Easy Japanese news in translation: Eel shipping begins in Miyazaki Prefecture
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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Tokyo Weekender
3 hours ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Weird Legends About the Posthumous Lives of Famous Japanese Figures
For most people, death is the end of their story. It doesn't have to be, but there's a limited audience wanting updates about a body's state of decay. However, three famous Japanese figures proved that you can go on grand adventures or accomplish unbelievable things long after your demise. At least, that's what their legends say. None of them are true, but the world would be a more interesting place if they were. So let's silence our inner skeptic, close our eyes and, for a few fun minutes, imagine that … List of Contents: Minamoto no Yoshitsune Became Genghis Khan Oda Nobunaga Became Giordano Bruno Saigo Takamori Became Mars Related Posts Minamoto no Yoshitsune Became Genghis Khan Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159–1189) is one of the most famous warriors in Japanese history. A key figure in the Genpei War that helped samurai gain control of the country, he was the half-brother of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun, and the brother-in-law of Hojo Masako, the Nun Shogun . The Yo Bros sadly became enemies after the war, and Yoshitsune was ultimately betrayed, surrounded and forced to commit seppuku, all while the warrior monk Benkei gave his life to give him some privacy. Yoshitsune's suicide is still considered one of the most tragic — but also one of the most poignant — deaths in Japanese history. Nevertheless, some people decided to ruin it by inventing legends that Yoshitsune actually survived, escaped to Hokkaido and sailed from there to mainland Asia, where he became THE Genghis Khan (1162–1227 — or maybe that's what they want you to believe.) Interestingly, we know exactly who these 'some people' were. It was just one guy, Kencho Suematsu, who came up with the story to raise Japan's status after the Meiji Restoration. In 1868, Japan abolished the feudal system and entered a new age of modernity, but technologically, the country was way behind most of the world. Suematsu may have just wanted to exalt Japan by bringing up its past and got carried away, claiming that the man who created a vast empire that, under subsequent rulers, stretched from eastern China to Poland was actually Japanese. He probably omitted the fact that Genghis' descendants invaded Japan twice . While Suematsu's reasons are MAYBE understandable, the way he went about proving the theory was just … bizarre. One of his arguments was that if you read Yoshitsune's name the Sino-Japanese way, it would be 'Gen Gi-kei,' which sounds a little like the Japanese pronunciation of Genghis Khan! Also, the title 'khan' could come from the Japanese word kami, meaning 'god'! To be fair, some of the 'evidence' that Suematsu presented came from outside sources who have been pushing a Japan-Mongol connection for centuries to get Japan more street cred. Next time, just brag about Japan's samurai gun assassins . That's both cool AND real. Oda Nobunaga (left) and Giordano Bruno (right) Oda Nobunaga Became Giordano Bruno Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582) was the first of Japan's great unifiers who tried to bring the country together after the collapse of the imperial and military governments in the mid-15th century. He's also known as the ' Demon King ,' a nickname that he gave himself to torment his devout Buddhist enemies. The feared warlord was ultimately betrayed by one of his generals, Akechi Mitsuhide, and forced to commit seppuku in the burning Honno-ji temple. But his body was never found, so going by comic book rules, he must have survived! That's really the entire basis of the MANY legends about Nobunaga living past 1582. The wildest one says he was smuggled out of the country by Jesuit monks — with whom he had a pretty good relationship — and brought to the Philippines. From there, he made his way to Europe and became none other than the 'Italian' astronomer Giordano Bruno! The Philippines escape story has actually been told for centuries, but the Bruno connection is a pretty recent invention. We don't know exactly when it started, but it seems to be based almost entirely on the fact that 'Giordano Bruno' in Japanese is Jorudano Buruno. J o ru dano Bu runo. Oda Nobu! The sly fox was hiding in plain sight the entire time! Some versions of the legend say that Akechi Mitsuhide was in on the plan and actually helped Nobunaga fake his death so he could take his philosophy of world conquest global. That … did not really work out, as Bruno was burned at the stake by the Catholic Church in 1600 for supporting Copernicus, claiming the universe is infinite and other 'heresy.' If that really WAS Oda Nobunaga, then you have to admit the weird cosmic coincidence of both his 'deaths' occurring while he was surrounded by fire (maybe that's another clue?!). Saigo Takamori and a woodblock print depicting him as the planet Mars by Utagawa Kunisada III (c. 1877) Saigo Takamori Became Mars Saigo Takamori (1828–1877) led the last samurai rebellion against the Japanese government, as grossly misrepresented in The Last Samurai , where, in typical Western fashion , his name was changed. The exact details of the Satsuma Rebellion are not important right now; what is important is that Saigo Takamori lost and chose to commit seppuku, exemplifying the samurai spirit to the very end. Or so the story goes. The truth is that Saigo was probably too riddled with bullets to actually open his stomach and was simply beheaded by his second to avoid capture and retain his honor. But being a samurai is about more than self-disembowelment, and Saigo was a samurai who fought for samurai. Maybe that's why the rumor that he faked his death and escaped to Russia (not very samurai-like) isn't as popular as the rumor that his spirit rose to