Ohanasi Kagawa

Learn Japanese for Conversation

Explore useful resources, knowledge, and information about Japanese language and culture to help you talk more with Japanese people fluently.

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Japanese Culture

2022.11.15

Let’s go to an Onsen (hot spring)! How to enjoy Sento (public bathhouses)

Do you know what a “ スーパー銭湯 (せんとう) Super Sento” is? 銭湯(せんとう) is a public bathhouse. If you pay money, you can take a bath in a hot spring.スーパー “ means “great,” so a スーパー銭湯(せんとう) is more than just a bath house.There are restaurants, manga corners, massages, and many other services in addition to the baths.スーパー銭湯(せんとう) have been popular in Japan for several years.In the past, public bathhouses were considered to be for the elderly, but スーパー銭湯(せんとう) are now also becoming a dating spot for young couples.For about 2,000 yen, you can enjoy yourself all day long. Now, let me show you how to enjoy a スーパー銭湯(せんとう). The first step of enjoying Super Sento There is a shoe box at the entrance. First, take off your shoes. Lock (key) the shoebox. This picture is of a wooden shoe box. The key is also made of wood.The key has a number on it, so you don’t have to worry even if you forget where your shoes are.Once inside, there is a reception desk. In most cases, the receptionist will keep the keys to the shoe boxes. You can borrow towels. Some places offer free towels, and some charge a fee.I go without any, but my friends bring towels, shampoo, and body soap.You will receive a belt with a key, so put it on your wrist or ankle.You can put the key inside, just like in the picture.You can use this belt to shop and pay when you leave the store. What is "のれん"? There are separate men’s and women’s baths, so make sure you enter the right one.The public bathhouses have a cloth called “のれん Noren” (curtain).In most public bathhouses, blue is for men’s baths, and red is for women’s baths. Take off your clothes in the changing room (だついじょdatsujijo) and put them in a locker.After locking your locker, it is time to enter the hot spring.Before getting into the bathtub, take a shower to wash off your body.Be careful not to get your towel into the hot water, and enjoy the hot spring bath.No swimming! The most exciting time for me is after bathing in the hot springs.There is a vending machine (じどうはんばいき jidohan-baiki), so I have a cold drink.Milk, fruit milk, and coffee milk are popular, and my favorite is coffee milk. Caution at Super Sento At スーパー銭湯(せんとう), you can freely move between the hot spring section, manga corner, and restaurant.You can enjoy the hot springs as many times as you like while resting with manga and food at rest areas.One thing you should be careful of is that tattoos are not allowed in many Japanese hot springs.Please check the スーパー銭湯(せんとう) rules carefully and ask the staff at the スーパー銭湯(せんとう) if you are unsure about anything. I hope you could understand how good my favorite spots are.If you ever come to Japan, you should definitely visit a スーパー銭湯(せんとう)! Let's talk about Super Sento at Ohanasi Kagawa Events with Japanese people. Join Ohanasi Kagawa events →

Ohanasi Kagawa

Japanese Convenience Store Experience! What does it mean, “おべんとうあたためますか?

Japanese Culture

2022.11.14

Japanese Convenience Store Experience! What does it mean, “おべんとうあたためますか?

