Unit 5 Explaining Japanese Things t Warm Up Imagine you re going to do a homestay in a foreign country. Ask your partner: 1. What Japanese souvenirs would be good for a homestay mother or father? 2. What Japanese souvenirs would be good for a young girl or boy? If there was a teenage boy, I d probably give him I d probably take An older woman might like t Before You Listen Label the souvenirs with the correct English word. beckoning cat cup & ball game curtain daruma doll devil mask earwax scraper folding fan festival coat flower vase flower stand folding screen headband incense burner lacquer bowl paper lantern rice scoop sword wrapping cloth traditional toy wind chime 32 unit 5
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t Listening Danny and Takuya talk about souvenirs. Danny: Takuya, I bought some souvenirs to send home, but I don t know what you call them. Takuya: Can I see them? Danny: Sure. Takuya: Oh! You got one of these! It s a cat. You see its hand? Danny: (interrupting) Its paw? Takuya: No, its not poor. It has money! This is koban, old Japanese money. Danny: We call a cat s hand a paw. Takuya: Oh, OK, OK, paw, paw cat かわいそ! this is neko ni koban, waste of money to give it to a cat. Only spends money on cat food (laughs). The cat is welcoming money like this. Danny: I see. And this? Is it a ninja weapon? Takuya: No, no (laughs), this is not for ninja. It s for ikebana, for flowers, like this ぐス ぐス. Danny: Oh! For flower arranging? Right. Takuya: Right, not for ninja, not shuriken. It s called a kenzan. Danny: And this? Takuya: It s to make dreams come true. We paint one eye, make a wish, and paint the other eye when the wish comes true. Danny: Oh great. What would you wish for?! Takuya: A girlfriend! And I wish my mother would stop shouting at me! Danny: (laughs) And this? Takuya: Oh, it s a Japanese headband, (puts it on) Japan Number 1! Danny: Yeah, number 1! Takuya number 1! Takuya: Oh, you bought folding fans, too? Danny: Yeah, I got loads of these fans. They re light and cheap. I got this wind chime, too. Takuya: Wind chime? Interesting present! Danny: Yeah, four of those. And this cup and ball game. What s it called in Japanese? t Listening Check Go back to the pictures on the previous page, and circle the seven items that Danny bought. 34 unit 5
t Bingo Japanese Things GET READY FOR BINGO Get ready to play the Bingo Game on the next page. Read the instructions below. Look at the Useful Language at the bottom of the page. STEP 1: Find a partner. Decide who is Student A and who is Student B. STEP 2: Both partners, write the numbers 1 25 in your Bingo grid. Put the numbers in ANY order you like. Do not show the page to your partner. STEP 3: Student A Look at the list of Japanese things on page 84. Student B Look at the list of Japanese things on page 86. STEP 4: Start the game. Student A, say a number from 1 25. Student B, find the Japanese word with this number on your vocabulary list. Explain the thing. Give as much information as you can, but DON T SAY THE WORD! Try to make at least two sentences for each word. Explain clearly. Give extra information. STEP 5: If Student A guesses the thing correctly, then Student B can circle that number on the Bingo grid. STEP 6: Keep taking turns at explaining until you both get Bingo! (five numbers together up, down, or diagonally.) USEFUL LANGUAGE It s something we use to It s something we use when we It s something we wear when we It s something we eat when we It s a kind of / It s like a /an It s usually made of / from It s a kind of envelope that we use for giving gifts of money. The decoration is very pretty and colourful, and it has a bow on it, to tie up (musubu) the happiness of the couple. Is it a shūgibukuro? That s right! 35
PLAY BINGO It s a kind of nameplate for a house. In Japan, we usually put our family name outside the house, on the wall or on the gate. It s a comedy double act. There s usually a straight man and a funny man. They usually talk and joke very fast. Bingo Sheet 36 unit 5
t Wrap up with Danny S amue, jimbei, hanten, and chanchanko? Hakama, kimono, yukata, and nemaki? Geta, jikatabi, and zōri? Take your shoes off in the house, but put slippers on when you visit a school. And change to toilet slippers when you go to the toilet?! I think that Japanese people sometimes forget how confusing Japan is for foreign visitors! Japanese use a decorative envelope when they give a new-year gift, but use a very different envelope for a wedding gift. And of course, this shouldn t be the same envelope as they use for a funeral gift! Ahhh! Life seemed so simple in England. We don t change our style of clothing very much. We don t keep changing our shoes. And when we do give gifts of money (which isn t very often) we usually just put the money inside a birthday card; no frills, no fuss! Yes, life in England feels far less confusing, but that s what makes Japan so interesting! Learning about Japanese culture and all its nuances can take a lot of effort, but it s worth it. Japan is a charming and fascinating place to visit. Now, am I wearing a yukata? Or is it a happi? Am I happi in my yukata? What do you think? Imagine you re going to send a Japanese gift to your friend. Write a short note to explain what it is and how you use it. Get ready to talk about the Japanese language. Turn to page 91. 37