Where is Japanese spoken? Japanese is the official language of Japan, which has a population of over 125m. There are also around 2.5m people of Japanese origin, many of whom speak Japanese as their first language, living in Brazil and the rest of the Americas, particularly the United States
The flag: The national flag of Japan is a white rectangular flag with a large red disc representing the sun in the center. This flag is officially called Nisshōki ( 日章旗?, "sun-mark flag") in the Japanese language, but it is more commonly known as Hinomaru ( 日の丸?, "circle of the sun"). The flag embodies Japan's nickname as the Land of the Rising Sun.
The Land of the Rising Sun Japan, often referred to as the State of Japan, is an island nation in the Eastern portion of the Asian continental waters. The Japanese characters that make up Japan's name mean "sunorigin", which is why Japan is often referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun."
Tokyo The Imperial Palace: main residence of the Imperial Family. Tsukiji Fish Market: Japan's largest and busiest fish market. It is Japan's capital and the world's most populous metropolis. It offers an unlimited choice of shopping, entertainment, culture and dining to its visitors. Contrary to common perception, Tokyo also offers a number of attractive green spaces in the city center and within relatively short train rides at its outskirts.
THE JAPANESE ALPHABET
The Japanese alphabet: the modern Japanese writing system is a combination of 3 carácter types: Logographic kanji, adopted from Chinese. Latin script (romaji-roman alphabet) is used mainly for the convenience of foreigners. Syllabic kana which consists of a pair of syllabaries: a. Hiragana used primarily for native or naturalised Japanese words. b. Katakana used primarily for foreign words and names.
Writing: Japanese texts can be written in two ways: a. In Western style, i.e. in horizontal rows from the top to the bottom of the page a. In traditional Japanese style, i.e. in vertical columns from the right to the left side of the page. Both writing styles exist side by side today.
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Did you know that? Like in English, words have no grammatical number (no plural or singular) and no gender in Japanese.
Did you know that? Japanese uses a vast amount of foreign loan words ( 外来語 [gairaigo] - literally words from outside) you ll constantly hear familiar nouns and adjectives, and not just words borrowed from English. E.g. the word for TV is テレビ [terebi], bread is パン [pan] from the Portuguese word pão and part-time worker is アルバイト [arubaito], from the German Arbeit, work. There are no pronunciations or tones to remember and each syllable is given equal emphasis.
Did you know that? Getting used to Japanese grammar can be a bit tricky because of the word order, which is Subject Object Verb. Great if you're used to other languages, such as German or Turkish which have similar word orders, but possibly a little confusing for English speakers unfamiliar with it. So, the verb is placed at the end, meaning a simple sentence like "I watch television" would be "I television watch". This also means that you have to be patient as until the speaker reaches the very last word of the sentence, you won't know whether they're coming or going, agreeing or disagreeing and so on!
Cuisine: What are bento and sushi? Japanese box lunches are known as bento. Shops sell a variety of bento which are eaten for both lunch and dinner. Many shops are take away only but some also have tables available. Traditional sushi is a small piece of raw seafood placed on a ball of vinegared rice. Sushi is generally eaten in Japan at sushi restaurants where customers sit at the counter and call out their orders item by item to a sushi chef. There are also popular chains of conveyor belt sushi restaurants where you grab small plates of sushi off the conveyor belt.
Chopsticks and table manners: What is the eating etiquette in Japan? In Japan food is eaten with chopsticks rather than a knife and fork. There are some rules to take into consideration when using chopsticks in Japan, for example, it is impolite to spear food with the chopsticks or wave chopsticks around above food dishes. Soup is eaten by picking up the bowl with one hand and sipping from the edge of the bowl. Chopsticks can be used to pick up more solid ingredients from the soup (e.g. bean curd). Noodles served on a wooden tray are picked up in bite-size portions. If noodles are served in a hot broth, picking up the noodles and lifting the bowl to sip the broth is alternated. In Japan, slurping is a sign of a good appetite and eating with pleasure.
What is a traditional Japanese breakfast? In Europe, we tend to eat foods such as breakfast cereal, bread accompanied by different spreads, cheeses and meats, yogurt and fruit for breakfast. A traditional Japanese breakfast can include dishes such as steamed rice, miso soup, broiled or grilled fish, tamagoyaki (rolled omelette), nori (dried seaweed) and natto (fermented soy beans).
The days of the week in Japanese have meanings.