Quickie: Sale at The Japan Shop

Just a quicky shopping link-fest here.

The Japan Shop is having a closeout sale on a few items, including everyone’s favorite textbook series Genki. They’ve also got Japanese for Busy people on sale at the moment, but personally, I would recommend Genki over the Busy People series any day of the week.

Also, you’ll see on The Japan Shop’s front page that they are having a weekend sale on 5 dollar downloads, including the Cut-tounge Sparrow Story.
The Japan Shop owner let me try a sample of these downloads, as I’m helping to advertise his product and all, and I must say it’s quality material. The owner’s wife is Japanese, so together they create this valuable content from scratch. Basically his wife reads a famous Japanese folktale, and he provides the English and explanations in the files that accompany it. It’s all put together using flash, so you can click vocab to get explanations and whatnot. Also, you can chose to listen to it in regular, or slow speed as well. It’s good stuff for learning.

Happy shopping for your brain!

- Harvey

Learning Japanese through Proverbs

Our friends over at TheJapanShop.com have another great deal. You can get audio, textual, and visual media to help you learn Japanese Proverbs for just 5 bucks.

It’s a PDF, Flash, and Mp3 pack of 25 commonly used Japanese proverbs. You can listen to any sentence in slow, or regular speed, and explanations are included. Check out the product image on their website to see some of the features.

They’ve got all the classic “kotowaza”, such as…

石の上にも三年 Literally, sitting on top of the rock for 3 years. A proverb for perseverance. And…

十人十色 Literally, 10 people, 10 colors. A proverb that means everyone is unique.

Click here for a larger image. Click here to go to product page.

Back in my early days of learning Japanese we went through a lot of these in class. Proverbs are a great way to pick up new vocabulary, learn about Japanese culture, and impress native speakers all at the same time. Native Japanese are usually astounded and very happy to hear when foreigners can quote proverbs. These days many young Japanese don’t know the more difficult ones. I would be willing to bet that any high school kid these days (except for the roughest of the ruffians) would know all 25 included in the JapanShop package.

So, the proverbs they include are very basic, so if you’re already an advanced learner of Japanese this probably won’t be terribly useful. However, if your Japanese is beginner to low-intermediate, it looks like a great deal!

You can pay with PayPal and download the stuff immediately. Instant gratification. Yum.

Other Proverbs on JapanNewbie

By the way, check out a few more proverbs that I have introduced in the past… Like a Rolling Stone, and The Light of Money.

Learn Proverbs With Our Favorite Cat-like Robot Doraemon

For more Japanese Proverb fun, check out this episode of Doraemon called “Proverb Game” (kotowaza game) in its entirety on YouTube. The proverbs introduced in the episode and their literal and interpreted meanings are…

早起きは三文の徳 - hayaoki ha sanmon no toku

Literally: Waking up early brings three coins of profit.

Meaning/usage: Waking up early will bring good things to you.

In Doaremon: The father woke up early and happened to see a famous actress during his morning walk and tells the main character, Nobita-kun. Nobita really wanted to see the actress and starts to head out to get her signature, but his father tells her she’s already gone. Nobita should have woken up early!

棚からぼたもち - tana kara botamochi

Literally: A botamochi (a type of snack) falls out of the cabinet.

Meaning/usage: Good things can happen unexpectedly.

In Doraemon: Nobita thinks that he can just lie under the cabinet and wait for an actual botamochi to fall out. He didn’t know the proverb. Instead, they accidentally stumble upon his moms secret stash of cash.

急がば回れ - isogaba maware

Literally: If you want to hurry, take the round-about way.

Meaning/usage: If you want to arrive at your destination quickly, don’t take the more dangerous and risky shortcut. Instead, take the long way around and you’ll be more certain to reach your destination safely and on time.

In Doaremon: Nobita is going to his friends house, so instead of taking the direct route he takes the long road. On the way there he happens to run into his friend, which is lucky! Good thing he didn’t hurry to take the direct route.

