Hills Learning

Panama Hotel

Stacy Smith — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:28:50 +0000

WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.

I’m here in Seattle wrapping up the last leg of my American Council for Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) interpreting trip. After recently reading Jamie Ford’s “Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet”, I was compelled to visit the Panama Hotel which plays a pivotal role in the book. Located in the International District close to the Japanese supermarket Uwajima and bookstore Kinokuniya, this hotel with a rich history is still operating today.

It contains the only remaining Japanese public bathhouse (sento) intact in the U.S. In addition, the basement where the baths are located also houses the possessions of Japanese-Americans who were imprisoned in internment camps during WWII. The owner of the hotel offers tours of this basement, but they are limited so I was unfortunately unable to join one without a reservation. Instead I enjoyed catching up with a college friend in the tea house, whose walls are decorated with artifacts from pre/post WWII that tell the stories of Japantown at the time.

The Panama Hotel is a must visit for anyone looking to learn about Japanese American history, and I look forward to staying the night the next time I’m here. The beautifully decorated rooms with an Asian flair are reasonably priced and come complete with yukata to sleep in!

Chengyu – Chinese Idioms – Cultural Facets

Alena — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:36:04 +0000

Chinese Idioms

活到老，学到老

(成语)

An idiom is a figure of speech that isn’t taken literally. For example, in English we have idioms such as “don’t let the cat out of the bag,” and “to have a cake and eat it too”, when we are not really talking about letting cats out of bags, or eating a piece of cake.

There are numerous proverbs, sayings and idioms in every language. But why do I want to devote a whole article to Chinese idioms if it is such a normal linguistic phenomenon? Because, in Chinese language and culture, idioms are extremely important. They are often referred to as Chengyu (成语 (cheng2yu3)), which literally means “set phrases”. According to the most stringent definition, there are about 5,000 chengyu in the Chinese language, though I have seen some dictionaries that list over 20,000.

Chengyu usually consist of four characters, and they are mostly derived from ancient literature. The meaning of each chengyu usually surpasses the sum of the meanings carried by those four characters, and chengyu are often intimately linked with the myth, story, poem or historical fact from which they were derived. Chengyu do not follow the usual grammatical structure and syntax of the modern Chinese spoken language, and are instead highly compact and synthetic. Unless you know the story and its common usage, a Chengyu will sound like random nonsense not only to a foreigner but also to Chinese people themselves. That’s why when students in China learn chengyu in school as part of the classical curriculum, they also need to study the context from which chengyu was born.

Every Chinese idiom is like a little story full of wisdom and life. But these four characters most of the time reflect the moral behind the story rather than the story itself. For example, the phrase “破釜沉舟” (po4 fu3 chen2 zhou1) literally means “break the woks and sink the boats.” It was based on a historical account where General Xiang Yu ordered his troops to destroy all cooking utensils and boats after crossing a river into the enemy’s territory. He won the battle because of this “no-retreat” strategy. Similar phrases are known in the West, such as “burning bridges” or “Crossing the Rubicon”.

However, not all Chinese chengyu are born of an old fable. In fact, many of them are free of any metaphorical nuances. For example, a chengyu “言而无信” (yan2 er2 wu2 xin4) literally “speaks yet (is) without trust”)), refers to an individual who cannot be trusted despite what he says, or essentially a deceitful person. The idiom itself is not derived from a specific occurrence from which a moral may be explicitly drawn; instead, it is succinct in its original meaning and would likely be intelligible to an individual learned in formal written Chinese.

Chinese idioms can also serve as a guide through Chinese culture. In addition to the fact that behind most idioms exists an interesting tale, Chinese idioms also teach us about motifs that were common in Chinese ancient literature and about historical cultural customs. For example, idioms which contain nature motifs (such as mountains- 山 (shan1), water- 水 (shui3) or moon-月(yue4) are numerous and contain interesting metaphors, while military and government related themes which appear frequently in idioms lead to better understanding of cultural customs. Even more evident are the moral values which many idioms promote, both in past and present days. Some classical literature masterpieces are known as the producers of dozens of idioms, such as the Four Great Classical Novels (四大名著): (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Water Margin and Dream of the Red Chamber).

Chinese people simply love to use chengyu in their daily life. It is a sign of scholarship and erudition. A foreigner who knows a lot of chengyu and implies them under the right circumstances will arouse deep admiration. I strongly recommend anyone who seriously decides to learn Chinese to go and buy a good chengyu dictionary. A regular dictionary usually contains 5,000 chengyu with detailed definitions and examples in Chinese. There are some dictionaries that also include translation to a foreign language such as English, Russian or Japanese.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article about chengyu and learned a bit about Chinese culture. To finish the article, let me leave you with some Chinese chengyu and their English equivalents:

1) 虎父无犬子 (hu3 fu4 wu2 quan3 zi3)

Literally: A tiger father has no canine sons.

