Ningyo-joruri: Interview with a Japanese Puppet Master

Tokuya Okitsu (Hyogo) interviewed by Rachel Fagundes (Okayama)

and translated by Toshie Ogura (Okayama)

*This interview was originally conducted

in Japanese. It has been translated

into English and edited for clarity and

concision.

Most people think of kabuki or maybe even noh when it comes to traditional Japanese theater, but what about puppetry? Lavishly designed and dressed puppets move and pose on stage—the dramas put on in ningyojoruri, Japanese puppet theater, are said to be so engaging that audiences forget there are human puppeteers in the background dressed in all black. In this article, Rachel Fagundes interviews Mr. Okitsu, who specializes in the Awaji style of ningyo-joruri.

Ningyo-joruri is one of the five traditional forms of Japanese theater (the other four being kagura, kyogen, noh, and kabuki).

Ningyo-joruri started as a religious art form to ask the gods such as Ebisu for blessings of a good harvest or plentiful fish and so forth. It later became a form of popular entertainment. Ningyo-joruri developed alongside kabuki around the same time, and tells many of the same stories that kabuki tells, except that kabuki uses human actors to play the characters, while ningyo-joruri uses puppets. It’s also commonly known as bunraku, though that’s not exactly the correct label. Bunraku actually refers to Osakastyle ningyo-joruri, and is named after a particular theater in Osaka that popularized the artform; “ningyo-joruri” is the more general term for it, and includes both Osaka bunraku and the Awaji style that I perform.

I have been a puppeteer for 32 years. Before that, I was a ningyo-joruri storyteller, or tayu.

It was just one person long ago when stories for ningyo-joruri were simpler, but as plays became more complex, puppets required more complex movement; nowadays, it takes three people to move one puppet. The lead puppeteer is called the omo-zukai, and they maneuver the head and the right hand and arm of the puppet. The second performer is called the hidari-zukai, and they move the puppet’s left hand and arm, and add props like fans. The third performer is called the ashi-zukai, and they move the puppet’s feet.

A puppeteer starts by training to maneuver the feet as an ashi-zukai, which takes seven years to master, then another seven or eight years as a hidarizukai to master the left arm. It takes a lifetime to master the role of the lead puppeteer. The omo-zukai guides the actions of the other two puppeteers so that they all move together as one unit. They have secret signs between them so that the omo-zukai can guide the other two, and tell the puppet to walk, or tell the left hand to do something.

For example, the omo-zukai (lead puppeteer) will make eye contact with the hidari-zukai (left hand puppeteer) to tell them to take action.

The puppeteers all learn specific poses and movements called kata that convey emotions. For example, there are many different ways to move the puppets to indicate crying, depending on the age and gender of the character.

The puppets are carved by a special craftsman and made from Hinoki cypress wood.

The face of the doll is always carved to have a neutral expression, and show no emotion. This allows the puppeteer to create emotions by tilting the head or moving the doll in specific ways. For example, tilting the head up makes the puppet look happy, while tilting it down makes it look sad.

The skin of the doll is first painted bright, shiny white. The paint is made from oyster shells. The oyster shells are burned, and then ground into a fine powder. Then, the powder is mixed with a sort of glue or gel made from boiled animal skin, to produce a white paint. This paint is layered onto the doll 30 times, and each layer is polished before applying another layer. That is why the skin is so smooth and shines brilliantly, like porcelain. Any color to the skin is applied after this white, 30-layer base. Female characters’ faces tend to remain white, while male ones are more likely to have additional color added.

For more refined characters, the doll maker will use real human hair. The properties of human hair allow for easier styling with a hot iron, creating refined hairstyles for elegant characters.

For rough, or stubborn, characters, the doll maker will use wavy thick hair from the tail of a yak. The female puppets can blink their eyes. Male puppets can turn their eyes left and right, move their eyebrows, and open and shut their mouths to create different expressions. These motions are all controlled by the omo-zukai puppeteers by pulling levers inside the puppet’s neck that control the delicate mechanisms inside the puppet. The face movements are attached to strings made from whale baleen (the bristle-like feeding filters that whales have instead of teeth).

The puppeteers are silent. There is, instead, a storyteller, or tayu, who has two roles. One is to narrate the play, and two is to voice-act the lines of all the characters. There is just one tayu for every play.

In addition to the 2-3 years it takes for someone to become a tayu officially, it can take one year for a tayu to memorize a single play. They must learn breathing techniques like an opera singer to project their voice. They also have to convey the voice and emotions of all the different characters.

When they are starting out, these storytellers might know a short play with few characters, but as they grow in mastery, they will learn more complicated plays with more characters.

The tayu are accompanied by one shamisen player. The shamisen player not only creates background music for a scene, but also adds sound effects into the play, like the sound of a door opening or snow falling. They also use their instruments to add emotions into the play.

The tayu and the shamisen player work closely together, like a husband and wife. The tayu is the husband and the shamisen player is the wife. If the tayu starts growing tired during the performance, the shamisen player can support them with music. They have this kind of relationship.

The scripts of the ningyo-joruri play are often written in ancient Japanese, like kabuki plays, so the dialogue may be difficult to understand. But if all the players are working together, the audience will understand the story and the emotions.

On Awaji Island, there is a lot of community outreach to try to teach the younger generation about this art form. For example, there are school clubs dedicated to practicing ningyojoruri. I visit schools once a month to teach the students about it.

Awaji Minami City has even made ningyo-joruri an official part of the elementary through junior high school curriculum. This theater focusedprogram is only three years old and was started when a new mayor was elected who decided to try to promote ningyo-joruri more in the community.

Each year, the students have a different project to learn about ningyo-joruri. For example, the junior high school third years’ assignment is to use social media to promote ningyo-joruri online to a wider audience.

The Awaji style uses larger puppets than the style found in Osaka or other parts of Japan. This makes the performances really dynamic. What really makes the Awaji Style unique is the skill and mastery of the performers.

They can visit the Awaji Puppet Theater. Normally, the theater hosts performances every day (although during the COVID state of emergency, the performance schedule has been reduced to weekends only). They show different plays every month, bringing in performers from all over the island.

Foreign people can read summaries of the play beforehand in English, Chinese, Korean, and modern Japanese.

It’s really great! Please come see and support us at our theater.

Japan Visitor: Awaji Puppet Theater

Tokuya Okitsu is a puppeteer at the Awaji Puppet Theater. He likes cooking, eating, and solo-camping. He’s excited to get to share the charm of ningyojoruri with the world.

Toshie Ogura is an English elementary school teacher by day, and an ECC teacher by night. She loves doing both! For fun she enjoys traveling, growing tree peonies and roses, and practicing the art of tea brewing. She also has a podcast with her friend where they rave about their favorite things in Japan!

Rachel Fagundes is a 5th year JET in Okayama and the Head Editor of CONNECT. She loves traditional Japanese theater, Mexican food, science fiction, and cats.

connect.wellness@ajet.net

“I have an inferiority complex, but not a very good one.”— Kimberly Matsuno

connect.sports@ajet.net

“If you would serve your brother, because it is fit for you to serve him, do not take back your words when you find that prudent people do not commend you.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson, On Heroism

“It’s fine. Luckily we’re all English so no-one’s going to ask any questions. Thank you, centuries of emotional repression!” — Mark Corrigan, Peep Show

“Everyone should believe in something. I believe I will have another coffee.” — Unknown

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“. . . good at making puzzles for other people, but not solving the ones she didn’t make herself. I think she thinks—I don’t know—side-wise.” —Gene Wolf, Shadow of the Torturer

Have you ever jealously watched children climbing the jungle-gym at your local park and wished you could hop on without getting the police called on you? Do you like exercise but find lifting weights boring? Trying to make more friends in Japan? Want to gain a little more muscle definition before the hot, humid Japanese summer weather arrives? Lucky for you, rock climbing gyms will (possibly) solve all these problems and many more!

