Level 4 Study Guide
Welcome to our new Japan Cup study guide! Here are a few tips on how to navigate this resource:
All of the bullet points with red text are links to information or practice (like the one in our next point)
Start with our sets on Quizlet
There is a lot of information in this study guide, so use the Quizlet to find which sections you need to study and which sections you already know well
Remember that everyone translates a little differently. So for the translation questions, if your answer is close but not exact, count it as correct. Just make sure you understand the grammar focus
[Links in brackets like this are included in the previous level too]
If you have already used the study guide for the previous level, you can skip that link
Join our Kaiwa Club for more listening & speaking practice!
Make sure you understand the concepts from levels 1,2 & 3 because they will also be in level 4 :)
Let's study: 勉強しましょう
Table of Contents
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*Please note that in addition to the kanji listed below, other kanji and kanji compounds of a similar degree of difficulty may be included during the competition.
Specific terms that may appear in kanji-related questions:
おんよみ：The on’yomi of a kanji is the modern descendant of the Japanese approximation of the Chinese pronunciation of the character at the time it was introduced. It is often used with the kanji compounds.
Example: 「ちゅう」is the on’yomi for 「中」b
くんよみ：The kun’yomi of a kanji is a reading based on the pronunciation of a native Japanese word that closely approximated the meaning of the Chinese character when it was introduced. There can be multiple kun readings for the same kanji, and some kanji have no kun’yomi.
Example: 「なか」is the kun’yomi for 「中」
Level 4 competitors should know the following kanji, kanji compounds, and common words associated with each in addition to the kanji listed for Levels 1, 2 & 3:
世 界 地 図 道 駅 乗 旅
歩 映 画 意 味 試 験 仕
事 卒 業 心 配 医 者 病
院 働 銀 館 失 開 閉 終
始 住 方 茶 英 海 際 文
知 式 橋 電 短 達 術 美
祭 両 物 宿 取 集 選 最
線 笑 然 科 島 州 立 通
全 速 路 歯 予 急 現 定
社 結 化 婚 問 題 活 貸
対 落 遊 特 側 連 絡 遅
低 関 願 残 場 進 答 熱
忘 冷 練 忙 悪
Level 4 Sample Compounds
旅行（りょこう） ・ 病気（びょうき） ・ 電車（でんしゃ）
家事（かじ） ・ 国際化（こくさいか） ・ 科学（かがく）
安心（あんしん） ・ 住所（じゅうしょ） ・ 自然（しぜん）
最高（さいこう） ・ 遊園地（ゆうえんち） ・ 予定（よてい）
両方（りょうほう） ・ 練習（れんしゅう） ・ 社会（しゃかい）
結婚（けっこん） ・ 図書館（としょかん） ・ 特急（とっきゅう）
交通（こうつう） ・ 集合（しゅうごう） ・ 場所（ばしょ）
Level 4 Sample Words
味（あじ） ・ 働（はたら）く ・ 通（とお）る
終（お）わる ・ 配（くば）る ・ 低（ひく）い
通（かよ）う ・ 急（いそ）ぐ ・ 落（お）ちる
速（はや）い ・ 冷（ひ）やす ・ 関（かか）わる
開（あ）ける ・ 失（な）くす
Level 4 Place Names
Level 4 competitors should know the following place names in kanji in addition to the place names in kanji listed for Levels 2 & 3:
Major Japanese Cities
奈良（なら） ・ 熊本（くまもと） ・ 福島（ふくしま）
仙台（せんだい） ・ 長崎（ながさき）
Well-known Areas of Tokyo
銀座（ぎんざ） ・ 新宿（しんじゅく） ・ 上野（うえの）
渋谷（しぶや） ・ 原宿（はらじゅく） ・ 秋葉原（あきはばら）
Airports
成田空港（なりたくうこう）
関西空港（かんさいくうこう）
羽田空港（はねだくうこう）
Mountains ＆Lakes
富士山（ふじさん） ・ 琵琶湖（びわこ）
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一石二鳥 （いっせきにちょう）
Literal meaning: one stone, two birds
To kill two birds with one stone
Ex. この仕事、お金もらえて運動にもなるから一石二鳥だね。
This job gives me money and exercise, so it is like “ killing two birds with one stone.”