Moral: People who are closely related are similar

English equivalent: A chip off the old block; an apple does not fall far from the tree.

2) 祸不单行 (huo4 bu4 dan1 xing1)

Literally: Bad things never walk alone

English equivalent: Misery loves company

3) 塞翁失马 (sai4 weng1 shi1 ma3)

Literally: The squire at the frontier lost his horse, but the horse eventually came back bringing some other horses with it

English equivalent: Sometimes bad luck is a blessing in disguise

4) 活到老，学到老 (huo2dao4 lao3 xue2dao4 lao3)

Literally: Learn all your life

English equivalent: Live and learn

Having a Chat with Japanese Taxi Drivers

Rinko — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:51:29 +0000

What do you do when you’re lost in the middle of Tokyo with nothing but an address to guide you towards your location?
If you’re rushing to your next meeting at the hotel you’re staying at, the most obvious choice would be to take a taxi.

However, this may be daunting task for some people. Holding an impromptu one-on-one conversation with a driver in a foreign language and trying to communicate where you want to go may not be something you want to do every day. However, this article has some good phrases to help you out in those times of need.

Stating the address

As you get into the taxi, the first words out of your mouth will most likely contain the address of your destination.

First, say “sumimasen” (Excuse me,) and then the address.

すみません、＿＿＿＿ヘ行ってください／までお願いします

sumimasenn ______ e ittekudasai/made onegaishimasu.

Excuse me, please go to ________. (The variations both mean the same thing).

It’s very simple.

Afterwards, add on something such as yoroshiku onegaishimasu （よろしくお願いします）, which roughly means “thank you”.

In fact, it’s the “thank you” you’re supposed to say before someone does something for you. The thank you after they actually do it is arigatou gozaimashita (ありがとうございました）.

So in Japan, you say “thank you” twice during a favor, although this is usually only during formal matters (such as before a business transaction). When a close friend is doing a favor, you only need to say the less formal arigatou (thank you). Whether you say it before or after is your decision.

When near your location

You may start to see familiar signs that you’re nearing your location. When this happens, sometimes it’s helpful to state specific directions to the driver to make things clearer for him– the exact spot you would like the car to park, for instance.

1. （真っ直ぐ行って）あそこの角で左／右に曲がってください.

(massugu itte) asoko no kado de hidari/migi ni magatte kudasai

(After going straight down) please turn to the left/right of that corner.

2. そこで／その手前で止まってください.

soko de/ sono temae de tomatte kudasai

Please stop there/right in front of there.

As you may have noticed in the phrases above, we have some examples of words defining locations:

- Hidari (left) and migi (right) are also grouped with ue (up) and shita (down). However, you cannot go “up” or “down” in a taxi,

so in taxis you say mae (front) or ushiro (back).

- asoko refers to a place far from the speaker (such as the street sign that you can see two blocks away).

It also refers to things very far away, but that you can still point to (such as the mountain you can see but not walk to easily).

- soko refers to a place relatively close, but not right under your nose (such as the convenience store across the street).

It would be something closer to the listener than the speaker.

- koko refers to something very close, that your hand can reach over to (such as the cookie jar when you’re by the counter).

Other

If you want to ask how long the drive will take, say:

あと何分ぐらいで着くのでしょうか？

ato nanpun gurai de tsuku no desyouka?

About how many minutes will it take to reach our destination?

In a hurry? Ask the driver to speed up with a phrase like this:

すみません、急いでください

sumimasen, isoidekudasai

I’m sorry, could you speed up a little?

Some differences between Japanese taxis and New York taxis

1. Be sure not to bump into the door when you try to open it! The taxis in Japan have doors which automatically open when you walk over to get picked up. Don’t try to shut the door on your way out either, the driver will consider it rude (it is his job to shut the door close with a button when the customer leaves the vehicle).

2. Don’t be afraid when you see that the driver has suspicious-looking gloves, or if he’s wearing a suit during a blazing summer day. It’s a custom to keep the taxi clean.

3. Unlike NY, it’s uncommon to see a taxi that can hold more than four people.

4. Just like in restaurants, there is no need to tip the driver.

5. On the paying meter, highway fees are not included. So don’t forget to ask the driver “高速道路の料金はいくらですか?”

(kousokudouronoryoukinn wa ikura desuka?) unless he doesn’t say so beforehand.

6. On your way out, don’t forget to take a complementary tissue packet. They can be seen everywhere in Japan for free.

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Aaand that’s it! Be sure to check around the site if you have some time for helpful articles on situational language.

Young Japanese Politician Power

Stacy Smith — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:47:43 +0000

I am currently in DC interpreting for a six-person delegation that is here on a two-week program with the American Council for Young Political Leaders (ACYPL). Group members represent both the DPJ and LDP, as well as one participant from the New Komeito Party. Our other destinations are Tennessee and Washington State, so despite their short stay my group will have the opportunity to experience different parts of the U.S.