In this article, I will be explaining the unique benefits of climbing as a hobby, what one can expect when entering a Japanese climbing gym, as well as some of the Japanese words and phrases you can expect to hear Japanese climbers say.

(For experienced climbers who just want to know about Japanese gyms, feel free to skip ahead to the “What to Expect . . .” section.)

First, to the uninitiated, please allow me to sell you on the sport of rock climbing, because it's pretty awesome. I find that when young adults leave high school or college, they often adopt the predisposition that the only way to integrate exercise into their week is by joining a weightlifting gym or going for a jog. While those can be fun, many forget that recreational sports can be a fantastic way to fortify one’s physical, mental, and social health.

The goal of rock climbing is extremely simple. Simply start at the bottom, and go up. However, in climbing gyms, employees place “routes” that limit the amount of holds and features on the wall that you can use while going up. The most basic routes are as easy as climbing a ladder, but as the difficulty of the routes increases, rock climbing can become much more complex. Many beginner climbers have the tendency to rely on just their arms, treating the climbing wall like a vertical set of monkey-bars, but more complex routes require climbers to engage practically every major muscle group. Climbing

is a fantastic way to build strong, toned, and functional muscles, as well as a better sense of balance and body awareness, but I guarantee that it won’t even feel like exercise because. . .

The success of getting to the top of a route can be just as viscerally satisfying to the monkey-parts of our brain that feel pleasure when we lift something heavy, but the process of climbing is far more mentally engaging than any machine you would find in a 24 Hour Fitness. Sometimes, defying gravity requires some imagination. Figuring out how you need to contort your body to get through the hardest part of a route can be just as challenging as the physical strength required to execute it.

Think of climbing like a singleplayer puzzle game where your body is the controller. Fear not, however, because you will likely not be tackling this challenge alone.

Climbing might be an individual competition between you and the wall, but it has a habit of bringing people together in the spirit of cooperation and support. Compared to other types of gyms, there is a lot of standing around and chatting in climbing gyms. Rock climbing is particularly taxing on your fingers and forearms, and frequent breaks in between attempts at more challenging routes are practically a requirement. In addition to that, the puzzle-like nature of the sport has created a culture where sharing information with fellow climbers is the norm. Most climbers are more approachable than your average, headphone-wearing gym rat who has occupied the only squat rack for the last 30 minutes. In review, climbing will make you stronger, smarter, and more popular. Now that you have surely decided to begin climbing, I will now describe what you can expect when you visit your local gym.

The sport of climbing has exploded in popularity in recent years, and many professional climbers recognize Japan as one of the strongest regions in the sport. As such, it is very likely that you have a climbing gym somewhere near you with some skilled climbers inside of it. If it is your first time visiting a gym, just wear some comfortable workout clothes and a thin, tight pair of socks (required for rental climbing shoes).

The pricing structure for the climbing gyms I have been to in Japan have been pretty standard. Daily passes are normally around ¥1500 to ¥2500. One unfortunate trend I have noticed is that many gyms charge a 録料 (shokaitouroku-ryou) a first-time registration fee, which can add around ¥1500 to your first time visiting a new gym. This sucks because it disincentivizes from visiting multiple gyms in your area, but so be it. Many gyms o discounts and campaign periods where prices might be lowered significantly, so it may be worth giving a call and asking about it. If you decide you like the gym, the monthly fee varies from ¥80,000 to ¥140,000 depending on the location and how long you commit to becoming a member. Most gyms in Japan are strictly bouldering gyms (a discipline of climbing where you don’t need to wear a harness), but if you are interested in top-rop or leadclimbing, taller gyms do exist.

For those with climbing experience, lots of climbing terminology in Japan is

normally around ¥1500 to ¥2500. One unfortunate trend I have noticed is that many gyms charge a 初回登 (shokaitouroku-ryou), or a first-time registration fee, which can add around ¥1500 to your first time visiting a new gym. This sucks because it disincentivizes from visiting multiple gyms in your area, but so be it. Many gyms offer discounts and campaign periods where prices might be lowered significantly, so it may be worth giving a call and asking about it. If you decide you like the gym, the monthly fee varies from ¥80,000 to ¥140,000 depending on the location and how long you commit to becoming a member. Most gyms in Japan are strictly bouldering gyms (a discipline of climbing where you don’t need to wear a harness), but if you are interested in top-rop or leadclimbing, taller gyms do exist.

For those with climbing experience, lots of climbing terminology in Japan is the same as the English terminology. For example, a “heel hook” is a ヘールフック and a “chalk bag” is a チョー クバッグ. However, regardless of prior knowledge of climbing or Japanese, climbing can still be a fantastic way to practice the Japanese language. Along with day-to-day conversations with your gym buddies, discussing climbing routes will help you get extremely familiar with the Japanese words for colors, body-parts, movement, and spatial-orientation. To get you started, here are a few key phrases for participating in the culture of Japanese climbing gyms: ガンバ (ganba) a climbingspecific shortening for the phrase 頑張って (ganbatte). Try shouting “ganba” to anybody who could use a little encouragement on the wall. You will surely get some back when it is your turn. 惜しい (oshii) means “you were close.” Often used to comfort a climber when they fail a route/ move. 足自由 / 足限定 (ashijiyuu/ ashigente) - ashi means leg. jiyuu means free. gentei means limit or limited. Beginner routes at gyms will often limit the hand holds you can use to get to the top but allow you to freely use any holds or features for your feet and will marked 足自由 (ashijiyuu). Intermediate to advanced routes will all raise the difficulty by limiting the foot holds as well as the hand holds, making them 足限定 (ashigentei).

In conclusion, climbing is dope. Joining a climbing gym in Japan can be rather expensive, but honestly so is every other type of gym. If you are going to be spending a chunk of change to physically torture yourself for fun, you might as well learn a cool skill in the company of a bunch of friendly, outdoorsy, adventurous people while you are at it. Have fun and ガンバ!

Tyler is part of an experimental program that places extremely intelligent chimpanzees in positions of responsibility within human society. Due to his talents in making noises and gestures that somewhat approximate the human language, he has been assigned to attempt to teach English to high school students in the Ibaraki prefecture, and he has been doing so since late 2021. One can only speculate the profound impact he will have on the generations of students lucky (or unlucky) enough to find themselves under his tutelage in this grand experiment.

The public eye is tough. It is demanding of those in its sights, and it is unforgiving when public figures fail to meet expectations. Over the last two decades of the internet age, the already thin curtain between the stars and regular people has dwindled little by little. More than television interviews or performances, a variety of new media platforms have allowed a sea of otherwise invisible, everyday people to get up close and personal with celebrities they love, admire, dislike, or even hate. Access to the internet means access to celebrities. The result of such unlimited access has been the rise of parasocial relationships between viewer and performer. Parasocial relationships are described as “one-sided relationships, where one person extends emotional energy, interest and time, and the other party, the persona, is completely unaware of the other's existence. Parasocial relationships are most common with celebrities, organizations (such as sports teams) or television stars.” (1) From the outside looking in, this relationship can be beneficial for both sides: entertainment for the fan and profit for the celebrity. Being in the limelight is profitable, but what is the true cost of digital and in-person access when such a one-sided relationship turns parasitical?

