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Japan Products – Hiragana Times November 2026 issue
Japan Products
ジャパン製品
01. Souvenirs from Tokyo
東京のおみやげ
Oink Games Inc. / 株式会社オインクゲームズ
With the Shinkansen about to depart, players race around Tokyo buying souvenirs and try to get back to the station in time. It is a Tokyo version of the popular board game Souvenirs from Venice, in which players roll dice to move taxi-shaped pieces around the city and collect three of the same item from six kinds of souvenirs: origami, dorayaki, beckoning cats, chopsticks, Edo Kiriko glassware, and kimono. Along the way, a festival may break out and swap the souvenirs around. With Japanese and English instructions, it is for two to five players aged eight and up and takes about 30 minutes.
新幹線の発車時刻が迫るなか、東京でおみやげを買い集めて駅へ戻ることを目指す、変則すごろくゲーム。人気作『ベネチアのおみやげ』を、東京の街に置きかえた一作です。タクシー型のコマをサイコロで進め、折り紙、どら焼き、招き猫、箸、江戸切子、着物の6種類から、同じおみやげを3枚ずつそろえます。途中でお祭りに巻き込まれ、おみやげが入れ替わることも。日本語と英語の説明書付きで、2〜5人、約30分、8歳から遊べます。🎁 Gift for one person／1名様へプレゼント
PRICE 2,970 YEN（税込）
WEB https://oinkgames.com/ja/games/analog/souvenirs-from-tokyo/
02. NIPPON Masu
NIPPON 枡
Ohashi Ryoki Co., Ltd. / Masu Kobo Masuya
有限会社 大橋量器／枡工房枡屋A masu is a wooden box that has long been used to measure rice, sake, and other goods. The NIPPON Masu is made of Japanese cypress grown in Japan and decorated with precise UV printing in one of six designs: “Mount Fuji and Waves,” inspired by Katsushika Hokusai’s ukiyo-e, “Koi Carp,” “Maiko,” “Sumo,” “Sushi,” and “Kabuki.” It can be used as it is for sake, or for mokkiri, a style in which a glass is placed inside the masu and sake is poured until it overflows. Combining traditional woodcraft with designs that say “Japan,” it is a souvenir you may want to collect and display. Its capacity is 180 milliliters, equal to one go.
米や酒などを量る道具として使われてきた枡。国産ヒノキの枡に、葛飾北斎の浮世絵を思わせる「波に富士山」をはじめ、「錦鯉」「舞妓」「相撲」「寿司」「歌舞伎」の6種類の絵柄を、精密なUV印刷で施しています。そのまま酒器として使うほか、グラスを入れて日本酒をあふれるまで注ぐ「もっきり」も楽しめます。伝統の木工品に日本らしい絵柄を組み合わせた、並べて飾りたくなる日本土産です。容量は一合にあたる180ミリリットル。PRICE 1,650 YEN（税込）
WEB https://www.masuza.co.jp/SHOP/z1-47.html
03. 2027 Wall-Hanging Echizen Washi Sushi Calendar
2027年版 壁掛寿司カレンダー
MIDORI / Designphil Inc.
ミドリ／株式会社デザインフィルA wall calendar that lets you enjoy Japanese culture through food, designed around sushi. Drawn on Echizen washi with a history of over 1,000 years, it uses high-precision silk-screen printing to capture each topping’s delicate texture and freshness. Each month features a different seasonal sushi topping drawn nearly life-size, with a short fact added in both Japanese and English. From ebi (shrimp) in January to kazunoko (herring roe) in December, it lets you enjoy Japan’s four seasons through sushi all year round. Its tall, narrow shape, like a hanging scroll (47 by 12 centimeters), takes up little space and makes a great gift for people overseas.
