Watching ekiden
An is a long-distance relay where runners pass on a sash, the たすき. The Hakone Ekiden on 2 and 3 January is a New Year tradition, and plenty of families watch it on TV. This lesson gives you the words to follow it. Tap to hear any line. The bar at the bottom plays a hands-free drill for walking.
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25 ekiden words
Each card shows a word and a sentence you'd hear on the TV commentary or say while watching with family. Five are from Lessons 1 and 2 and Everyday Japanese 1.
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How the Hakone Ekiden works
University teams from the Kantō region run from in Tokyo to in Hakone, and back the next day. Ten runners per team, one per leg.
| Word | Reading | Means |
|---|
- A New Year habit. Hakone is on TV all morning on 2 and 3 January. On 1 January there's the , for company teams, in Gunma.
- Counting legs. , , … Listen for the sound changes in , and .
- Who runs. About twenty teams: the top ten from last year (the seeds) and the rest from a qualifying race in October, the .
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Four patterns to use today
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Say it in Japanese
Say each one out loud before you reveal the answer. Getting close counts.