#kantō region

[travelella]

Sumida, Tokyo, Kantō Region, Japan

mos design

[athis3]

Martial arts was certainly expected of the men in samurai families, but women drawn from those families to the shogun's Inner Palace would also be familiar with handling weapons. During the Edo Period, use of the halberd / naginata was particularly associated with samurai women, used for self-defense and physical fitness training. The light-weight wooden shaft, about 6-8 feet / 2-3 shaku was surmounted by a steel blade, although a wooden blade could be substituted for practice purposes, just as wooden swords / bokken (shown here) were used for training by men and women.

Chikanobu Yoshu, Naginata practice, from the Chiyoda Inner Palace series, 1896 (via).

[moonknightproductions]

Doing geography research for a fic wahooo

[orange-cheetah]

Makochi Town Famous Shops Guide!!

Approved by Nii Satoru-sensei!

Saboten (Bakery)　さぼてん

Popular items BEST3

1st Anpan

2nd Curry bread

3rd Yakisoba-pan

Regulars

Sakura - What he buys often: The curry bread is a recent favourite of his　He was surprised when he ate one fresh out of the oven, and was hooked ever since.

Umemiya - What he buys often: Anpan　It's been his favourite ever since he came to this town.

Tsukushi Butcher's Shop　つくし精肉店

Popular items BEST3

1st Korokke

2nd Menchi-katsu [minced meat cutlet]

3rd Ebi-katsu [shrimp cutlet]

Regulars

Hiragi, Kaji - What he buys often: Korokke　Because Hiragi-san treats me often (Kaji).

Kikuchi-ya (Japanese sweets shop)　菊地屋

Popular items BEST3

1st Dorayaki

2nd Mitarashi dango [see above picture]

3rd Warabimochi [1]

Regulars

Yanagida - What he buys often: Dorayaki　He often goes to buy dorayaki to serve with tea at his parents' house.

Sakaki brothers - What they buy often: Warabimochi　Warabimochi is just the best, right (Seiryu). I often go to accompany [2] Seiryu (Uryu).

1　Warabimochi (蕨餅) is a wagashi (Japanese confection) made from warabiko (bracken starch) and covered or dipped in kinako (sweet toasted soybean flour). Kuromitsu syrup is sometimes poured on top before serving as an added sweetener

2　「晴竜の付き添いでよく行くから」 - 付き添い can mean to accompany, attend, serve, wait on, attend to, assist

Café Pothos　喫茶店ポトス

Popular items BEST3

1st Omurice

2nd Handmade pudding

3rd Fully-packed egg sandwich

Regulars

Students of Furin - What they often order: Omurice　The taste is excellent, and there's a discount for Furin students.

Muscle Power (Okonomiyaki [3] place)　まっするぱわー

Popular items BEST3

1st Okonomiyaki that doesn't use flour

2nd Customized protein (banana & milk)

3rd Banana pound cake

Regulars

Tsugeura - What he often orders: Okonomiyaki that doesn't use flour　It's nourishment for the muscles!

3　Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) is a Japanese teppanyaki, savory pancake dish consisting of wheat flour batter and other ingredients (mixed, or as toppings) cooked on a teppan (flat griddle). Common additions include cabbage, meat, and seafood, and toppings include okonomiyaki sauce (made with Worcestershire sauce), aonori (dried seaweed flakes), katsuobushi (bonito flakes), Japanese mayonnaise, and pickled ginger.

[For the menu see the bonus at the end of chapter 32!]

Penpengusa (Monjayaki [4] place)　ぺんぺん草

Popular items BEST3

1st Mentaiko mochi cheese monja

2nd Corn monja

3rd Seafood monja

Regulars

Anzai, Kurita, Kakiuchi, Takanashi - What they often order: Mentaiko mochi cheese monja　It's delicious, and the restaurant is the perfect place for everyone to hang out! (Anzai)

[photos of before and after cooking for reference, not the ones mentioned in the rankings]

4　Monjayaki (もんじゃ焼き, often called simply "monja") is a type of Japanese pan-fried batter, popular in the Kantō region, similar to okonomiyaki, but using different liquid ingredients.

