This is where a language course for home use or on-line can really come into its own. Most reputable and established courses will usually come with DVDs and CDS which are packed full of voice recording and vocal examples to help you improve your ‘ear’ for the language and get to grips with those difficult pronunciations. This is something you can miss when working alone or in isolation from just a book on its own.

Recordings are obviously made with native speakers and by listening to these teachers it is possible to pick up on the nuance and intonation variations that mark that language out from all the rest.

From my experience it is nigh on impossible to imagine how things should sound if you don’t have this help. With Japanese language software you will be able to incorporate this kind of learning strategy into your efforts at memorisation and natural speaking. Discovering how to speak Japanese becomes easier by simultaneously using different strategies to increase the impact of new knowledge upon your memory centres.

It has long been recommended to try approaches to language learning that contain visual and oral elements along with written exercises and daily reading. T his will:

• Improve your skill
• Make progress faster and smoother
• Provide more confidence when it comes to pronunciation

Whether you are starting out with Japanese lessons or learning for an upcoming holiday or whether it is the beginning of a lifelong quest to master the Japanese language, then making the right first choice for your study materials can make a big difference. Look around for good software and online resources as this will propel you forward with enthusiasm and commitment as you begin your journey.

So with that in mind, when travelling in Nihon, or practising your ‘Nihongo‘, you will need the basics in your mental/linguistic box of tricks; that is to say, all the usual niceties that everyone uses to get by. These should be memorized by heart before you go.

It is amazing how knowing a few of the social terms will smooth your way through awkward situations when all else fails. Please and Thank you are a good place to start:

• Please…Onegai shimasu. If you only learn one Japanese phrase, make sure it is this one!
• Thanks…Arigato
• Thankyou…Domo arigato.
• Thankyou very much…Domo arigato gozaimasu

Greetings and salutations:

• Excuse me...Sumimasen is also very handy to use with please and thankyou is. This word can be used in many situations when you are not sure of how to behave; like a ‘get out of jail free’ card. You will be forgiven a lot of ‘faux pas’ if you use sumimasen. The idea behind sumimasen is something like, ’sorry for the trouble I have caused you’ or ‘thanks for your effort on my behalf‘.
• You’re welcome…Do itashi mashite.
• Here you are…Dozo.
• Good morning…Ohayo gozaimasu! Pronounced ‘O-hi-yo go-zie-muss’
• Good afternoon/hello…Konnichiwa!
• Good evening…Konbanwa!
• Goodnight...Oyasumi nasai.
• Goodbye…Sayonara!More commonly used in an exterior environment .i.e when leaving a house.
• Goodbye…Shitsurei shimasu. This is more formal, like saying goodnight to your boss at the end of the day.
• Well then…Dewa mata/ja mata. A common phrase used when leaving family or friends.
• So long/see you…Itte rasshai. This means ‘go and come back‘, an equivalent of ‘mind how you go‘ or ‘take care‘. The reply to this is: Itte kimasu, ‘i’m coming back’.
• I’m back...Tadaima. ‘I’m back‘ or ‘I’ve returned‘. The reply to tadaima is this: Okaeri nasai meaning ‘welcome home‘.

How about YES and NO? The essential of how to speak Japanese!

• Yes/what you have said is correct…Hai.
• No/what you have said is not correct…Ie

• Help!…Tas’kete!
• Stop!…Tomete!
• Fire!…Kaji!
• Call an ambulance!…Kyukyusha o yonde kudasai!
• Call the police!…Keisatsu o yonde kudasai!
• Call a doctor!…Isha o yonde kudasai!
• Where is the hospital?…Byoin wa doko ni armass-ka?

‘Haiku’ started as ‘ Hokku ‘ or ’starting verse ‘- the opening and most important stanza in a longer group of linked verses. Towards the end of the Nineteenth Century the term haiku came into popular usage and the 17 syllable form consisting of three lines of verse was established.

The first line of a haiku traditionally contains 5 syllables, the second line 7 syllables and the third line 5 syllables.

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), a Japanese poet is recognised as a master of ‘classical haiku’. In his literary work, Basho used zen-like perceptions and observations of the world around him which imbued his poetry with profound beauty and meaning. He also had a sense of humour.

Here is taste of some of his work:

An old pond!
A frog jumps in-
The splash of water.

Now then, let’s go out
to enjoy the snow…
until I slip and fall!

Harvest moon:
around the pond I wander
and the night is gone.

No blossoms and no moon,
and he is drinking sake
all alone!

Won’t you come and see
loneliness? Just one leaf
from the kiri tree.

Temple bells die out.
The fragrant blossoms remain.
A perfect evening!

Another year is gone.
A traveler’s shade on my head,
straw sandals at my feet

Let’s look at some crucial question words:

• Where?...DOKO (doh-koh):
• Who?…DARE (dah-reh)
• Why?…NAZE (nah-zeh)
• When?…ITSU (ee-tsoo)
• How much?…IKURA (ee-koo-rah)
  
• How many?…IKUTSU (ee-koo-tsoo)
  
• How?…DO/IKAGA (doh/ee-kah-gah)
• What?…NAN/NANI (nahn/nah-nee)

Question phrases:

• Which one?…Dore?
• What is it?…Nan desu ka?
• How much is it?…Ikura desu ka?
• Who is it?…Dare desu ka?
• When is it?…Itsu desu ka?
• Which direction?…Dochira?
• What nationality?…Nani-jin?
• How long?…Donogurai?
• What time?…Nan-ji?
• How old?…Nan-sai?

