Learning Katakana? Try here:
http://thejapanesepage.com/beginners/katakana
K
10 January 2011
Hiragana flashcards
This is a fun tool to help you review your hiragana.
http://thejapanesepage.com/node/hiragana/hiraganar.htm
If you're new to Japanese here's where you can learn Hiragana.
http://thejapanesepage.com/hiragana
Enjoy!
Karen
P. S. Here are a couple of things I did to help me learn hiragana.
http://thejapanesepage.com/node/hiragana/hiraganar.htm
If you're new to Japanese here's where you can learn Hiragana.
http://thejapanesepage.com/hiragana
Enjoy!
Karen
P. S. Here are a couple of things I did to help me learn hiragana.
05 October 2010
Books about Japan
Japan
Chris Rowthorn et al, Lonely Planet, 1981, 2003
ISBN – 1-74059-162-3
Japan
Eyewitness Travel Guides, Dorling Kindersley, 2002
ISBN – 0-7513-2729-8
Japan, A Short History
John Gillespie, ICG Muse, Inc & Tuttle Shokai Inc., 2001
ISBN 4-925080-35-0
Japanese Lifestyles
JETRO, 1999
ISBN 4-8224-0961-9
The Book of Tea
Kakuzo Okakura, Kodansha International Ltd., 1989
ISBN 4-7700-1541-9
Inventing Japan 1853-1964
Ian Buruma, Modern Library (part of Random House), 2003
ISBN 0-8129-7286-4
Chris Rowthorn et al, Lonely Planet, 1981, 2003
ISBN – 1-74059-162-3
Japan
Eyewitness Travel Guides, Dorling Kindersley, 2002
ISBN – 0-7513-2729-8
Japan, A Short History
John Gillespie, ICG Muse, Inc & Tuttle Shokai Inc., 2001
ISBN 4-925080-35-0
Japanese Lifestyles
JETRO, 1999
ISBN 4-8224-0961-9
The Book of Tea
Kakuzo Okakura, Kodansha International Ltd., 1989
ISBN 4-7700-1541-9
Inventing Japan 1853-1964
Ian Buruma, Modern Library (part of Random House), 2003
ISBN 0-8129-7286-4
Japanese Language Books
Japanese Language Books
Minna no Nihongo I & II
ISBN 4-88319-102-8 (Book 1)
ISBN 4-88319-107-9 (Translation & Grammatical Notes book 1)
ISBN 4-88319-103-6 (Book 2)
ISBN 4-88319-108-7 (Translation & Grammatical Notes book 2)
1998
The textbook itself is totally in Japanese so you should also get a book called “Translation & Grammatical Notes” which is available in English as well as several other languages. Each book has a set of 4 CDs. There’s also a kanji practice but I haven’t used that. This book is a little hard for self-study but I’ve found it really useful as the main book in the private classes I’m taking.
Japanese for College Students I, II & III
International Christian University, Kodansha International, 1996
ISBN-4-7700-1997-1 (Book 1)
ISBN-4-7700-1998-X (Book 2)
ISBN-4-7700-1999-8 (Book 3)
As this book is in English it’s easier to understand on its own, though you’d need the teacher’s book for the answers. (I haven’t seen it and don’t know what language it’s in.) Each book has 3 cassettes. What’s great about this book is that it incorporates reading and writing into each unit, and includes kanji practice, which Minna no Nihongo doesn’t.
250 Essential Kanji for Everyday Use Vols. I & II
Kanji Text Research Group, University of Tokyo, Tuttle Language Library, 1993
ISBN – 0-8048-3558-6 (Book 1)
ISBN – 0-8048-3638-8 (Book 2)
These books are great additional kanji practice, especially as they take a very practical look at kanjis. They focus on the ones that you will encounter in everyday life and introduce them in realistic situations.
Basic Kanji Book Vols. 1 and 2
By Chieko Kano, Yuri Shimizu, Hiroko Takenaka, Eriko Ishii, Bonjinsha Co., Ltd., 1989 ISBN- 4-89358-091-4 (Vol. 1)
This is a more traditional kanji book. I like it as it explains the origin of the kanjis which helps you to understand them a little more.
