Dear Language Enthusiast,
Welcome to the Japanese Monthly,
the Internet newsletter from Transparent Language. In
this issue, we focus on a topic of universal interest:
entertainment and entertainers. Across the globe,
people look for new ways to enjoy free time with
family and friends, and often discussing the glamorous
lives of film stars, musicians, and celebrities
becomes entertainment itself. Examining the habits of
the people of Japan in the arena of entertainment
offers fascinating insights into the culture and its
people. I think you'll find this month's article fun,
as well as effective in building your language skills.
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
In English:
Stargazing. It's not just an American phenomenon. The
whole world loves watching celebrities. In Japan,
celebrity status means admission to that realm of
rarified air where escape from the pull of group
conformity is possible. Japanese pop culture produces
young stars at a dizzying speed, blinds them in the
footlights, and then hustles them offstage as rapidly
as it thrust them into the limelight.
So who's in the news in Nihon's entertainment
industry? Here's a bulletin:
Remember Kin (Gold) and Gin (Silver), Japan's favorite
twins? According to Reuters, Gin recently turned 108,
spending her first birthday ever without her sister,
who died last January. Kin was 107 years young at the
time of her death. Kin and Gin became household names
when they turned 100 and delighted the nation with
their television commercials.
The summer Kabuki season has ended (but it's not too
late to catch the fall performances). Young and old
love Kabuki. The modern National Theater in Tokyo,
puts on some fabulous theater, but don't miss the
grand old Kabuki-za in Ginza where seeing the theater
is almost as much fun as the watching the performance.
At either location, the spectacular costumes and
stylized theatrical presentations are a must!
Did you see the movie "Shall We Dance" in 1997? Yakusho
Koji starred in this film as the hapless office worker
who goes looking for love and finds it in his dance
instructor. That was a busy year for Yakusho, who
made four movies in 1997. One called "Unagi" ("The Eel")
won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. These days, Yakusho is
making news by starring in television commercials--one
for Kirin beer and another for insurance.
Who's laughing all the way to the bank? The boys
downtown--that is to say, Hitoshi Matsumoto and
Masatoshi Hamada, who call their comedy routine
"Downtown." They do a weekly standup comedy show
called "Gaki no Tsudai ya Arahende" ("This is No Job for
Kids!") but also write bestseller humor and act in TV
dramas and commercials. Did I mention how they
laughed all the way to the bank in 1996? A cool 500
million yen combined made them the highest paid
entertainers in Japan.
As for music, jazz guitarist Kazumi Watanabe recently
made the "Mainichi Daily News" by introducing a trio of
jazz-fusion drummers called The Drumsco at an August
19th concert. Watanabe described their music as "high-
tech, modern music."
Speaking of drummers, the mesmerizing performances of
Kodo continue to thrill audiences. The annual summer
pilgrimage to Sado Island for the Earth Celebration
still draws thousands. According to an article in
"Kansai Time Out," Kodo has performed 1900 times on five
continents in nineteen years!
Another notable musician has been called Japan's King
of Funky Soul. During an interview with the Tokyo
online magazine, "Cool Girls Japan," Kubota Toshinobu
explained how he collaborated with supermodel Naomi
Campbell, a self-proclaimed talentless singer who
whispered rap on his CD.
In an interview with Christopher Stephens of "Kansai
Time Out," Yamamoto Seiichi explained that even though
he's a central member of the rock band called
Boredoms, he writes songs for nine different bands in
order to express himself in a variety of musical
styles.
Seiko Matsuda is one pop star who has not faded into
the shadows. Now divorced and the mother of a
daughter, she has remained on the charts in Japan for
several years, liked especially for her love songs.
"Her Cool Girls" Japan fans think of Seiko as Japan's
very own Madonna.
So who's hot and who's not? Catch a falling star.
Check out the Web the next time you feel like
stargazing.
Sources:
http://live.altavista.com/scripts/editorial.dll?ei=2044950&ern=y
http://www.fix.co.jp/kabuki/
http://www.mainichi.co.jp/english/entertainment/feature/2000/08/04.html
http://www.japanfile.com/arts_and_entertainment/music/features/Seiichi.shtml
http://www.japanfile.com/arts_and_entertainment/cinema/Yakusho_Koji.shtml
– Written by Marcia Allen
– Translated by Naoko Goldberg
Power Japanese Tips
There are several program sections which make up Power
Japanese. You should start with Introduction and
Hiragana, then move on to Katakana and Dialogs and
Grammar (which can be done concurrently), and finally
to The Homestretch.
You can use the other utilities which come with Power
Japanese, such as the Kana Editor and Voice Tracks,
whenever you choose. The Kana Editor allows you to
type, format, and print Japanese characters, while
Voice Tracks allows you to record your pronunciation.
