Hiragana: Lesson 39 - ‘ら’ [ra]

We finished with 'ya' group! \o/ So now, let's move one to the next group, which is the 'ra' group!


Pronunciation:
‘ら’ is romanized ‘ra’.

Words with ‘ら’:
‘ら’ at the beginning:

• 来週/らいしゅう (raishuu -> next week)
• 来店/らいてん (raiten -> coming to the store)
• 楽園/らくえん (rakuen -> pleasure garden; paradise)
• 卵白/らんぱく (ranpaku -> white of an egg; albumin)

‘ら’ in the middle:

• いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase -> welcome [in shops, etc])
• 未来/みらい (mirai -> the future (usually distant); (2) future tense; (3)
  the world to come)
• 平仮名/ひらがな (hiragana -> hiragana; 47 syllables; the cursive syllabary [the thing we are learning right now ^^])

‘ら’ at the end:

• 悪戯/いたずら (itazura -> tease; prank; trick; practical joke; mischief)
• だから (dakara -> so; therefore)
• 左様なら/さよなら (sayonara -> good-bye)
• 乍/ながら (nagara -> though; notwithstanding; while; during; both; all;
  while doing; although (being)).
• なら (nara -> (conj,prt) if; in case)

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Stroke order:

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Task: You shall write ‘ら’ [ra] 50 - 100 times in your textbook. Memorize the shape, the stroke order, the sound, the pronunciation (echo the sound of the character each time you write it down), etc.

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Japanese Cuisine Part 2

"FURUSATO MATSURI"
Tokyo Dome, Bunkyou Ward
Tokyo Prefecture, Japan

Ran: Welcome to Furusato Matsuri Tokyo, the original Japanese food festival!

Conan: Here we can celebrate the diversity of regional food, festivals and culture around Japan... Ikimashou, Tna-neechan, Kaoko-neechan and... sumimasen, oneechan no namae wa... (sorry, what's your name, big sister)?

Nga: Atashi wa Nga desu (I'm Nga), Conan-kun...

Conan: Ah gomennasai (I'm sorry), Nga-neechan...

Nga: Ii (it's okay), Conan-kun...

Ran: Ikou (let's go)... let's enter the Tokyo Dome!

Tna: Woah... does the festival happen occasionally or in a certain season?

Ran: Yeah, it happens annually, usually in early of January, after new year...

Kaoko: Then all Japanese regional food are here? Awesome!

Conan: Hai! Tonikaku, I heard from Takagi-keiji that you and Tna-neechan had enjoyed Japanese Cuisine  some time ago...

Kaoko: Yeah, right. But we only tried some of them...

Tna: Let's see... we tasted sushi, ramen, udon, soba, donburi, okayu (porridge)... what else, Kaoko-chan?

Kaoko: Umm... curry rice, onigiri, zoshi... I think that's all...

Ran: Sugoi~! Several menus in a day?

Tna: Yeah, and the result is my tummy was sick due to overeating...

Conan, Ran: Hahaha...

Kaoko: Nah, we have to try the rest of it!

Nga: How lucky~ just a minute away from reserving the ticket for going home, Ran-chan called us to join this festival~! So glaaad I can stay a little longer in Tokyo... arigatou ne, Ran-chan!

Ran: Kochira koso (same here) ~! We're so glad having you all here...

Tna: By the way, is Mouri-ojisan absent?

Ran: Yeah, a client asked him to solve an infidelity case... he really regretted for not coming here. But the client has paid the cost in advance, so... he couldn't refuse it...

Tna: Haha... mata ka yo, ano occhan...? (again, that uncle)?

OKONOMIYAKI STANDS

Conan: Has Heiji-niichan ever asked you to eat okonomiyaki when you visited Osaka?

Tna: No... maybe he forgot...

Ran: Nah, this is what we called 'okonomiyaki'!

Tna, Kaoko, Nga: Sugoooi~! It must be delicious!

Conan: Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "what you like" or "what you want", and yaki meaning "grilled" or "cooked". It is often associated with Kansai region, that's why Osaka is famous for its okonomiyaki...

Tna: Wah, we're really lucky! We come here at the exact time when Tokyo holds the food festival, so we don't need to explore all Japan!

Kaoko: Yeah, what a coincidence!

Ran: The topping may vary in each region...there are two main styles of okonomiyaki, which are Kansai style and Hiroshima style. In Kansai style, the ingredients such flour, grated yam, green onion, meat, shrimp, shredded cabbage, octopus, and others are mixed together. It often compared to omelette or pancakes. But in Hiroshima style, the ingredients are layered rather than mixed together...

Nga: Oh... sou desu ka. Ja, tabemashou~!

SHABU SHABU & SUKIYAKI STANDS

Ran: You're still hungry right? Feel free to enjoy these shabu shabu and sukiyaki~

Shabu shabu

Sukiyaki

Tna: Nanka... sukkori... (somewhat alike...)

Ran: Yeah! Shabu shabu is often related to sukiyaki in style, in that both use thinly sliced meat and vegetables and are usually served with dipping sauces, but it is considered to be more savory and less sweet than sukiyaki. It is considered a winter dish but is eaten year-round...

Conan: But the dish not only meat, sometimes replaced with pork, crab, chicken, duck, or lobster...

Kaoko: Oh soukka... I think I'll try sukiyaki...

Nga: Me too...

Tna: I'll try shabu shabu, I don't really like sweets.. 

Ran, Conan: Then, itadakimasu~!

Waitress: You forget your sashimi, Okyakusama... douzo~

Sashimi

BEVERAGES AND DESSERTS STANDS

Ran: What would you like to drink, Tna-chan, Kaoko-chan, and Nga-chan? There are ryokucha, o-sake,konnyaku, and shocu available...

