October 31, 2017　=========

☆  endless  永遠の

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One of the things I’ve talked about this month has been the fact that Australia’s (white) history is quite short, compared to somewhere like Japan, so we don’t have a lot of tradition or strong “Australian” culture. This week’s quote explains why… by Henry James:

“It takes an endless amount of history to make even a little tradition.”

So true! Of course, the aborigines in Australia have a long history, and therefore there are many traditions and a strong culture. However, the immigrants to Australia have just a short history. The Europeans arrived to colonize Australia in 1788, so we do not have an endless amount of historyRead more about Today’s Word: endless[…]

October 30, 2017　=========

☆  unique  独特の

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As we come to the end of the month, we have our Question & Answer section in the Eigo Techo. The question for this month is “What is unique about Japanese culture?” How would you answer this question if someone visiting Japan asked you?

And, if you do think that Japan’s culture is unique, why do you think it is so unique?

If you search Google for the answer, a lot of non-Japanese people say that Japan’s culture is unique because the country was not open to foreigners during the Sakoku period, or because it’s an island, so it was hard to reach, and not easy to invade.Read more about Today’s Word: unique[…]

October 29, 2017　=========

☆  conservative  保守的な

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Someone who is conservative or has conservative ideas is unwilling to accept changes and new ideas. Do you know any other words for conservative? Some common ones are traditional, cautious, and conventional.

One fun word, which is very informal, that you can use to describe someone as conservative is: a stick-in-the-mud. This word is actually a noun, not an adjective, so you can say someone is “a stick-in-the-mud” you don’t need to say, they are “a stick-in-the-mud person.” It’s easy to get a great image of someone being stuck in mud, right? They can’t move, they can’t change their ideas or beliefs, because they are stuck inRead more about Today’s Word: conservative[…]

October 28, 2017　=========

☆  heartfelt  心からの

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Heartfelt is used to describe your deep or sincere feelings or wish. It is often used in a sad, or negative situation. For example, sending a heartfelt apology to someone. Or expressing your heartfelt sympathies to someone who has had some tragedy happen to them. The government might say that they send their heartfelt condolences to the relatives of victims of a terrorist attack.

However, it can be used in a positive situation, too! For example, you might send a new mother your heartfelt congratulations on her new baby. Or heartfelt congratulations for someone who has recently found a new job. Or you might say to someoneRead more about Today’s Word: heartfelt[…]

October 27, 2017　=========

☆  deep  深みのある

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You can use “deep” as an adjective to emphasize the seriousness, strength, importance, or degree of something. For example:

I have a deep admiration for anyone who tries to live in a different culture than the one they grew up in.
She was going through a deep personal crisis.
I’d like to express my deep sympathy to you and your family.
He fell into a deep sleep.
His face expressed deep sorrow for the argument he had started.

Can you use deep in a sentence?

Bye,

Chris

October 26, 2017　=========

☆  related  関連した

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If two or more things are related, there is a connection between them. One of the useful phrases this week is “Our modern-day culture is related to the customs of the past.” This is a good sentence to use if you are explaining Japanese culture to someone who is unfamiliar with Japan. Then of course, you would need to explain how they are related – by giving examples of modern-day culture that existed in some form in the past.

One thing I find interesting is that often popular manga series are related to the past, such as the Vagabond series. This is quite a popular series inRead more about Today’s Word: related[…]

October 25, 2017　=========

☆  local  地方の

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When you describe something as local, you mean that it exists or belongs to the area that you are talking about. For example, in Australia, each council area delivers a free local paper each week for free to people who live in the area. You can talk about the local residents, as in the people who live in that area. Or if you are like me, and love books, but don’t like clutter, then you might visit your local library on a regular basis!

In Australia, most people have their local coffee shop (or bar!), and that is the one they regularly go to. Sometimes, people getRead more about Today’s Word: local[…]

October 24, 2017　=========

☆  tough  厳格な

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Tough policies or rules are strict and firm. For example, the Australian government has tough laws on immigration, and you must meet certain criteria before you can be accepted. The government has also recently decided that the test for becoming an Australian citizen is not tough enough, so they will be renewing the content in order to make it harder to become an Australian.

