Via Joystiq, it appears the new Phoenix Wright film is to be released to Blu-Ray in Japan this August. I didn't even know a Phoenix Wright movie was ever in the works, and honestly I'm not planning to see it (have trouble imagining that it would be any good), but the article contained a random factoid that was of interest to me (and should be to Japanese scholars or speakers living in the U.S.). This may not be news to many of you, but:
"The US and Japan use the same Blu-Ray region, so you can import that version and watch it."
I wasn't aware of that, but as Blu-Ray discs become more and more the standard (and hopefully cheaper), this could be a boon to those of us who have been largely locked out of watching Japanese DVDs because of region locking (though there are ways around that).
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
J-Word Play #26 (Answer)
Last week's riddle was:
胡桃を逆さまにすると出てくる飲み物はなんでしょうか？
Kudos this time to Cocomino, Rene, and Vitor. I'm thinking maybe I should start a scoreboard for these...
All three of you guys mentioned how easy this one was. For those of you who didn't get the answer, here's why:
胡桃を逆さまにすると出てくる飲み物はなんでしょうか？
Kudos this time to Cocomino, Rene, and Vitor. I'm thinking maybe I should start a scoreboard for these...
All three of you guys mentioned how easy this one was. For those of you who didn't get the answer, here's why:
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Little touches of Japan
I plan on writing a more detailed post about where I am and what I'm doing right now, but have that on hold until next month as sort of a one year from JET reflection. Channeling Orchid, however, just wanted to make a short post about something I didn't realize I missed until recently.
Some folks from Japan visited my office for a meeting, and they brought some omiyage with them. In Japan, airports and train stations and tourist spots usually carry a variety of foods and treats that are "unique" to a respective area. I say "unique" because they are often the same crackers, cookies, dumplings, etc, just with a particular ingredient or flavor that is a specialty of that region. It's a pretty ubiquitous practice when returning from a trip to bring some of these back for friends, family, and coworkers as souvenirs.
Anyway, as a I said, our visitors left behind some omiyage. A nice little reminder of Japan.
These little birds had some kind of filling inside, but honestly not sure what it was. Slightly sweet and bean-pastey, but yellow.
Some folks from Japan visited my office for a meeting, and they brought some omiyage with them. In Japan, airports and train stations and tourist spots usually carry a variety of foods and treats that are "unique" to a respective area. I say "unique" because they are often the same crackers, cookies, dumplings, etc, just with a particular ingredient or flavor that is a specialty of that region. It's a pretty ubiquitous practice when returning from a trip to bring some of these back for friends, family, and coworkers as souvenirs.
Anyway, as a I said, our visitors left behind some omiyage. A nice little reminder of Japan.
These little birds had some kind of filling inside, but honestly not sure what it was. Slightly sweet and bean-pastey, but yellow.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Let's Enjoy Japanese: What's in a name?
There's a post over at Tofugu today about country names in Japanese. This got me thinking about when I used to play a certain "game" for DS that's basically a Japanese dictionary with some quizzes and such built in. Some of the quizzes ask you to write the kanji linked to certain countries (e.g. 日 is often used for Japan). I remember being struck by this; at the time I didn't realize that many countries have alternate names in Japanese. As I encountered them, they seemed to me like little secret pearls of knowledge that would elevate me from novice to...I don't know, a master of Japanese national nomenclature?
As it turns out, I don't think these alternate names are encountered all that much, but they can certainly help depending on what you're reading. I've come across some of these in newspapers and online publications.
By this point you may be wondering what I'm talking about exactly. Well, as you probably know, the Chinese language uses kanji exclusively. And some of the Chinese names for countries were carried over into Japanese. Over time, however, these Chinese names have come to often be abbreviated in Japanese; reduced to one or two characters to indicate a particular nation or culture. Here's a partial list (link from Tofugu).
As Hashi notes in his piece at Tofugu, these days country names are most often written in katakana. However, there are cases where the kanji are used, especially in 熟語 (じゅくご, kanji compounds).
For those whounderstand are confident enough in their Japanese, there is a pretty comprehensive list on Wikipedia. But a few are (these are the abbreviated names, not the long Chinese ones):
The United States - 米国 (べいこく) - literally "rice country."
France - 仏国 (ふっこく; though my Japanese input won't even recognize that to convert to kanji) - literally Buddhist or "saint-like" country.
