– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

We’re going to look at two special places.

What do you think they are?

They are places of worship.

In Japan, there are two main religions:

Shinto and Buddhism.

Both Shinto shrines

and Buddhist temples are common sights in Japan.

People visit one or both on special occasions or festivals.

Let’s take a closer look.

Shinto is Japan’s own religion.

Shrines are called jinja.

This is where the gods, called kami, live.

There are entrance gates called torii.

They separate the everyday world

from the home of the gods.

These are shimenawa,

straw ropes to show that this is a sacred place.

Komainu, or lion-dogs,

are guardians who keep evil spirits away.

They have one difference - look closely.

Visitors should clean their hands and mouth here

before praying at the shrine.

Special objects are kept inside the shrine.

Normally, visitors can’t come in here.

These wooden boards are called ema.

Shrine visitors can write their wishes on the back.

People might wish for good luck in exams,

good health, or happiness.

Before leaving, visitors often buy omikuji.

It’s a fortune which tells you

what kind of luck you will have.

Some people tie it up and leave it behind.

Now we’ve seen a shrine

let’s visit a temple.

Buddhism came to Japan from India and China.

Buddhist temples are called otera.

The entrance is a big wooden gate called sanmon.

You can tell it’s a temple by some of the statues.

There is usually a large bell called bonsho.

On New Year’s Eve it will be rung 108 times,

which is believed to drive away negative feelings.

This is a large incense burner,

where visitors can offer incense before praying.

Objects of worship, like this statue,

are displayed in the main hall.

Visitors here also make a small offering before praying.

Both shrines and temples

sell all kinds of good luck charms.

They make good presents for friends and family.

They sell unique stamps as souvenirs too.

This temple worker adds the date

and name of the temple to the stamp.

Some people collect stamps

from each shrine or temple they visit.

Now you’ve seen both a shrine

and a temple,

how do they compare

to other religious places you’ve been to?

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
shrine /ʃraɪn/ A1	noun - a place of worship in Shinto, often marked by a torii gate
temple /ˈtɛm.pəl/ A1	noun - a Buddhist place of worship, often with a main hall and a bell
kami kami B2	noun - the divine spirits or gods worshipped in Shinto
torii torii B2	noun - the traditional gate marking the entrance to a Shinto shrine
shimenawa shimenawa C1	noun - a rope of straw used to mark a sacred space around a shrine
komainu komainu C1	noun - lion‑dog statues that guard the entrance of Shinto shrines
omikuji omikuji C1	noun - a paper fortune that predicts your luck for the coming period
ema ema C1	noun - small wooden plaques on which visitors write wishes or prayers
sanmon sanmon C1	noun - the main gate of a Buddhist temple, usually a large wooden structure
bonsho bonsho C1	noun - the large bronze bell hung in a Buddhist temple
incense /ˈɪn.sɛns/ A2	noun - aromatic material that is burned to produce fragrant smoke verb - to burn incense; to fill the air with its scent
offering /ˈɒf.ər.ɪŋ/ B1	noun - something presented to a deity or shrine as a sign of respect verb - to present something as a gift to a deity
guardian /ˈɡɑːr.di.ən/ B1	noun - a person or spirit who protects a sacred place
sacred /ˈseɪ.krɪd/ B1	adjective - connected with religion; holy
worship /ˈwɜːr.ʃɪp/ B1	noun - the act of showing reverence to a deity verb - to show reverence to a deity
festival /ˈfɛs.tɪ.vəl/ A2	noun - a public celebration, often with religious significance
luck /lʌk/ A1	noun - good fortune or chance

Key Grammar Structures

• We’re going to look at two special places.

  ➔ Future intention with "be going to"

  ➔ The phrase "We’re going to" expresses a planned future action.

• Shinto is Japan’s own religion.

  ➔ Simple present (copular verb "to be")

  ➔ "Shinto" is linked to "is" showing identity in the simple present tense.

• There are entrance gates called torii.

  ➔ Existential there + be + plural noun

  ➔ "There are" introduces the existence of "entrance gates".

• Visitors should clean their hands and mouth here before praying at the shrine.

  ➔ Modal verb "should" + base verb (advice)

  ➔ "should" expresses a recommendation that visitors "clean".

• Shrine visitors can write their wishes on the back.

  ➔ Modal verb "can" + base verb (ability/possibility)

  ➔ "can" indicates that visitors have the ability to "write".

• On New Year’s Eve it will be rung 108 times, which is believed to drive away negative feelings.

  ➔ Future passive "will be rung" + relative clause "which is believed..."

  ➔ "will be rung" is the passive form of the future, and "which is believed..." adds a relative clause giving extra information.

• Both shrines and temples sell all kinds of good luck charms.

  ➔ Compound subject with "both...and..." + simple present

  ➔ "Both shrines and temples" forms a compound subject that takes the plural verb "sell".

• Some people collect stamps from each shrine or temple they visit.

  ➔ Relative clause "they visit" (defining) after a prepositional phrase

  ➔ "they visit" is a defining relative clause that specifies which "shrine or temple".

• Now you’ve seen both a shrine and a temple, how do they compare to other religious places you’ve been to?

  ➔ Present perfect "you've seen" + comparative question with "how do they compare"

  ➔ "you've seen" shows an action completed before now, and the clause "how do they compare..." asks for a comparison.