Soga no Umako (?-626) was a prominent member of the powerful Soga clan. He worked together with Prince Shōtoku to promote Buddhism in Japan, but his intentions were more practical than religious. The powerful rival clan Mononobe was against the addoption of Buddhism, so Umako supported the new religion with the intention of weakening the rival family.
In 587, Umako succeeded in destroying the Mononobe clan by defeating its leader, Mononobe no Moriya. He then worked with the imperial court, but grew up disatissfied with the Sushun emperor, whom he had assassinated and replaced with empress Suiko. He then supported Shōtoku Taishin in the adoption of Buddhism and Chinese culture in Japan.
It is believed that his tomb is located in the Ishibutai Kofun in Nara.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Samurai language - 10 fixed phrases
More samurai language
1) ちょこざいなり[chokozai nari]
-
approximate meaning: なまいきな、差し出がましい
-
impertinent, presumptuous, impudent
- in kanji,
it is written as 猪口才. 猪口 means small
sake cup, and 才 means talent, so the expression might refer to someone
of low ability
ちょこざいな口をきくな。
Don't
be impertinent!
2) やくたいもない [yakutai mo nai]
-
approximate meaning: 役にも立たない
- useless, worthless, absurd
そんなやくたいもない話はやめろ。
Stop talking such silly nonsense.
3) ぜひもない [zehi mo nai]
- approximate meaning: やむを得ない, どうにもならない
- unavoidable, inevitable, have no choice but to ~
彼にしつこく頼まれて是非もなく金を貸した。
Since he was so persistent in asking, I had no choice
but to lend him money.
4) 慮外 [ryogai]
-
approximate meaning: 思いがけない、以外、だしぬけ、無礼、失礼
-
unexpected, rude, sudden
-
in the form 「慮外ながら」 , it's similar
to 「失礼ですが」
5) 枉げて
[magete]
- approximate meaning: 何がなんでも、ぜひとも、むりに、しいて
- if
anything, by all means
そこを枉げてご出席くだいさませんか。
I know it
is too much to ask, but won't you please attend the meeting for my sake?
6) かまえて [kamaete]
-
approximate meaning: ぜったい～な、決して～な
- expresses
strong negation: don't ~
7) ひらに [hira ni]
- approximate meaning: 何とぞお願いいたします
=
earnestly, humbly, sincerely
平にお許しください。
I earnestly
beg your pardon.
8) 一つまいろう [hitotsu mairou]
-
approximate meaning: まずは一杯
= let's
drink, let's have a drink
- used
before beginning to drink
久しぶりだ、一つまいろう。
It's been a
while, let's have a drink.
9) 過ごされよ [sugosareyo]
- approximate meaning: パーッといきましょう
= let's
drink, let's have a good time
- with
close friends, it can take the form すごせ
10) お流れちょうだい [onagare choudai]
- used when drinking from someone else's sake cup (a superior or a person
you highly respect)
- there was
a belief among the Japanese that the lost drops of sake in a cup would help
purify one's body and spirit
お流れ頂戴します。
It is an
honor to drink from your wine cup.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Self-introduction in Japanese e-mail
Below are some structures that can be used in the beginning of a mail, when you send a mail to someone for the first time, and also have to introduce yourself. The formality degree is from polite, to very formal
- suitable for enquiries regarding products or services
- standard phrase for when you send an e-mail for the first time to someone
- another standard beginning of a first-time mail
- used for superiors, conveying the apology of abruptly sending an e-mail with no or very little previous contact or greetings
- when contact someone that has been introduced to you by someone else, make sure to mention the name of the person that made the introductions
- 初めてメールを送らせていただきました。
- suitable for enquiries regarding products or services
- 初めてご連絡を差し上げます。
- standard phrase for when you send an e-mail for the first time to someone
- 突然のメールで失礼します。
- another standard beginning of a first-time mail
- 突然、メールを差し上げるご無礼をお許しください。
- used for superiors, conveying the apology of abruptly sending an e-mail with no or very little previous contact or greetings
- when contact someone that has been introduced to you by someone else, make sure to mention the name of the person that made the introductions
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Empress Suiko
Empress Suiko (554-7 March 628) was the first reigning empress of the Yamato kingdom. She had Prince Shoutoku act as regent and encouraged the spread of Buddhism in Japan. She resisted the pressures of the powerful families, including Soga no Umako, who made demands of her, and maintained her independence. Part of her reasoning in country-wide adoption of Buddhism was that it would turn Yamato in a peaceful country. To help achieve that, she issued the Flourishing Three Treasures Edict in 594, and due to her support, important temples were erected, such as Shitennō-ji (present day Osaka, oldest officially administered temple in Japan), Asukadera (Nara), and Hōryū-ji (Nara, the pagoda of the temple is one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Tips for sending Japanese business mail
When sending a mail, it is customary to include in the recipient name's field the company he / she belongs to, the name of the recipient and an honorific.