Speaking of young politicians, last week the New York Times profiled Japan’s youngest mayor, 31-year old Naomichi Suzuki of Yubari, Hokkaido. Yubari is known for its expensive melons, as well as being Japan’s only bankrupt city and also its most elderly. So far during our trip the declining birth rate and increasing aging population are two of the main domestic issues the delegates keep highlighting, and Yubari is facing the same challenges. It will be interested to see if the injection of Suzuki’s youthful energy and innovation can turn things around in this northern town.

Learning Japanese Particles – Explanation of “Wa”

Japan’s Economic Woes

Stacy Smith — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 03:55:29 +0000

Today’s New York Times features two article regarding Japan’s economic doldrums. The one from Martin Fackler talks about Japan’s decline as a manufacturer, and what direction the new course the country should take will be. The other by Hiroko Tabuchi discusses the fate of one of the manufacturers mentioned in Fackler’s article, Sony. Kazuo Hirai joined as the new CEO at the beginning of this month, and it remains to be seen what path he is planning to take the company on. Many commentators throughout say that Sony has failed to differentiate itself, and the article closes with the quote, “The tarnish on their brand has definitely begun.” Happy reading!

DC Sakura Matsuri, Part 2!

Stacy Smith — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 11:42:02 +0000

Today is the big parade to celebrate the centennial sakura matsuri, but unfortunately all the blooms are long gone. However, the festival goes through the end of the month, so for those who find themselves in DC there are plenty of Japan-related activities to keep you entertained. I had a chance to sample many of them this week, the first of which I’d recommend being the National Geographic Museum’s samurai exhibit running through early September.

It shares the history of how the now legendary cherry trees made their way to DC, as well as displays unique items such as swords and armor that were gifted from Japan to American presidents such as Ulysses Grant and Teddy Roosevelt. My favorite section was the black and white photos of samurai in a photo studio run by a Westerner. It captures them in their garb during behind-the-scenes moments, giving you insight into the people they were behind the armor.

Some other exhibits not to be missed are the National Gallery of Art’s Colorful Realm: Japanese Bird and Flower Paintings by Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800), on display until April 29. This collection of 30 scrolls is amazingly vivid in color, depicting not only birds and flowers but in some cases fish, insects and palm trees. Jakuchu seems to be obsessed with roosters (some in “kabuki-like poses”), and according to one description I learned that “In Zen Buddhism, images of the rooster’s piercing cry were associated with spiritual awakening.” (Go figure! I could have used this information when I was in Kauai earlier this year, being woken up an at ungodly hour each morning by these enlightened roosters.)

After that make sure to check out the Hokusai Japanese screens at the Freer Gallery (through July 29), followed by the 36 Views of Mount Fuji from Hokusai at the nearby Sackler Gallery (through June 17). The latter also features a display called Kano Kazunobu’s Masters of Mercy: Buddha’s Amazing Disciples, fantastical paintings which share the lives of Buddha’s 500 disciples, making their debut outside of Japan for the first time (as do the Jakuchu scrolls).

And if all this consumption of Japanese culture has you wanting to consume some Japanese food along with your art, look no further than the cherry blossom roll ( 桜巻き?) at Fujimar. At $17.60 it costs a bit more than your standard roll, but it is definitely worth it. It combines cherry-flavored rice, avocado, tamago, cucumber and crab in a pink soy bean wrapper, with three cherries on top and leaf-shaped avocado slices on the side. Its sweetness is just the right amount, and the flavors were powerful enough for it to be eaten with or without soy sauce.

For those whose sweet tooth is not satisfied by the cherry blossom roll, many local restaurants are featuring special cherry themed desserts during the duration of the festival (through the 27th of this month). My one regret is not having had time to try the cherry-chocolate bread pudding at one of my favorite DC restaurants, Founding Farmers, but there’s always next year!

DC Sakura Matsuri!

Stacy Smith — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 02:59:22 +0000

I’m down in DC to begin a new business trip, and was thrilled when I found out my assignment would coincide with the famous Sakura Matsuri. This year is extra special as it marks the 100th anniversary since the 3000+ trees were gifted from Japan to the U.S. Even the Metro gets into the spirit, as you can see with their turnstile decorations. Due to the warm weather it is doubtful that the blossoms will last until the conclusion of the festival at the end of the month, but I hope to do some hanami while I’m here.

