Finals Week! Hajimemasho!!!

I can't believe a semester's already over. I also can't believe that I'm almost at the halfway mark of my college career. Agh! Time flies.

It's been really exciting taking Japanese this semester. Of course learning the language was exciting, but for me, I think the best part was learning about the culture and sharing with my fellow classmates. Japanese culture always intrigued me, and this class has been an awesome medium that exposed me to other Japanese cultures that I wasn't aware of.

I wish I could've shared some more of my interests from Anime, Drama, Food, Music, Novels etc....

Oh well! If anyone else is interested some of the things mentioned above, feel free to approach me! I'll always be open to conversations~~~

Ooh.
This is kinda random,
but if anyone's interested in Japanese Novels - Read some of Kaneshiro Kazuki's books.
He's an author of many contemporary Japanese books like Go or Fly, Daddy, Fly, which has been made into famous movies also. It embodies the style of modern Japanese literature with creative, almost surreal yet realistic background settings and plot progressions.

Woot!

春よ, 來い - 松任谷由實 (Spring, Come - Matsutoya Yumi)

I'm sure everyone enjoyed the first snow yesterday! Besides the ridiculously cold weather and the gross gutters, it was nice having snow. Yet it was a clear sign that winter, surely, has arrived - making me reminisce about the other seasons. Every winter I like to listen to 春よ, 來い by Matsutoya Yumi - one of the most talented and popular Japanese singer-song writers. It's amazing how she sustains her popularity regardless of the fact that she debuted 30 years ago!

春よ, 來い is one of her most popular songs. From what I hear, lyrics are included in Japanese middle school textbooks...

So I was planning to have the lyrics posted too, but I couldn't google any english translations of the lyrics. Oh well. I guess I'll just have to leave you with just the music video for now. Considering the song's almost 20 years old, the music video might be a bit old-school for your tastes, but please enjoy!

ごのそばは？

The topic of this week is none other than: FOOD! How awesome!
Speaking of food...
We can't miss out on SOBA when we talk about Japanese food!

First, check these out:






The pictures are a bit too small to make out what's happening, but it's apparently a summer tradition to eat noodles out of these bamboo pipes, with cold water flowing in them. Warms nooldes are sent down from and as the noodle strands go down the pipe with a stream of cold water, it naturally chills the noodles and by the time it reaches the other end, it's nice, cold, and ready to eat?

I thought they were called ながいそば、but according to google search, that's not it~
Does anyone know the name of this soba?

てがみ

やまださんへ。

ごんにちは。おげんきですか。わたしのなまえはアンです。かんごくじんです。でもいまアメリカにすんでいます。コロンビアだいがくのにねんせいです。だいがくのせいかつはほんとにたのしいです。べんきょうはむすかしいですがともだちといっしょにべんきょうしますからおもしろいです。ニューヨークもすばらしいです。いろいろなひとがたくさんにいますよ！すごしいそがしいですがべんりなところです。おいしいレストランもちかくにたくさんあります。つぎにいっしょにいきましょ。

にほんおせいかつはどうですか。たのしいですか。いそがしいですか。やまださんのまちはきれいですよね。わたしはいまアメリカにいますがわたしのうちは、かんごくのソウルです。ソウルもきれいです。かんごくはちゅごくとにほんのあいだにありますね。にほんのちかくにありますよ。となりにあります。それでらいねんのなつやすみににほんへいきます。にほんごをならいます。そしてにほんのぶんかもならいます。

なつやすみはろくがつじゅよっかからくがつみっかまでです。ろくがつじゅうはちにちにひこうきでうち（かんごく）へかえります。しちがつみっかににほんへいきます。らいねんのなつにあいましょう。よろしくおねがいします。

アン

Midterm Week.

Midterm Weekはやっぱりたいへんですね。
エッセイはきらいですね。
テストもたくさんあります。
みんな！がんばれ！

えいが。

きょうもバトラでべきょうします。
おもしろくないですがしけんがあります。
げんきもわるいです。

えいが「HERO」をしりますか。
SMAPの「きむらたくや」のドラマです。
いまあたらしいえいがです。

みなさん、
いっしょうにみませんか？

スポツはたのしい。

せんしゅうわたしはともだちとスポツをしました。
Riverside Parkでしました。べんともおいしいでした。
ときどきともだちとしゃしんをとりました。つぎにはいっしょうにスポツをしましょう。

きました！！！ノダメカンタービレ

ほんとに。
ほんとに。おもしろいです。
It's a MUST watch.
If you want watch a spiffy, j-style, anime-like j-drama,
Don't say a word and watch it....I guarantee you'll fall in love with it.