「食」を通して日本文化を楽しめる、寿司をデザインした壁掛けカレンダー。千年以上の歴史を持つ越前和紙に、精度の高いシルク印刷でネタの繊細な質感と新鮮さを表現しています。毎月ちがう旬の寿司をほぼ原寸サイズで描き、豆知識を日本語と英語で添えています。1月のえびから12月の数の子まで、寿司で日本の四季を味わえる一年です。掛け軸のような縦長の形（縦47×横12センチ）で、海外の方へのギフトにもおすすめです。🎁 Gift for three people／3名様へプレゼント
PRICE 2,420 YEN（税込）
WEB https://www.midori-store.net/SHOP/31430006.html
04. Kawanabe Kyōsai Postcard Set — Six Designs
榛原製 絵はがき – 河鍋暁斎 6絵柄
Haibara Co., Ltd. / 株式会社 榛原
A set of six postcards featuring designs by Kawanabe Kyōsai, a Kano school painter active from the end of the Edo period into the Meiji era. Kyōsai was close to Haibara, a Japanese paper shop in Nihonbashi, and drew many designs for it. Based on the Haibara chiyogami patterns he created, the cards keep the energy of his brushwork and vividly convey the life of brightly colored flowers. The set contains one card of each of six designs, whose rich patterns bring to mind Japanese scenes through the four seasons. They are as enjoyable to frame and display as they are to send to someone special.
幕末から明治にかけて活躍した狩野派の絵師、河鍋暁斎の図案を使った6枚組の絵はがき。暁斎は日本橋の和紙舗・榛原と親交が深く、同店のために多くの図案を描きました。暁斎が描いた榛原千代紙の図案をもとに、勢いのある筆づかいはそのままに、極彩色の花々の生命力をいきいきと伝えます。豊かな文様から四季折々の日本の情景が浮かぶ6柄が1枚ずつ入っています。大切な人に送るのはもちろん、額に入れて飾っても楽しめます。PRICE 770 YEN（税込）
WEB https://www.haibara.co.jp/?pid=190601571
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Spotlight – Hiragana Times November 2026 issue
A City Where Picking Up Trash Becomes a “Treasure Hunt”
ごみ拾いが「宝探し」になる街
“Why is Tokyo so clean?” This is something visitors from overseas often say. The number of foreign travelers visiting Tokyo has reached a record high for three years in a row. Many people are surprised at how little trash there is on the streets, and Tokyo Governor KOIKE Yuriko says she is often asked this question directly.
「どうして東京はこんなにきれいなの？」海外から訪れた人たちが、よく口にする言葉です。東京を訪れる外国人旅行者は、3年連続で過去最多を更新しています。街にごみが少ないことに驚く人は多く、東京都の小池百合子知事も、直接そう聞かれることがよくあると言います。For Japanese people, who have been taught since childhood, both at home and at school, to clean up the trash they themselves make, this may be an ordinary sight. On the other hand, littering has become noticeable at tourist spots and in busy downtown areas. When even one piece is lying on the ground, some people begin to think, “This is a place where it’s okay to throw things away,” and the trash increases even more.
子どもの頃から、家でも学校でも「自分の出したごみは自分で片付ける」と教わってきた日本人にとっては、当たり前の光景かもしれません。一方で、観光地や繁華街ではポイ捨てが目立つようになりました。一つ落ちていると、「ここは捨ててもいい場所だ」と思う人が出てきて、ごみはさらに増えていきます。So, this summer, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government fully launched “KEEP TOKYO CLEAN.” Along with spreading manners such as not littering and taking your trash home, it also supports local cleanup activities and the installation of smart trash bins, which compress trash so they can hold a large amount.
そこで東京都が今年の夏、本格的にスタートさせたのが「KEEP TOKYO CLEAN」です。ポイ捨てをしない、ごみは持ち帰る、といったマナーを広めるとともに、地域の清掃活動や、ごみを圧縮してたくさんためられるスマートごみ箱の設置も支えています。What makes this initiative special is its ideas for enjoying cleaning the city not as a “duty” but as “play.” A prime example is “SPOGOMI,” a trash-picking sport in which teams compete by turning the trash they collect into points. At a tournament held in Ginza and Yurakucho this June, more than 1,000 people, from children to adults, took part. Since the city is clean to begin with, even finding trash takes real effort. ISHIKAWA Naohiro, a former member of Japan’s national soccer team who took part, looks back and says picking up trash turned into “picking up treasure.”