The ingredients in monjayaki are finely chopped and mixed into the batter before frying. Monjayaki batter has ingredients similar to okonomiyaki. However, additional dashi or water is added to the monjayaki batter mixture, making it runnier than okonomiyaki. The consistency of cooked monjayaki is comparable to melted cheese.

[BONUS TRIVIA]

Saboten - Cactus

Tsukushi - Horsetail

[Tsukushi (つくし) redirects to 杉菜 (スギナ sugina) on Wikipedia. Known as the field horsetail or common horsetail in English. The buds are eaten as a vegetable in Japan and Korea in spring.]

Kiku - Chrysanthemum

Pothos - ...Pothos

Penpengusa - Shepherd's purse

[Penpengusa (ぺんぺん草), or 薺 (なずな nazuna). Known as shepherd's purse in English. It is one of the ingredients of the symbolic dish consumed in the Japanese spring-time festival, Nanakusa-no-sekku.

The Festival of Seven Herbs or Nanakusa no sekku (Japanese: 七草の節句) is the long-standing Japanese custom of eating seven-herb rice porridge (七草粥, nanakusa-gayu, lit. "7 Herbs Rice-Congee") on January 7 (Jinjitsu); one of the Gosekku.]

[all extra information and photos from wikipedia]

[masterlist]

[tokidokitokyo]

埼玉県

Japanese Prefectures: Kantō - Saitama

都道府県 (とどうふけん) - Prefectures of Japan

Learning the kanji and a little bit about each of Japan’s 47 prefectures!

Kanji・漢字

埼　さき、さい、みさき、キ　cape, spit, promontory

玉　たま、～だま、ギョク　jewel, jade; ball

県　ケン　prefecture

関東　かんとう　Kanto, region consisting of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures

Prefectural Capital (県庁所在地) : Saitama City (さいたま市)

Saitama is Tokyo's neighbor to the north. Much of southeastern Saitama is considered a suburb of Tokyo, but the western parts are mostly rural with mountainous forested areas, and include a castle town and the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park. Saitama has historically been a fertile agricultural region and is currently the major food supplier for the metropolitan area of Greater Tokyo. Some of the first currency in Japan came from copper discovered in the Chichibu area in the 8th century. Saitama's central location has made it a historical hub for transportation to all parts of Eastern Japan, and the modern radial roads and railroad system are designed for ease of transportation to all parts of Japan. Saitama is also the backdrop to the famous Miyazaki Hayao (Studio Ghibli) film "My Neighbor Totoro."

Recommended Tourist Spot・おすすめ観光スポット Kawagoe - 川越

Kawagoe

The Edo-period castle town of Kawagoe is also known as Ko-edo (小江戸 or "Little Edo") because of its many traditional buildings dating from the Edo period. The streets have been maintained as-is since the Edo period (1603-1867). The weekends are the most popular times for visitors to gather here and experience the atmosphere, shops, and popular seasonal events. In the third week of October, the Kawagoe Festival is held with a parade of traditional ornate floats and a musical competition.

The Warehouse District is lined with old earthen storehouses, which are unique two-story buildings that have remained unchanged since the days when the city was a major transportation and commerce hub for Eastern Japan. The Toki no Kane, or "Bell of Time," has marked time for the town for centuries, and continues to ring four times daily. Candy Street is a street lined with stores where traditional Japanese sweets are made in the old-fashioned way.

For more recent history, the Taisho-Roman Street has old, retro western-style buildings from the Taisho and Showa areas. There are also no overhead power lines, which makes this a popular spot to shoot many Japanese period films set in these eras.

