May, 2010

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31
May 10

Kyoto: The Original Capital of Japan

With nearly 1.5 million residents, the city of Kyoto in the Kyoto Prefecture is the 7th largest city in Japan, but it’s also one of the nation’s most important cities, in terms of history and culture. The city, located about 300 miles southwest of Tokyo (and accessible from Tokyo in around 3 ½ hours by train), is centrally inland, so you can’t see the Pacific Ocean or the Sea of Japan from the city limits. The large population’s water needs are met by the plethora of locations at which a water table breaks through the ground’s surface, leading to attractive ponds and small lakes. There are also three rivers surrounding the city: the Kamogawa, the Katsuragawa, and the Ujigawa.

Home to historic locations such as the Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion Temple), Kyoto was once Japan’s capital city for a period of almost 1100 years from 794 CE to 1868 CE. (There was a brief time in the 1180s CE, however, in which it was not the capital.) During this time, Kyoto was known as Heian-kyo. Kyoto was home to the imperial family for all of these years, even when the imperial family lost much of its power to the shoguns (military leaders), so it served as the nation’s capital, at least on paper. In fact, the label of “capital” was never officially transferred from Kyoto to Tokyo in the 1800s even after the imperial family moved, so there are some who believe that Kyoto remains the capital officially, despite the modern government being seated in Tokyo.

Originally modeled after the Chinese city of Xi’an (at the time the capital of the Tang Dynasty), the city of Kyoto retains much of its imperial and historical significance. There are plenty of modern buildings, but there are far more historic buildings per square mile than you would find in Tokyo and much more of the traditional history is preserved in Kyoto culture. For example, the most prestigious area of geisha culture remains in Kyoto, not Tokyo. Other sites of interest include the Heian Shrine, the Shimogamo Shrine, the Daigo-ji, Ninna-ji, and much more.

The American military knew about Kyoto’s rich cultural and historical significance to Japan and strongly considered Kyoto as a target for the atomic bomb during World War II, hoping to devastate the Japanese people’s morale by destroying so much of their history at once. However, it was spared from the atomic bomb and even from the rest of the bombings thanks to Edwin O. Reischauer, a “Japan expert” liaison to the U.S. military (and later ambassador to Japan), who had been to Kyoto and wanted to preserve its beauty.

Have you ever been to Kyoto? What’s your favorite historical site in Kyoto? Do you agree with America’s World War II decision to spare Kyoto in favor of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Tokyo (which was devastated by firebombing), and other cities? Why or why not?

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28
May 10

The Japanese Cinema Experience

When it comes to seeing a movie in cinemas, you probably don’t think the experience differs much from country to country. However, seeing a movie in Japan is a bit different than seeing a movie in the US, for example—and we don’t just mean that there are a lot more foreign (foreign, in this case, being American) movies showing in mainstream theaters dubbed or subtitled.

Although seeing a film in cinemas in the US can be fairly pricey, particularly if you’re in a metropolitan area and you’re opting for an evening show, seeing a film in cinemas in Japan is almost universally pricey to the point where it’s only an occasional treat for most people. (Think of how often you might go see a play, an opera, or a live sports game.) The average movie ticket price in Japan is somewhere between ¥1700 and ¥1800 (approximately US$19 to $20)!

While there are discounts, there are usually no matinee shows. However, there may be a discount for late-night shows, like those after 9:00 p.m., which cost an average of only ¥1200 to ¥1300 (approximately US$13 to $14). Those who are hoping to see a movie for a price closer to the price in the States may want to stop by on the first of the month for Movie Day or on Wednesdays for Ladies’ Day (if you’re a lady, of course!). Prices on these special days drop down to about  ¥900 to ¥1000 (approximately US$10 to $11)—but on Wednesdays, the discount is only for women. You can also save about ¥200 to ¥300 (approximately US$2 to $3) by purchasing your tickets ahead of time from a ticket broker, which is a wide-spread practice, much like people buying tickets for plays, operas, and sports events often purchase tickets ahead of time.