この取り組みの特徴は、街をきれいにすることを「義務」ではなく「遊び」として楽しむ工夫にあります。その代表が「スポGOMI」。チームを組み、拾ったごみを点数にして競う、ごみ拾いのスポーツです。今年6月に銀座・有楽町で開かれた大会には、子どもから大人まで1,000人以上が参加しました。もともときれいな街なので、ごみを見つけるのもひと苦労。参加した元サッカー日本代表の石川直宏さんは、ごみ拾いが「宝拾い」になったと振り返ります。The “TOKYO CLEAN QUEST Stamp Rally” is something you can join while enjoying a walk around the city. By visiting stamp spots across Tokyo, you can take part in picking up trash with ease. On a river in Okutama, an event was also held in which people picked up trash while rafting. In August, an event was held at Omotesando Hills, and Governor Koike took the stage.
街歩きを楽しみながら参加できるのが「TOKYO CLEAN QUEST スタンプラリー」です。都内各地のスタンプスポットを巡りながら、気軽にごみ拾いに関われます。奥多摩の川では、ラフティングをしながらごみを拾うイベントも行われました。8月には表参道ヒルズでイベントが開かれ、小池知事も登壇しました。Another item attracting attention is the “KEEP TOKYO CLEAN FUROSHIKI.” It features “Toseijin,” characters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, designed by NISHIDA Atsuko, who has created Pikachu and other Pokémon characters. With slits in four places, it can wrap things without being tied. It can be used again and again in place of a shopping bag, and it is also handy for taking home trash that comes from traveling. It is scheduled to be handed out, in stages, at participating hotels and tourist information centers in Tokyo.
もう一つ注目を集めているのが「KEEP TOKYO CLEAN FUROSHIKI」です。描かれているのは、東京都のキャラクター「都星人」。ピカチュウなどポケモンのキャラクターを手がけた、にしだあつこさんがデザインしました。4か所に切り込みがあるので、結ばなくても物を包めます。買い物袋の代わりに何度でも使え、旅行中に出たごみを持ち帰るのにも便利。都内の協力宿泊施設や観光案内所で、順次配られる予定です。Governor Koike says she wants to spread this circle to “KEEP WORLD CLEAN.” Seeing someone pick up trash, someone else picks it up too. Small steps that begin with a playful spirit are connecting Tokyo’s “clean” to the world.
小池知事は、この輪を「KEEP WORLD CLEAN」へ広げたいと話します。誰かが拾う姿を見て、また誰かが拾う。遊び心から始まる小さな一歩が、東京の「きれい」を世界へつないでいきます。
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The Agency for Cultural Affairs is engaging in discussions aimed at unifying the romanization of Japanese writing.
文化庁(ぶんかちょう)は、ローマ字(romanization)表記(ひょうき)の統一(とういつ)に向(む)けた議論(ぎろん)を進(すす)めています。
Currently, there are two romanization systems: the Kunrei style and the Hepburn style.
現在(げんざい)、ローマ字(romanization)のつづり方(かた)は訓令式(くんれいしき)とヘボン式(Hepburn style)の2種類(しゅるい)です。
For example, “新宿” is written as “Sinzyuku” in the Kunrei style and “Shinjuku” in the Hepburn style.
例(たと)えば「新宿(しんじゅく)」を訓令式(くんれいしき)では「Sinzyuku」、ヘボン式(Hepburn style)では「Shinjuku」と書(か)きます。
While the Kunrei style is primarily used in school education, the Hepburn style is commonly used in town and tourist information.
学校教育(がっこうきょういく)では主(おも)に訓令式(くんれいしき)が使用(しよう)されていますが、街中(まちなか)や観光案内(かんこうあんない)ではヘボン式(Hepburn style)が一般的(いっぱんてき)に用(もち)いられています。
Hepburn style was devised by Dr. Hepburn during the compilation of “A Japanese and English Dictionary; with an English and Japanese Index” and is a writing system close to the English pronunciation.
