, Fuji Santaro: Japan's beloved salaryman celebrates 30 year JAPANESE POP CULTURE & LANGUAGE LEARNING US $5.50 I CAN $7.75
M A N G A J I N
Tarnagotchi Vitfual pgt
Toilet technology trend-seHers Miyabe Miyuki's prizewinning mystery 6 S>
No. 65
BRAND NEWS
=IE
~~
Hana-Hana Meiwaku
Flower-Nose Annoyance Finally, spring has arrived. For some of us, there's a heavy price to pay for nature's orgy of pollen, but Kanro's Hana-Hana Meiwaku (~E.·~~J!;), the "super-herb candy," offers relief from the misery of hay fever. The name Hana-Hana Meiwaku combines the kanji for "flower" (hana- ;{t) and " nose" (hana-~. ) with the word meiwa/..ru (lli )>Jl;- "annoyance/inconvenience"). :(t ~ ~l'Ji: suggests a phrase meaning "Are flowers and your nose bothering you?" ("Hana-hana, meiwaku?") The word play arises from the Jln;.;;~-J~tc8 fact that Hana-Hana Meiwaku sounds like the phrase hanahadg meiwaku (~~ t!. .11; !R':-"a great bother/an inc redible nuisance"). Hanahada means "exceedingly/extremely/immensely," so hanahada • "'~f . ... ,. meiwaku indicates a pretty high level · ~ :J ;. • tJ ..... , ., of annoyance. e 771Jt· Another dimension to this pun is that if you try to say hanahada meiwaku with a stuffy nose, da becomes a nasal sounding na, and you come out with the name of Kanro's herbaJ candy. Hana-Hana Meiwaku works its magic with a combination of natura] ingredients. These include a heavy dose of menthol and seven so-called super-herbs: tencha extract (tencha no ekisu, tencha being a Chinese herb tea made from a plant in the rose family), shiso extract (shiso is an herb commonly used in Japanese cooking), bitter orange (dai dai), jujube (natsume), striped bamboo grass (kuma-zasa), hawthorn (sanzashi), and licorice (kanzlf).
~R--Jml'·
Thanks to Moteki-san and the folks at Sekai Shuppan for this one.
Send us yo ur examples of creative product names or slogans (with some kind of documentation and a decent product picture). If we publish your example, we'll send you a Mangajin T-shirt. In case of duplicate entries, earliest postmark gets the shirt. BRAND N E WS, P .O . Box 77188, Atlanta. GA 30357-1188
7 •J.:r.-171
/ ~iffi.fi.~~.Ao - ;ti.;.,-~.::::.r.Ft.:"t'"L..t.:l?, fi*l-~7&-X..-c tHflHiil~g:B;t"t'"i:>:iliiJr~~.o' o m~5t
L.. i To fill t.:.~H.: 00 L. -c ~U~ O)m~tP G t~*li ~ i:> 1ltit ~,., t.: t! ~,., t.: t£-g. l;t, 001~7111 F.P C7) .13 ~ 1J L.;! T o ~)t; ';iBRAND NEWS, P.O. Box 77188, Atlanta, GA 30357-1188, U.S.A.
~.: ';t, ~liD A T 'l"" ·:; ~ ~.2
~ ifi:!p v'n 1: T :/"" ':1 ~
Mangajin 9
Tamagotchi: A fad is hatched This lovable nuisance is peeping its way into t he hearts of (mostly) young people across Japan. Toy makers hope it-and other ke y-chain toyswill find Its wa y Into your life, too.
by Richard Sadowsky Imagine smuggling a pet into school
or bringing a baby to work. Several times during the day it audibly demands attention and could be in danger if neglected for too long. In fact, living with it is an endless cycle of altruistic tending- burp, feed, and change; burp, feed, and change. Measure its weight, give it medicine when it's sick, marvel at its transformations. So what if you can't sleep at night worrying over its health? But this is an electronic toy. The crying (or peeping in this case) is persistent, but no milk formula is needed and the mess doesn't require nappies-just the press of a few buttons. It's called Tamagotchi (t.:. ~ :::..·-=> "I:> ), and it's a pudgy little chick that hatches from a virtual egg. It exists "inside" a flat, egg-shaped device with a tiny LCD screen. The bird grows day by day, each day becoming a "year" older. With good care, a first-time caretaker can keep the pet "alive" to the age of 15 or so. Once a person accepts the mission to care for a Tamagotchi, it becomes a labor of love: the longer the chick survives, the more bleary-eyed one gets. To stay alive, its various needs must be tended to in a timely fashion. Too many accumulated virtual poops, for example, and it dies of toxicity. Neglected, the bird becomes demanding and develops an attitude, but with proper feeding and firm discipline it becomes well-behaved. How does Tamagotchi actually work? Simple screen animation shows
12 Mangajin
the chick in its different phases of life and emotional states-when it's sulky, sleeping, or happy and fanning its feathers. It peeps when it wants something. A, B, and C buttons serve such basic functions as "mode," "cancel," and "action." To find out why it is peeping, one has to press the buttons and check various gauges representing different vital functions. If the food gauge has waned and the chick is hungry, pressing the "feed" button replenishes the chick and is reflected in the gauge. If it pesters you for no apparent reason, there is the option of giving it a virtual spank or two. One of the things the Tamagotchi likes to do is get you to play a game in which three out of five victories determine the winner. On the count of three, one has to guess the side to which it is going to run. When the Tamagotchi is young, the game is easy to win, but the chick gets smarter with age and uses feints and tricky mane uvers. (This is a version of the Japanese children's game "Atchi Muite Hoi" or "Look Over ... There.") When the chick wins, it jumps up and down with joy. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and eventually the little tykes die. The good news is that unlike a real pet, the Tamagotchi can be resurrected by pressing the reset button on its back. Tamagotchi was invented by a young woman named Maita Aki of Bandai Co. and was introduced to the Japanese market last autumn, selling
