In Japanese culture, each year has each animals called "jyuunishi.
Every year, the animal changes according to the order.
Jyuuni means twelve(12).
12 kinds of animals are here.
1 mouse
2 cow
3 tiger
4 rabbit
5 dragon
6 snake
7 horse
8 sheep
9 monkey
10 chicken
11 dog
12 the wild boar
For example, 2013 is the year of snake.
Last year was dragon. 2014 is the year of horse. After the year of the wild boar,
the next year begins from the mouse.
I got some nengajou(postcard) from my friends. Can you see the picture of snake?
This tradition came from China in the old days.
Sometimes we ask someone what kind of the year he or she was born.
I was born in 1978. It was the year of horse. So I answer "Uma doshi".
Uma means horse. Doshi means "the year"
11 comments:
So for me it's Usagi doshi (1987)
うさぎ年? (^_^)
Yes! You are うさぎ年。
Did you know this Japanese tradition?
I think it is one of the good
topics when you talk with Japanese
people.
Yes I knew of it :)
But I didn't know how to say it. (jyuuni shi / usagi doshi)
I get a calendar from a Chinese restaurant every year, I can see the years and animals there! ^_^
I like this tradition!
And me it should be 羊年
There was a famous manga in France (famous because it was one of the first to be published in the years around 2000, when manga's fashion started here) which is called "Fruits Basket". In this manga, the twelve personages could transform each one in one of those 12 animals.
Yesterday I started reading ささめ雪 - Tanizaki Junichirô (In french the title is different, it's Quatre soeurs (4 sisters))
In this book, there is write that in Kansai, there is a belief which says that a woman who is born in sheep year will have an unhappy fate with mariage. Really ? pfiouu... thanks God i'm a boy !
To Paul
I don't know about the woman's story you mentioned.
Do you like Tanizaki's novel?
I have read his essay when I was in high school.
I haven't read classical novel recently.
I have read some Mishima's novels.
5 days ago, I bought 6 novels from Tanizaki, Kawabata and Mishima. I started read them and i couldn't help myself to read everything ! (I've got some holiday now)
I really liked Mishima - 潮騒 (le tumulte des flots) which is a simple love story and one of Kawabata 美しさと悲しみと (Tristesse et beauté) which is more complicate that a simple love story !
I also read several novels from Tanizaki, I'm interested in but not as much as in Kawabata's. I think that Kawabata can say more things in less words, it makes me dream more. I think i will buy again Kawabata's books next week.
To Paul
When you read the translated Japanese novel, I don't know how you feel that. Especially, I guess
it is difficult to translate Kawabata's work because his Japanese is poetic.
Anyway,if you have fun, it is nice.
I like the Mishima's work,
Kinkakuji. The description is
great.
Very interesting!
Hmmm...I was born in 1982...So it means the year of the cow;(...Arghh, I don't like cows lol.
Canadian woman
To Anonymous
Oh, you don't like the cow!
That's funny.
I have never heard of the person
who doesn't like the cow in my life...
Well, it's not my favorite animal, but not the one I like the least either;) lol じつはわたしはぎゅうにゅうがすきです;)(To tell the truth, I like milk;) )
Canadian woman
To Anonymous
You don't like うし、
but you like ぎゅうにゅう
But the cow gives us a milk!
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