||| NEWSPEAK , NIPPON | WORDS OF THE YEAR ( WOTY ) : MEDIEN | WOTY : PRODUKTE , REKLAME | WOTY : SOZIALE PRAXIS | WOTY : POLITIK | WOTY : DIE SIEGER | OFF TOPIC ? – LEHNWÖRTER | RELATED | KLANGAPPARAT
NEWSPEAK , NIPPON
Ganz ohne Lexikographen und Volksstimmungsprogrammierer kommen wir heute in|ad|ae|qu|at zunächst mit der Auflistung rezenter japanischer Sprechtrends auf . Das Blog Pink Tentacle weist auf jene “Top 60 popular Japanese words | phrases of 2008” hin , welche das Verlagshaus Jiyu Kokuminsha jährlich sammelt :
This diverse collection of expressions highlights many of the events, trends and people that caught the attention of the Japanese mass media in 2008.
Aus dieser Liste sucht ein Panel von Juroren die “10 Besten” aus und publiziert diese – siehe gestern : das magische Datum des “Global Language Monitor ” – jeweils am 1. Dezember . Der “cultural gap” zwischen Fernost und der selbst- fokussierten westlichen Welt ist dazu angetan , die Wortliste in eine kleine Kulturschule zu verwandeln – zumindest eine kleine Ahnung von massenmedialen Catch- Phrases , welche als Bezeichnung und im Bezeichneten ( plus in englischer Übertragung ) uns manche der neuesten “Hystorien” ( Elaine Showalter ) Nippons vorführen . Den berühmten “Nihonjinron” ( = innerjapanischen Identitätsdiskurs , von Westlern oft als elitärer Vorbehalt empfunden ) wird man im weitgehend televisionären bzw. Web- Zeitalter freilich vergeblich suchen .
Vielmehr entstammen viele Wörter und Phrasen speziell der TV- Kultur , fassen berühmt- berüchtigt selbstdecouvrierende “Sager” von Politikern zusammen oder entstammen dem hochgradig infantilisierten Genre von Game- Shows und den linguistischen Idiosynkrasien populärer Moderatoren . Weiteres Wortzeug entstammt dem Pool von Firmennamen , Diätpraktiken und Produkten , also der in die Sprache eingesickerten Effekten von Reklame . Als dritte Wortgruppe definieren wir jetzt einmal grob Bezeichnungen für soziale Praktiken , welche , aus Arbeits- wie aus der Freizeit gleicherweise stammen , meist als Unsitten gebrandmarkt werden . – Ja , ja : Genug der Vorrede und wir fangen jetzt endlich an .
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WORDS OF THE YEAR ( WOTY ) : MEDIEN
- Dumb characters (obaka-kyara): “Dumb characters,” a.k.a. “dumb idols” (obaka-aidoru), are entertainers loved for their lack of brains. Nobody better embodies this phenomenon than clueless TV talents Mai Satoda, Suzanne and Yukina Kinoshita, who, as regular guests on Fuji TV’s “Quiz! Hexagon” trivia show, made a name for themselves by consistently displaying a stunning lack of basic knowledge.
- “Guu !”( # 1 ): a bastardization of the English word “good” — is the signature line of comedienne Edo Harumi, which she usually delivers while giving an exaggerated thumbs-up gesture. She often incorporates the gag into everyday conversation by over-emphasizing the “guu” sound at the end of words. Edo Harumi also received a lot attention as the celebrity marathon runner at this year’s NTV 24-hour charity telethon, which aims to bring-guu in donations from viewers tuning-guu in to enjoy the spectacle of a celebrity in pain.
- Sekai no Nabeatsu: Sekai no Nabeatsu is the nickname of comedian Atsumu Watanabe, whose inane number-counting gag involves having a conniption fit every time he comes to a multiple of three or a number that has a three in it.
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“Kimotiiiii !”: Seibu Lions outfielder G.G. Sato is known for driving fans wild with antics like the “Kimotiii!” (”Feels good!”) he belted out on countless occasions this year.
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“Lost Generation” (rosu jene | sengen): In June, Kamogawa Publishing Co. started a new biannual magazine entitled “Lost Generation,” a self-proclaimed ultra-leftist journal focusing on the themes of “anguish, unease and the absurdities the young people of today face in everyday life.” The magazine takes its name from the so-called Lost Generation of people now in their late 20s and early 30s who came of age during Japan’s lost decade, a period of economic stagnation that followed the collapse of the bubble economy in the early 1990s.
