Japan Signs

February 24th, 2010

This sign is in the grounds of Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. We visited there when we last stayed in Ueno and apart from being the coldest and wettest day of our trip, it was definitely worth the visit. There’s a fair bit going on in this sign but don’t worry as we’ll go though the kanji and katakana one at a time.

Japan Signs: Ameyoko Fruit Stall

February 16th, 2010

This was shot somewhere along the busy market streets of the famous Ameyoko in Ueno, Tokyo. There is all sorts of produce available including seafood, fruit and vegetables right through to shoes, t-shirts and jeans. The markets are always packed, which makes for an exciting place to visit when you’re next in Tokyo.

Japan Signs: Going Overseas?

February 9th, 2010

I took this shot of an ad hanging on a train somewhere on the Yamanote line in Tokyo. I think it’s a great real-life example of the use of Katakana for foreign city or country names.

To start you off I’ll go through the first line and then you can take it from there. We put all the first line together and get “Rondon” or London as it is known in English.

Japan Signs: Waiting Room

December 14th, 2009

This kanji sign caught my eye at Shinjuku station in Tokyo as it was quite a cool November morning and the glass waiting room (待合室) attached to the sign turned out to be a whole lot warmer than standing on the platform waiting for my train up to Nikko.

WTF….$70 Grapes!

November 25th, 2009

We came across these white grapes for sale at a large department store in Kashiwa, a northern suburb of Tokyo.

While they look very tasty, I’m not quite sure they’re worth the approx. AUD$70 they worked out to be against the Aussie dollar at the time.

Japan Signs: Under Construction

November 16th, 2009

I took this photo in the back streets of Meguro near Gakugei-daigaku train station on a recent trip to Japan. Besides thinking it was a great image for the Japan Signs section of zonjineko, I also have a laugh every time I see a happy little character for almost any situation in Japan – even sewerage!

Japan Signs: Krispy Kreme Crowds

October 30th, 2009

In this installment of Japan Signs we look at a photo I took in Tokyo a while back when a new Krispy Kreme store was opened in the Yūrakuchō district of Tokyo near Ginza.

Japan Signs: Virgin Bourbon

October 8th, 2009

Join me in dissecting the Japanese label of a ¥7000 bottle of 15-year-old Virgin Kentucky Bourbon.

We’ll go through and breakdown the katakana and kanji from the label and then it’s over to you to practice transcribing the rest.

Japan Signs: Watch The Door

August 8th, 2009

Don’t stick your hand in a star shaped hole? Don’t shake hands with a star? Maybe not. It’s actually a warning sticker found on the door of trains in Tokyo and no doubt elsewhere in Japan.