Japan Carp Streamers (koinobori)

In Japan, carp streamers decorate the landscape from April through May. It is in honor of Children's Day on May 5 th, also viewed as Boys Day or tango. The koinobori set are made of streamers, paper or clothing and the top pf bamboo wooden pole down.






How does it come ? The reason traces back to the Japanese symbol: the carp streamer is an emblem of masculinity and success in life. It is believed that the larger the koi is, the more courage, strenght and determination it can bring people to overcome all obstacles. The carp streamer is the most spirited of fish to swim up a waterfall; that is why Japanese family flew koinobori in front of their house to honour their sons year after year.


※ Addition


The largest carp streamer stands for the father of the house; while the red one, the mother; the blue one, boy;and the other are children.



http://www.japanikuiku.com/category/stuff/


1. determination: the quality that makes you continue trying to do sth even when this is difficult.

2. emblem: symbol; sth that represents a perfect example or a principle.

3. masculinity: the quality of being masculine.

Japanese card exchange

For Japanese, the exchange of business card is the essential etiquette according to their traditions and culture.

A business card mean not only what your status is, but it also possesses that one treats business with respect and honour. Unchangably, the vertical set-up is still used for Japanese business. Addresses are in different order than English. The correct order is that: the country comes first, and then it is the state, next, the city with the zip code in the front; finally, it turns the street address. Take notice, your name must be mutually written in kanji and romaji (kanji is on the obverse of the card; while romaji is on the reverse.) with personal title and company.

When you are presenting your card or receiving others', make sure to do it with your both hands with slight bow. Rember, the card have to be printed in both languages---home language(on the other side) and English(on one side). Most importantly, when you get more one business card, put them on the table in front of your neatly until the meeting is over, and put them into a business card holder carefully.

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http://www.japanikuiku.com/category/stuff

1. etiquette: the formal rules of correct or polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession.

2. obverse: the opposite of sth.

3. reverse: the opposite of what has just been mentioned.

Manga in Japan

Manga, a charmingly popular medium in Japan, differs from American and European-style comics. Manga is based on the audience's taste, and it is a huge business, for it earns over five billion US dollars for Japan.

Originally, manga is published in magazines monthly or weekly; it contains over 300 pages of comics. Amazingly, its theme focuses on a specific people, like boys or girls, history buffs or homemakers and businessmen. Most of them and books are sold in a special bookstore sections or public kiosks.

Besides, there is a kind of manga, and it is tankoban, which is called "graphic novels" in English. It is compilations of a dozen or so episodes to describe a single story. Tankoban's printing costs are higher than the pulpy magazines; tankoban receive the best-seller status after having sold around two million copies, whlie the copies of non-manga books are for one million.

Popular manga are translated into many languages and distributed globally, making its the market even wider.

http://www.umich.edu/~anime/info_comictrans.html

1.Manga: it is the Japanese word for comic artist or cartoon. Outside of Japan, manga usually refer to Japanese comic books and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese.

2. Kiosk: a small shop/store, open at the front, where newspapers, drinks, etc. are sold.

3. Tankoban: Tankoban, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and it is not part of series, though manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series.

Mueller wins the Noble Literary Prize.

Herta Mueller, Germany author, wins the 2009 Noble prize for Literature, which has been announced by academy in Stockholm. Mueller, born from a Romania's family in 1953, possesses the character of depiction of the harsh conditions under Nicolae Ceausescu's regime. The Swedish academy Mueller for both her poetry and prose. Also, she was stunned and still cannot believe it.

Mueller features landscape-depiction of the dispossessed: her poetry is full of concentration; her prose, frankness. In 1987, she emigrated to Germany after being dismissed from her job in Romania during the 1970s due to her refusal to cooperate with the regime's secret police. In later years, she won several prizes for literature, gradually known by people. She will receive the prize of 10 million Swedish Kronor as well as her Noble honour at a ceremony in Stockholm on 10 December.

German Chacellor Angela Merkel said that Mueller "more than the deserved" the prize. Also, she added:"We are of course happy that Herta Muelle has found a home in Germany and I congratulate her from the bottom of my heart."