There are severable notable temples and shrines in Kawagoe, especially Kitain Temple, which was built over 1,000 years ago. This temple has 538 stone statues of Buddha, each with its own face and unique posture. No two statues look alike, and the popular belief is that there is a statue to resemble any visitor to the temple. Kawagoe Hikawa-jinja Shrine is a Shinto shrine dating back to the 6th century that boasts a torii shrine gate that is 15 metres tall. Kawagoe Kumano-jinja Shrine has fortunes, lucky charms, and also boasts the "stepping health road," which is a path to walk barefoot to stimulate the acupuncture points on the soles of your feet for health benefits.

Regional Cuisine - 郷土料理 Miso Potato - 味噌ポテト

Miso Potato (source)

Famous in the Chichibu region of Saitama, miso potatoes are a well-known winter treat in the area. This dish is similar to a baked potato covered in sweet miso sauce and is traditionally from the rural areas in the mountainous part of the prefecture. It is now a popular street stall snack that combines the sweet and savoury miso flavours with the earthy baked potato texture.

Saitama Dialect・Saitama-ben・埼玉弁

1. むじっけー　mujikkee　cute

むじっけー猫だね。 (mujikkee neko da ne)

Standard Japanese: かわいい猫だね。 (kawaii neko da ne)

English: What a cute cat.

2. ああみぃ　aahmii　no good, can't do it (also, ああみ, aahmi)

ごめん、明日ああみぃ。 (gomen, ashita aahmii)

Standard Japanese: ごめん、明日行けない。 (gomen, ashita ikenai) or ごめん、明日はダメ。 (gomen, ashita wa dame)

English: Sorry, I can't go tomorrow. or Sorry, tomorrow is no good.

3. かみぎっちょ　gamigiccho　lizard

庭のすみっこにかまぎっちょがいたで。 (niwa no sumikko ni kamagiccho ga itade)

Standard Japanese: 庭の隅にとかげがいたよ。 (niwa no sumi ni tokage ga ita yo)

English: There was a lizard in the corner of the garden.

4. うちゃる　ucharu　to throw away

そこにうちゃるなよ。 (soko ni ucharu na yo)

Standard Japanese: そこに捨てるなよ。 (soko ni suteru na yo)

English: Don't throw that away there.

5. こわい　～kowai　hard

このおせんべいこわい。 (kono osenbei kowai)

Standard Japanese: このおせんべい硬い。 (kono senbei katai)

English: This senbei is hard.

*Note: senbei is a Japanese rice cracker

6. えらい　erai　a lot

今日はえらい食べるな。 (kyou wa erai taberu na)

Standard Japanese: 今日はたくさん食べるな。 (kyou wa takusan taberu na)

English: Don't eat a lot today.

[konjaku]

葛[Kuzu] Pueraria lobata subsp. lobata

Nowadays, flowers of Kuzu are in full bloom in the Kantō region, whether along country roadsides, in thickets, or in forests. It is a very vigorous thriving force, so trees and grass are entangled in its vines and covered with its leaves.

Nevertheless, it is one of the seven autumnal grasses. Since the distant past, many people have found it to be tasteful, and it has been the subject of poems, stories and paintings. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/77233

Its flowers, colored reddish purple and dark purple, are beautiful. And in the vicinity, there is a very nice fragrance of the flowers wafting through the air.

[noticiasarquelogicasjaponesas]