What is the situation like in Japan? Are the immigration laws tough? Is it tough to become a Japanese citizen? I’ve always wondered if you needed a certain level of Japanese language ability to become a Japanese citizen, do you? In Australia, evenRead more about Today’s Word: tough[…]

October 23, 2017　=========

☆  acceptable   受け入れられる

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Acceptable activities and situations are those activities that most people approve of or consider to be normal. For example, in Australia, it is actually pretty acceptable to drink alcohol during lunch on a Friday. It’s not so acceptable on a Monday, but at the end of the week a lot of people have a beer or wine with lunch, getting ready for the weekend!

Overtime for full time employees on the other hand is not that acceptable. In fact, the laws around how much work per week is acceptable set the maximum at 62 hours. A full-time employee is not allowed to work more than 38 hoursRead more about Today’s Word: acceptable[…]

October 22, 2017　=========

☆  discrimination  差別

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Discrimination is the action of treating a person or group of people less fairly than other people or groups. Obviously, on the topic of culture and tradition, discrimination is something that will definitely come up in conversation.

In Australia, we have laws to protect people from harassment and discrimination. We have laws on age discrimination, on human rights discrimination, on disability, race and sex discrimination. Basically, discrimination on the basis of race, skin color, sex or sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, religion, or political opinion is not allowed. However, it still happens way too often.

How about in Japan? What kind of laws are there onRead more about Today’s Word: discrimination[…]

October 21, 2017　=========

☆  dialect  方言

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One of my most favorite and funniest memories of Japan is when I visited my friend’s house in Ishigaki. Everyone I met, spoke the local dialect, so even though I thought my Japanese ability was OK, I couldn’t understand anything they were saying! We stayed at her grandmother’s house, and one morning, I finally spoke. I said, “ohayo gozaimasu” to her grandmother.

Her grandmother was so excited!! She said I spoke wonderful Japanese (just from that one greeting!) It was quite funny! Unfortunately, after that, everyone started speaking in the local dialect again, so just like the Sofia Coppola movie from 2003, everything was “lost in translation.” 🙂

AreRead more about Today’s Word: dialect[…]

October 20, 2017　=========

☆  race  人種

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A race is one of the major groups which human beings can be divided into according to their physical features, such as the color of their skin. If you read the English newspaper, you might see this word a lot, and another couple of words that often come up are: race relations and race riot.

Race relations are the ways in which people of different races living together in the same community behave toward one another. In every country, there is big need to develop tolerance and improve race relations, I believe.

Race riots are violent fights between people of different races living in the same community. AmericaRead more about Today’s Word: race[…]

October 19, 2017　=========

☆  custom  風習

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A custom is an activity, a way of behaving, or an event which is usual or traditional in a particular society or country. I think that Japan has a lot of customs that are specific to Japan, do you agree? Like the way New Year is celebrated, or the Awa Odori dance festivals in certain areas of Japan.

On the other hand, I’m not sure that Australia really has any customs as such, each ethnic group within Australia does, of course, but as a whole country maybe we don’t really have any… in fact, I wanted to check this so I did a Google search for AustralianRead more about Today’s Word: custom[…]

October 18, 2017　=========

☆  ideas  考え

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Ideas are your beliefs or opinions about what something is like or should be like. Other words with a similar meaning are: belief, conviction, notion, opinion, view. Here are some example sentences:

Some of his ideas about Japan are quite strange!
Everyone has different ideas about the ideal political system.
It’s hard to come to an agreement as everyone has their own ideas about the best solution.
She was embarrassed by her parents’ old-fashioned ideas.

Can you use this definition of ideas in a sentence?

Bye,

Chris

October 17, 2017　=========

☆  misconception  誤解

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A misconception is an idea that is not correct. A stereotype could definitely lead to a misconception about someone, right? For example, during the boom in Japan, the stereotype of Japanese people tended to be busy men in black suits, with cameras! That’s a definite misconception, right? 

I used to hold the misconception that all Americans were loud and pushy, but in fact, the many Americans that I met in Japan, and even in Australia were not like this. Obviously, there are many Americans who are like this, but the important thing is that not every single American is that way, it’s just a common misconception!

Have youRead more about Today’s Word: misconception[…]

October 16, 2017　=========

☆  stereotype  既成概念

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This week’s useful phrase is, “I really dislike it when people use stereotypes.” What do you think of this, do you agree? Disagree? What are the advantages of using stereotypes? Are there any disadvantages? Generally, the advantages are that they allow us to reduce the amount of thinking we have to do when we meet a person, or a situation, because we have met similar people or had a similar experience before.

