Japanese Sweets in May No. 2 - Sweetfish-Shaped Mochi Sweet 求肥入り鮎スイーツ

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Summer sweetfish (natsu ayu)

Sweetfish is an early summer Kyoto delicacy, but this sweetfish-shaped mochi (a rice cake made from rice powder) sweet I bought at a convenient store last week is yummy, too! It's called by several names, e.g., natsu ayu (summer sweetfish) or chofu ayu (crepe sweetfish), but they are the same: Mochi and/or red bean paste wrapped in a thin pancake (castella cake).

Regionally, there is a slight difference, though. Ones sold in the western Japan, such as Kyoto, usually contain only mochi, while ones sold in Tokyo often contain mochi and red bean paste. So, if you are considering staying in both Tokyo and Kyoto in May or June, don't miss the opportunity to compare this subtle taste and texture difference. If you had to choose one, I would recommend the Tokyo one. You can enjoy the taste of traditional Japanese anko (i.e., red bean paste) and the unique texture of mochi at the same time!

去年も買いました。そして今年も買いました。しかも今年はコンビニで！夏鮎、若鮎、調布鮎｡｡｡ 名前は違えどカステラ生地に包まれた求肥と餡、そして可愛い見た目。

関西だと求肥だけ、東京だと求肥と餡子の両方が入っていることが多いとのこと。初夏到来です！

Flowers in May - Foxgloves and Hot Lips ジギタリス＆チェリーセージ

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Someone named "rieo" wrote a comment on a post about flowers whose names I don't know published last week and I learned the names of two flowers.

The flowers in the picture below are foxgloves or digitalis purpurea. I hadn't heard of foxgloves, but had heard of digitalis. They were used to kill someone in Agatha Christie's stories, a favorite author of mine, if I remember correctly... They are so beautiful, but poisonous like some women......

Digitalis

The flowers on the right in the picture below (i.e., red and white ones) are cherry sage or hot lips. They are also beautiful, lovely and cute, aren't they! Unfortunately, the pink and purple flowers on the left couldn't be identified.

Still unidentified & hot lips

先日お花について書いたら、コメントをいただき、花の名前を教えていただきました。

上の写真の花はジギタリスだとのこと。確か、クリスティーの小説で毒殺に使われていたのでびっくり。こんなにきれいな花だったんですね。

下の写真の右の花（赤と白の花）はチェリーセージまたはホットリップス。可愛いですよね。

rieoさん、ありがとうございました。一つ賢くなりました！

Flowers in May 名もなき花ですが｡｡｡

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Recently flowers have drawn my attention more than ever. I realized their beauty and liveliness first at Kyoto botanical garden and again in my neighborhood while walking. 

I found these flowers on the street. These flowers, whose names I don't know, were so beautiful that I just stopped and stared at them for a while. 

5月ってこんなに植物がきれいだったんですね。京都府立植物園で初めてそのことに気づき、そして先週東京でも｡｡。名前分かりませんが思わず立ち止まって見入ってしまいました。

Japanese Sweets for May - Kashiwa Mochi 柏餅！

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Kashiwa mochi before eating

Inside kashiwa (oak) leaf

Cross section of kashiwa mochi

Are you looking for Japanese sweets? If you're in Japan in May, you should try kashiwa mochi!

Kashiwa mochi is a traditional Japanese rice cake sweet with usually red bean paste filling wrapped in a kashiwa (oak) leaf. It's for Children's Day (May 5) to celebrate their growth, but eaten throughout May. Some use white bean paste mixed with miso (fermented soybeans) instead of red beans paste.

You can find this mochi sweet at not only special Japanese confectionery stores, but also supermarkets or even convenient stores. I bought these two, a white one and a green yomogi (mugwort) one, at a neighborhood supermarket.

I wanted to get miso kashiwa, too, but it sold out! So, if you find a miso one, don't miss it!!

Last, but not least, be careful not to eat the oak leaf! It's inedible unlike the edible cherry leaf of sakura mochi.