Chapter 2: Pre-Jomon Japan Welcome, Japanese archaeologists, to a new archaeological installment. Having said that, make yourself comfortable and let's begin. - In the previous publication we made a short description, commenting on where the Kasuke neighborhood of the city of Midori is located, Gunma prefecture in the northern region of Kantō, we also commented on when the Upper Paleolithic dates back to 35,000 / 25,000 BC. Currently the Iwajuku III culture is 40,000 and possibly even older, only future research will shed more light on this culture and the Japanese passage, its discoverer was Tadahiro Aizawa, during the 1946 showa era of post-war Japan, excavation has continued until our present that corresponds to the Heisei era. - I hope you liked it and see you in future posts, have a good week. 第2章: 縄文以前の日本 日本の考古学者の皆さん、新しい考古学へようこそ。そうは言っても、気を楽にして始めましょう。 - 前回の出版物では、関東北部の群馬県みどり市の嘉助地区がどこにあるかについて簡単な説明を行い、上部旧石器時代がいつ紀元前 35,000 年 / 25,000 年に遡るかについてもコメントしました。現在、岩宿Ⅲ文化は 40,000 個あり、おそらくさらに古いものである可能性があります。この文化と日本語の歴史にさらに光を当てるのは将来の研究だけです。その発見者は相沢忠宏で、戦後日本の 1946 年の昭和時代に、発掘は現在まで続けられています。それは平成に相当します。 - 気に入っていただければ幸いです。今後の投稿でお会いしましょう。良い一週間をお過ごしください。 - Capítulo 2: El japón pre-Jomon  Sean bienvenidos, japonistasarqueologos, a una nueva entrega, arqueológica, una vez dicho esto pónganse cómodos que empezamos.  - En la publicación anterior hicimos una pequeña descripción, comentando donde se localiza el barrio de Kasuke de la ciudad de Midori, prefectura de Gunma en la región norte de Kantō, también comentamos de cuando data paleolítico superior 35.000 / 25000 a.c. Actualmente la cultura Iwajuku III y es de 40.000 e incluso más antigua posiblemente, únicamente futuras investigaciones arrojará más luz sobre esta cultura y el pasadizo japonés, su descubridor fue Tadahiro Aizawa, durante la era showa 1946 del Japón de la posguerra, se ha seguido excavando hasta nuestro presente que corresponde a la era Heisei.  -  Espero que os haya gustado y nos vemos en próximas publicaciones que pasen una buena semana.

[warcrimesimulator]

A Japanese marten (Martes melampus) jumping across a river. Okutama, Tokyo, Kantō region Japan

Photo © Nature Production / naturepl.com

[sunflowersandcherryblossoms]

List of regions of Japan - Wikipedia

I think I just solved my own issue with the division of the regions that each Squad would oversee...

All I need to do is follow the Regions map and take in account Okinawa as its own separate region.

That makes 9 regions.

Now, we exclude four Squads from World of the Living duty:

Squad 1, since they accumulated commanding the Gotei 13 and also oversee the Shi'no Academy.

Squad 2, since they are pretty much also a security force (onmitsukido), which needs to be free to be sent anywhere Central 46 (ugh) and the Sotaichō orders. They're also in charge of internal crimes and the prisional system.

Squad 4. The healers. Also more of an internal team, having only ever truly sent ONE squad member (Hanataro) on a special mission to Karakura. (which belongs to Squad 13)

Squad 12. Surveillance. Internal. They oversee everything on the three realms, (Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, World of the Living) therefore their personnel also doesn't get sent on missions and have no region to oversee.

Anyways...

Squad 3 - Okinawa

Squad 5 - Kyūshū

Squad 6 - Kansai

Squad 7 - Chūgoku

Squad 8 - Shikoku

Squad 9 - Tōhoku

Squad 10 - Chūbu

Squad 11 - Hokkaido

Squad 13 - Kantō

[thoughtportal]

The Kantō Massacre (關東大虐殺, Korean: 간토 대학살) was a mass murder in the Kantō region of Japan committed in the aftermath of the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake. With the explicit and implicit approval of parts of the Japanese government, the Japanese military, police, and vigilantes murdered an estimated 6,000 people: mainly ethnic Koreans, but also Chinese and Japanese people mistaken to be Korean, and Japanese communists, socialists, and anarchists.[4][5][6][7][8][9]

The massacre began on the day of the earthquake, September 1, 1923, and continued for three weeks. A significant number of incidents occurred, including the Fukuda Village Incident.[10][11]

Meanwhile, government officials met and created a plan to suppress information about and minimize the scale of the killings. Beginning on September 18, the Japanese government arrested 735 participants in the massacre, but they were reportedly given light sentences. The Japanese Governor-General of Korea paid out 200 Japanese yen in compensation to 832 families of massacre victims, although the Japanese government on the mainland only admitted to about 250 deaths.

