Japanese Vocabulary: 10 Must-Know Summer Kanji : Summer is here, and what better way to study Japanese than to keep it seasonal. Today, we have compiled a list of 10 must-know kanji related to the summer months in Japan and the events and sights to see around this time. Sit back and enjoy the visions of Japanese summer!
Contents
1. 夏 (Natsu)
The hot and sweaty days. Ice cream melting down the cone and dripping over your fingers. The rushing waves of the ocean, the far-away laughter of people in bathing suits swimming and playing in the sand. The clean taste of cold barley tea. The burnt smell of bottle rockets and firecrackers lighting up the night walkways. This is Japanese 夏 (summer).
2. 梅雨 (Tsuyu)
At the end of spring, just after the flowers have all bloomed and the summer season is just beginning, the days get humid and wet. It rains and rains for days and days. The streets are flooded with water, and you may decide that it’s finally time to buy a poncho and a pair of rain boots. This unpleasant wet period is called 梅雨 (the rainy season).
3. 海 (Umi)
You take a stroll on the beach. You feel the soft wet sand under your feet and between your toes. A crash of waves, and the tide rushes in. The cool water splashes over your feet, carrying tiny sand particles with it. You can hear the fizzle in the foamy water as it collects around you in the slight moment before it retreats back to sea. You stare out before you into the blue and tranquil horizon stretching on to infinity. This is the 海 (sea).
4. 西瓜 (Suika)
You’re young. Out on the patio of your home, you sit at a white table with flimsy plastic chairs. It’s hot, the sun blinding down from above. If it weren’t for the shade of the patio roof, you’d be a fried worm! You hear the metal spring of the screen door as it opens, and your mom comes out. She’s carrying something large and green. She sets it down on the table and with a big knife cuts it open for you, revealing its red core spotted with black seeds. She slices a wedge for you and hands it to you on a plate. The cool juice dribbles down your chin as you crunch away at this sweet summer melon. This is a 西瓜 (watermelon).
5. 夏祭 (Natsu Matsuri)
Smoky food stalls, chilly snow cones, bright firework shows. Music, traditional dance, games and prizes for children. People gather with their friends and family dressed in traditional Japanese robes called yukata. This is a summer event in Japan. This is a 夏祭 (summer festival).
6. 虹 (Niji)
After a good summer rain, take a look at the sky. If the sun is shining just right and you’re lucky enough, you might see one of these colorful arcs in the air. This is a 虹 (rainbow).
7. 花火 (Hanabi)
The sun is just beginning to set. Blankets spread out over green patches of grass as crowds of people gather to watch the night sky. And then it happens. A streak of light shoots into the sky and explodes into showering sparks. This is the Japanese summer tradition of watching 花火 (fireworks).
8. 浴衣 (Yukata)
The sound of wooden sandals clopping along the road. Women wrapped in fabric of floral and colorful patterns, ribbons and rose pins clipped to their hair. Men wearing darker fabrics tied at the waist with an obi as they all make their way to a distant festival near the river. This is the Japanese summer garment called 浴衣 (yukata).
9. 屋台 (Yatai)
A summer festival. Red, yellow, and blue stalls line the walkways, smoke billowing from large grills. The smell of Japanese dishes yakisoba, okonomiyaki, and yakitori wafts into your face. You’re hungry and approach one of these stalls. For 500 yen you receive a warm plastic container sealed with a rubber band, a pair of wooden chopsticks resting on top. These stalls are called 屋台 (yatai).
10. 風鈴 (Fuurin)
A summer morning. The sun is rising over the distant fields, and you go out to the balcony with your hot mug of green tea. All is quiet, all is calm. The wind blows, and a glass bulb hanging from an overhead beam sways in the wind. A tiny ball hanging from a string in the center dings against the glass bulb; a piece of paper with a single wish written upon it flutters in the breeze. This is a traditional Japanese wind chime hung outside in the summer months. It is called a 風鈴 (fuurin).
Now that you know 10 kanji related to Japanese summer, it’s time to get out there and practice! Talk about summer and your favorite things about it with your speaking partner. Better yet, why not take a trip to Japan during the summer months to see what it’s like yourself? You may discover a whole slew of new Japanese summer words that are unique and special to you!