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The Crab Cannery Ship ( # 7 ) (“Kaniko-sen“): This year saw the surprise revival of “Kaniko-sen“, a 1929 novel by Takiji Kobayashi that follows the proletarian struggle of exploited workers on a crab cannery ship. The book sold over 600,000 copies this year, and a contemporary film adaptation (scheduled for release in 2009) is reportedly in the works.
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WOTY : PRODUKTE , REKLAME
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Morning banana (asa banana): Years of online discussion between weight-conscious Mixi users resulted in the creation of the “Morning Banana Diet”, a simple diet program which, among other things, involves eating bananas for breakfast. The diet program took the nation and mainstream media by storm after it was featured on a popular TV show. Sporadic banana shortages occurred at some supermarkets as suppliers struggled to keep up with demand.
Zero carbohydrates (toshitsu zero): As a result of the zero-carb trend that took off last year, the “zero” label is a common sight on drink shelves in Japan. The major breweries now offer a range of zero-carb alternatives. Incidentally, anything less than 0.5 gram per 100 milliliters qualifies as zero.
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- Michelin (mishuran): The first Tokyo edition of the Michelin Restaurant Guide was published in 2008, and the city’s eateries received a record number of coveted stars. Despite some criticism, the guide sold over 300,000 copies the first year. The 2009 edition is due out shortly.
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WOTY : SOZIALE PRAXIS
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Guerrilla rainstorm ( # 8 ) (gerira go-u): Sudden, unpredictable rainstorms struck Japan with alarming frequency and intensity this year. Although the expression “guerrilla rainstorm” has been in use for about 30 years, this summer’s abnormally unstable weather really hammered home the meaning.
Akiba-kei (lit. “Akihabara style”) refers to the geek culture of Tokyo’s Akihabara district, the otaku capital of the world. Synonymous with “otaku,” the expression generally applies to young men who frequent Akihabara and harbor a deep interest in idols, erotic PC games, model figurines and manga, although it can refer to geeky women as well.
- Arafo ( # 2 ): “Arafo” – a word coined to refer to females between the ages of 35 to 45 – is an abbreviation of “Around 40,” which also happens to be the title of a popular TV drama that depicts the worries and conflicts of the Arafo generation, particularly with respect to career, love, marriage, childbirth and child rearing.
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- Taste for middle-aged men (karesen): An abbreviation of “kareta ojisan senmon” (lit. “specialty in withered old men”), “karesen” refers to the particular preference some young women have for middle-aged or older men who are calm, unassuming, and lack sex appeal. This type of man is the subject of a photo-heavy book entitled “Karesen ”, which profiles a host of dandy gents and extols their virtues.
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Marriage hunting (konkatsu): “Konkatsu-Jidai” (”The Times of Marriage-Hunting”), a recent best-selling book by Toko Shirakawa, looks at Japan’s declining marriage rate and the growing difficulty that people in their 30s and 40s face when seeking marriage partners. Recent statistics indicate that 47 percent of men and 32 percent of women in their early 30s are unmarried. These figures appear to be on the rise as people focus more on career than on family, and as more and more people view marriage as a personal preference, not an essential part of life .
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Manager in name only ( # 5 ) (nabakari kanrishoku): “Managers in name only” are company employees who put in lots of overtime but do not get paid for their extra work because they are called “managers,” even though in fact they have no administrative authority. One of these “managers in name only” at the McDonald’s fast-food chain filed a lawsuit against the company for unfair labor practices. In January, the Tokyo District Court ruled in his favor, ordering McDonald’s to pay its outlet “managers” for overtime because they are given no administrative authority. (The law is designed so that companies in Japan do not have to pay overtime to real managers with actual administrative authority.)
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Late-stage elderly ( # 9 ) (ko-ki ko-reisha): “Late-stage elderly” – those aged 75 or older – now account for nearly 10% of the Japanese population, according to an annual survey by the Cabinet Office. The same report, which warned of an imminent pension crisis as the number of retirees reached a record 27 million (21.5% of the population), added that Japan has become a “full-fledged aged society.” In April, the government rolled out the Late-stage Elderly Health Insurance System to better cover people aged 75 and older. While the scheme has been criticized for various administrative shortcomings, the name itself also came under fire. Many found the phrase “late-stage elderly” offensive, so the government renamed the scheme as the more palatable “Long-Life Medical Health Insurance System.”