Mars, where it sort of … fused with the planet. The belief may have been inspired by (unconfirmed) reports that the planet Mars was unusually bright after Saigo's death, pointing to his heavenly ascension. There is also a long Japanese tradition of deifying great warriors. Kusunoki Masashige (1294–1336) is today enshrined as a kami because of his fierce loyalty. Taira no Masakado is technically a god of wrath still cursing Tokyo from his head's grave in the center of the city . Saigo becoming Mars is an extreme example, but it's not that out of the ordinary. But that's not why the legend started. It's simply a case of contrarianism. Saigo fought the Meiji government, which was all about leaving the past behind and embracing modernity, science and rationality. So, Saigo's supporters came up with the most traditional, unscientific, irrational theory about the last samurai as a form of protest against the people who killed him. Who knows, though? Maybe if you believe something strongly and long enough, it becomes true, and Saigo Takamori IS looking at us through the eyes of Mars and still screaming about all the historic inaccuracies in The Last Samurai. Related Posts Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Star of Shogun: Rumors and Legends About the Powerful Ruler From Butt Eyes to Scrotum Houses: 5 Weird Japanese Yokai That Are Actually Harmless The Bizarre and Violent Tales of Japanese Mermaids, or Ningyo
Tokyo Weekender
3 hours ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Samurai of Christ: How a Japanese Warlord May Soon Become a Catholic Saint
Christianity in Japan got off to such a promising start. After the first Jesuit missionaries arrived in the country in the mid-16th century, they quickly converted many Japanese people by securing the favor and protection of powerful warlords. Oda ' Demon King ' Nobunaga was — somewhat ironically given his nickname — on very good terms with the Christians. Tohoku warrior Date ' One-Eyed Dragon ' Masamune even sent a samurai to meet the pope . But through a mix of paranoia, language barriers and plain old politics, the religion was banned in Japan in the early 17th century following decades of expulsions, persecution and martyrdoms. The Vatican currently recognizes hundreds of Japanese martyrs and 42 saints. Soon, that figure may rise to 43 if the church decides to canonize one Justo Takayama Ukon, a genuine Catholic samurai warlord. List of Contents: Just One Samurai Candidate for Sainthood Killing and Preaching Justo Climbs Up on the Cross Justo Takayama Ukon Ascends Related Posts Just One Samurai Candidate for Sainthood Takayama Ukon was born in 1552 or 1553 in either modern-day Nara or Osaka to Takayama Tomoteru, one of the earliest Christian converts in Japan. The Takayama family held a lot of power, and the church considered them an important ally in spreading their religion in the country. Through influence from Portuguese missionaries, Tomoteru had his son and 150 members of the clan baptized in 1564, bestowing on Ukon the name Justo (Latin: Iustus), the 'Just One.' But you know how kids are, always rebelling against their parents, rejecting Christianity in favor of Zen Buddhism and the culture of the samurai until they get into a duel at age 18 or 19, kill their opponent, but become seriously wounded and spend months recuperating, all while learning to embrace Catholicism. Just typical childhood stuff. Happens every day. Killing and Preaching After his recovery, Justo got to work expanding the Takayama family's power base and set out on numerous 'campaigns' (for lack of a better word) or 'slaughters' (for presence of a correct word). He served Nobunaga during part of the Ishiyama Honganji War (1570–1580) against Buddhist zealots led by a warrior monk who could've been shogun . Then, after Nobunaga's death, he followed Toyotomi Hideyoshi all the way to the Siege of Kagoshima (1587) during the conquest of Kyushu. He did not, as far as we know, report seeing the flying dog that supposedly terrorized Hideyoshi. In between his fighting, he was preaching Christianity and conducting mass conversions, because why bother with piecemeal proselytization when you can do things in bulk? By 1581, 70% of people around Takatsuki Castle in Osaka, one of his family's bases of operation, were Christians. He also oversaw and encouraged the construction of seminaries, orphanages, chapels and churches throughout central Japan. However, while this apparently wasn't his wish, the construction mania resulted in a few Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples being destroyed for timber, which made Justo more than a few enemies. Justo Climbs Up on the Cross In 1587, Hideyoshi Toyotomi issued an anti-Christianity edict pretty much out of nowhere, outlawing the religion and expelling missionaries. There had been some tensions between Christians and the Japanese government before, but the proclamation took many by surprise. Although it wasn't widely enforced, many Japanese saw the writing on the wall and publicly renounced Christianity. Some continued in their faith in secret as kakure kirishitan — Japan's ' hidden Christians .' Justo Takayama Ukon chose option C: He refused to apostatize and lost his lands, status and wealth, telling his tea ceremony teacher Sen no Rikyu (the most important figure in the history of chanoyu ) that denouncing Christ went against his samurai spirit. Justo then went into exile, first in Shodoshima and then in Kanazawa, for his own safety. Many other Japanese Christians weren't so lucky. In 1597, Hideyoshi had 26 Catholics (foreign and Japanese) crucified in Nagasaki. Tokugawa Ieyasu continued this policy, even ramping up the religious persecution, which erupted in 1622 during the Great Genna Martyrdom, when 55 Christians were burned alive or beheaded. Justo never lived to see it, though. After Ieyasu issued his own anti-Christianity edict back in 1614, the samurai warlord felt that he was no longer safe in Japan and set sail for the Philippines. He did not report