Italy - 伊 - (い) - although I suspect this must have some other meaning, according to my searches, this kanji is used pretty exclusively to mean "Italty"
Germany - 独国 (どくこく) - according to Wikipedia, 独 was converted from 徳 in Chinese. Literally Germany was/is called "virtuous country."
The Netherlands - 蘭 (らん) - "orchid."
Although it seems to often take some research to find out what the original intentions behind some of these names were (if it is even known), it's pretty cool to see how some of these countries are named. "Virtuous country" and "rice country" for example. Of course in many cases these are just cut down versions and abbreviations of longer names, so perhaps they are just nonsense at this point...
I think if you notice these, they will often be in compounds. One that is used quite often in newspapers is 日米関係 (にちべいかんけい), which means "Japan-America relations."
For those of you familiar with these, any favorites or others you'd like to share?
As it turns out, I don't think these alternate names are encountered all that much, but they can certainly help depending on what you're reading. I've come across some of these in newspapers and online publications.
By this point you may be wondering what I'm talking about exactly. Well, as you probably know, the Chinese language uses kanji exclusively. And some of the Chinese names for countries were carried over into Japanese. Over time, however, these Chinese names have come to often be abbreviated in Japanese; reduced to one or two characters to indicate a particular nation or culture. Here's a partial list (link from Tofugu).
As Hashi notes in his piece at Tofugu, these days country names are most often written in katakana. However, there are cases where the kanji are used, especially in 熟語 (じゅくご, kanji compounds).
For those who
The United States - 米国 (べいこく) - literally "rice country."
France - 仏国 (ふっこく; though my Japanese input won't even recognize that to convert to kanji) - literally Buddhist or "saint-like" country.
Italy - 伊 - (い) - although I suspect this must have some other meaning, according to my searches, this kanji is used pretty exclusively to mean "Italty"
Germany - 独国 (どくこく) - according to Wikipedia, 独 was converted from 徳 in Chinese. Literally Germany was/is called "virtuous country."
The Netherlands - 蘭 (らん) - "orchid."
Although it seems to often take some research to find out what the original intentions behind some of these names were (if it is even known), it's pretty cool to see how some of these countries are named. "Virtuous country" and "rice country" for example. Of course in many cases these are just cut down versions and abbreviations of longer names, so perhaps they are just nonsense at this point...
I think if you notice these, they will often be in compounds. One that is used quite often in newspapers is 日米関係 (にちべいかんけい), which means "Japan-America relations."
For those of you familiar with these, any favorites or others you'd like to share?
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Harvest Moon and Project Happiness
I've been a big fan of the Harvest Moon series (牧場物語 in Japanese) since before it came to the States. I remember reading a preview in Nintendo Power magazine as a kid and being really psyched. I don't know why the idea of a "farming" video game appealed so strongly to me, but I couldn't wait for it to be released. Anxious and impatient, I got my mom to drive me to the game store probably a half dozen times around its release date, disappointed to discover each time that it hadn't yet arrived at the store. Finally, one day, it was there. And it didn't disappoint.
There's something about Harvest Moon that always really got me. Part of it was probably the quirky farming and livestock systems, as I have always been a fan of games involving money management, but I think a larger piece was the "life simulation" aspect. Making friends with the villagers, exploring the countryside, building and upgrading your farm, and (ideally) getting married and having kids. It was very different from all the other games out there when it came out.
As the series went on and gained popularity, it kind of lost me little by little. I mean, I played Harvest Moon 64 and one of the games for PlayStation and enjoyed them. But the games just seemed to me to be getting more and more stale. The characters were changed from time to time (though some games in the series recycled them), the layout of the town was changed, and new crops and such were added...but it was the same old thing and didn't really feel "magic" anymore. A big part of that is probably just me; I tend to have high expectations.
Then several years ago, we got a spin-off called Harvest Moon: Rune Factory. Honestly, the idea of it really did more for me than actually playing the game. It was essentially Harvest Moon meets and something like Zelda. Farming, town interaction, and adventuring. Livestock were replaced with tamable monsters, and a weapon/armor crafting system was added.
