February 3, 2009, Tuesday, a Block 1 Day

Independent Study

Go over page 172 in Yookoso: Continuing … workbook --　How to ask for definitions for things.　Partial subject, the Inland Sea {recommend Donald Richie book, The Inland Sea}—new vocabulary 瀬戸内海

漢字 from that page:　海　｛水　人　母　毎｝
Other　new 漢字：長い、学長、外　内

Discussion of つけもの　project , due February 24th

Classwork, and then homework: Handout and questions regarding 節分, questions to be answered 日本語　で　(vocabulary questions dealt with in class)

Other homework: Be prepared to tell about your morning, either daily routine or a particular morning, referring to Ch. 5 of "An Encounter with Japan." Speak from note cards; do not read full sentences

節分（せつぶん） - Setsubun
二 月三日 （あるいは四日）は節分です。古い日本の暦では春夏秋冬の各季節が始まる日が定められていて、立春、立夏、立秋、立冬といい、それぞれの日の前日を節分と 呼んでいました。次第に新しい年の春を迎える時期にあたる立春の前日のことを主に節分と呼ぶようになり、今では節分といえばニ月三日のことだけをさすよう になりました。節分の日には、お寺や神社､家庭などで鬼（災いのシンボル）を追い出し福を招き入れる豆まきの行事がおこなわれます。

On February 3rd (or 4th), a traditional event called Setsubun is practiced in Japan. In the old Japanese calendar, the first day of each season (spring, summer, autumn and winter) was set, which was called "risshun", "rikka", "risshuu" and "ritto" respectively, and the day before the first day of each season was called "Setsubun". Gradually the word setsubun changed to mean only the day before the first day of spring as spring was considered to be the beginning of a New Year, and later became fixed to February 3rd (or 4th). On this day people practice a ceremony called Mamemaki (bean-throwing) at temples, shrines and at home to expel demons (symbol of misfortune) and invite fortune.
ネットで年中行事 名前　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

節分（せつぶん）　 ワークシート

「日本語メモ」ウエブサイトの「節分（せつぶん）」のページのリンクを使って下の質問についてしらべ、わかったことを書きなさい。　　

www.nihongomemo.com/nenchugyoji/setsubun.htm


１． 節分が２月3日（あるいは４日）におこなわれるのはどうしてですか。


２． 節分の日に「豆まき」をするのは何のためですか。


３． 「豆まき」にはどんなことをしますか。説明してください。


４． 「豆まき」のときにはなんと言いますか。その意味は英語で何ですか。


５． 歴史的に見て、節分はいつごろからおこなわれるようになりましたか。


６． あなた自身の文化で節分に似たような習慣・行事はありますか。






Japanese 3

Handout regarding today’s date, February 3rd, known as Setsubun in Japan:
Necessary 漢字 from this handout:：立つ、外、内、年男、年女、春、分

Dialogue practice in pairs, inviting people to do things (3 Kimono ch 6), having to negotiate different schedules for attending a movie together. Pattern dialogue, from which students, with different prompts, converse in arranging a particular time.

Homework:
1. write out dialogue (above) generated with above partner, double-spaced
2. three paragraph summary of Setsubun article, below
Setsubun From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Setsubun, Tokuan shrine

