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October 23, 2017

Golden Week

Learn a little about Golden Week while practicing your reading and listening abilities.

Read the story below while listening to the audio either fast (normal speed) or slow if you need to train your ears.

Slow Speed

NORMAL Speed

今年 kotoshi this year
ゴールデンウィーク go-ruden wi-ku Golden Week
休みを取る yasumi o toru to take vacation
~連休 ren kyuu vacation days in a row
たくさん takusan many
海外旅行 kaigai ryokou oversea travel
出かける dekakeru to go out; debark
見込み mikomi to estimate
初日shonichi first day
成田国際空港 narita kokusai kuukou Narita International Airport
この日だけ kono hi dake just this day
およそ oyoso approximately, about
以上 ijou over, more than
出発 shuppatsu leave, depart
見られていますmirareteimasu can be seen
帰国 kikoku return to home country
に集中 ni shuuchuu see next notes below
また mata also
好天 kou ten nice weather
恵まれた megumareta blessed (with)
京都 kyouto Kyoto
観光客 kankou kyaku sightseer
訪れる otozureru visit, go see
有名な yuumei na famous
寺社 jisha various temples & shrines
観光地 kankouchi sightseeing spot
若いカップル wakai kappuru young couple
家族連れ kazoku zure families
など nado etc.
にぎわう nigiwau crowded, bustling area
新緑 shin ryaku green (area)
包まれた tsutsumareta enveloped, wrapped
各行楽地 kaku kourakuchi each (各) vacation spot
いっぱい ippai full
地方 chihou region
気象台 kishoudai meteorological observatory (where weather is studied)
晴れ一時くもり hare ichiji kumori mostly sunny, occasionally cloudy
行楽日和 kouraku biyori ideal weather for an outing
なりそう narisou should become/be
ということです to iu koto desu and that’s that

Translation Notes

  1. ゴールデンウィーク go-ruden wi-ku Golden Week; A series of holidays in Japan at the end of April and beginning of May. This is when just about everyone has vacation time.
  2. 9連休 even if you didn’t know this jukugo, you can guess by looking at the individual kanji. 連 ren means ‘link’ or ‘connection’ and is used in such common jukugo as 連絡 ren raku, 連続 ren zoku, etc to mean this. So a number (9) plus 連 and 休 would mean 9 consecutive holidays.
  3. となるため to naru tame so this would happen—May First and Second are made into holidays to let everyone have 9 consecutive days off
  4. 見込み mikomi means an “estimate” here but it can also mean ’hope’ or ‘prospect’ as in 見込みのある子供 mikomi no aru kodomo A child with a promising future. Or 見込みがない mikomi ga nai hopeless!
  5. およそ ’about’, ‘approximately’ is used often in news type reporting.
  6. 増 zou is used by itself to mean increase
  7. に集中しそう ni shuuchuu shisou looks like concentration (of returnees). The shisou shows probability but not certainty. “It appears most people will return to Japan between the 5th and 7th.”
  8. 好天に恵まれる is used as a set phrase meaning ’having nice weather’
  9. 寺社 is used for general temples 寺 and shrines 神社 in the area
  10. 新緑に包まれた各行楽地 gives the feel of a lively (green) and pleasant vacation spot
  11. 京都地方気象台によりますと according to the Kyoto meteorological center…
  12. 晴れ一時くもり hare ichiji kumori mostly sunny, occasionally cloudy—「一時」 means occasionally, but is less likely than 時々 (toki doki). So it is mostly sunny (晴れ) but clouds could occasionally crop up. Has nothing to do with 1 O’Clock ????
  13. 行楽日和 kouraku biyori is a set phrase for ‘ideal weather for an outing’

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