危機一髪 （ききいっぱつ）
Literal meaning: danger by a hair
In the nick of time, a close call, hanging by a thread (or by a hair)
Ex. 旅行中火事にまきこまれたが、危機一髪のところでたすかった。
I encountered a fire during my trip, but I was saved in the nick of time.
臨機応変 （りんきおうへん）
Literal meaning: the time and place to deal accordingly
Adapting to circumstances as they arise, responding flexibly
Ex. 問題が起きても、臨機応変に行動できる人がうらやましい。
I am jealous of people who can respond flexibly, even when a problem arises.
一期一会
Literal meaning: all one’s life, one encounter/one meeting
Once-in-a-lifetime encounter
Ex. 一期一会と心にきざんで、人との出会いをたいせつにしなさい。
You should cherish each encounter you have with people, valuing the fact that each encounter will only occur this one time.
因果応報 （いんがおうほう）
Literal meaning: cause and effect
Poetic justice, karma, good/bad things happen to good/bad people
Ex. いじめをすると、因果応報で、きらわれて友達が一人もいなくなるよ。
If you are a bully, you’ll be hated and will lose all your friends (not even having one left) in retributive justice.
不言実行 （ふげんじっこう）
Literal meaning: say nothing, but put into action
Actions speak louder than words
Ex. 近所のゴミを毎週ひろっているの？えらいなあ、不言実行だね。
You pick up trash in the neighborhood every week? Good for you. You are the kind of person who acts rather than just talks.
一生懸命 （いっしょうけんめい）
Literal meaning: all one’s life you do your best
With all your might, with utmost effort
Ex. 一生懸命勉強しているけど、テストのてんが全然よくならない。
Though I have been studying really hard, my test grades haven’t improved at all.
一長一短
Literal meaning: one merit, one demerit
To have both strong points and shortcomings
Ex. このエアコン、安いんだけと音がうるさいんだよね。一長一短だね。
This air conditioner is inexpensive, but it sure is noisy. One strong point and one shortcoming.
以心伝心 （いしんでんしん）
Literal meaning: a (Zen Buddhist) teacher conveys truth to his disciples without saying a word
The heart transmits what the mind thinks, telepathy, tacit understanding
Ex. 父と母は以心伝心といえるほどわかりあっているふうふだ。
My father and mother are a married couple who understand each other and communicate heart-to-heart.
喜怒哀楽 （きどあいらく）
Literal meaning: joy, anger, grief, and humor
Human emotions
Ex. かのじょは喜怒哀楽がはげしい。
She is an emotional person.
四六時中
Literal meaning: 4x6(=24, meaning 24 hours a day), night and day
Constantly, always, round he clock
Ex. 父はすうがくしゃで四六時中すうじのことをかんがえている。
Dad is a mathematician and so he’s constantly thinking about numbers.
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二度あることは三度ある
Literal meaning: what has happened twice will happen a third time.
百聞は一見にしかず
Literal meaning: hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing with your own eyes once
Seeing is believing, it’s best to see for yourself.
万事休す
Literal meaning: everything stops
Nothing more can be done
類は友を呼ぶ （るいは友をよぶ）
Literal meaning: birds of a feather flock together
People with the same interests/taste will be found together
ちりも積もれば山となる （ちりもつもれば山となる）
Literal meaning: even dust becomes a mountain if piled together
Every little bit helps
失敗は成功のもと （しっぱいはせいこうのもと）
Literal meaning: failure is the basis of success
Failure leads to success
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一肌脱ぐ （ひとはだぬぐ）
Literal meaning: to do one’s best to help others
To be reliably helpful
Ex. 田中くんはいつもたのむと一肌脱いでくれる。たよりになるよ。
Taka-kun does his best to help others. You can always count on him!