Total Japanese (Conversation) Vols 1 and 2.
Okano Kimiko et al., Waseda University, International Division, 1994
ISBN – 4-89358-278-X (Vol. 1)
ISBN – 4-89358-279-8 (Vol. 2)
As the name suggests, these books focus on language (grammar and vocabulary) that are essential for everyday conversation.
Oxford Japanese Grammar & Verbs
Oxford University Press, 2003
ISBN – 0-19-860382-7
Japanese Verbs at a Glance
Naoko Chino, Kodansha International, 2001
ISBN 4-7700-2765-6
Survival Japanese
Boye De Mente with Junji Kawai, Tuttle Publishing, 1991
ISBN 0-8048-3368-0
Japanese Phrasebook
Yoshi Abe, Lonely Planet, 1998
ISBN 0-86442-616-X
Minna no Nihongo I & II
ISBN 4-88319-102-8 (Book 1)
ISBN 4-88319-107-9 (Translation & Grammatical Notes book 1)
ISBN 4-88319-103-6 (Book 2)
ISBN 4-88319-108-7 (Translation & Grammatical Notes book 2)
1998
The textbook itself is totally in Japanese so you should also get a book called “Translation & Grammatical Notes” which is available in English as well as several other languages. Each book has a set of 4 CDs. There’s also a kanji practice but I haven’t used that. This book is a little hard for self-study but I’ve found it really useful as the main book in the private classes I’m taking.
Japanese for College Students I, II & III
International Christian University, Kodansha International, 1996
ISBN-4-7700-1997-1 (Book 1)
ISBN-4-7700-1998-X (Book 2)
ISBN-4-7700-1999-8 (Book 3)
As this book is in English it’s easier to understand on its own, though you’d need the teacher’s book for the answers. (I haven’t seen it and don’t know what language it’s in.) Each book has 3 cassettes. What’s great about this book is that it incorporates reading and writing into each unit, and includes kanji practice, which Minna no Nihongo doesn’t.
250 Essential Kanji for Everyday Use Vols. I & II
Kanji Text Research Group, University of Tokyo, Tuttle Language Library, 1993
ISBN – 0-8048-3558-6 (Book 1)
ISBN – 0-8048-3638-8 (Book 2)
These books are great additional kanji practice, especially as they take a very practical look at kanjis. They focus on the ones that you will encounter in everyday life and introduce them in realistic situations.
Basic Kanji Book Vols. 1 and 2
By Chieko Kano, Yuri Shimizu, Hiroko Takenaka, Eriko Ishii, Bonjinsha Co., Ltd., 1989 ISBN- 4-89358-091-4 (Vol. 1)
This is a more traditional kanji book. I like it as it explains the origin of the kanjis which helps you to understand them a little more.
Total Japanese (Conversation) Vols 1 and 2.
Okano Kimiko et al., Waseda University, International Division, 1994
ISBN – 4-89358-278-X (Vol. 1)
ISBN – 4-89358-279-8 (Vol. 2)
As the name suggests, these books focus on language (grammar and vocabulary) that are essential for everyday conversation.
Oxford Japanese Grammar & Verbs
Oxford University Press, 2003
ISBN – 0-19-860382-7
Japanese Verbs at a Glance
Naoko Chino, Kodansha International, 2001
ISBN 4-7700-2765-6
Survival Japanese
Boye De Mente with Junji Kawai, Tuttle Publishing, 1991
ISBN 0-8048-3368-0
Japanese Phrasebook
Yoshi Abe, Lonely Planet, 1998
ISBN 0-86442-616-X
Consolidation
I'm slowly going to get all the old information from my old website consolidated into my blogs so you'll see new things here and there. (I'm getting rid of the website.)
Enjoy.
Karen
Enjoy.
Karen
31 August 2007
final cooking class 015
Not very easy to eat with chopsticks though!!
Ready!
お好みやき Okonomiyaki
Savoury pancakes – Osaka style
Ingredients
100g flour
100g dashi stock or water
2 eggs
10g yam
200g cabbage
150g meat
1 squid
ginger
Obviously mine was veggie with no meat or squid. I do eat eggs though.
