Chapter 9 Children

9.01 Child’s Play

9.02 Admiring a Baby

9.03 Asking About a Kindergarten

9.04 Introducing Yourself

9.05 Telephoning the School

9.06 Writing an Absence Note

9.07 Inviting Children to a Party

9.08 Visiting the Pediatrician

9.09 Describing Ailments

9.10 Asking About Swimming Lessons

9.11 Meeting Your Child’s Teacher

9.12 Words and Expressions

Chapter9

Children

Japan’s low birth rate is cause for concern. It has been declining steadily since the late 1970s. By 2009, the birth rate had dropped to1.32 births per woman, well below the replacement rate needed to maintain the population level. Women delaying marriage and more people, both men and women, remaining single are the main reasons, but the background to these lifestyle changes is complex. Twenty years of recession, with more workers on contracts and low incomes, have caused many people to worry about the expense of raising a family, and about their children’s future. Then, there are the problems of working while child-rearing—for example, the lack of affordable child care, the obstacles involved in getting back into work, and a lack of support for mothers and families generally. There is now a special government minister and legislation to promote “work-life balance” but the problems require far-reaching social change and so far these measures have failed to halt the decline.

So what kind of child care is available? At the pre-school level there are nurseries (hoikuen) which accept babies from a few months and provide child care until school age for a full working day, and kindergartens (yōchien) which take children for one, two, or three years before starting grade school; but it’s a short day, with children returning home either at lunch time or early afternoon (many do, however, extend care until 5 PM or so). The learning environment at Japanese nurseries and kindergartens is positive and cheerful, structured and well-organized, and the staff are infinitely patient. Lunches are healthy (although you may have difficulty trying to control diet allergies). At some kindergartens you may have to make bentō, a boxed lunch, every day and this is no easy task as the competition from other parents for the most colorful, original bentō can be stiff!

A Japanese kindergarten can teach your child Japanese, provide Japanese friends for the whole family, and give you an opportunity to see Japanese society from the inside. You may, however, have to resolve unexpected problems. For example, because Japanese schools often expect mothers to help out in various ways, you might not have as much free time as you anticipated. Also, you might feel pressure to conform; for instance, you may have to let your child take more sweets than you would like on a school outing. You will have to come to terms too with the emphasis on group activity.

To Westerners, Japanese parents seem indulgent, and to Japanese, Western parents seem strict. The Western parent teaches children to recognize social situations and to behave appropriately; having set down the rules, the parent usually does not tolerate children who disobey. On the other hand, the Japanese parent trains not by principle but by example. The child may not obey at first, but the parent knows that he or she eventually will. You’ll also find that some Japanese parents sleep with their infants (a custom called soine) rather than put them in a cot, and share the bath until the child is well into grade school, the emphasis being on “skinship” rather than on teaching independence.

Because Japanese parents’ scholastic expectations are high, many children commute to juku, private tutoring schools offering classes after regular school hours and on weekends. Juku can be a good place for foreign children to learn to read and write Japanese, and also improve in other areas like arithmetic. Virtually every neighborhood has teachers of piano, English, and abacus, and not far away there will surely be facilities for judo, kendo, ballet, violin, swimming, gymnastics, and many other activities. Fees are generally reasonable but they can mount up if you have several children taking two or three courses.

Compulsory education in Japan is for nine years: six years of elementary school followed by three years of junior high. All elementary and junior high schools follow a standard curriculum set down by the Ministry of Education. When Japanese children go to junior high they become increasingly involved with school-related activities. Students stay on after school to attend semi-compulsory clubs that can keep them out of the house for up to twelve hours a day.

Although children have a less rigid schedule than in the past, the system is still geared to preparing students for exams, partly because graduation from a good university offers the best chance of a job with a top-ranked company. But entrance exams are not limited to universities; exams for entering high school, junior high school and even grade school are common, especially in the private sector.

Prior to exams, family members go out of their way to give the student the best conditions for studying. Summer vacations may be for-gone and Christmas and New Year celebrations abbreviated because someone is taking full-time courses to prepare for these exams. As the February exam season approaches, mothers serve warming snacks to tide their children through the late-night cramming, and TV programs give advice on how to avoid colds that could jeopardize this chance of a lifetime. Entrance into university marks the culmination of a long, intense scholastic endeavor, and college days tend to be a happy, carefree hiatus before the reality of looking for a job and starting working life.

9.01 Child’s Play

The rough and tumble of children’s play knows no language barrier, but teaching these basic words to your toddler can help ease his or her way into Japanese infant society.

