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Diary

【No. 2171】Kuro Rekishi (黒歴史 - Dark History): Part 1

Oct 1, 2023 11:58
Kuro Rekishi: Part 1

The "RPG Maker" series that allow you to create RPGs have been on a massive sale on Steam, so I bought the whole set.

Then, I suddenly remembered games I made with "RPG Maker" over 20 years ago and found my ancient website where I had introduced the games.

I was not only surprised that the website was still accessible, but I was also chilled by its embarrassing content.

To describe such one's embarrassing past that they wish to erase, you can use the slang term, kuro rekishi (黒歴史).

Since kuro (黒) means "dark," rekishi (歴史) means "history," the literal meaning of kuro rekishi is "dark history."

【No. 2163】Shūbun no Hi (秋分の日 - Autumnal Equinox Day)

Sep 23, 2023 12:33
Shūbun no Hi

Today, September 23rd, 2023, is Shūbun no HI (秋分の日 - "Autumnal Equinox Day") in Japan.

On This day, the length of day and night becomes almost equal, as on Shunbun no Hi (春分の日 - "Vernal Equinox Day"), around March 20th.

Shūbun no HI is a national holiday to honor ancestors and remember the deceased.

Therefore, Japanese people often visit graves and clean Buddhist altars around that day.

Incidentally, in 2023, three national holidays, including Shūbun no Hi, fall on Saturdays, making it a year with fewer holidays than usual.

【No. 2162】Sabusuku Binbō (サブスク貧乏 - Being Poor due to Subscriptions)

Sep 22, 2023 12:23
Sabusuku Binbō

How much do you use subscription-based services?

I have numerous subscription agreements, mainly for music, video, manga, and cloud services. However, I have realized that many of them are unnecessary.

This phenomenon, where one continues to spend money on unnecessary subscription-based services, is sometimes referred to as sabusuku binbō (サブスク貧乏) in Japanese.

Since sabusuku (サブスク) is short for "subscription," and binbō (貧乏) means "being poor," sabusuku binbō literally means "being poor due to subscriptions."

To avoid being sabusuku binbō, it is important to carefully consider whether or not the subscription-based service is truly necessary.
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  • 4 min read

【No. 2161】Released Original LINE Emoji

Sep 21, 2023 15:15
Released Original LINE Emoji

I occasionally draw four-panel comics based on the topics I posted on Lang-8

Since the number of illustrations of the character Chikuwa-kun (ちくわ君) in my comics increased, I created and released a LINE emoji package of him.

It was not easy for me to adjust to the size of the illustrations, and I had to redraw almost all of them, which took a lot of time.

Finally, I created emojis that I am personally satisfied with.

I wanted to release them for free if I could, but that was not possible due to LINE's terms and conditions.

If you are interested, please check out Chikuwa-kun's emojis at the following URL.

https://store.line.me/emojishop/product/6508060222c545010728ce88/ja

【No. 2149】0-ji Machi (0時待ち - Waiting for Midnight)

Sep 9, 2023 22:59
0-ji Machi

Yesterday, I did '0-ji machi' (0時待ち - literally "waiting for 0 o'clock") at a highway service area.

On Japanese highways, tolls are discounted by 30% all day on holidays and from midnight to 4 a.m. on weekdays.

This discount applies to the entire section you traveled, if you drive on the highway even for a short period during the designated hours.

Therefore, just before midnight, transportation trucks often stop one after another in front of toll gates, causing traffic jams.

This is known as '0-ji machi', which has become a problem, especially on Tokyo's highways.

【No. 2143】Kansuto (カンスト - Maximum Value)

Sep 3, 2023 23:06
Kansuto

Today, I played a certain game a lot and reached kansuto (カンスト) score.

The term kansuto is short for kauntā sutoppu (カウンターストップ) or "counter stop" in English, which means a state where a player has reached the maximum level or score of a video game.

Since kansuto is a Japanese-English word and probably not understood by native English speakers.

In English, it can be expressed as "maximum value" or "maximum score."

Incidentally, the game in which I reached kansuto is Salmon Run in Splatoon 3.

【No. 2142】Sonae Areba Urei Nashi (備えあれば憂いなし - Better Safe than Sorry)

Sep 2, 2023 22:14
Sonae Areba Urei Nashi

If you are well-prepared in advance, you have nothing to worry about.

The proverb, sonae areba urei nashi (備えあれば憂いなし), expresses this concept.

Sonae (備え) means "prepare," areba (あれば) means "if," urei (憂い) means "worry," and nashi (なし) means "no/nothing," making literal meaning of this proverb "if you are prepared, you will have no worries."

Today, I conducted a trial lesson for high school students and was very worried because I was not prepared enough.