The first couple games in the series, for the DS, I bought and played in Japanese. That might be one reason was my progress was so slow and I never beat either of them. Still, the second seemed a lot better than the first. When the third installment came out, I decided to get it in English so I could fully enjoy it. It wasn't without its flaws, but it upheld my earlier impression that this series was improving with each sequel. Although the farming/selling system seemed to be watered down (although there are a lot more things you can sell, as you progress money gets easier and easier to earn and has less uses), the developers seem to be focusing more and more on the characters and story. Unfortunately neither are very deep, being a somewhat cutesy series in general, but I was glad to see the games take this direction.
Annnyway, a little ways back, Wada Yasuhiro, the creator of the original Harvest Moon series, let leak that he was working on a new project. Something unrelated to Harvest Moon, but perhaps similarly quirky and off the beaten path. As Joystiq reports, he and Natsume revealed this game recently at E3.
Dubbed "Project Happiness", it seems to be a game about taking on the role of a shop keeper. This one seems to be pretty character-oriented, with something like 100 different characters that you can meet and interact with. Although my hopes are not high (especially given the graphics), I hope he decides to give them more depth than the characters from the Harvest Moon games. Still, it looks like it could be a fun and interesting game. I'll probably wind up buying it, as I am a sucker for these weird, off-beat titles...
There's something about Harvest Moon that always really got me. Part of it was probably the quirky farming and livestock systems, as I have always been a fan of games involving money management, but I think a larger piece was the "life simulation" aspect. Making friends with the villagers, exploring the countryside, building and upgrading your farm, and (ideally) getting married and having kids. It was very different from all the other games out there when it came out.
As the series went on and gained popularity, it kind of lost me little by little. I mean, I played Harvest Moon 64 and one of the games for PlayStation and enjoyed them. But the games just seemed to me to be getting more and more stale. The characters were changed from time to time (though some games in the series recycled them), the layout of the town was changed, and new crops and such were added...but it was the same old thing and didn't really feel "magic" anymore. A big part of that is probably just me; I tend to have high expectations.
Then several years ago, we got a spin-off called Harvest Moon: Rune Factory. Honestly, the idea of it really did more for me than actually playing the game. It was essentially Harvest Moon meets and something like Zelda. Farming, town interaction, and adventuring. Livestock were replaced with tamable monsters, and a weapon/armor crafting system was added.
The first couple games in the series, for the DS, I bought and played in Japanese. That might be one reason was my progress was so slow and I never beat either of them. Still, the second seemed a lot better than the first. When the third installment came out, I decided to get it in English so I could fully enjoy it. It wasn't without its flaws, but it upheld my earlier impression that this series was improving with each sequel. Although the farming/selling system seemed to be watered down (although there are a lot more things you can sell, as you progress money gets easier and easier to earn and has less uses), the developers seem to be focusing more and more on the characters and story. Unfortunately neither are very deep, being a somewhat cutesy series in general, but I was glad to see the games take this direction.
Annnyway, a little ways back, Wada Yasuhiro, the creator of the original Harvest Moon series, let leak that he was working on a new project. Something unrelated to Harvest Moon, but perhaps similarly quirky and off the beaten path. As Joystiq reports, he and Natsume revealed this game recently at E3.
Dubbed "Project Happiness", it seems to be a game about taking on the role of a shop keeper. This one seems to be pretty character-oriented, with something like 100 different characters that you can meet and interact with. Although my hopes are not high (especially given the graphics), I hope he decides to give them more depth than the characters from the Harvest Moon games. Still, it looks like it could be a fun and interesting game. I'll probably wind up buying it, as I am a sucker for these weird, off-beat titles...
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
J-Word Play #26
I like this one:
胡桃を逆さまにすると出てくる飲み物はなんでしょうか？
As always, if you think you know the answer, send it in to blueshoe[at]jadij.com.
胡桃を逆さまにすると出てくる飲み物はなんでしょうか？
As always, if you think you know the answer, send it in to blueshoe[at]jadij.com.
