I’m working on a page at TJP about the traditional Japanese card game, karuta. There are many variations, but perhaps the most common is the Edo or Inubou variety. (Gets the name from the first proverb about a dog (inu) and a stick (bou))
Anyway, since playing Karuta is a common practice on New Year’s Day, I thought I’d spotlight a few of them from now until December 31st.
Here is sound file I’m mastering now:
嘘から出たまこと
https://thejapanesepage.com/audio/player.swf
uso kara deta makoto
From out of a lie, the truth
–when someone says something as a lie, but turns out to be true.
My set of Karuta cards have 真 as the kanji for makoto. But a quick Google search has 実 and 誠 being used for makoto. I am using the hiragana here so no one can claim I’m a kanji bigot.
Makoto is one of those fun words that have multiple kanji for the same sound and a similar meaning. Our boy, Makoto, is 誠, though. There may be several makoto’s but only one 誠くん!