• irete/mazete	入れて•まぜて	Can I join in?
• kashite	資して	Can I borrow this?
• junban da yo	順番だよ	Take turns!
• arigatō	ありがどう	Thanks
• dame	ダメ	No, you can’t
• gomen-nasai	ごめんなさい	Sorry
• zurui/ijiwaru	ずるい•いじわる	Not fair

These phrases are for parents:

• o-namae wa?	お名前は？	What’s your name?
• ikutsu / nansai?	いくつ/何歳？	How old are you?
• o-rikō-san	お利口さん	That’s a good boy/girl

9.02 Admiring a Baby

In this dialogue, Kim Young Hee admires a neighbor’s baby.

KIM:

Kawaii desu ne. Ōkiku narimashita ne. Ima nankagetsu?

かわいいですね。大きくなりましたね。今、何ヶ月？

Isn’t she cute! Hasn’t she grown. How old is she now?

NEIGHBOR:

Jukkagetsu.

10ヶ月。

Ten months.

KIM:

Sō. Otōsan ni nite imasu ne.

そう。お父さんに似ていますね。

Really? Doesn’t she look like her father!

NEIGHBOR:

Ē, minna ni iwarerun’ desu.

え一、皆に言われるんです。

Yes, everyone says so.

KIM:

Rinyū-shoku wa?

離乳食は？

How’s the weaning going?

NEIGHBOR:

Gohan, o-tōfu, o-sakana o takusan tabete, kudamono mo daisuki desu.

ご飯、お豆腐、お魚をたくさん食べて、果物も大好きです。

She eats a lot of rice, tofu, and fish, and she loves fruit.

KIM:

Yokatta desu ne. Shigoto ni fukki shimasu ka?

よかったですね。仕事に復帰しますか？

That’s good. Are you going back to work?

NEIGHBOR:

Hai, yōyaku hoikuen o mitsukete, raigetsu kara kaisha ni modoru yotei na no.

はい、ようやく保育園を見つけて、来月から会社に灵る予 定なの。

Yes, at last I found (a place in) a nursery and I plan to go back to work next month.

KIM:

Ryōritsu wa taihen desu kara, ganbatte kudasai.

両立はたいへんですから、がんばってください。

It’s hard doing both (working and parenting). Good luck.

9.03 Asking About a Kindergarten

Some kindergartens are run by local authorities, but the majority are privately owned. Most do not give formal training in reading and arithmetic. Since it looks as if they’ll be staying longer in Japan, Kate asks a neighbor about the age requirements for a local kindergarten.

KATE:

Megumi-chan wa doko no yōchi-en e kayotte irun’ desu ka?

患ちゃんはどこの幼稚園へ通っているんです力、。

Which kindergarten does Megumi go to?

NEIGHBOR:

Akebono Yōchi-en. Jinja no yōchi-en na no.

あけぼの幼稚園。神社の幼稚園なの。

Akebono (Dawn) Kindergarten. It’s run by a Shinto shrine.

KATE:

Uchi no Ken wa haireru ka na?

うちのケンは入れるかな？

Could our Ken go there?

NEIGHBOR:

O-tanjōbi wa itsu?

お誕生日はいつ？

When’s his birthday?

KATE:

Jūnigatsu ni yon-sai ni naru no.

12月に4歳になるの。

He’ll be four in December.

NEIGHBOR:

San-nen hoiku ni narimasu ne. Kiite mitara dō desu ka? Ima, Megumi o mukae ni ikimasu kara issho ni ikanai?

3年保育になりますね。聞いてみたらどうです力、。今、患み を向かえに行きますから一緒に行かない？

Then he would go for three years. Why don’t you ask? I’m going to meet Megumi now so why don’t you come along?

KATE:

Hai. Arigatō gozaimasu.

はい、ありがどうございます。

OK. Thank you.

9.04 Introducing Yourself

If you have children attending a Japanese school, you may be asked to introduce yourself at class meetings. You can use the following, conventionally modest introduction:

• Erena Tērā no haha desu. Sannen-mae, Amerika kara mai ri ma -shita. Kodomo wa mada Nihongo o yoku hanasemasen shi, narenai koto ga ōi ka to omoimasu ga, yoroshiku o-negai shimasu.
エレナ.テーラ一の母です。3年前、アメリカから参りまし た。子供はまだ日本語をよく話せませんし、なれないこどが 多いかど思います力\よろしくお願いいたします。
I am Eleanor Taylor’s mother. We came from America three years ago. Eleanor still does not speak Japanese well and I think there are lots of things she hasn’t gotten used to yet. I would appreciate it if you would look after her.

9.05 Telephoning the School

Max telephones the kindergarten to tell them that Ken is sick and will be absent from class.