for ¥I ,980 (around $ 16) each. Its name is a cutesy combina- fiscating his egg. How a yakuza gangster ordered 50 units from tion o f the words tamago (~~, "egg") and the English word a retailer and beat him up when they didn' t come in. How " watc h." ( Because nearly all consonant sounds in the middle-aged men buy them to give to high-school girls as favors Japanese syllabary require a vowel attachment, the " tcb" of in e xchange for their company-the so-called "enjo kosai." " watch" becomes tchi in Japanese. Such alternative romaji ren- Or how a friend is number 220 on the waiting list to buy a derings as "T amagocchi" and "Tamagotcb" have also been Tamagotchi at a local department store for her fifth-grade boy. observed.) The toys are made in a variety of colors and patThe Internet lends itself well to propagating Tamagotchi terns and are attached to a key chain so that they may be car- mania. As with most home pages that border on the obsessiveried around and tended throughout the day. compulsive, the wealth of trivia available on Tamagotcbi makes So who would want to take care of such a demanding virtual one marvel at the time some people have on their hands. Little pe t? At lea st 750,000 people in Japan, that's who-and information is yet available in English, but in Japanese it' s possibly millions more worldwide. Bandai can' t keep up with easy to get lost in the flood. the current demand. Just 38 days after the product's NovemVia the Internet, one can find out which stores are expectber 23 launch, all 350,000 Tamagotchis had sold out. The stores ing new shipments, find a foster parent, read memoirs or an were quickly restocked, but by mid-February supplies across autopsy report, purchase via auction or trade, view the charthe country dried up and a blac k market developed. On the acter at every stage of development, download T amagotchi Internet Tamagotchis were being sold for ¥ 10,000-¥50,000- icons for Windows, get info on web sites that are giving them that's five to 25 times the list price. A mint-condition, ori g inal white Tamagotchi- a collector's item- goes for ¥1 20 ,000. Schoolkids and the young crowd in Japan are no strangers to s mall e lectronic devices . Hand-held A large part of the Tamagotchi boom involves the Wor1d Wide Web, where fans buy and sell eggs, trade information on proper petcare, or just show off key-chain games were a hit produc t of 1996, a their loved ones. Shown below is the daily diary kept by one owner for his third resurgence made possible by the relicensing of the pet- a Genjlrotchl-type Tamagotchi. This one, his third, lasted 17 days (in the rotate-and-drop block game Tetris. On any train o n world of Tamagotchl, one day equals one year, so he indicates the pers age a g iven day in Japan there are bound to be a fe w at the beginning of each entry with the kanji ::t sai, which means "years• of age). At the beginning of each entry is the pet's LCD appearance for that day. children or teens sitting hunched over their miniature computer games, thumbs plying tiny buttons too k. :l. ~_, ~ ,~ WJl.Bi! •T•._..,•• .. ._... .. .... .. small fo r some adult fingers. These games, selling ..r. .. . IU " CX&It Qlj~c at ¥980 -¥1 , 180 ($6 -$ 10), run on two " button" CI JS • c. : >Ill .,Ct aA 0111 n• • But none of these toys has swept the nation quite 4 &. • Iii •• ....,,. 4/ 4 +•a J ?A.t t ·H. -cc. Mf1 c..• •t... like T amagotchi. In Japan, not a day goes by with·"' ~·Q out hearing some news or rumors regarding this ..O'Jil&.lt » OOIIttl : a A. t 0 111 :r. • t.• product. 'TAMAGOTCH' BLAMED FOR TWO-CAR CRASH, announced the Daily Yomiuri on March 8, 1997: , ~,:~ t3:09JE"t: " According to polic e , a 2 5 -year-old woman ~~4: 12@1 Sirl f.::o mada, bonasu wa genkin de shikyii sa rete ita.
"f.f.!.,
at that time still
;f---)-.A bonus
as for
cash with/in was being issued/paid
At that time. bonuses were still paid in cash. • shikyii sarete ita is from the verb shikyii suru ("provide/supply," or when speaking of wages/salary/bonus, "pay"). De marks genkin ("cash") as the means of payment.
FX: 7Fii Whoo 3
-66·6 · 11
26 Mangajin I
Santaro 7=JE,
[email protected] Fuji by to Sa
Sanpei
-tt-~'7 ..,.~~1 DB~rm+:=::
~,
March 16, 1968 $.t.! ?1"/J- ~ f;f -:> ""Cit'o A
Showa yonjfisan nen, mada ~
Showa 4311968
~
wa sukunakatta.
fil
+ ~ ~
t:. y 1
jJ
I
~
~ ?
'L
year
as for
bit: ••
new ar
i"lo
is (c:oiJoq.)
"''bis is a new car, isn't it'r' "You bou&bt a new car." (PL3)
.,_ 7J1tt..!l - - Yogoreru will aec diny
t=.
VI
~t>o~'
fJ';
kara
sawaru na!
~
don't IOUI:II
"You'D aetlt dirty, so doD't toucb!" (PL2) • na after lbe dictionary form of a verb can make an abrupt probibitioDinegative collllll8Dd. so sawan1 na = "don't touch."
~
[I)
Fuii: Q)-tt"""C b ;
1t' $.
-t
J: o
Nosete moraimasu yo. will receive a ride
l:!
ii. ·c g
(emph.)
' 'I' ll o for a ride with ou." (PL3) nosete moraimasu is from noseru ("give a ride/take on board"). Morau after the -te form of a verb implies the speaker or subject receives/will receive the benefit of the action from someone else; in this case, Fuji is declaring that he intends to receive/take a ride.
"l::l
.!!
il::l
..
ii
:=
1 !
~T
Shbuho desu ne.
?
~
persoo(s)
years in Japan may be designated either in the traditional manner, counting years within an imperial era, or using the Western common-era years. The Showa era ended in 1989, with the death of Emperor Hirohito; the current imperial era name is Heisei, and 1997 is Heisei 9. • mai, a katakana rendering of the English "my," is frequently set before another imported word to indicate a private/personally owned possession, so nUJi kii is "my car"-- "one's own/private car." • mai kii o motte im is a complete thought/sentence ("[they] have private cars") modifying hito ("person/people").
