Have you started learning kanji? I recently created the, "Most Frequently Used Kanji" page, which lists 50 of the most frequently used kanji in Japanese newspapers. Clicking the link of each kanji character will take you to a page where you can learn how to read and write it. If you want to learn more, the next 50 kanji are available at, "Most Frequently Used Kanji (2)". I hope it will be helpful for beginners learning kanji. Learning kanji is probably one of the hardest parts of Japanese, but I think it will become fun once you start to recognize a few characters. "Kanji Land - Grade1" also lists 80 simple and basic kanji characters that are taught in grade 1. You might want to check it out as well. Keep up your kanji studies!
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March 3rd is Hinamatsuri (Doll's Festival) , a day to pray for a young girl's growth and happiness. My late grandparents bought a "Hinaningyou (special dolls for Hinamatsuri)" for my sister and me when we were little. It was always exciting for us to see hinaningyo displayed on Hinamatsuri. Even after we grew up and left home, my mom put them out for Hinamatsuri every year. Two years ago they were given to my niece who was three years old at that time. I am happy that she will enjoy it just like we used to.
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Google recently announced the winner of Google Japan's logo design competition for school children. Japan is the 5th nation after the U.S, U.K., Australia and China to compete in the, "Doodle 4 Google" contest. The theme for this competition was, "I love Japan." The winner was a twelve-year-old girl who designed a logo including a crane, bamboo, Japanese plum and so on. I was looking at other finalists' logos, and I was so impressed with their creativeness. It is quite interesting to see how the children captured their image of Japan. Here is the site that shows the logos. Although it is in Japanese, you can click the blue boxes for "Grades 1-3" "Grades 4-6" and "Grades 7-9," then you can see 30 logos that the finalists created. The winner's logo will be displayed on March 1st on Google Japan.
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February 14th was Chinese New Year in 2010. The Japanese New Year is January 1st, though it is the year of the tiger in Japan as well. For both the Japanese and the Chinese, New Year's Day is the biggest holiday of the year and is comparable Christmas in the West. My hometown, Kobe, has a Chinatown called "Nankin-machi." It is the one of the three biggest Chinatowns in Japan. The others are in Yokohama and Nagasaki. I have only experienced a Chinese New Year in Kobe's Chinatown, but I love its lively and festive atmosphere.
Japanese translation