SEPTEMBER 2000 QUESTIONS
- (No Name)
Does the word 'Godzilla' have any meaning? If so, what is it?
Godzilla is the name of the giant sea-monster that is the star of
a series of hit Japanese sci-fi movies. There are a few different
stories as to where the name came from. It seems to have been made
by combining two Japanese words--gorira, meaning 'gorilla,' and kujira,
meaning 'whale,' to make the Japanese name 'Gojira.' In English, this
name is written 'Godzilla.' So, you can see that, at least in name,
Godzilla is half-gorilla and half-whale. Some people also say that
originally the name was used as a nickname for a large man who worked
at the movie studios where the Godzilla movies were made. You can
find more information on Godzilla here.
- (Krys Louie)
How do you say "I love you" in Japanese?
"I love you" is "ai shiteru" in Japanese. As a rough guide to pronunciation,
try saying "EYE SHE TELLU" and you will be pretty close. To learn
more Japanese, visit our Language Lab.
- (Krys Louie)
What do Japanese people do at Christmas? What food do they eat?
Only about 1% of Japanese are Christians, but most Japanese families
do celebrate at Christmas time, even if it's only by putting up a
small tree or eating a cake. Japanese children especially like Christmas,
and many of them receive Christmas presents. In Japan, Christmas is
a time for boyfriends and girlfriends to be together. The most popular
Christmas food is cake, usually a strawberry or chocolate sponge cake.
Most food stores take orders for these cakes long before Christmas
itself. After December 25, any cakes left over are sold at half price
or less. Turkey is quite rare in Japanese supermarkets, so not many
people eat it. Instead, many Japanese eat fried chicken for Christmas
dinner.
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