S


Word Pic. Meaning
- - -
saido bre-ki (side brake)
サイドブレーキ
- hand brake
parking brake
saiho-dohgu
裁縫道具
sewing materials
saka-agari
逆上がり
Practice forward upward circling.
sakaki
sakaki blanch is used for Shinto ritual

photo by Atsushi Yamamoto
Sakamoto Ryoma
坂本竜馬
-
sakura
cherry blossom, cherry tree,

sakurambo
サクランボ
cherry
sakuramochi
桜餅
one of the most popular traditional sweets.
half crushed rice filled with an/sweet red beans which is
covered with a salt pickled cherry leaf.
You may eat a leaf together.
sakyuu
砂丘
sand hill
samma
秋刀魚
Pacific saury
one of the most popular fish in Japan

samma-no-shoyaki
秋刀魚の塩焼き
broiled samma (Pacific sary) with salt
samma oshi-zushi
秋刀魚 押し寿司
Samma-no-oshi-zushi is one of the specialties
of Wakayama Pref.
sanagi
pupa
sankyaku
三脚
tripod
sansai
山菜
- mountain vegetables
sarasoju
沙羅双樹
Natau-tsubaki (lit.Summer camelia)/Japanese steartia
saru
monkey
sarumawashi
猿回し
monkey entertainer

"Sarumawashi" is one of the most popular
Japanese traditional street performance.
sasakazari
笹飾り
decorated bamboo mede for the Tanabata festival.
write your wish on the paper and put them on the twigs.
sashimi
刺身
sliced raw fish, shellfish
and crustaceans
satsuki
さつき
azalea
satsumaimo
サツマイモ
sweet potato
sazae
サザエ
turban top shell
sazae no tsuboyaki
サザエの壺焼き
Grilled sazae
sazareishi
細石
sazareishi means small stones
But we also call this kind of rock sazareishi.
small stones get together and grow to be a rock. =>
Japan's national anthem
SCMaglev and Railway
Park
Linear Tetsudo-kan
seiza
正座
- a way of sitting
fold one's legs under oneself
sit up straight > agura
sekihan
赤飯
- -
sekitan
石炭
coal
sekken
石鹸
soap
semi
cicada
 Sen'i Matsuri
せんい祭
 - Sen'i Matsuri is held in Gifu-ekimae Ton'yagai on the first Sunday of
April, July, October and December. 8:00-16:00
 30%-90%off of Clothings, bedclothing, umbrella, kimono, etc.

map
senko-hanabi
線香花火

sparkler
senmaida
千枚田
terrace type rice field
sennari-byoutan
千成瓢箪
bottle gourd; ensign bearing cluster of gourds
Sennari-byotan was used as a mark of Toyotomi Hireyoshi.
sennuki
栓抜き
corkscrew
senpuuki
扇風機
electric fan
senro
線路
rail
Seto-oohashi
瀬戸大橋
setsubun
節分
-
shabondama
シャボン玉
soap bubble
shachi
シャチ
killer whale
shachihoko
鯱鉾
imaged animal.
symbol of Nagoya
shake no kirimi
鮭の切り身
cliced salmon
shako
蝦蛄
a mantis shrimp
shakutorimushi
尺取り虫
looper, inchworm

shichifukujin
七福神
seven gods
shichi-go-san
七五三


shichi means seven, go means five and san means three.
Shichigosan is a traditional observance of children's growth.
Boys of three and five years of age and girls of three and seven
visit a local shrine on November 15.( Recentry most of the
families visit shrines any day when they are free before November 15.
shichirin
七輪