ヘボン式(Hepburn style)は、ヘボン博士(はかせ)が『和英語林集成(わえいごりんしゅうせい)』を編纂(へんさん)した際(さい)に考案(こうあん)されたもので、英語(えいご)の発音(はつおん)に近(ちか)い表記方法(ひょうきほうほう)です。
The Agency for Cultural Affairs announced a policy adopting the Hepburn style as the standard and widely solicited opinions to question its pros and cons.
文化庁(ぶんかちょう)は、ヘボン式(Hepburn style)を基本(きほん)とする方針(ほうしん)を打(う)ち出(だ)し、その是非(ぜひ)を問(と)うために広(ひろ)く意見(いけん)を公募(こうぼ)しました。
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From October 26 to November 10, 2024, the “Everyone Taiwanese Sandal Marathon Online” was held.
2024年10月26日から11月10日まで、「みんな台湾サンダルマラソンオンライン」が開催されました。
Since it was an online event, participants could join from anywhere in Japan, but there was one condition—they had to run in Taiwanese sandals.
オンライン開催のため全国どこからでも参加できますが、台湾サンダルを履いて走ることが条件です。
Taiwanese sandals are ultra-lightweight and offer excellent cushioning. Their soft, fluffy feel makes running comfortable and has gained popularity.
台湾サンダルは超軽量で、クッション性も抜群。ふわふわとした走り心地が人気を集めています。
In Japan, during the Edo period (17th to 19th century), “hikyaku” who delivered documents and goods quickly, wore lightweight straw sandals and ran for dozens of kilometers a day.
日本でも江戸時代（17～19世紀）には、文書や荷物を素早く運ぶ「飛脚」が軽量な草鞋を履き、一日数十キロを走り続けました。
Today, high-performance running shoes are mainstream, but perhaps one day, running in sandals will become common.
現在では高性能なランニングシューズが主流ですが、いつかサンダルを履いて走ることが当たり前になる日が来るかもしれません。
写真提供：みんな台湾サンダルマラソンオンライン
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- The foreign press reported that Japanese supporters were picking up garbage at stadiums after the Japanese team played matches at the World Cup in Russia.
世界のメディアがサッカーワールドカップロシア大会で、日本チームの試合後、日本のサポーターが客席のゴミを拾っていたと報道しました。 - Japanese supporters have been doing this since the Japanese team first participated in the World Cup held in France in 1998.
日本のサポーターは、1998年のサッカーワールドカップフランス大会から行っています。 - Though some people criticized this behavior on social media by questioning whether it was right to take away work from cleaning staff, supporters around the world are now also starting to clean up themselves after a match.
SNSでは「清掃員の仕事を奪っていいのか」という批判もありましたが、世界のサポーターも試合後に掃除を始めました。 - This time, the foreign media reported that Japanese staff cleaned up their lockers after matches.
今回は、海外のメディアは日本のスタッフが試合後、ロッカールームを掃除したことも報道しました。
- The foreign press reported that Japanese supporters were picking up garbage at stadiums after the Japanese team played matches at the World Cup in Russia.
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While some wives say they don’t want to be buried in the same grave with their husbands, more and more people are saying that they want to be buried with a beloved pet.
夫と同じ墓に入りたくないという妻がいる一方で、愛するペットと埋葬されたいという人が増えています。
Around 90% of Japanese people have Buddhist funerals and many temples turn down these last wishes because they go against the teachings of Buddhism.
日本人のおよそ9割は仏教式の葬式をあげますが、多くの寺では仏教の教えに反することからその要望を断っています。
On the other hand, the number of pet cemeteries is increasing.
一方、ペット霊園は増えています。
Though the demand is increasing, very few cemeteries allow owners to be buried with their pets.
ペットと一緒に入れる霊園の需要は高まっていますが、とても少ないです。 -
- As per the revised animal protection law issued in June, cats and dogs sold at pet shops must be implanted with a microchip.
