WEEK 6: TIME
Telling Time in Japanese
● 時間 (jikan) – Time
● 時 (ji) – Hour
● 分 (fun/pun) – Minute
● 秒 (byou) – Second
How to Say the Hour (o’clock)
Time Japanese Hiragana Kanji
1:00 o'clock ichiji いちじ 一時
2:00 o'clock niji にじ 二時
3:00 sanji さんじ 三時
4:00 yoji よじ 四時
5:00 goji ごじ 五時
6:00 rokuji ろくじ 六時
7:00 shichiji しちじ 七時
8:00 hachiji はちじ 八時
9:00 kuji くじ 九時
10:00 juuji じゅうじ 十時
11:00 juuichiji じゅういちじ 十一時
12:00 juuniji じゅうにじ 十二時
How to Say the Minutes
Minutes Pronunciation Hiragana Kanji
1 ippun いっぷん 一分
2 nifun にふん 二分
3 sanpun さんぷん 三分
4 yonpun よんぷん 四分
5 gofun ごふん 五分
6 roppun ろっぷん 六分
7 nanafun ななふん 七分
8 happun はっぷん 八分
9 kyuufun きゅうふん 九分
10 juppun じゅっぷん 十分
● 15 min = juugo-fun (15分)
● 30 min = sanjuppun (30分)
● 45 min = yonjuugo-fun (45分)
● Half past = han (ex: 1:30 = ichiji han)
“Fun” is used with 2, 5, 7, 9
“Pun” is used with 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10
Words to express time in Japanese
English Japanese Hiragana Kanji
AM gozen ごぜん 午前
PM gogo ごご 午後
Noon shougo しょうご 正午
Daytime hiru ひる 昼
Evening yuugata ゆうがた 夕方
Night yoru よる 夜
Sunrise hinode ひので 日の出
Sunset nichibotsu にちぼつ 日没
❓ How to Ask the Time
今何時ですか？ (Ima nanji desu ka?) = What time is it now?
Examples:
● 4:51 PM → Gogo yoji gojuuippun
● 3:37 AM → Gozen sanji sanjuunanafun
● 12:30 PM → Gogo juuniji sanjuppun
WEEK 8: WEATHERS AND SEASONS
The Word for "Seasons"
● 季節 (kisetsu / きせつ) = Seasons
Japan is known for having four clear seasons, each with its own beauty.
SUMMER — 夏 (natsu)
Months: June to August
● Starts with the rainy season: 梅雨 (tsuyu) = rainy season (June–July)
● After the rain, real summer begins. It gets very hot (up to 40°C / 104°F) and very humid.
● Even in the shade, you might sweat a lot.
Fun Summer Activities:
● Festivals (matsuri)
● Fireworks
● Beach, BBQ, camping
● Beer gardens
Famous Events:
● Aomori’s Nebuta Festival
● Tokushima Awa Odori
● Omagari Fireworks
AUTUMN — 秋 (aki)
Months: September to November
● Cool, pleasant weather after the summer heat
● Many sunny days: 秋晴れ (akibare) = clear autumn skies
● Mountains change color (red, orange, yellow)
● Beautiful places like Kyoto are extra stunning in autumn
WINTER — 冬 (fuyu)
Months: December to February
● Cold weather, especially in northern and mountain areas
● Great for winter sports: skiing, snowboarding, ice skating
● Onsen (hot springs) are popular to warm up
Tokyo Winter Note:
● Rare snow in December
● Northern Japan gets snow earlier
SPRING — 春 (haru)
Months: March to May
● Starts cold (March), gets warmer by May
● April = cherry blossom (sakura) season
● A very beautiful and popular time to visit Japan
Japanese Words for Seasons
English Romaji Hiragana Kanji
Season Kisetsu きせつ 季節
Four seasons Shiki しき 四季
Spring Haru はる 春
Summer Natsu なつ 夏
Autumn/Fall Aki あき 秋
Winter Fuyu ふゆ 冬
Common Weather Words
English Romaji Hiragana Kanji
Weather Tenki てんき 天気
Climate Tenko てんこう 天候
Weather Condition Kisho jokyo きしょうじょうきょう 気象状況
Look of the sky Soramoyo そらもよう 空模様
How to Describe the Weather
English Japanese Hiragana
Hot Atsui あつい
Warm Atatakai あたたかい
Cold Samui さむい
Cool/Chilly Suzushii すずしい
Humid Jimejime shita じめじめした
Hot & Humid Mushiatsui むしあつい
Dry Kansou shita かんそうした
WEEK 9: PARTS OF THE BODY
HEAD & FACE
ATAMA – Head Top part of the body with brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
KAMI – Hair Grows on the head; different colors and textures.
