June, 2010

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25
Jun 10

The Japanese Fairy Tale, Part 2

Last week we took a closer look at Momotaro and Kintaro, two classic Japanese fairy tales that permeate Japanese culture. This week we’ll take a look at another important tale, although there are quite a few more we won’t cover in this blog at this time. If the interest strikes you, do some more research and read translations of the stories themselves! This site is a good place to start.

Taketori Monogatari (“The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter”), which is sometimes called Kaguya-hime (“Princess Kaguya”), is perhaps the oldest classic Japanese fairy tale. The story centers around a beautiful woman named Kaguya whose hair shines like the moon. She is found as a finger-sized baby inside of a shining bamboo tree by an old, childless bamboo cutter. The bamboo cutter and his wife decide to raise the child. The tiny baby grows into a beautiful woman (of normal size) and as the old couple raises her, they become rich because inside every bamboo tree Kaguya’s father cuts is a nugget of gold.

Kaguya’s parents try to keep Kaguya a secret, but news of her beauty spreads throughout the kingdom. Five princes convince Kaguya’s father to allow them to compete for her hand in marriage and Kaguya, who is not anxious to marry any of them, presents each bachelor with an impossible task, telling them that the first to complete the task would become her husband. All five failed—some even died. After this, the emperor of Japan asks Kaguya to marry him, but again she rejects even this suitor. Although the emperor continues to love Kaguya and ask for her hand in marriage, she continues to refuse him and instead becomes increasingly despondent. Her parents notice that when she stares at the moon, she cries. Eventually, Kaguya reveals that she’s from the moon and she misses her home.

The Emperor tries to keep her from leaving by placing royal guards around her home, but when celestial beings come for her return, the guards cannot stop them. Kaguya leaves behind a robe as a gift for her adoptive parents and leaves a note of farewell to them and the emperor. Along with her note to the emperor, she leaves a bottle of an immortality elixir, from which she takes a sip. Placing a new feathered robe around her shoulders, she forgets all about her earthly life and departs. Her parents receive her robe but are heartbroken and become sick. The emperor refuses to become immortal and instead writes a reply to Kaguya and asks that his servants take the letter and the elixir to the tallest point in the country and burn them there, hoping that Kaguya will receive the message. This point is the top of Mt. Fuji, and it is said that the mountain gets its name from this act, as the kanji for Fuji can mean “immortality.” It is also said that Fuji’s smoke (which isn’t often visible in modern times as the mountain rarely erupts) is the letter and elixir continuously burning.

Does the tale of Princess Kaguya remind you of any Western fairy tales? Which ones? What messages do you get from this tale?

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18
Jun 10

The Japanese Fairy Tale, Part 1

In the West, we have Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, thanks largely to European writers who regurgitated local folklore. The Japanese are of course familiar with these fairy tales as well, but they have their own, which are fairly frequently referenced in books, TV, films and other parts of Japanese culture.

One of the most well-known pieces of Japanese folklore is the story of Momotaro. Momo translates to “peach” and taro is a somewhat common ending for Japanese boy names. The tale is often called “Peach Boy” in English, though. Momotaro tells of an old Japanese couple who never had children but are surprised to find a huge peach floating down the river one day while the wife is washing clothes. They take the peach home to eat, but as soon as they cut into it, a child pops out. They name the boy Momotaro and he tells them that he was sent by the gods to be their child. Once Momotaro grows into a young adult, he takes it upon himself to go on a quest to vanquish oni (demons) who live on an island called the Onigashima and sometimes leave the island to kidnap and/or eat humans. Along the way, Momotaro makes friends with a dog, a pheasant, and a monkey, who join him on his quest in exchange for food. Together, the friends defeat Ura, the leader of the demons and the land is safe once more.

Momotaro should not be confused with Kintaro, another popular Japanese folktale, which is often translated as “Golden Boy.” There are a number of versions of the Kintaro story, all of which have him raised by either his natural mother or an adopted mother alone in the mountains, where he became superhumanly strong. Kintaro’s strength includes the ability to uproot trees, smash rocks barehanded and bend tree trunks even as a toddler. He is most famously depicted in his chubby toddler stage, wearing only a large bib with the kanji for “gold” on it. He becomes friends with the mountain forest animals and eventually, as he grows older, he attracts the attention of a regent of the emperor.Kintaro moves to Kyoto to become one of the legendary Shitenno (“four braves”) who serve alongside this regent, Minamoto no Yorimitsu. At this time, Kintaro takes the name Sakata Kintoki.