6月に成立した改正動物愛護法で、ペットショップなどで売られる犬や猫に、マイクロチップを埋め込むことが義務付けられました。 - The purpose of this is that they can be returned to the owner if the animal becomes lost, or be identified if the owner abandons them.
迷子になっても飼い主へ戻れるように、また、捨てられても飼い主が分かるようにするためです。 - This regulation applies to kittens, puppies, cats, or dogs raised for breeding that are delivered or sold by breeders.
対象になるのは、出荷・販売する繁殖用の犬や猫です。 - However, some have raised concerns such as that the flesh of some animals may become inflamed in reaction to the chip, and that if the animal becomes sick, the chip might affect an MRI.
しかし、チップに反応して炎症を起こすことがある、MRI検査をするときに影響が出るなど、疑問視する声も上がっています。
- As per the revised animal protection law issued in June, cats and dogs sold at pet shops must be implanted with a microchip.
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- In April this year, “Coco” the house cat was appointed as chief of police for one day at Toyama South Police Station, Toyama Prefecture.
今年4月、飼い猫の「ココ」が富山南警察署（富山県）の一日警察署長に任命されました。 - Last year, when her owner’s neighbors noticed Coco staring at a canal near her house, they discovered a man lying there.
去年、ココが自宅近くの用水路をじっと見つめていたことに気がついた近所の人が、用水路で倒れている男性を見つけました。 - The cat’s owner and neighbors worked together to rescue the man, and Coco received an award from the police.
飼い主と近所の人は協力して男性を救い出し、ココは警察から表彰されました。 - After being appointed as police chief for a day, Coco took part in a traffic safety class at an elementary school in Toyama City. The children went over traffic safety rules with Coco.
一日署長に任命されたココは、富山市の小学校で行われた交通安全教室に参加。子どもたちはココと一緒に交通ルールを確認しました。
- In April this year, “Coco” the house cat was appointed as chief of police for one day at Toyama South Police Station, Toyama Prefecture.
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- In January of this year, a stork that had lost one of its legs was taken care of at the Prefectural Stork Park in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture.
今年1月、兵庫県豊岡市にある県立コウノトリの郷公園で、片足を失ったコウノトリが保護されました。 - The stork was being rehabilitated wearing an artificial leg made by the park’s veterinarian using toy bats and other materials.
コウノトリは、園の獣医がおもちゃのバットなどを使って作った義足をつけ、リハビリしていました。 - When a prosthetist heard about it on the news, she used her expertise in making human prostheses to create a prosthetic leg for a stork.
それをニュースで知った義肢装具士が、人間の義足づくりのノウハウを生かし、コウノトリの義足を作りました。
The new prosthesis was made from a mold made of gypsum to exactly match the missing leg.
新しい義足は、足の切断面とぴったり合うように、石膏で型を取って作られました。 - In January of this year, a stork that had lost one of its legs was taken care of at the Prefectural Stork Park in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture.
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- A swing that can charge smartphones has appeared in front of JR Kashiwa Station in Chiba Prefecture.
千葉県のJR柏駅前に、スマートフォンを充電できるブランコが登場しました。 - A charging outlet is connected to the swing, and when you use the swing, it generates electricity.
充電ケーブルがつながっていて、ブランコをこぐと発電する仕組みです。 - Depending on how the swing is used, it is estimated that you can recharge 3% of the battery after about one minute of swinging back and forth.
こぎ方にもよりますが、1分ほどこぐと3%充電できるとされています。 - By using the swing, many people, from children to the elderly, can experience the difficulty and importance of generating electricity.
子どもから年配の方までたくさんの人がブランコをこぎ、電力を生み出すことの大変さと大切さを体験しています。 - This swing charger was made in the Netherlands and was used by many people at a Dutch event.
充電ブランコはオランダ製で、オランダのイベントでも多くの人に利用されました。
- A swing that can charge smartphones has appeared in front of JR Kashiwa Station in Chiba Prefecture.
