Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Eel Day) · Worksheet 1
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1In late July, a sweet and smoky smell fills the streets of Japan. It comes from grilled eel, called unagi. Long lines form outside eel shops, and supermarkets put up big flags with one letter, u. This is Doyo no Ushi no Hi, the Day of the Ox in summer.
2The name comes from the old calendar. Doyo is a period of about 18 days before a new season starts. Ushi means ox, one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. In the old calendar, each day also has one of these animals, so an ox day comes every 12 days. Some summers have two ox days, and others have only one.
3Why eel? A famous story says that a scholar named Hiraga Gennai helped an eel shop in the 1700s. Summer was a slow season for the shop. He told the owner to put up a sign that said, "Today is the Day of the Ox." But nobody knows if this story is true. Still, the idea is very old. A poem from about 1,300 years ago tells a thin friend to eat eel in summer.
4Today, there are fewer eels in the wild. Japanese eels are born in the ocean near the Mariana Islands, about 2,000 kilometers away. Scientists in Japan can now raise eels from eggs, but it is still very expensive. So people are asking a new question. How can we keep this tasty summer custom and protect the eels at the same time?
Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Eel Day) · Worksheet 2
Choose the best answer. 正しいものを選ぼう。
What is the main idea of the reading?
How often does an ox day come in the old calendar?
What does the reading say about the Hiraga Gennai story?
In paragraph 3, what does "a slow season" mean?
In the dialogue, why does Emily think they will eat beef?
Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Eel Day) · Worksheet 3
Words & phrases. 単語のれんしゅう。
Eel Night
It was a hot day in (1) . Mom said, "Today is the Day of the (2) !" We went to an old eel (3) . The air smelled sweet and (4) . The cook (5) the eel over hot charcoal. Then he put it on (6) in a red box. I ate every bite. Dad smiled and said, "Now we have (7) for the summer!"
Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Eel Day) · Worksheet 4
Read the clues and fill in the puzzle. ヒントを読んで、クロスワードを完成させよう。
Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Eel Day) · Worksheet 5
Find the hidden words. かくれた単語を探そう（→ ↓ ↘ ↗）。
Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Eel Day) · Worksheet 6
Collect the letters on the right path. What is the secret word? 正しい道の文字を集めると、ひみつの言葉になるよ。
Secret word:
Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Eel Day) · Worksheet 7
To beat the summer heat, I like to eat ______ because ______.
If I explain the Day of the Ox to a friend from abroad, I will say, "______."
Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Eel Day) · Worksheet 8
Trace the words. Then color the picture! なぞって書こう。絵に色を塗ろう。
Draw your Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Eel Day)! 土用の丑の日の絵を描こう。