(わかもの)

young people

(でんとう)

tradition

(わし)

Japanese paper (washi)

(づくり)

making / production

(まなぶ)

to learn / study

(ぎふけん)

Gifu Prefecture

(ちいさな)

small / little

(まち)

town

(わかい)

young

(つくりかた)

way of making

(せんねん)

a thousand years

(まえ)

before, previous

(つくる)

to make

(しかし)

however, but

(しょくにん)

craftsman / artisan

(かず)

number, count

(へる)

to decrease / to diminish

(つづける)

to continue

(むずかしい)

difficult

(じかん)

time

(ちから)

strength; power

(ひつよう)

necessary / needed

(ふゆ)

winter

(つめたい)

cold (to touch)

(みず)

water

(なか)

inside

(ざいりょう)

materials, ingredients

(なんども)

many times

(あらう)

to wash

(ぎじゅつ)

skill, technology

(おしえる)

to teach

(さいしょ)

first, beginning

(しっぱい)

failure

(おおい)

many

(じょうず)

skillful, well

(すこしずつ)

little by little

(よろこぶ)

to be delighted

(くる)

to come

(とても)

very; extremely

(これからも)

from now on too

(うつくしい)

Beautiful

(かみ)

paper

(つぎ)

next

(せだい)

generation

(つたえる)

to convey / to tell

(はなす)

to speak, talk

is doing, has been doing (ongoing state/action)

Expresses a continuing action or resulting state. Formed with て-form + いる. Can describe an action in progress or a state resulting from a past change.

~ or more / above ~

Indicates a quantity equal to or greater than a stated value. Here it describes earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

come toward (action approaching)

Indicates motion toward the speaker or a location. Here it describes rocks flying toward people.

because ~ / since ~

Causal connector. Because JA is buying at higher prices, store prices will also rise.

in order to ~

Dictionary form + には indicates a condition required to achieve a goal. To deliver nengajō on Jan 1, you must mail by Dec 25.

have someone do (for me)

Expresses receiving a favor/action from someone.

to go on doing / continue to (from now)

In '増えていく' – 'will continue to increase (into the future)'. Indicates continuing trend going forward.

若者が伝統の和紙作りを学ぶ

Young people learn the traditional craft of washi paper-making

岐阜県の小さな町で、若い人たちが和紙の作り方を学んでいます。

In a small town in Gifu Prefecture, young people are learning how to make washi paper.

この町では、千年以上前から和紙が作られてきました。

In this town, washi has been made since more than a thousand years ago.

しかし、職人の数が減っているので、伝統を続けることが難しくなっています。

However, because the number of craftsmen is decreasing, continuing the tradition has become difficult.

和紙を作るには、たくさんの時間と力が必要です。

To make washi, a lot of time and effort are needed.

冬の冷たい水の中で、材料を何度も洗います。

In the cold winter water, they wash the materials many times.

若い人たちは、毎日職人から技術を教えてもらっています。

The young people are taught the techniques by the craftsmen every day.

最初は失敗が多かったですが、少しずつ上手になってきました。

At first they made many mistakes, but they have gradually become skilled.

町の人たちは、若い人が来てくれたことをとても喜んでいます。

The townspeople are very glad that young people have come.

これからも、この美しい紙を次の世代に伝えていきたいと話しています。

They say they want to keep passing on this beautiful paper to the next generation.