Monday, June 11, 2012
人生は続く
最近、彼女と会う夢をよく見てる、なぜか。最近というか一ヶ月前から。ある日には、起きてなんとか無事に仕事に行って頑張って、帰って・・・まぁ、つまらないけどよく出来るねって感じ。ある日には、その逆・・・彼女のことばかり考えって今の僕の人生を考えって、死にたいほど落ち込んてくる。でもその気持ちを感じながら「これは絶対駄目」って分かって、頑張れる。必死にまた彼女と会ったり話たいけど・・・駄目やから頑張るしかないな。彼女は今頑張ってて人生を続いてるから僕も頑張って続くね。
今のところは、自己憐憫や我慢できない感じが一番危ないな。早くいい仕事見つけたい、早く心癒したい・・・独身って楽しくないしね。でもこんなこと急いだらダメやな。新鮮傷やからね。
まぁ、最近その「自分がいやだ」って感じちょっと分かってきた。この弱さが嫌やなぁ・・・
力を振り絞らなきゃ。地獄に沈み込まないから。遅いけど、道を見つけるよ。
今のところは、自己憐憫や我慢できない感じが一番危ないな。早くいい仕事見つけたい、早く心癒したい・・・独身って楽しくないしね。でもこんなこと急いだらダメやな。新鮮傷やからね。
まぁ、最近その「自分がいやだ」って感じちょっと分かってきた。この弱さが嫌やなぁ・・・
力を振り絞らなきゃ。地獄に沈み込まないから。遅いけど、道を見つけるよ。
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Two Japans
An interesting article in the Washington Post today:
TOKYO — In Japan’s businesses and bureaucracies, in home offices and hulking companies, the fax machine is thriving.
Yes, the clunky device has fallen out of favor in so much of the world, a refuge for dust bunnies and stray cover sheets. But it is humming here.
Japanese still fax party invitations, bank documents and shopping orders. Business people call the fax a required communication tool, used for vital messages, often in place of e-mail. In the early hours of last year’s nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, operators informed the government of an emergency seawater injection by dialing up Tokyo and sending a fax.
Japan’s continued fax devotion may be an endearing quirk, what with the country’s reputation as a high-tech playland, all bright lights and flawless trains and chirping micro-devices. But it may also represent a deeper sign of the nation’s inability to change and to accommodate global standards, even as it cedes economic ground to Asian rivals such as China and South Korea.
“It goes back to the famous theory that there are two Japans,” said Serkan Toto, a Tokyo-based consultant for Japanese Web, mobile and social gaming companies. “One is very efficient and highly productive. The other is where things are very slow and there’s barely any innovation. Information technology is in that second basket.”
Check out the rest of the article here.
It's interesting - I think most people who have lived in Japan or spent a lot of time there would probably agree that it's a country of dichotomies, especially when it comes to technology. On one hand, Japan is renowned for its gadgets and devices, and Japanese companies are among the leaders of the automotive and video gaming industries. Virtually everyone in Japan has a cellphone. Yet at the same time, there are places without running hot water. Desktop computers and laptops are not ubiquitous as they are in the U.S. Despite sporting some of the world's most advanced toilets, many lavatories are equipped with simple holes in the ground.
I can't personally speak to the degree that people in Japan use fax machines; either because no one in the teachers' rooms at my schools used them or because I simply wasn't paying attention. But I will say that such a trend doesn't surprise me.
Though I'm no activist, I do think it is important for us to take care of our environment. After seeing the energy situation in Japan following last year's disaster and coming back home, I think that we waste a lot of electricity in the U.S. But there are things every country could be doing better. Reducing its reliance on paper would certainly make Japan a "greener" place. As would cutting back on the stupid disposable chopsticks found in nearly every restaurant in the country...
6/15/2012 Update: An interesting (indirect) counterpoint? Maybe there is something to fax, according to the Chicago Tribune.
TOKYO — In Japan’s businesses and bureaucracies, in home offices and hulking companies, the fax machine is thriving.
Yes, the clunky device has fallen out of favor in so much of the world, a refuge for dust bunnies and stray cover sheets. But it is humming here.
Japanese still fax party invitations, bank documents and shopping orders. Business people call the fax a required communication tool, used for vital messages, often in place of e-mail. In the early hours of last year’s nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, operators informed the government of an emergency seawater injection by dialing up Tokyo and sending a fax.
Japan’s continued fax devotion may be an endearing quirk, what with the country’s reputation as a high-tech playland, all bright lights and flawless trains and chirping micro-devices. But it may also represent a deeper sign of the nation’s inability to change and to accommodate global standards, even as it cedes economic ground to Asian rivals such as China and South Korea.
“It goes back to the famous theory that there are two Japans,” said Serkan Toto, a Tokyo-based consultant for Japanese Web, mobile and social gaming companies. “One is very efficient and highly productive. The other is where things are very slow and there’s barely any innovation. Information technology is in that second basket.”
Check out the rest of the article here.