Instead of having generic paper tickets printed out, Japanese moviegoers get souvenir-quality tickets with artwork from the movie printed on it. They’re also assigned a seat, which is printed on the ticket (like in a play theater), so that once you have a ticket, there’s no reason to get there extremely early to get a good seat. They can also get a playbill-like souvenir booklet with behind-the-scenes information about the movie to commemorate the occasion.

Japanese cinemas are generally smaller than their American counterparts with seats that are not as comfortable. Rather than stadium-style seating, the seats are staggered on a downwards-sloped hill. However, at some Japanese cinemas, you may find a small portion at the top devoted to comfortable lounge-like seating with tables—moviegoers who get tickets for seats here are served drinks before the movie!

There’s one more point you should know before going to a Japanese cinema and that’s to stay in your seat all the way through! Of course, there are exceptions for emergencies, but moviegoers rarely get up during the performance to use the restroom or get more food (like theater-goers here rarely get up to avoid disturbing a play). Japanese moviegoers also wait for the credits to finish rolling before they leave.

If you lived in Japan, do you think you would see a movie in cinemas as often as you do now? Do you like the idea of assigned seating in a cinema? Could you make it through an entire movie without getting up?

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26
May 10

Going Shopping

If you intend to spend time in Japan—or if you frequent stores run by Japanese people—you’re bound to need to know how to ask questions when shopping. If you’re not sure how much something costs, you’ll need to have the basic language knowledge to ask and to understand the answer. Here are a few words and phrases that will help you when you’re going Japanese shopping:

“Ikura”

Ikura means “How much?” When you want to know the price of an item you can ask, “Ikura?” on its own or, for a more polite version of the phrase, you can ask “Ikura desu ka?” You can also point to the item, stating “Kore wa ikura desu ka?” (“How much is this?”) or “Sore wa ikura desu ka?” (“How much is that?”)

“X en desu”

The answer to “how much [does this cost]?” is usually the person telling you how many yen something is. This will probably be in the form “X en desu.” (The Japanese pronunciation for “yen” is actually “en.”) The “X” is however much it costs. So if an item costs ¥1000 (approximately US$10), the shop employee may answer, “Sen-en desu.”

“Takai” and “Yasui”

Once you hear how much something costs, you might be surprised that it’s more expensive than you thought. Or it could be an incredible deal! If you want to comment on that fact (and if you’re at a market, perhaps you can haggle a better price!), you can use the words “takai,” which means “expensive,” and “yasui,” which means “cheap.” To put those words into a phrase, you can say, “Sonna ni takai desu ka?” or “Sonna ni yasui desu ka?” which mean, “It’s that expensive?!” or “It’s that cheap?!” respectively.

“X wo kudasai” and “X wo onegai shimasu”

Once you decide to buy an item, you can ask for it by adding “please.” Remember that “kore” means “this,” “sore” means “that [thing close to you],” and “are” means “that [thing way over there].” Use the word that accurately describes your distance to the item you want to purchase in place of “X” and then say, “X wo kudasai” or “X wo onegai shimasu.”

Practice shopping in Japanese with a partner. Have the shopkeeper decide how much items cost and then the shopper can ask for the different prices and comment on how expensive or cheap they are. Have you ever shopped in a Japanese store before?

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24
May 10

The Japanese Hamburger

This week we thought we’d do something different when it comes to discussing Japanese food and instead discuss what the Japanese do with what is generally considered a Western food: the hamburger. To have a hamburger in Japan (or just to have one Japanese style) is not quite the same as getting a hamburger in the West. So while you’re on a crusade to sample Japanese food, don’t forget to try some of the food you’re probably more familiar with—only in the Japanese way!