KAO – Face Front of the head: includes eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks.
HITAI – Forehead Area above the eyebrows.
MAYU – Eyebrow Hair above the eyes that shows emotion.
ME – Eye Used for seeing.
HOO – Cheek Soft area on the side of the face.
HANA – Nose Used for breathing and smelling.
HANA NO ANA – Nostril Nose openings for air.
MIMI – Ear Used for hearing and balance.
KUCHI – Mouth Used for eating, speaking, breathing.
KUCHIBIRU– Lips Soft parts around the mouth.
SHITA – Tongue For tasting, swallowing, speaking.
HA – Tooth Hard parts for biting and chewing.
AGO – Chin/Jaw Lower part of the face, helps with chewing.
INTERNAL ORGANS
NOU – Brain Controls thoughts, memory, and body.
KOUJOU-SEN – Thyroid Gland in the neck for metabolism.
NODO – Throat Connects mouth to stomach and lungs.
KIKAN – Trachea Airway from throat to lungs.
SHOKUDOU – Esophagus Tube for food from mouth to stomach.
SEKIZUI – Spinal Cord Nerve path from brain through spine.
HAI – Lung Brings in oxygen and removes carbon dioxide.
SHINZOU – Heart Pumps blood through the body.
I – Stomach Breaks down food.
TANNOU – Gallbladder Stores bile for digesting fats.
SUIZOU – Pancreas Makes insulin and digestive enzymes.
KANZOU – Liver Filters blood, processes nutrients.
JINZOU – Kidney Filters waste, makes urine.
DAICHOU – Large Intestine Absorbs water, forms stool.
SHOUCHOU – Small Intestine Absorbs nutrients from food.
BOUKOU – Bladder Stores urine before release.
SHIKYUU – Uterus/Womb Where a baby develops in females.
ZENRITSUSEN – Prostate Gland In males, helps produce semen.
BONES & MUSCLES
HONE – Bone Hard structure that supports the body.
KINNIKU – Muscle Moves the body by contracting.
KANSETSU – Joint Connects bones and allows movement.
ROKKOTSU – Ribs Curved bones protecting the chest.
KOTSUBAN – Pelvis Bone structure at base of spine.
KOKANSETSU – Hip Joint Connects thigh bone to pelvis.
HIZA – Knee Joint between thigh and lower leg.
OTHER BODY PARTS
SENAKA – Back Rear of upper body including the spine.
KATA – Shoulder Connects arm to body.
ASHIKUBI – Ankle Connects foot to leg.
KOSHI – Lower Back/Waist Supports movement and posture.
WEEK 10: FAMILY MEMBERS
Japanese Words for Your Own Family Members
n Japanese, there are two ways to talk about family:
1. When you're talking about your own family
2. When you're talking about someone else’s family
Why? Because Japanese culture puts a big emphasis on respect and humility.
● When you're talking about someone else's family, you use respectful words. This is called sonkei (尊敬 /
そんけい) – showing respect.
● When you're talking about your own family, you use humble words. This is called kenjō (謙譲 / けんじょ
う) – being modest.
So depending on whose family you're talking about, you’ll use different words.
