an extremely courteous culture like Japan. A casual “bye” or “leaving” is usually shouted at the door and receives a similar, distracted reply – “I’m home” is used even less. Although the greetings are now treated in the same absentminded manner, the original intent is not forgotten. Especially in an office environment, seemingly casual concern for every colleague creates a pleasant atmosphere and serves as a gentle reminder that someone is leaving or has returned safely.

Insi ght of Jap ane se Inte rjec tion い

Conductor Aki Loves exploring how culture affects language differently around the world and works as copywriter & editor. Also has a postgraduate certificate in TJFL (teaching Japanese as a foreign language).

Gochisō sama

means ‘running around’ and it symbolises people running around everywhere to get ingredients. After your meal, we add polite prefix of go and respectful term of sama to show your appreciation and thanks to the person’s effort for the meal’s preparation.

T od ay ’s B ro ke n Ja pa ne se

あけおめ⇔ことよろ Akeome

Kotoyoro

Akeome is abbreviated from akemashite omedetō gozaimasu (polite way of ‘Happy New Year’). Literally, it means ‘greeting New Year is opening’. You say this interjection when you see people in the new year. In return, kotoyoro is a short form of kotoshimo yoroshiku onegaishimasu (“please treat me well this year as well as you did last year”) which literally shows your sincere feelings and appreciation for last year kindness/ partnership/friendship, etc. These terms describe Japanese politeness well with the short form being more slightly casual and light. Illustration credit: www.irasutoya.com

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