On another Japan-related note, today I went to see an interesting exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery entitled “Asian American Portraits of Encounter.” It features several different Asian American artists, including three Japanese. One is Satomi Shirai based in New York, the second is Shizu Saldamando based in California, and the last is Roger Shimomura based in Kansas. I was especially taken with the work of Shimoura, who as a child was relocated to an internment camp in Idaho along with his family during World War II. His displayed works are all self-portraits, and according to Shimomura through them he strove to battle “oriental” stereotypes or conversely become them. As an example of the latter I particularly liked the two works shown here side by side, American Pikachu and American Hello Kitty, where the artist takes the form of these iconic images.

The non-Japanese artists also share some really thought-provoking work, so this exhibit is definitely worth checking out. It runs through October 14, admission is free and it is open daily from 11:30-7.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Stacy Smith — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:16:05 +0000

This weekend I finally had the chance to see the much-hyped documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It made a splash at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival and had been on my radar ever since, so I was happy to see it playing at local theaters (currently at IFC Center, Lincoln Plaza Cinema and Kew Gardens Cinema). Director David Gelb is a New Yorker who has loved sushi since he was a kid, and his film faithfully follows 85-year-old sushi chef Jiro Ono, proprietor of the renowned restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro. Its humble location inside the Ginza subway station belies the exquisiteness of the sushi produced within. Ono’s work is extremely simple, yet it possesses complexity of taste as well as aesthetic beauty. As the title indicates, this shokunin (or craftsman) eats, sleeps and breathes sushi, and even after all his years of mastering this art form he believes there is still room to grow.

I liked how Gelb incorporates different aspects of the sushi world, such as Ono’s exclusive rice seller, fish handlers at the Tsukiji Fish Market, and the incredibly devoted apprentices at the restaurant, all with distinctive personalities that add an additional layer to the story. However, it is the family dynamics at the heart of this doc that will capture viewers’ interest. Ono has two sons, older Yoshikazu who works alongside his father, and younger Takashi who works as the sushi chef at Sukiyabashi Jiro’s spin-off branch at Roppongi Hills. I wanted to learn more about Takashi and his separate path, but the movie mainly focuses on Ono’s relationship with Yoshizaku, the apparent successor to his father. Considering that Ono is a living legend, this is a prospect that Yoshikazu regards with a combination of resignation and trepidation.

Not that Ono is considering stepping down anytime soon. He is still working full time at the restaurant, though he admits that all the hard work is done in the kitchen, allowing the fish to be “95% ready” by the time it comes to him. Considering that Ono has been honing his craft since childhood, it only seems fair that he gets all the glory.

L’Arc en Ciel MSG Debut!

Stacy Smith — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:42:24 +0000

Last night I had fun rocking out at the concert of L’Arc en Ciel, one of Japan’s most popular bands. They were the first Japanese group to perform at Madison Square Garden, and they put on an amazing show! For me it was largely natsukashii, as I discovered L’Arc (or ラルク) as an exchange student in Kyoto my first time in Japan. During the weekly karaoke outings that I used to work on my kanji, ラルク soon became a regular part of my repertoire and for a while their song Honey was my #18 (specialty or favorite).

So I was super excited when I heard ラルク front man Hyde belt out the first 「ずっと」 that begins the song, and was happy to find that I still remembered most of the lyrics. I enjoyed other old favorites like Stay Away and Caress of Venus, but was disappointed that Heaven’s Drive didn’t make it into the playlist. With blonde dreadlocks and heavy eye makeup Hyde was androgynously beautiful, and the other band members offered humorous greetings in English. Bananas and lollipops (along with colorful commentary) were randomly thrown out to the crowd throughout the show, and the graphics and pyrotechnics accompanying the music were absolutely amazing.

In Hyde’s goodbye to the audience he said, “It took us 20 years to get here!” Definitely worth the wait, and certainly not the last we will see of this “biggest band you’ve never heard of.”

Spending Time in Ichiro-Land, aka Seattle

Stacy Smith — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:41:08 +0000

I am wrapping up a business trip here in Seattle, where the Japanese influence is huge. Not only do they have great Japanese shopping centers like Uwajimaya, located in the International District area, but they have Ichiro! The man himself is not here at the moment, having headed to Japan with the Mariners to play two exhibition games against Japanese teams before opening up the Major League season in two games against the Oakland A’s. All four games will be played in Tokyo. Today’s Seattle Times features an article highlighting the Ichiro Museum that his parents run in his hometown outside Nagoya. Featuring items such as his high school bike and pictures from growing up, it sounds like a must-see for any Ichiro fan.

Speaking of Japanese famous sports figures, in the midst of Linsanity the name of a Japanese-American predecessor has repeatedly come up. This would be Utah-born 2nd generation Japanese-American Wat Misaka, the first person of color to be drafted into the NBA. He played for the Knicks in the 1940′s, amidst the extreme prejudice that Japanese-Americans were forced to endure (Misaka was not put in an internment camp, but he had friends who were sent to Topaz). You can read more about his amazing story as well as purchase the documentary which tells his story on his website.