Of course, the disadvantage then is that we tend to ignore differences between individuals, and we might think something about someone that isn’t actually true, just based on the stereotype we give that person. Unfortunately,Read more about Today’s Word: stereotype[…]

October 15, 2017　=========

☆  belittle  見くびる

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If you belittle something or someone, you say (or imply) that they are unimportant or not very good. Regarding tradition and culture, often people will belittle other cultures or people, purely because they are different or have a different opinion from them. I often see this on the Internet, in the comments of articles or posts – since there is a feeling of anonymity, it is easy to belittle others online because there are really no consequences to fear.

Sometimes it really shocks me to read the comments, because people can really be so mean to others! We call this kind of person a “troll” or aRead more about Today’s Word: belittle[…]

October 14, 2017　=========

☆  contemplate  よく考える

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If you contemplate an action, you think deeply about whether or not to do it. For example:
She contemplated living in Australia for a year after finishing university.
He contemplated whether or not he should leave his job.

If you contemplate an idea or subject, you think about it carefully for a long time.
He contemplated his future while he drank his coffee.
The government is contemplating the effects of globalization on Japanese society.
It’s difficult to contemplate the idea of immigration increasing in Japan.

What have you been contemplating lately? Have you come to a decision or resolution about it?

Bye,

Chris

October 13, 2017　=========

☆  assimilate  同化する

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When immigrants assimilate into a community or county, they become an accepted part of it. In Australia, based purely on how a person looks, I believe it is actually pretty easy to be assimilated into the community. Why? Because Australia has such a diverse community anyway, even if you are not a white Anglo-Saxon, most people assume you are Australia, not a tourist.

Once, a student of mine went on a homestay to Australia as a high school student, and she loved it! I asked why, thinking it was the weather, the people, the food (well, maybe not! Ha ha), the nature or something like that. However,Read more about Today’s Word: assimilate[…]

October 12, 2017　=========

☆  avoid  避ける

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If you avoid something unpleasant or avoid doing something, it means that you take action to prevent that thing from happening, or you choose not to put yourself in the situation where that thing might happen. For example, one thing I often hear from my clients is that they avoid traveling during Golden Week and Obon. They want to avoid the crowds and traffic so they tend to stay home during these holiday seasons.

When I lived in Tokyo, the best time of year was actually Golden Week! During Golden Week, there were not so many people around. I used to live near Kichijoji, and during theRead more about Today’s Word: avoid[…]

October 11, 2017　=========

☆  celebrate  祝う

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This week’s useful phrases includes this question, “What holidays do you celebrate?” I think this is an interesting question, especially now with the Internet and it is so easy to know about other countries and incorporate their holidays into your own. For example, a few years ago, Halloween was never popular in Australia, and now it is celebrated quite a lot – mostly as a way for companies to sell their costumes and candy! But not only that, there are many American and Canadian immigrants who really celebrate Halloween in a big way, so this influences the people around them.

How about in Japan, and for youRead more about Today’s Word: celebrate[…]

October 10, 2017   　=========

☆  keep with tradition  伝統を守る

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If you keep with tradition, it means you follow what is suitable or right for that situation. A funny example I have of keeping with tradition is my family at Christmas time. Since we are actually British by birth, and my parents spent a lot of their life in England, we keep with tradition at Christmas time.

What does this mean? Well, it means that even though it is summer in Australia (not winter like it is in England) we have a traditional Christmas meal. This meal is roast turkey, roast ham, roast vegetables… in other words, we eat a hot meal. In England,Read more about Today’s Word: keep with tradition[…]

October 9, 2017   =========

☆  fascinate  魅了する

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If something fascinates you, it interests and delights you. This week’s quote is from Roman Coppola, “The Japanese culture fascinates me.” What do you think it is about Japanese culture that fascinates him? 

Imagine you meet a foreigner in Japan, and they asked you what fascinated you about Japan. How would you answer? For me, in Tokyo especially, the mix of old and new fascinates me. It still amazes me to be walking through the big city of Shinjuku and Harajuku, and then suddenly come across the Meiji shrine. It is so unexpected and such a contrast from the city and concrete, it totally fascinates me.Read more about Today’s Word: fascinate[…]

October 8, 2017      =========

☆  belief  信仰

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When we talk about beliefs, it often has the nuance of religion – in other words, it seems like we are talking about your faith in a god or many gods, and what you believe is right or wrong, true or false. Of course, nowadays, your beliefs don’t need to be connected to religion at all, and are purely what you value, what you believe is right and wrong.

