わかいつばめ (wakai tsubame)

* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”

Since antiquity the sparrow has always been seen as a bird of love in the west. It was associated in classical mythology with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, and Catullus, the Roman poet, famously used the sparrow as a symbol of true love and spiritual connection to his lover. In Japan the sparrow does not carry the same connotations except in the phrase wakai tsubame which literally means a young sparrow but refers to a younger lover of an older woman, or, 女にとって年下の愛人。

The term wakai tsubame is credited to a artist called Okumura Hirofumi, 奥村博史, the lover of author and feminist Hiratsuka Raicho (平塚らいてう or 平塚雷鳥). Okumura, who was five years younger than Hiratsuka, began seeing her 1914. However, when their relationship soured Okumura wrote the following lines in a farewell letter to her:

静かな水鳥たちが仲良く遊んでいるところへ一羽のツバメが飛んできて平和を乱してしまった。若いツバメは池の平和のために飛び去っていく。
(A sparrow flew in amongst a group of happily playing quiet waterfowl and disturbed the peace. For the sake of the pond’s peace the young sparrow will leave and fly away.)

It is from this letter that the term took hold and gained a lasting place in the Japanese language. However, despite this poetic farewell, their relationship continued and they would eventually marry in 1941.

ひだりうちわ (hidariuchiwa)

* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”

The uchiwa is a type of fan, which these days is generally made of plastic and handed out at festivals or in front of train stations for advertising during the heat of summer. Here it is combined with hidari, the word for left, to literally mean to use a fan in the left hand. However, with air conditioners becoming so common these days, you are just as likely to hear the phrase in the cold of winter as the heat of summer because the term carries with it the connotations of living a life of comfort.

In summer you can often tell the mood of someone by the way they are using their uchiwa. Using a fan in the stronger of your two hands is generally taken as a sign that you have something on your mind, maybe a bit stressed or having a sense of purpose. This contrasts with the use of the weaker hand which is so often a sign that the person is relaxed. As most people are right handed it is this image that is being described by the term hidari uchiwa.

Recently at work I heard this word used to describe someone who had produced excellent results during his middle age years, but now entering his fifties is resting on his laurels and not working so hard knowing that the company will look after him. If this is a side effect of the Japanese lifetime employment system then I am glad that it is crumbling.

Example: 左団扇で暮らす。(Hidari uchiwa de kurasu) To live in the lap of comfort.

逆玉（ぎゃくたま, gyakutama）

* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”

Literally gyaku means opposite and, generally, tama means ball. However, despite it becoming a common enough term over the last decade or so, it is not easy to see just how gyakutama took on its meaning of “to marry a wealthy woman.”

Tama is short for the phrase tama no koshi ni noru （玉の輿に乗る、to marry a wealthy man). Of old tama also meant gemstone or a thing of beauty and it is that connotation that is being used here. Koshi ni noru means to ride in a palanquin (a covered litter for one passenger). These can often been seen in the samurai dramas where someone of importance is being carried in a koshi. Thus, the phrase literally means “to ride in a beautiful palanquin.”

As only people of the upper class could ride in a beautiful koshi, it took on the meaning of a women marrying well. Tama no koshi is well ingrained into the lexicon and is often shortened to just tama no koshi, but the addition of gyaku and the abbreviation of the term to just tama to form gyakutama is a very modern addition. For some reason around Tokyo these days I tend to hear it much more than the original.

Example:
彼は逆玉を狙っている。(Kare ha gyakutama wo neratteiru.)
“He is aiming to marry a wealthy woman”

へべれけ (hebereke)

* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”

It is December and on the social calendar that means bounenkai 忘年会. These end of year parties are often held for work groups, sports clubs or any gathering of friends who need another lame excuse for a few drinks. With so many of them it can be a period when there seem to be more drunks around than normal.
The most common terms used to describe drunks are 酔う（you、to get drunk）and 酔っ払い（yopparai, drunkard). However, these tend to be somewhat overused. Hebereke, however, is one term that doesn’t get used as often as it might. Hebereke means to get badly drunk and is most commonly seen in the phrase へべれけになる (Hebereke ni naru, to get drunk).
Everyone in Japan should have the opportunity to use hebereke over the next couple of weeks, whether it being describing your friend’s behaviour on Saturday night or the random incoherent guys struggling to catch the late night trains.
Example:

へべれけになるまで酒を飲む (Hebereke ni naru made sake wo nomu “Drink till you are as drunk as a skunk”)

Much has been said about the recent turn around in land prices in Japan over the last couple of years. Since the burst of the bubble land prices have been going down for 15 years but recently there has been an upswing in values in the major cities of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka although values in other regions continue to fall. In Tokyo much of the focus has been on major redevelopments of central city areas amidst a general trend towards central city living. Shiodome is one such area, and the over-hyped and under-berated Roppongi Hills complex another. However, outside of the central city areas one suburb in particular is going through some dramatic changes.