As expected, I could not handle some troubles well, and the lesson ended with a sad atmosphere.
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【No. 2141】This Is Us

Sep 1, 2023 20:58
This Is Us

Today, I turned 36 years old.

There is an American drama series that I have been planning to watch for several years when I turn 36.

It is "This Is Us."

I have no idea about the drama for now, but the Japanese version has a subtitle, '36-sai, korekara' (36歳、これから - meaning "36 years old, from now on").

I am sure this is a human drama where the main character, who turned 36, starts a new chapter of his life.

I look forward to watching it (please do not spoil it).

【No. 2129】My Boom (マイブーム - My Latest Crazy)

Aug 21, 2023 02:27
My Boom

Do you have something that is currently trending for you personally?

That kind of trend is called my boom (マイブーム) in Japanese.

My boom is a Japanese-English expression combining "my" and "boom." While this expression is commonly used in Japan, native English speakers might not understand its meaning.

It can be translated into English as "my latest crazy" or "my current obsession," but these expressions may be a bit stronger compared to the nuance of the Japanese my boom.

Incidentally, my my boom is taking an open-air bath while gazing at the stars.

Last night was clear, and the lovely Delphinus constellation was distinctly visible.

【No. 2124】Hikikomori (引きこもり - Social Withdrawal)

Aug 15, 2023 17:46
Hikikomori

People who withdraw into their homes or rooms and rarely go outside are called hikikomori (引きこもり) in Japanese.

The term hikikomori is derived from hiki (引き - meaning "withdrawal") and komori (こもり - meaning "seclusion").

Japan has a large number of hikikomori, and according to a 2023 survey by the Cabinet Office, it is estimated that about 1.46 million people aged 15-64 (approximately 2% of the population) are in a state of a long-term hikikomori.

I am often in a state of a short-term hikikomori on my days off.

Lately, even in a video game (The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom), I have been withdrawing into the underground and avoiding coming out. In a way, I am a hikikomori in a double sense.

【No. 2119】Tamahyun (タマヒュン - Stomach Drop)

Aug 10, 2023 12:13
Tamahyun

When playing "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," I frequently encounter a phenomenon called tamahyun (タマヒュン).

Since tama (タマ) is a slang term for "balls/testicles," and hyun (ヒュン) is an onomatopoeic word representing that something shrinks, the literal meaning of tamahyun is "one's balls shrink."

Have you ever felt a sensation like your stomach shrinking when watching a video of someone working at great heights or falling from a high place in a game?

The sensation is known colloquially as tamahyun.

It is unclear whether the testicles actually shrink or not, but at least for men, we feel as if they are.

【No. 2118】Ikitsuke (行きつけ - Regular)

Aug 9, 2023 09:24
Ikitsuke

I go to a nearby hot spring two to three times a week.

You can use the Japanese term, ikitsuke (行きつけ), to describe such a facility, shop, or restaurant, that you frequently visit.

Since iki (行き) means "go," and tsuke (つけ) means "always," the literal meaning of ikitsuke is "always go."

This term is often used for restaurants or hair salons, and it is especially fitting for cases where you are familiar with the staff or owner.

For a hospital or dental clinic that you always visit (or the doctor there), you can use kakari (かかり - meaning "be treated") and say kakaritsuke (かかりつけ).

【No. 2117】Atosaki Kangaezu (後先考えず - Without Considering the Consequences)

Aug 8, 2023 12:43
Atosaki Kangaezu

Yesterday, while in a state described as atosaki kangaezu (後先考えず), I purchased an expensive game console.

Since ato (後) means "after," saki (先) means "before/future," kangae/kangaeru (考え/考える) means "to consider," and zu (ず) is a negative suffix, atosaki kangaezu literally means "without considering before or after."

Acting without considering past experiences or future consequences could lead to failure and regret.

However, it is also not good to just keep thinking without taking any action.

I believe that balance is the key to everything.

【No. 2115】Hanabi (花火): Part 1

Aug 6, 2023 15:13
Hanabi: Part 1

Last night, I watched hanabi (花火) through the window of my workplace.

The characters hana (花) and bi/hi (火) mean "flower" and "fire," respectively, so the literal meaning of hanabi is "flower fire," but it actually refers to "fireworks."

It is believed that they are named hanabi because they are as if flowers blooming in the night sky.

In addition, if you switch the characters hana and bi/hi and say hibana (火花), it means "spark" or "finely scattered fire."

You can also say that hanabi contain hibana of various colors and shapes.
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【No. 2101】A Trial Lesson

Jul 23, 2023 12:59
A Trial Lesson

Yesterday, my university held an open campus, and I conducted a trial lesson as a teacher.

