Shun — When Language Meets Culture: Starting from a Student's Remark

One day in May, I talked about this in class.
"Japan is currently in a season with many 'shun' (seasonal) foods.
Things like asparagus, bamboo shoots, and fava beans."

Then, a student raised their hand.
"Teacher, what is 'shun'?"

■ What does 'shun' mean?

"Have you ever heard of 'jo-jun' (first ten days), 'chu-jun' (middle ten days), and 'ge-jun' (last ten days)?"
"Oh, yes, I have."
"Originally, 'shun' refers to a period of about ten days."
"Huh? It's a unit of time?"

The student asks back with a slightly surprised look.

"It's the ten-day period when you divide a month into three parts. That is 'shun'.
From there, it came to mean 'the best time' for something."
The student is surprised. "Oh?"

■ 'Takenoko' (Bamboo Shoots)

I wrote this on the blackboard:
"筍"

"Do you know how to read this?"
"Takenoko!"
"Correct. Now, take a close look at this kanji."

The students lean forward.

"It's divided into 'bamboo' and 'shun', right?"
"Oh, you're right!"
"In other words, it means 'something that can only be eaten during its seasonal period among bamboo'." They are amazed, saying, "Wow!"

■ The value of 'only now'

"Bamboo shoots grow up quickly, don't they?"
"If you're a little late, they get tough and you can't eat them."

"That's true..."

"That's why it's 'only now'."

"We don't... eat big bamboo, do we?"

"That's right. You don't see that very often, do you?"

A small ripple of laughter spreads through the classroom.

■ The moment the students' eyes change

From that day on, the students' demeanor changed a little.

“Teacher, what does this kanji mean?”

Such questions have been increasing.
They are shifting from asking how to read it toasking to understand its meaning.

At that moment, the students' eyes were
not so much “studying” as they were
eyes that were enjoying themselves.

■ Language is connected to culture

Teaching kanji is not about teaching shapes.

Through the word “shun,”
learn about the seasons in Japan.
Learn about food.
Learn about the rhythm of nature.

Language is the gateway to culture.

■ What is important as a Japanese language teacher

Culture is just culture.
Kanji is just kanji.
Grammar is just grammar.

If you separate them like that,
it is hard for it to remain with the students.

Because culture and the Japanese language are connected, when you talk about them together,
it becomes a single “experience.”

■ In conclusion

A class might not be a time to pass on knowledge,
but a time to create realizations.

“So, ‘shun’ means a ten-day period.”

From that one remark by a student,
I felt that the language became just a little more three-dimensional.

As a Japanese language teacher,
I want to continue to cherish
such natural moments of learning.

In a Japanese language class, a simple question from a student — “What does ‘shun’ mean?” — opened the door to a deeper understanding of language and culture.

Originally, shun referred to a ten-day period within a month. Over time, it came to mean the short period when food is at its peak flavor. This idea is even reflected in the kanji for bamboo shoots (筍), which combines “bamboo” and “shun,” symbolizing a food that is only enjoyable for a brief time.

By explaining the meaning behind the word, students began to see connections between kanji, seasonal foods, and Japanese cultural values. After the lesson, they became more curious, asking not just how to read kanji, but what they truly mean.

This experience shows that language learning becomes more engaging when words are taught together with their cultural context. It transforms study from memorization into discovery — and that is when students’ eyes begin to shine.