Host
Welcome to Japanese Daily News. I'm Maya. Today is August fifth. This week in Akita, in northern Japan, the night sky is full of glowing lanterns. Performers balance long bamboo poles covered with lanterns on their hands, foreheads, and shoulders. Let's listen.
News
今日のニュースです。
Here's today's news.
News
8月3日、秋田県の秋田市で、夏の大きい祭り「竿燈まつり」が始まりました。祭りは、8月6日まで続きます。
On August 3, the big summer festival "Kanto Festival" began in Akita City, Akita Prefecture. The festival continues until August 6.
News
「竿燈」は、長い竹の棒に、たくさんの提灯をつけたものです。提灯の中には、ろうそくの火が入っています。
A "kanto" is a long bamboo pole with many lanterns attached. Inside the lanterns are candle flames.
News
一番大きい竿燈は、長さが約12メートル、重さが約50キロです。提灯が46個ついています。
The biggest kanto is about 12 meters long and weighs about 50 kilograms. It has 46 lanterns attached.
News
男の人たちが、竿燈を手のひらや額、肩、腰にのせて、バランスを取ります。とても難しい技です。
Men balance the kanto on their palms, foreheads, shoulders, and hips. It is a very difficult skill.
News
夜になると、たくさんの竿燈が空に上がります。その光は、米の穂のように見えます。
At night, many kanto rise into the sky. Their light looks like ears of rice.
News
この祭りには、「今年も米がたくさんとれますように」という願いがあります。
This festival carries the wish, "May we harvest a lot of rice this year too."
News
今年は、273本の竿燈が参加します。去年より7本多いです。子どもたちも、小さい竿燈で参加します。
This year, 273 kanto will take part. That is 7 more than last year. Children also take part with small kanto.
News
竿燈まつりは、江戸時代から続いています。青森の「ねぶた祭」と同じ、東北の三つの大きい夏祭りの一つです。
The Kanto Festival has continued since the Edo period. Like Aomori's "Nebuta Festival," it is one of the three big summer festivals of Tohoku.
News
今年は、夜、ドローンのショーもあります。500機のドローンが、空に秋田の絵を描きます。
This year, there is also a drone show at night. 500 drones will draw pictures of Akita in the sky.
Host
Now let's break it down, sentence by sentence.
Breakdown
Slow Repeat
8月3日、秋田県の秋田市で、夏の大きい祭り「竿燈まつり」が始まりました。祭りは、8月6日まで続きます。
On August 3, the big summer festival "Kanto Festival" began in Akita City, Akita Prefecture. The festival continues until August 6.
Host
On August third, in Akita City in Akita Prefecture, the big summer Kanto Festival began. The festival continues until August sixth.
Vocab
続く
Host
It means to continue.
Slow Repeat
「竿燈」は、長い竹の棒に、たくさんの提灯をつけたものです。提灯の中には、ろうそくの火が入っています。
A "kanto" is a long bamboo pole with many lanterns attached. Inside the lanterns are candle flames.
Host
A kanto is a long bamboo pole with many paper lanterns attached. Inside the lanterns are burning candles.
Vocab
提灯
Host
It means a paper lantern.
Slow Repeat
男の人たちが、竿燈を手のひらや額、肩、腰にのせて、バランスを取ります。とても難しい技です。
Men balance the kanto on their palms, foreheads, shoulders, and hips. It is a very difficult skill.
Host
The men balance the kanto poles on their palms, foreheads, shoulders, and hips. It is a very difficult skill.
Vocab
肩
Host
It means shoulder.
Slow Repeat
夜になると、たくさんの竿燈が空に上がります。その光は、米の穂のように見えます。
At night, many kanto rise into the sky. Their light looks like ears of rice.
Host
When night comes, many kanto rise into the sky. Their lights look like golden ears of rice.
Vocab
米
Host
It means rice.
Slow Repeat
この祭りには、「今年も米がたくさんとれますように」という願いがあります。
This festival carries the wish, "May we harvest a lot of rice this year too."