Most Japanese hamburgers (known as “hanbaagu” in Japan) are similar to what is known as “hamburger steak” in the West. Eaten with a knife and fork on a plate (with no bun), the Japanese hamburger patty is made from beef or pork (or both) and is minced together with onions, breadcrumbs, eggs and/or a mixtures of spices. The patty is then served with the diner’s topping of choice, which is typically a combination of any of the following: a fried egg, teriyaki sauce, demi-glace brown sauce, or vegetables.

When the Japanese decide to make hamburgers at home, more often than not it’s the hamburger steak. This is also a popular dish in family restaurants and other restaurants serving Western-style food.

The Japanese actually do have American-style hamburgers complete with a bun, called “hanbaagaa,” in the American-export fast food chains, such as McDonald’s and Burger King, as well as in other Asian burger franchises. However, the Japanese find holding their food directly with their hands unsanitary. If you order a hamburger in Japan, don’t be surprised to find it served in cup-shaped tissue paper that you’re expected not to unwrap. You hold onto the burger by gripping the tissue paper portion (careful not to bite into the paper!), allowing you to eat the hamburger without touching your food directly.

Another way that the Western-style burger differs in Japan is in the toppings. Teriyaki sauce-covered patties, fried egg-covered patties, shrimp croquette-covered patties, patties made from tofu, and even pork cutlets in place of the beef make for popular hamburgers in Japan. Some hamburger buns are even made entirely from rice grains!

Have you ever had a Japanese hanbaagu or hanbaagaa? What did you think of them? Would you be interested in trying one? Do you like the idea of not touching your burger with your hands for sanitary reasons?

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21
May 10

Japanese Prime Minister’s Fashion Faux Pas Makes International Headlines

If you didn’t know who Japan’s prime minister was before, you may by now. Last week, international headlines proclaimed that Hatoyama Yukio had worn a bizarre, multi-colored shirt to a barbeque at his home. Perhaps stranger than the fact that this made the news at all, let alone the international news, was that Hatoyama’s fashion faux pas had caused his approval rating to drop significantly, 33% to 24%1 in just one month.

This is not the first time the Japanese prime minister has decided to wear outfits that are a little bizarre. Japanese fashion critics go on to cite a heart-studded collared shirt over which the prime minister wore a pink blazer, mauve coats, and other multi-colored shirts. The prime minister and his wife are also known in the media for some odd behavior, such as a pigeon imitation the prime minister performed during an interview. There have also been interviews with his wife, Hatoyama Miyuki, in which she claims to have been abducted by aliens and taken to Venus twenty years ago. She also says she “eats” energy from the sun and is instructing her husband to do the same.

While some claim the odd behavior and fashion choices are just the eccentricities of an odd couple who never tried to hide who they were prior to Hatoyama’s election last autumn, the fact that this one bad shirt at a bbq was the one odd thing to inspire such a global discussion is actually fairly telling about what really caused the public opinion of Hatoyama to drop so quickly and so steeply. Hatoyama wore this shirt to a bbq hosted at his home that he called “The Real Hato Café,” as it was supposed to offer the public a chance to meet him, mingle with him, and see that he’s just an ordinary person like they are. Wearing such a bizarre shirt to the gathering, says Konishi Don, a Japanese fashion critic, shows that Hatoyama is actually quite out of touch with the rest of the country—at the very moment he was trying to show them that he’s just one of them. Says Konishi, “This shirt comes from the ‘80s or ‘90s. His ideas and philosophy are old. Japan is facing a crisis and we can’t overcome it with a prime minister like this.” 2

Hatoyama responded to the sudden drop in public approval by stating, “I take it seriously that my approval ratings are down significantly. But I’m not going to quit.” 3 Still, perhaps he’ll hire a fashion consultant—although if they’re unhappy with his policies, the public’s opinion is unlikely to go back up without serious political overhaul.

