Author: Peter-Wang-Mobile-2026

Notes:
Labor Thanksgiving Day 勤労感謝の日;
used to 以前は～したものだった;
mashed potato　マッシュポテト
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Yesterday was a holiday in Japan. Do you know its name in English? It is called Labor Thanksgiving Day now, but it had a different name before 1948. The day used to be called “Niinamesai.” It was a harvest celebration that goes back to the time of the “Kojiki.” Today is a holiday in the U.S. called Thanksgiving Day. It used to be a holiday to celebrate the harvest, too. These days, however, people just think of food. Families get together and eat a big meal. A big turkey is usually roasted in the oven and served with mashed potatoes and gravy. Pumpkin pie is often served for dessert.
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Notes:
grocery store 食料雑貨店;
compete 競争力を持つ
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Japan’s first convenience store is closing today. It opened in a new town outside of Nagoya in 1971. At that time, Japan had grocery stores and supermarkets, but there were no stores that were open from the morning til night. The person who opened the store got the idea from the 7-Eleven stores he saw in the U.S. He kept the store open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and it was a big success. It became the first Coco Store. Now there are convenience stores everywhere in Japan. Coco store has been bought out by another convenience store chain, and this storecan no longer compete. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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