柏餅を買いに近くのスーパーに。でもみそ餡が売り切れ！白いのとよもぎを買って帰りました。今日、みそ餡、買いに行きます！

Kyoto Coffee Shop Matsu 京都の喫茶店 松

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I went to Otoyo Shrine in Kyoto a week ago. The shrine is located along the Philosopher's Walk (Tetsugaku no michi).

After enjoying its serenity and very cute matchmaking mice welcoming me, I walked along the street toward Nanzenji Temple to go back to the central Kyoto and found a coffee shop "Matsu."

"喫茶 松 (Kissa [i.e., coffee shop] Matsu [meaning pine])" is small and quiet with background classical and jazz music. It also has a splendid view of the Higashiyama Mountain and maple trees. When I was there, all leaves were green. Needless to say that coffee was good, making usually talkative me quiet.

哲学の道から南禅寺に行った後、ちょっとお茶したくなり、偶然入ったのが「喫茶 松」です。ホームページはないようですが、コーヒー、眺め、マスター、雰囲気、全てが静かでゆったり過ごすことが出来ました。お勧めです！

Nara - Byakugouji Temple 白毫寺

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Byakugoji temple
Nara prefecture

This is Byakugoji Temple (白毫寺) in Nara. I had first planned to go to Shin Yakushiji Temple (新薬師寺), but found this temple on a map and changed the plan and that was a success!

It's located on a small mountain or hill, so you have to walk first to arrive at the entrance and then climb to the top of the hill to enjoy a view of the entire Nara city, but it's worth it.

The temple is famous for five-color Japanese camellias (goshiki tsubaki), but their season was over and instead I enjoyed fringed irises or butterfly flowers. 

Iris japonica, fringed irises, butterfly flowers or shaga

Nara city from Byakugoji temple

新薬師寺に行くつもりが、地図で白毫寺を見つけたので予定変更。でも行った甲斐はありました。

高い所にあるので眺めが最高。かつ、このシャガというお花もきれい。冬は「五色椿」 で有名ですが、シャガもとっても可憐でした。

奈良に行ったら東大寺とか春日大社だけでなく、白毫寺にもぜひ立ち寄ってみてください！

Kyoto Botanical Garden 京都府立植物園

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Fuchsia Lonora

Fuchsia My Fair Lady

Fuchsia Looks

Fuchsia Golden Dawn

Fuchsia Winzewrin

Fuchsia Looks

Fuchsia Jack Shahan

Fuchsia Angels Earrings

Fuchsia Lena

Fuchsia Happy

Fuchsia Mrs. Minnie Pugh

Fuchsia Display

Fuchsia Harbour Bridge

I went to Kyoto Botanical Garden a few days ago. The garden held a special exhibition of fuchsia flowers. I'm not interested in plants, just wanting to kill time, but found these! How beautiful and lively these two-tone-color fuchsia flowers are! Please enjoy these Fuchsias "Lonora," "My Fair Lady," "Winzewrin," "Golden Dawn," "Looks," "Jack Shahan," "Angels Earrings," "Lena," "Happy," "Mrs. Minnie Pugh," "Display," and "Harbour Bridge"!

京都府立植物園に行きました。 何の期待もせずに行ったのですが Wow! フクシアという花を初めて知りました。

Make Him A Man! 男にしてやってください？

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Local elections are currently going on across Japan. The elections are held once in four years to elect prefectural governors and municipal mayors as well as assembly members of local governments whose terms expire during a certain period of time.

One thing has been bugging me, though. Some candidates and their supporters are heard shouting during the campaign, "Make me a man (男にしてください)" or "Make him a man (男にしてやってください)."

These phrases are very common in Japan, but not about LGBT or any other gender issue. They just ask voters to vote for the candidate (definitely a man!) so that he will be elected and become a "man." They are often used to seek support for not only elections, but also for big stuff, e.g., asking for money to launch a business. But the main thing is that without the support, that person can't be a "MAN."

