Turning Japanese

I love the Japanese! A lot of people like me have never been there, however, we feel like it's a second home. They'are warm and friendly, very cultured and many more. Japan is a place where East meets West; look at how hi-tech their cities are, and look at how traditional the Japanese can get! There are a lot of places to visit, from the big cities to rural gems surrounded by Mother Nature's splendor. The Japanese may seem to be traditional and old-fashioned but they are also gay-friendly and least xenophobic. It's home to a lot of things I like: Akira Kurosawa and his classics, Yaoi, Anime, Manga, beautiful Japanese boys, the coolest Video Games like Resident Evil, Radiata, Suikoden, Devil May Cry and others, J-Pop, J-Horror, Godzilla/Gojira, Sushi, tempura, etc. And some Japanese boys are really HOT! In the West, a beautiful boy is called an "Adonis." His Japanese counterpart would have been Ranmaru, a fierce but very beautiful bishonen who died side by side with Lord Nobunaga. It is said they died in each other's arms. Whether they are real or anime, there are lots of beautiful boys from the Land of the Rising Sun!






One of my biggest wishes in life is to take a vacation in Europe and Japan; I've taken some steps to help me understand the people by studying a little ( okay, a teeen-weeny, miniscule amount of ... ) Deutsche and Nihonggo. Here's what I have learned so far:



Basic social vocabulary (family)



There's no room to go into all the family words. The rule is that you call older people by their 'title' (father, mother, uncle, etc) and younger people by their names. The only problem is that we don't have a word for 'older sibling.' Hence: Nii-san is what you call your older brother (politely, o-nii-san; very politely, o-nii-sama. Usage varies from family to family.)

O-nii-san is also what you call your older brother-in-law, and any young man whose name you don't know if he's between the ages of about 18 and 30-something. It's also what male prostitutes call their customers, while 'nii-san' is what yakuza (gangsters) call the guy they're about to beat up on.

Nee-san (pronounced nei-san) is what you call your older sister or sister-in-law, with the same polite variants, and also any young woman whose name you don't know between 18 and 40 something. After that you call her obasan (aunt) and she goes home and cries. If you're an older Japanese you can call waitresses 'o-nee-san', but foreigners are advised not to try it.

Oyaji is a colloquial and male term for father. All English equivalents are dated eg 'Pops'. Has about the same feel as 'the old man' but can also be used as a direct form of address.









Basic social vocabulary (honorifics)


It's easier to say who doesn't use honorifics in Japan than who does: adolescent boys and young men talking to each other (sometimes), and older males yelling at younger ones (sometimes). Hence Yuuyuu's heroes call each other 'Urameshi' and 'Kuwabara' with nary a 'san' or 'kun' to be heard. A very small group of people, mostly young, are allowed to call each other by their first names, with or without honorifics, but last name plus honorific is the general rule in adult society. And for the record, most intimate relationships involve calling the other person by one of the many versions of 'you.'

-chan: small children of either sex to about age 5, often with a shortening of the name itself eg Ayano becomes Aya-chan, Saori becomes Sa-chan

young girls by their friends of either sex to about high school age
close female friends
boyfriends and girlfriends, sometimes eg Sailor Moon's Usagi addressing her boyfriend Mamoru as 'Mamo-chan.'
indicates intimacy. Used often in the family eg nee-chan, kaachan (mummy). When used by male to non-related male, the male so addressed usually throws a shitfit cf Angel Sanctuary's Raphael addressing Michael as Mika-chan
-kun: young boys from primary school on up, by teachers and friends alike. Like -chan, this can involve a shortening of the first name eg Makoto Suzuki becomes Ma-kun to his family. Or he can be called Makoto-kun or, in school, Suzuki-kun.

Young men in a company by older men; junior men by senior men cf Eroica's James-kun to his annoying accountant.
increasingly, young women in a company by older men, and sometimes young female students by older male teachers. Always family names in these cases.
male friends about and to each other
-san: the default honorific, attached not only to last names but also to occupations: o-mawari-san = the cop on the beat

In companies, calling a superior 'san' plus last name is rude. You call him by his title- buchou, kachou etc (see below.) As in the army: you don't call him Mr. Smith, you call him 'Sergeant.'
-sama: the deferential form of -san. Not used that much these days except about certain members of the royal family. The Emperor and the Crown Prince are never called by name, so much so that I've forgotten what their names are, if I ever knew: they're Tennou Heika and the Koutaishi to me. But the Koutaishi's wife is eg Masako-sama. -Sama is used much more in period stories and fantasy.

Sensei: always applied to doctors, professors, and teachers of any description, but also to any kind of 'master' from chefs to mangaka. As a term of address, can be used for instance by underlings to the owner of the beauty parlour.

-dono: in historical works, an honorific for practically anyone from feudal lords down to ordinary townspeople. Usage may depend on period, but I don't know more than that.



Basic social vocabulary: extra=family

Senpai The guy who was in an organization, school, company etc ahead of you. The guy who was in grade three when you were in grade two. This makes a difference all your life.

Kouhai The guy who was behind you in an organization, school company etc.

Kachou, buchou, shachou Section head, division head, company president. The three most important men in any man's life. Frequent source of yaoi fodder.







Yaoi typical dialogue

Iya da, dame, yamete, hanase (hanashite)-- respectively: 'no, no, stop, and let me go.' What Japanese ukes say to their semes instead of ok in yaoi if not in real life.

The self-lubricating penis: the tendency of yaoi artists to draw penises- or the glowing cones of light that take the place of penises in Japan, where naked penises are censorable- which are awash in unidentifiable lubricating liquid of some description. Related to the similar phenomenon of the self-lubricating anus.

Omae wa ore no mono da: 'You belong to me.' Typical seme line, to go with the seme behaviors.



Japanese greetings and more!!!

Ohayou gozaimasu
Good morning.


kon-nichiwa
Good afternoon. / Hello.


konbanwa
Good evening.


sayonara
Good by. / See you later.


oyasuminasai
Good night.


arigato (gozaimasu)
Thank you.


do-itashi-mashite
You're welcome.


sumimasen
I'm sorry. / Excuse me. / Thank you.


gomen-nasai
I'm terribly sorry.


ogenki-desu-ka
How are you?


do-shimashita-ka
What's the matter?


odaijini
Take good care of yourself.


I hope you all had fun in our mini-trip to Japan! 'Til the next blog entry, sayonara odaijini!!!