E-WOTD: Vicarious

– Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person.
Examples:
“I could glean vicarious pleasure from the struggles of my imaginary film friends”
“I would like to live vicariously through him” in the meaning of “spend some time in his shoes” and experience what he does.

J-WOTD: 正真正銘

しょうしんしょうめい (shoushinshoumei)

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

“Authentic” “fair dinkum” “real”
Used to stress that something is not a fake, as in, “This is the real McCoy”.

More examples:
正真正銘のピカソの絵
a genuine Picasso painting
正真正銘のプロ
real professional
正真正銘の難民
genuine refugee

WaiWai: Hungry housewives make a bit on the side through amateur porn

This article is reproduced from the discontinued, but much loved Mainichi Waiwai column by Ryann Connell. Read more about this at the bottom of this article.

Japan’s literally desperate housewives are finding the close relationship between the Internet and adult entertainment can help them pick up a handy profit, according to Shukan Post (4/7).

Moviemaker Nikkatsu found a steady stream of income with its softcore “Hitozuma (Wife)” series of skin flicks in the ’70s and ’80s using porn professionals. But now, in Noughties Japan, ordinary, everyday housewives have taken the raunchy racket to a new level.

Continue reading WaiWai: Hungry housewives make a bit on the side through amateur porn

E-WOTD: Hitherto

Means: “until now” or “until the point in time under discussion”

* There is a need to replace what has hitherto been a haphazard method of payment.
* Under the bill, companies would be required to reveal the secrets of hitherto-exclusive copy-protection technologies such as Apple’s FairPlay format and the ATRAC3 code used by Sony’s Connect store and Walkman players.

WaiWai: Ancient rice festival has reputation smeared by ‘therapeutic’ facial cream claims

This article is reproduced from the discontinued, but much loved Mainichi Waiwai column by Ryann Connell. Read more about this at the bottom of this article.

Note: Full Japanese Translation of this article is available below.

A Fukuoka festival dating back to ancient times is growing increasingly popular with Japan’s adult movie fans because it involves smearing gooey, white liquid all over the faces of participants, according to Cyzo (January).

For better or worse, words like “geisha” and “hara-kiri” have been joined in the global lexicon by “bukkake,” which has adapted a more specific meaning overseas rather that the original Japanese meaning of “to splatter.”

Continue reading WaiWai: Ancient rice festival has reputation smeared by ‘therapeutic’ facial cream claims

E-WOTD: Hardscrabble

1 returning little in exchange for great effort : her uncle’s hardscrabble peanut farm.
2 characterized by chronic poverty and hardship : the hardscrabble coal town of Grundy, Virginia.
From SMH: Those who live in the eastern suburbs rarely venture beyond the CBD if they can help it. Those from the northern beaches think they have found nirvana, the North Shore knows it has, and the western suburbs take pride in their mostly hardscrabble existence.

J-WOTD: 本末転倒

ほんまつてんとう (honmatsutentou)

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

“tail wagging the dog”
Basically when things are out of their natural order. This is a good one just to use when things seem out of order.. Or, not how they should be.
I had heard this phrase over the past few years often, but never bothered to look up what it really means.

E-WOTD: Antediluvian

Means “Old Fasioned”.
I saw this used in the paper today. What a great word. The meaning in todays sense is generally “old fasioned” as in, an old fasioned attidude, or way of thinking.
Diluvian means flood, from deluge I guess, and ante means “before”, so the latin meaning is before the flood, apparently referring to the flood in the bible (you know, the Noah’s arc one..) So, before the flood means very old, antiquated etc..

WaiWai: Sex? Been there, done that, say disinterested wives

This article is reproduced from the discontinued, but much loved Mainichi Waiwai column by Ryann Connell. Read more about this at the bottom of this article. (Does anybody know when this was originally published in Waiwai? We cant find the original link. Please let us know).

A four-page article in Aera (11/7) is based on a poll of 300 married women, with more than half its space devoted to bar graphs and pie graphs — a total of 20, if you can believe it. But bear with us; there are interesting conclusions to be drawn from the “sexless” relationships that appear to plague an increasing number of Japan’s marriages.

Continue reading WaiWai: Sex? Been there, done that, say disinterested wives

A fresh look at Japan, by gaijins for gaijins!