Learn Japanese Online - JOI Teachers blog

Learn Japanese vocabulary, Kanji and phrases with this free blog with a YouTube video for audio learning, vocabulary lists and English Translation !
Every week, a professional Japanese teacher posts a new blog .

Previous blog archives from 2006 - mid-February 2014.

↓Click icon below for categories of this blog from late February 2014 to present.

  • Categories
    Categories Displays a list of categories from this blog.

Japanese food

Japanese cuisine or Washoku has recently been designated an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, and in this Japanese teachers' blog we introduce some personal stories by professional Japanese teachers about their views of Japanese food culture.

Posted by on in Japanese food

Eating eels as food.

In Japan freshwater eels or unagi and marine eels or anago are commonly used in Washoku or Japanese cuisine. It is a popular dish all over east Asia, and are also very popular in Chinese cuisine, in Hong Kong and in Korean cuisine. It is often names as a source of stamina and minerals and vitamins.

In this blog for learning Japanese, Japanese teacher Yuki Kamiyama explores the origin of the special eel eating day in Japan which is called Doyo no Ushi no Hi. Reading this blog and studying the vocabulary, Kanji and listening to the blog video on YouTube, can help with JLPT preparation.

土用の丑の日
'Doyo no Ushi no Hi' day

kamiyama

By KAMIYAMA Yuki

unagi-2020

 みなさんの国ではうなぎを食べますか。 日本ではうなぎは高級食材のひとつです。 うなぎはビタミンやカルシウムなどの栄養が豊富で夏バテ予防に効くと言われています。「ばてる」は動けなくなるほど疲れるという意味で、「夏バテ」は暑さによる体調不良のことです。

 日本人が1年でいちばんうなぎを食べるのは土用の丑の日です。 江戸時代に夏の売り上げが落ち込んで困っていたうなぎ屋に、平賀源内という学者が、店先に「土用の丑の日はうなぎの日、食べれば夏に負けない」という看板を立てたらいいとアドバイスしました。するとその店は大繁盛。ほかのうなぎ屋もまねをするようになったのだそうです。今でいうキャッチコピーですね。それから日本では夏の土用の丑の日はうなぎを食べるようになりました。 香ばしく焼けた皮に、ふわふわの身、甘辛いたれ、うなぎのかば焼きはわたしも大好物です。

みなさんもぜひ一度食べてみてください。

To listen to this blog, please watch our Youtube video. 

土用(どよう)の丑(うし)の日(ひ)

 みなさんの国(くに)ではうなぎを食(た)べますか。 日本(にほん)ではうなぎは高級食材(こうきゅうしょくざい)のひとつです。 うなぎはビタミンやカルシウムなどの栄養(えいよう)が豊富(ほうふ)で夏(なつ)バテ予防(よぼう)に効(き)くと言(い)われています。「ばてる」は動(うご)けなくなるほど疲(つか)れるという意味(いみ)で、「夏(なつ)バテ」は暑(あつ)さによる体調不良(たいちょうふりょう)のことです。

 日本人(にほんじん)が1年(ねん)でいちばんうなぎを食(た)べるのは土用の丑の日(どようのうしのひ)です。 江戸時代(えどじだい)に夏(なつ)の売(う)り上(あ)げが落(お)ち込(こ)んで困(こま)っていたうなぎ屋(や)に、平賀源内(ひらがげんない)という学者(がくしゃ)が、店先(みせさき)に「土用の丑の日(どようのうしのひ)はうなぎの日(ひ)、食(た)べれば夏(なつ)に負(ま)けない」という看板(かんばん)を立(た)てたらいいとアドバイスしました。するとその店(みせ)は大繁盛(だいはんじょう)。ほかのうなぎ屋(や)もまねをするようになったのだそうです。今(いま)でいうキャッチコピーですね。それから日本(にほん)では夏(なつ)の土用の丑の日(どようのうしのひ)はうなぎを食(た)べるようになりました。 香(こう)ばしく焼(や)けた皮(かわ)に、ふわふわの身(み)、甘辛(あまから)いたれ、うなぎのかば焼(や)きはわたしも大好物(だいこうぶつ)です。

 みなさんもぜひ一度(いちど)食(た)べてみてください。

'Doyo no Ushi no Hi' day

Do you each eel in your country? In Japan, eel is one of the luxury foods. It is said that eel is effective to prevent heat stroke because it is abundant in nutrition including vitamins and calcium. “Bateru” means to be exhausted so much that you cannot move, and “Natsu Bate” means bad health condition due to heat.

The day on which Japanese people eat the most eel meals annually, is the 'Doyo no Ushi no Hi' day. In the Edo period, the summer sales of eel had decreased and a scholar named Hiraga Gennai gave some advice to an eel restaurant that if they put a sign at the front of the store saying, “ Doyo no Ushi no Hi is eel day, if you eat it you will not lose to the summer”. After that the store did great business. Other eel restaurants began to copy this. It was a very right on catch copy. And from then on, in Japan, Doyo no Ushi no Hi became the day in which people eat eel. With its aromatic grilled skin, the soft flesh, the sweet sour sauce all dipped and broiled in soy-based sauce is one of my all time favorites.

If you get a chance try to eat it at least once.

うなぎ eel

高級食材(こうきゅうしょくざい) luxury food

体調不良(たいちょうふりょう) bad health condition

うなぎ屋(や) eel restaurant

学者(がくしゃ) scientist

大繁盛(だいはんじょう) do a great business

大好物 (だいこうぶつ) great favorite food

kamiyama

Hajimemashite, my name is Yuki Kamiyama. I live in Tokyo with my family (husband and two children).

My hobbies are reading books and watching movies. It doesn't matter what genre, I really enjoy and get stimulated by coming into contact with worlds that I do not yet know.

Why did you decide to study Japanese ? Was it for work, or for a hobby ? Or was it travel to Japan ? I would like to stand beside you and help you realize your hopes as you state, “I want to say this in Japanese ! I want to learn !” I will support you as much as I possibly can to get you to achieve your goals.

Start 3 Trial FlexLessons for only $9 !

Last modified on