TEACHER:

Hai. Akebono Yōchien desu.

はい。あけぼの幼稚園です。

Hello. Akebono Kindergarten.

MAX:

Kiku gumi no Ken Buraun no chichi desu.

菊組みのケン.ブラウンの父です。

This is Ken Brown’s father. Ken’s in the “chrysanthemum” class.

TEACHER:

Hai.

はい。

Yes.

MAX:

Kodomo ga netsu o dashimashita node, kyō wa yasu masetai to omoimasu.

子供が熱を出しましたので、今日は休ませたいど思います。

Ken’s got a temperature so I’d like to keep him out of school today.

TEACHER:

Wakarimashita. O-daiji ni.

分かりました。お大事に。

I see. I hope he feels better.

MAX:

Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu. Shitsurei shimasu.

よろしくお原貝いします。失ネしします。

Thank you. Goodbye.

9.06 Writing an Absence Note

If you go away for a long weekend, you’ll have to send a note informing the school that your child will be absent.

• Ashita (kinyōbi) kazoku de dekakeru no de, Erena o yasumasete kudasai.
明日（金曜日）家族で出かけるので、エレナを休ませてく ださい。
Because the family is going out of town, please excuse Eleanor from school tomorrow (Friday).

9.07 Inviting Children to a Party

A good way to get to know the neighbors is to invite their children to a party. When talking to other parents, use the honorific verb irassharu when referring to their children.

EMILY:

Nijū-san-nichi ni Kurisumasu pātii o uchi de suru koto ni natta no. Satomi-chan to Kenta-kun, irassharanai? Ato de kādo o kodomo ni motasemasu.

23日にクリスマス•パーテイを家でするこどになったの。里 美ちゃんど健太君いらっしゃらない？後でカードを子供に 持たせます。

We’re having a Christmas party on the 23rd. Can Satomi and Kenta come? I’ll send the children round later with an invitation.

NEIGHBOR:

Arigatō gozaimasu.

ありがどうございます。

Thank you.

EMILY:

Shimizu-san to Hayashi-san no kodomo-san mo kimasu no de, kite kudasai.

清水さんど林さんの子供さんも来ますので、来てください。

The Shimizu and Hayashi children are coming too, so please come.

NEIGHBOR:

Hai. Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu. Kodomo ga kitto yoro kobu deshō.

はい。どうもありがどう。こどもがきっと喜ぶでしよう。

Thank you very much. The children will be delighted.

EMILY:

Zehi, dōzo. O-machi shite imasu.

ぜひ、どうぞ。お待ちしています。

Please come. We look forward to seeing them.

9.08 Visiting the Pediatrician

You can take a sick child to a neighborhood pediatrician or to the paediatric ward of a general hospital. You will have to show your insurance card or settle the method of payment before treatment is given.

DOCTOR:

Dō shimashita ka?

どうしましたか。

What’s the matter?

MAX:

Kinō no yoru kara netsu o dashimashita.

昨日の夜から熱を出しました。

He’s had a fever since last night.

DOCTOR:

Kinō nan-do deshita ka?

昨日何度でしたか。

What was his temperature yesterday?

MAX:

Sanjū-hachi-do nana-bu arimashita.

38度7部ありました。

It was 38.7 degrees centigrade.

DOCTOR:

Geri wa?

下痢は？

Any diarrhea?

MAX:

Geri wa shite inai desu.

下痢はしていないです。

No, no diarrhea.

DOCTOR:

Hakimashita ka?

吐きましたか？

Did he vomit?

MAX:

lie. Haite imasen.

いいえ、吐いていません。

No, no vomiting.

DOCTOR:

Dewa chotto shinsatsu shimasu ne. * * * Taishita koto nai to omoimasu. Suibun o takusan ataete kudasai. Kaze-gusuri to genetsuzai o dashimasu.

では、ちょっと診察しますね。大したこどないど思います。 水分をたくさん与えてください。かぜ薬ど解熱剤を出します。

Let me examine him. * * * I don’t think it’s anything serious. Give him lots of fluids. I’ll give him some medicine for the cold and something to bring the fever down.

MAX:

Arigatō gozaimashita.

ありがどうございました。

Thank you very much.

9.09 Describing Ailments

You might need to use one of the following phrases to help the doctor understand what is wrong with your child.

• Nodo / o-naka ga itai.
のど/おなかが痛い。
He has a sore throat / tummy ache.

• Karada ga darui.
体がだるい。
He feels listless.

• Hanamizu o dashi, seki o shite, zēzē shite imasu.
鼻水をだし、咳をして、ゼ一ゼ一しています。
She’s got a runny nose, a cough and she’s wheezing.