情けは人のためならず - nasake ha hito no tame narazu

Literally: Pity/compassion doesn’t help people.

Meaning/usage: Traditionally, it means that showing compassion to people not only helps them, but will also bring good fortune to the person who showed the compassion later. Some people these days mistakenly interpret this to mean that if you’re too overly compassionate to people it won’t help them in the long run.

In Doaremon: Nobita sees a little girl who has fallen and hurt her knee. Due to the literal meaning of the proverb he almost doesn’t help her, but gives in to his good nature and decides to carry her home anyway. Later Doraemon explains the actual meaning of the proverb and Nobita feels better.

仏の顔も三度 - hotoke no kao mo sando

Literally: On the third time, even someone with a face like the Buddha… (will get angry)

Meaning/usage: No matter how nice someone may be, the third time (or eventually) they will get angry!

In Doaremon: Nobita and his friend see the town bully getting scolded by his mom for fighting. They get an idea and decide to tease him just twice, because they figure he won’t get angry the first and second time. They’re right… But some other friends accidentally taunt him a third time causing Nobita and his friend get beat up anyway.

泣き面に蜂 - naki tsura ni hachi

Literally: A bee will come to a crying face.

Meaning/usage: Once something bad happens, more bad things will follow.

That’s all!

By the way, I didn’t know 泣き面に蜂! Passed JLPT level 1, and there are still things about Japanese to learn from kids shows. Isn’t Japanese great!? The fun never stops.

- Harvey

DJ Baku DHARMA DANCE

At midnight tonight (Japan time, in like, 1 hour) DJ Baku’s new album, DHARMA DANCE will be available on HearJapan. Be sure to check out a music video from the music video at the HearJapan link, and on YouTube as well.

The album is released April 5th all over Japan, but if you can’t wait until the brick and morter shops open up in the morning you can snag it via HearJapan as soon as the calendar day changes.

I went to a DJ Baku live event in Tokyo last year and had a great time. I’m no music critic, but he’s just everywhere. High energy and intense stuff.

If you haven’t already, check out the music video embedded at the bottom of the HearJapan site. [youtube link to the same video] It’s really, really, cool.

I got some free time. Let’s learn from the video.

In the video there is a marionette who obviously represents a Japanese salaryman. He is holding a giant HANKO, a stamp that is used in place of a signature for documents in Japan. In traditional Japanese companies, many levels of HANKO can be required to complete important (or even no so important) tasks.

The stamps have different Kanji with varying meanings throughout the video. Here they all are, with my interpretations. Once you know the Kanji, watch the video again. It makes it even better.

働ヶ- Work! (commnd form of the verb, playing with characters by using the katakana small け)

マダマダ - Still more! (with the nuance of, you’re not done yet)

忙 - Busy!

押せ - Stamp it! (literally push, but same verb is used to “push” stamps)

死ヌマデ - Until you die! (or, until death)

押シエ - Stamp it!

あれ? - Huh? What?

苦 - Agonizing! or Arduous. Painstaking. (from くるしい, mentally and physically strenuous)

ナイ - Nothing (the negative, oposite of HAI)

疲 - Exhausted (つかれた)

イヤダ - I don’t like it (stronger nuance though, maybe you could say, horrible. Or intolerable.)

辞 - Quit

不要 - Unnecessary

操 - Manipulate (from あやつる, great with the marionette!)

破壊 - Destruction

制御 - Control

不能 - Impotent, incapable

金 - Money

糸 - Strings (literally, thread)

最高 - Awesome! (the best. This appears next to a pictre of the album jacket.)

攻撃 - Attack

And then, he completely collapses. Poor Japanese salarymen. Mechanical stamp pushers. Overworked… Occasionally overworked until they die… Karoushi.

It’s getting better though…

- Harvey

Work Work Watching

Speed post. This is too funny not to share.

Work Work Watching #1

Especially funny is number 5, where the Japanese director teaches the American actor the art of NORI-TSUKKOMI 乗り突っ込み with the help of his useless interpreter.

