📚📚 Read every day challenge - Winter 2022 ☃❄

:tiger2: :books: Homepost - Tigerdate: 20220201 :books: :raccoon:


Tanuki Scroll XXXII: 耳なし芳一 :musical_note:

Read today’s Hyakumonogatari, from Yamaguchi Prefecture!

About a biwa story teller, it’s a quite well known one but it was rather difficult reading. There was a lot of historic words for places and people so I didn’t make it all the way to the end (it’s rather long too).

☆ Learnings ☆

New Words

真言宗「しんごんしゅう」ー Shingon Sect of Buddhism
幼帝「ようてい」ー Young Emperor
縁側「えんがわ」ー Engawa: the external corridor on the outer side of traditional Japanese houses
やかた「館」ー Mansion; Palace; Manor House. Nobleman/woman.
ガシャッ ー a cracking/slapping noise

Places
下関(市)「しものせき(し)」ー Shimonoseki
阿弥陀寺 「あみだじ」ー Amidaji Temple

Names
芳一「ほういち」ー Hōichi

Historic Events
壇ノ浦「だんのうら」ー Battle of Dannoura, the final battle of the Genpei War (1185)

Historic People
安徳天皇「あんとくてんのう」ー Emperor Antoku, 81st Japanese Emperor (12th Century)

Forgotten Meanings

才能さいのう」ー Talent; Ability


Whooo, nice going!! :grinning:

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Day 27: January 31

  • 君の名は。page 186-189 (75%)
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For the last few days, I played Pokemon Legends Arceus and picked up a bunch of vocabulary, probably some that probably don’t get used often outside of video games. But I spent like two hours finding Female Eevees at the beginning of the game just because.

To close off the month, I started reading Japanese stuff again after a few week hiatus. I managed to find 57 new words with Kanji and 11 Kana only words. I will be importing those into my SRS program and create a new list for the month of February.

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I love reading everyone’s daily updates but can’t do so many myself, so I thought I’d at least do a quick recap of what I’ve been able to do in January:

  • I read almost everyday (only missed one day)
  • I caught up with the かがみの孤城 bookclub (although I’m a week behind now :sweat_smile: but should be no problem)
  • Started and finished the first case in 逆転裁判1
  • Finished one route of the VN トリコリティアイズ (I’d started it before the challenge)
  • Didn’t read as much manga as I wanted but I did manage about 5 chapters of various things
  • I started reading the VN バリアブルバリケード

That’s not too bad considering I’ve had a pretty busy month.

The best part is I’ve managed to re-establish the JP reading habit and I’ve been having a lot of fun with it. Definitely want to keep it up throughout February. And seeing everyone’s updates and progress really helps with motivation so thanks everyone!!

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Summary post :bookmark:

February 1

本好きの下剋上 8
Progress: (41% → 43%)

Some words
Word          Reading           Meaning Notes
分かり切る わかりきる “To be evident/obvious”
見繕う みつくろう “To choose (a thing) at one’s own discretion”.
老獪 ろうかい “Cunning, crafty, sly”.
壁の花 かべのはな “Wallflower” There is flower, it’s on the wall => “one too shy to actively join in the party”
大黒柱 だいこくばしら “Central pillar, backbone (e.g. of a family)” It’s funny because I remember this from Vanilla’s video.
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Summary Post

February 1
星の王子さま, p. 9-13.


You guys!! Thanks for all the supportive replies :heart: .

Started 星の王子さま as I said I would yesterday. It looks so promising! Though I’m back to encountering a lot of unknown words :joy: . I have to get used to the writing style again so it’s likely it will be slow at first, but it feels so refreshing. There are two specific things that I noticed right away:

  1. So many hiragana-only words in comparison to 君の名は. It happened, I turned into someone that doesn’t like hiragana-only text, it’s so hard to parse ;-; . It’s not hiragana-only of course, there’s a good amount of kanji, but I’ve definitely encountered a fair amount of hiragana adverbs, and some were a bit of a pain to look up due to so many homonyms.
  2. The、 commas、 dividing、 sentences、 are、 eeeeverywhere. There are so many!! :joy: Which is actually kinda of cool, not gonna lie. It adds to the writing style and it makes it easier to follow.

Overall I like how this book feels, I think I’m going to enjoy reading it :relaxed: .

