Japanese Kikubari About an allergy

  I write about Japaense Kikubari after a long time.
In Japan, the bride and groom send a card with an invitation card.
On that card, they ask guest's allergy because the bride and
groom serve guests.
  I got an answer that says he has an allergy of a raw shrimp.
You may not eat an raw shrimp in your culture. So this allergy
sounds special to Japanese culture.
  The cook will prepare the meal without a raw shrimp for him
at the wedding.
  This is Japanese Kikubari.

Japanese expression ~18~ できちゃった婚 de ki tyatta kon

  In some cases, Japanese couples get married after knowing the bride
gets pregnant. We sometimes call this kind of marriage "Dekityatta kon".
The nuance of this expression is complicated a bit.
 In Japanese, when we say "tyatta" that means "accidentally".
And it has childish and cute nuance.
  20 years ago, Dekityatta kon was not accepted socially, however,
the situation seems to be changing. I often hear someone get married
in this style.
 I think people still avoid disclosing openly though. Close friends would
be known by the couple.

  But it's true that Japanese people usually do not raise their baby
without registering the marriage. I heard that some of the couples
raise their baby without registering the marriage in Europe.
 

Japanese saying ~20~な na

I introduce a saying that begins from "な" na

(I haven't witten this topic on Japanese saying for a long time.)

That is... ななころび　やおき　na na ko ro bi     ya o
 ki
Kanji  is  七転び八起き
"Nana" means seven
"Ya" means eight
Korobi means "fall to the ground"
Oki means "pick yourself up"
It means, you would make failures seven times. But you should come back eight times.

Now I believe that the only way to achieve something is not to give up...

Japanese expression ~17~ 矛盾 contradiction

  In Japanese, 矛盾（mu jun）means "contradition".
This word has a story which comes from Chinese culture.
As you may know, Japanese culture has been affected by Chinese culture.

 矛 means "A sword"
盾　means "A shield"

 Long time ago, there was a man who is selling a sword on the street.
He said to the customers, "This sword is so great. It can pierce any shields."
He was also selling a shield there.
He said to the customers,"This shield is so great. There are not any swords
which can pierce this shield".
One customer asked to the shopkeeper, "What happens if you pierce
the shield with the sword in hand?"

You know, this shopkeeper's word has contradiction.

  This word 矛盾　means "contradiction."

Japanese traditional culture ~39~ Origami ~How to make a crane~

  Today, I will teach you how to make a crane with origami.
Do you know origami? I have heard that this Japanese traditional
culture is getting to be known all over the world.
  It is a kind of craft with paper.
  In Japan, you can buy colorful papers for origami like below.
And also, it's not expensive. Just 100 yen(less than 1 Euro) ~ 300 yen.
And it has 300 papers in the one pack.
  Why do I need to make a crane with origami?
  It's because I want to use a lot of cranes by origami at my wedding party.
You may have seen the scene, many guests scatter petals in hand to the
bride and groom. We will do that with a lot of cranes instead of petals.
  This way seems to be getting popular at Japanese wedding.
  When I heard of that, I got surprised to know such a creative way.
  Traditionally, Japanese people have imported other cultures from abroad
and modified those cultures in Japanese way. This is one of the typical examples
of such Japanese style.
  By the way, I attach a lot of photos on how to make a crane.

                                                     Fold once like above

Fold twice like this

 I don't know how to explain in English... Just see and imitate it...

 You fold the other side like this

 You need to make this.

 I guess this is the most difficult for begginers.

 You do the same thing on the other side.

It's done.

 You can try this with a square paper. I have to make 300 cranes with my bride.

I'll ask some people for help.

 Today is Sunday. It's my lovely holiday!! I will practice the piano for my wedding.

I will play the classical piece "the Liebestraum No. 3" by Franz Liszt at my wedding.

And I will get ahead of the story I have launched to write a bit.

My works ~11~ "Biwa houshi"

  I have started writing a story about Biwa houshi.
Biwa houshi is a blind man who was the story teller in old age.
Biwa houshi told some brave stories of warriors, playing the instrument, called Biwa.
I learned that there was a story teller, like biwa houshi, called scops in England.

 Do you know "crops"?

Japanese expression ~16~無常観

無常観　"mu  jou  kan"
Mu　無　nothing
Jou   常   eternal
Kan 　観
"Everything is not eternal."
It is said that this concept represents the philosophy of Japanese culture.
However, we have not been conscious of this concept in our daily life.

  Japanese Children learn this word from the classical literature, called
Heike monogatari = Heike story. It was written in Kamakura period.
It's about 1000 years ago.
  The story is about Samurai family named Heike who were destroyed by the other Samurai
family, Genji.
  Heike used to be very strong. They had a power in the government of those period.
However, Heike was destroyed. Their proprieties did not last for a long time.
It is exactly "Mu jou 無常".

 I have heard the European philosopher's word. "everything flows"
It seems that the word tells us the same kind of idea.
I don't know if it's exactly the same though.
I think people in Europe tend to think logically than an oriental.
 So, I guess each idea was not concluded in the same process.