一人相撲｛を取る｝ （一人ずもう）
Literal meaning: to wrestle oneself/nobody
To try hard at something without any support from others, to fall dead in the water
Ex. いいアイデアを考えたけど、誰もさんせいしてくれなかったから一人相撲に終わってしまった。
I thought of a great idea, but no one else supported it (thought it was a good idea) and it fell dead in the water.
二の足を踏む
Literal meaning: to step twice in the same spot
To hesitate, to think twice before taking action
Ex. プロー・スキーヤーでもあの山を見て二の足を踏みました。
Even the professional skier hesitated when facing that mountain.
相槌を打つ
Literal meaning: to hit the hammer
To throw in appropriate words in a conversation such as yes and I see, to make agreeable responses
Ex. 私の悩みを、彼は相槌を打ちながら優しく聞いてくれた。
He was kindly listening to my worries while showing agreeable responses.
三人寄れば文殊の知恵
Literal meaning: three people together have the wisdom of Buddha
Two heads are better than one
Ex. 三人寄れば文殊の知恵と言うけれど、やっぱり、たくさんいいアイデアが出たね。
You know, people say “two heads are better than one,” and sure enough, we came up with lots of good ideas together.
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Level 4 will focus on Gitai-go, which are sounds that describe conditions or states of being. level 4 competitors are also expected to know the gisei-go listed for Level 2 and gion-go for Level 3. Questions can include the examples below as well as other words in this category.
A glint in your eyes: キラキラ
A warm body or food: ホカホカ
Unpleasantly hot and humid: ムシムシ
Sticky with sweat or blood: ベトベト
Horribly soaked by a large amount of water: ビショビショ
Shivering or shuddering from the cold: ガタガタ
Uneven ground: デコボコ
Lots of shining sunlight: サンサン
Feeling cool: ヒンヤリ
Soaking slowly with sweat or tears: ジンワリ
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All competitors should know various animal sounds. These can be written in either hiragana or katakana, but katakana is more widely used. Examples are given below.
Roar (Lion) = ガオー
Buzz (Bee) = ブーン
Tweet (Bird) = チュンチュン
Meow (Cat) = ニャーニャー
Moo (Cow) = モーモー
Caw (Crow) = カーカー
Woof (Dog) = ワンワン
Quack (Duck) = ガーガー
Fox sound = コンコン
Ribbit (Frog) = ケロケロ
Neigh (Horse) = ヒヒーン
Oo oo aa aa (Monkey) = ウッキー
Squeak (Mouse) = チューチュー
Hoo (Owl) = ホーホー
Oink (Pig) = ブーブー
Cock-a-doodle-doo (Rooster) = コケコッコー
Baa (Sheep) = メーメー
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Level 4 competitors should know Japanized katakana words in addition to those types expected for Levels 1, 2 & 3. Some examples are given below.
シュークリーム ・ Cream puff
シャーペン ・ Mechanical pencil
ハイタッチ ・ High five
アプリ ・ App
バイキング ・ Buffet
シルバーシート ・ Priority/reserved seat
トランプ ・ (Playing) cards
マンション ・ Apartment building
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Below are the given categories and topics for 2024. Helpful resources are listed for each sub-category.
Events, Art & Culture from the Showa Era: Competitors should know major events, figures, cultural discoveries, literature, art, etc.
Geography: Eight main regions of Japan
Society & Daily Life: Aisatsu (greetings), national celebrations, public holidays, annual events, etc.
Popular Culture: Anime, manga, movies, pop stars, movie stars & famous sports figures
Kimura Website
Current Events: Events in Japanese politics, society, economics, and international relations from the past 6 months
The Japan Times Website
Other Useful Websites:
Kids Web Japan Website
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Click here for Level 4 Grammar Accuracy Study Guide