2007 April

Sunday again already? Sheesh.
OK, here are the music vids:
水樹奈々/ Mizuki Nana
Secret Ambition
#2 this week

スピッツ SPITZ
ルキンフォ (Looking For)
#3 this week

Rag Fair
夏風便リ / Natsukaze Tayori / News from the Summer Wind
#19 this week

And the bonus vid:
Cibo Matto
Sugar Water

Cibo Matto’s Myspace page.
Exit question: Was/ is Cibo Matto a Japanese band, or just a band with […]

Hi, All:
So I was thinking about the Monkey Majik video I posted on Sunday, and I thought this would be a good time to talk about “kitsune” in Japan.
You might know that “kitsune” (狐) means fox, but the fox has a special meaning in Japan.
Here’s some stuff from Wikipedia:

日本では、キツネは人を化かすいたずら好きの動物だといわれたり、それとは逆に神の使いとしてのお稲荷様として信仰されたりしている。また、キツネは油揚げが好きであるという考えから、それにちなんで、稲荷神を祭る神社では油揚げや稲荷寿司などがお供え物として供えられることがありまた、きつねうどん、きつねそばの「きつね」という言葉は、その食品に油揚げが入っていることを示す。
“Nihon deha, kitsune ha hito wo […]

I don’t know if I need to tell you I updated the post below with scripts, but just so ya know.
Ja, ne.

In keeping with our “athletes” theme we seem to have going on here right now, here is Daisuke Takahashi, a Japanese figure skater, shilling Oronamin C.
Vid now, script and comments later. Just so you know, he says he’s in “sales,” so he’s told to “soto mawari” (go out on sales calls). But of course, “mawari” […]

Hi, Gang:
You may have no interest at all in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), but this is a good clip for learning some Amazing Japanese.
Masakazu Imanari, who describes himself as a 10th degree leglock black belt, discusses his training. He’s a mixed martial arts fighter in Japan. Youtube his name sometime for some entertaining fights.

筋トレとか、あんまりしないんですけど
Kin tore […]

Hi, All:
I think today, just some random music vids. Enjoy:
Monkey Majik + Yoshida Brothers
Change

Um…the Yoshida Bros. are the ones with the Shamisen (三味線).
Chitose Hajime
青レクイエム/ Blue Requiem

Zazen Boys
Crazy Days Crazy Feeling

That’s Shiina Ringo helping a bit on the vocals.
And listen for 繰り返される諸行無常/ kurikaesareru shogyou mujou = “All of our actions are in vain.” That’s a very […]

Hi, guys:
Here’s an old school Japanese TV commercial from the Japan Ad Council. It’s based on 日本昔話/ Nihon Mukashibanashi (Tales of Old Japan), a cartoon series that started in 1975 on Japanese TV, lasting about 10 years or so (I think), and then playing in reruns.
I’ll update later with the script, but just to let […]

I’ll post the script and Japanese-y stuff later, but here’s the vid to tide you over. Some good, modern-ish Japanese for ya:
UPDATE: I posted the scripts and language tips below. Enjoy. By the way, the vid is a commercial for Maple Story, a multiplayer online game that I know absolutely nothing about.

いらっしゃいませ。何名様ですか？
Irasshaimase. Nanmei sama desu […]

Sorry about the tardiness. Really busy on deadline yesterday.
鼓動 / こどう / Pulse
Glay
#1 this week
The vid is connected with some movie (大帝の剣/ taitei no ken…or maybe tsurugi/ sword of the emperor)

They just don’t make ‘em like they used to….sigh.
パンキッシュ/ Punkish(?)
Mihimaru GT
#7

Scarecrow
The Pillows
#13

And a bonus vid from the way-back machine:
Fujii Fumiya was with a band called […]

Hi:
Your patience is rewarded.
I updated the video below with scripts and vocabulary.
BTW,
忍耐/ nintai
Patience. (Yes, that’s the same “nin” as the nin in “ninja”)
In Japan, you’d say something like
石の上にも三年/ Ishi no ue ni mo sannen
Which basically means if you keep at something, your patience and forbearance will be rewarded.
The phrase comes from the idea […]