1> 1J. fJ'
§
hito
have
were few
let
t
motte iru
In 1968. there were still relatively few people who had their own cars.
A
1
o
li !),' t.t "/)' -? t::. 0
\,\ ~
l
mai kii
still one's own car (obj.)
[!]
..
~'Jl ~'J! ~'J ! Kwsu! Kwu! Kwsu! "Your shoes! Your shoes! Your shoes!" (PL2)
·c
~
1 ~
0
Kutsu
nuide
noru
no hajimete.
shoes take off-and ride/gel in (nom.) first time
"This is the first time I've taken off my shoes when ettin into a car." (PL2) • nuide is the -te form of nugu ("take off [a piece of clothing]"). • noru can mean either "ride" or "get on/into" a car/bus/train/etc. • no is a nomina.lizer that makes the preceding complete sentence (kutsu [o] nuide noru = "[11 take [my] shoes off and get into [the car]") act like a single noun. Wa to mark this as the topic has been omitted.
Mangajin 2;
7=JE,
[email protected] Fuji Santaro o by
Sat
Sanpei
-tj- ~? -tj- :,..-~ 1 August 17, 1970 ~'c.,
~~M
f.: ;.. o o
Kono koro kara
zenseiki
ni hairu.
::. Q) ::. -?
this time
from prosperous period into enter
From around this time. [trucks exchanging toilet tissue for used newspapers and magazines] became quite common.
m •
Il:a: tlf\~
~t'b~~"'i:l..t"to
Mtlido D.MWtlfG.N ittullbrtG.r& ~time (laL~~ . , . _ _ _ ... ~,(PIA)
D-MJWGitUe iiAtlrl1rtt.Ja is a PlA form of MII!WigtUnW ( ..CIIIIe
(aDeODe] a ctilluabace"). 1be pintle implies aallpOioay: "I'm lOllY 110 Clllle you~ exc:aae cbe clilluibmce."
0
'i!J~iit
Truck: 'i!Jflfllfl,
c 1-1 v 7
Furu-shinbun, furu-zasshi
to o ld newspapers old magazines with
~tl
1.:
no kokan
ni
Q)
i
It'
1- ~ - ~~-
toireno pepii toilet paper
IJ i LJ.:o
mairimashita.
of exchange (purpose) came/have come
" I've come to exchan e toilet a r for used newspapers and magazines." (PIA) • mairimashita is the polite past form of mairu, a PI.A humble verb
which can mean either "go" or "come," depending on the context. • chirigami kokan ("tissue paper exchange") trucks were a common sight in the 70s, when a stack of newspapers could be exchanged for
a few packages of tissues or a roll of toilet paper. Such trucks continue to be used today, although they are becoming less common.
::t - ..(I
Oil
(ialerj)
"Hey there!" (PL2) Rec cler: h."? ? 7- .:¥ 'J 7t IJ Futsii
chigiri-uri
IJ:
L.. -c ~It'
wa
shite-nai
normally fragment sales as for am not doing
lv:J. n su
It c· P.Zo
kedo
(explan.) but
ne.
(colloq.)
''I don't usuaU trade b (PL3 informal)
ou know."
• chigiri ("tom piece/fragment") is the noun form of the verb chigiru ("tear"), and uri is the noun form of uru ("sell"); combining them
creates the concept of selling in tom off fragments. • n su is a contraction of the explanatory n desulno desu.
28 Mangajin
7=i ~"l.;@.p -lfr?
Fuji by
Santaro Sa
to
Sanpei
~~~1
April15, 1972
manaita
ni
noru to
chopping block on when sellplaced t? :J ~ J{~ 1..-lj:lt>o
mi5
jitabata shinai.
anymore doesn't struggle/wriggle
"when you put it on the chopping block, it stops struggling." (PL2)
• mo followed by a negative verb means "not [do the action] anymore."
• jitabata represents kicki ng/wriggling/struggling in a desperate attempt to escape disastrous consequences, andjitabata shinai is the negative form of the verb jitabata suru. Mo jitabata shinai =
·R_
"doesn't struggle anymore"-+ "stops struggling."
a
..
lt> b ! o MDIV intJ lt6 ga ii wa yo. t.1 beeler any.....t ao o
okoru
no
wa
tozen
de aru.
wife-(hon.) (subj.) get angry (nom.) as for natural/j ustifiable
is
It's only natural that a wife would get angry. • no makes the complete thought/sentence okusan ga okoru ("the wife gets angry") act as a single noun, and wa marks it as the topic of the sentence: "as for a wife getting angry, [it's naturaVjustifiable]." • de aru is a more formal/"Literary" equivalent of desu.
OJ
Text: ~BIB
Ketsu-yobi
lack day
Lacking Day • the made-up word ketsu-yobi is close to the reading of JJ BIB getsuyobi ("Monday"). She appears to be doing the family accounts. • yobi refers specifically to "weekday"; it's not used for "day" in other contexts.
@~sa: B [}]
Text: ~BIB
Ka-yobi
.R
song day
lii
Singing Day
"''9.. "'-a
the made-up word ka-yobi is a homonym of )(llfi B kayobi (''Tuesday").
§ B7l8
" ~
@]
1l
""
§
.......
-a
Rh B~ 8
..!!!
~
.;;=
• the made-up word sui-yobi is a homonym of * BI B suiyiibi ("Wednesday") .
_;;::.
Text: §BIB
a
Moku-yobi
til
eye day
1 tl
-a ~
Sui-yobi intoxication day
·.:
..,"0
Text: ~BIB
Drinking Day
:!
·.:
J
Ogling Day
"o/~ 81:8
.R
• the made-up word moku-yobi is a homonym of *Ill B mokuyobi ("Thursday").
0
Text: MjBIB Kin-yobi
Muscle Day
lii
"''9.. "'
• the made-up word kin-yobi is a homonym of ~BIB kinyObi ("Friday").