Preparation:
Cut and dice all the ingredients.
Make the batter. Beat the eggs. Add grated yam. Add mirin to dashi. Add flour. Mix well.
Mix batter with extra ingredients. Divide batter into 4 bowls (one each).
Cook. Pre-heat a hot plate then spread salad oil on its surface. Pour batter (with ingredients) onto the hot plate. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, or until you see small bubbles form around the edges. Then flip and cook the other side. Don’t press the okonomiyaki with a spatula – they’re supposed to be fat!
Serve with sauce and garnish. (OK, so I like ketchup!)
Ready!
お好みやき Okonomiyaki
Savoury pancakes – Osaka style
Ingredients
100g flour
100g dashi stock or water
2 eggs
10g yam
200g cabbage
150g meat
1 squid
ginger
Obviously mine was veggie with no meat or squid. I do eat eggs though.
Preparation:
Cut and dice all the ingredients.
Make the batter. Beat the eggs. Add grated yam. Add mirin to dashi. Add flour. Mix well.
Mix batter with extra ingredients. Divide batter into 4 bowls (one each).
Cook. Pre-heat a hot plate then spread salad oil on its surface. Pour batter (with ingredients) onto the hot plate. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, or until you see small bubbles form around the edges. Then flip and cook the other side. Don’t press the okonomiyaki with a spatula – they’re supposed to be fat!
Serve with sauce and garnish. (OK, so I like ketchup!)
final cooking class 008
利久まんじゆう
Rikyu Manju – Bean jam bun
Finished and ready to eat. Delicious!
They say that Sen no Rikyu, a master of tea ceremony, liked eating this food so this name was given. The other name is “chamanjyu” (Japanese tea bean jam bun), which is one of the most familiar manjyu. We use the character久 kyu, because it is said that 休 kyu is disliked in the world of cooking.
Ingredients
170g flour
1 tsp baking soda
50g brown sugar
50g white sugar
50g water
200g red bean paste
Instructions
Mix and sift the flour and baking soda.
Put the brown sugar, white sugar and water in a pot. Boil and melt them. When the water is boiled, turn off the gas and melt them with the remaining heat.
When 2 cools, add 1 and make crusts as soft as an earlobe. Divide into 10 pieces.
Divide the red bean paste into 10 pieces and make into balls.
Flatter 3 with your palm and wrap the red bean paste balls with them.
Lay a wet cloth on a steamer and put the balls on them. Steam for 10 minutes using high heat.
When they’re steamed, remove them from the heat and fan them to give them a gloss.
Rikyu Manju – Bean jam bun
Finished and ready to eat. Delicious!
They say that Sen no Rikyu, a master of tea ceremony, liked eating this food so this name was given. The other name is “chamanjyu” (Japanese tea bean jam bun), which is one of the most familiar manjyu. We use the character久 kyu, because it is said that 休 kyu is disliked in the world of cooking.
Ingredients
170g flour
1 tsp baking soda
50g brown sugar
50g white sugar
50g water
200g red bean paste
Instructions
Mix and sift the flour and baking soda.
Put the brown sugar, white sugar and water in a pot. Boil and melt them. When the water is boiled, turn off the gas and melt them with the remaining heat.
When 2 cools, add 1 and make crusts as soft as an earlobe. Divide into 10 pieces.
Divide the red bean paste into 10 pieces and make into balls.
Flatter 3 with your palm and wrap the red bean paste balls with them.
Lay a wet cloth on a steamer and put the balls on them. Steam for 10 minutes using high heat.
When they’re steamed, remove them from the heat and fan them to give them a gloss.
udon cooking class 008
Udon Noodles
For 5 servings:
500g semi-hard flour
225cc water
1 tsp salt
Extra flour for the plate
Dipping sauce:
400cc water
100cc soy sauce
100cc mirin
2 packs dried bonito (or alternative vegetarian flavouring!)
Instructions
1.Dissolve salt in the water.
2.Put the flour in a big bowl. Pour in the water / salt mix little by little and mix.