For sports fans, we know all too well the animosity that media can bring to any athlete: purposefully incendiary thinkpieces from commentators, burned jerseys caught on video, team and sponsor boycotts, trending topics, hateful tweets from nextto-anonymous users, and boos and jeers that resound in any stadium. The last few years have provided many notable examples of athletes facing more uphill battles

off the court than on. In 2016, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, raised hellfire from liberal and conservative commentators alike for kneeling during the American national anthem. (2) In 2018, star basketball player Lebron James was told to “shut up and dribble” by Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham after James openly criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump. (3) In the same year, U.S. tennis great Serena Williams received backlash for verbally fighting back against a referee over a violation at the US Open. (4) Online and on the television screen, there is a continuing conversation about whether or not top athletes should share their controversial opinions or personal struggles due to the nature of their jobs.

Having a job as an athlete means working under a public pressure cooker. You have to perform exceptionally and consistently in order to satisfy the appetites of yourself, your coaches, your teammates, and your fans. There will be times when you are “off your game,” but for professional athletes, those times must be very few and very far between. You are expected to play and not go outside of that role. Participation in any sort of advocacy must be well-aligned with a cause that matches public opinion. If you are unable to play, injuries are excusable, but depression or anxiety will not always be given such a benevolent pass.

Discussions of mental health are new to the sports world and, by extension, the world at large. Mental health has always been a “don’t ask, don’t tell” taboo subject and has remained that way, deep and locked away in many people’s hearts. But there is much more at stake for the individual who bottles everything up Some of you may remember the name Hana Kimura. Kimura was cast on the 20192020 season of the once uber popular Netflix reality television show, Terrace House. She was a young professional wrestler living with five other socialites of various professions and “looking for love,” as the show promotes. Disaster struck when Kimura had a fight with a fellow male cast member for allegedly shrinking one of her wrestling uniforms while doing laundry. In the days to follow, public opinion online would slam Hana for her argument. She later tragically took her own life in May 2020 as a result of the relentless cyberbullying she had been receiving. In December 2020, a man was arrested for his connection to Kimura’s passing as it was revealed that he was connected to

over 200 accounts that left over 300 “hateful messages” on Kimura’s social media. The man posted comments such as “Hey, when are you going to die?” and “Is there any value to your life?” (5) Kimura’s passing sparked much conversation in Japan and around the world about cyberbullying and the extent to which some people will go to harass someone they don’t know.

Most recently, during the 2020 Olympics, there were a handful of events that called spotlight to the athletes outside of their physical performances. Japanese gymnast Mai Murakami received negative comments online despite winning a bronze medal in the women’s floor exercise. Japanese table tennis player and mixed doubles gold medal winner Jun Mizutani also shed light on the online abuse he was receiving by uploading a video of comments he received including one that said “Go die.” Singaporean swimmer Joseph Schooling unfortunately came up short in his performance and didn’t make it to the semi-finals. Despite winning gold at Rio 2016, he received a torrent of negativity that prompted the president to step in and ask his fellow countrymen to support him rather than send him hate. Famous U.S. gymnast Simone Biles ended up cutting her time at the Olympics short, citing mental health reasons and bowing out of her major events to the disgruntlement of her American fans. (6) Stigma around mental health in sports is slowly being pushed back against by players like Simone Biles and, also quite notably, Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion has been fairly open about her struggles, and the reception has not always been warm. Before the 2021 French Open, Osaka stated that she would not be doing any post-match interviews as her “mental health was severely impacted by certain lines of questioning.” Osaka “ultimately withdrew from the tournament and Wimbledon over the issue after backlash and threats of fines or suspensions.” (7) Osaka is certainly not the first athlete to not want to do press conferences with reporters. American football player Marshawn Lynch was threatened with a $500,000 fine if he refused to speak to reporters on Super Bowl Media Day in 2015. This prompted Lynch to repeat the phrase “I’m only here so I don’t get fined” about 29 times during the duration of the conference. (8) (9)

As athletes become more transparent about how they feel and the things they are willing to do, the curtain slowly rises on the celebrity, and we begin to recognize them more closely as regular people. In 2022, Naomi shared with Good Morning America a mental health tip that “gives her clarity.” Shockingly, her tip was sharing her struggles with the public by using her platform. In an Instagram post dated June 1, 2022, she revealed that she had been struggling with “bouts of

depression” since the 2018 US Open. She told Good Morning America that "Just saying out loud that I'll take a break and I'll come back when I am truly in love with the sport and I know what I want to do here; it gave me time to reset myself." Naomi’s strength in being publicly vulnerable is a new and promising development for athletes around the world. (10)

The New York Times lists swimmer Michael Phelps, gymnast Aly Raisman, NFL football player Brandon Marshall, basketball players A’ja Wilson, DeMar DeRozan, and Kevin Love as athletes who have come forward to the public about their struggles with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, and so on. The conversation has begun to change for the better, with athletes and non-athletes alike finding unity in sharing their stories. Former USC volleyball player Victoria Garrick did something familiar to most of us and took to the internet to search for help a few years ago. She, too, was feeling the pressure to be perfect on the court. “I remember Googling and not being able to find anyone or athletes who made me feel less alone.” The New York Times agrees: “That frustrating and largely fruitless search seems almost unfathomable now.” (11)

Things are still not perfect, of course. Osaka experienced heckling at the Indian Wells tournament held in March of this year where a random spectator felt compelled to tell Osaka that she “sucks.” (12) And while heckling may not ever truly go away, I am hopeful of a future where athletes are able to be open and honest about their mental health in the same way that they are about their physical health. Athletes don’t need to “tough it out” anymore and spectators and online posters need to begin to hold each other accountable for the things we say and do. We have a responsibility to each other. In order to have access to the sports we all know and love, we should also extend our empathy and support to the players that make it all possible.

Samantha is a first-year JET in Gunma who practices revolutionary optimism. One day we will all be free!

SOURCES:

1. Parasocial Relationships 2. Colin Kaepernick 3. Shut Up and Dribble 4. Serena Williams 5. Hana Kimura 6. Cyberbullying and Athletes 7. Naomi Osaka Press Conference 8. Marshawn Lynch 500K Fine 9. Marshawn Lynch Comment 10. Osaka GMA Interview 11. Athletes Discuss Mental Health 12. Osaka Indian Wells Tournament

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When you ask expats what they dislike most about summer in Japan, one of the most common answers is the unabashed humidity. With Tokyo’s average humidity levels last July being a whopping 83%, Japan’s humidity is much higher than many Western expats are used to. For reference, summer humidity levels in Los Angeles last year were around 69%, while Sydney and London averaged 74% and 73% respectively. This presents a major frizzy situation for those who do not know how to properly treat their hair for humid weather. However, there are solutions to help tame the manes! Keep reading for some methods and products to keep hair looking its best throughout the blistering, sticky months.

While it doesn’t seem like it can do much, a haircut can greatly affect overall frizz levels. Having a blunt, non-layered cut will help to keep weight at the bottom of your hair, preventing it from frizzing up. Additionally, split ends can actually travel up the hair strands, resulting in more fraying and frizz. Salons recommend a trim every six to eight weeks to stop this.