@
flO· 3. 2
0
Text: ~81l B
Do-yobi Anger Day
• the made-up word do-yobi is a homonym of ±llfj! B doyobi ("Saturday").
32 Mangajin
,,
Santaro
Fuji Sa
by
r7
7
*
(brand name)
~ 1&: ~.X. 7
Sanpei
July 14, 1980 ~~, -? t, fliT (!) ?Jt~J
v .:e- ;..-J e:
"Mama Remon "
to
iu
to
naT/tae no senzai
tJf ga
(quote) say/called name wi1h detergent (subj.)
:a: t!i ~"(It' f.:
oki na
shea
o
large
share (obj.)
0
shimete ita. held/had
A dishwashing liquid called " Mama Lemon" held a large share of the market.
IT] Newspaper:
:::1
~/
" - ?' /
~ .t ? iJ' t:J
Kopenhagett
Kyo
kara
Copenhagen
today
from
Copenhagen t!t~
Starting Today
~A
~;a
Sekai Fujin
Kaigi
world women meeting
International Women~s Conference lf~ · Byiido
Equality
IT)
On bottle: ~~~~ v.:e- ;.Papa Remon (imagined brand name)
Papa Lemon
80· 7 ·14
Mangajin 33
-It 7 'J -
?
/
:W: :t~ • Salaryman Senka
I Gp~·J
7b J•J
\ f
i
tz.
)J\ .
;:p: fL
mite mo
heibon
t.t lv t!.. na n da
.t
-t- - o
yo
nli.
how even if look ordinary/plain (ex plan.) (em ph.) (emph.)
"No matter how ou look at it it's ' ust too plain." (PL2) • do - te mo, with a verb filling in the blank, makes the expression, "no matter how [one does the action]."
Tanaka: btl.btl. Wareware we
~-
eigyo
1;1: §3Lf.:f.t ( t ~1,\~>/vo wa medaraiUJkucha ikan.
sales [dept.] as for
must be conspicuous
"Those or us In sales need to stand out more." (PL2) • metkltanakucha ikan is a contraction of metkltanakule wa iUMi, a "must/have to" fonn of the verb m.edl.lt.ru ("stand out/be conspicuous" -- "make an impression"). 1be contraction ikan for ikmai is used mostly by meo.
Sign: ~ WTJ ~n.llliJ Meishi lnsatsu Business Card Printin Arrow:
*13
Mokume
).. IJ -m
wood grain conlaining/including
With wood crain • -iri (from ).. .Q iru, "contain/be included in") is a suffix meaning the thing it follows has been inserted into or included inside/within the item.
Arrow: ~~t Kinbuchi
-?~
-tsuki
gold rim auachedfincluded
With old rim • -tsuki (from tsuku, "stick/attach") is a suffix meaning the thing it follows has been included with or attached onto the item.
Mangajin 35
5
36 Mangajin
Arrow: ~
Washi
tradiliooal Japanese paper
Japanese wtJSIIi paper • the kanji ~ wa is used to indicate items that are of native/traditional Japanese origin. It is a reference to *tO. read Yamato, which was the name of the area around present-day Nara where the first central government of Japan aro&e, and which therefore became one of the first names for referring to Japan as a whole.
.:. (J) fD*
Tanaka: 7 /, Un,
kono washi
uh-huh
this
ni shiyo.
washi will choose/make it
"Yeah, I think I'll use this washi." (PL2) l~ROBLEf"\ WlTI-1 ~OCKING THE BLOOD OUT OF YOU~
~E.SULTS Will
OODY. )
BE f'05TED lN Tt\E
CAf ETE.RII\. 3 Dilben ®reprinted/translated by permission of United Media, New York.
[!] JI.QII: "'Starting todaY· the COOXHlllY will begin random drug testing.• '/J't;,, t>t>tt± "'r' li
*B tbil day
tt.M
~:~-t .0 Ut~tr~
WGgasha de WQ main ,.; toisluv oar c:o. .a as for employees 1arJebna
HOitjilnl kllra, from
nuki-uchi
r
t-•7 7 ~
lha
aaprise
:At- i
~t>Qo
test
'}
~SIIIO
doroggu
0 lrtljblten&. (obj.) wiD ...,
~T .A J- ~"(i"'o t t.:, ~ifi~. tfi,:i~nt.>i'i~·ft?~ii~~tJ, WJ::Mfflll) -t' C• ' A.'C"-L • ....'Ct !l•t .r.. JC•-:>L • ( -""-1' t"' t.. t ff-1 ..
• random drug testing l;tr•7 7
:to(P\•.f~
••±•.t..., ~
·A.~\.•
~
••~LI
~trc..z<
1~:1. ~ ~QJilti;-=F&:&i -~t¥Jt!nt, ti!i:~li•••· ttf'i•~ ~QJ~It~ (,~•-r .Oik•~'~i "C'It• t.:~· ?f At. L.A."'' •-"*''
.O o l...f)• ::.?.,.... t...t.: tr7 ·7 ~7:1. H: :t~ L.. "Cii, .o.t • • t -t.OJirt ~ , J o .:.o:>)Ct;'to:>;EJmt-J)7f li)jzo:> :J "71:*'C< o
• kinjirarete iru Is from kinjirareru, the passive form of kinjiru ("forbid"). r=:----
[!1 llgg: "We have found no ethical problem with sucking the blood out of your body. lltl (J) # 'IJ>t:J Jfn. a- IPlv'lll.O.: c ~: li -faJ:!(!(J IUJII f)f ~~~\ sltobm no kllrada ktJro chi o sui-toru kolo ni wa rinri-teki mortdai ga you .u 's bodies from blood {obj.) suck uplout thina in as for edlical problem {subj.)
Besulls will be posted jo the cafeteria." M* li '}] 7 :L. T ') 7 1: ft7FT .0
u
/Cnuo keklw
1e11
WG
raults as for
knfe~ria
ni
lceiji suru.
cafeteria
in
will post
.:
c
'IJf
b'il'~f:.o
NJi koto ft1 . . , _ 110( eltisl utallioa (lllbj.) .......