• Piinattsu ga nodo ni tsumatte iru.
ピーナツがのどに詰まっている。
He’s got a peanut stuck in his throat.

• Kaidan kara ochite, te o kitte, atama o utta.
階段から落ちて、手を切って、頭を打った。
He fell down the stairs, cut his hand, and hit his head.

• Kizetsu shita.
気絶した。
He fainted.

• Hossa o okoshita.
発作を起こした。
He’s had a spasm.

CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES AND MEDICAL TERMS
hentō-sen	扁桃腺	tonsillitis
infuruenza	インフルエンザ	influenza
chūji-en	中耳炎	middle ear infection
kikanshien	気管支炎	bronchitis
haien	肺炎	pneumonia
hashika	はしか	measles
mizubōsō	水ぼうそう	chicken pox
otafuku-kaze	おたふくかぜ	mumps
fūshin	風疹	German measles
shōni zensoku	小児ぜんそく	infantile asthma
atopii	ァトピー	atopic dermatitis
tobihi	飛び火	impetigo
Nihon nōen	日本脳炎	Japanese encephalitis
hyakunichi-zeki	百日咳	whooping cough (pertussis)
jifuteria	ジフテリア	diphtheria
hashōfu	はしようふ	tetanus
kossetsu	骨折	fracture
kenkō shindan	健康診断	medical check-up
yobō sesshu	予防接種	vaccination
sanshukongō wakuchin	三種混合ワクチン	DTP vaccine (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus)
shin-sanshukongō wakuchin	新三種混合ワク チン	MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella)

9.10 Asking About Swimming Lessons

Many swimming pools offer courses both for adults and for children. Emily asks about swimming lessons for babies.

EMILY:

Uchi no kodomo ni suiei o sasetain’ dakedo, bebii sui min gu wa arimasu ka?

家の子供に水泳をさせたいんだけど、ベビースイミングはあ りますか？

I’d like my child to take swimming lessons. Do you have classes for babies here?

SWIMMING COACH:

Hai, gozaimasu. Kōsu wa getsuyō to mokuyō no jū-ji-han kara jū-ichi-ji made desu.

はい、ございます。コースは月曜ど木曜の10時半から11時 までです。

Yes, we do. The course is on Mondays and Thursdays from 10:30 to 11:00.

EMILY:

Nankagetsu kara dekimasu ka?

何ヶ月からできますか。

From what age can babies start?

SWIMMING COACH:

Sankagetsu kara desu.

3ヶ月からです。

From three months.

EMILY:

Gessha wa ikura desho ka?

月謝はいくらでしょう力、。

How much are the lessons per month?

SWIMMING COACH:

Nyūkai-kin wa yonsen-en, gessha wa gosen-en desu.

入会金は4,000円、月謝は5,000円です。

There’s an entrance fee of four thousand yen and then a monthly fee of five thousand yen.

EMILY:

Mizu wa tsumetakunain’ desu ka?

水は冷たくないんです力、。

Isn’t the water cold?

SWIMMING COACH:

Akachan senyō no pūru ga gozaimashite, suion ga itsumo sanjū-ni-do ijō ni natte orimasu. Go-annai shimashō ka?

赤ちゃん専用のプールがございまして、水温がいつも32度 以上になっております。ご案内しましょう力、。

There’s a baby pool where the water is always over 32°. Shall I show you around?

EMILY:

Hai. O-negai shimasu.

はい、お原貝いします。

Yes, please.

9.11 Meeting Your Child’s Teacher

If you notice something wrong with your child’s behavior, you can discuss the problem with his or her teacher. You can usually find teachers working in the staff room until the evening.

MICHAEL:

Gomen kudasai. Koizumi Sensei, o-negai shimasu.

ごめんください。小泉先生お願いします。

Excuse me. I’d like to see Mr. Koizumi.

SCHOOL OFFICIAL:

Hai. Shōshō o-machi kudasai.

はい、少々お待ちください。

Yes. Please wait one moment.

MICHAEL: (As teacher approaches)

Itsumo o-sewa ni natte orimasu. Chotto go-sōdan shitai koto ga arimashite... いつもお世話になっております。ちょっとご相談したいこど がありまして、

We’re much obliged to you. Could I have a word with you?

TEACHER:

Hai. Kyōshitsu e ikimashō. * * * Dewa, dōzo o-hanashi kudasai.

はい、教室へ行きましょう。"*では、どうぞ、お話ください。

OK. Let’s go to the classroom. * * * Well, what would you like to discuss?