Did you see Hatoyama’s shirt? What did you think of it? Do you think it’s silly that his fashion choices have made international news? Do you agree with the idea that it shows that Hatoyama is out of touch? What do you think of the prime minister and his wife’s other examples of odd behavior?

1, 2, 3 Lah, Kyung. “Japan’s prime minister under fire for fashion choices.” CNN World. 12 May 2010. <http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/12/japan.hatoyama.fashion/index.html?eref=rss_world&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_world+%28RSS%3A+World%29>. 17 May 2010.

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18
May 10

Carry Things the Japanese Way: How to Fold a Furoshiki

A few weeks ago, we discussed the bento lunch in Japan and briefly mentioned the wrappings via which a bento box is usually carried: the furoshiki. This very large handkerchief-like cloth is reusable and thus makes an environmentally-friendly way to transport food. (The bento box itself traditionally has no handles and is not simple to carry.) It can also double as a food mat to spread out on your desk, lap or even on the grass once you unwrap your bento box, catching spills and making clean up much easier.

The furoshiki dates back to the 8th century CE, when it was originally called the hirazutsumi (“flat, folded bundle”). It became colloquially known as the furoshiki (“bath spread”) during the Edo Period (17th to 19th century CE) when it became a common practice to use the cloth to bring clothes to and from the public baths.

The furoshiki is actually used for far more than just wrapping lunch to-go. The original intent of the furoshiki was something like a modern grocery bag or tote bag, allowing the user to transport food, shopping goods, and other items. It could also be used to protect boxes and items from dust during storage. The furoshiki was even used like wrapping paper for gifts. (Traditionally, the giver receives the wrappings back.) These uses are still prevalent today, particularly for those who wish to reduce their waste contribution.  You’re even likely to see some Japanese businesspeople and government workers carrying documents in furoshiki instead of briefcases.

Furoshiki come in multiple sizes and can be almost as large as a beach towel, only in a square shape. What we think of as a handkerchief in the West is usually not large enough to be considered a furoshiki because you need plenty of cloth with which to craft handles out of the fabric when you tie it around the item. However, if a handkerchief is all you have on hand, you can try wrapping something small. Otherwise, scour Japanese supermarkets and housewares stores for your own furoshiki, both locally and online. The ones made out of material like rayon are relatively inexpensive.

There are many ways to wrap items using a furoshiki, but we’re going to look at three of the most common ways in closer detail:

Otsukai-tsutsumi (“carrying wrap”):

The most basic of ways to wrap a furoshiki is the otsukai-tsutsumi, which is usually the method used for wrapping square or rectangular bento boxes.

  1. Place the furoshiki, non-decorated side (if applicable) face up, on a hard surface. The fabric should be rotated 90 degrees, with the corners of the fabric pointing up, down, left and right. Place the box to be wrapped in the middle of the fabric.
  2. Fold the top corner of the fabric down over the box as far as it will go without shifting the box from its place.
  3. Fold the bottom corner of the fabric over the last fold and the box as far as it will go. Don’t pull too hard. Let the bottom corner flop over the box without tucking it in.
  4. Fold the left and then the right corners of the fabric across the box.
  5. Tie the left and right corners fairly tightly, but leave just a small amount of leeway in the fabric. (This will be the handle.)
  6. Knot the two corners together. Make the knot tight enough so it won’t fall apart on its own, but loose enough that you won’t have difficulty getting the knot undone when you’re hungry!
  7. Carry the box by the knot.

Hon-tsutsumi (“book wrap”):

Sometimes translated as “the briefcase” because it acts in a similar fashion, the hon-tsutsumi allows you to carry rectangular documents as well as books. You’ll need at least two piles of documents or two books of roughly the same height and width to make this wrap work.