If the recipient is not a specific person, but a group of people, honorific forms that include groups are used, such as :
- for communication between companies and organizations: 「～御中」
- for groups and messages inside a company: 「～各位」、「～の皆様」
Formality level (from high to low)
Opening sentences
Before jumping straight into the matter at hand, there are some standard openings for an e-mail. If writing to someone for the first time, state the fact that this is the first time when you send them a mail, in a polite way:
「初めてメールを送らせていただきます」
If the recipient is someone who you've had exchanges before, use a fixed expression to show appreciation for their previous assitance:
「いつもお世話になっております」
Depending on the situation, you might use different openers:
- if you've had a meeting with the recipient the previous day, thank them for taking the time to see you: 「昨日は貴重なお時間をいただき、ありがとうございました」
- if you've been treated to a meal the day before, thank them for the treat: 「先日はごちそうさまでした」
- in case you need to apologize for a mistake on your part: 「ご面倒をおかけして申し訳ございませんでした」
Getting to the subject
After the opening, you can use certain words such as 「さて」 or 「さっそくですが」 to signify that now you are about to go into the subject of the mail. You begin by outlining your actions and the steps you took for a certain course of action, before requesting what is needed from the recipient.
Examples
- asking for confirmation: 「確認して返事を下さい」
- requesting a meeting: 「日時 のご指定をお願いします」
Quoting
If you want to answer to some questions in the mail you received, you can copy them from the sender's mail and paste them in your answer, preceded by the > mark. That way you can answer directly to the query in a way that is clear for the other party as well.
> pasted content from the sender's mail
your answer here
Ending
It is impolite to end a mail abruptly. Instead, some fixed phrases are used at the end to conclude the communication:
「どうぞよろしくお願いいたします」
「それではご検討のほど、よろしくお願いします」
「まずはお礼まで」
PS
There are 2 types of postscript messages that can be inserted after the ending.
「追記」 - content that is not directly related to the main subject. It shouldn't exceed 2-3 lines
「追伸」 - words that express the concern towards the health of a close person, information useful for the recipient
Signature
In the signature you insert your contact details. These are generally comprised of your own company name, your department and name, the address of the company, the telephone number, fax and e-mail address. You can also include items such as the company website, your mobile phone, or the business hours.
Mail composition tips
Sending e-mail to a mobile phone
Many Japanese users keep separate e-mail addresses from their mobile providers, which are limited in the amount of data they can receive. Because of this, sending business mail to a mobile mail address is generally avoided, unless there's an emergency. When you have to do it nonetheless, it's a good practice to also CC it to the recipient's company mail address. Keep it short and you can also include some apologies for e-mailing a mobile phone address like 「携帯電話にまでメールをお送りして申し訳ございません」 or 「形態にまで失礼します」
If the recipient is not a specific person, but a group of people, honorific forms that include groups are used, such as :
- 御中 = Messrs. & Co.
- 各位 = Ladies and Gentlemen
- for communication between companies and organizations: 「～御中」
- for groups and messages inside a company: 「～各位」、「～の皆様」
Formality level (from high to low)
Inside the company
|
Outside the company
|
鈴木太郎様
|
～株式会社 営業部部長 鈴木太郎様
|
鈴木様
|
～株式会社 営業部 鈴木太郎様
|
鈴木さま、鈴木さん
|
～株式会社 鈴木太郎様、鈴木様
|
Opening sentences
Before jumping straight into the matter at hand, there are some standard openings for an e-mail. If writing to someone for the first time, state the fact that this is the first time when you send them a mail, in a polite way:
「初めてメールを送らせていただきます」
If the recipient is someone who you've had exchanges before, use a fixed expression to show appreciation for their previous assitance:
「いつもお世話になっております」
Depending on the situation, you might use different openers:
- if you've had a meeting with the recipient the previous day, thank them for taking the time to see you: 「昨日は貴重なお時間をいただき、ありがとうございました」
- if you've been treated to a meal the day before, thank them for the treat: 「先日はごちそうさまでした」
- in case you need to apologize for a mistake on your part: 「ご面倒をおかけして申し訳ございませんでした」
Getting to the subject
After the opening, you can use certain words such as 「さて」 or 「さっそくですが」 to signify that now you are about to go into the subject of the mail. You begin by outlining your actions and the steps you took for a certain course of action, before requesting what is needed from the recipient.