A trip to the salon is also a great opportunity to talk with your stylist and see what cuts, products, and methods they recommend for frizzy hair. In Japan, the best-kept secret is the straight perm. A straight perm is a chemical treatment that straightens natural curls. While expensive, it can result in less day-to-day maintenance and usually lasts between six months to a year.

Frizz prevention can also be done in the shower. Frizz is usually caused by dry hair. So adding moisture and using moisturizing products in the shower can prevent frizz later.

Look for hydrating, moisture-based shampoos and conditioners with ingredients like glycerin (グリセリン). Hair masks are also a great solution that can be used once or twice a week to really lock in moisture. Hair masks are deep conditioning treatments that can be made at home or bought at a local drug store. They sit in the hair for anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours depending on the treatment.

Another tip is to not wash your hair every day, as this can actually increase dryness. Most hairstylists say two or three times a week is sufficient. If you do wash your hair every day, try to not use shampoo every wash. Alternate with shampoo and conditioner one day, and then just a rinse and conditioner the next day. While there are hydrating shampoos, shampoo’s main purpose is to clean—which can strip away your hair’s natural oils and moisturizers. Finally, at the end of your shower routine, giving your hair a cold water rinse can also help to prevent hot water damage and close your hair cuticles—possibly resulting in shinier, less frizzy hair.

Women from the JET Ladies + Facebook group have recommended Shea Moisture Manuka Honey or Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil.

When getting out of the shower, reducing the amount of heat and friction your hair encounters is key to stopping frizz. Aggressively using a terry cloth towel to dry your hair will open or fray hair cuticles. Towel turbans or microfiber towels can be used in lieu of the standard bath towel. Many stylists also recommend using a wide-toothed comb to brush your hair, as they have less bristles than a standard brush.

After lightly drying, adding a serum will help to realign hair fibers and create a smooth look.

Sophie and the ladies of JET Ladies + recommend Tsubaki Oil Perfection Hair Oil. In addition to working well to smooth hair, it smells amazing. Sophie has also used and liked Soapbox Argan Oil available on iHerb, if you prefer a sulfate and paraben-free option.

Letting your hair air dry is recommended as the best course of action for controlling frizz. Regular hair dryers use hot air which will cause damage and dry out hair over time. If you do prefer to dry your hair right away however, opt for an ionic hair dryer. Ionic dryers use a magnet to separate the water molecules and hair. If you can afford and/or find one, the Dyson Airwrap is also a highly rated tool for styling damp hair with minimal damage. If you still wish to use a regular hair dryer, curling iron, or hair straightener, consider using a heat thermal protection spray before. In Japan, they can be labeled as a “style keep mist”.

Daily styling and product choice will mostly come down to trial and error or personal preference. Almost every haircare brand has styling gels, oils, balms, and creams. If you’re not sure where to start, look for products containing Moroccan/ Argan oil. Argan oil is a natural plant oil produced from the argan tree that is native to Morocco. Just like the natural oils in your hair, Argan oil will moisturize your hair and scalp and protect your hair from everyday damage.

Sophie recommends Lush Revive (Formerly R&B), Lush Sea Salt Spray, and Garnier Fructis Moroccan Sleek. Other JETs from JET Ladies + recommend Cantu Coconut Curling Cream and Moroccan Oil Hairspray.

In order to protect hair while sleeping, consider changing to a silk pillowcase that won’t snag hairs like a regular cotton one. For those with long hair, sleeping with your hair tied back in a loose bun can also lessen friction and prevent tangles. Another option is to sleep in braids, which will also add waves and volume to your hair the next day.

Discovering what works best for you can certainly be a process of trial and error. But implementing any of the suggestions above and developing a proper hair care routine will help you keep your hair healthy and fight the summer frizz.

Sophie is a fourth-year JET in Kobe, Hyogo. In her free time, she enjoys reading, visiting coffee shops, and practicing film photography. Check out her photos on Instagram: @sophie.pdf

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Japan Humidity Report

Humidity around the world

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A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but would a plum by any other name still be a plum? For those of us living in Japan, when we hear “Japanese plum” we immediately think of “plum blossoms, umeboshi, and umeshu, all of which come from the Prunus mume tree. But for many other people around the world, the word “Japanese plum” equates to Eriobotrya japonica—commonly known as “loquat” (or “biwa” in Japanese). Oblong in shape, the yellow-orange fruits are typically one to two inches (2.5-5 cm) long and have three to five brown seeds. Juicy and refreshing with a slightly sweet finish, loquats are often compared to apricots in terms of texture and flavor. The fruits are commonly found in jams but can be used in many other applications, including wine and tea. Cultivated in Japan from as early as 1180, loquats have long been revered for their medicinal properties. Traditional medicine used loquat extracts to treat coughs and inflammation. While modern science has proven that these extracts may also be beneficial in the treatment of diabetes. Loquat rounds out the spring fruit season with harvest taking place from late May to early June. So as you are perusing your local farmers market this month, consider picking up a bag of the “other Japanese plum,” the loquat. Keep reading for three awesome recipes using loquats, including two delicious desserts—one of which you can make in your rice cooker!

JULIA MACPHERSON (NIIGATA)

Moving to a new country is an exciting new adventure, but there are always some things that take a bit of getting used to. For me, one adjustment about living in Japan was the lack of an oven in my small apartment. As an avid baker, I turned to an appliance that did fit in my apartment: a rice cooker. I have continued baking with a rice cooker for several years now, and this recipe for a dense, rich, and extremely moist upside-down cake is a new favorite of mine.

Note: This recipe is for a (5.5 cup) rice cooker. You may have to adjust quantities for rice cookers of different sizes.

For the Cake

• 2/3 cup (150 grams) butter, softened • 2/3 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar • 2 eggs • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt • 1 cup (225 grams) all purpose flour • 1½ teaspoons baking powder • 1 teaspoon baking soda

For the Topping

• 4 tablespoons butter • 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar • 10-12 (200 grams) loquats (canned or fresh)

Photo by: Kimberly Matsuno

Cake Batter

1. Lightly grease the inside of the bowl of your rice cooker. 2. In a large bowl, cream together room temperature butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. I recommend using a hand mixer for this step, but if you do not have one, you can whisk it by hand. 3. Add the eggs, vanilla, and Greek yogurt, and mix thoroughly. 4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. 5. Add the dry ingredients to wet, and mix until completely incorporated — no dry spots should remain. 6. Set aside cake batter until topping is completed. Topping

1. Slice your loquats in half or into wedges. Choose which shape is more pleasing for you and you would like to see on the top. If you are using fresh loquats, peeling the loquats is optional, but please be sure to remove the seeds. Spread the cut loquat in a single layer covering the bottom of the rice cooker bowl.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and then add brown sugar. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring rapidly, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. 3. Carefully pour the caramel sauce into the bowl of the rice cooker over the loquat slices.

Bake

1. Pour the batter over the loquat-caramel topping and gently spread the batter to cover all of the fruit.

2. Insert the bowl back into the rice cooker and set the rice cooker to the “Cake” (ケーキ) setting. If your rice cooker does not have a cake setting, then you can use the “Rinse-Free” (すすぎ/無 料, susugi) setting. Both settings should cook for about 45 minutes depending on the manufacturer. If your rice cooker does not have either of these settings, use the standard rice setting, but be sure to check your cake after it has been cooking for 45 minutes. Close the lid and press start. 3. After one full cook cycle, test the cake for doneness using a toothpick—if a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, the cake is finished baking. If your cake is not finished after one cook cycle, you can begin another “Cake/Rinse-Free” cycle but check your cake for doneness every five to ten minutes.

4. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the rice cooker. 5. Once the cake and rice cooker bowl are both completely cool, place a plate upside down on top of the bowl. Then, invert the plate and bowl together so that the cake ends up on the plate, topping side up. You may need to leave the bowl and plate upside down for a while to give the cake time to release from the bowl. If the cake is sticking, you can pat the bottom of the bowl, or gently shake it to loosen the cake. Do not shake or pat too vigorously, as this can result in the cake breaking. 6. Slice and serve—enjoy!

Julia is a former ALT who participated in the JET Programme from 2019-2020. She now lives in Canada and works as a high school music and mathematics teacher. In her free time, she enjoys baking (with and without a rice cooker), playing music, swimming, and playing board games with friends and family. She looks forward to visiting Japan again in the future.

Photo by: Didi Miam on Unsplash

JENNIFER MADDEN (HYOGO)

When life gives you lemons, they say make lemonade. But what about when your school gives you loquats? Before coming to Japan, I had never heard of this fruit before. But once the harvest from the school’s trees appeared in the staff room, I knew I needed to figure it out. After some searching, I found an easy recipe, courtesy of Peter’s Food Adventures, that I altered a bit to make work in my small kitchen.

• 2 cups (12-14) loquats deseeded and quartered (can peel or leave skin as desired) • 2 cups (1-2) apples peeled and sliced • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • 1/2 cup (68 grams) all-purpose flour • 1/2 cup (115 grams) cold butter • 1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Jennifer is a 5 year Hyogo JET alumni who likes to bake and try new (easy) recipes when she has time. Her favorite recipes are banana bread and homemade applesauce.

Photo by: Sarah Brown on Unsplash

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celsius.

2. Grease a baking pan or pie pan with butter or vegetable oil 3. Wash and deseed/core the apples and loquats. It is up to you whether or not you wish to peel the fruits. The peels will only affect the texture, not the overall flavor. 4. Quarter the loquats and cut the apples into bite-size pieces. 5. Toss together the fruit, lemon juice, and vanilla in a bowl until coated, and then spread evenly in the baking pan. 6. In a separate bowl, mix the spices, flour, and sugar together, and then gradually add the butter a little at a time (cut with a fork). Mix until it forms a crumbly mixture. It may be easier to do this by rubbing the ingredients together by hand than by trying to use a fork or spoon. 7. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the top of the fruit mix in the baking dish. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned. 8. Cool slightly before serving. To top it off, I’d recommend buying a tube of condensed milk (練乳, ren’nyū) to drizzle over the top or pick up some vanilla ice cream for the side. If you have oats (courtesy of Costco or an import store), you can add 1/2 cup to the dry mixture to sprinkle over the top in step 6. The baking time may vary slightly; I’ve found that with Japanese microwave ovens, it sometimes takes a little longer than expected so I would check on it regularly. In the end, the recipe was a big hit with my coworkers so I hope it will be a hit for you too!

ROXANN MOUSSEAU (NAGASAKI)

This recipe utilizes both the leaf and the fruit of the loquat. It is a perfect sweet-and-savory dish to wow with during the summer. I find that beef pairs well with the mildly sweet fruit and the earthy tea flavors of the biwa leaves, but feel free to sub it out for your preferred protein. If loquats are hard to come by in your area, you can also use apricots in place of the loquat fruit. This recipe yields two servings. So, the measurements can be adjusted to suit your needs. This recipe features two methods for marinating the beef—an overnight method and a quick steeping version. It’s not necessary to do both the overnight marinade as well as the quick steeping marinade, so feel free to choose whichever one fits your cooking style and skip the other marinating step.

• 6 grams loose loquat tea leaves (or 4 tea bags) • 4 cups plus one tablespoon water • 1/2 medium yellow onion (chopped) • 260 grams (9.2 ounces) beef (diced) • A pinch of salt • A pinch of pepper • 1/4 teaspoon oregano • 1/8 teaspoon cardamom* • 10-12 (200 grams) loquats • 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced) • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric • 1 medium lemon ( juiced)

*Note: I personally like cardamom quite a bit, but if it’s not your favorite you can reduce the measurement to just a pinch.

1. Optional Overnight Marinade: Boil one cup of water. Add in two servings (three grams or two tea bags) of loquat tea. We’re going to make the marinade stronger than if you were drinking the tea, so that’s why it’s twice your tea’s recommended brewing amount. While waiting for the tea to cool, cut the beef into bite-sized cubes and place them in a sealable container. Once the tea has cooled completely, pour it over the beef and leave it in the fridge to marinate overnight. After about 10-12 hours, drain the beef from the marinade and dispose of the residual marinade. 2. Add three cups of water to a pot along with your chopped onions, salt, pepper, and oregano. Bring to a boil then add the remaining three grams of tea along with your diced beef. I put my tea in a reusable tea bag. Make sure if you have loose tea not just throw it in the mixture. 3.Lowerheattoalowmediumsimmerand cook the meat until tender, approximately 10 minutes. Cooking times will depend on the thickness of your beef cuts. 4. Optional Quick-Steep Marinade: Once cooked, remove the pot from the heat and let it steep off to the side for 20 minutes. 5. Strain the boiled onions and beef through a sifter. You can keep the stock and use it to cook your rice in. 6. Cut the loquat in half and remove the seeds. You can remove the skins if you wish, but it is not necessary. Add the loquats to a blender with a tablespoon of water, lemon juice and cardamom. Puree the mixture until smooth.

7. In a saucepan on medium-high heat, saute the bell peppers until halfway cooked, then add in the puree. Cook it down until the puree thickens to a compote consistency and the peppers are fully cooked. The goal is to reduce the liquid through cooking until you are left with a sticky sauce. Add in the turmeric, then stir and remove the pan from the heat.

8. Fold in the beef and onions to the puree mixture until the beef is fully incorporated. Optionally, you can add a dash of more black pepper if you feel it is needed. 9. Plate and serve! Enjoy!

Roxann is a first-year JET who lives in Nagasaki prefecture. Roxann loves all food and is always excited to try out new recipes.

There are currently no prefectures under a State of Emergency or exercising Priority Preventative Measures.

Local authorities may still impose restrictions, especially on dining and entertainment establishments. Please check with your local authority regarding specific restrictions in your region. *All information is accurate as of April 4. For an up-to-date list of all prefectures under States of Emergency, please refer to the Cabinet Secretariat Office’s Website.

• Please avoid the “3 C’s” (closed places, crowded places, and close - contact settings).

• Wear a mask in public places.

• Keep social gatherings small and short.

• Exercise proper social distancing. • Clean and disinfect common facilities, thoroughly wash hands, and disinfect with alcohol.

Including all of the above, please ensure to:

• Refrain from visiting food and drinking establishments after 8:00 p.m.

• Please refrain from visiting establishments with karaoke.

• Residents are to refrain from traveling to prefectures under states of emergency. • Do not drink alcohol in groups on the streets or in parks. • Businesses are to reduce the number of employees commuting to work by 70%.