  1. Place the furoshiki, non-decorated side (if applicable) face up, on a hard surface. The fabric should be in a normal square shape with the corners of the fabric at the left and right of the top and bottom. Place the books (or piles of documents) diagonally across the fabric toward the center. Leave a small amount of space between the books.
  2. Fold the bottom left and the top right corners of the fabric over the book that they are nearest. Tuck the corners under the book. Pull tightly, but make sure you don’t shift the books. There should still be a bit of space between the books.
  3. Pull the top left and the bottom right corners of the fabric across the books to the opposite side. The corners should stick out a bit beyond the books.
  4. Carefully flip one book over and stack it atop the other book. Make sure the corners of fabric that were sticking out before are still visible.
  5. Pull the two corners of fabric out and up and over the books (in the direction of the place where the book you just folded over originally was). Tie the two corners together somewhat tightly, but leave a little leeway. (This is the handle.) Knot the corners together as tightly as possible (but make sure you can easily undo the knot when necessary).
  6. Carry the books (or documents) by the knotted handle.

Bin-tsutsumi (“bottle wrap”):

Another popular use of the furoshiki is the bin-tsutsumi, which is used to wrap a single bottle either recently purchased or to be given as a gift. (There’s actually another method for wrapping two bottles at once.) Bottles intended for this wrap are traditionally tall and slender, such as wine and sake bottles.

  1. Place the furoshiki, non-decorated side (if applicable) face up, on a hard surface. The fabric should be rotated 90 degrees, with the corners of the fabric pointing up, down, left and right. Place the bottle standing up in the middle of the fabric.
  2. Pull the left and right corners of the fabric up over the top of the bottle. Tie them together fairly tightly, but leave some leeway. (This will be the handle.) Knot the fabric together tightly, but make sure you’ll be able to undo the knot when needed.
  3. Wrap the top corner of the fabric around the front (not the top) of the bottle as far as it will go. Wrap the bottom corner of the fabric across the last fold in the opposite direction.
  4. Flip the bottle around. Grab both corners of the fabric that are sticking out and pull them as tight as they will go. Tie and knot the two corners together as tightly as possible without making the knot too hard to undo. (You will not be using this knot as a handle, so you won’t need any leeway. You want to make sure the knot is tight enough to keep the bottle in place.)
  5. Carry the bottle by the top knot of the fabric.

This post is an entry for Japan Blog Matsuri. Read about more Japanese how-tos at the Nihon Group website!

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14
May 10

Nagano: History and Snow

Home of the 1998 Winter Olympics, the city of Nagano is approximately 150 miles northwest of Tokyo in the central area of the main island of Japan. You can reach Nagano in about 2 ½ hours by train from Tokyo.

Nagano is a large city, but not comparable (population-wise) to much of the rest of Japan. With about 378,000 residents, it ranks 51st on the list of most populated cities in the country. (Tokyo, the most populated, is home to approximately 8.1 million people.) However, it’s that relatively “small, large city” feel to Nagano that makes it an ideal destination for travelers, who will have plenty to see and fewer crowds with which to contend.

No trip to Nagano is complete without a visit to Zenkou-ji, the 7th century Buddhist temple that’s a destination for 1 million tourists each year. Zenkou-ji is closely tied with the history of the city, as the city of Nagano was established in 1897 (1200 years after the temple was built) as a town built with the temple as its focal point.

The temple is famous aesthetically for its images of Amida Buddha, and temple history says that the temple got its name when a priest who rescued images of the Buddha from being drowned in a canal by a rival Buddhist clan. The most famous image of Buddha at the temple, though, is hidden from the public and is known as a hibutsu (“secret Buddha”). According to legend, this hibutsu is the first image of Buddha to have been brought to Japan by China.

You may also be interested in touring parks and museums dedicated to the Battles of Kawanakajima, five major battles in Japanese history that took place in the 16th century. These parks are the principal battlegrounds and are still preserved in Nagano today.

As you could likely tell from its selection as the host for the Winter Olympics, Nagano City and the rest of the Nagano Prefecture is known for winter weather and ski resorts. The most famous resorts may be Iizuna, which doubles as a campsite in summer and has an onsen year-round, and Shiga Kogen, where you can see snow monkeys at the nearby Jigokudani Monkey Park.

