"Suki sa" - Anzen Chitai

I dare you not to think S-s-s! A-a-a! F-f-f! E-e-e! T-t-t! Y-y-y! in your head when you think of Anzen Chitai and how their name means "safety zone".

Recently Anzen Chitai started their national tour after reuniting last year after a hiatus of nearly a decade. I don't know much about them, outside of a couple of songs that I've heard over the years. They formed in the 70's (as a bunch of high schoolers in Hokkaido) and played nearly a decade before debuting (and becoming super popular) in the eighties. They went the separate ways in the nineties, doing their own projects, then popped up in the 2000's for a while, and then popped off once again, until last year.

『好きさ』 is the first song of theirs that I heard. I don't think it's the most popular, but I like it (and the lead singer Tamaki is sporting a pretty sweet hair/beard style on the video) so I present it to you here. It happens to be the theme song of Maison Ikkoku, by Rumiko Takahashi of Ranma 1/2 fame.

Youtube is a go-to if you're interested in any of their many other songs/albums. The video here also has a translation attached, different from my own. (Regarding the translation - specifically the line とまらない熱いときめきに / 涙をみせないで: I was a little hung up on that に. When I read it I took it as a sign that とまらない熱いときめき is the cause for the 涙, in the way that you "cry for/with shame". It sounds strange though and I'm not sure if the lines are supposed to be connected at all. Maybe it's just "Unstoppable hot palpitation/Don't show your tears" [or a more poetic version of that]. What do you, O Possibly Nonexistent But Appreciated If Existent Reader, think?)

好きさ しびれるほど 好きさ くやしいほど おそれるものは なにもない 好きさ 忘れられない きりがない甘い接吻を 風がむりにほどく とまらない熱いときめきに 涙をみせないで 好きさ しびれるほど 好きさ くやしいほど 思いつめれば 狂いそう 好きさ はなしたくない 帰れない あなたの肌にも 夜がしのびこんで しかたない  別れ間際には 無傷じゃいられない 憎めない つめたいしぐさは 逢えないとつらくて  やるせない あなたのその声 心がこわれそう 好きさ 好きさ…

I love you so much that it numbs me  I love you so much it disturbs me  There is nothing that can hurt us I love you -- I can't forget you A million sweet kisses  as we're torn apart by the wind  Don't cry for this endless feverish heartbeat I love you so much that it numbs me I love you so much it disturbs me  When I think about you, I fear that I'll go mad I love you -- I never want to leave you  We can't go back Evening has drawn over your skin  It's no use we can't walk away unscathed  I can't hate your coldness I long for it when we can't meet When I hear that woeful voice of yours I fear my heart will break  I love you  I love you...

Part 5 (last) of "Happiness Has the Form of a Kitten" (Otsuichi)

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four



Murai hadn't been to school for one week. 


That morning I was having trouble getting up, and the curtains weren't open. When I realized this, I had a sad premonition. 


I got out of my futon and walked around the house. The floorboards were cold against my feet. I heard nothing but the low hum of the refrigerator in the deathly quiet. Suddenly the kitten meowed. It sounded like a child that had lost its parents as it wandered around the house, its voice full of anxiety and confusion.  I knew that she was no longer here. The kitten must have been searching for Yukimura, unable to find her. This was the first time it had ever been truly separated from its owner. 


I sat in a chair. This was the table where Yukimura listened to the radio at night. I sat there and thought of her for a long time, silent. 


I knew this day would come. And I predicted that I would be plagued with the sense of her loss. I understood all of it. I would just be going back to what it was like before. I could close the windows and lock myself away in my box-like room, just as I had intended in the first place. 


If I had done that, I wouldn't have been feeling this kind of sadness. 


It's painful to be connected with something. If I hadn't met anyone, I would never have felt envy, jealousy, or rage. If I had never grown close to anyone, I would never have experienced the pain of parting from them. 

She was murdered. What had she really been thinking as she lived here after that? When I thought that she might have cried in despair at what had been done to her, my chest grew tight. 


I'd always wished I could give her part of my own lifespan. If it meant she could live again, I wouldn't mind dying. As long as I could see her and the kitten happy, I'd ask for nothing else.


What was my life worth, in the first place? Why did she have to die, instead of me?