The Japanese government recommends that all people over the age of 12 get vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccinations are available to everyone, including foreign residents, free of charge. After a second dose, vaccines provide significant protection against contracting COVID-19 and greatly reduce the risk of developing severe symptoms in those who do contract the virus. Getting fully vaccinated remains the best protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

For information regarding how to get vaccinated or how to receive your vaccination certificate for overseas travel, please visit the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare’s website.

PCR tests are covered by medical insurance (as of March 6, 2021).

If you believe you may have contracted the COVID-19 virus, please contact your prefecture’s COVID call center to find the testing facility nearest you. Do not go to the hospital. For information on your prefecture’s call center and other COVID resources, please visit the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare’s website.

Japan Visitor Hotline: 050-3816-2787

The Japan Visitor Hotline, operated by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), is available 24 hours a day to answer COVID-related questions or direct you to appropriate mental health resources in English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.

• For medically accurate, up-to-date information, check: World Health Organization • For medical resources in your community, check the JNTO Medical Institution Guide

• For up-to-date news about COVID in Japan, check: NHK WORLD • For information regarding international travel, check: Immigration Services of Japan

The Japanese government has opened a call center for inquiries about the COVID-19 Omicron variant. The call center is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. English language support is available by calling 0570-550-571.

Vaccine booster shots (a third shot) for COVID-19 have become available as of December 1, 2021. For information regarding how to receive your booster shot and for further details, please see the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare’s guide.

TELL is a not-for-profit organization that provides support and counselling services to Japan’s international communit y through their in-person offices in Tokyo and Okinawa, as well as online services. They have professionally licensed neuropsychologists on staff to provide testing and assessment to individuals (children or adults).

TELL does not prescribe medicine, but they can refer you to psychiatrists and places to receive a prescription if needed.

TELL also runs LifeLine, a free and anonymous support communication system for English speakers in Japan. For anyone wanting to talk to someone, no matter what the issue, please call the number below or see the website for more information.

TELL Lifeline (every day, 9:00 to 23:00): 03-5774-0992 (regular phone call charges apply)

TELL Chat (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 22:30 to 2:00)

With the aim of enhancing mental health support for JET Programme participants, CLAIR offers the JET Programme Mental Health Counselling Assistance Programme. This programme provides a partial subsidy (50%, up to 30,000 yen per year) for counselling costs not covered by health insurance.

As of April 2021, you can use this subsidy to pay for mental health services in Japan or those received online from providers in your home country. If you wish to use a service overseas, please consult with your contracting organisation supervisor for more information. If you wish to apply for the subsidy, you must do so through your contracting organisation.

CLAIR offers a toll-free telephone counselling service which does not require any advance reservation to use. The service generally operates twice per month, on the 10th and 20th (counselling days which would fall on a Sunday or holiday are instead held on the Saturday prior to that day). Operating times are from 17:30-21:00 on weekdays and 13:0016:30 on Saturdays.

Counselling via Telephone* Phone number: 0120-810-803 (No advance reservation required. Calls are free of charge.)

*Limited to one call per person per day (no annual limit) In addition to the telephone service, CLAIR also offers free Web-Mail and Skype counselling.

Web-Mail Counselling Login Password: jet2021mental

Skype Counselling Login password: jet2021mental

*CLAIR has prepared three telephone lines for this service; however, there may be times when the lines become congested.

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“All things considered, being shot is not as bad as I always thought it might be, as long as you can keep the fear from your mind. But I guess you could say that about most anything in life: It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind.” — Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks

“私は綺麗にオシャレしてる私が大好き だ。強くあろうとする私が大好き。” (I love it when I am dressed up and looking beautiful. I love myself trying to stay strong) —Kugisaki Nobara, Jujutsu Kaisen

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“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” — Suzy Kassem

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Daiki Hashimoto, an assistant professor at Joetsu University of Education in Niigata, Japan. He earned his PhD from the University of Canterbury Department of Linguistics, where he wrote his dissertation on English phonetics (1). We had a conversation about a particularly fascinating aspect of the Japanese language: loanwords. In our interview, we unpacked the origins of loanwords, public perception of their use, their effect on the language, and much more.

I was originally interested in grammar. When I studied for the university entrance exam, I found English sentence structure to be interesting. I was surprised to learn that English speakers process verbs after subjects, as Japanese speakers process verbs at the end of sentences. After I enrolled in university, I found that English pronunciations are also interesting. English has a larger number of vowels than Japanese has, and some consonants are produced in an unusual way. Luckily, I had an opportunity to do my PhD at the University of Canterbury, and studying there increased my interest in English pronunciation. It is always fascinating to see that different varieties of English have different vowel systems. (I would say that I love New Zealand English pronunciations best!)

Loanwords in Japanese can be classified into two types: Sino-Japanese loanwords and others. Japan has a long history with China, and we borrow lots of words from them along with Chinese characters (kanji). Many words written with kanji are Sino-Japanese words, such as and . Some people may be surprised about which words come from China. For example, (rakuda) and (zou) are not native words, but actually Sino-Japanese words. In fact, the sound structures of these words suggest that these are not native Japanese words. There aren’t any native Japanese words that begin with r-sounds ( ragyouon)) or voiced sounds ( (gazadabagyouon)).Many people in Japan do not regard Sino-Japanese words as loanwords. They believe they are actually Japanese words.

Let’s go back to the question about the percentage of loanwords in Japanese vocabulary.According to Yamazaki, about 40% of daily use words are native Japanese words, 50% of daily use words are SinoJapanese, and 10% are other loanwords as of 1994 (2). Loanwords come from a variety of languages, but most come from English. One reason for this is the emphasis on English education in Japanese public schools. Additionally, English is a dominant language around the globe. There is also a public awareness of English loanwords. They’re in katakana, so they’re easy to identify.I’mnotsurehowmanypeopleknow aboutthehistoryofwordsthatwereadopted from Chinese.

It is not easy to define when loanwords become “legitimate,” because the likelihood of a loanword being integrated in the borrowing language varies from word to word and from speaker to speaker.

In what follows, I would like to refer to words which are widely used in our society as “legitimate”. Calude et al. (2017) point out that there are several factors which determine the borrowability of a loanword (3).

The first factor is part of speech. Nouns are more likely to be incorporated than verbs. In fact, almost all of the loanwords in Japanese are nouns. Second, word frequency plays an important role in the borrowability of a word. If a word is used frequently in daily speech, the word is incorporated into the host language easily.

Then, we may have to address another question: what determines the token frequency of a loanword?

This may be complicated as there are numerousfactorsdeterminingwhichwords we use in speech. If a loanword relates to a concept in which we are interested in, we may use the word frequently. If a loanword refers to things which we use frequently, we will likely use it frequently. Furthermore, a loanword may be used frequently if the host language does not have an equivalent. Japanese has the word (kame). It does not have the correspondent word “turtle.” Japanese has no word equivalent to “toaster.” Hence, “turtle” is not borrowed into Japanese, while toaster is successfully borrowed.

Do you mean (waseieigo)?

refers to a phrase created by Japanese speakers which is comprised of loanwords (4). As the compound words are made in Japan, the whole word actually does not come from foreign languages. One famous example might be (noutopasokon). It consists of two loanwords, (nouto) and (pasokon). Both are derived from English, but have been combined into one word originating from Japan. Just to note, is used to refer to a “laptop”.

As I wrote this answer, I realized that English speakers do not say “note” to refer to a notebook. It might be the fact that notebook was borrowed as in the beginning, and then the loanword was truncated into .