one of the traditional charcoal burners
Shichi means seven, and rin was denomination of small money.
The name came from that only samll amount of charcoals costed
seven rin are enough to cook.
shida
シダ
fern
shiitake
椎茸
a kind of mushroom
one of the most popular mucshrooms
shijimi
Japanese freshwater clam
great matches in miso soup
Shikemichi
四間道
-
shikikin
敷金
(damage) deposit
Shikizakura
四季桜
shimeji
シメジ
shimeji mushroom
shinkansen
新幹線
Shinkansen
shinme
新芽
sprout, bud, shoot
shinryoku
新緑
fresh green, verdure
shimedaiko
締め太鼓
a kind of drums
shimenawa
注連縄
a straw rope used in Shintoism
to indicate sacredness
Shimofuri (niku)
霜降り(肉)
densely-marbled meat (especialy beef)
 Shinojima Daimyo
Gyoretsu
 Shinojima Daimyo Procession
shiohigari
潮干狩り
shelfish gathering
shiojake
塩じゃけ
salted salmon. shio means salt and jake (sáke) means salmon.
preservable food.
Salted salmon is usually sold in cut pieces like in a photo.
Broiled shiojake is one of the typical Japanese breakfast menu.
A whole salted salmon is called aramakijake and we often use
it for oseibo in December.
shippo-yaki
七宝焼き
cloisonné
Shirasawa Keikoku
白沢渓谷
The only valley in Nagoya.
shiratama-zenzai
白玉ぜんざい
sweet red-bean (azaki ) soup with
cakes made from glutinous
rice-flour granules
Shiri ni hi ga tsuku
尻に火がつく
- (Figuration) be in a helpless situation, pressed for time
Shiri ga omoi
尻が重い
- (Figuration) too lazy to get off one's rear
shirodashi
白だし
shirodashi is made by white soy sauce, mirin ( sweet sake), salt,
essence of dried fish, etc.
Shirodashi is very convenient when you cook Japanese food like
osumashi (Japanese soup) or nabe-mono, etc.
Shirotori Koen
白鳥公園
- Shirotori Park
shirozake
白酒
- -
shishamo
シシャモ
shishamo smelt or capelin

Shishamo lives only on the Pacific side of Hokkaido and it is
Japan's endemic species.
Now almost all fish regarded and sold as "shishamo" in
a supermarket are capelin.
shishimai
獅子舞
Japanese Lion dance
It was originaly introduced from China and developed
in Japanese style.
shishitoh
しし唐
a kind of piment
shiso
紫蘇
beefsteak plant
shobosha
消防車

fire engine
shoboshi
消防士

fireman
Shochi Mimai
暑中見舞い
Summer Greeting
sho-ene
省エネ

Save or economize energy
shokaki
消火器
fire extinguisher
shokupan
食パン
bread
shoshinsha mark
(wakaba mark)
初心者マーク


sign of beginner driver

(otherwise Wakaba Mark) wakaba means young leaves
Shotokutaishi
聖徳太子
shoyu
醤油
soy sauce

shukusaijitsu

祝祭日



national holidays
Shuu-katsu
就活



Shuukatsu is shortened ward of "Shuushoku-Katsudo 就職活動"
Job hunting, Job search   
shumai
シュウマイ
shaomai: Chinese steam meat dumpling
shungiku
春菊
- a kind of chrysanthemum--we eat leaves
Sain(sign)
サイン
- autograph
signature
soba (flower)
蕎麦
buckwheat flower
soba
蕎麦
buckwheat
sojiki
掃除機
cleaner
somen
素麺
white thin Japanese noodles
sora
sky
Sori Kantei
総理官邸
prime minister's residence
Shuu cream
(sounds like shoe cream)
シュークリーム


Cream puff
Short cut
ショートカット
short hair
ShoshokuDanshi
草食男子
Young men, up to 40-year old, who are very cooperative,
domestic and gentle but not aggressive in matters of love.
They are not interested in conspicuous consumption, like cars.
Someone said that the economic stagnation following the bubble's
implosion has an influenced on their mentality.
Silver seat Priority seat
Splash
スプラッシュ
Amphibious Sightseeing Bus in Kobe City.
subuta
酢豚
sweet-and-sour pork
sugidama
杉玉
Sugidama (lit. cedar ball). It's also called Sakabayashi.
In old days, sake brewers would hang sakabayashi their door to signal
that fresh production is ready. They hung it right after they pressed
the first sake. You can still see it in local areas like Takayama.
suiden
水田
rice field
suika
西瓜
watermelon
suika-wari
スイカ割り
Watermelon cracking
One of the popular game on the beach.
suiren
水連
water lily
suisha
水車
waterwheel
Sumaato (smart)
スマート
Slender
Slim
sumi
charcoal
suna-asobi
砂遊び

play with the sands
suna-dokei
砂時計


hourglass
sunahama
砂浜
beach
sunoko
スノコ
This type sunoko is a board to protect futon from moisture
in the closet
suri
スリ
pickpocket
sushi
寿司
鮓、鮨
Japanese traditional fast food.
It always involves vinegared rice
with fish, shell meat, vegetables, egg,
etc. sushi trivia
sushi-shokunin
寿司職人
Sushi craftsman, sushi technician
sushi-zu
鮓酢
Vinegar for sushi
If you use sushi-zu, it's very easy to make sushi-meshi (sushi rice)
susuki
Japanese pampas grass
one of the seven grasses in Autumn
( aki-no-nanakusa )
suutai
素謡
suzu-harae
鈴祓
Shrine maiden ring bells above children to purify them
suzume

sparrow