0
lt..,.. .A./!"' 0:~ 4 .... • have found no ethical problem li, Jl:f:QJftj~, ~·lifiiJ (,R.-?f)>; ~il' ? f.:.::. c ~t'*T .Oo problem wlfi t, : 1'
..A..
f!J, Jvf!.t,\
f- 1:118-t.O~MJ
38 Mangajin
o
11'5 f\ VIOLATION OF
WHY HIWE YOU REfUSED TO 5UBI"\LT TO OUR EMPLOYE t DRUG
MY PIUV/\CY 1\ND 1\N BUT YOUR IN5ULT TO MY INTEGRrTY. 1 DE.M/\N D TO BE JUDGE.D r PE RFORMI'\N(E. ONLY ON MY PERFOI\r'\!\NCt. ~ STlNK5.
TE~TlNG?
)
)
j
I
PERFORI"\1\NCE AND !\TIEND-
1\NCE. .
)
!
II
Dilben ®reprinted/translated by pennission of United Media, New York .
= .... -.
. . . . . ....._ • .,.to '""'toM . . . . . drug tlilllqT ~i .,.~ t ~lt.f» ::l: t- I!§Lt.: ~t!.
LYu• "'"'?
JaMir ....,
....
-
tl
.,.
i:clfo
tl
(CIIIj.) .......... (CIIIj.)
LA.!,
._...
iyo/U 6ltlta .......
!lao•
l&tt~'l'~.: l: t-ft't.O.
-------[3]
tte?
(nplla.)(colloq.)
C!Jf•,••A.
....... - at r-.~~ ~jltt.tt.. J
IIMltl ,...,
0
-------------------------------------------~
,..,.h ................. (......)
1: .,...,... ,
..
U.:'
1:1 V'~"' '~ f!. -fPo
LP.Ci#.) U
......, . , . , }1.-M
7
~
t.t. t·o
,........,..101 .....
..
.A. l.. t
l... 1:' .:.Q))Cf,t: o
It A.!~ A.
~~-----------
lil -
l±.!lk~IJ
-
,., -
•
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•
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• lllnkli rA~t'J l:~t,~ftl!*, C8"t'li rt·::d.:{~.)lf!/~ftlv"t'~~~~''i~CH:'~t'J ~"'~·-l:ft~
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Mangajin 39
WHAT WOlJLD 't'OU 5AY 15 MY 8E5T CHARACTER TRAIT, GARFIELD?
0 1994 Paws. All rights reserved. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate.
[!]
Jon: "What would you saY js my best character trait. Garfield?" "Jf- 7 1 - Jv r\ If< Q) tt~ Q) - tt v' v' t .:. -? li Glljiirudo,
bok.u no st!ikaku no ichiban
(name)
1/me
• wouldyousay - li, ~? ~!..
most
good
JJtt
H~
6•.1.
's character of
ii
fiiJ t!. t .\!!,-)? tokoro wa nan da to omou? pan as for what is (quote) think
"'"'"
f~~t.:li - t.!t:.'e',-J:O•J .!::~t,-Ji:J!;f;:'t", .:.:'t"li Whatismy bestcharactertralt tit" t:-r
? Wr,, I:DG t... 't' t·? .\!1.? 1J• t~b. 't' "' J.> b (J)o ~·•
t:(~zi
41''"•1,.?
tl..'"'>
• character trait rtt~/11t'l/~Jl:/~WJ o • ichiban means "number one/first." but it's also the word used to modify adjectives to give the meaning of "most - : li = "good," so lchiban ii = "most good" - "best.•
0
Garfield:
"Your ability to order pizza." olf ~ i±Jti' 0 fi~:t.J t!. Q o Piza o clu'imon suru niiryoku da ne.
e
pizza (obj.)
order
capability is (colloq.)
[!] Garfield: "And I'm not just saying that."
*;, r,
.13-ltt.:
t.:~~~~\
oseji
ja nai
yo.
truth
flattery
is not
(emph.)
Honto,
.to
..
SoundFX: ~ ~"E~"E
"'
(
... ~ \
.:.:~
• I'm(= I am) not just saying that ft.: t.!-t- ·HJ? -r"' J.> t.!lt't"li ~ "'J li fo;tt.!lt't'~ < -r .(.,1J'; of? .\!1,? /
iHt L. L. {' ~lt 'J
..
.., .1:: "' -J i:'*l:-ft:btt-0 "( .,.,. "';,.
0
• pat patti r~>-~:--J ~t-. .f.'t"ft< t.:t.:"'t.:IJ, ?>)>
l..'t''ft-J o • honto is shortened from hont/5 ("truth").
40 Mangajin
:.
.=.
tt,t,\•
~~
Ji''""'
r"'"'T"'"'=t-/~'t'~'t"J ~t:._ ~'t"J.>ti'fr(J)~:mt:
Spurning the traditional squat toilet, trendy Japanese homeowners are turning to a lavish lavatory Innovation.
Rise of the ''washlet'' by Laura Kriska
When should a toilet do more than flush? The questio n may sound like an bizarre Zen koan, but it's not. It is a question millions of consumers in Japan have answered in the past few years. A toilet should do more than flush when it is a hightech toilet, otherwise known as a "washlet." This innovative type of toilet has been revolutionizing bathrooms throughout Japan, where more than 10 million washlets have been sold since their popularity soared in the 1980s. Perhaps hearing the words high-tech and toilet together makes you a little nervous, but don't worry. Although the features on washlets may vary, they are all designed for optimum comfort. A washlet does everything a standard Westem toilet does, only it does more and it does it better-albeit for a higher installation price. The "wash" in washlet i a bidet-like spray which cleans the user on demand. A remote control activates the duration and pressure of the water spray from a retractable nozzle. Another function found in washlets is an odor-eliminating fan system that is automatically activated by sitting on the seat. Some washlets come with a warm-air drying functio n and most also have a seat-warming device to make the washier an exceptionally comfortable place to sit. Less common but more specialized features are also available, including blood pressure measurement and urinalysis.