Host
This festival carries a wish: may we harvest a lot of rice again this year.
Vocab
願い
Host
It means a wish.
Slow Repeat
今年は、夜、ドローンのショーもあります。500機のドローンが、空に秋田の絵を描きます。
This year, there is also a drone show at night. 500 drones will draw pictures of Akita in the sky.
Host
This year, there is also a drone show at night. Five hundred drones draw pictures of Akita in the sky.
Vocab
描く
Host
It means to draw.
Host
Let's listen to the whole story one more time.
News
8月3日、秋田県の秋田市で、夏の大きい祭り「竿燈まつり」が始まりました。祭りは、8月6日まで続きます。
On August 3, the big summer festival "Kanto Festival" began in Akita City, Akita Prefecture. The festival continues until August 6.
News
「竿燈」は、長い竹の棒に、たくさんの提灯をつけたものです。提灯の中には、ろうそくの火が入っています。
A "kanto" is a long bamboo pole with many lanterns attached. Inside the lanterns are candle flames.
News
一番大きい竿燈は、長さが約12メートル、重さが約50キロです。提灯が46個ついています。
The biggest kanto is about 12 meters long and weighs about 50 kilograms. It has 46 lanterns attached.
News
男の人たちが、竿燈を手のひらや額、肩、腰にのせて、バランスを取ります。とても難しい技です。
Men balance the kanto on their palms, foreheads, shoulders, and hips. It is a very difficult skill.
News
夜になると、たくさんの竿燈が空に上がります。その光は、米の穂のように見えます。
At night, many kanto rise into the sky. Their light looks like ears of rice.
News
この祭りには、「今年も米がたくさんとれますように」という願いがあります。
This festival carries the wish, "May we harvest a lot of rice this year too."
News
今年は、273本の竿燈が参加します。去年より7本多いです。子どもたちも、小さい竿燈で参加します。
This year, 273 kanto will take part. That is 7 more than last year. Children also take part with small kanto.
News
竿燈まつりは、江戸時代から続いています。青森の「ねぶた祭」と同じ、東北の三つの大きい夏祭りの一つです。
The Kanto Festival has continued since the Edo period. Like Aomori's "Nebuta Festival," it is one of the three big summer festivals of Tohoku.
News
今年は、夜、ドローンのショーもあります。500機のドローンが、空に秋田の絵を描きます。
This year, there is also a drone show at night. 500 drones will draw pictures of Akita in the sky.
Host
Time for a short quiz. Listen and try to answer.
Slow Repeat
竿燈まつりは、いつまで続きますか。
Host
Until August sixth.
Slow Repeat
一番大きい竿燈は、重さが約何キロですか。
Host
About fifty kilograms.
Host
That's all for today. The Kanto Festival has started in Akita. Until August sixth, hundreds of glowing lantern poles will rise into the night sky, carrying a wish for a good rice harvest. Thanks for listening, and see you tomorrow.
News
また明日。
See you tomorrow.
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Grammar Reference
〜より N5
than ~ (comparison)
noun + より
去年より7本多いです。
There are seven more than last year.
より marks the thing being compared against
Grammar notes → 〜のように見える N4
to look like ~
noun + のように + 見える
その光は、米の穂のように見えます。
The lights look like ears of rice.
のように compares something to another thing; 見える means it appears that way
Grammar notes → 「〜」という + noun N4
a ~ that says ...
quote + という + noun
「米がたくさんとれますように」という願いがあります。
There is a wish: may lots of rice be harvested.
という connects a quote or name to the noun it describes
Grammar notes → 一番〜 N5
the most ~
一番 + adjective
一番大きい竿燈は、長さが約12メートルです。
The biggest kanto is about twelve meters long.
一番 before an adjective makes the superlative — number one
N5 grammar list → 〜ています N5
ongoing state (has been ~ing)
verb て-form + います
竿燈まつりは、江戸時代から続いています。
The Kanto Festival has continued since the Edo period.
ています here shows a state that started in the past and still continues
Grammar notes →