In recent years, it has continued to be denied or minimized by both mainstream Japanese politicians and fringe Japanese right-wing groups. Since 2017, the Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike has consistently expressed skepticism that the massacre occurred.

[travelella]

Asakusa, Tokyo, Kantō Region, Japan

mos design

[vhaerath]

As I have said there are certain prerequisites: a degree of dimness, absolute cleanliness, and quiet so complete one can hear the hum of a mosquito. I love to listen from such a toilet to the sound of softly falling rain, especially if it is a toilet of the Kantō region, with its long, narrow windows at floor level; there one can listen with such a sense of intimacy to the raindrops falling from the eaves and the trees, seeping into the earth as they wash over the base of a stone lantern and freshen the moss about the stepping stones. And the toilet is the perfect place to listen to the chirping of insects or the song of the birds, to view the moon, or to enjoy any of those poignant moments that mark the change of the seasons. Here, I suspect, is where haiku poets over the ages have come by a great many of their ideas. Indeed one could with some justice claim that of all the elements of Japanese architecture, the toilet is the most aesthetic. Our forebears, making poetry of everything in their lives, transformed what by rights should be the most unsanitary room in the house into a place of unsurpassed elegance, replete with fond associations with the beauties of nature. Compared to Westerners, who regard the toilet as utterly unclean and avoid even the mention of it in polite conversation, we are far more sensible and certainly in better taste. The Japanese toilet is, I must admit, a bit inconvenient to get to in the middle of the night, set apart from the main building as it is; and in winter there is always a danger that one might catch cold. But as the poet Saitō Ryoku has said, “elegance is frigid.” Better that the place be as chilly as the out-of-doors; the steamy heat of a Western-style toilet in a hotel is the most unpleasant.

Junichiro Tanizaki, "In Praise of Shadows", 1933

[daily-hyosatsu]

A slightly old photo, but aren't the pumpkins cute? The name 東條 is usually read Tōjō (yes, like the general/war criminal) but can also be Higashijō.

To follow up on 南 south and 西 west, 東 means east and it's read higashi or tō. You might know it from 東京 Tokyo or 関東 Kantō (the real-life region; the Pokemon one is written in katakana).

條 is only used in names/places. It's a variant of the more common kanji 条. Both can be read eda, suji, jō, chō, or deki. They both mean article (in a document context), or twig or ray of light. They can also be used to count paragraphs, articles, clauses, or sometimes very thin fish.

[orange-cheetah]

Anzai Masaki (杏西雅紀) Character Profile

Bofurin | Tamon Unit | 1st Year

School: Furin High 1-1

Height: 170cm | Weight: 61kg | Birthday: 10 May | Constellation: Taurus | Blood type: A

Image colour: Kouyou [Colour of (leaves in) autumn; #E2421F - see below]

Likes: Sports in general | Dislikes: Studying

Favourite food: Monjayaki [1] | Disliked food: Eggplant

Fashion style: Likes sporty T-shirts, clothes that are easy to move in, sneakers

Hobby: Basketball

Favourite season: Summer | Favourite music genre: Summery songs

Best subject: PE | Worst subject: Art

Special skill: Vertical jumping

Person they respect, senpai they look up to: Umemiya

Dream: To go globe-trotting

Recent W (or L): Climbed a tree and couldn't get back down

Favourite place: Monjayaki place "Penpengusa" [2] [they visit the shop in chapter 39!] [shops guide]

What they always do in the morning: Stretching

[1] Monjayaki (もんじゃ焼き, often called simply "monja") is a type of Japanese pan-fried batter, popular in the Kantō region, similar to okonomiyaki, but using different liquid ingredients.