It took me a long time to notice the strange envelope on top of the table. I sprang forward and took it in my hands. It was a simple yellow envelope. It was addressed to me in her handwriting. From: Saki Yukimura.

I opened the envelope with trembling fingers. Inside, there was a single photograph and a slip of paper.


It was a photograph of myself and the kitten. I was laid out alongside the kitten, sleeping, an expression of perfect happiness on my face. It was maybe the most peaceful face I'd ever seen myself make in my life; a face I'd never seen in the mirror; a face that she saw through her unique filter. 


I read the letter. 


Sorry for taking a picture of you sleeping without asking. You just looked so cute, I took it before I realized what I was doing.

It's the first time I've been able to write this well. It's kind of weird. I felt like we'd developed some kind of communication between us, so I didn't think a letter was necessary. The next thing I knew us two and the kitten were living together, nestled close.

But I have to go soon. I wanted to be with you, and with the kitten, forever, but I can't do it. I'm sorry.

You probably don't know how grateful I am to you. I'm already dead but every day was really fun. I'm glad I met you. God is wonderful to have given me such a great gift. Thanks. We didn't always know what one another was thinking, or understand each other. We just had each other at our side. That was enough. I am dead and I had no one to rely on, but that made me happy. And plus, you didn't peek into my room or change it around.

The kitten died, didn't it. It's so sad. It might not realize that it's dead yet. That's how I was - I went about my daily life, without realizing I'd been killed. But the kitten will find out sooner or later that its dead, too. And I think it will leave you as well. But I don't want you to be sad when that time comes.

I don't think I'm unhappy; I don't think the kitten is either. There are a million things in this world that make you want to give up hope. There are times that you'll wish you had no eyes, and no ears.

But there are things so beautiful they make you want to cry, millions of them, in this world too. I've seen things so wonderful that I can't breathe. I'm thankful that this world exists, and that I got to be a part of it - even though it was only a small part. I always felt that way when I steady the camera and release the shutter. I was murdered, but I love this world. I can't help loving it. So I don't want you to hate it.

I want to tell you this: look at the photo I put with this letter. You've got a great expression on your face. You're a part of this limitless, beautiful world too. So doesn't that make you one of the things that I love with all my heart?

Saki Yukimura


The kitten wandered throughout the house, but never found her; it twined itself around my feet. After a pause I called out to it, happily, thinking I'd try to cheer it up.


Summer break had begun and there was no need to go to school. I thought I'd clean and do the laundry. But first, I would open up the curtains and the window, and let in some air. 


I stood on the porch and looked at the garden, where the plants were shimmering in the sunlight. The limitless sky, the tall clouds and the sun swept over my head. The tomatoes in the vegetable garden were red and sparkling with beads of water. 


Half a year ago, she lived in this world. 

She walks down a small, long road to nowhere in particular, a camera hanging from her neck.  On either side are wide pastures, the whole of it green. The wind is warm and sweet, and invigorates her. Her steps are as light as air, her mouth open in a natural smile. There is an boy-like innocence in her eyes, and she lifts her head high; she is waiting for the adventure that is set to begin. The road continues far ahead. The blue sky and the land stretch on until they touch. 

I thanked her from the bottom of my heart: we didn't have very long, but thank you for being by my side.

"PONPONPON" - Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

So this song came out the very middle of July and became a favorite of mine by the end of July. I meant to put the lyrics up earlier in the month but you know how it is. When I translated it earlier I had some questions about some of the lyrics; the general consensus is that they're pretty vague overall so you might have a different interpretation, but here is the feedback I got from the lang-8 community.

Also, I found an interesting blog post about Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and the video, which also has a different translation; check it out at the source: An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla.

The video is awesome (in any of the various senses of the word).