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Sure, I didn’t mean to imply that it’s specifically aimed at children. I do know a bit about the author’s background, and it’s no wonder the book is much deeper than it may seem at a glance. I guess what I meant was that it’s written like a children’s book, stylistically, and so children actually do read it :slight_smile:

I checked a couple pages – looks quite difficult indeed. But from the synopsis I got a feeling I might actually like it, so I’ll definitely try again at some point. Thanks!


Summary post

February 1 update:
Since I’m a bit out of energy after reading all the sample pages yesterday to pick my next book, as well as from various work/life events, I decided to take a breather and read a volume of よつばと! before going back to prose. Read chapter 8 today.
(I also forgot to mention yesterday that I had read a couple pages of 君の名は。– as expected, this was way harder than I can manage now.)

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Summary post

Much better day today – I’m feeling a lot better generally, so that has to help. And I enjoyed my reading for several reasons! Let’s get into it:

For one, reading felt pretty good. Right at the proper level where I’m getting it, but I’m learning a decent bit. There were a lot of interesting challenges that I made it past. I came across “にもほどがある” which, if those sites that pop up when you google grammar can be trusted, is an N1 grammar point. And I’m happy to say I worked it out! The structure of the particular sentence messed with me, but I got confirmation over in the grammar thread that I figured it out. Love this site as a resource and all the helpful people on it :heart:

I also had to deal with ガツッ used in the middle of a sentence, which required some decent searching to discover is a sound effect for hitting against something. I forgot what lovely person on these forums shared this site before, but if anyone else needs help with sound effects, this is a great site.

I get inordinately pleased when I come across something that makes me feel bad for the translators, some sort of joke or phrase that only works in Japanese, and such a thing happened today! The protagonist and another character will both be leaving after summer, so they were described as かえる仲間, which the other responded to by making frog sounds (ゲコゲコ). Took me a moment to get what was happening, but I loved it when I did.

The new character I met is overly scatterbrained and goofy such that I probably shouldn’t be amused as much as I am… but the charm of these characters is really landing for me. Today you get two images (which I’ll collapse for space).

Images

I guess I am still a sucker for anime-style cuteness nonsense at times. I’ve also started, when the dialog happens (which is much less common than long stretches of narration and thoughts so far), to try to just listen to it and see how much I can follow, and that went quite well today! Of course, I think the character spoke rather simply, but all the same, I’ll take anything I can get there.

Just gotta keep bouncing back like this :crossed_fingers:

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Love your updates as always. Totally can relate to the translator pity. Now I understand why the whole “*Some extra long explanation of some kind of word in an anime” type of joke is so great :joy: . Aren’t frog sounds ゲロゲロ though?

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Thanks!

Apparently there are multiple forms; jisho lists several. The one I put there doesn’t look like the most common? But it is the one the VN used.

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So interesting - I wouldn’t have expected that these three books (including Time Girl) differ that much in difficulty… Apparently I must have learned a thing or two over time :sweat_smile:
(And sorry that my recommendations are too hard for you - I hope you can find more suitable books in the meantime!)

I must say those (and the other earlier) screenshots are extremely beautiful! I can very much understand why you wanted to read this VN.


Today I continued with ifの悲劇, and I like it a lot! The author’s writing style feels pretty … chill, in a way? Hard to describe for me, but it feels as if the protagonist is not taking himself overly serious somehow (although this is a very serious story). Also the prologue manages to mix fiction and reality in a fascinating way, blurring the lines in my head, which is interesting. (By the way, yesterday I thought I had finished the prologue already, but it was only the first part of it that I had finished :woman_facepalming: in other words, I’m still in the prologue.)

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It’s probably the best way to learn grammar looking up the meaning when encountering it during reading.

I think I will finish the JLPT N3 prep course on japanesepod 101, which is super awesome and then try a JLPT N3 mock test.

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I was lazy today I just started Domestic Girlfriend Vol.3 and read 50 pages. But I found an awesome japanese website with some interesting articles to read.

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Home post :house:

Day 24: yesterday

I read two pages of よつばと! on the 31st :four_leaf_clover:

Day 25:

I only read the context sentences in my Anki deck today, uni is just a bit much lately.