The ingredients in monjayaki are finely chopped and mixed into the batter before frying. Monjayaki batter has ingredients similar to okonomiyaki. However, additional dashi or water is added to the monjayaki batter mixture, making it runnier than okonomiyaki. The consistency of cooked monjayaki is comparable to melted cheese.

(before and after cooking)

[2] Penpengusa (ぺんぺん草), or 薺 (なずな nazuna). Known as shepherd's purse in English. It is one of the ingredients of the symbolic dish consumed in the Japanese spring-time festival, Nanakusa-no-sekku.

The Festival of Seven Herbs or Nanakusa no sekku (Japanese: 七草の節句) is the long-standing Japanese custom of eating seven-herb rice porridge (七草粥, nanakusa-gayu, lit. "7 Herbs Rice-Congee") on January 7 (Jinjitsu); one of the Gosekku.

(all additional information and photos from wikipedia)

[masterlist]

[bakuhatsufallinlove]

U.A. High School Field Trip Around Japan: Day 1 Translations

To celebrate My Hero Academia reaching one hundred million copies worldwide, Shonen Jump is releasing special illustrations in the newspapers of Japan's 47 prefectures, calling it "U.A. High School Field Trip Around Japan." It's being rolled out daily across one-week.

The schedule is:

April 4th, Day 1: Hokkaidō & Tōhōku regions

April 5th, Day 2: Kantō region

April 6th, Day 3: Chūbu region

April 7th, Day 4: Kansai region

April 8th, Day 5: Chūgoku & Shikoku regions

April 9th, Day 6: Kyūshū & Okinawa regions

April 10th, Day 7: Nationwide release

You can see the illustrations on their website here, where they are released digitally the day after their newspaper release, so Day 1 and Day 2 are available right now.

The illustrations depict charming scenes between Class 1-A about something related to each prefecture's culture or history, so I thought it would be really fun to translate them and share a little bit about Japan.

Here we go!

Note: As I mentioned, the illustrations are available on the official site, but they are all rather small, which makes them hard to read, so in this post I have included photographs from fans which I used for my translations. Every photo was available publicly on twitter and I have credited the posters, but please be respectful and don't draw undue attention to these fans. If anyone contacts me wishing for their photo to be removed, I will do so.

Hokkaidō Region

Hokkaidō

Photo credit: twitter user URix0307

Iida: "Heroes! Be ambitious!!' Aizawa: "I'm leaving you behind."

Iida is standing in front of the statue of William S. Clark at Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, a scenic spot in Sapporo. Clark worked with the Japanese government to found Sapporo Agricultural College (now Hokkaidō University) in 1876; he is a very famous figure in the history of the region. The statue is inscribed with a quote attributed to him as he left Japan: "Boys, be ambitious!"

Tōhōku Region

Aomori

Photo credit: twitter user redaotkrsn

Dark Shadow: "Fumikage!! I GOT ONE!!" Tokoyami: "The allure of forbidden fruit which tastes so sweet..." Dark Shadow: "One simply cannot resist!" Asui: "Tokoyami-chan sure likes apples, huh?"

Agriculture is huge in Aomori, and specifically they are famous for their apples, contributing about 60% of Japan's entire apple production. Raw apples, jams, juices, desserts, etc., they are everywhere in Aomori, and fyi, they are all absolutely delicious. The sweetest, richest, freshest apples I've ever had in my life were the ones I had here! Dark Shadow is right, one simply cannot resist!!!

Iwate

Photo credit: twitter user bakkk_17

Todoroki: "I can have as many bowls as I want, right?" Endeavor: "SHOUTOOOOO!!!" Kouda: "Todoroki-kun!! Your dad said he wants to eat with you, too!!" Todoroki: "Check, please."