Additional examples of include (bijinesuhoteru) which refers to a business hotel and (shaapupenshiru) which refers to a mechanical pencil.

Some words are borrowed because there isn’t a word to express a certain concept in the language. Why aren’t new words created in the language as opposed to being borrowed? This is an interesting question.

In fact, during the Meiji period (18681912), Japanese people tried to translate foreign words using Sino-Japanese words. The education system in Japan made an effort to use Japanese words for all subjects and attempted to translate them into SinoJapanese words.

For example, (kagaku) was translated from “science,” and (tetsugaku)was translated from “philosophy” (5).

In addition, during World War 2, Japanese people avoided using western loanwords (6). For example, (gorufu) was referred to as (dakyuu) and (biiru) was referred to as (bakushu).

It’s likely people living during those periods were strongly nationalistic, and they did not want to introduce foreign words into the Japanese language. On the other hand, our current society is largely globalized; we don’t hesitate to use loanwords.

In fact, using loanwords may have an advantage in message transmission.

Loanwords have different sound structures and they are unlikely to be homophonous or similar to other words. This means they can be easily identified in speech.

For example, and are clearly distinctive from other words. This is because their sound structure is unusual, as they begin with voiced consonants and include long vowels.

On the other hand, their translated versions( and ) are not so distinct.

There are homophonous or similar words like (dakkyuu) and (mugicha).

For political and communicative reasons, Japanese people may adopt and use loanwords more frequently.

I feel like Japanese people find English to be a prestigious language.

This observation may be supported by the fact that English phrases are printed on many T-shirts and many signboards in Japan, and many English phrases can be found in Japanese songs. I think this is why using a loanword sometimes feels “cool” or “smart” in Japan. For example, some people may say (topikku) instead of (wadai) and (ebidensu) instead of (shouko)in order to sound cooler or more intelligent. These loanwords and their Japanese counterparts carry the identical meaning and are completely interchangeable, and yet some people opt to use the loanword. I guess that using these loanwords in conversation elevates the perception of their own intelligence by others.

I am wondering whether English speakers have these kinds of feelings towards French.

Some longer loanwords are truncated these days.

For example, (asuparagasu) is truncated into (asupara), and (chokoreito)is truncated into (choko).

On the other hand, some loanwords ( (foagura) and (painappuru)) are not truncated.

I am pretty sure that word frequency causes this phenomenon. High frequency words are likely to be truncated. It may be that we often eat and .

On the other hand, we don’t eat and very often.

It is well-known that languages evolve to maximize the efficiency of message transmission. It may be a universal phenomenon that a high frequency word or phrase is shortened in speech. For example, in English, high frequency phrases like “by the way” are simplified as BTW, and “as soon as possible” is ASAP. If it’s shorter, it’s easier to pronounce and more efficient.

We know where some words come from.

For example, (doggufuudo) and (kamera) come from English. This is because we start learning English at primary schools and are likely to encounter the source words in English. However, we are not always sure where a loanword comes from. In fact, we are sometimes surprised to see that some words are actually loanwords. For example, when I was a child, I thought that (kappa) (rain coat) was truly a Japanese word, because Japanese has the homophonous word (kappa) meaning an imaginary mythical creature.

I was really surprised to hear that it comes from Portuguese.

It was also surprising to find that comes from Spanish and comes from Russian.

Sociolinguists say that we express our social status by choosing a linguistic variant.

The word-final /n/ can be pronounced in two ways like picking and pickin’.

Campbell-Kibler points out that producing a velar variant (picking) expresses “formality” and “intelligence.” I am sure that choosing a word against another is also this kind of social language use. Younger people sometimes express their “youth” to keep away from older people by using (wakamonokotoba) (young words). For instance, young people say (pien) or ( (katan)), but mature adults don’t use these words. By employing these words, younger people express their solidarity and social status.

Employing loanwords may also express some social messages.

For example, younger people say (sumaho), while older people say (keitai).

Medical professionals use (ope) (operation) instead of (shujutsu). Additionally, some business people say (kuraianto) instead of (okyakusama). It is common for jargon to primarily consist of loanwords, and using these loanwords conveys a message of group membership.

I searched for this, but there is no systematic research I found.

It may be difficult to define “adopt.” Some loanwords are used by a limited social group.

For example, phoneticians may say (forumanto) (formant) in daily speech, but this word is seldom used outside of our field of work.

Probably many words were borrowed last year, but they are only used by a limited number of people. If we define “adopt” as “used by the majority of Japanese people,” I am sure that many medical loanwords were adopted in recent years.

I had never seen the word (parusuokishimeitaa) (pulse oximeter) before the COVID outbreak, but the word is widely used now due to COVID. I guess that many medical loanwords have been “adopted” over the last two years.

As a phonetician, I would like to point out that sound systems of Japanese have been changing due to loanwords. If you’re familiar with Japanese hiragana, you may have heard the phrase, ” ” (tachitsuteto). You may have noticed that the t-sounds before the high vowels i and u are produced differently before a, e, and o. (chi) and (tsu) have sounds like S and s after air release, while (ta), (te), and (to) have breathy sounds after air release.

Traditionally, Japanese has this kind of rule governing sound sequences (which is called phonotactics).

However, some loanwords violate this rule, and their adoption and use are contributing to the erasure of this rule.

For example, we have loanwords like (tiishatsu) and (turii), which violate the sound distribution rules.

The sounds /ti/ and /tu/ traditionally did not exist in Japanese, although /tSi/ and /tsu/ are allowed. This leads to a situation in which older people pronounce words differently than younger people. My grandmother cannot say well. Instead, she says (teishaatsu). On the other hand, my mother and I say . I also hear some people say (kaadegan) instead of (kaadigan). This may also be because /di/ does not exist in japanese traditionally.

EmployingloanwordsmaychangeJapanese sound systems further in the future.

Ryon Morrin is a 3rd year ALT based in Shintotsukawa, Hokkaido. In his free time, he enjoys discovering new music, hiking in the mountains, and playing rhythm games at the arcade.

1. https://researchmap.jp/daiki_hashimoto?lang=en 2. https://www.anlp.jp/proceedings/annual_meeting/2004/pdf_dir/P6-3.pdf 3. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/cllt-2017-0010/html?lang=en 4. https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%92%8C%E8%A3%BD%E8%8B%B1%E8%AA%9E 5. https://kotobaken.jp/qa/yokuaru/qa-96/ 6. https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%95%B5%E6%80%A7%E8%AA%9E

Illustration: | soco-st.com Photo: Porapak Apichodilok | pexels.com Illustration: Irasutoya | irasutoya.com

(nashi wa nashi da.) (hoshi ga hoshii.)

Welcome to the final monthly language corner!! I appreciate you all coming on this journey of monthly language learning with me. Did you learn anything? Maybe some bad jokes at least?

I’ll leave you with two easy but fun puns! If you know of any other dajare, please send them my way.

final

pear

star

Golden Week

“long consecutive holiday” i.e., Golden Week

Constitution Day i.e., May 3

Greenery Day i.e., May 4

Children’s Day i.e., May 5

carp flags

traffic jam (which is to be expected with the large amount of travelers!) saigo

nashi

hoshi

goorudenwiiku

oogatarenkyuu

kenpoukinenbi

midorinohi

kodomonohi

koinobori

jyuutai

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“If they do not need you, it’s okay. You do not live for other people.” — Tooru Nishimura.

