Author: Natsuko Seki
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Warming up Audio
Keywords and Summary
| Japanese Word | Furigana | English Word | Example Sentence (Japanese & English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 人力車 | じんりきしゃ | rickshaw | 東京・浅草では人力車に乗ることができます。 In Asakusa, Tokyo, you can experience riding a rickshaw. |
| 昨年 | さくねん | last year | 昨年まで人力車のお客は減っていました。 Until last year, the number of rickshaw passengers had been decreasing. |
| 観光客 | かんこうきゃく | tourist | 人力車のメイン客層は観光客でした。 The main customer base for rickshaws was tourists. |
| 激減 | げきげん | sharp decrease | コロナウイルスの影響で観光客の数が激減しました。 The number of tourists has dramatically decreased due to the impact of the coronavirus. |
| 窮地 | きゅうち | predicament | 今まで乗りに来ることのなかった人たちが人力車の窮地を救ってくれました。 People who had not ridden rickshaws before have come to ride them, helping to support the rickshaw industry. |
| 近郊 | きんこう | suburb | 東京や近郊に住む人たちが人力車に乗るようになりました。 People living in Tokyo and its surrounding areas have started to ride rickshaws. |
| 非日常 | ひにちじょう | extraordinary, unusual | 人力車に乗ることで非日常的な体験ができます。 Riding a rickshaw allows you to have an extraordinary experience. |
| 口コミ | くちこみ | word of mouth, review | 口コミで人力車の人気が広がりました。 Word of mouth spread the popularity of rickshaws. |
| 車夫 | しゃふ | rickshaw driver | 人力車の車夫との会話が楽しいです。 Conversations with rickshaw drivers are enjoyable. |
| 評判 | ひょうばん | reputation, popularity | 若い人の間で人力車がSNS映えすると評判です。 Rickshaws are popular among young people as they are considered Instagrammable. |
Mini Lesson: How to use "激"
"激 (geki)" is used to express intense emotions or situations, and is often used as an effective emphasis expression.
Here are some examples with "激〇〇" other than 激減.
| Japanese Word | Furigana | English Word | Example Sentence (Japanese & English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 激変 | げきへん | dramatic change | テクノロジーの進化により、産業は激変している。 Industries are undergoing dramatic changes due to the advancement of technology. |
| 激痛 | げきつう | sharp pain | 足首を捻挫して激痛が走った。 I twisted my ankle and felt a sharp pain. |
| 激怒 | げきど | furious anger | 彼は激怒して部屋を飛び出した。 He stormed out of the room in furious anger. |
| 激増 | げきぞう | sharp increase | 新型ウイルスの感染者数が急速に激増している。 The number of infections with the new virus is rapidly increasing. |
In this way, it conveys a strong or dramatic image.
Let's build up your reading skill
Although the number of customers has now returned to about the same level as before Covid-19, up until last year, the number of tourists, the main clientele for rickshaws in Asakusa, Tokyo, had declined dramatically.
今はコロナ前と同じくらいにお客が戻っていますが、昨年まで、東京・浅草の人力車のメイン客層である観光客は激減していました。
Their plight was saved by people living in Tokyo and its suburbs who had never experienced the ride before.
窮地を救ったのは、それまで乗りに来ることのなかった東京都内や近郊に住む人たちです。
It is spreading by word of mouth, especially among young people, who say that they can experience an extraordinary experience without having to travel far.
遠くまで行かなくても非日常が体験できると、若い人を中心に口コミで広がっています。
Conversation with the rickshaw driver is fun, and the rickshaws are well received on social media.
車夫との会話は楽しく、人力車がSNS映えすると評判です。