あの交差点で　みんながもしスキップをして もしあの街の真ん中で手をつないで空を見上げたら もしもあの街のどこかでチャンスがつかみたいのなら まだ泣くのには早いよね　ただ前に進むしかないわいやいや PONPON　出して　しまえばいいの ぜんぜん　しないの　つまらないでしょ ヘッドフォンかけて　リズムに乗せて WAYWAY空けて　あたしの道を PONPON　進む　色々なこと どんどん　キテる?　あなたのキモチ POIPOI　捨てる悪い子はだれ? そうそう　いいコ　ああ You Make Me Happy Every Day PON Every Time is PON メリーゴーランド　のりたいの Every Day PON Every Time is PON たぶん　そんなんじゃ　ダメでしょ PONPON　出して　しまえばいいの ぜんぜん　しないの　つまらないでしょ ヘッドフォンかけて　リズムに乗せて WAYWAY空けて　あたしの道を PONPONうぇいうぇいうぇい PONPONうぇいPONうぇいPONPON うぇいうぇいPONPONPON うぇいうぇいPONうぇいPONうぇいうぇ

What if everyone skipped in that intersection, Held hands in the middle of the city and looked up at the sky? If you want to take your chance somewhere in that city then it's still too early to cry. There's nothing to do but move forward, oh no, oh no. PON PON you should let it all out Doing nothing is boring Put on your headphones and get into the rhythm WAY WAY open up a path for me PON PON all these things, one after another Are your feelings driving you crazy? Who's the brat that POI POI throws them out? That's right, sweetie, ah ah You make me happy. Every day is PON Every time is PON I want to ride the merry-go-round! Every day is PON Every time is PON But you can't keep that up for long PON PON you should let it all out Doing nothing is boring Put on your headphones and get into the rhythm WAY WAY open up a path for me PON PON WAY WAY WAY PON PON WAY PON WAY PON PON WAY WAY PON PON PON WAY WAY PON WAY PON WAY WAY

Part 4 of "Happiness Has the Form of a Kitten" (Otsuichi)

Part One Part Two Part Three

The next day school was over and the sun slid by, marking the evening sky in red. The number of passers-by had dwindled, and there was no one but me at the lake. It was quiet. There was no wind, and the water in front of my eyes, still and without the smallest ripple, seemed like it swallowed every living sound. The lake was silent, a single giant mirror spreading over the land.


The lanterns placed at regular intervals around the lake blinked on. The branches of the trees in the forest arched hungrily toward the water, as if trying to jump in. I sat on one of the benches, and after a while Murai appeared. 

"So what'd you call me to this place for?" 

He had parked and walked here. I slid down to give him some space, and he sat on the bench with me. The kitten meowed from inside the bag I'd brought with me. 

"It looks like you found the kitten," he said. 

I nodded and lifted the bag up onto my knees. Inside, there was more than enough room for the kitten. The bell around its neck jingled; it sounded like it was clawing at the inside of the bag. 

"I called you here today because I had something to tell you. There's a chance you won't believe me. But since you lost your best friend here at this pond, it's something I have to tell you, no matter what."

And I started to tell him about the Yukimura and the kitten. How I had enrolled in college and started living in my uncle's house. How the previous tenant, who was supposed to have been killed, hadn't left yet. How she wouldn't let me close the curtains in the afternoons. How the kitten followed her invisible owner around, and loved her old clothes. 

It grew darker at the lake, and we sat motionlessly in the lantern light. Murai didn't interrupt me, just listened to my voice. When I finished the story, he sighed. 


"So that's how it is... Is that all you called me here to say?" he asked. He sounded annoyed. It was clear he didn't believe my words. 


I forced myself to look into his eyes. I honestly wanted to look away, to tell him it was all a joke. But I couldn't cover everything over like that. I knew I couldn't run away from the problem. 


"After the neighbor, Ms. Kino, brought the kitten back in her arms, there were some things I couldn't stop thinking about. For example, why would Yukimura expose her photo paper to light, making it useless?"


"Yukimura is that person in your story, the one that should be dead, right?"


"The day before yesterday, when the kitten disappeared, Yukimura tore the house apart looking for it. She often moved furniture when I wasn't looking. That's why I didn't realize it at first. I thought that she had moved things in the darkroom, like always. But isn't it strange for her do something as inept as purposefully ruining her photo paper? The drawer was left open and the windows weren't closed! It's inconceivable. Someone who didn't know the darkroom must have come in, searching for something, and left the photo paper exposed to light. That someone had no knowledge of photography, or photo paper. At a glance it looks like normal, white paper, doesn't it? But suddenly the owner of the home returned, and that someone left the darkroom without tidying up. Basically, I came to think that the person who moved things in the dark room wasn't Yukimura after all."

