APRIL 2000 QUESTIONS

  • (Amy, U.S.A.)
    What are some traditional Japanese festivals?
    You can find out about lots of festivals from around Japan in our Annual Calendar section. For example, the Sanno Festival in Tokyo features portable shrines that are paraded through the streets.

  • (No Name)
    What are some Japanese names for boys?
    Some examples of Japanese boys' names are Daisuke, Kentaro, Yuji, and Masayuki. Examples of girls' names are Akiko, Mai, Kaori, and Yumiko. Japanese names are written in kanji, each of which has one or more meanings. Parents try to choose names that sound good made up of kanji with positive meanings. Check out the Kanji Names Project site to see how some Japanese students explained their names in English.

  • (Ty, U.S.A.)
    How do sumo wrestlers get so heavy?
    Believe it or not, sumo wrestlers have to obey a strict diet to reach the right physical condition for wrestling. Their main meal every day is brunch, eaten at about 11:30 in the morning. They eat a special dish called chanko nabe, meaning "mixed pot," a high-calorie stew made from seaweed stock and containing chicken, fish, prawns, tofu, beansprouts, cabbage, onions, and other vegetables. Senior wrestlers often eat several bowls of chanko nabe and several bowls of rice at each sitting.

  • (Lindsay)
    How do you say "hello" in Japanese?
    In the morning, you say "ohayo," in the daytime you say "konnichiwa," and in the evening you say "konbanwa." To learn more, check out the Greetings lesson our Language Lab section.

  • (Carl, U.S.A.)
    Has mount Fuji ever erupted before? If so, when?
    Mount Fuji, known to the Japanese as Fujisan, is the tallest mountain in Japan and a famous symbol of the country. It is classified as an active volcano, although the last time it erupted was in 1707.


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