Work Work Watchign #5 - Nori-tsukkomi 

There is a wikipedia entry on nori-tsukkomi if you are like the American director and not familiar with this traditional form of Japanese Kansai-style comedy.

Basically, nori-tsukkomi is when someone does something unexpected and silly against your expectation. For example, you say “wow it’s raining, go get the umbrella.” and the guy comes back with a toothpick umbrella used to decorate cocktails.

If you immediately bash the guy over the hed and say “hey! What the heck do you take me for! That’s not an umbrella!” That would be a regular tsukkomi.

If instead, you say “wow, nice umbrella. Now I can keep my fingers dry… Small… and easy to carry…. - WHAT the heck! This umbrella is way to small!” and bash them over the head… That is then nori-tsukkomi. You have first skillfully gone along with their silly gag before suddenly pointing out their folly and bashing them over the head.

I love this stuff.

“Listen, nori-tsukkomi you alright?”

- Harvey

Woman in the Dunes by Abe Kobo

I’m currently reading Woman in the Dunes by Abe Kobo in Japanese “with” a friend over the internet.

We kind of pace ourselves and discuss via email every few chapters or so. I have found that reading with other people is a good way to keep the momentum going, and also a great way to ensure you don’t just casually skip over the stuff you don’t understand immediately. The book is great. Very creepy. Very intense.

I without giving any of the plot away, it’s basically about a teacher from Tokyo who is a hobbyist bug-catcher. One weekend he takes a trip into the desert to look for a rare species and ends up getting stuck there – held against his will in a strange village. The story involves his battle with the elements, his relationship with the woman that he is forced to live with, and his attempts at escape.

I had seen the Woman in the Dunes movie from 1964 way back when, but had mostly forgotten the plot. I recently re-watched the movie and really enjoyed it. I don’t think it really could be classified as a horror flick, but it is certainly creepy and intense. I guess I would be tempted to give it the “Japanese English” title of “human drama”… With a rather psycho twist. I have heard of it being compared to Alfred Hitchcock films. I can see the similarities.

One last thought about the movie… It made me thirsty. I feel like I have sand in my mouth just thinking about it!

Has anyone read this in English? Did you enjoy it? Any other recommendations? Let’s hear it!

- Harvey

Master Translator Donald L. Philippi

Donald L. Philippi was a talented Japanese English translator and linguist who died in 1993 at the age of 62. Reading his background will inspire any student of Japanese, so dig in.

This information can be found on Fred’s website, another accomplished translator – he translated Astroboy vol 1-23! And Ghost in the Shell! A true translation rock star. From the looks of it, Fred has met Osamu Tezuka as well… fascinating.

Don was a linguist. He spoke fluent Japanese, and without visiting the Soviet Union developed a near-native command of Russian. He could read and write Slovak, and he could read and understand German, Spanish and French, as well as several other languages.

Don began learning Japanese on his own as a child in the late thirties in Los Angeles, and continued to do so during the war when it was regarded as an “enemy” language. After studying at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, he went to Japan in 1957 on a Fulbright scholarship, and wound up staying there until 1970. In Japan he studied at Kokugakuin University, a Shinto university in Tokyo, and on his own. He became an expert, not only in classical Japanese, but in the Ainu language (the nearly extinct language of the indigenous people of Japan). He also studied the Altaic languages of Siberia, such as Turkic.

Don was no ordinary linguist. He had an abiding interest in what he called the “archaic”– the pre-civilized, pre-agricultural state of being– and used his language skills to explore it. He became an expert in Ainu and other archaic cultures.

Another interesting tidbit…

In his more flamboyant moments, Don liked to claim that translating technical documents gave him a “translator’s high”– that if he had a fast computer, and some post-modern archaic music by heavy metal groups such as Motorhead to listen to, he could achieve a trance-like state. In reality, however, his true joy in translating technical documents probably came from the accomplishment of a more modest goal. As he once said, “…by imposing a tiny bit of order in a communication you are translating, you are carving out a little bit of order in the universe. You will never succeed. Everything will fail and come to an end finally. But you have a chance to carve a little bit of order and maybe even beauty out of the raw materials that surround you everywhere, and I think there is no greater meaning in life.”