3.Knead the flour fully until it becomes round. Put the dough into a plastic bag. Cover with a cloth and tread on it for about 10 minutes.
4.Remove the dough from the bag and put it on a wooden plate. Knead powerfully until shiny.
5.Round and wrap up. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
6.Flour the wooden plate lightly and put the dough on it. Hit it hard with your fist to spread it.
7.Roll out the dough until it’s about 4mm thick.
8.Fold it like a folding screen and cut into strips of about 5mm width. Flour and separate noodles.
9.Boil a large pan of water. When boiled lower the heat and put the noodles into the water, separating them as you do it.
10.Just before it boils over, add ¼ cup of cold water and continue boiling for another 15 mins. (Properly boiled noodles are transparent.)
11.Remove boiled noodles quickly to a big bowl filled with water to cool them. Wash them under running water to remove the stickiness. Drain.
Dipping Sauce instructions
1. Put water, soy sauce, mirin and veg ingredients into a pan and boil. After boiling lower heat and simmer for 3 more minutes. Strain.
Put it all together and enjoy. Yum yum!
For 5 servings:
500g semi-hard flour
225cc water
1 tsp salt
Extra flour for the plate
Dipping sauce:
400cc water
100cc soy sauce
100cc mirin
2 packs dried bonito (or alternative vegetarian flavouring!)
Instructions
1.Dissolve salt in the water.
2.Put the flour in a big bowl. Pour in the water / salt mix little by little and mix.
3.Knead the flour fully until it becomes round. Put the dough into a plastic bag. Cover with a cloth and tread on it for about 10 minutes.
4.Remove the dough from the bag and put it on a wooden plate. Knead powerfully until shiny.
5.Round and wrap up. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
6.Flour the wooden plate lightly and put the dough on it. Hit it hard with your fist to spread it.
7.Roll out the dough until it’s about 4mm thick.
8.Fold it like a folding screen and cut into strips of about 5mm width. Flour and separate noodles.
9.Boil a large pan of water. When boiled lower the heat and put the noodles into the water, separating them as you do it.
10.Just before it boils over, add ¼ cup of cold water and continue boiling for another 15 mins. (Properly boiled noodles are transparent.)
11.Remove boiled noodles quickly to a big bowl filled with water to cool them. Wash them under running water to remove the stickiness. Drain.
Dipping Sauce instructions
1. Put water, soy sauce, mirin and veg ingredients into a pan and boil. After boiling lower heat and simmer for 3 more minutes. Strain.
Put it all together and enjoy. Yum yum!
my miso soup
Instant Clear Soupそくせきすましじる
Ingredients
A little Shiokonbu (salted kelp)
A little dried wakame seaweed
A little katsuobushi
Finely chopped onion
Preparation
1. Put the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Pour hot water on top of them.
3. Add salt or a little soy sauce to taste.
Ingredients
A little Shiokonbu (salted kelp)
A little dried wakame seaweed
A little katsuobushi
Finely chopped onion
Preparation
1. Put the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Pour hot water on top of them.
3. Add salt or a little soy sauce to taste.
my sushi
Sushi すし
There are several types of sushi. We made Futomakizushi 太巻き寿司 – thick rolled-sushi.
There are three stages when making this kind of sushi:
1. Make the sushimeshi (rice)
2. Make the other ingredients (to add to the rice).
3. Roll and form.
Ingredients (makes 5 rolls)
Sushimeshi すし飯 (cooked, seaonsed rice) –4 go (560g) when uncooked.
Koyadofu 高野豆腐 (dried, frozen tofu) 1.5 pieces
Kanpyou かんぴょう (dried gourd strips) 20g
Hoshi-shiitake 干ししいたけ (dried shiitake mushrooms) 10g (2 large ones)
Dashijiru 煮出し汁 (stock) 250cc made from 40g sugar 砂糖 and 30cc soy sauce しょうゆ.
