Peter Ong’s Post

11月の異名 (じゅういちがつのいみな, jūichigatsu no imina) Meaning: Alternative names for November November in Japan is a month of autumnal beauty and reverence, and its alternative names reflect the changing landscape and seasonal traditions. Here are a few poetic names for November: 霜月 (しもつき, Shimotsuki) Meaning: Month of Frost 雪待月 (ゆきまちづき, Yukimachizuki) Meaning: Month Awaiting Snow 神帰月 (かみかえりづき, Kamikaerizuki) Meaning: Month of the Gods’ Return (following their gathering in October) Example Sentence: 日本では、11月は「霜月」とも呼ばれます。 Translation: In Japan, November is also called "Shimotsuki." These names convey the essence of late autumn and early winter, when frosty mornings are common, and the anticipation of the first snow fills the air. ❄️🍁 Did you find these alternative names for November intriguing? Follow for more Japanese language and cultural insights! Share this post with your network to explore the poetic beauty of Japan's seasonal expressions. --- ♻️ Repost to share the beauty of language and culture! ➕ Follow Peter Ong for more #language and #culture insights. #CulturalTraditions #learnjapanese #japaneselanguage #japaneseculture #japanesespeaker

Hey LinkedIn Today is the first day of July! Did you know that in Japan, each month has beautiful and poetic alternative names? These names often reflect cultural traditions and the natural world. Here are some Beautiful Aliases for the July in lunar calendar with roughly corresponding to August on the modern calendar: ●文月 (ふみづき, Fumizuki) Meaning: Month of Literature ●親月 (おやづき, Oyazuki) Meaning: Month of Parents ●七夕月 (たなばたづき, Tanabatazuki) Meaning: Month of the Star Festival (Tanabata) Example Sentence: 日本では、7月は「文月」とも呼ばれます。 Translation: In Japan, July is also called "Fumizuki." Discover the beauty and history behind these alternative names. These names offer a glimpse into Japan's rich cultural heritage and its appreciation for the changing seasons. Did you enjoy this glimpse into Japanese culture? Follow for more fascinating Japanese words and concepts! Share this post with your network to spread cultural insights and celebrate the start of July together! #JapaneseLanguage #LearnJapanese #JapaneseCulture #JapaneseSpeaker

Japanese communication is sometimes too indirect or softspoken that even Japanese people don’t get it. For example, you’ll sometimes see this sign in a museum: 館内での飲食はご遠慮ください。 Kannai deno inshoku wa goenryo kudasai. Please refrain from eating or drinking in the museum. But literally translated, this word 遠慮 means “think far.” So you think far into the future. If I bring in a takeout burito and I accidentally slip and fall, I might smear my burito all over this Japanese sculpture and make it a Mexican work of art and we might not want that. So maybe I shouldn’t bring in a burito, but gumi bears might be ok. It won’t smear anything even if I spill some. So maybe it’s okay if I mar it quick… one might think. But no, ご遠慮ください means “Do not do it!!! Not even gumi bears!!” Just said very softly. So museums, after they see several offenders, they upgrade the sign 😂 to say: 館内での飲食は固くお断りします。 Kannai deno inshoku wa kataku okotowari shimasu. Food and drinks are strictly prohibited inside the museum. Hi, I’m Kyota, the author of Amazon Best Sellers [Folk Tales of Japan], [Underdogs of Japanese History], and [Horror Tales of Japan]. Please check out my books at ☺️: https://lnkd.in/gmv5jqmj https://lnkd.in/gnBeuXdn #japanese #japaneselanguage #japanesestudy #japan #japantravel #japaneseculture #museum

Finnish language - did you know? The unique beauty of Finnish language extends far beyond its reputation for difficulty! Here's what makes it truly special: ✨Word Play and Multiple Meanings The same word can carry different meanings depending on context and endings: 👉"Haetaan lakkaa satamasta, kun lakkaa satamasta" (Let's get cloudberry from harbor, when it stops raining) ✨Perfect for Palindromes Finnish creates beautiful sentences that read the same forwards and backwards: 👉"Aivot avaavat ovia" (Brains open doors) 👉"Isä, älä myy myymälääsi!" (Father, don't sell your store!) ✨Wisdom in Proverbs 👉"Aamu on iltaa viisaampi" (Morning is wiser than evening) This ancient wisdom suggests sleeping on important decisions - a fresh mind brings clearer thoughts. #FinnishLanguage #Suomi #LanguageLearning #Finland #WordPlay