The content of the lesson was to give high school students hands-on experience in developing web applications.

However, it was difficult to provide each student with a computer for development.

After deep consideration, I decided to create an online source code editor and execution environment that can be used with smartphones and have students use them.

Although there were many concerns, such as the difficulty of writing codes on a smartphone and the load on the server, I could finish the trial lesson without any major trouble.

I thought it would be difficult to write source code on the narrow screen of a smartphone, but the high school students seemed to operate it very easily.
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【No. 2100】Jūmangoku Manjū (十万石まんじゅう)

Jul 22, 2023 20:25
Jūmangoku Manjū

Today, I bought jūmangoku manjū (十万石まんじゅう), a famous sweet of Saitama Prefecture.

Since jūman (十万) means "a hundred thousand," goku/koku (石) is the old unit of currency, which is now about 50,000 yen, and manjū (まんじゅう) is a kind of traditional Japanese cake, the literal meaning of jūmangoku manjū is "about five billion yen manjū."

I also bought a jūman gold manjū (10万ゴールドまんじゅう), a collaborative product with "Dragon Quest Walk" (the ingredients are the same as those of 'jūmangoku manjū').

According to Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, the in-game currency "G (Gold)" is equivalent to about 100 yen.

That is to say, jūman gold manjū means "about ten million yen manjū."
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【No. 2082】The Japanese Youth Slang Term 'Mi' (み) : Part 2

Jul 4, 2023 21:58
The Japanese Youth Slang Term 'Mi': Part 2

Although mi (み) is a suffix used to turn adjectives into nouns, young Japanese people today apply it to various adjectives and even verbs.

The most famous example of using mi to nominalize a verb is wakarimi (わかりみ - "understanding"), which derives from the verb wakaru (わかる - "to understand").

The correct reason why young people began to attach mi to various words is not known, but it is thought to be for reasons such as "to soften the assertion by using euphemistic expressions" or "for the funny and cute sounds of the words."

Here, since using these nouns by themselves is incomplete as a sentence, they are often used with other verbs or adjectives, such as aru (ある - "to exist"), fukai (深い - "deep"), and kanjiru (感じる - "to feel").

Examples:
Wakarimi ga fukai (わかりみが深い - "I totally understand.") *very frequently used
Yabami wo kanjiru (やばみを感じる - "I feel dangerous.")

【No. 2075】Yowari Me ni Tatari Me (弱り目に祟り目 - Misfortunes Never Come Singly)

Jun 27, 2023 17:23
Yowari Me ni Tatari Me

I had used my iPhone for two years without a case or film, and there was no scratch on it; however, several days ago, I dropped it on concrete, and now it has many scratches.

Even more unfortunately, today I dropped my MacBook Pro, which I bought a year ago for about $350,000, hard on the floor and it is now distorted.

I am very, very sad.

Such a situation can be described with the proverb, yowari me ni tatari me (弱り目に祟り目).

Since yowari (弱り) means "weak/weakened," me (目) means "condition," tatari (祟り) means "curse," the literal meaning of this proverb is "weakened condition, and curse condition."

In other words, it represents a situation where further misfortune happens when one's mind or body is weak.
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【No. 2065】Chan Chara Okashī (ちゃんちゃらおかしい - Fiddle-faddle)

Jun 17, 2023 11:36
Chan Chara Okashī

To describe something too ridiculous, you can use the slang term chan chara okashī (ちゃんちゃらおかしい).

Okashī (おかしい) means "ridiculous" or "funny," and chan chara (ちゃんちゃら) emphasizes the following okashī.

The most accepted theory about the etymologies of chan chara is that it comes from chari (茶利), which means comical phrases and actions in kabuki or ningyo-joruri (traditional Japanese puppet theater).

However, please note that chan chara okashī does not describe something comical or funny but is used to scoff at something ridiculous.
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【No. 2061】Fūfu Genka wa Inu mo Kuwanu (夫婦喧嘩は犬も食わぬ - One should not Interfere in Lover's Quarrels)

Jun 13, 2023 15:59
Fūfu Genka wa Inu mo Kuwanu

Marital quarrels are easily triggered by trivial matters and tend to be quickly resolved.

Therefore, you need not worry too seriously about other couples' quarrels.

To express such a situation, you can use the Japanese proverb, fūfu genka wa inu mo kuwanu (夫婦喧嘩は犬も食わぬ).

Since fūfu (夫婦) means "married couple," kenka (喧嘩) means "quarrel," inu (犬) means "dog," kū/kuwa (食う/食わ) means "to eat," and nu (ぬ) is a negative suffix, the literal meaning of this proverb is "even dogs would not eat marital quarrels."

In other words, dogs eat most things, but even they are not interested in marital quarrels.