主演は
たまきひろしと
うえのじゅりです
すばらしい演技力です。
みてね！！



Fart Song
Ridiculous.
Additional explanation - Nodame's piano teacher (the dancing guy) wants Nodame to compete at a competition. Nodame agree but he has to dance in return.

Self-Introduction

初めまして！
私のなまえはあんです。
じゅきゅうさいです。
コロンビアだいがくのにねんせいです。
かんこくからきました。
よろしくおねがいします！

Japanese "Uta-Hime"-(s)

As I mentioned in my previous post, Japanese media/entertainment culture is one of the greatest motivations behind why I'm currently taking Japanese. In the beginning it was just an episode of anime or drama or a show that led me to my current fandom towards Japanese media industry. But because of the unique 'tie-up' system of Japanese entertainment culture, I got to learn about jpop, jdrama, jmovie and what not through a chain reaction.

To understand this 'chain reaction', we first have to look in to the concept of 'tie-ups'. 'Tie-up' is a marketing strategy which ties up, or correlates elements of pop culture to the companies' product for an effective promotion. When artists release their singles, for example, it is common to designate the songs as the main theme song for a drama or for a commercial (cf).

Hopefully you all understood the idea of 'tie-ups'. :)

So thanks to this ridiculously effective method of merchandising, a song from one drama led to another, and soon, I found myself engrossed in the world of JPOP! (and practically..J everything..)

Now to the main discussion topic of this entry: Japanese うたひめs。

Direct translation of utahime means - music (song) princess. I guess in english, it more appropriate to translate it into 'diva'. Commonly people seem to dedicate this title to the three of the most successful and prominent modern female JPOP artists: あむろなみえ、はまさきあゆみ、and of course, うただひかる。

I could go on forever talking about each of these artists, but for today's entry, I'll briefly upload their profile (taken from our favorite, wikipedia of course) and music videos of their signature hits.

うただひかる

• Stage Names: Utada Hikaru (宇多田ヒカル), Utada
• Birth Name: Utada Hikaru (宇多田光)
• Nickname: Hikki
• Birthday: January 19, 1983
• Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
• Blood Type: A
• Height: 158cm (5'2")
• Instruments: Piano and Guitar
• Favorite Instrument: Piano
• Childhood Dreams: To become a manga artist or a scientist in a white coat.
• Favorite Animal: Cat
• Favorite color: Blue
• Favorite Word: Kuso (糞, くそ - 'Shit' in Japanese)
• Favorite Foods: Cheese, Tokoroten, Thai food, Vietnamese food, Nattou, Bleu Cheese, Spicy foods and vinegar (known to put vinegar on anything, in ten days she uses up a whole bottle, she even sometimes just dilutes it and drinks it straight)
• Favorite Video Games: Dr. Mario and Tetris. Can not handle RPG games
• Hated Things: Fluorescent Lights, Mushrooms, Tissue Box Covers, Toilet Seat Covers, Wearing Makeup, Hamburger Steak
• Favorite Movies: Being John Malkovich, Brazil, Tasogare Seibei (The Twilight Samurai), Lost Highway, π (The 1998 film), The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather Part II, The Jerk, Unbreakable, Orlando, Amadeus, Sleepy Hollow, Miyazaki Hayao animations
• Favorite Japanese Literature: Nakagami Kenji's 'Izoku', Akutagawa Ryuunosuke's 'Rashomon', Kawabata Yasunari's 'Kanjou Soushoku' and 'Yukiguni', Mori Ougai's 'Takasebune', Natsume Souseki's 'Kokoro' and 'Kusamakura', Miyazawa Kenji's 'Shishuu ga Suki', Mishima Yukio's 'Kinkakuji'
• Favorite Western Literature: Herman Hesse's 'Siddhartha', Roald Dahl's 'Tales of the Unexpected', Shel Silverstein's 'Where the Sidewalk Ends' and 'A Light in the Attic', Edgar Allan Poe texts, Elie Wiesel's 'Night', John Berendt's 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil', F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby', George Orwell's '1984'.
• Favorite Artists: Aaliyah, At the Drive-in, Bela Bartok, Björk, Blink182, Blue Man Group, Bon Jovi, Brandy, Cocteau Twins, Craig David, Dr. Dre, Edith Piaf, Elvis Presley, Enigma, Erykah Badu, Freddie Mercury, Garbage, GLAY, Guns N'Roses, Guru, Incubus, Janet Jackson, Jeff Buckley, Jimi Hendrix, Joe, Kate Bush, Lauryn Hill, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, Metallica, Minnie Riperton, Miles Davis, Missy Elliot, Mozart, Nine Inch Nails, No Doubt, Ozaki Yutaka, Pearl Jam, Prince, Queen, Radiohead, Sada Masashi, Slash (Guns 'n' Roses), Sting, The Beatles, The Cure, The Eagles, The Police, TLC, Trent Reznor, U2, Velvet Revolver
• Favorite Album: Jeff Buckley's 'Grace'
• Fun Fact: Utada likes blood being drawn and gun fire

