Easy Japanese news in translation: Air Festival held at shrine in Yamagata Prefecture
Kuki Shrine in the town of Asahi, Yamagata Prefecture, considers air a sacred object where gods reside. On June 7, the Air Festival was held at the shrine, and a dance by shrine maidens was offered to the gods. This shrine was built in 1990 as "the only shrine in the world to express gratitude for air." On a square mirror stage made of stainless steel, six local elementary school students performed a dance, praying for a good harvest of crops. The shrine will be lit up until the end of August.
Easy Japanese news is taken from the Mainichi Shogakusei Shimbun, a newspaper for children. This is perfect material for anyone studying Japanese who has learned hiragana and katakana. We encourage beginners to read the article in English followed by Japanese, or vice versa, to test their comprehension.
A fresh set will be published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4 p.m., Japan time. Click/tap here for past installments.
Intermediate learners who do not need English assistance can directly access the Mainichi Shogakusei Shimbun site here. Furigana (hiragana) is added to all kanji in the text.
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