[Shogakukan Inc.] Sarai is a culture and education magazine for adults. The latest issue features a special feature on Japanese kanji and kana. The supplementary appendix gives you a clear understanding of your current kanji ability! Comes with the latest Kanji Kentei exam question collection!! Shogakukan Inc. Press Release: September 9, 2025 Sarai is a culture and education magazine for adults. The latest issue features a special feature on Japanese kanji and kana. The
supplementary appendix gives you a clear understanding of your current kanji ability! Comes with the latest Kanji Kentei exam question book!! The October issue of Sarai, published by Shogakukan, goes on sale today, September 9th.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/13640/3330/13640-3330-1c3aeb82bef5d79cd99bea363a03b1ec-1990×2700.jpg
**************************** “Sarai” official website… Sarai.jp https://serai.jp/ “Sarai” Official X (old twitter)…@seraijp https://x.com/@seraijp Japanese is characterized by its use of kanji and kana, ideograms and phonetic characters. Combining precision of meaning with richness of sound, it allows for a wide variety of expressions, from literature to everyday conversation. From the perspective that “the expressive power of modern Japanese was born from the combined use of these two characters,” we will explore the charm of this unique language, which is both rich and beautiful. Special Feature: Japanese Kanji and Kana The combined use of kanji and kana has given rise to the rich and beautiful expressive power of the Japanese language. Kanji characters, which are believed to have been introduced from the continent during the Yayoi period, were initially recognized as a type of pattern. During the Kofun period, they were recognized as characters, became symbols of authority, and began to be used in administrative documents in the late 8th century. Meanwhile, after the Man’yōgana, which uses kanji phonetically, “kana” was born in the Heian period out of the Japanese sense of aesthetics. Even after acquiring phonetic characters, the Japanese continued to love and not abandon ideographic kanji, creating “kokuji,” Japanese-made kanji, and “dialect kanji” used only in specific regions. Kanji scholar Tetsuji Atsuji, calligraphy culture researcher Akira Nagoya, and others will explain the fascinating aspects of kanji and kana, the source of the expressive power of the Japanese language.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/13640/3330/13640-3330-58b45b71ee4271077304823e27554235-2486×1065.jpg The “Genryaku Colloquial Man’yoshu” (right) is a copy of the “Man’yoshu,” Japan’s oldest collection of poetry. It is written in Man’yōgana. It is so named because it was proofread in 1184 (the first year of the Genryaku era), at the end of the Heian period. A national treasure, 25.0 x 17.0 cm. Tokyo National Museum (Source: ColBase) The Shoku Nihongi (left) is an official history compiled in 797. However, the section on senmyo (verbal orders from the emperor) is written in Japanese word order, with only particles, auxiliary verbs, and verbal conjugation endings written in small Man’yōgana. This is called “senmyo-style notation.” The photo shows a manuscript from 1614 (Keichō 19). Dimensions: 27.0 x 19.3 cm. Collection of the National Institute of Japanese Literature Four Keywords for Understanding Kanji and Kana Kanji and kana have also brought great appeal to the Japanese language from the perspective of the beauty of the characters. (1) From the Edo Period to the Present: 400 Years of Japanese Writing (2) The Evolution of Printing Typefaces and Their Present State (3) Mastering Beautiful “Handwritten Characters” through Visual and Handwriting Practices (4) Collecting landscape characters to make your city walks 10 times more enjoyable We’ll explore the charm of these characters from four angles. Calligrapher Satoru Nemoto will be teaching us how to create beautiful handwritten characters. Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/13640/3330/13640-3330-9050e4ab54dde81bda720b10aa8b375a-1337×956.jpg Calligrapher Satoru Nemoto writes “words” with a small brush on Japanese paper (ryōshi). The writer’s thoughts are transmitted to the tip of the brush and appear as characters. “Calligraphy is the person,” says Nemoto. ・Special supplement: Test your skills with the latest “Kanji Kentei” The Japanese Kanji Aptitude Test, also known as “Kanji Kentei,” has been conducted since 1975 as a test that “measures your ability to understand the meaning of kanji and use them correctly in sentences from various perspectives.” This book contains the latest versions of Level 3, Level 2-Pre, Level 2, Level 1-Pre, and Level 1 questions, based on the new questions created by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation each time.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/13640/3330/13640-3330-e6b36341263c1002e2cb3d43620309ad-1912×2700.jpg A separate appendix, “Test Your Skills with the Latest Kanji Exam.” Contains actual test questions for Level 3, Level 2-Pre, Level 2, Level 1-Pre, and Level 1 created by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation. 36 pages in total. Special Feature: New Rules for “Homemade Pasta” Pasta is a versatile staple at the dinner table, whether you’re looking for a quick and easy meal, a more elaborate feast, or the perfect accompaniment to wine. It’s the ultimate in home-cooked meals. In this special feature, experts in pasta from Japan and around the world share everything from how to make classic sauces to the right heat and saltiness. They also roll up their sleeves to try authentic Italian flavors, and introduce “one-pan pasta,” the crystallization of Italian home cooking wisdom, made in a single frying pan.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/13640/3330/13640-3330-d321088dc40244aba87676e575ff7198-848×941.jpg “Mare e Monti” is a luxurious dish that combines the bounty of the sea and the land. Pasta featuring both seafood and mushrooms is rare, even in Italy. The trick is to thoroughly grill the shrimp heads to bring out their flavor so that they don’t get overpowered by the porcini mushrooms. Sarai Interview / Katsushige Hirata (Dubbing Translator, 76 years old) Born in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture in 1949. Half a century ago, Hirata embarked on the path of film dubbing translation after being invited to do a part-time job as a dubbing translator while attending Aoyama Gakuin University. Katsushige Hirata, who has worked on over 1,000 films, including the Star Wars and Die Hard series, is still active at the forefront of his field. He understands that maintaining physical strength is more important than anything else when translating, and has been frequenting the gym and pool with his wife for the past 30 years. We spoke to him about the past and present of dubbing translation, the changes in his role at home, and his future plans.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/13640/3330/13640-3330-72a277d7aab03836bdf433ef728fc692-680×1020.jpg In his living room, Hirata is surrounded by the scripts he has translated. The pages are lined with the titles of famous works that everyone knows. He says that the scripts don’t all fit in his study, so most of them are stored in a warehouse.