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“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take — Wayne Gretzky — Michael Scott” — The Office

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“Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed.”―Mary Oliver

“私は綺麗にオシャレしてる私が大好きだ。 強くあろうとする私が大好き。”(I love it when I am dressed up and looking beautiful. I love myself trying to stay strong) ― Kugisaki Nobara, Jujutsu Kaisen

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“Monday for me is like waking up and stumbling very quickly down a flight of stairs only to land perfectly on your feet at the bottom and wondering how in the actual hell you managed that.” — Self

Ailsa van Eeghen (Kagoshima)

We had about one week, a car, no desire to plan a trip, but plenty of desire to go somewhere. Anywhere.

These were the requirements we had to meet as we stared at my Google map of Japan and all of the little stars on it, pinpointing the places we wanted to visit. Each week in the countdown to spring break we came back to it, all the while procrastinating planning anything. Then arrived the week of our trip and a decision had to be made. “Yamaguchi Prefecture. Let’s go there. The rest we’ll figure out from there.” And so with that half-baked plan in the bag it was time to head off.

We packed up the car, my trusty camera chucked on the back seat, andheadednorthtoYamaguchi.The drive from Kagoshima to Yamaguchi was largely uneventful. However, I couldn’t help but get excited as I crossed over the Kanmon straits, signalling our exit from Kyushu.

We arrived at our first destination in Shimonoseki as dusk was settling in. Soft bird calls and the rustle of animals deep in the woods accompanied us as we walked up a stone path leading into the mountain. Nestled among the ancient pines and conifers, Kurusonzanshuzen Temple had an aura of mysticism. I walked around it wide-eyed and in awe. How did we find somewhere so special? Huge cedar trees towered above us as we explored this mountain top temple for as long as the darkening sky allowed. “Wow” was all I could say as we got back in the car and looked for a place to park for the night. This was going to be a good trip.

On day two, we left the mountains and headed up the coast, hitting as many shrines and temples as we could along the way. First up was Futoku Inari Shrine, a brilliant red shrine with commanding views over the Sea of Japan. I have always liked how rather than houses and hotels, shrines and temples occupy prime real estate in this country.

Heading north, we crossed over onto Tsushima Island to try the famous kaisen-don of fresh fish at Ohama restaurant. The bridge to the island is actually more famous than the place itself. At 1,780 m long, Tsushima Bridge is the second longest bridge in Japan. I never thought I’d be excited about driving over a bridge but this was something special. With brilliant turquoise blue water stretching out all around me, this felt like an experience in itself.

Our journey continued up the coast to Motonosumi Inari Shrine. Built on the edge of a low hanging cliff, the red torii gates of this shrine snake down the mountain finishing at the cliff's edge as if enticing you into the ocean. After attempting to throw a coin into the offertory box which was peculiarly attached to the top of a huge torii gate, we turned our attention to finding a place to camp for the night.

Our third day took us to Hagi, an exquisitely preserved former castle town famous for its pottery. We spent the morning exploring the old town area with its white-washed stone walls and traditional townhouses. For lunch, we had kawara soba, a Yamaguchi speciality. Beef, thinly sliced fried eggs, radish, and chilli are arranged on a bed of delicate green tea soba noodles and served atop a heated rooftop tile (kawara). Our meal was a delight not only for the tongue but also for the eyes as it sizzled on the table before us.

Intheafternoon,wecrossedoverthe border of Yamaguchi into Shimane. Located deep in the mountains of Shimane Prefecture, Tsuwano is an idyllic village nestled in a valley. Known as a “little Kyoto,” Tsuwano was incredibly picturesque. Whitewashed stone buildings lined the streets, and colourful koi fish swam in the canals as we walked through the historical district. Huge barrels of sake stood tall outside the many breweries around town. I felt like I had stepped back in time to Edo Period Japan. Our day ended with a visit to Taiko-dani Inari Shrine, which was perched high up on the hillside and featured sweeping views across the valley. This place truly was gorgeous, and yet again, I was amazed at how such beautiful places exist.

We left the mountains and headed back to the coast. In need of a rest day, we pulled into Yunotsu, a quaint but rustic little hot spring resort located in the World Heritage area of Iwami Ginzan Mine. During the day we soaked in Yakushi-yu, a public bath house, where the bathtub is stained a dark red and orange from the iron-rich water bubbling up from the ground.

Then at night, it was time for the show. I had read about Shimane being famous for Kagura, a traditional type of Japanese dance. We followed a small procession of people to one of the local shrines. All of us looked a bit confused, not really sure what we were in for.

The show was like nothing I had ever seen. Kagura, literally meaning “God entertainment,” is a historical Shinto ceremonial dance. Traditional Japanese music filled the shrine as Gods, serpents, spirits, and warriors danced and spun across the stage, acting out ancient stories before me. As I sat in the shrine, watching this incredible dance taking place before my eyes, the rest of the world just melted away. Stepping out in the crisp spring air when the show had ended, I had been reminded yet again why I love this country.

Hoping to have another little Kyoto experience, we spent the day exploring the vast Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine grounds, in particular Omori Ginzan Village. Omori was a charming little place, nestled amongst the mountains. Despite being a World Heritage Site, the place was largely empty, and we felt like we had the whole town to ourselves. We meandered through the streets taking photos of the old Japanese houses until the 5 p.m. bell told us it was time to head back.

It was time to get cultured. The Adachi Museum of Art is home to a wide collection of Japanese modern art and pottery. But its biggest draw is the incredible Japanese garden which surrounds the buildings. The gardens at Adachi were constructed based on the philosophy that “the garden is also a picture,” and thus Adachi’s gardens are said to be a “living Japanese painting.” As I walked through the museum I felt my gaze constantly drawn out the window unable to properly take in the art. We sat there for a long time, enjoying the peace and stillness.

Ailsa van Eeghen is originally from Australia but has been living in Kagoshima Prefecture since 2015. She usually spends her weekends with her camera driving around the Japanese countryside, hanging out in cafes, and hiking up mountains. You can find more of her pictures on Instagram at @daysofailsa where she writes about her life in Japan.

Our last day in Shimane was spent at Izumo Taisha, or Izumo Grand Shrine. Considered to be one of Japan’s most ancient and important shrines, the deity enshrined at Izumo Taisha is said to be the one who cultivated and built Japan.

As we walked through the pine grove at the entrance of the shrine, the trees gently swayed above us, the buzz of the city drifted away and our conversations became whispered murmurs.

As we arrived, the sun was just starting to hit the buildings, steam rising off of the rooftops in the crisp spring morning. The sheer size and scale of the buildings was completely different to anything else I had seen in Japan. I felt dwarfed as I walked beneath the huge shimenawa–a sacred rope made of twisted straw. I think the only two words which came out my mouth that morning were “woah” and “wow” as I tried to comprehend the sheer size and grandeur of what I was seeing.

Considering we started the trip with no plan and no real idea what Yamaguchi and Shimane offered, our time in these prefectures was full of awe and wonder. Coming off of this trip, I felt even more motivated to dabble in the mysterious and ancient world of traditional Japan. Confusion is intriguing, and this trip left me hungry for that feeling of getting lost. From mountain temples, to glistening sea-side shrines, to ancient performing arts and breathtaking examples of architecture and design–Yamaguchi and Shimane are the perfect places to take it slow and embrace getting lost in Japan.