Come back next week for a look at two more Japanese fairy tales!

Have you ever heard of Momotaro or Kintaro? What do you think the morals of these stories may be—if there are any? What other Japanese folktales have you heard of?

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11
Jun 10

Yokohama: Japan’s Second Most Populous City

Because it’s so close to Tokyo—and Tokyo “spills” over into its suburbs so that Tokyo seems far bigger than it is—it’s often forgotten by tourists that Yokohama is actually a separate city. With about three and a half million residents, Yokohama is Japan’s second most popular place to live. The capital of Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokohama is actually widely considered part of “the Greater Tokyo Area,” but it’s worth a visit on its own.

Yokohama is only about 28 miles south of the city of Tokyo and is nestled along the Tokyo Bay. You can easily catch a train from Tokyo to Yokohama in just over an hour and for only about ¥740 (about US$8). Yokohama is actually one of the cities with the greatest immigrant population; about 75,000 of its residents are from countries such as China, South Korea, the Philippines and Brazil. (As far as its immigration goes, Japan has a high rate of Brazilians, both legal and illegal [by overstaying their work visas] due to the need for laborers.)

Because Yokohama is a somewhat southern city, you can expect humid, hot summers and mild winters with virtually no snowfall. That said, although summer may be the peak tourist season, you’d be better off touring during the fall or winter when fewer visitors pack the streets.

Yokohama is well known for Kannai, a historic district featuring thoroughly modern architecture and stores (but many “firsts,” such as the first place in Japan to sell ice cream and the first place to sell beer). Yokohama is also home to Japan’s tallest building, the Landmark Tower, as well as the Cosmo Clock 21, the world’s largest clock and one of the world’s largest Ferris wheels, which offers a stunning view of the city that’s not to be missed after sunset. You can expect lots of great places to shop in Yokohama, such as the Motomachi area, as well as great places to stroll along the harbors.

For more classical Japanese architecture enthusiasts, you may want to head to Sankei Garden, which features a gorgeous array of classical Japanese gardens and buildings. Tickets cost only around ¥500 (about US$5.50)

Have you ever visited Yokohama? If you’re touring Japan, would you prefer to visit the big metropolitan areas or the areas with more historical sites?

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9
Jun 10

Japan Has a New Prime Minister—After Only 8 Months

Last week was a busy week in Japanese politics news. Former Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio—the very same whose fashion choices and somewhat strange behavior made headlines a few weeks ago—resigned on June 3rd, after winning the election and becoming Prime Minister just last year on September 16th.

Hatoyama was adamant after his approval ratings dropped that he has no intention of resigning. Yet just a few weeks later, he did exactly that. Granted, he didn’t resign over horrible fashion attire, no should anyone have expected him to. (The “his bad fashion shows he’s not in touch with the common Japanese citizen” argument notwithstanding.) The actual reason he gave had to do with his failure to close the U.S. military base on Okinawa, which he promised to do during his campaign. While one could argue that he hadn’t served long enough to enact this change, Hatoyama did sign an unpopular treaty in late May with U.S. President Obama to ensure the continued existence of the U.S. military presence in Okinawa. This was mostly due to increased tensions between Japan and North Korea and Hatoyama’s desire for U.S. aid if need be.

Besides the failure with Okinawa, Hatoyama was also accused of perhaps having knowledge of a money scandal involving a top member of his party, the Democratic Party of Japan (not quite the same as the U.S. party of the same name). Facing summer elections, Hatoyama’s party asked him to step down to increase their chances of performing favorably at the next election.