Mitsuba 三つ葉 (honewort) 50g
Denbu でんぶ (mashed, seasoned fish) 25g
Nori のり (seaweed) 5 sheets
Cook the sushimeshi すし飯の作り方
You should use “Japonica” rice (Japanese type) which is short and sticky and easier to eat with chopsticks (rather than long-grain or Indica / Indian type).
Ingredients: 560g rice, 800cc water, kombu or kelp seaweed. Vinegar mix: 80cc rice vinegar, 4tbs sugar, 2tbs salt.
1. Cook rice (with a big piece of seaweed) in a rice cooker for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the vinegar mix by stiring the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl.
3. Put the cooked rice into a wooden vat. Add the vinegar mix. Stir lightly with a rice scoop, taking care that it doesn’t get sticky. Fan so it becomes shiny. Cover and leave to cool.
Other ingredients “gu” 具
Left – strips of dried gourd, shiitake mushrooms and koyadofu.
Right – shiitake mushrooms
How to roll sushi
Place the seaweed shiny side down on a makisu (which is a sheet made of thin strips of bamboo especially for rollling sushi.) Leave about 1 cm gap at the bottom.
Evenly spread the rice on the seaweed, starting with the edges.
If your fingers get a little sticky use some of the rice vinegar mix.
Leave about 2cm space at the top of the seaweed.
Add “gu” in a line across the bottom.
Then roll. Press the “gu” with your fingers, hold the bottom of the makisu with your thumbs and roll.
Roll your hands forward, pressing the makisu lightly with your thumbs. Then release the “gu”.
Make sure the bottom of the rice meets the top nicely. Roll and mold the finished sushi roll.
Then cut.
Then put on the plate and add a little ginger for decoration.
Enjoy.
There are several types of sushi. We made Futomakizushi 太巻き寿司 – thick rolled-sushi.
There are three stages when making this kind of sushi:
1. Make the sushimeshi (rice)
2. Make the other ingredients (to add to the rice).
3. Roll and form.
Ingredients (makes 5 rolls)
Sushimeshi すし飯 (cooked, seaonsed rice) –4 go (560g) when uncooked.
Koyadofu 高野豆腐 (dried, frozen tofu) 1.5 pieces
Kanpyou かんぴょう (dried gourd strips) 20g
Hoshi-shiitake 干ししいたけ (dried shiitake mushrooms) 10g (2 large ones)
Dashijiru 煮出し汁 (stock) 250cc made from 40g sugar 砂糖 and 30cc soy sauce しょうゆ.
Mitsuba 三つ葉 (honewort) 50g
Denbu でんぶ (mashed, seasoned fish) 25g
Nori のり (seaweed) 5 sheets
Cook the sushimeshi すし飯の作り方
You should use “Japonica” rice (Japanese type) which is short and sticky and easier to eat with chopsticks (rather than long-grain or Indica / Indian type).
Ingredients: 560g rice, 800cc water, kombu or kelp seaweed. Vinegar mix: 80cc rice vinegar, 4tbs sugar, 2tbs salt.
1. Cook rice (with a big piece of seaweed) in a rice cooker for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the vinegar mix by stiring the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl.
3. Put the cooked rice into a wooden vat. Add the vinegar mix. Stir lightly with a rice scoop, taking care that it doesn’t get sticky. Fan so it becomes shiny. Cover and leave to cool.
Other ingredients “gu” 具
Left – strips of dried gourd, shiitake mushrooms and koyadofu.
Right – shiitake mushrooms
How to roll sushi
Place the seaweed shiny side down on a makisu (which is a sheet made of thin strips of bamboo especially for rollling sushi.) Leave about 1 cm gap at the bottom.
Evenly spread the rice on the seaweed, starting with the edges.
If your fingers get a little sticky use some of the rice vinegar mix.
Leave about 2cm space at the top of the seaweed.
Add “gu” in a line across the bottom.
Then roll. Press the “gu” with your fingers, hold the bottom of the makisu with your thumbs and roll.
Roll your hands forward, pressing the makisu lightly with your thumbs. Then release the “gu”.
Make sure the bottom of the rice meets the top nicely. Roll and mold the finished sushi roll.
Then cut.
Then put on the plate and add a little ginger for decoration.
Enjoy.
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