あんちゃんの 2 Cents!!
Probably one of the most, if not most well known Japanese artist to the American public, Utada Hikaru is a musical prodigy. Her album, "First Love" sold 7 million copies - setting the greatest album sales record. It even more amazing that she's wrote the songs in her teens.

"Can You Keep A Secret?" <2001>
Hit single "tied-up" with the hit drama HERO.

はまさきあゆみ

• Stage Name: Hamasaki Ayumi (浜崎あゆみ), Hamazaki Kurumi (浜崎クルミ) the name that she used for her model-actress career
• Birth Name: Hamasaki Ayumi (濱崎歩)
• Nicknames: Ayu (あゆ, also see CREA)
• Birth Date: October 2, 1978
• Birth Place: Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
• Blood Type: A
• Height: 157cm (61.8 in ; 5'1")
• Weight: 40kg (88.18 lbs)
• Measurements: 80cm-53cm-82cm (31.5 in-20.9 in-32.3 in)
• Favorite Artists: KEIKO (globe), Miyazawa Rie, Matsuda Seiko, Babyface, and En Vogue.
• Favorite City: New York
• Favorite Actors: Nicolas Cage, Miyazawa Rie
• Favorite Movies: The Bodyguard, Betty Blue, Leaving Las Vegas
• People I Respect: People who have things I don't have.
• People I Dislike: Liars, people who don't say hello.
• Current Interest: Collecting white things for my room
• Favorite Food: Biscuits (maybe my staple diet!), cakes, chocolates, kimchi (Korean marinated cabbage)
• Favorite Things to Read: Most of the fashion magazines. Modern-language translations of the Manyo tanka poems are especially interesting. Poems of Giniro Natsuo, Aida Mitsuo, etc.
• Lessons: Piano, Japanese calligraphy (5th rank), abacus calculation, Japanese flower arrangement, Kumon-shiki study system

あんちゃんの 2 Cents!!
One of the most prominent artists of Japan, her popularity extends to a social sensation. She is a fashion leader, CEO, lyricist, a truly multi-talented entertainer. Although she does not carry stellar singing skills, her stage presence is simply amazing.

M
One of her most popular singles

あむろなみえ

• Name: Amuro Namie (安室奈美恵)
• Birthday: September 20, 1977
• Birthplace: Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture
• Blood Type: O
• Family: Parents divorced, mother deceased, 2 sisters and 1 brother
• Height: 159cm / 5'2"
• Weight: 40kg / 88 lbs
• Measurements: B75 W58 H84
• Ethnicity: 75% Japanese, 25% Italian
• Tattoos: Two on her left arm, two on her right wrist

あんちゃんの 2 Cents!!
Since she debuted as part of the "Super Monkies" she showed great talent in singing and dancing. At a point in her career, her presence became so strong in the Japanese society that people began calling it the "Amuro Namie Syndrome". Her single, "Can you celebrate" sold 2 million copies, marking the peak of her popularity. With the change in her music style, her popularity did decline but she still remains as a Japanese pop icon to this day.

Can you celebrate? <1997>
Amuro's biggest hit single at the peak of her career.

Anjjang desu~ yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

Hello, hello!
My name is Jacky, and I am part of SEAS 2010. Just call me by my last name, "Ahn".

Really, there's no particular reason why I'm taking Japanese this year other than my immense love and passion for Japanese music and culture. I have been listening to Japanese music (j-pop) and watching Japanese drama, anime...since, well...for years and years...let's put it that way.

My mom, actually, graduated from Sophia University, a well known Japanese international 'daigaku'. She naturally speaks close to fluent Japanese. Living in Korea as Japan's neighbor definitely fostered a unique personal outlook on Japan. All in all, I had many opportunities to 'experience' Japan yet I haven't formally taken Japanese language class so here I am! Trying to properly learn the Japanese language.

Yoroshikunne~