Examples
- asking for confirmation: 「確認して返事を下さい」
- requesting a meeting: 「日時 のご指定をお願いします」
Quoting
If you want to answer to some questions in the mail you received, you can copy them from the sender's mail and paste them in your answer, preceded by the > mark. That way you can answer directly to the query in a way that is clear for the other party as well.
> pasted content from the sender's mail
your answer here
Ending
It is impolite to end a mail abruptly. Instead, some fixed phrases are used at the end to conclude the communication:
「どうぞよろしくお願いいたします」
「それではご検討のほど、よろしくお願いします」
「まずはお礼まで」
PS
There are 2 types of postscript messages that can be inserted after the ending.
「追記」 - content that is not directly related to the main subject. It shouldn't exceed 2-3 lines
「追伸」 - words that express the concern towards the health of a close person, information useful for the recipient
Signature
In the signature you insert your contact details. These are generally comprised of your own company name, your department and name, the address of the company, the telephone number, fax and e-mail address. You can also include items such as the company website, your mobile phone, or the business hours.
Mail composition tips
- don't skip the opening passage (self-introduction, expressing your gratitude for previous assistance etc.)
- aim for readability (keep lines around 30 characters, don't exceed more than 3-5 lines for paragraphs, don't add too much blank space)
- highlight the important parts (use headings, underlines, bullets, brackets etc.)
- keep the content short (not long enough to warrant scrolling). If it can't be helped to send a long mail, let the other party know in advance about it (before entering the main content). Use apologetic statements such as 「長文となりますがお許し下さい」 (I apologize for the long e-mail) or 「ご質問についての内容（長文です）」 (Regarding the received questions (long answer) )
Sending e-mail to a mobile phone
Many Japanese users keep separate e-mail addresses from their mobile providers, which are limited in the amount of data they can receive. Because of this, sending business mail to a mobile mail address is generally avoided, unless there's an emergency. When you have to do it nonetheless, it's a good practice to also CC it to the recipient's company mail address. Keep it short and you can also include some apologies for e-mailing a mobile phone address like 「携帯電話にまでメールをお送りして申し訳ございません」 or 「形態にまで失礼します」
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Samurai language - 5 fixed phrases
1) 大儀である [taigi de aru]
-
approximate meaning: ご苦労さん
-
expression used by superiors towards their subordinates as a token of thanks
and appreciation for their work and efforts
- its
original meaning refers to something tiring and burdensome
彼と交渉するのは大儀だ。
It is a
chore to negotiate with him.
お迎え、大儀である。
Thank you
for coming all the way to greet me.
---------------------------------------
When Uesugi
Kagekatsu was summoned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to the capital, he went and was
received by one of Hideyoshi's attendants, whom he thanked for coming to
welcome him.
2) 罷り越す [makarikosu]
-
approximate meaning: 突然の訪問で失礼いたします
- to visit,
to call on
- used to
apologize for suddenly visiting someone who you are not well acquainted with
少々うかがいたいことがあって、罷り越した。
Please
excuse my sudden visit, but there is something I wanted to ask you.
---------------------------------------
Because
of some out of the ordinary circumstances, a low class samurai had to go to the
house of another samurai whom he didn't know, and ask him something. He used
this phrase to apologize for the sudden visit
3) 物申す [mono mousu]
-
approximate meaning: 物を申し上げる、抗議することがある
-
speak, object to, protest against
-
it expresses a strong objection
知事の政策に物申す。
I object
to the governor's policy.
---------------------------------------
When his fiancée was made
pregnant by a samurai of a powerful family and she then killed herself, a low
class warrior went to the house of the perpetrator's family to protest in anger
about the situation.
4) おさおさ [osaosa]
- approximate meaning: めったに（ない）、すこしも
- not ~ at all; not ~ even one bit
- it is used with negative words
用意おさおさ怠りない。
We have left nothing to chance.
5) 御光来 [gokourai]
-
visit, presence
-
honorific form
---------------------------------------
From the Shinsengumi commander, Kondō Isami's letters, it was
revealed that he used this honorific towards Watanabe Noboru, a skilled
swordsman who came to assist Kondō when challengers apeared at his dojo
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