This fall, excitement for the arrival of 新米 (shinmai, the new rice crop of the year) is greater than usual. The lingering effect of last year’s 不作 (fusaku, poor harvest) hit hard in August when rice stock is usually at the lowest level every year.
日本人の食生活に、 お米は必要不可欠です (Nihonjin no shokuseikatsu ni o-kome wa hitsuyō fukaketsu desu, As for the Japanese diet, rice is an essential staple). In this statement, 必要不可欠 (hitsuyō fukaketsu) means “indispensable” and “absolutely essential” because both 必要 (hitsuyō) and 不可欠 (fukaketsu) suggest necessity. The kanji of 不可欠 literally translate to 欠くことができない (kaku koto ga dekinai, can not be done without) as 不可 (fuka) connotes wrong and unacceptable while 欠 (ketsu, ka[keru], ka[ku]) suggests lack.
The character 欠 pops up in our daily conversations, too: 朝食にコーヒーは欠かせない (Chōshoku ni kōhī wa kakasenai, Coffee is essential for breakfast). If your need for caffeine is as serious as mine, try this version too: コーヒーがないと一日が始まらない (Kōhī ga naito ichinichi ga hajimaranai, My day can’t start without coffee).
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