Todoroki is eating wanko soba, a specialty from Iwate where it's basically an all-you-can-eat. The soba is served in many small bowls, and you slurp them up and immediately get served more. The verb he uses, ikeru, is one people also use for "holding your liquor well," which I personally found hilarious. "Oh yeah, I can hold my noodles."

Miyagi

Photo credit: twitter user Abino_Haru_Maki

Ashido: "Teacher, what's wrong? You keep lollygagging about!" Aizawa: "Kittykittykitty..." Shouji: "Anybody suspicious around? Nothing has come up in my search for enemies." Iida: "We're leaving you behind, teacher."

Miyagi is famous for being home to Tashirojima, the so-called "Cat Island" where cats outnumber people. Iida gets revenge!!

Akita

Photo credit: twitter user kado0730

Hagakure: "Namahage faces are so scary!!" Kaminari: "Looks just like Bakugou, don't it." Bakugou: "THERE'S NO RESEMBLANCE AT ALL, I'LL SEND YOU FLYING!!" Sero: "He's a rotten kid who looks just like a Namahage!"

Namahage are frightening folkloric figures from Akita's New Year's festival. Men wear big demon masks and straw coats and wield a (fake) weapon; they march through the streets or knock on doors to scold misbehaving children, asking if there are any "warui ko," (naughty/rotten/bad kids), which is what Sero calls Bakugou.

Yamagata

Photo credit: twitter user ha_n_a_0

Yaoyorozu: "Oh, tranquility! Penetrating the very rock, a cicada’s voice." Kaminari: "Jirou! How about you put your earphones on that rock?" Jirou: "Are you stupid?"

Yaoyorozu is reciting a famous poem by Basho Matsuo written when he visited the Buddhist temple, Risshaku-ji (also called Yamadera, meaning "mountain temple"). This translation is by Helen Craig McCullough. Risshaku-ji, a National Historic site, is home to a number of beautiful buildings and statues built into the mountainside; temple history claims a lineage back to the 9th century. The trail up to the temple consists of 1,015 steps; I visited in winter, which made it quite the precarious climb!

Fukushima

Photo credit: twitter user kingyo0927

Kirishima: "This right here is what I should be aiming for!!" Aoyama: "A fateful encounter~!" Bakugou: "When I said 'just being able to keep standing through anything makes you crazy strong,' this ain't what I meant!!"

Kirishima is looking at rows of okiagari koboshi, which are traditional papier-mâché dolls popular in Fukushima's western Aizu region. They are weighted so that no matter what you do to them, they pop right back up to standing!

That's all for Day 1! I'm still translating Day 2 and collecting Day 3's as they roll in, so please look forward to those. :D

[tokidokitokyo]

神奈川県

Japanese Prefectures: Kantō - Kanagawa

都道府県 (とどうふけん) - Prefectures of Japan

Learning the kanji and a little bit about each of Japan’s 47 prefectures!

Kanji・漢字

神　かみ、かん～、こう～、シン、ジン、かな　gods, mind, soul

奈　いかん、からなし、ナ、ナイ、ダイ　Nara

川　かわ、セン　stream; river

県　ケン　prefecture

関東　かんとう　Kanto, region consisting of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures

Prefectural Capital (県庁所在地) : Yokohama (横浜市)

Kanagawa Prefecture is located just south of Tokyo. It is home to many day trip destinations from Tokyo, including the cities of Kamakura and Hakone. The prefectural capital of Yokohama on the Pacific coast is Japan's second largest city and its major port, including many multicultural influences such as a China Town and the Minato Mirai building. The port areas are also major centres of bonito and tuna fishing. Inland, Kanagawa has a flourishing agricultural area producing flowers and dairy products for the Tokyo market.