It's interesting - I think most people who have lived in Japan or spent a lot of time there would probably agree that it's a country of dichotomies, especially when it comes to technology. On one hand, Japan is renowned for its gadgets and devices, and Japanese companies are among the leaders of the automotive and video gaming industries. Virtually everyone in Japan has a cellphone. Yet at the same time, there are places without running hot water. Desktop computers and laptops are not ubiquitous as they are in the U.S. Despite sporting some of the world's most advanced toilets, many lavatories are equipped with simple holes in the ground.
I can't personally speak to the degree that people in Japan use fax machines; either because no one in the teachers' rooms at my schools used them or because I simply wasn't paying attention. But I will say that such a trend doesn't surprise me.
Though I'm no activist, I do think it is important for us to take care of our environment. After seeing the energy situation in Japan following last year's disaster and coming back home, I think that we waste a lot of electricity in the U.S. But there are things every country could be doing better. Reducing its reliance on paper would certainly make Japan a "greener" place. As would cutting back on the stupid disposable chopsticks found in nearly every restaurant in the country...
6/15/2012 Update: An interesting (indirect) counterpoint? Maybe there is something to fax, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Status, dreams, and a bit of Japanese
I've received some kind comments and emails from readers and fellow bloggers, as well as friends (in some cases those categories overlap) and wanted to just say thanks. I'm still having some trouble dealing with my split-up with Yoshie, but the support helps. There are up days and down days, and I think about what might have been had I made different decisions, but I have to think things worked out for the best. It can be pretty painful to suddenly lose the ability to talk to someone you love, even when it's self-imposed. Just have to move on and do your best...
Been having some strange dreams the past two or three weeks. Last night I dreamed that I met up with my first girlfriend, Ai. In the dream we were meeting over dinner. Not exactly sure why; to catch up, I guess? She was married, and I wasn't bothered by that. She was asking me what I had been doing with my life, and in the dream she sounded a little critical, though she wasn't ever like that in real life. She seemed to be implying that I hadn't really accomplished much since we had last met, and I was trying to defend myself. My mind fighting itself there, I suppose. Anyway, I woke up and wondered about how she is doing. Wherever she is, hope she is healthy and happy. And I hope the same for Yoshie. As sad as it is, I hope I can get over Yoshie a lot quicker than I got over Ai.
Part of the key is probably getting involved and keeping busy. I'm making an effort to participate more with the JET DC alumni group and the Japan America Society of Washington DC. It can be hard to stay connected to Japan when you no longer have someone close to you who really connects you to the culture, but those organizations are a good start.
Anyway, more upbeat (or neutral, anyway) posts coming soon. And if you have any thoughts on the sidebar below, let me know! Think they may be nice little additions to posts that may otherwise be a little lacking in Japanese-y substance.
Been having some strange dreams the past two or three weeks. Last night I dreamed that I met up with my first girlfriend, Ai. In the dream we were meeting over dinner. Not exactly sure why; to catch up, I guess? She was married, and I wasn't bothered by that. She was asking me what I had been doing with my life, and in the dream she sounded a little critical, though she wasn't ever like that in real life. She seemed to be implying that I hadn't really accomplished much since we had last met, and I was trying to defend myself. My mind fighting itself there, I suppose. Anyway, I woke up and wondered about how she is doing. Wherever she is, hope she is healthy and happy. And I hope the same for Yoshie. As sad as it is, I hope I can get over Yoshie a lot quicker than I got over Ai.
Part of the key is probably getting involved and keeping busy. I'm making an effort to participate more with the JET DC alumni group and the Japan America Society of Washington DC. It can be hard to stay connected to Japan when you no longer have someone close to you who really connects you to the culture, but those organizations are a good start.
Anyway, more upbeat (or neutral, anyway) posts coming soon. And if you have any thoughts on the sidebar below, let me know! Think they may be nice little additions to posts that may otherwise be a little lacking in Japanese-y substance.
| Japanese Sidebar: Dreams |
|---|
| I remember that one mistake I made some time ago when talking in Japanese about dreams was saying 「夢あった」, because in English we say "I had a dream." In Japanese, however, we literally say "I saw a dream." This works for both dreams while asleep and dreams in the sense of goals or ideals. So in Japanese you would say 「夢見た」. Some of my students likewise used to make the mistake of saying "I see a dream" when trying to express this in English. |
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