<解答例> 日本の寺は仏教寺院で、日本語では「てら」と呼ばれる。他方、神社は神道の神社で、日本語では「じんじゃ」と呼ばれる。ほとんどの仏教寺院では、本堂に仏像がある。神社では、境内の入り口に鳥居がある。鳥居は上端が2本の水平な横木で連結されている2本の垂直な柱から成る。 Temples in Japan are Buddhist temples and they are called “tera” in Japanese. On the other hand, shrines are Shinto shrines and they are called “jinja” in Japanese. At most Buddhist temples, there are Buddhist statues in the main hall. At Shinto shrines there are torii gateways at the entrance. A torii consists of two upright posts connected at the top by two horizontal crosspieces.
<解答例> 仏教はインドで起こり、中国と朝鮮を経て、6世紀に日本へ伝わった。仏教は悟りに至る方法を説いており、日本人の精神的・文化的生活に大きな影響を与えてきた。 Bukkyo is Buddhism, founded in India and introduced through China and Korea to Japan in the 6th century. It teaches a way to enlightenment and has exerted great influence on the spiritual and cultural life of the Japanese.
<予想問題> 神道を説明しなさい。 Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan. Shinto is polytheistic, and its gods are worshiped at shrines called jinja. Shinto has neither a specific founder nor any books of scripture.
<解答例> Kabuki is a traditional stage drama performed exclusively by men to the accompaniment of songs and music. It is characterized by a combination of rhythmical words, dancing, elaborate costumes, and stage sets.
<予想問題> 能を説明しなさい。 Noh is a classical stage art performed exclusively by men to the accompaniment of recitative chants called yokyoku and an orchestra consisting of a flute and three types of drums. It is characterized by symbolic, highly stylized acting, and elaborate masks.
<解答例> Nihon-teien refers to a landscape garden composed of rocks, trees, ponds, and other natural objects. This type of garden is designed in accordance with the appearance of nature.
<解答例> Cha-no-yu is the art and ritual of serving special powdered tea. It originated in the monasteries of Zen Buddhism, but today it is regarded as a form of artistic discipline for the cultivation of mental composure and elegant manners.
<予想問題> 生け花を説明しなさい。 Ikebana is the traditional Japanese art of arranging flowers. In its earlier stages of development it was closely related to the tea ceremony, being used as a special technique for decorating the tearoom.
<解答例> Sumo is a time-honored Japanese style of wrestling. Two contestants are matched against one another in a ring. One contestant loses when any part of his body other than the soles of his feet touches the ground or when he is pushed out of the ring.
<解答例> (1)Tokyo is one of the largest cities in the world, so you can find a lot of shopping complexes in areas such as Shinjuku, Akasaka, Roppongi, and Marunouchi. Stores dealing in famous brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes are plentiful in these shopping complexes. In addition, large hotels have shopping arcades with stores that can send goods anywhere in the world. (2)If you are looking for traditional Japanese things, the Oriental Bazaar at Harajuku or souvenir shops at Asakusa is recommended, since they offer a wide range of fans, paper lanterns for room decorations, kimono-clad dolls, paper dolls, happi coats and so on. (3)If you are interested in buying some electronic devices, such as digital cameras or portable game consoles, good stores can be found in areas such as Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Akihabara.