Recommended Tourist Spot・おすすめ観光スポット The Great Buddha of Kamakura - 鎌倉大仏

The Great Buddha of Kamakura (source)

At the Buddhist temple Kotoku-in (高徳院) in Kamakura stands the 11-metre tall 13th-century bronze statue of Amida Buddha. Initially housed in a wooden hall, it was restored in the Edo period (1603-1868) after being damaged over the years by typhoons and earthquakes and now towers over the grounds of the temple. The Great Buddha of Kamakura is the second largest seated Buddha in Japan.

After you visit the Great Buddha, you can also find other Zen Buddhist temples, which are among the oldest and most beautiful in the country, and most in walking distance from each other. Enoshima and the Kamakura beaches are also nearby.

Regional Cuisine - 郷土料理 Kuro-tamago (Black eggs) - 黒卵 (くろたまご)

Kuro-tamago or Black eggs (source)

It may seem strange, but this popular souvenir from the Owakudani (大涌谷 or Great Boiling Valley) in the resort town of Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture gets its distinctive black color from being boiled in natural hot spring water for 60 minutes at a temperature of 80°C, then steamed at 100°C for 15 minutes in steel baskets over natural hot spring water. The natural hot spring water contains sulfur and iron, thus turning the egg shells black. The Kuro-tamago, or Black Eggs, have a slight sulfur smell (although the whole valley has this smell so you might not notice). They are safe to eat and are said to add 7 years to your lifespan! (You shouldn't eat more than two at one time though, as the lifespan elongating effects will then be nullified, or you might just feel slightly sick).

Owakudani is an active volcanic valley that is known to locals as Jigokudani (地獄谷 or Valley of Hell) due to the sulfurous volcanic gasses and steam from the natural hot spring waters. There are many resorts nearby in Hakone which tap into these natural hot springs. The valley was formed due to the last eruption of Mt Hakone about 3,000 years ago. On clear days, you have a great view of Mt Fuji. There is also a ropeway that will take you over the active volcanic area, but sometimes it can be closed when the volcanic activity picks up and the volcanic gasses increase, so check before you visit.

Kanagawa Dialect・Kanagawa-ben・神奈川弁

Kanagawa-ben is a basket term used to describe the dialects spoken in the prefecture, but there is no single unified dialect.

1. うんめろ　unmero very, a lot

うんめろ美味しい (unmero oishii)

Standard Japanese: たくさん、とても　(takusan, totemo)

とても美味しい (totemo oishii)

English: very, a lot

very delicious

2. あんきだ　anki da　I'm relieved, it's a relief

おめーらガ、みんなこどまーでけーからあんきだなー (omeera ga, minna kodomaa dekei kara anki da naa)

Standard Japanese: 安心だ　(anshin da)

お前の家は、みんな子どもが成長しているから安心だな (omae no ie wa, minna kodomo ga seichou shite iru kara anshin da na)

English: I'm relieved

It's a relief because all the children in your home are growing up well

3. あっちかし・こっちかし　(acchikashi, kocchikashi)

椅子を並べるのはこっちかし?　あっちかし？ (isu o naraberu no wa kocchikashi? acchikashi?)

Standard Japanese: あちら側・こちら側　(achiragawa, kochiragawa)

椅子を並べるのはこちら側?　あちら側？ (isu o naraberu no wa kochiragawa? achiragawa?)

English: that side, this side

Should I arrange the chairs this way? That way?

4. うっちゃる　(uccharu)

ゴミをうっちゃる (gomi o uccharu)

Standard Japanese: 捨てる　(suteru)

ゴミを捨てる (gomi o suteru)

English: to throw away

Throw away your trash

5. かったるい　(kattarui)

遠くて歩くのかったるいな (tookute aruku no kattarui na)

Standard Japanese: 面倒くさい、だるい　(mendoukusai, darui)

遠くて歩くのだるいな (tookute aruku no darui na)

English: bothersome, tiresome

It's so far that it would be a pain to walk there

More Kanagawa dialect here (Japanese site).