You though you could escape the onslaught of repeated Yukie Nakama advertisements didn’t you?

Well, in Japan, one thing you get used to is repetition. And the Japanese Ads Japanese language learning curriculum includes… Let’s call it… Cultural Assimilation… as an important feature.

You can see a TV ad for AU featuring Yukie Nakama on YouTube at the links below.

Yukie Nakama - AU Customer Satisfaction

Yukie Nakama - AU Music, Flowers…

As a bonus, I have inadvertently found a Japanese website with links to an insane number of Yukie Nakama TV commercials and TV spots.

マニアック。

Oh btw, the other actress in the poster is 篠原涼子 Ryoko Shinohara.

Okay, language.

Ad Text in Japanese:

「auデビューしませんか」

「auデビューしました」

「auデビューの春」

「番号そのまま、みなでau!」

Here we go.

「auデビューしませんか」 This isn’t too tough. 「デビュー」is Katakana for the English word “debut”. The grammar at the end, 「しませんか」means “won’t you?” or “why don’t you?”

For example you can say, 「お茶しませんか？」which would mean, “why don’t we have some tea?”

So, this means “why don’t you have an au debut?” In Japanese, the Katakana of 「デビュー」has a little broader meaning, and can also be used to “start something” if not a little dramatically. I guess in English we can do the same… For example, “Today is my tennis debut!” Even though you’re just going to the park to play tennis for the first time with some friends.

「auデビューしました」 this is the same as above, only the grammar is in the past tense. “au debuted!”

「auデビューの春」 once you know that 「春」is spring, this one isn’t too tough. This is the spring in which au debuts.

「番号そのまま、みなでau!」

Finally some interesting stuff! 「番号」is “number”, in this case, “phone number”. 「そのまま」is an interesting phrase. It basically means to keep the same state, or to remain just as it is. You can use it like, 「髪の毛をそのままにしておいた方がいいんじゃない？」which would mean, it would probably be better if you left your hair just the way it is now…

Let me know if you want more examples of 「そのまま」!

「みなでau!」 is simply, let’s do (join) au all together!

So basically, you can keep your phone number the same, and join AU with all your friends!

Isn’t that great?

- Harvey