Hatoyama was replaced by Kan Naoto, Hatoyama’s former deputy. Kan is actually Japan’s seventh prime minister in a decade. Why so many changes? Hatoyama’s not the first to resign by any means; it’s a much more common occurrence in Japan than in countries like America, where only one president has resigned in history. The other part of the reason for so many changes in leadership is that the nation’s prime minister is not directly elected by the Japanese citizens. Instead, Japanese citizens vote for their representatives in the Japanese parliament (the Diet). In turn, the members of the Diet elect the prime minister. The more seats a party has, the more likely that party is going to win the position, for which they usually nominate their elected leader. However, this somewhat disconnected way of electing a prime minister does seem to lead fewer Japanese people to be passionately political than many people in other nations.

Do you think Hatoyama should have resigned as soon as he failed with one campaign promise? Do you think the Japanese system of electing a leader would work in your country? Why or why not?

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7
Jun 10

Japanese Suffixes, Part 2

Today we’re continuing our lesson on Japanese suffixes by going over a couple more important suffixes in the Japanese language.

Sensei

Sensei is a suffix used only with family names as a term of respect. More polite than san, sensei is primarily used with those who have earned a wide level of respect in their fields. It’s used for all teachers and doctors, at least when addressed by their co-workers and students and patients. It can also be used when referring to successful professionals in a variety of fields, such as scientists, politicians, religious figures, lawyers, accountants and even mangaka (comic artists), authors, artists, and musicians.

*Nakamura (family name) Kenji (given name) = Nakamura-sensei, Nakamura Kenji-sensei*

An English translation may include “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” “Miss,” “Ms.,” “Dr.,” “Professor,” “Father (as in priest),” or something similar, depending on the exact context. Unlike other suffixes, sensei can actually stand on its own as well, meaning that you can directly address these professionals or people whom you respect with “Sensei” without even stating their names. This use of the word is similar to that in English when you think of calling a college professor “Professor.”

A little less formally, but still in a way that demonstrates respect, students may even use the term when addressing their tutors, who may not be that much older than them. If you visit Japan, you might use the term when coming in contact with any of the abovementioned professionals or someone from whom you expect to learn a lot. You may also find yourself addressed with the suffix if you tutor someone or teach English or are a professional in one of these fields.

Sama

Not extremely frequently used in day-to-day conversations, sama is still an important suffix that you’ll find in entertainment, media, and sometimes in customer service interactions. Sama is traditionally only used with family names, but it may be used with given names depending on the context.

*Nakamura (family name) Kenji (given name) = Nakamura-sama, Nakamura Kenji-sama, Kenji-sama*

Sama demonstrates that the person being addressed with this suffix is being regarded with one of the highest levels of esteem. The suffix is traditionally only used when there is a great level of hierarchal disparity in the relationship between the speaker and the addressee, such as a servant speaking to his or her employer. Its English translation varies depending on the context, but could be as elegant as “Lord,” “Lady,” “Master,” or “Mistress,” or as normal as “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” “Miss,” or “Ms.,” or have no translation at all.

Businesses often employ this suffix when addressing their customers to demonstrate how important the customers are to them. Official forms or mailings traditionally give everyone the title of sama over san.

Perhaps less traditionally but fun nonetheless is the fact that people also use the term (most often with given names) for people whom they worship—not quite literally, but people with whom they are enamored, but whom they consider far beyond their reach. Fans shouting out to or making signs for celebrities are the most frequent examples, but even students might (somewhat jokingly) use the suffix for popular boys and girls whom everyone in class wishes to date.

Whom in your life might you address with sensei or sama if you were speaking Japanese? Would you deserve the title sensei yourself?

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4
Jun 10

Japanese Suffixes, Part 1

In Japan, where politeness in language is so important, suffixes are quite essential. What are suffixes? They’re words that come after other words—in this case, these suffixes are titles of address. A rough English equivalent could be the prefixes “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” “Ms.,” etc., but you’ll see that it’s not so straightforward as that.

Below are some of the Japanese language’s most common suffixes. As you may know from studying the language, differences in level of politeness are more common than gender differences.

San

San is by far the most common Japanese suffix. It’s a polite suffix that’s not overly polite and works in nearly any situation. When you’re not sure which suffix is appropriate, fall back on san.

