Choose one of the things on the next page and explain it as if you are talking to someone who knows little or nothing about Japan. Your partner will listen, perhaps ask for more details, and then fill in anything relevant which they think you left out.
| Useful language for discussing the descriptions
“Is it similar to…?”/ “What’s the difference between… and…?” “You could add that…”/ “Rather than…, I would say that…”/ “I think the most important point is…” “I think you’ve covered it (now)” |
Ask about anything below which you couldn’t explain then suggest other things for the list and how to explain them.
Make sentences about the things below including explanations but also your feelings, opinions, etc, for example:
- likes and dislikes
- past experiences
- future desires and plans
- popularity
- importance
- reactions of people
- connections to particular groups of people
- connections to the authorities
- connections to where you live
- good points and bad points
- trends/ changes over time
- comparisons with other things
- cause and effect
Your partner will listen, add more explanation, and then give their own opinions and feelings on that thing.
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Japanese performing arts to explain
“BGM”
“group sounds”
“idol” singers/ idoru music/ “idol” groups
“live house”
“variety” shows
anime songs
AKB
biwa
Budokan
Bunkamura
bunraku
butoh
chindon/ chindonya
enka
Eurobeat/ Para Para
fue, e.g. shakuhachi or shinobue
Fuji Rock
gagaku
geisha show
J pop
kabuki(za)
kendama
koto
kyougen
Liquid Room
manzai
Meiji-za
minyou
National Theatre of Japan
noh/ The National Noh Theatre
Okinawan folk music
Opera City
rakugo
sanshin
shamisen/ Tsugaru-jamisen
Shibuya kei
Shiki theatres
Summer Sonic
taiko/ wadaiko
Takarazuka
Teigeki (= Imperial Theatre)
Tokyo International Forum
Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre
visual kei
Zepp Tokyo
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PDF version for easy saving and printing: Explaining Japanese performing arts
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