Japanese Saying: Iron Fist In Velvet Glove or Velvet Fist in Iron Glove? 外柔内剛？内柔外剛？

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

'An iron fist in a velvet glove.' A CEO from Europe often told me this before important meetings. I remember this because it perfectly described him. He appeared gentle, but could be very ruthless.

The Ring Finger's Fault 薬指が悪いんです｡｡｡

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Everyone has made at least one (or maybe even hundreds of!) spelling errors in their life. I'm no exception. I misspelled "mouth" as "month" in a post about netsuke sculpture and was unaware of it until it was pointed out by a kind reader. I always perform a spell check before publishing posts or submitting documents to clients at work. However, because writing "month" instead of "mouth" isn't a misspelling but a misuse of words, it went through the spell check without being detected.

Work Like Hell or Possum? 蛭子さんの助言「死んだふりして働きなさい」

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

"Work like a possum...."

Simultaneous Interpreting, Skiing and Yakuza 同時通訳とスキーと褒め殺し

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

A couple of weeks ago, I interpreted for the first time in a while. I used to do that every day, but not anymore. One of the directors, who's joined the company just recently, doesn't speak Japanese at all and needed someone translating through a two-hour internal meeting simultaneously, so I interpreted for him using a technique called "whispering," a form of simultaneous interpreting.

Nara - Byakugouji Temple 白毫寺

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Byakugoji Temple sits on a hillside, so you have to walk a bit to reach the entrance and then climb a long stone staircase to enjoy a panoramic view of Nara City, but it is well worth it. 

The temple is famous for its five-color Japanese camellias (goshiki tsubaki) in the spring and you can also enjoy blooming bush clover (hagi) later in the year.

5/3/2019

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。

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！

Never Underestimate "等 (Tou)"! 「等」の訳し方

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

A Japanese man asked me how to translate the following term:

指名委員会等設置会社 shimei iinkai tou settichi gaisha

The Surprising Origins of Royalty: Korean Emperors and French Kings 天皇は朝鮮人でスウェーデン王はフランス人

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

A historical fact that astonishes me is mentioned in Geert Hofstede's Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. In 1809, Swedish nobles deposed the incompetent King Gustav IV and invited Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, a French general under Napoleon, to take the throne. Consequently, the current Swedish royal family is of French descent—a fascinating fact that is widely accepted today.

Kyoto - Horinji Temple in Arashiyama and Matsuo Taisha Shrine 法輪寺と松尾大社

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The first photo shows Matsuo Taisha Shrine in Arashiyama, Kyoto. This shrine is famous for enshrining the God of sake, protecting people who not only produce it, but also sell or drink it. It makes sense that the shrine receives so many offerings from sake manufacturers across Japan.

The shrine is very close to the famous tourist area of Arashiyama, home to Hōrin-ji Temple. The temple enshrines a deity of electricity and radio waves. You can enjoy beautiful views from this temple—from the top of its stairs (Picture 2) and from its viewpoint (Picture 3).

If you're in Arashiyama and tired of the crowds, cross the Katsuragawa River and head to Hōrin-ji Temple. You can enjoy a serene atmosphere and, a 20-minute walk later, pray to the sake deity at Matsuo Taisha Shrine. You can also reach Matsuo Taisha Shrine on the Hankyu Line, just one stop from Arashiyama Station.

1. Saki offerings to Matsuo Taisha Shrine

Hide and Seek in Tokyo 東京のひょっこりはん

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

Baby lizard in Tokyo

Can you find it? I saw this baby lizard in Tokyo. I wrote about baby lizards I had seen in Nara prefecture last month, but didn't expect to see one again in Tokyo.

I wanted to take a better picture of it, but it must have been looking for a place to hide from still strong sunshine. A few seconds after taking this photo, it was gone into the bush....

I've been intrigued by lizards, reptiles, amphibians and dinosaurs since my childhood, though I can't or haven't touched them...

どこにいるか分かりますか。東京で会いました。奈良でも見かけてブログに書きましたが、まさか東京でも会えるとは思っていなかった赤ちゃんトカゲです！もう少しいい写真を撮りたかったのですが、すぐに藪の中に消えてしまいました。残暑厳しいものね。触ったことはありませんが、子供の頃からなぜか、トカゲ、カエル、恐竜が好きです。