If you like Japan, you probably know how wonderful Japanese convenience stores are.Even in anime and manga, there are many fascinating stories about convenience stores.When you travel to Japan, one thing you should definitely put on your list of things to do is to shop at a Konbini!Convenience stores are full of delicious food and fun things to do. Seasonal sweetsNewly Released OkashiUnique Japanese sweet bread and ice cream No matter when you visit a Konbini, you will always find a variety of exciting products. To enjoy shopping at these Japanese convenience stores, I will teach you one phrase that you may hear at a convenience store. I will also introduce how to buy a convenience store bento box in Japan, and recommend some delicious convenience store foods. Read this article and expand your conversation on the topic of your favorite Konbini! ※ Konbini is a convenience store in Japanese Fun to buy bento at a convenience store. One of the things you look forward to in Japan is experiencing the food culture.We recommend trying the obento culture that is becoming popular in other countries as well.Convenience stores have a wide variety of obento available for you to try. Generally, a bento consists of rice and side dishes. A donburi is a bowl of rice topped with a side dish. Onigiri, sushi sets, and other standard bento are available. If you visit a Konbini for the first time, you must be surprised at the great variety of bento and the low prices. Let’s get familiar with the Japanese bento culture at a Konbini! 「お弁当あたためますか?」 When you buy a bento, the cashier will always ask you this phrase.The phrase means whether you want to heat up the bento you bought or take it home as it is.This is a service to make your bento tasty.Bento boxes are placed in the refrigerated zone for sanitary reasons. The cashier will heat up your bento in a microwave oven. レジ係(がかり)「お弁当(べんとう)あたためますか?」 Cashier“Would you like to warm up your bento?” お客 (きゃく)「おねがいします」 Customer“Yes, please. Wait a little while for the microwave oven to warm up the bento. You have to be careful. Ask the cashier to warm up your bento or rice bowl. Onigiri is tasty either cold or warm, so it doesn’t matter whether you warm it up or not. You should not warm up sushi. 「お弁当(べんとう)あたためますか?」“Would you warm up your bento?”If you know this phrase and what it means, you can definitely enjoy your bento at a convenience store! Try these convenience store foods There are convenience stores all over the city.Each store has its own unique characteristics.Each convenience store has its own delicious convenience store food. If you know these items, Japanese people may recognize you as a specialist in Japan! セブンイレブンの「おでん」(冬限定) Seven-Eleven’s “Oden” (winter only) ファミリーマートの「ファミチキ」Family Mart’s “Famichikiローソンの「からあげくん」Karaage-kun” by Lawsonミニストップの「ソフトクリーム」Ministop’s “Soft ice cream These are regular convenience store foods, so you can easily find them.I highly recommend these tasty items, which even if you eat them for the first time. Let’s talk about convenience stores at Ohanashi Kagawa! Join Ohanasi Kagawa Event →

Ohanasi Kagawa

Japanese Culture

2022.11.13

Japanese Soul Food! Let’s Try Udon Noodles!

We will talk about the famous food of Kagawa Prefecture, home of Ohanashi Kagawa. In Japan, Kagawa Prefecture is best known for its udon! People in Kagawa eat udon for lunch two or three times a week. Kagawa is also known as Udon prefecture because of its many delicious and reasonably priced udon restaurants. Isn't it amazing? Of course, you can eat udon not only in Kagawa Prefecture, but anywhere in Japan. Udon has been around for a long time and can be called Japan's soul food. Sushi, tempura, and ramen are not the only delicious foods in Japan! Today, we will explain what kind of food udon is and why it is popular among Japanese people. What kind of food is Udon? Udon are white, thick noodles made of wheat flour. There are two types of udon: hot and cold. Both are eaten with Japanese soup stock. Types of Udon Udon can be found anywhere in Japan. There are various types of udon, depending on the region. Here are some of the common types of udon found in every region. かけうどん"Kake Udon" is a simple udon consisting only of noodles and soup stock. きつねうどん"Kitsune Udon" is udon topped with fried bean curd cooked in a sweet and spicy sauce. ぶっかけうどん"Bukkake Udon" is udon with boiled noodles and thick broth poured over them. にくうどん"Niku Udon" is udon topped with seasoned meat. てんぷらうどん"Tempura udon" is udon topped with shrimp and vegetable tempura. カレーうどん"Curry Udon" is udon with curry and broth. Where udon can be eaten Udon specialty restaurant Japanese restaurants Self-service restaurants in food court What do you mean by こしがある"firm" udon? When describing the texture of udon noodles, people use the word "koshi (firm)." Udon with "koshi (firmness)" are noodles that are chewy and firm. This is an important point for udon. It is similar to the al dente pasta that Italians value. Sanuki udon from Kagawa Prefecture is a typical example of udon with "koshi (firmness)." In Japanese udon culture, there are also udon without "koshi (firmness)." In the Kansai and Kyushu regions, soft and chewy udon is popular. The fact that each region from Hokkaido to Okinawa has its own particular udon culture means that udon culture is widespread in Japan. What do you mean by udon that "slide down the throat." のどごしがいい "Good nodogoshi" is another word used to describe the taste of udon. It is used to describe how smoothly the noodles slide down the throat. This term is used for noodles that are eaten by slurping, such as soba and ramen. Udon are a great way to end a sukiyaki meal. The fun part of nabe dishes is to add your favorite shime ingredients and eat them at the end. There are three types of shime ingredients: udon, rice, and ramen. Udon is recommended as a shime ingredient for sukiyaki. Udon goes perfectly with the sweet and spicy broth with dashi. If you have a chance to eat sukiyaki, try saying, "I'll have udon for shime." You will be recognized as a foreigner who understands Japan! Become an udon expert and join Ohanashi Kagawa!

Ohanasi Kagawa