Toilets of old: Lac k ing a seat the traditional Japanese toilet requires no ·unhygenic· bodily contact and is t herefore still popular in public restrooms
like this one.
42 Mangajin
Washlet technology was originally developed in the United States by Arnold Cohen, founder and CEO of American Bidet, and has been used to assist people with medical problems. General application of the wash let idea took place after the technology reached Japan in the 1960s and manufacturers there saw the potential for creating a viable consumer product. Because of the ease and comfort of use, washlets first became a hit with the elderly. Soon, however, consumers of all ages recognized the benefits of the washlet, and today more than 20 percent of all Japanese homes have one. The luxurious washlets may see.m like the antithesis of traditional Japanese squat toilets, which are still the most prevalent type of toilet in public places. Squat toilets require the user to literally squat over a ceramic bas in in the floor. Although these toilets may be uncomfortable to use, they are more sanitary than other types of toilets and for this reason maintain their prominent position in Japanese bathroom culture. The reason for the success of wash lets in homes is that they provide useful functions that consumers value: personal cleanliness and comfort. One washlet owner says that she first considered using one because it just made sense."lt's like washing your hands," she says. Another owner claims that he has become addicted to his washlet. " I got so used to the comfon of my washlet that I can't use public restrooms anymore." While few American manufacturers have pursued washlet technology, many Japanese companies, including Panasonic, Toto, and NAIS, continue to compete for the still-growing market. The most successful of these companies, Toto, has captured around 56 percent of the washlet market in Japan and has made significant efforts in the past two years to break into the American market. Toto's first challenge was to develop a washlet that met the specific needs of the American consumer. After some delicately acquired market research, they discovered that many American consumers d id not like the air drying feature which was standard on J apanese washlets. A complex panel of control buttons also had to be simplified. With the help of Turkish-born product designer Ayse Birsel, Toto produced the zoe (written in chic lower-case letters), a streamlined washlet with smooth, sloping contours that has won design awards from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and
Industrial Design Magazine.
T oto felt that the washlet would do well in the American market because of its innovative nature and its focus on good health and cleanliness. Toto also knew, however, that its washing function might fall into the realm of bathroom taboo. To counter this obstacle, Toto markets the American wash let based largely on its comfort. The zoe, like other washlets, is actually a toilet seat which can be attached to most existing Western-sty le toilets. The cost is between $600-$800. USA Bidet and American Bidet each make a simple water-spray attachment which costs around $ 100 and can be easily attached to an existing toilet seat. Panasonic offers a full-featured washJet called Inti-Mist with water spray. seat warmer, and air drier for $900-$ 1.000. Since their introductio n in the United States, washlets have slowly been making their mark. Toto c laims that sales have steadily climbed to around I ,000 units per month. It's been reported that several large hotels throughout the country have installed washJets in response to customer requests. And the award-winning zoe model is even on di play at an art gallery in Soho. Cohen, however, predicts that American consumers will be slow to accept full-featured washlets because use of the product requires behavior modification. "Tushy washing is not easily discussed in America," says Cohen. " We're asking consumers to change behavior that they don't even want to talk about.'' The key for washlet succe among American consumers may therefore be education. Several unsu pecting users have reported confusing first encounters with wa. hlets in Japan: One man used the water spray to wash his hands; an other curious user, unable to read the directions in
r
Ji
fJ
Fretty potty: The washlet-a toilet seat that washes and (in Japan) air dries the user -has a handy remote control device. Pictured here is Toto's zoe model wash let.
Japane e. got a wet urprise when she started testing the console buttons before sitting down. Although toilet techno logy hasn' t changed much in the past 80 years, it may not be long before Westerners agree, as many Japanese consumers have, that a toilet in the '90s should do more than just tlush.
lAura Krisko 's book, An Accidental Office Lady, will be published this summer by Charles E. Tuule Publishing. Sl'l' our
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• ? v :; ';I ~ ~ - t: 0) s ~ ~I t OK ! • *- k~~1 ~~. *• ~•ffiB o
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Mangajin 43
© Maeda Tsukasa. All rights rcM:rved. First published in Japan in 1988 by Kodansha. Tokyo. English translation rights arranged through Kodansha.
54 Mangajin
• taiyaki is a traditional Japanese sweet- a fish-shaped "griddle cake" filled with an ("sweet bean paste"). The name is a combination of tai ("sea bream'') and yaki (the noun form of yaku, "roast/bake/toast").
[!)
Sound FX: I! 11 7 Pika!
Flash! (effect of sudden burst of light or, in this case, lightning) ::to ·7 Goral
Rumble! (sound of thunder)
..Y- ..YZii
1)1
(sound of pouring rain)
117 •7 117 7 Koral
/carat
(sharp, staccato sound of wooden geta striking pavement as be runs)
Kosuke: b Fii
"Phew." FX: -+fZii (sound of pouring rain)
Volc:e: l.,-:>ll i"t'
~1v::..
tJt A-:>"t"-0
~- o
ga h/Jitt~-ru yij. bean paste (subj.) is inside (emph.) "Filled with bean paste all the way to the taU!" (PL2)
Shippo fMtle tail untiVup to
anko
.E
;f. I} :L - A t!. ~ - 0 Boryiimu mant~n da yij. volume full_points is (emjlll.)
''Tbey're really ftlling!" (PL2) Sound FX: ..YZii
(sound of pouring rain) • anko is a more colloquial word for an, the sweet bean paste/jam that is a mainstay ingredient of traditional Japanese sweets. It's made from a wide variety of beans. most commonly from azuki. • h/Jitte-(i)ru, from the verb hairu ("enter/go into"), means "is inside," or for food items, often "is ftlled with." • boryiimu is a katakana rendering of the English word "volume," and when speaking of food refers to the size/bulk of the pieces/portions. • manten is literally "full points"- i.e., a score of 1()()%..-so boryiimu manten means "the size is perfect/leaves nothing to be desired'' -- "is really big" - "really fills you up."