I admit, I actually downloaded some Motorhead and tried listening to it while translating the other day.

Easier said than done.

Wow. If my translation resume ever looks like these guys, I’ll be quite satisfied with myself.

- Harvey

HearJapan Online Japanese Music Store

For those who like to act rather than read…

Access HearJapan, a beta online Japanese music store.

Use this Coupon Code to register a new profile: jpn536

Browse, listen to 30-second clips of any song, read band profiles, or buy a song for as low as 100 yen (currently 5% off entire albums).

Now for the readers…

Hey everyone! If you like Japanese music and aren’t able to access enough of it to meet your eccentric tastes, I think you’re going to love HearJapan (details on how to register follow).

HearJapan is a brand new online music store (kinda, technically it’s not released yet, it’s still beta – but even Gmail is still beta, so let’s not hold that against them) that allows you to buy Japanese music online.

Even if you have other ways to acquire your music, I still think you’ll be hard pressed to find a location that offers so much Japanese music related content in English, including band profiles, album information, and lyric translations. Just browsing the site to read about what’s out there is entertaining. You can even listen to 30-second clips of any song available on the website.

(click for larger image)

Even though the site is brand-spanking new and new albums are being added daily (literally), they already have some major artists available including: Vidoll, D’espairsRay, and ALvino. Vidoll is the visual band you see in the “group information” screen shot below. If you’re into Japanese visual bands, they’re one of the major upcoming acts right now. Check out the song “Sarah”, it’s alright. I’m not into visual rock at all… but I picked up a track from an instrumental rock band called Te’ in order to test the site. Good stuff.

In regards to the shopping experience, the mp3s are high quality, have no DRM (yes!), and get this, once you purchase you can download the music three times from the HearJapan website. So if you lose the file for some reason, or even if you want to download your music to another computer you’re free to do so. It’s obvious this is a music site created by a music lover.

(click for larger image)

You can purchase individual songs at prices between 100 and 150 yen per song (about $1.00 - $1.50 USD), and during this beta period if you purchase an entire album you get 5% off each song. At the moment purchases can be made with major credit cards, but PayPal isn’t supported yet. I’ve been told that support is coming soon. I hope so. I happen to like Paypal.

As I said, HearJapan is still beta, and on a “invitation” only basis. So here’s an invitation. You can access HearJapan using the Coupon Code ‘jpn536′, and entering it along with your information at this registration URL. The “beta” is really very open, and it is OK to share this code with anyone else you want to be able to access the site. I guess the creators want a controlled “word of mouth” crowd to break in the site before they open it to the rest of the Internet.

The owners of HearJapan are located in Japan, speak fluent Japanese, and love music. I met one of the creators while I was studying at IUC. He graduated a year before me and did his research project on Japanese intellectual property law. HearJapan is the fruit of his hard work.

This is an extremely grassroots-style project, as the creators have personally contacted each and every band whose music is available in order to get the license agreements to make this work. This is a true labor of love, and I really think it’s going to take off!

- Harvey

Getting your feet wet with Japanese

I got a question from a reader the other day asking for suggestions on how to learn Japanese slowly and casually.

The reader was straight-forward and said that he didn’t have enough time to spend hours everyday learning Kanji, and isn’t looking to become fluent anytime soon either. The goal is just to make Japanese not so “foreign”. That probably describes most people who are first starting out… So here is how I would do it.

1. Get a good basic textbook.

You’ll want to have a good textbook that will walk you through essential vocabulary, grammar points, and hopefully includes a CD so you can catch the audio as well. A lot of information for language learning is available on the web, but having a textbook helps a lot because of it’s more structured and paced approach.

We did a recommended textbook post on JapanNewbie a while back, and my opinion still stands. With the TheJapanShop.com sale this month you might be able to get stuff cheaper than on Amazon, so be sure to shop around.

