NET長瀬英文翻訳
NAGASE ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Japanese Souvenir
JAPANESE FUROSHIKI IS CONVENIENT
Furoshiki is a Japanese wrapping cloth that usually Japanese traditional patterns are printed on. Exotic color and patterns are very impressive and filled with gracious Japanese atmosphere.
Furoshiki used to be simply used for wrapping and carrying a packed gift. Nowadays it is used in many ways. For example, when you go out for a shopping, fold a Furoshiki and put it into your bag. It is very convenient when you unexpectedly buy several small items. You just take Furoshiki out of your bag and wrap them or make a bag with the Furoshiki and put them into it. Do you want to know how to make a Furoshiki bag? It is also used to wrap a bottled wine and sake. It is easy to wrap a bottle. What is more, it looks nice and elegant.
Tip: The shape of Furoshiki is square and the size varies from around 30cm to100cm. Furoshiki is sometimes made of quality silk fabric. So be careful when you wash it.
Attractive Japanese Flat Marbles
Let’s have a fun at home this winter. The color of Japanese flat marbles is beautiful and collecting variety of marble types is another amusement in addition to playing with them.
Do you know how to play marbles in Japan? It has several rules in order to enjoy fair games.
First, collect all the marbles and cover them by your dominant hand. Shuffle the marbles under the hand a couple of times and shake them out to spread on the table.
Next, choose a couple of marbles that seem like to have good distance to shoot, let your baby finger get through between the two without touching them and shoot a marble to hit the other in appropriate strength.
Third, if the two marbles get a good distance to let another third marble get through between them, flip twice the third marble through between the two. If you succeeded the second and the third steps, you can get the marble you had got through between the two. You can continue the second and the third performances until you fail.
Cat's Cradle is another fun at home and for your spare time. http://youtu.be/7IOTfIFk_aY
DO YOU KNOW JAPANESE FURIKAKE?
Japanese people like hot rice sprinkled with furikake or dried powder of fish, seaweeds, vegetables etc. Furikake is very light and compact, so it's convenient to send or carry all the way to your country.
How about bring recipes of Japanese dishes to your home country.
You can know a lot of recipes of Japanese food. How about bring those recipes to your home country and cook them for your family and friends. It may be a good souvenir and they may be delighted with the unexpected present.
JAPANESE CHIYOGAMI IS BEAUTIFUL
The word Chiyogami comes from the roots chiyo (thousand generation) and gami (paper). Chiyogami is Washi paper that has been hand stenciled or printed with traditional Japanese imagery using bright colors and patterns. Chiyogami has been traditionally used to craft paper object especially dolls. But chiyogami itself is very beautiful and attractive, so your friens, especially women, will be delighted with this kind of Japanese souvenir.
Chiyogami is very good for making a paper crane. You can also enjoy folding a paper crane learning from the video "http://youtu.be/n2EIDMR_Inw" How about to show your friens how dexterous you are by folding a paper crane in front of them?
Tip: Usually 8 sheets of different patterns are packed (around 350 yen).
A paper fish is also available. http://youtu.be/0bALCEfjPrY
KANJI (Chinese character) is cool!
Kanji (Chinese characters) T-shirt and seals of Chinese characters are popular souvenir for visitors from all over the world. Isn't it fun to find out kanji that expresses your name’s sound or original meaning?
Ex: Natalie
菜(na)多(ta)里(lie)
"菜" means "greens", "多," "a lot of" and "里," "a village".
"菜多里" means "a village of a lot of greens."
Examples of other names:
Karen=可(Ka)憐(ren)
可 and 憐 compose an idiom that has the meaning of “lovely.”
Bill=美(Bi)留(ll)
美 means beauty and 留, keep.
"美留" means keeping beauty.
George=穣(Geor)地(ge)
穣 means fertile and 地, ground.
“穣地” means fertile ground.
Mary=芽(Ma)有(ry)
芽 means a sprout and 有, being.
"芽有" means "Here is a sprout."
If you want to write Kanji with a brush, you don’t need to buy a special brush and China ink for calligraphy. Use your painting brush (fine-point brushes are the best for traditional way of calligraphy) and water color or acrylic color.
We can show you the basic way of calligraphy. http://youtu.be/ibOL0Z2I92o
Tip: The Chinese character "大和魂" on the left sounds "yamatodamashii" and means "Japanese spirit."
The Chinese character "愛" on the left sounds "ai" and means "love."
A Pair of Japanese Chopsticks, HASHI, is Very Beautiful.
Japanese lacquered chopsticks are very beautiful. They are usually made of wood or bamboo and colored in deep red, blue, green, purple, black, and so on. They usually have patterns on them, such as cherry flowers, Japanese apricot flowers, butterflies, birds etc. It’s sometimes very difficult even for Japanese people to pick up a pea with their tips. If you are interested in using Hashi, take your own Hashi to your country and enjoy your exotic meal time at home.
Chopsticks rests are also attractive items for the meal time. It can be used as a fork or knife rest.
Eto(干支): The twelve zodiac signs in Chinese astrology is used in Japan
The twelve zodiac signs are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Wild Boar. Japanese people usually know their own zodiac sign of their birth year. When Japanese people write New Year cards, they usually use Zodiac signs. The dolls of zodiac animals are also popular in Japan. Do you know what zodiac sign is your birth year's one? The zodiac sign of the next year 2016 is Monkey.
You can buy a small zodiac doll which is about 6cm in height. Isn't it a good souvenir for your friend?