FOCUS LANG SA OWN FAMILY NO NEED TO REVIEW YUNG SOMEONE'S FAMILY
English Your Own Family (Humble) Someone Else’s Family (Respectful)
Father 父 (chichi) お父さん (otousan)
Mother 母 (haha) お母さん (okaasan)
Older Brother 兄 (ani) お兄さん (oniisan)
Older Sister 姉 (ane) お姉さん (oneesan)
Younger Brother 弟 (otouto) 弟さん (otoutosan)
Younger Sister 妹 (imouto) 妹さん (imoutosan)
Husband 夫 (otto) / 主人 (shujin) ご主人 (goshujin)
Wife 妻 (tsuma) / 家内 (kanai) 奥さん (okusan)
Son 息子 (musuko) 息子さん (musukosan)
Daughter 娘 (musume) 娘さん (musumesan)
Grandfather 祖父 (sofu) おじいさん (ojiisan)
Grandmother 祖母 (sobo) おばあさん (obaasan)
Uncle 叔父／伯父 (oji) おじさん (ojisan)
Aunt 叔母／伯母 (oba) おばさん (obasan)
Family 家族 (kazoku) ご家族 (gokazoku)
Honorific Used For
-san A respectful, polite suffix like "Mr." or "Ms." in English. Used for most people.
-chan A cute/casual way to address girls, children, pets, or close friends.
-kun Usually for boys or young men. Also used by teachers for students.
-sama A very respectful version of "-san", used for customers or people of high status.
WEEK 11: ANIMALS
The word for pet in Japanese is: ペット (petto)
Pets in Japan
- Japan has a long love for animals, but since the early 2000s, there's been a huge pet boom — more people
are getting pets and treating them like family.
Native Dog Breeds:
Japan has some special native dog breeds:
● Shiba Inu (柴犬 / shibaken) – Small, fox-like dogs known for their loyalty and cuteness.
● Akita Inu (秋田犬 / akitaken) – Larger, strong dogs known for their bravery and loyalty.
Hachiko the Loyal Dog:
- There’s a famous statue of a dog named Hachiko in front of Shibuya Station in Tokyo.
Hachiko waited for his owner every day, even after the owner passed away.
There’s another statue showing Hachiko reuniting with his owner at the University of Tokyo.
Popular Dog Breeds in Japan
Besides native breeds, people also love small dogs like:
● チワワ (chiwawa) – Chihuahua
● トイプードル (toi puudoru) – Toy Poodle
● ダックスフンド (dakkusufundo) – Dachshund
Not All Pets Are Real Animals!
Japan is super into robotic pets too! Here are two famous ones:
● AIBO – A robot dog developed by Sony.
● PARO – A robotic baby harp seal used in hospitals and nursing homes to help people feel better.
Animal Cafés in Japan
Animal cafés are super popular in Japan! You can relax with animals while drinking coffee.
Some examples:
● 猫カフェ (neko kafe) – Cat Café
● フクロウカフェ (fukurou kafe) – Owl Café
● マイクロブタカフェ (maikuro buta kafe) – Micro Pig Café
Animals in Japanese Religion & Folklore
In Shinto, Japan’s native religion, animals are seen as symbols of gods or spirits:
● Hachiman (the war god) – Represented by a dove
● Inari Okami (god of rice and fertility) – Represented by foxes
● Dragons (竜 / ryuu) – Symbolize power and are connected to nature spirits.
Symbolic Animals in Japanese Culture
● Koi fish – Represent strength, good luck, and are thought to be dragon-like.
● Turtles and Cranes – Symbolize long life and wisdom.
Japan’s National Animal
The Japanese macaque (also called a “snow monkey”) is the national animal.
In Japanese: 日本猿 (Nihonzaru)
It literally means “Japan monkey.”
It’s the only wild monkey species in Japan!
Paper Cranes & Sadako’s Story
- There’s a belief in Japan that if you fold 1,000 paper cranes (called 千羽鶴 / senbazuru), your wish will
come true.
- This idea became famous because of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who developed leukemia after the Hiroshima
bombing. She tried to fold 1,000 cranes before she passed away. Now, people fold paper cranes to pray for
peace and healing—especially at Hiroshima memorials.
