東京・浅草寺で夏の風物詩「四万六千日・ほおずき市」

Welcome to Japanese Daily News. I'm Maya. Today is July twelfth. Here's a bright summer story from Tokyo: an old festival where a temple fills up with little orange plants and the gentle sound of wind chimes. Let's listen.

Now let's break it down, sentence by sentence.

In Tokyo, at Senso-ji temple, a festival called the Hozuki Market was held.

It means a festival.

It's the name of a very famous old temple in Asakusa, Tokyo.

Hozuki are a summer plant that grows round, orange fruit.

It means a plant.

It means fruit, the round part that grows on the plant.

Inside the temple grounds, many shops selling hozuki lined up.

It means a temple.

It means to line up, to stand in a row.

The shops also had wind chimes that make a cool, refreshing sound.

It means a wind chime, a small bell hung in the summer breeze.

It means cool or refreshing.

July tenth is a special day known as Shimanrokusennichi, the day of forty-six thousand days.

It means special.

It's said that if you visit and pray on this day, you gain merit worth forty-six thousand days.

It means visiting a temple or shrine to pray.

It means a blessing or benefit received from the gods or Buddha.

Many people came to the temple in summer kimono, wishing for their family's health.

It means health.

It means a yukata, a light cotton kimono worn in summer.

Let's listen to the whole story one more time.

Time for a short quiz. Listen and try to answer.

At Senso-ji temple, in Asakusa, Tokyo.

It's Shimanrokusennichi, the day of forty-six thousand days.

Forty-six thousand days' worth, which is about a hundred and twenty-six years, close to a whole lifetime.

That's all for today. Next time you hear a wind chime on a hot day, picture a temple full of little orange lanterns and people praying for good health. Thanks for listening, and see you tomorrow.