⭐ Japanese Culture 101 - Ojigi/Bowing ⭐ Bowing, or ojigi (お辞儀), is a deeply ingrained aspect of Japanese culture, symbolizing respect, gratitude, apology, and greeting. It’s a physical manifestation of the cultural values of harmony, etiquette, and humility that are central to interpersonal relationships in Japan. The practice likely originated from the influence of Buddhism between the 5th and 8th centuries, which emphasized gestures of piety and respect. Over time, it evolved into a complex system of social etiquette, with different bows used for various social situations, from casual greetings to formal apologies. In modern Japan, bowing is ubiquitous and starts from a young age. The angle and duration of the bow are determined by the social status of the people involved and the context of the interaction. For instance, a slight nod may be used for casual greetings, while a deep bow at a 45-degree angle might be reserved for serious apologies or showing respect to someone of high status. Bowing is more than just a custom; it’s a critical component of communication and is taught and practiced with great care to ensure it conveys the intended message accurately and respectfully. This attention to detail in bowing reflects the broader Japanese dedication to social harmony and respect for others. #JapaneseCulture #OjigiRespect #BowingInJapan #EtiquetteAndHarmony #GratitudeGesture #ApologyTradition #RespectfulGreeting #CulturalHumility

Last night, Igor Prusa, Ph.D. et Ph.D. at  Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan gave brilliant presentation based on his book/PhD research on Japan and Scandal. He has been posting about that topic time to time here at LinkedIn, so many may know already. "Scandal in Japan: Transgression, Performance and Ritual" Since I live with Japanese "rituals" without really thinking and analysing about meaning of certain actions/behaviours I understand/follow without really putting into words in such actions. Through his eyes, I understand the rituals and the behaviour more easier than what I usually felt, and the reason behind their action as gave me an opportunities to think further than I usually did. Anyone who is interested in his analysis and understanding the reason behinds of certain Japanese actions and reactions in related to scandals, worth reading his book. (I don't want to spoil his contents so would not summarise his talk here) #fccj #Japan #Japaneseritual #Japaneseculture #culture

滅相もない Messou mo nai It’s a phrase used to negate a compliment from someone or decline someone’s kind offer strongly but politely, all for the sake of expressing modesty. 滅相 Messou refers to the fourth stage of existence in Buddhist belief: 1. 生相 Shousou = birth 2. 住相 Jyusou = preservation (sorry, I said “growth” in the video) 3. 異相 Isou = change 4. 滅相 Messou = death/end Death is the most unfavorable state for us humans, so when somebody says Messou no nai, in response to a compliment or a kind offer, it means, “that shouldn’t be true” or “that shouldn’t happen.” An alternative phase with th same intent is とんでもないことです “Tondemo nai kotodesu.” Hi, I’m Kyota, the author of Amazon Best Sellers [Folk Tales of Japan] and [Underdogs of Japanese History]. Please check out my books at ☺️: https://lnkd.in/gmv5jqmj https://lnkd.in/gqBtYdCV #japanese #japaneselanguage #comedy #asiancomedy #japanesestudy #japan #japao #japon #japaneseculture

🇯🇵Japanese four principles for life🍵 和 harmony 敬 respect 清 purify 寂 stillness Very simple principles but profound teaching of 16th century Tea master & philosopher, SenNoRikyu. I have been practicing these principles through Tea ceremony training and my mother taught me at home how to apply them practically in everyday life. As I got older, I start applying them to monitor my inner world and regulate my mind activity. It helps to be in peace. Everyday, I remind myself….. Watch further explanation from this link -> https://lnkd.in/enWunE7f This artwork is commissioned by a client, carrying all the essence of this philosophy. #japaneseart #japaneseculture

Japanese proverb: 七転び八起き Nanakorobi yaoki It’s a motivational proverb that translates to: Fall down seven times, get up eight times. Now, if you want to use this somewhere like in a speech, you need to be ready because there will always be the kinds of you who need to scrutinize everything. “Wait, if you fell seven times… wouldn’t you get up seven times, too?” And then you’ll be like, “STOP BEING CORRECT. I didn’t come up with the proverb. People apparently didn’t learn math in ancient times!” You don’t want to be defending yourself like that. So here are the theories as to why it’s eight not seven: 1. Because someone helped you stand for the first time when you became a toddler. 2.Because in ancient times, seven and eight were used to express large numbers, similar to how we use “like a dozen times!” 3. Because the Kanji character for eight signifies good fortune Of course people in the long past must have noticed that it didn’t make sense logically, but what makes proverbs memorable is sometimes not logic but more the ease of saying it, the rhythmic feel it carries, and the emotional effect it brings ☺️. Hi, I’m Kyota, the author of Amazon Best Sellers [Folk Tales of Japan], [Underdogs of Japanese History], and [Horror Tales of Japan]. Please check out my books at ☺️: https://lnkd.in/gmv5jqmj #proverb #japaneseproverb #japanese #japan #japaneseculture #motivational https://lnkd.in/gjgUuAuE

My presentation for Japan speaking tour is all green & gold, how Irish can ye get. There'll be Japanese script: 日々旅にして、旅を栖とす "their journey is life, their journey home" (Basho, Oku no Hosomichi) & Irish: Is turas i n-ailithre é an saol "life is a journey through a foreign land" (ancient poem). The maps of Ireland in my books are, of course, in Japanese & I'll be blathering in three languages. #nihongo #gaeilge #Japan #Ireland