みなさんこんにちは、美樹のブログです。 みなさんは招き猫を知っていますか？これは片手をあげて手招きしている猫の置物です。一般的に招き猫は三毛猫という白、茶色、黒の毛を持つ猫ですが、ピンクや金色のものもあります。 右手をあげている猫は金運を、左手をあげている猫は客を招くと言われています。右手も左手も両方あげた猫もありますが、両手をあげている様子が「お手上げ」に見えることからあまり好まれていません。 この招き猫は東京都世田谷区にある豪徳寺が関係しています。昔、豪徳寺は貧しい寺だったそうです。和尚さんは大事に飼っていた猫に「私があなたを大事にしていることがわかるなら、将来何かお返しをしなさい。」と言い聞かせていました。ある日、この寺の前を井伊直弼という武士が通った時、猫は手招きをして武士を寺に招きました。武士が寺で休憩をしていると突然、大雨が降ってきました。雨にぬれないですんだ武士は大喜びし、この寺を立派に建て直したそうです。おかげで和尚さんはとっても喜びました。 猫が死んだ後、和尚さんはお寺に猫のお墓を作って幸福を招く猫のことを世の中に伝えたそうです。今でも豪徳寺にはたくさんの招き猫が置いてあります。 招き猫は日本国内用と海外輸出用とでは手のひらの向きが逆です。これはジェスチャーの文化の違いを表しています。日本では手招きをするジェスチャーをする時、手のひらを下にするんですよ。 みなさんはどんな招き猫が欲しいですか？ それでは、また来週！

Thanks, Jessi. I appreciate your feedback. if you get a chance, please also look at my recent comment/question on the word kakuto in audio blog 101.

Hi kabukiguyさん,

Looking at the English translation, I agree that it doesn't make much sense and is confusing. Your initial interpretation is correct - that the cat's paw faces down in Japan and up in other countries. I've cleaned up the English a bit so hopefully it should make more sense now. :smile: Thank you for pointing that out!

And thanks for lettimg me know about the Season 3 Audio Blog. I've been working my way through every blog from the very beginning and am now about to start Season 2. I look forward to hearing the revised approach on the audio.

Thank you, Mayumi. However, I'm still not clear on this because I thought 逆meant "opposite," not "upside down," which would probably be 逆様, right? And if the direction of the paw was the same for both Japan and countries to which the cat is exported, why does the next sentence make a big point about cultural differences in gestures? What difference is there if the paw direction is always the same? Sorry to bother you with this, but I'm really curious about understanding the translation. I thought mayb there was a misprint and the "様" part of 逆様 was omitted, but the romaji and hiragana both give "gyaku."

kabukiguy-san,

Thank you for your feedback!

The translation for this sentence says "The direction of the paw is upside down for Japan and for export to other countries." It seems to make sense to me.

We started to have the dialog track from Audio Blog Season 2, in which you can listen to only the blog section without any intro or marketing phrases. Feedbacks from our listeners are always valuable for us! Thank you again! :wink:

I'd like to add my agreement with those who find the use of ads in the audio annoying. These audio segments should be devoted solely to hearing the blog itself, not all the other stuff. Even the portions spoken by the Yuiichi and Hiroko become intrusive when you want to listen over and over to a lesson. Those portions should be on a separate link. And since they are one of the rare opportunities on this site to hear people having a presumbaly real conversation, they should be provided with written assistance to help follow their points. The blogs are supposedly teaching Japanese, but it's a very controlled Japanese, written for students. If students need such controlled lessons, why do you imagine they're suddenly going to understand everything said during the intros and follow-ups? This is one of many ways your site could be improved.

The blog contains the following sentence.

招き猫は日本国内用と海外輸出用とでは手のひらの向きが逆です.

The English version says it means: The direction of the paw is for Japan and for export to other countries.

Aside from the fact that this doesn't make sense, isn't the point that the paw's direction is the opposite (gyaku) for Japan and other countries? That is actually what the next sentence declares. If someone else pointed this out, I apologize for overlooking it, but if I'm correct it should be fixed.

Martin san> Thank you for the opinion :dogeza: your request was also added to our "suggestion list" :grin:

I agree with the comments above re the advertising. I am already a paid member to the site and don't understand why I have to sit through endless boring ads for **** audio books

プチクレアさんと、Hirokoさん

ひろこさんと指の折り方が違いました！Ooops!

たぶん、ひろこさんの指の折り方は、「数を、人に見せるために」する方法ですね。

僕の指の折り方は、「自分で数えるために」する方法だと思います:grin:

プチクレアさん

日本には指折り数えると西洋と比べて違うんでしょう ?

→そうなんですか？日本で、指で数えるときは、

１　親指 thumb

２　人差し指 index finger

３　中指 middle finger

４　薬指 ring finger

５　小指 small finger

の順番で、指を折っていきます。だから、最後はじゃんけん(rock paper scissors)のグー(stone)の形になります。

６以上は、人によって違うと思いますが、折っていた小指から開いていく人と、親指から開いていく人がいます。

分かりましたか？言葉だけで、ジェスチャーを説明するのは難しい:cry:

HighBridgeさん＞そうなんですか！？気をつけないととても失礼になってしまいますね！教えてくれてありがとうございます！　:dogeza:

reneさん＞Hahaha yeah the sound team does a good job right? :wink: although, Sakura san is FAR from scary :kokoro:

Sophie さん,daxterさん, Fierce Catさん＞Thank you for the insights!

PhillyTOFukushimaさん＞そうごう　って何ですか??　物を作る　授業　ですか？

Carloさん＞豪徳寺の話は私も初めて聞きました！

プチクレアさん＞そうですね。指の折り方は違うみたいですね。日本では、人差し指、中指、薬指、小指、そして親指、の順に立てていき、1から数えます。

rigoさん＞Have you seen Tanukis in front of some restaurants too?? :mrgreen:

Another comment about advertising promotions for existing subscribers -

I think that E-mail notification ( a week or two in advance, with the duration of the promotion clearly given ) would be a lot better than including ads in the lessons or texts.

I'm afraid I have to agree with Sophie, I know you couldn't do any of this wonderful stuff for us without money, but you have already won over your subscribers, so "if you could edit out the adverts from the sound file for people who already have a subscription" that would be great

Well.

the opening theme with sakura was SCARY!!!!:shock:

Yuichiさんが教えてくれたジェスチャー「お金」は、ブラジルでは「お尻の穴」という意味になります。:oops::mrgreen:

Nice Intro Keith씨! You're on other Innovative Languages sites too! The voice of Innovative Languages!

昨日、私は中学校の英語教師として、学校で『そうごう』の経験がありました。

たくさん物を作った！楽しかった！

多分、将来で、そうごうの話題がいいかな？

I'm having a great time in Japan, especially because I can pretty decently communicate with people! Thats because of JP101!

Ill be reading the blogs during my breaks!

テレビや漫画で招き猫を見たことがありますが、美樹さんの詳しい説明のおかげでいろいろなことを習いました。:dogeza:

豪徳寺の話は特に面白かったです！

カルロ:cool:

Hello,

It would be really nice (and more work for you, sorry), if you could edit out the adverts from the sound file for people who already have a subscription.

The ads and 'brought to you by' parts could be a way to support free downloads, while people who subscribe would get a more 'let’s get down to learning japanese' file.

Meanwhile, so that subscribers don’t miss out on promotions, you can advertise them in the basic and premium feeds texts.