Located in the Nakahara ward of Kawasaki, Musashi Kosugi is a fair hike from central Tokyo. However, for the salaryman who cannot afford to live in the inner suburbs, or does not wish to, the daily commute can be a big factor in deciding where to live and this has been fundamental to Musashi Kosugi’s present building boom.

Situated where the Tokyu Toyoko and JR Nambu lines cross it is only 15 minutes to Yokohama, Kawasaki and the Tokyo hub of Shibuya, but its convenience has also been greatly improved since 2000 when the Mita and Namboku subway lines were both extended through to Meguro with trains continuing all the way to Musashi Kosugi along the Tokyu Meguro line. Moreover, public transport will get even better once the planned station on the JR Yokosuka line is completed in March 2010 about 300m east of the existing Tokyu & JR stations. It will give a direct route through to Tokyo in just 20 minutes, less than half the time it takes now. With such a choice of commuting routes, it no surprise that the area is gaining popularity.

The area to the southeast of Musashi Kosugi Station is undertaking changes of immense proportions. The skyline is to be transformed with the construction of 5 apartment buildings in excess of 45 storeys, including one as high as 59, another of 24 storeys, and a 21 storey hotel.

Such a transformation will have a profound effect on the region. Obviously the demands on the local infrastructure will increase with the sudden rise in population once the 3615 apartments fill up. The department store FROM is being demolished to allow the narrow alley that runs between the Toyoko and JR Musashi Kosugi stations to be widened and the St. Marianna University’s Toyoko Hospital, located just 2 minutes walk from the station, has also been torn down to be rebuilt. On the other hand, one cannot help thinking that retailers such Ito Yokado, who operate a large store nearby, are eagerly awaiting the influx.

For locals that already live in the area the increased congestion on those rush hour trains is something that we may just have to put up with. Though, hopefully we will get one of those maid cafes to help ease the pain.

うなぎのぼり (unagi nobori)

* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”

The eel, or “unagi”, not only has pride of place on the Japanese menu but, in the term unagi nobori, it also adds some rich flavour to the Japanese lexicon. Literally meaning “eel climb“, this delightfully descriptive term refers to something that is constantly growing or rising.

There seems to be two theories about how this word came about. Firstly, that no matter how steep the rapids are or how little water there is, an eel will still manage to swim further upstream. The second refers to the way the slimy body of the eel will slip through your hands when you grab it – not just slip through and drop, but actually slip upwards, and as you continue to grab hold of it, the further up it goes!

In the workplace there should be plenty of opportunities to use unagi nobori. A friend of mine used it recently to describe his growing stock problem. Unagi nobori could be used to describe America’s war dead in Iraq or New Zealand’s bourgeoning budget surplus, and for all those rugby league fans from down under, I suppose that it could also be used to describe the Parramatta Eels’ impressive climb off the bottom of the NRL table with 10 consecutive wins in the second half of the season this year. Not to mention the usage in the sense of a person who is climbing the ranks in a company in a less than honourable way. The applications seem endless.

Mao Asada was a phenomenon last winter, coming from relative obscurity to win the ISU (International Skating Union) Grand Prix Final. However, despite being the best on the adult circuit the ISU rules said she was too young (15 years old at the time) to compete at the Olympics, robbing her of the chance of glory in Turin. With such a sudden rise to fame it is no surprise to see Asada doing endorsements in the media. Nevertheless, what is most interesting about her latest television commercial, for the new Olympus digital camera μ, is the music. Figure skaters, banned in competition from using anything with lyrics, generally do not use modern pop music, which makes the juxtaposition of Asada with the music of punk band the Blue Hearts a very interesting marketing strategy.

The Blue Hearts are the iconic Japanese punk rock band. From their initial rise to stardom in 1987 they were ground breakers and trend setters in a previously next-to- non-existent genre in Japanese music. Even after their sudden break up in 1995 they continue to be a dominate force in Japanese rock music, their influence showing through in the music of many younger bands such as GAGAGA SP.

Olympus have also been very deliberate in their choice of song to promote their latest digital cameras. Linda Linda was the song that propelled them into the big time in back in 1987 and remains their signature track. Nevertheless, this track is not just an old favourite, but one whose stature in Japanese pop culture continues to grow; It was used in the 2004 hit drama Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu (Crying Out Love In The Center Of The World), as well as being the source for the title of the 2005 movie Linda Linda Linda which also featured the Blue Hearts’ music.

That a whole generation has grown up listening to the Blue Hearts is not something that has been missed by Olympus. If the target market is men in their 20s and 30s then the combination of the young skating star Mao Asada with the music of the Blue Hearts is a sure way of getting their attention. You can watch the promotional video below in Quicktime, or there is a windows media format available here if you are so inclined.

QuickTime is required for this video.