"Celebrities throw roasted beans in Ikuta shrine, Kobe
In Japan, Setsubun (節分) is the day before the beginning of each season. The name literally means "seasonal division", but usually the term refers to the spring Setsubun, properly called Risshun (立春), celebrated yearly on February 3. In its association with the Lunar New Year, Spring Setsubun can be thought of (and indeed was previously thought of) as a sort of New Year's Eve, and so was accompanied by a special ritual to cleanse away all the evil of the former year and drive away disease-bringing evil spirits for the year to come. This special ritual is called mamemaki (豆撒き, lit. bean scattering).
Mamemaki
"Mamemaki is usually performed by the toshiotoko (年男) of the household (i.e. the male who was born on the corresponding animal year on the Chinese zodiac), or else the male head of the household. Pan-heated soybeans (called irimame 炒り豆) are thrown either out the door or at a member of the family wearing an Oni (demon or ogre) mask, while the throwers chant "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" (鬼は外! 福は内!). The literal meaning of the words is something like "Demons out! Luck in!" The beans are thought to symbolically purify the home by driving away the evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health with them. Then, as part of bringing luck in, it is customary to eat soybeans, one for each year of one's life, and in some areas, one for each year of one's life, plus one more for bringing good luck for the year to come. In the Heian era, a famous Buddhist monk was said to have driven away oni by throwing beans.
Other Practices：
"At Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines all over the country, there are celebrations for Setsubun. Priests and invited guests will throw roasted soy beans (some wrapped in gold or silver foil), small envelopes with money, sweets, candies and other prizes. In some bigger shrines, even celebrities and sumo wrestlers will be invited; these events are televised nationally. Many people will come, and the event turns wild, with everyone pushing and shoving to get the gifts tossed from above.
It is customary now to eat uncut maki-zushi (巻き寿司) called Eho-Maki (恵方巻) (Lit. "lucky direction roll") on Setsubun while facing the yearly lucky compass direction, determined by the zodiac symbol of that year. Charts are published and occasionally packaged with uncut maki-zushi during February. Some families will also put up small decorations of sardine heads and holly leaves on their house entrances so that bad spirits will not enter.
Regional Variations：
"While the practice of eating maki-zushi on Setsubun is historically only associated with the Kansai area of Japan, the practice has become popular nationwide due largely to marketing efforts by grocery and convenience stores.
In the Tohoku area of Japan, the head of the household (traditionally the father) would take irimame in his hand, pray at the family shrine, and then toss the sanctified beans out the door.
"Nowadays peanuts (either raw or coated in a sweet, crunchy batter) are sometimes used in place of soybeans.
"There are many variations on the famous Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi chant. In the Nihonbashi area of Fukushima Prefecture, the chant is shortened to "鬼は外! 福は内!" (Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!). And in the city of Aizuwakamatsu, people chant "鬼の目玉ぶっつぶせっ！" (Oni no medama buttsubuse!), lit. "Oni's eyeballs--smash smash!".


Japanese 2

Collect katakana practice sheets: むずかしかった　です　か。やさしかった　です　か。カタカナ　は　へん　でした　か。

Handout regarding today’s date, February 3rd, known as Setsubun in Japan (see entry for Japanese 3 class, above):
Necessary 漢字 from the handout:：立つ、外、内、男

Class listened to and practiced いいましょう二 from lesson 5 of 2 Kimono. We have a new use for て form:
1. ___て　ください polite commands
2. ＿＿て　います　　continuative forms is/am/are [do]ing
3. first verb ＿＿て　and last verb in sentence ending form
　　—using the te form is how one indicates “and” between verbs (と and や are
　　 for “and” between nouns)
example: まいにち　ゴジラ　は　ひこうき　を　食べて　うみ　を
　 のみます。Every day Godzilla eats a plane and drinks the ocean.

Homework:
1. page 49 in the workbook, sentences about sports training, using て form of verbs for “and”
2. three paragraph summary of Setsubun handout {えい語　で}


Extra handout on Takuan pickles:

Takuan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Traditional takuan
Takuan (沢庵, Takuan?), also known as Takuwan, is a popular traditional Japanese pickle. It is made from daikon radish. In addition to being served alongside other types of tsukemono in traditional Japanese cuisine, takuan is also enjoyed at the end of meals as it is thought to aid digestion.
Takuan is made by first hanging a daikon radish in the sun for a few weeks until it becomes flexible. Next, the daikon is placed in a pickling crock and covered with a mix of salt, rice bran, optionally sugar, daikon greens, kombu, and perhaps chilli pepper and/or dried persimmon peels. A weight is then placed on top of the crock, and the daikon is allowed to pickle for several months. The finished takuan is usually yellow in colour, although most mass-produced takuan rely on food coloring for this effect.
Takuan is popular also in South Korea, and is called danmuji (단무지). It is used as a filling for gimbap, or as an accompaniment to Korean dishes, typically jajangmyeon.