• Sunday – Nichi-yobi, meaning day of the sun.
• Monday – Getsu-yobi, meaning day of the moon.
• Tuesday - Ka-yobi, meaning day of fire.
• Wednesday - Sui-yobi, menaing day of water.
• Thursday: Moku-yobi, meaning day of wood.
• Friday – Kin-yobi, menaing day of gold.
• Saturday – Dou-yobi, meaning the day of earth.

How to speak Japanese - city life.

DAYS OF THE MONTH:

• 1ST – tsuitachi.
• 2ND – futsuk.
• 3RD – mikka.
• 4TH – yokka.
• 5TH – itsuka.
• 6TH – muika.
• 7TH – nanoka.
• 8TH – yoka.
• 9TH – kokonoka.
• 10TH - toka.
• 11TH – juichi-nichi.
• 12TH – juni-nichi.
• 13TH – jusan-nichi.
• 14TH – juyokka.
• 15TH – jugo-nichi.
• 16TH – juroku-nichi.
• 17TH – jushichi-nichi.
• 18TH – juhachi-nichi.
• 19TH – juku-nichi.
• 20TH – hatsuka.
• 21ST – nijuichi-nichi
• 22ND – nijuni-nichi.
• 23RD – nijusan-nichi.
• 24TH – nijuyokka.
• 25TH – nijugo-nichi.
• 26TH – nijuroku-nichi.
• 27TH – nijushichi-nichi.
• 28TH – nijuhachi-nichi.
• 29TH – nijuku-nichi.
• 30TH – sanju-nichi.
• 31ST – sanjuichi-nichi.

Phew.

MONTHS OF THE YEAR:

• January – ichi-gatsu.
• February – ni-gatsu.
• March – san-gatsu.
• April – shi-gatsu.
• May – go-gatsu.
• June – roku-gatsu.
• July – shichi-gatsu.
• August – hachi-gatsu.
• Septmember – ku-gatsu.
• October – ju-gatsu.
• November – juichi-gatsu.
• December – juni-gatsu.

Japanese religion: Japanese wishing tablets

Japan has been influenced in its culture and way of life by three powerful systems of thought: Shinto – the indigenous beliefs and practices, Confucianism – imported, like so much else from China, and Buddhism – from India.

Shinto means ‘way of the gods’ and most of the population of Japan adhere in some way to the ‘Shinto’ path in the same way that they do to the ‘Buddhist’ path. The two ‘religions’ are so embedded into the cultural fabric of daily life that they exist side by side in harmony. There is no mutual exclusivity or violent opposition and no conflict between the two as they have become integrated together over a millennia. Shinto is polytheistic and animistic. There are many deities and spirits. Everything is alive with a spiritual entity or ‘Kami‘. Worship can take place at one’s own shrine at home or large public shrines.

Confucianism came to Japan for China in the 3rd century AD and brought with it an emphasis on loyalty,morality and law and order.

Zen is often thought to be more popular in Japan than it actually is; usually the product of an overly romantic view by us foreigners. It is an offshoot of Buddhism that was introduced from China around the late 12th to early 13th centuries. Zen holds that enlightenment can be achieved through meditation and discipline by any individual.

Shinto sayings:

‘Both heaven and hell come from one’s own heart.’
‘Do not profess love with your lips while you hold hatred in your heart.’
‘One should not be mindful of suffering in his own life and unmindful of suffering in the lives of others.‘
‘In all the world there is no such thing as a stranger.’

Zen sayings:

‘I would rather sink to the bottom of the sea for endless aeons than seek liberation through all the saints of the universe.’
‘If you want to climb a mountain, begin at the top.’
‘Everyday is a good day.’
‘Before enlightenment; chopping wood, carrying water. After enlightenment; chopping wood, carrying water.’

0 – zero or re
1 – ichi
2 – ni
3 – san
4 – yon or shi
5 – go
6 – roku
7 – shichi or nana
8 – hachi
9 – kyu or ku
10 – ju

This set of 1 -10 is easy to practice and remember, just use them whenever you have a chance.

Japanese temple stonewalk

The Japanese system is quite logical after ten as we’ll see now.

Numbers 11 to 20:

11 – Ju ichi (ten one)
12 – ju ni (ten two)
13 – ju san (ten three)
14 – ju yon or ju shi (ten four)
15 – ju go (ten five)
16 – ju roku (ten six)
17 – ju shichi or ju nana (ten seven)
18 – ju hachi (ten eight)
19 – jukyu or ju ku (ten nine)
20 – ni-ju (two ten)

See? This is the same for all the tens up to one hundred

Numbers 20 to 100:

20 – ni-ju (two ten)
30 – san-ju (three ten)
40 – yon-ju (four ten)
50 – go-ju (five ten)
60 – roku-ju
70 – nana-ju
80 – hachi-ju
90 – kyu-ju
100 – hyaku

Here are some random number examples:

32 – san-ju ni (three ten two)
45 – yon-ju go (four ten five)
51 – go-ju ichi
63 – roku-ju san
79 – nana-ju ku
88 – hachi-ju hachi

One hundred in Japanese is ‘Hyaku‘ which sometimes changes its first letter from ‘h’ to ‘p’ or ‘b’ but this is only to aid pronunciation by native speakers. That’s enough numbers for now!