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Day 32!
I read chapter 2 of よつばと! today.
Didn’t find it quite as simple as yesterday, probably mostly because I’m a bit tired. I had a little bit of trouble parsing some of the casual bits like うめぇ instead of うまい - but nothing too difficult. :slight_smile:

There was a bit where a character explained how to write her name.
This made me smile, because thats something I had a conversation with my tutor about in our last session. (“How do I know how to spell somebody’s name? Is it rude to ask? How do people explain which characters to use?”).
So it was nice to see an example come up naturally in something I was reading :slight_smile:

風香っていうの
風 (かぜ) 香る(かおる) と書いて
ふ・う・か

(Home Post)

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Summary post

Day 32: February 1st

365日にっぽんのいろ図鑑
Time spent: 15 min
Today’s color: 利休鼠 (りきゅうねずみ) - grayish dark green

Such a nice tea-like color! Named for 千利休 (せんのりきゅう), a historical figure known for perfecting the Japanese tea ceremony.

Good words
  • 茶人 (ちゃじん) - master of the tea ceremony (can also mean a person with eccentric tastes)
  • 侘び (わび) - taste for the simple and quiet; rustic simplicity; austere refinement; wabi​; enjoyment of a quiet life (what a peaceful word :relieved:)
  • 大成者 (たいせいしゃ) - person who achieves perfection; person who perfects (e.g. a theory)
  • 彷彿 (ほうふつ) - (bearing a) close resemblance; vivid reminder (e.g. of the past)​
  • 体現 (たいげん) - personification; impersonation; embodiment
  • 安らぐ (やすらぐ) - to feel at ease

まいにち暦生活 日本の暮らしを楽しむ365のコツ
Time spent: 13 min

Today’s reading talked about 余寒 (よかん) - lingering winter - but spring is not too far away :cherry_blossom:

What else did I read?
囀る鳥は羽ばたかない Vol 1
Amount read: 12 pages
Time spent: 29 min

I’m happy I read anything at all today tbh, was feeling very meh today, but I ended up reading more than I thought I would

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Home post

Day 31:

日本語: I read some of DEATH NOTE 1, some of 機動強襲型令嬢アリシア物語1, and a bit of 本陣殺人事件.
Read-aloud: We read a chapter of ハイキュー.

中国語

中国語: I read an intermediate entry on Mandarin Bean, two pages of 擅长捉弄的高木同学, and a bit of 孩子最爱读的中国民间故事.

And yes, one month done!! :heart:

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Pretty happy that I finally got to chapter 2 of 夜カフェ. I’m enjoying the pacing and appreciate how smooth the writing is. My husband was surprised to see me reading what looked like a novel to him since it was nothing but text, and he thought I might not understand the content. But when I showed him the writing, he agreed that unlike real novels, the writing is very きれい and easy to follow. So if you’re on the fence about picking this one up or are looking for a good first book, I’d recommend this one.

Honestly, I’m going much slower than I want to, but it can’t be helped that Tan-chan comes first. She was having a really hard time last night falling asleep and then waking up shortly after. She finally settled by 1:30AM, so we got a late start this morning. I think it’s the 4-month sleep regression period I heard about on top of another growth spurt since she’s been eating a lot too. I heard a lot of other parents have it rougher, so I’m thankful she sleeps for long periods of time even if her schedule is a little off right now.

Anyway, if I could choose my schedule, I would have no problem reading a chapter (about 15 pages) per day. The content is interesting enough that I want to keep reading and find out how things turn around for the protagonist.

2月1日 ~ Days 32 / Back to Home

夜カフェ page 16 of 189

We left off at Hanabi being relieved that Yayako didn’t have her usual group of followers with her, which she was a little relieved about. But in a few days, she managed to create a new group of friends from other elementary schools, so Hanabi realizes she’s going to have to return to the life of laying low so she won’t get picked on.

She thinks about joining the badminton club because it’s the only physical activity she’s really good at, but once she heard Yayako was planning to join, she decided to give up on the idea. Meanwhile at home, Hanabi has family problems with her mother and father fighting. Since her mother is really focused with her fashion designer job, she doesn’t have time to cook and do the housework like a traditional Japanese wife is “supposed to” do despite coming home often to (I assume) pick up some things for work.

It’s really sad how one person could take away so much of Hanabi’s self confidence. When I read the bit about her planning to join the badminton club so she could regain a sense of herself, I was cheering her on until she became discouraged again when she found out Yayako would be there and therefore give her a hard time.