Have you ever been to Nagano? Do you remember seeing some of Nagano during the 1998 Winter Olympics? Would you like to visit Nagano?

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12
May 10

Aidoru: The Japanese “Idol”

American Idol may have gotten North American audiences used to the idea of putting a person plucked from obscurity on a pedestal for his or her singing talent for a year or so before the idol (usually) fades back into obscurity, but the “idol” (aidoru in Japanese, but the word is taken from the English equivalent) has long been hot in Japan. Not always (but often) singers, the Japanese idol becomes a massive cross-media hit known more for her (we’ll get to that in a minute) looks and (possibly manufactured) personality than her talent.

Sometimes in the 1970s, the idol boom began in Japan, strangely not after the cross-media popularity of a native Japanese woman in Japan, but of a French musician named Sylvie Vartan. Talent agencies formed keen to produce the next “idol,” the next young woman who would be plastered across all media outlets and become the next big “cash cow.”

Japanese idols are usually women, but some young men may be considered idols (men typically become idols through initially joining the music or acting industry, though, and don’t specifically set out to be an all-encompassing “idol.”) Idols are usually teenagers (specifically 14 to 16), but may be as young as 12 or so and as “old” as in their early 20s. Very few idols remain popular beyond their 20s, but there are a few memorable ones who have preserved and have been recognized for their talents in the long-term.

Idols may sing, act, or model (or all three), but they don’t necessarily have to have a “talent” and aren’t marketed for their one talent. The goal is to have the next, hot new idol permeate everything in the entertainment industry that she can. This typically means frequent appearances on talk shows, variety shows, radio shows, and game shows, as well as sponsorship deals. A Japanese idol must be pretty or cute (as deigned by the talent agency), thin, and must demonstrate a lovable, sweet personality in her appearances. Some are even known for being “lovable airheads” and gladly milk this personality portrayal for all that it’s worth. However, it’s well known that the overly cute “personality” is often just an act and there are sometimes gossip stories about how ruthless and mean—or conversely, how intelligent and down-to-earth—the idols can be when not “on camera.”

The Japanese idol industry is a tough, competitive industry for which thousands of young women compete each year. Only a few successful idols “survive” their few years of fame to become famous in the long-term, and those are usually the ones who have real talent and genuinely act like themselves when interviewed.

Do you know of any Japanese idols? Who are your favorites? Do you think it’s demeaning for women to become idols or does it at least provide a good start for women with genuine talent to become recognized?

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10
May 10

Onigiri: A Simple Way to Eat Rice

While in the West, you might pack or grab a sandwich when you want to eat on-the-go, in Japan, you may grab a rice ball, or onigiri. When you think of white rice, you probably don’t imagine being able to scoop it into a ball and take it on the go without it falling apart. However, onigiri is actually just that.

Onigiri is rice that’s specially prepared to remain sticky so that it’s easily shaped. The rice (white rice only) isn’t rinsed before cooking, which helps contribute to its stickiness and makes it clump together. The rice also can’t be instant rice and is usually short-grain. Depending on the chef, a small amount of salt may be added to help preserve the rice but is not always necessary.

The rice is then shaped into a convenient small form. Although usually translated as “rice balls,” onigiri are more often triangular in shape than circular, but they can also be circular, oval or rectangular (often confusing people unfamiliar with the dish who think that it’s sushi), star-shaped or any kind of shape the chef desires. To help keep the rice together, the outside of the rice is usually (but not always) partially wrapped in a strip of dried seaweed (nori).

Some onigiri are served plain, but there’s often at least one (usually salty) ingredient literally stuffed into the middle of the ball of rice. This helps not only contribute to longer preservation but gives the onigiri more flavor. Popular ingredients include umeboshi (pickled ume, an apricot-like fruit), kombu (dried kelp), satled salmon, dried tuna, and salted roe. In some parts of the world, particularly in Hawaii, onigiri is often prepared with Spam.