MICHAEL:

Jon ga konogoro shizunde ite, yōsu ga itsumo to chigau mono desu kara, ki ni natte... ジョンがこのごろ沈んでいて、様子がいつもど違うもので すから、気になって、

John is depressed these days. He’s not the same as usual, so I’ve been worried.

TEACHER:

Sō desu ka? Kyōshitsu de wa akarukute, benkyō ni ha gende imasu. Seiseki mo ii hō da shi, shinpai wa iranai to omoimasu keredomo. Tomodachi to yoku asonde imasu ka?

そうです力、。教室では明るくて、勉強に励んでいます。成績 もいい方だし、心配はいらないど思いますけれども。友連 どよく遊んでいますか。

Is that so? He’s cheerful in class and works hard. His marks are above average so I don’t think there’s need for concern. Does he play with his friends a lot?

MICHAEL:

lie. Hitori de gēmu de asonde imasu.

いいえ。一人でゲームで遊んでいます。

No. He plays computer games by himself.

TEACHER:

Ja, tomodachi dōshi de nani-ka ga atta no kamo-shiremasen ne. Ashita kiite mimashō.

じや、友連同士で何かがあったのかもしれませんね。明日 聞いてみましよう。

Then he may have had some trouble with his friends. I’ll try to find out tomorrow.

MICHAEL:

O-negai shimasu.

お願いします。

Thank you very much.

TEACHER:

Ato de go-renraku shimasu. Sore kara denwa demo ii desu kara, tsuzukete renraku o toriaimashō.

後で、ご連絡します。それから電話でもいいですから、続け て連絡を取り合いましょう。

I’ll contact you later. And, it’s all right to phone so let’s keep in touch.

9.12 Words and Expressions

SOCIAL
shōshika	少子化	low birth rate
ryōritsu	両立	to be a working mother
shigoto ni fukki suru	仕事に復帰する	to return to work
sankyū	産休	maternity leave
ikuji kyūka	育児休暇	leave for parenting (both mother and father)
BIRTH
omedeta desu ka?	おめでたですか	Are you expecting?
ninshin suru	妊娠する	to be pregnant
boshi techō	母子手帳	mother’s pocketbook (medical record kept by mother)
sanfujinka	產婦人科	obstetrics and gynecology
o-san	お左	birth, delivery
bunben-shitsu	分娩室	delivery room
o-san ni tachiau	お産に立ち会う	to be present at the birth
BABIES
bonyū	母乳	breast-feeding
miruku	ミルク	formula, milk preparation
honyūbin	哺乳瓶	feeding bottle
oppai o yaru	おっぱいをやる	to breastfeed a baby
oppai o nomu	おっぱいを飲む	to drink from the breast
rinyūshoku	離乳食	weaning, solid food
kami o-mutsu	紙おむつ	disposable diapers
onbu o suru	おんぶをする	to carry on the back
dakko o suru	だっこをする	to carry in the arms
bagii	バキー	baby car
chairudo shiito	チヤイノレド•シート	car seat
komori-uta	子守唄	lullaby

PRE-SCHOOL
hoikujo/hoikuen	保育所•保育園	nursery
yōchien	幼稚園	kindergarten
ensoku	遠足	school outing
GRADE SCHOOL
shōgakkō	小学校	elementary school
nyūgaku-shiki	入学式	entrance ceremony
randoseru	ランドセル	knapsack, satchel
tōkō suru	登校する	to go to school
kumi	組	class
san-nen ichi-kumi	三年一組	class one of third grade
sensei	先生	teacher
undōkai	運動会	sports day; field day
jugyō	授業	lesson
sankanbi	参観曰	day when parents watch a class
kyūshoku	給食	school lunch
seisekihyō/tsūshinbo	成績表•通信簿	report card
hōkago	放課後	after-school hours
o-keiko/naraigoto	お稽古•習い事	lessons (in piano, judo, etc.)
JUNIOR HIGH, HIGH SCHOOL
chūgakkō	中学校	junior high
kōtōgakkō/kōkō	高等学校•高校	high school
bukatsu	部活	club activities
juku	塾	private tutoring school offering classes
juken	受験	taking entrance exams
nyūgaku shiken	入学試験	school entrance exams
suberidome	滑り止め	back-up choice of school
tōkō kyohi	登校拒否	refusing to go to school
ijime	いじめ	bullying
kōnai bōryoku	構内暴力	school violence
kōkō chūtai	高校中退	dropping out of high school
sotsugyōshiki	卒業式	graduation ceremony
rōnin	浪人	“masterless samurai”, a student who spends a year at cramming school between high school and university