Similarly, the beliefs of a culture or country and the set of beliefs that most people in that country or community believe to be right or wrong, true or false. What are the beliefs of Japanese people?Read more about Today’s Word: belief[…]

October 7, 2017 =========

☆  tradition 伝統

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A tradition is a custom or belief that has existed for a long time. This is one thing that I love about Japan; there are so many amazing traditions that still exist today, even though society is changing and globalization is now a part of everyday life.

How do you think Japan manages to maintain these traditions so well? Do you think that in the future all these traditions will continue, or will some (or many?) disappear as the younger generation moves towards a more global lifestyle? Without people carrying on the tradition it is hard for it to continue, right? How do you think thisRead more about Today’s Word: tradition[…]

October 6, 2017　=========

☆  history  歴史

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I’m sure you already know this word, so let’s have a look at some interesting idioms that use this word.

Go down in history – if something or someone goes down in history, people in the future will remember them because of particular actions or events that stand out. For example, “Trump will go down in history as the troll-in-chief.”
http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/donald-trump-will-go-down-in-history-as-the-troll-in-chief

Have a history of xyz – if someone has a history of something, it means it is common and has happened frequently in the past. For example, “She has a history of being late for work.”

The rest is history – this means that you do not need tellRead more about Today’s Word: history[…]

October 5, 2017　=========

☆  disrespect  軽視

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Did you spot the mistake in the useful phrases this week? I wrote this, “I hate it when people disrespect the culture of a place.” What mistake did I make? That’s right, I used disrespect as a verb, but this week, we are looking at nouns! Oops! Sorry about that – see even native speakers make mistakes. 😉

So, how should I have used the word in that sentence? It’s quite simple to fix, I should have said, “I hate it when people have disrespect for the culture of a place.” However, I think you’ll agree that using disrespect as a noun sounds more natural in thisRead more about Today’s Word: disrespect[…]

October 4, 2017　=========

☆  contempt  軽蔑

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The opposite of contempt is respect. If you have contempt for someone or something, it means you have no respect for them or think that they are unimportant. This week’s quote is from Cesar Chavez, an American activist (1927 – 1993). He says, “Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt of disrespect for other cultures.” I really agree with this!

I think one of the reasons why many people in Australia are against more refugees and immigrants coming to live in Australia is because they are worried about the destruction of Australian culture and the Australian way of life. Of course, there are other reasons,Read more about Today’s Word: contempt[…]

October 3, 2017          =========

☆  preservation  保護

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The preservation of something is the protection, conservation or maintenance of that thing. We usually use this word to talk about world heritage areas and buildings and the preservation of those areas and buildings. Of course, it doesn’t need to be a world heritage site, it could be anything that the local council or government has decided needs to be protected.

I guess in Japan, there are a lot of buildings that are on the list for preservation, right? There are so many temples and shrines that need to be protected. Do you think it is important for the government to be in charge of thisRead more about Today’s Word: preservation[…]

October 2, 2017      =========

☆  soul  活気

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Your soul is the part of your that consists or your mind, character, thoughts, and feelings. It is your spirit, your heart, your essence, your vitality. When we talk about a person or place that has soul, we mean that it is vibrant or has a spark of life.

I read an interesting article a while ago about the UK and Europe and how they were trying to bring more art and culture to the cities. The government is slowly realizing that a city cannot “live” by concrete and glass buildings alone, it needs a soul. One way to do this is to have artists createRead more about Today’s Word: soul[…]

October 1, 2017　    =========

☆  reside  住む

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October already! How’s the weather where you are? In Australia, we’re heading into summer (it’s still spring) and it’s finally warm again! This month, we’re looking at the topic of Culture and Tradition. I think one of the great things about Japan is the long history that has led to so many interesting traditions and a rich culture. As Australia has mostly immigrants (and of course native Australian aborigines) the culture is a complete mix of all these different histories. This is interesting too, of course, but it doesn’t seem as strong or deep to me as Japan’s culture.

This week’s quote is, “A nation’s cultureRead more about Today’s Word: reside[…]