Aguro

Senryu (川柳, senryuu) is somewhat similar in structure to Haiku (俳句), which is Japanese poetry with 5-7-5 (go-shichi-go) syllables. However, Senryu is lighter in its content and is made primarily to have some fun. It can be funny or even outright ridiculous. Here’s a website containing children Senryu that I found.

Let’s translate some!

I particularly like the one below:

My first encounter with senryu is on Morning Musume DVD Magazine vol. 14 where the topic is “eco” (e.g., environment). Morning Musume, v-u-den, Berryz Koubou, and C-ute members all have to make an eco senryu. It’s quite interesting.

Here’s Berryz Koubou’s captain Shimizu Saki’s senryu:

And now it’s my turn making a senryu:

It’s all in kana!

Try writing some

Do you know KY? It comes from 空気を読めない (Kuuki o Yomenai) which means not being able to read/grasp the situation. KY itself refers to the person not being able to grasp the situation (and presumably does silly things). You can also use KY to whisper that person to “Get grasp of the situation!”. See the Zokugo Jisho entry.

Well, with all those slangs and acronyms being invented all the time, it seems natural that even a Japanese person can’t keep up. In a Gaki Kame episode (a radio show), Kamei Eri had a good laugh because Niigaki Risa didn’t know KY. Go listen to the 1 minute clip below! (or download it, 679 KB)

From time to time, I will devote posts for kanji especially its writing. These posts will be categorized as kanjiku which in kanji is 漢字区. The kanji itself means “kanji district”, but it’s actually a pun of Indonesian language in which it means “my kanji”. So, welcome to the kanji district of Aguro!

Now, who dare say that kanji is hard? Some kanji are in fact easier than hiragana and katakana. On this chance, we will meet the four absolutely easiest kanji, and of course learn how to write them properly.

The first kanji is for the number 1, which is 一:

The kanji is made from one stroke, and we draw it from left to right. For number one, the stroke is one. Can it be easier than that?

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