Conan: Ryokucha is green tea, one of the most common beverage in Japan. Osake is a rice-based alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin, shochu is a distilled alcoholic beverage usually made from rice or sweet potatoes, and konnyaku is a gelatin-like food made from the starch of a type of taro called devil's tongue...

Ryokucha

Sake

Shochu

Konnyaku

Kaoko: Umm... sore dake (only those)? Then I want ryokucha and konnyaku...

Tna, Nga, Conan: Me too!

Ran: Oh and this is sunomono, a kind of Japanese salad made of vinegared vegetables and seafood, if you want to... or maybe you want try tsukemono, Japanese pickles. Vegetables are pickled in salt, rice bran, miso or sake sediment. They are usually served to complement other dishes...

Sunomono

Tsukemono

Tna: Horrible! I hate cucumber~!

SOUP AND FRIENDS STANDS

Conan: Nah, in this stands, you will find any soup dishes, like chawanmushi, shiruko, oden, andochazuke...

Ran: Chawanmushi is cup-steamed egg custard with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables. Trefoil leaves are often put on top as a garnish...

Chawanmushi

Conan: Shiruko is a sweet bean-paste soup with pieces of rice cake or dumplings in it. Salty pickles are often served with the soup to make it tastier...

Shiruko

Ran: Oden is a dish in which a variety of ingredients such as tofu, eggs, white radish, fried fish paste, and potatoes are boiled together in a large pot of seasoned fish broth. Hot mustard is served as a condiment...

Oden

Conan: And ochazuke... as inferred from the name, you must know that it's related to tea (ocha). Yes, ochazuke is a large bowl of rice with hot water or green tea poured over it. Broiled salted salmon, cod roe, laver, or pickles are usually put on top. A little wasabi horseradish may be added...

Ochazuke

Tna: Wasabi?! No! I never forget how horrible the taste of wasabi was!

Ran: Ahaha, but you can always leave wasabi when eating ochazuke. It's delicious, Tna-chan... then what would you eat?

Tna: Nothing seems interest me... but... okay, I'll try ochazuke, omitted the wasabi of course!

Waiter: Hai~! And the other?

Kaoko: I choose... chawanmushi... even I don't know how it is like...

Nga: Me... oden! Seems so unique~

Ran: Conan-kun?

Conan: Boku wa... ochazuke!

Ran: Well, two ochazuke, one chawanmushi, one oden, and one shiroku. Onegaishimasu (please)...

Waiter: Hai! O-machinasai... (Yeah, please wait...)

Tna: Onaka ga ippai~! (I'm so full!)

Ran: Ew, but we're about to ask you to try some Japanese snacks...

Kaoko: Japanese snacks? Like what?

Conan: There are yakitori, senbei, takoyaki, ohagi, mochi, dango, and many more...

Nga: Seems interesting... but, I'm so full either. But... I want to try some too...

Tna: Maa, daijoubu... I think my tummy still has some empty space... 

Kaoko, Nga: Let's go!

SNACKS STANDS

Ran: Which one would you choose? This is yakitori, grilled chicken. Chunks of chicken and vegetables are arranged on bamboo skewers, broiled over a charcoal fire and dipped in a sweet soy sauce...

Yakitori

Tna: Oh, I know it, I know it! In my country, it's called 'sate'!

Conan: And it's takoyaki, grilled octopus dumplings. Ingredients include batter, octopus, and green onion. Usually sold at street stands, takoyaki are grilled on an iron plate, and served with shaved bonito and a thick sauce...

Takoyaki

Kaoko: Yeah, I frequently heard about this...

Ran: Ishiyaki-imo a sweet potato baked within hot stones. Selling from a cart equipped with such an oven...

Ishiyaka-imo

Nga: Woah, baked potatoes! I want this!

Conan: Nah, maybe you know what is this...

Tna, Kaoko, Nga: Mochi?

Conan: Yes, seikai (right)! Mochi are rice cakes made from special sticky rice. They are traditionally eaten during the New Year holidays after being toasted, or served in a soup...

Mochi

Ran: Mochi usually filled with red bean, strawberry, or even chocolate... and, the next one is senbei! 

Senbei

Conan: Senbei is sweetened or salted crackers made from rice or wheat flour...

Nga: Ohoho! I saw senbei in 'Detective Conan Magic Files 5'! 

Conan, Ran: Haha, yeah~!

Ran: This one is dango or Japanese dumpling made from mochiko (rice flour), related to mochi. It is often served with green tea...

Dango

Conan: And this is... ohagi!

Ohagi

Tna: Ah! So this is ohagi? I often heard about this and even saw in Naruto and other dorama... what'sohagi made from?

Conan: Ohagi is made from sticky rice, coated with sweet red-bean paste...

Tna: Oh sou desu ka...

Ran: Nah, which would you choose?

Kaoko: I want yakitori and senbei... but, takoyaki also interesting!

Nga: I want takoyaki, ishiyaka-imo, and mochi!

Tna: I am... okay, I'll try ohagi, takoyaki, mochi, and dango...

Nga: Who said that someone was so full before...? 

Tna: Ahaha but... I can't stand it when it comes to eat! 

Ran: And you, Conan-kun?

Conan: O-dango and mochi!

Ran: Well, then...

All: Itadakimasu~~!

Kaoko: Ah! We forget one thing!

Ran: What's that, Kaoko-chan?

Kaoko: I'm still curious about natto...

Conan: Ah, the natto stands is next to here, ikimashou (let's go!)

Ran: Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis. It is popular especially as a breakfast food...

Waiter: Douzo~ here's natto with rice for you!

Natto with rice

Credits: Japanese Cultural Items, Halo Jepang, Furusato Matsuri picture, and others.

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Story written by Tna-chan <3