*Nakamura (family name) Kenji (given name) = Nakamura-san, Kenji-san, or Nakamura Kenji-san.*

San can be used with both family names and given names, but you’ll be exhibiting an extra level of politeness by using it with family names and only addressing someone by his or her given name when given permission. When used with a family name, it can be translated as “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” “Miss,” or “Ms.,” depending on the person’s gender and marriage status. (There is no differentiation.) However, unlike in the U.S., co-workers, business associates and the like are more likely to address each other by each other’s family names, even after knowing each other for years, so even if in the English translation, using “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” “Miss,” or “Ms.” would sound weird, it’s correct in Japanese.

When used with a given name, there’s no English translation. However, you should use san with people who have given you permission to address them by their given names but with whom you’re not extremely close, especially if the person is older than you. For example, if you live with a host family, they may give you permission to use their given names, but it would be polite for you to add the suffix san to the names of all of the family members who are about your age or older.

Chan

Another common suffix is chan. You should not use chan to address anyone unless you know the proper context because chan does not demonstrate any level of politeness or respect. Instead, it’s closer to a term of endearment.

*Nakamura (family name) Kenji (given name) = Kenji-chan*

Chan is used only with given names and has no direct English translation. Very close friends, particularly girlfriends who are teenage or younger, may choose to address each other with this suffix added to their names. It is also sometimes used in a romantic, cutsey way between couples (for both males and females, but especially females). Most commonly, it’s used by anyone speaking to a young child, particularly young girls. (But it may also be used with very young boys.)

If you speak to a young child in Japan, you may use chan. Otherwise, wait until you’re invited to address a close friend with this term (you can usually tell if they address you with the term). If you’re older than high school age, you probably won’t use chan for anyone but young children.

Kun

Somewhat similar to chan, but less cutely endearing, is kun, which has no direct English translation.

*Nakamura (family name) Kenji (given name) = Nakamura-kun, Kenji-kun*

Kun is most often, but not always, used with given names by people to address younger boys (elementary to middle school age especially). It may also be used with family names for boys and even girls by those in a hierarchical relationship with the youths, such as teachers or mentors addressing their students. (Teachers don’t address their students by given names.) It may also be used with family names by students, particularly girls, to address the fellow male students in their class with whom they’re not especially close.

Come back Monday to learn a few more Japanese suffixes!

How would you address the people whom you encounter in your daily life if you were speaking Japanese? Decide which suffix is most appropriate.

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2
Jun 10

America’s 2nd Female Professional Baseball Player Is Japanese!

As we previously discussed, America’s pastime, baseball, has quite a following in Japan. It’s fitting, then, that the second woman to play baseball professionally in America is a Japanese import: 18-year-old Yoshida Eri.

Yoshida, nicknamed “Nakkuru Hime” “(“Knuckle Princess”), actually already knows what it’s like to whiz past gender boundaries, as she became Japan’s first female professional baseball player in 2008 at the age of 16, when still in high school! (Her actual debut was in March 2009 at the age of 17.) She was drafted into the Kobe 9 Cruise, one of four teams in the Kansai Independent Baseball League (comparable to Minor League Baseball here). Yoshida, a pitcher, helped lead her team to victory in the first game with her sidearm knuckleball. She played in eleven games with the Kobe 9 Cruise before coming to the US joining the Arizona Winter League, a short-season independent professional league, in late 2009.

While playing in the Arizona Winter League, Yoshida caught the attention of the Chico Outlaws (Chico, California) and was offered a contract to play on the team in the Golden Baseball League, an independent ten-team baseball league. She’s spent the past spring training and just recently debuted in her first official game with the team.

Yoshida’s training experience was made more special for her because Boston Red Sox knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield came to help her train at the Boston Red Sox’s minor league training center. Yoshida credits Wakefield for her style, as videos she saw of his pitching are what inspired her to adapt her trademark “knuckle princess” pitching style.

Yoshida is currently the only female professional baseball player in the U.S. and is only the second female professional U.S. baseball player in history. She’s also now the first female baseball player to play professional in more than one country.

Her first game with the Chico Outlaws took place on May 29th and she helped lead to the team to victory when she pitched for three innings.

Because of the increased interest in Yoshida’s debut, the Chico Outlaws are streaming their games online. If you want to watch Yoshida in action, check out the Outlaws’ website.

Have you ever heard of Yoshida Eri? Have you seen her play? Do you think it’s fitting that a Japanese woman is making baseball history in the U.S.? Why or why not?