Hi everyone! Welcome to Everyday Kanji! In this series, we're going to present pictures of kanji seen in various places in Japan taken by the team members at JapanesePod101.com. That's right - kanji seen and used everyday! The theme for this week is kanji found on signs outdoors. Let's take a look! ① 若葉東公園 (Wakabahigashi kōen)… Try saying that three times fast!! Even if you aren’t familiar with 若葉東, you might know the word 公園! 若葉東公園 (Wakabahigashi kōen) is Wakabahigashi Park, a park located in Tokyo. The name 若葉東 can be divided into two parts: 若葉 (wakaba = young leaf), and 東 (higashi = east). 公園 (kōen) = park ● 公 (kō) = public ●　園 (en) = park Place name: 若葉東 = Wakabahigashi ● 若 (waka) = young ● 葉 (ba) = leaf ● 東... Show more

Hi everyone! Welcome to Everyday Kanji! In this series, we're going to present pictures of kanji seen in various places in Japan taken by the team members at JapanesePod101.com. That's right - kanji seen and used everyday! The theme for this week is kanji found on signs at an airport. Let's take a look! ① 出国審査・税関 (shukkoku shinsa/zeikan)：Anyone who has ever gone on a flight to a foreign country has experienced going through these two areas. Based on the kanji, can you guess what they are? 出国審査 (shukkoku shinsa) refers to immigration (for leaving the country). It is made up of the words 出国 (shukkoku), which is “departure of the country”, and 審査 (shinsa), which means “inspection”. These two words together mean “immigration”... Show more

Hi everyone! Welcome to Everyday Kanji! In this series, we're going to present pictures of kanji seen in various places in Japan taken by the team members at JapanesePod101.com. That's right - kanji seen and used everyday! The theme for this week is kanji found on freeway signs. Let's take a look! ① 点灯 (tentō)：This is the entrance of a tunnel. Can you imagine what the sign is telling you to do from the picture? The kanji 点 comes from the verb 点ける (tsukeru) meaning “to light”, and 灯 means “a light.” So altogther, 点灯 (tentō) means “to turn on a light.” A similar sign in English might say "Headlights On". 点灯 (tentō) = to turn on a light ● 点 (ten) = to light ● 灯 (tō) = a light Sample Sentence: このランプが点灯したら、故障のサインだ。 ... Show more

Hi everyone! Welcome to Everyday Kanji! In this series, we're going to present pictures of kanji seen in various places in Japan taken by the team members at JapanesePod101.com. That's right - kanji seen and used everyday! The theme for this week is kanji found on packaging of Japanese chocolate. Let's take a look! ① きなこおはぎ味 (kinako ohagi aji): 味 (aji) means “flavor”. The word that comes before 味 specifies what kind of flavor something is. Do you know what kind of flavor きなこおはぎ is? きなこ is soybean flour and おはぎare rice balls coated in sweet bean paste. You can see what it looks like in the picture on the packaging. The light brown powder is きなこ, which is a very traditional Japanese flavor. ● 味 (aji) = taste Sample... Show more

Hi everyone! Welcome to Everyday Kanji! In this series, we're going to present pictures of kanji seen in various places in Japan taken by the team members at JapanesePod101.com. That's right - kanji seen and used everyday! The theme for this week is restaurant signs. Let's take a look! ① 全部入り (zenbu iri): 全部 (zenbu) means “all” and 入り (iri) means “contains”. So what all does this ramen have in it? The various toppings are listed on the menu. So, 全部入り means “contains all toppings”, which refers to toppings such as egg, meat or cod roe. 全部入り (zenbu iri) = all included ● 全 (zen) = whole ● 部 (bu) = section ● 入 (iri) = enter Extra (possible toppings): 味玉子 (aji tamago) = seasoned boiled egg ● 味 (aji) = taste ● 玉... Show more

Hi everyone! Welcome to Everyday Kanji! In this series, we're going to present pictures of kanji seen in various places in Japan taken by the team members at JapanesePod101.com. That's right - kanji seen and used everyday! The theme for this week is more store signs. Let's take a look! ① 寿司 (sushi): 寿司 means “sushi.” In Japanese, there is another kanji that means “sushi.” Do you know which kanji it is? 寿司 is a pair of kanji that are the phonetic equivalent of the word “sushi.” But another kanji, 鮨, is the real kanji meaning sushi. It is said 寿司 came to be used to mean “sushi” for good luck because 寿 has the meaning of longevity. 寿司 (sushi) = sushi ● 寿 (su) = longevity ● 司 (shi) = director むらまつ is the name of the... Show more