Takuan Sōhō
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Takuan Sōhō (沢庵 宗彭, 1573–1645) was a major figure in the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism.
Takuan Sōhō was born into a family of farmers in the town of Izushi, located in what was at that time called Tajima province (present-day Hyōgo Prefecture). At the age of 8 in 1581 young Takuan began his religious studies and 2 years later he would lead a life at a Buddhist monastery. By the age of 14 in 1587, Takuan started studying the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism under the tutelage of his sensei Shun-oku Soen.
By the impressive age of 36 in 1608, Takuan's mastery of Zen granted him the privilege of being made abbot of the Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan. Unfortunately, Takuan's appointment was shortened as he left for a prolonged period of traveling. Throughout his journeys, Takuan raised and collected funds for the renovation of Daitoku-ji Temple and other Zen temples.
In 1629, Takuan was banished to northern Japan by the Shogunate of Hidetada Tokugawa due to his protest of political interference in Buddhist temple matters pertaining to ecclesiastical appointments. By 1632, there was a general amnesty after the death of Hidetada Tokugawa and Takuan's period of banishment came at an end. Later, Takuan was invited by Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604–51) to become the first abbot of Tokai-ji Temple in Edo, which was constructed especially for the Tokugawa family.
Takuan Sōhō died in Edo (present-day Tokyo) in December of 1645. At the moment before his death, Takuan painted the Chinese character 夢 ("dream"), laid down his brush and died. His tomb is located in the Shinagawa area of Tokyo at Oyama Cemetery of Tokaiji Temple.
It is stated that Takuan advised and befriended many persons, from all social strata of life. Some of those include:
Miyamoto Musashi (kenjutsu master)
Matsudaira Dewa no Kami (Daimyo)
Ishida Mitsunari (Daimyo)
Kuroda Nagamasa (Christian Daimyo)
Yagyū Munenori (Daimyo and kenjutsu master, head of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū style of swordsmanship) - Takuan's writings to kenjutsu master, Lord Yagyū Munenori, are commonly studied by contemporary martial artists.
Go-Mizunoo (abdicated Japanese Emperor)
Tokugawa Iemitsu (Shogun)
Itō Ittōsai (swordsman)
With regards to his character, Takuan remained largely unaffected by his popularity and famed reputation. Known for his ascerbic wit and integrity of character, Takuan exerted himself to bring the spirit of Zen Buddhism to many and diverse aspects of Japanese culture, such as Japanese swordsmanship, gardening, Sumi-e, Shodo, and Sado. His collected writings total 6 volumes and over 100 published poems, including his best known treatise, The Unfettered Mind. His influence still permeates the work of many present-day exponents of Zen Buddhism and martial arts. He has also been credited with the invention of the yellow pickled Daikon radish that carries the same name, "Takuan."
He is featured as a character in Vagabond, a manga series, which is largely based on Eiji Yoshikawa's equally successful book, Miyamoto Musashi.


Food of Japan, by Shirley Booth
2002, Interlink Books, New York and Northhampton

“Takuan is a daikon radish that has been pickled, through the process of lactic acid fermentation, with rice bran and salt, rice lees, or just salt. In any case, all over Japan it appears as the ubiquitous (and aromatic) yellow pickle served alongside traditional breakfasts, and almost every other meal as well. It is named after the monk Takuan Osho, who is supposed to have invented it in the 17th Century. That’s one s;tory of its etymology, another being simply that it comes from the Japanese word for preserve/store—蓄え｛たくわえ｝takuwae, but that’s not half as interesting, is it?”