Vocab for Reference - New words are bolded

本の・ほんの・mere; only; just
数日・すうじつ・few days
数人・すうにん・several people; a few people
早速・さっそく・at once; immediately
疾っくに・とっくに・long ago; already; a long time ago
限り・かぎり・as long as …
密・ひそか・secret; private; surreptitious
とろい・slow (slightly pejorative); dull; stupid
敢えて・あえて・purposely (of something needless, unexpected or seemingly counterproductive, etc.); daringly (doing something); deliberately; intentionally
証明する・しょうめいする・to prove
打ち消す・うちけす・to negate (esp. a sound); to drown out
呪う・のろう・to curse; to put a curse on; to detest intensely
送る・おくる・to spend (time); to live one’s life
とぼとぼ・totteringly; trudgingly
足取り・あしどり・gait; walk; stride; pace; step; manner of walking
研ぐ・とぐ・to wash (rice)​
同時・どうじ・simultaneous; concurrent; same time; synchronous; together​
復帰・ふっき・return; comeback; reinstatement
ぺこり・action of quickly bowing or lowering one’s head; (with a) bob of the head
パタンナー・pattern maker (for clothing); fashion designer
描く・かく・to picture in one’s mind; to imagine
画・が・stroke (of a kanji, etc.)
基づく・もとづく・to be based (on); to be founded (on); to be grounded (on); to be in accordance (with)
型紙・かたがみ・pattern paper (for dressmaking)
増える・ふえる・to increase; to multiply
いきいき・in a lively way; vividly; freshly; animatedly; actively; energetically
炊く・たく・to cook (grains, e.g. rice)
能・のう・talent; gift
上達・じょうたつ・improvement (e.g. in skill, ability); advance; progress
料理本・りょうりぼん・recipe book
作業・さぎょう・work; operation; manufacturing; fatigue duty
おかず・small dish (usu. one of several accompanying rice); side dish
一品作・いっぴん・dish; course
愚図愚図・グズグズ・unsettled
崩れる・くずれる・to deteriorate
のぞき込む・のぞきこむ・to look into; to peer in
クスクス・chuckle; giggle
眉・まゆ・eyebrows
交じり・まじり・mixed; mingled
快く・こころよく・willingly; gladly; readily; with pleasure; with good grace
不図・ふと・suddenly; casually; accidentally; incidentally; unexpectedly; unintentionally
覚ます・さます・to awaken; to arouse from sleep
言い合い・いいあい・quarrel; dispute
疎かにする・おろそかにする・to neglect; to ignore; to disregard; to make light of
揉む・もむ・to have a heated discussion
訴える・うったえる・to complain

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Update February 1

  • One Punch Man. Re-re-read chapter 5. Wall of monologue :boom: . Made it through chapter 6 (24pgs) as well.
  • Played catch up on HelloTalk moments
  • Animal Crossing. Maybe? I still have some time but I have to complete the final part of biohazard 4 first. Only saved three times on this play through and the last one is too far to go back on.
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Long overdue update …

I finished my 1000 word quest earlier in January, and it’s made a huge difference. I recognize so many more words than I used to! I have to keep that in mind, because my vocabulary is still woefully inadequate to handle most/any novels.

On the other hand, I’m getting pretty good at reading manga! I finished read volume 6 of Yotuba during January, and now I’m partway through the 7th volume (have to order the rest before I can continue beyond that, but am waiting for conclusive results from the beginners book club next-book poll before I make a new order.)

Today I finally finished this week’s Way of the Househusband reading, and read a few more pages of my first grade reader. (I’m on the last story in the book now!)

@Daisoujou

Thank you! I’ve now officially stopped keeping the record, and so far it feels great! Like I can just stretch out and luxuriate in the Japanese language haha. Aside from still having to look up at least one new word per sentence when reading my first grade reader. :sweat_smile:

That’s so great! I agree those moments are some of the most satisfying. Because that’s something that you would never have been able to experience if you hadn’t started learning Japanese.

And I feel pretty good about getting the joke after a few moments, too. :slight_smile:

Also, I’ve been meaning to mention that I’m really enjoying all the screenshots you’ve been posting from your VN! They’re all so pretty!

@rikaiwisdom

Yay, congratulations! :partying_face:

I’m so excited for you!

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