~,.iii
A
1 "MANGAJIN
See the complete Mangaj in catalog online!
http://www.mangajin.com Mangajin 55
* Jl
Jj{
t:: ;.... ;f.-~ ii5"':: .:1. 7' Jt-
•
Dai- Tokyo Binbo Seikatsu Manyuaru
--~~--------------
f.J• .-{ ~' 1J1 ~ I_,
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~ ~' ~ ~' t_,
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56 Mangajin
OJ
(I]
Sign-Left: ~ft
SoundFX: l!'b Pika
Nadai
Flash -!f-
Famous Sip-Center: f.: \1 ·~ ~
Zii (sound of pouring rain)
Taiyaki
Taiyaki
::tO'/
Sign-Rigbt: ~ill!
Goral
Aoba
Rumble!
(name)
Lowersign:
\1>-:;.U~ 70F9!! lppiki nanajii-en one count 70 yen
0
Oishii
oishii
taiyaki
wa
tasty
taiyaki
as for
\;>fJ•fJ~
"t"T fJ•-?
ikaga
desu
kii?
is
(?)
how
?Itt"( t t.:~ !! got wet-(regret)
"I'm soaked!" (PL2) Sound FX: -ifZii (sound of pouring rain)
;\~-\' ''~""
FX: liil? -
Basha
basha
Splash splash
Hoii
(effect of mouth-watering aroma wafting his way)
\1' -::> u~ 70F9!! lppiki nanajii-en one count 70 yen 70 yen each!!
Narration: -i:(f) 11\j,
basha
Nurete motii!!
• ippiki is a combination of ichi ("one") and -hiki, the counter for most small- to medium-sized animals, including fish; -hiki changes to -pilei for euphony.
0
Basha
Splash splash
IT] Young man:
''How about a tasty, delicious taiyaki?!" (PL3)
~=
Hyii
"Yikes!" Sound FX: ; ~
;;f]/(f) :f- 7 ·y ~
So no toki, ore no poke/to pocket that time my L. iJ' tj: i.l' -::> t.:. 0 53F9 goji'isan-en shika nakatta. had only 53 yen
r:
,;~:
ni wa in as for
• nurete motii is dialect for nurete shimatta, the -te form of nureru ("get wet") with the plain/abrupt past form of shimau ("finish/end/c lose"). Adding a form of shimou to another verb can mean that the action is completely finished, or that the resul~ is undesirable/regrettable. Here, both meanings could apply.
Vendor: .to\I>L.\1' 71-\'o\'Oishii tasty
[;!:
taiyaki wa taiyaki as for
\1' iJ'fJ{ 't""t iJ' - ? ikaga how
desu is
kii? (?)
" How about a delicious taiyaki?!"
At that time I had onl pocket. (PL2)
(PL3)
Sound FX: 7'7' Gu gi'i
(sound of stomach growling) • ore is an informaVabrupt masculine word for "1/me." • shika nakatta is the past form of shika nai ("have only/have nothing but/have no more than"). Shika is always followed by a negative verb or adjective.
~~---iliA
""MANGAJIN
J€m · 8 *m$i~Jjt~ffi~~ti o http://www. mangajin.com Mangajin 57
*:iiOiU:' /
58 Mangajin
;f{ -
j:_ii5" .=.
.::1.
7' Jl- • Dai- Tokyli Binbo Seikatsu Manyu_a_ru_ _ _ _ _ __
Sign:
[!]Young man: ::::: Goku!
Gulp (effect of swallowing) .:e:- =- / 7' Magazine: :i§flj Shiikan
Ano,
30fii
(sound of pouring rain) •
11
su is a contraction of the explanatory no desu.
0-c
~ lvt!o
Youngman:
~-.Oiit·l
I see
20 yen (explan.-is)
l:t
~ ~?
kau
(/)
1t c'--c"L.J: ~?
a little
-t-t)~
Sorya
lt'lt'!! ii!!
as for that good/fine
"Aha! That's a great idea!!" (PL2) Sound FX: -IfZii • naruhodo. expresses new comprehension/understanding, as in "1 see/1 get it/Aha!"
Both:
chotto .. .
It'-:> ll~ !!
lppiki!!
"I'm afraid not •••"
1
R~
ippiki
yii
Niirulzodo!
one count
• ttsii is a colloquial equivalent of the quotative to iu ("say - "). • 110 turns the entire phrase Shippo dnke ttsii into a noun, and wa marks it as the topic of the sentence: "as for saying 'only a tail' ..." • soryii is a contraction of sore wa ("as for that"). • clzotto ="a little," and soryii clzotto is short for something like sore wa cholto dekimasen, literally, "That's a little impossible." Chotto is often used this way to "soften" a negative reply, or to avoid actually having to say the negative word.
Kosuke: 20fil
"'-:> ll ~
"bow about we buy one by POOling our funds?" (PL3)
"I've only got 20 yen to my name. Couldn't I have just a tail?" (PL2) Vendor: -t- t) ~ ;b t, .1: -:> c .. . Soryii
-r:
de
no wa dO deshii? (quote) say (nom.) as for how would it be
Shippo dnke ttsii no wa dame ? tail only (quote)-say (nom.) as for no good
as for that
~~
tte
Zen-ZJJisan nijii-ell na n da. (/)
shusshi
joint/cooper. investment (means) one count buy
Breakdown of the 70 yen
"? ""?-
I:IH~
Kyodo
uchiwake
20fil
but
Zii
of breakdown/distribution
L. "? l;r' t!!t
1v:;.. nt .. . 11 su ga .. .
mal)
K05uke: ~Iii]
20fii
Nanajii-en no
total assets
-c 1.>
Young man: X.? E? ' 'Huh?" Sound FX: -If-
20 yen, 30 yen, 20 yen Below fish: ?Op:j (/) ~ t, bIt
Young man: @lit~
:Jiif-:>
"Uhh, I have 50 en so .. ." (PL3-infor-
Nij1"i-en san;u-en nl}u-en
70 yen
v sop:]
ore goju-en motte-ru
(interj.) 1/me 50 yen am carrying (explan.)
