Hi kawaii + creative friends!
OMG! It’s snowing!!!!! So I made it snow on my blog too. haha
Since I’m snowed in for the weekend, I thought I’d be productive, catching up on my akeome emails and some commission projects.
I PROMISE this is my last thing for this year’s oshogatsu learnings.
A while ago while talking all things oshogatsu in class, we translated an email that I’d written for the new year that I wanted to send to friends in Japan (it was fun & thoughtful homework).
The goal of this exercise is to learn to follow-up and keep lines of communication with business friends in Japan open.
Since I made more business acquaintances at Design Festa and I was too shy/nervous to talkie thought it would be a good idea to start with this small list for practice.
Unfortunately, I am not the greatest at following up on communicating with people (without some strings attached, of course) and I am easily distracted to move on to the next task, often forgetting about the task at hand.
Sending these emails is no different.
But after this, I hope to do better … because even as an artist, there’s no real excuse. >.<
🌸AkeOme
Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu (明けましておめでとうございます), shortened to a kind ake-ome, is the equivalent to our Happy New Year greeting.
🌸Translation
For complete translation (and an easier read) of the email in English, please kindly follow the bold text. The original text is in pink with hiragana in italics for easier understanding. (Kanji is HARD! >.<) Romanji is available for reading/ comprehension help. Happy learning~
明けましておめでとうございます。
あけまして おめでとう ございます。
Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu
Happy New Year
デザインフェスタで一緒にお仕事させていただいたアメリカ人のイマーニです。
デザインフェスタで いっしょに おしごと させていただいた
Dezain fesuta de issho ni oshigoto sa sete itadaita amerikahito no imāni desu
I am the American, Imani. We worked together at Design Festa)
日本語はまだまだ苦手で、
にほんご は まだ にがてで
Nihongo wa madamada nigatede
Since my Japanese is still weak
ほとんど会話が出来ませんでしたが、
ほとんど かいわ が できません でした、
Hotondo kaiwa ga dekimasendeshitaga
I was hardly able to have conversation.
その節はお世話になりました。
そのせつ は おせわに なりました。
Sono setsu wa osewaninarimashita
You helped take care of me.
今年もどうぞよろしくお願いします
ことしも どぞ よろしく おねがいします
Kotoshi mo dōzoyoroshikuonegaishimasu
Please find me favourable again this year.
Welp! Off to sending emails out and then hot chocolate and gaming after before touching some commissions.
It’ll be a work in progress but promise to do better with my follow-ups.
I’ll leave you with these warming snowy day photos I took from my balcony (we’re trapped! 😁) … because it makes sense for sending out New Year greeting emails right?!
If you’re in the snow storm, here or in Japan, stay warm and stay safe!
Follow my snapchat + Instagram (@ipukekawaii) to enjoy Japan with me!^.^
Gambare, minna
🌸✨・🎨☀️🌈💗💕✨・✨🌸
Imani (イマーニ)
Let’s keep in Touch!
DC to Japan 
I am also learning Japanese! Mine is still limited however.
Quick question. If you are saying I am the American, wouldn’t you use the particle “ga”?
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Hi Blossom! Thanks for the comment 😀 Don’t worry mine is limited as well and being shy to share in hopes of more support while learning doesn’t help much either. haha
I used parenthesis to help better illustrate the main part of the sentence structure in our example.
In this sentence, ・・・(アメリカ人の)イマーニです I am simply reintroducing myself (… I am Imani) and reminding them that I am American (アメリカ人の). Using の as a connecting particle indicates that I am describing myself. The literal translation would be “I am (the American) Imani”.
I hope this explanation helps with your studies 😀
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