Individual Pathways
Worksheet 1.2
1.
doc-10074
Read the following text about how New Year is celebrated in Japan and then answer the questions
below the text.
The celebration of Ganjitsu (the New Year) is very important in Japan. This is usually the time
when families get together, similar to Australia’s Christmas time. Kurisumisu (Christmas) itself is
much less important in Japan, as it is not a predominantly Christian country.
Japanese people want to end the year with everything done so they can start afresh in the new
year. Similar to Australian ‘spring cleaning’, the oosooji (cleaning) around the house needs to be
done, and people try to finish any tasks they haven’t done. Most businesses and even the banks
close for a few days before and after Ganjitsu, but like Christmas in Australia, it’s often a busy time
when people travel to their families and prepare food for the celebrations.
Japanese people eat special kinds of food on the days of Ganjitsu. They make kagami mochi
(rice cakes), which are a traditional decoration as well as food. Mochi is a special type of steamed
rice that is pounded with a wooden mallet until it is thick and sticky. It is then flattened and cut into
small portions for eating. There are many mochi festivals around Japan where people join in
making mochi for everyone. Another special food is soba (buckwheat noodles), which is eaten on
Ōmisoka (New Year’s Eve). These long, thin, grey noodles are eaten cold and symbolise longevity
(long life).
On Ōmisoka (New Year’s Eve), after all the busy preparations, more than half of the families
in Japan spend the night quietly in front of television watching the national singing contest held
only on this night every year, called the ‘Singing Battle Between the Red and White Teams’. Many
people also put on a kimono and visit a shrine to pray for luck in the coming year.
At midnight, the bells at Buddhist temples throughout Japan start ringing. They ring 108 times,
once for each human failing as taught by the Buddhist monks. After the bells have rung 108 times,
people are said to be free of the previous year’s sins and can start the new year afresh.
(a) Why is Ganjitsu important to Japanese people?
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(b) Compare the activities of Japanese people to Australian people on New Year’s Eve. In what ways
are they similar? In what ways are they different?
© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
English is … Year 7 Individual Pathways Worksheets
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Worksheet 1.2
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(c) What special food do Japanese people eat on Ōmisoka and Ganjitsu? What food do you usually
have for Christmas?
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(d) Why do the bells ring 108 times at New Year in Japan?
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(e) Japanese people have the idea of starting afresh in the New Year. Do Australian people do anything
special on 1 January similar to this?
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(f) List all the Japanese words in the text and provide meanings for them, using the information in the
text.
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© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
English is … Year 7 Individual Pathways Worksheets
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Worksheet 1.2
3.
The words we use can be considered ‘cultural indicators’. They place us within the context of our
national identity and frequently illustrate our cultural values and background.
Place the words from the text box below under the appropriate cultural heading. Afterwards,
compare your list with a partner and discuss any differences. Did you put any terms under both
headings?
chador
tattletale
pakul
fair dinkum
BBQ
naan
G’day
Talib
Uluru
burqa
Karachi
pie n’ peas
Taliban
Pashtu
Goondiwindi
sickie
billy cart
Anzac Day
Australian cultural indicators
© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
She’ll be right
crikey
Driza-Bone
Eid
Bruce
Kazeem
Dari
toshak
shalwar kameez
kebab
chiko roll
Kath
Afghan cultural indicators
English is … Year 7 Individual Pathways Worksheets
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