• shiiluln means "weekly publication," and is often used at the head of weeldy magazine titles, and moningu is the katakana rendering of the English word "morning." Kodansha's Shiikan Moningu is the periodical in which this manga was · serialized. • taiyaki are made by pouring pancake-like batter into the two sides of a fish-shaped mold, and putting a generous dollop of bean paste on one side. When the batter is nearly cooked, the one side is flipped onto the other, completing the beanpaste filled "sea bream."
Above fish: 20F9
?Op:j nana;u-en
Kosuke: ll t) o Yappari.
as expected
"Just as I tbougbL" (PL2) FX:
-t~~
.. .
Supipi .. . (effect of sleeping soundly)
• yappari is a colloquial yahari, which implies that a situation or outcome fits one's expectations: "sure enough/after aWjust as I thought."
Mangajin 63
Friend: ~-, ft#iR ~t.:. ~ Q) A, KaruiUIWa OUJri no
glj~
fT~ t.:.v'o
besso
ilcitai.
(intelj.) (place name) vicinity of coaagelcabin want to go
" Ahh, I'd like to eo to a cottage in somewhere like Karuizawa." (PL2) Okusama:
#i:i21
~ ;f-- 'l c!::
Umibe de
L. \:v't.:.v'o
bO-no shite itai.
beach arion want to be daydreaming
" I'd like to be daydreaming on the beach/' (PL2) • Karuizawa is a large summer reson area in the mountains near Tokyo. • ni, to mark besso as the destination, has been omitted. Besso refers to a "vacation conage/cabin/viUa'' whether rented briefly or owned as a second home. • bo-tto shite itai is the "want to" fonn of bo-tto shire iru ("be daydreaming"), from bO-tto suru ("stare blankly into space/be in a daze/ daydream"). Friend: .!::' "? -!? 1: l.J:> Il Dotchi ni shiro natsu in any case
fl: ~~T~ shigoto suru do work
"? \:
tte
summer (quote) 31\I:~A..~It'
J:
~- o
ki ni nannai
yo
ne.
not feel the motivation to (emph.)(colloq.)
" In an case it's hard to feel motivated to work in the summer." (PL2) Okusama:
~I
(..,
• dotchi ni shiro is equivalent to dotchi ni shite mo, "whichever you choose/whichever the case may be" - "in any case." • the quotative tte here serves as a colloquial equivalent of wa ("as for"). nannai is a contraction of naranai, the negative form of naru ("become"). A verb followed by ki ni naru is an expression for "get the desire/feel the motivation to [do the action].''
FX: -t' .0 L"'C Yurushite,
~f.tt.:. o
ana/a.
forgive me
l.il'f.:.f.t'-'' Shikata nai
J: o
(/) no
yo.
you/dear can't be helped (explan.) (emph.)
''For ive me dear. It can' t be bel
." (PL2)
Husband: ;t? £? (interj.)
"What?" (PL2) • yurushite is the -te form of yurusu ("forgive"). Here it's shon for yurushite kudasai ("please forgive me"). • anata literally means "you," but Japanese women typically use it to address their husbands in the way English-speaking women use "dear/ honey."
"'~
Okusama: ;t-:>?
J:,
E!?
/ya yo, (interj.) disagreeable/repugnant (is-empb.)
:. lv t.t
:. .!::
1:
konno
lwto
de
BU tt. .0 t.t lv -r -:> I wakareru
nante!
this kind of thing (cause) pan/break up (quote)
"What? You can't leave me over a (PL2)
thin& Hke this!"
• iya yo (lit., "it is distastefuVrepugnant") is a feminine expression of objection or refusal. A male speaker would say iya da or iya da yo. • nante here can be considered a colloquial equivalent of no wa, where no is a norninalizer that makes lwnna lwto ck wakanru ("[we] part/ break up over a thing like this") act as a single noun, and wa marks it as the topic. The sentence is inverted; normal order would be lwnna lwto de wakareru Mnte iya yo.
Bucho: "'-tvf.t Hen na
zf.S
shibai
li
~ao-c
t!:$ LIJ: ~ v' o
wa yamete shigoto shinasai.
strange play/acting as for stop-and
work
do
" Quit your silly charade and get to work." (PL2) Okusama: t;, .:t ?o I li~'-'' o Che! (interj.)
I
Hlii. yes/OK
"Darn! I Yes s ir." (PL3) Husband: b L. b L. ... Moshi moshi ...
" Hello?" (PL2) • shinasai is a relatively gentle command form of suru ("do"). • che! is an interjection of disgust/chagrin, a little rougher sounding than "rats!/dang!/sheesh!" but not obscene.
Mangajin 65
• ~ :t: tt 1 ;..- 7-
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66 Mangajin
• Okusama wa Inter/a Dezainii
L. ""C
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Olmsama: ;t;t
tournament at Koshien Stadium but ;h. ~ 75;13( ~ ~$$~1&, i!tJF.~it!!. was disappointed. Nevertheless, he ~-~~-~ ~=- t.:. 7 ;J. 1) -}] the world. After returning to 1tlvt:•?~>lv 1J• L.~ Japan he created "Bow," 9f;'{i~O)Wij-:> -cIt' t.:. 8 It\ modeled after the white bull /Jv'T 1) 7 ~-=EYJH:, terrier belonging to a Native t.>J.. 1Jf-:J 9 2 1f: 5 rJ ;6, I? 1 ". ? J American he met on his travtllvl•· Cf!?l.flv J; els, and it has been running ~ Ji~ o ~.qq:Jj ~ !Pf~ o .:-;.-;:? Q\,\ since May of 1992. It's been ~!fmao lv~ o received quite favorably. He likes noodles. Tcny Yamamoto: self-portrait.
7 1) - LiPfs: I:> A. 11'-::> 11· 1 t:. :. 1 9 6 6 1f 5 Ji 5 B !£ '1 tLo ~ 0) r :.iLLA. F•-::> I? l
