The Kamikaze (Japanese term for divine winds) have protected Japan and its unique culture from foreign invasions and imperialization since the beginning of time. The roots of this blog were of an idle mind which took place my final year in Japan, 2006-2007. I still continue this blog eventhough its roots came from my day-to-day experiences in Japan.
The snow-capped icon is in the distance. It is in search of the sun. Two fishermen shove off in search of today's catch. Waves meet the fishermen in search of the shore. Animals scavenge the shoreline in search of food.
These days, everyone is in search of something. Scientist and doctors are in search of a cure. Nomads are in search of a home. Beggars are in search of food. The unemployed are in search of a job. The passionate are in search of meaning. The unfulfilled are in search of being made whole. Preachers are in search of a pulpit.
While doing your search, it is important to never loose sight of the "romance" while knowing that there is a downside. Often, many will see one but not the other. We need to see both.
An ounce of optimism is worth its weight in gold. What didn't work for one fits like a glove for an other.
We can choose our lovers and friends, but have no say in family.
Remember, while searching, just say to yourself, "yes" before you decide.
The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-09
In March of this year, I started Japanese Vocab 101 which was more or less a way for me to remember the three years of living, working and studying of Japanese when I lived in Japan. Here is a continuation of a few terms that came to me yesterday while car shopping...
Chi-Chi- This term is in reference to the breast but more to what comes out of them which is milk. Ironically, this term means nearly the same thing in Spanish. In the late 1990s, while living in Southern California and totally immersed into the Spanish culture, I was watching the 1990 release, Taking Care of Business where Jim Belushi plays a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan who will miss their first appearance in the World Series in nearly 100 years due to serving a prison sentence. He arranges to be snuck out in time to watch a game and crosses paths with a yuppie executive played by Charles Grodin. In the process, Belushi mistakenly gets Grodin's Filofax and eventually becomes Grodin while out for the weekend for the game. As the yuppie executive, Belushi entertains a Japanese executive and in Japanese, the executive tells Belushi his thought on a female's large breast. It is translated when he says, "Chi-Chis"
Tobikiri- This term mean "exceptionally; far and away; by far; of the very best quality; extra-fine; finest-quality; exceptionally good
In 2006, while living in Japan, the equivalent to America's Backstreet Boys, Japan's SMAP released the single, Dear Woman. This quintet sings a song of how beautiful and precious Japanese women are and how they are happy that they have arrived and to be in their presence.
The main chorus of this song is translated as:
"Welcome to Japan you being here right now is of exceptional fate. From my heart, thank you my proud DEAR WOMAN."
It appears that this group took a page from Bon Jovi's playbook where they write songs of optimism that people can relate to and it is to no suprise that the SMAP fan base consist of Japanese women in their late 20's to 50's. They were also big amongst the younger demographic when I was living in Japan and will never forget a 2nd year elementary school girl named Chika telling me her favorite song was of the same album titled, Triangle.
Kabuto- I saw this displayed at the Toyota dealership where we bought our Corolla. This term means "battle helmet". The display had a Japanese samurai warrior wearing a very ornamental kabuto ready to attack. I later told the sale rep who sold us both our vehicles that in Japan there is no signing after my hand cramped up from signing all the forms for the Corolla. He was puzzled as to how they got around this and I told him about the hanko (stamp of a person's family name) and pointed this out on the display of the samurai warrior.
Big Yellow Cab
I heard the song while driving back from the dealership and the title reminded me of the term for Japanese women who leave Japan and live overseas. In the 1990's, writer Shoko Ieda wrote a novel called Yellow Cab about the strange phenomenon of normally demure Japanese females going to New York and becoming nymphomaniacs when they find themselves suddenly free of Japan's restrictive society, and the term came to describe all Japanese females who are loose sexually. You might assume this term would be offensive to the Japanese, but, you'd be wrong. One of Japan's most famous talent agencies is called Yellow Cab. They handle virtually all the top swimsuit idols in Japan, including Megumi, Eiko Koike and Eriko Satoh, and all girls who want to be "talents" (a catch-all word that refers to any kind of young swimsuit idol, singer or actor) dream of being scouted by them.
The Japanese refer to the color "Yellow" for things that may surprise you. For example, "yellow monkey" which reminds me of a racial slur. There is a well-known rock band in Japan that used that name to increase their fame. Similarly, Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto played in a band called the Yellow Magic Orchestra, a name which sounds a little odd to gaijin like me.