Wow! If they aren't men now, what are they.....?

During this campaign period, I heard a male candidate from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan begging for support for him to be a MAN, which makes me worry about his and his party's intelligence level and Japan's future......

統一地方選挙です。「男にしてやってください」、まだ使われているんですね。ダメって分かりそうなものなのに｡｡｡。本人はともかく、周りも言ってあげないんですかね。あれ聞いて候補者の知的レベル、そして日本の将来を憂うのは私だけでしょうか｡｡｡

Tulips are Also in Bloom! 桜だけじゃないですよ！

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。 

So colorful and powerful, aren't they! People in Japan talk about only cherry blossoms from late March through early April, but don't forget that tulips are also in bloom. 

Cherry blossoms make me aware of ephemerality of life, but these tulips' bright colors gave me vitality and energy. 

銀座の道路脇にチューリップを見つけました。あまりの鮮やかさにしばし見とれてしまいました。最近弱っているのでエネルギーもらいました！

A Tip on Translation - Add Value! 翻訳のこつ - 付加価値

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I'm writing this post to keep a record of my translation experience. Please read the following two sentences: 

(1) I will email you about the following, which you already know:
(2) I am writing to you to make you aware of the following just in case there is any misunderstanding: 

These two sentences were translated from the following same Japanese text:
既にご理解のこととは存じますが以下についてメールいたします。

(1) is Google Translate's translation, while (2) is mine. This is the beginning of a  business email. Which would you choose? 

When asked by someone to translate business emails written in Japanese into English, I try to interpret the source text and convert it to something equivalent in English. I don't do word-for-word translation. Only few, who are Japanese and fluently speak English and can do translation themselves, but ask me to translate for them, appreciate this my small "effort." I always want to add value to my translation. That's the only way for me to survive.     

先日ちょっと考えさせられた翻訳があったのでご紹介します。以下の文章の訳を頼まれた時です。

既にご理解のこととは存じますが以下についてメールいたします。

(1) I will email you about the following, which you already know:
(2) I am writing to you to make you aware of the following just in case there is any misunderstanding: 

メールの冒頭部分です。(1)はGoogle 翻訳、(2)が私の訳。まあ意味分かるからどっちでもいいし、どちらがいいかはユーザーが決めるわけですが、この機械翻訳の時代、ビジネス文書の翻訳をする際には、何かしらの付加価値を提供したいと日々努力しております。AIにできないことしないとね！

Don’t Use Reiwa to Enhance "Nationalism" 変なことに令和を使わないでください

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

How many Japanese care about the change of the era name from Heisei to Reiwa? I, who’ve been living in Japan since I was born, don’t give a damn about it and if it matters in any way to me, who’s working as a translator and interpreter for so long, that’s only because it makes it further complicated to convert the Japanese year to the Gregorian one. As I wrote in another post, interpreters have to convert the Japanese year to the Gregorian year in a second by adding/subtracting certain figures to/from the Japanese year in the original text.

However, another thing has been bugging me. What was prime minister Abe trying to achieve by saying that Reiwa isn't from Chinese literature but Japan's oldest collection of poetry? Did he want to to make further complicated the already strained Japan and China's relationship? Non-Japanese readers may not know this, but these two Chinese characters (i.e., 令和) are so general and common in Japan that if Abe hadn't mentioned it, few would have noticed or care about whether the term is from China or Japan. 

It's a fact that Japanese culture is based on and deeply intertwined with Chinese and Korean cultures, so using the change of the era to enhance the so-called "nationalism" by emphasizing that the name of the new period isn't sourced from China is outrageously stupid.

令和なんですけど、何でいちいち中国からではなく日本の万葉集から取ったなんて言う必要があるんだろう。言われない限り誰も気が付かないでしょ｡｡。先日、韓国の空港で官僚が酔っぱらって暴れたことは記憶に新しいですが、国益へのダメージはそれよりひどい気がします。何が言いたいの、安倍さん？