Japanese people frequently have onigiri for lunch (either on its own—perhaps more than one at a time—or paired with something else) and you’re more likely to see a student buy or pack an onigiri from home than a sandwich. People frequently make their own onigiri, but they can also buy them from convenience stores, vending machines and cafeterias for cheap. Ongiri are high in carbohydrates, so they’re filling and give you a fair amount of energy. However, they’re not typically a delicacy eaten for dinner or ordered at a restaurant.

Have you ever eaten an onigiri? Do you think you would like to try one? Would you rather have rice or sandwiches for lunch?

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7
May 10

Common Japanese Phrases and When You’ll Hear Them

A few weeks ago, when studying introductions, you learned two basic phrases of introduction: hajimemashite (roughly, “nice to meet you”) and yoroshiku onegaishimasu (“please take care of me”). Today we’ll look at a few more common Japanese phrases as well as the situations in which you’ll hear—and/or be expected to use—them.

Tadaima: “I’m home!”

A cliché from old American sitcoms is when a dad comes home from work and exclaims, “Honey, I’m home!” even if his wife is a few feet in front of him and can see that he walked through the door. Well, in Japan, it’s proper manners to exclaim, “tadaima!” or “I’m home” (literally “I’m back”) every time you come home, even if everyone can see that you’re home. If you spend time living with a Japanese family or roommate, it’s proper manners for you to exclaim “tadaima!” once you walk through the door. This behavior is so ingrained that even Japanese people living on their own tend to say, “tadaima!” to no one once they return home.

Okaeri or okaeri nasai: “Welcome home!”

When someone comes back home, it’s polite to say, “okaeri!” (casual) or “okaeri nasai!” (polite) to the person who’s returning. The literal translation means something like, “You’ve returned!” but the sentiment is “Welcome home!” If you live with a Japanese host family or roommate, it would be polite for you to say this to them upon their return home. It doesn’t matter who speaks first—the person returning home saying, “tadaima!” or the person already at home saying, “okaeri!”—but the person returning home tends to speak first more often than not, particularly if the rest of the family is not immediately present.

Ittekimasu: “I’m leaving!”

When you leave the house, it’s polite manners to shout, “ittekimasu!” as you go out the door. The phrase literally means, “I’ll come back, having gone!”

Itterasshai: “Have a good day!”

“Itterasshai,” which literally means “go and return,” has more of the sentiment of “Be careful!” or “Have a good day!” You say it to anyone who’s leaving the house (when you’re still at home) after or before the person who’s leaving says, “ittekimasu.”

Irasshaimase: “Welcome [to our store]!”

Unless you get a job at a store, restaurant or other customer service-heavy business while in Japan, you probably won’t find the need to say this yourself, but every time you enter such a shop, you’ll hear the people who work there welcome you with the phrase, “irasshaimase!” While many customer service employees will greet you with a smile, don’t be surprised if you don’t always hear the phrase with a lot of enthusiasm. Just like with customer service employees here, if their bosses tell them to greet customers with a certain phrase, they generally will. But a bad day, a general dislike for the job, or a shy personality may make the greeting come out as rather bland and unenthused. Some foreigners, not knowing the phrase is meant to welcome them as patrons of the shop, have even reported that they didn’t know what the employees were saying—and wondered if they were telling them to get out of the store! (But now you’ll know better.)

Maido or maido arigatou: “Thank you, come again!”

When you’re leaving a store, the same employees should shout another phrase at you, which generally means, “Thank you, come again!” but could also be thought of as “Please come back soon!” if you didn’t bought something. “Maido” is a shortened form of the phrase.

Have you ever heard these phrases before? (If you shop in Japanese stores even in the US, you might have heard employees shout the latter phrases, for example.)

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