seeing Oda Nobunaga anywhere there. Justo Takayama Ukon Ascends Justo was welcomed warmly in Manila by the Catholic Church, which wanted to use him as a rallying symbol for an invasion of Japan to forcefully convert the country. But Justo wanted nothing to do with it. He was tired from facing so much hatred because of his faith, and died a little over a month after arriving in the Philippines, seemingly from exhaustion, but Pope Francis officially classified it as suffering for his faith to make him a martyr in 2016. Calls for the Catholic Church to recognize Justo Takayama's contributions to Christianity started as early as 1630, but better late than never. On February 7, 2017, Justo Takayama Ukon was officially beatified in Osaka with an audience of 10,000 faithful. His feast day is February 3. Finally, in 2023, Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda, the Archbishop of Osaka-Takamatsu, confirmed that the Vatican is looking into possible miracles connected to Justo, the final step before canonization. If everything goes right, soon Roman Catholics around the world will be able to pray to an honest-to-god samurai warlord saint who fought under the Demon King. If this is a ploy to get more people interested in Catholicism, then all we can say is 'well played.' Discover Tokyo, Every Week Get the city's best stories, under-the-radar spots and exclusive invites delivered straight to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy . Related Posts Vatican Returns '26 Martyrs of Japan' Portraits to Japan After 94 Years The Story of Japan's Hidden Christians Uncover Nagasaki's Hidden History
Yomiuri Shimbun
12 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
More Public Libraries, Free Books for Children Result of Print Culture Law Supporting Japan's Reading Environment
This month marks 20 years since the law to promote letters and print culture was enacted and came into effect. The reading environment for the Japanese has improved over the past two decades as the number of public libraries has increased and language education has been strengthened in schools. The situation surrounding publications, however, has become challenging with the ubiquity of digital devices, making nationwide support essential. 'It will be important to have more book lovers and supporters,' Taisho University Specially Appointed Prof. Yoshihiro Katayama, a former internal affairs and communications minister, said Saturday at a forum held in Tokyo to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the law's implementation. The law was enacted in July 2005 by a bipartisan group of lawmakers to prevent aliteracy among the public. It requires the central government and municipalities to ensure an adequate number of libraries and foster language skills at school. Since the law's implementation, the number of public libraries has increased by about 400 to 3,394 in fiscal 2021. This was followed by the enactment of the revised School Library Law, which mandates that municipalities make efforts to assign school librarians, and the law on promoting improved reading environments for the visually impaired, also called the reading barrier-free law, to create environments where everyone can read. A private qualification for picture book specialists has also been established. Nobuyuki Isobe, research director at the Japan School Library Association, said the print culture law has 'supported language and culture in both visible and invisible ways.' At school Initiatives to stabilize reading habits have been implemented under the law's principles. One such initiative is Book Start, where municipalities give children books on such occasions as infant checkups. The number of municipalities implementing this program increased from 36 in fiscal 2001 to 1,118 in fiscal books are distributed during infant checkups in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, and read aloud at the venue, while books are given to children in Yamakita, Kanagawa Prefecture, at health checkups for babies and 3-year-olds and when they enroll at elementary school. In 2008, the education ministry included 'enrichment of language activities' in school curriculum guidelines. Students at one elementary school look up the ecology of insects with books and encyclopedias available in the school library and present their findings in science class. However, there are regional disparities in reading environments. A Yomiuri Shimbun survey found 256 municipalities — 15% of all municipalities — had no public libraries or bookstores as of fiscal 2024, up by nine from fiscal 2022. The ratio of librarians dispatched to public school libraries exceeds 70% for both elementary and junior high schools, with some municipalities, such as Fujieda in Shizuoka Prefecture, assigning one librarian to each school. However, 33% of elementary school and 44% of junior high school librarians are assigned to multiple schools, and there are schools where a librarian only comes once a week. In the internet age According to a Cultural Affairs Agency survey released last year, 62.6% of men and women aged 16 and older said they do not read any books in a typical month. The most common reason provided by respondents as to why they read fewer books, at 43.6%, was that they spent time using smartphones and other devices instead. Tablet devices have been distributed to all students at elementary and junior high schools under the government's GIGA School Program announced at the end of 2019. Progress in the use of such devices drew questions from some teachers in one municipality about the necessity of school libraries, given that information can be accessed online. 'In today's society where people are easily influenced by readily available online information, it has become more important than ever to engage with proper publications and think about issues from multiple perspectives,' Taisho University Prof. Tatsuya Inai, who specializes in Japanese language education said. 'The significance of the print culture law is growing.'