I still recommend the Genki Series. Remember though, the CD-set for Genki is sold separately. (Why!?)

You can also get flashcards and workbooks and a super 200$ plus CD-set for Genki, but I don’t think anyone really needs all that unless they’re using Genki to teach Japanese…

New years is coming up, great time to start new things (that hopefully will continue past February!), also, it’s a good time to take advantage of the 10% sale off everything at TheJapanShop.com.

2. Get a lot of media.

If you don’t have tons of time it will also probably be difficult to motivate yourself to put in the 30 min or so that you hope to daily. School, work, YouTube, and Scrabble on FaceBook will all be competing for those last few minutes of useful brainpower remaining before you go to sleep, so the Japanese study component of your day has got to be entertaining.

There are a lot of subtitled and fun, Japanese movies available that are a great supplement to a regular study scheme. Anime is OK, but anime alone is dangerous because conversations about fantasy worlds, magic, and space travel just don’t happen often enough in everyday Japanese conversation. I’ll bet it won’t show up in Genki either, so it’s best so spend your time watching something that uses more everyday vocabulary. Shall We Dance is a great starting place. It might make you cry.

 3. Find a language exchange partner

I thought twice about making this my 3rd recommendation… But やっぱり, I gotta list it. It’s not always easy to arrange a language exchange partner… But I think for the casual learner it will really help. You can not only exchange language tidbits, but cultural information as well. Even if you can’t find someone who lives in your area, try to get some kind of pen-pal online. If you can keep it up I think it will help a lot. For advanced speakers I actually wouldn’t always recommend the language exchange thing, because most native speakers don’t know how to teach Japanese… For a beginner though, the extra language and culture contact itself is worth it.

Extra stuff: Hardware! 

If you can afford it, a good electronic dictionary is also a good thing to have, even for (especially for?) beginners who are just slowly introducing themselves to the language. You all know what my dictionary of choice is (the GW9600, more power!), but for absolute beginners maybe the less expensive Canon G55 will suffice.

That’s a wrap. Get the books. Get the audio/visual. Get some native speaker time. If you can afford it, get some technology to back you up… Stir and repeat. After a while Japanese won’t seem like such a “foreign” language after all.

Actually recently I have been  casually studying Korean. I have a great textbook, I listen to KoreanClass101.com religiously, I have a Korean dictionary for my GW9600, and I meet with a language exchange dude weekly. (He’s a PhD student studying how Kansai-dialect remains with elderly Koreans who were forcibly taught Japanese under occupation by the Japanese military during WWII. Apparently most of the language teachers in Korea were from the Kansai area!)

The only thing I’m lacking is some good subtitled Korean media to watch or listen to. If anyone has any recommendations of Korean dramas or movies that I could watch over and over I appreciate any recommendations! Also, any Korean music with easy to understand lyrics would be great as well.

Happy learning!

- Harvey

TheJapanShop.com Sale

TheJapanShop.com is having a 10% sale on all of their items until December 31!

If you’re looking for a Christmas present to buy that Japanese studying someone, this is a good place to do it. Especially if you don’t live in Japan.

Some interesting items they offer include…

The Genki textbook series (recommended by yours truly)

Remembering the Kanji (I’ve always wanted to try this)

The Casio GW9600 Electronic dictionary, that’s my dictionary!

They also have Nintendo DS games oriented towards Japanese people who want to brush up on their Kanji, including the Kanji Kentei 2 game, which is one of the only 2 games I have for my DS right now! I don’t know if there is any other way to get this game outside of Japan, unless you order from Amazon.jp.

If you want more information about how to learn Japanese with your Nintendo DS, be sure to check out the Naruhodo Japan blog.

TheJapanShop is run by good people, and 10%-off sales are good. Happy hunting!

- Harvey

By the way, they also have a ton of JLPT stuff. Too bad the test is already over… Did anyone take it this year? How do you think you did??