Words August 2026 Week 1

I planned to use the ripe plums for juice and the green ones to make pickled plums. (The Japanese “ume” is closer to an apricot but most commonly called a plum.)

He used an umbrella for shade while golfing. (Keeping hydrated is also very important.)

In 2026 Ox Day was celebrated on July 26. (In 2027 Ox Day will be celebrated on July 21 and August 2.)

In the eighth century, Otomono Yakamochi's poem explained that in order not to lose weight due to the summer heat, cooked eel will be beneficial for health. (This is a very old tradition.)

All’s well, that ends well. (If the final result of an event is good, any trouble or problems that happened along the way do not matter anymore.)

Animals that drink their mother’s milk are called mammals. (Mammary glands produce milk.)

"Cable car" and "ropeway" are synonymous. (Ropeway is usually used for things like ski lifts and cable car for above ground vehicles that carry many passengers.)

The star park in Hakodate is Goryokaku Park which is a historic star-shaped western-style fortress, public park, and cherry blossom destination. (This is a popular tourist destination.)

Indian cow dung is being used to make fuel for vehicles and is also used to make fertilizer. (I compost vegetable and fruit peelings, eggshells, etc. to fertilize my garden.)

She is hard of hearing. (She can’t hear well.)

Many people get rescue-cats and dogs. (They are rescued from animal shelters before they are euthanized.)

He had appendicitis so the doctor removed his appendix. (This was someone’s story, but it also happened to my grandson last week.)

If you visited Iran, you cannot use the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), but you can go to the US embassy in person to get a tourist visa. (There are several other countries besides Iran, such as North Korea.)

The Tachikawa Fault Zone passes through Ome, runs right through Hakonegasaki in Mizuho-machi, and extends down toward Tachikawa and Fuchu. (I live in the danger zone.)

Gomagi, a.k.a. prayer sticks, are small pieces of wood where participants write their names, wishes, or worries before they are cast into the fire. (I was given one of those sticks, but I was told you shouldn’t bring it home.)

The monk sat in front of a roaring fire. (There was a very big fire where the gomagi are burned.)

I helped dress them in yukatas. (She helped them put on the yukata.)

Our main conversations were about cataract surgeries. (They are all aging.)

He had appendicitis so they removed his appendix. (He is fine now.)

Farmers work from dawn to dusk. (They work from just before sunrise to just after sunset.)

Drones are prohibited during the fireworks display. (You cannot fly drones in the area of the fireworks show.)

The tickets are not sold out yet. (They stopped selling the tickets yesterday.)

It’s all Greek to me. (I don’t understand it at all.)

I learned something new last week. (She researched new information about a flower.)

He had a stroke. (He can’t play golf now.)

They retired at the age of 60. (They retired when they were 60 years old.)

You can choose cake or pie. (“Choose” is a verb.)

We have cake and pie, it’s your choice. (“Choice” is a noun.)