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WOTY : POLITIK
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“I’m different from you” ( # 10 ) (anata to wa chigau n desu): At a press conference following former prime minister Yasuo Fukuda’s sudden resignation in September, a reporter confronted Fukuda about his seeming detachment from the problems facing Japan and his resignation. Agitated, Fukuda fired back: “You said I sounded detached, but I am able to see myself objectively. I’m different from you .” – Japan’s online community mocked Fukuda’s uncharacteristically blunt outburst for weeks.
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Izakaya taxi ( ‘# 4 ): In June, about 450 Japanese government bureaucrats admitted to receiving beer, snacks and cash from taxi drivers hired for official journeys at taxpayer expense. Taxi fare from central Tokyo to outlying areas can easily cost 10,000 to 20,000 yen ($100 to $200) per trip, which is good money for the driver. To ensure repeat business and get the leg up on the competition, some drivers started keeping coolers stocked with goodies for their big-spending bureaucrat passengers. When the scandal broke, these taxis came to be referred to as izakaya (”pub”) taxis.
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Kasumigaseki’s buried treasure ( # 6 ) (kasumigaseki maizo-kin): The “treasure” buried in Tokyo’s Kasumigaseki district (home to Japanese government buildings and institutions) is not the legendary trove of riches the Tokugawa shogunate government is rumored to have hidden during the closing days of the Edo period (1603-1867) as they faced defeat by Meiji government forces. Instead, it consists of reserve funds and surpluses in the central government’s special accounts. With an estimated value of 187 trillion yen ($1.9 trillion), some politicians believe that this “treasure” could be used to fund economic stimulus measures and social welfare plans. Arguments over how (and whether) to use this money and whether or not it can effectively bail out the Japanese government are intensifying as Japan’s economic situation worsens.
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WOTY : DIE SIEGER
Habe Sie wohl gedacht , dass wir diese hier in|ad|ae|qu|at noch einmal abspulen ! – Scrollen Sie bitte Ihrerseits noch einmal hinauf und beachten Sie die rot markierten Begriffe : Die Ranking- Ziffer folgt ihnen sozusagen auf deren Fuss …
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OFF TOPIC ? – LEHNWÖRTER
Mit “Otaku” ist ja bereits ein japanisches Lehnwort gefallen , welches längst eine internationale Karriere ( unter Nerds ) angetreten hat . Von Begriffen wie Haiku , Manga & Anime , Sho-ji & Tatami , Futon & Tofu bzw Enjokosai & Salarymen ( siehe auch Lolicon ) ganz zu schweigen . Andersherum freilich blieb die Sprachwanderung ( wie Wikipediia und das von der Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache herausgegebene Kompendium “Ausgewanderte Wörter” lehren ) ebenso an kuturspezifische Termini Technici gebunden . Auch der unvermeidliche S. Sick und die deutlich freundlicher formuliwerte Blogwiese schöpfen aus genannten Quellen .
Dabei werden Medizin ( “runge” < “Lunge” , “kuranke” < “Kranke” ) und Alpinismus ( “shutaikuaizen” < “Steigeisen” , “e-deruwaisu” < “Edelweiss” und natürlich Kulturexport No. 1 , “Heidi” ) als eminente Einflussbereiche des 19. und frühen 20. Jahrhunderts genannt , bezeichnender Weise allerdings auch die Maloche : “arubaito” – allerdings in der Bedeutungseinschränkung auf “Teilzeit” .
Was lernen wir daraus : Im Osten sah man den Postfordismus voraus , ehe man im deutschen Sprachraum auch nur eine Minute lang an das Cluster “neuer Arbeitsverhältnisse” dachte . – Eben : Ex oriente lux .
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RELATED
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KLANGAPPARAT
Geregelte Patterns ohne Exzesse : Das wäre doch das Rechte , um die in|ad|ae|qu|ate Japanologie musikalisch zu runden . Wobei es uns mit der 
Anspielung zweier Mini- Releases vornehmlich darum geht , das Belgrader Minimal- Techno- Netlabel Norbu vorzustellen . “Ambient” , “idm” sowie “experimental” lauten die weiteren tags . Seit Beginn sind kalope mit im Team , von ihnen stammt auch die jüngste Release Numero 10 : “in deep sea expedition” . Ein Jahr zuvor hatten sie mit “flatfield” den Sechser geliefert . Die deskriptiven Vokabeln wären vom p. t. Publikum möglichst in japanischer Umschrift einzureichen . CLINK LINKS TO LISTEN TO STREAMS ( WMP ) : “in deep sea expedition” ( 17:34 ) | “flatfield ” ( 22:45 ) .
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[...] : Big in Japan ; où Bibendum mange du [...]