Language
Picnic Japanese
If you turn on the TV in Japan at this time of year, the chances are you will see weather forecasts charting the movements of the sakura zensen(sakura front) as it makes its way from Kyushu up to Hokkaido over the course of the month, leaving swaths of drunken merrymakers in its wake.
With lovingly prepared, handmade bento in hand (p.10), blue sheet underarm and a cooler full of sake(p.14) , you’ll no doubt be heading off to one of our Top 10 Hanami Spots (p.8) with a group of friends to enjoy your own hanami picnic. You may have even sent someone ahead to basho tori(claim) a prime piece of hanami real-estate. It’s not uncommon to witness lone salarymen seated among seas of blue sheets often from the very early hours, just to secure a spot large enough to accommodate all their colleagues.
Whomever you find yourself sharing a blue sheet with, you might want to try out the following phrases to help the sake flow more freely.
| すごい ！自分で作っ たの ？ Sugoi! Jibun de tsukutta no? |
Wow! Did you make these yourself? |
| 朝6時からここにいるよ Asa roku-ji kara koko ni iru yo |
I’ve been here since 6am. |
| 桜は満開みたいですね sakura wa mankai mitai desu ne |
Looks like the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. |
| お酒は弱いです osake wa yowai desu |
I’m not a strong drinker. |
| ここでバーベキューしても大丈夫で すか？ koko de barbekyu shitemo dai-jyobu desu ka? |
Are we allowed to barbecue here? |
| ゴミは必ず持ち帰りましょう！ gomi wa kanarazu mochi kaeri-masho! |
Let’s make sure we take all our rubbish home! |
| 紙皿を取っ て来てく れる？ kami-zara o tottekite kureru? |
Can you please pass me a paper plate? |
| 一気、一気、一気！ ikki, ikki, ikki! |
Down in one, down in one, down in one! |
| 春の風は強いですね。 Haru no kaze wa tsuyoi desu ne |
The winds are strong in spring aren’t they. |