"Hold on a second. You've been saying 'Yukimura such-and-such' from the beginning, but this ghost stuff, it's all a story, isn't it?" He laughed, trying somehow to tear down the serious atmosphere of the moment. But the tranquility of the trees, the lake, didn't allow for that.


"Murai, why did you suggest we have beer the night before last? To make me leave to buy the alcohol, so you would be left alone in the house like you wanted. You already know that I don't drink. You made me go and buy the alcohol because you wanted time to search the house, didn't you?"

"Honto ni Honto ni Gokurousan" - Inugami Circus Dan

犬神サーカス団(Inugami Circus Dan, or the Circus Troupe of the Dog God) has been around for quite a while. Like, since 1872, according to their history. They are alive today because they were resurrected by alchemy in 1994 after a hundred year internment. You see, the 4-members of the band are siblings, children of a famous Noh actor of the Inugami family, which kept a crazed, hatred-filled dog's head with which to curse the unfortunate rival, etc. After a time they set out on their own, traveling around as an actor's troupe in Japan, when in 1894 they were buried alive by those who feared that the four had become possessed. After being resurrected in 1994, as I mentioned before, they began a rock-band, because  「もともとロックという表現形態は、怨念を娯楽化し魂の自由を獲得することを目的とした音楽である。それは迫害されて殺された四人の呪いを世間に放電するのに最適な手段であったのだ。」 That is, "(f)rom the beginning, the way of expression known as "rock" has been a kind of music which endeavours to change hatred to pleasure and gain freedom of the soul. It was the most suitable means by which the persecuted and executed four's curse could be discharged over the world."


If this back story doesn't intrigue you, what will? I've been listening to Inugami Circus Dan since high school, and for all of their dark or off-putting songs -- 「 皆殺しのララバイ」 or "Lullaby for a Massacre"  begins 体の中で骨が砕ける, the bones in my body are broken -- they have some fun (and funny) songs. These songs aren't completely devoid of the "this is kind of sad/gross/wrong) factor, but they get a giggle out of me. One of my favourites is ほんとにほんとにご苦労さん. The video is all one-take, and that's pretty impressive too. 

(It's been so bad for you, seriously, thanks for the trouble. It's been hard, let it out, seriously, thanks for the trouble.) Don't you think it's unpleasant, Chief Clerk, sir? You'll never ever be a popular guy but all of your puns are dirty or about you and the people that you talk to only manage a strained smile. Truly truly thanks for all the trouble you went through. Don't you think it's unpleasant, Section Chief, sir? Although you never hear what people have to say you'll muscle your way into a conversation and the stories you tell are always about your manliness. Truly truly thanks for all the trouble you went through. (It's been so bad for you, seriously, thanks for the trouble. It's been hard, let it out, seriously, thanks for the trouble.) Don't you think it's unpleasant, Department Head? Always obsessing over work and work alone you were tossed away by your wife and your kids and now when you retire you will be living on your own. Truly truly thanks for all the trouble you went through. Don't you think it's unpleasant, coworker, sir? When you are on your own you've really got no fight but once you're in a crowd you get carried away and you'll hurt someone and not even think of being contrite. Truly truly thanks for all the trouble you went through. (It's been so bad for you, seriously, thanks for the trouble. It's been hard, let it out, seriously, thanks for the trouble.) Don't you think it's unpleasant, young President? What necktie should you wear today? You can't decide. At the bar you can't decide what drink you want to get. You can't even decide how you should phrase your pick-up lines. Truly truly thanks for all the trouble you went through. Thanks for the trouble, thanks for the trouble, thanks for the trouble.

(もう沢山 かなり悲惨 マジ御苦労さん もう散々 要・発散 マジ御苦労さん) いやじゃありませんか 係長 人気者でもあるまいに ダジャレにシモネタ、自慢ネタ 取引相手も苦笑い ほんとにほんとにほんとにほんとに御苦労さん いやじゃありませんか 課長さん ひとの話は聴かないクセに 突然 会話に割り込んで 語るよいつもの武勇伝 ほんとにほんとにほんとにほんとに御苦労さん (もう沢山 かなり悲惨 マジ御苦労さん もう散々 要・発散 マジ御苦労さん) いやじゃありませんか 部長さん 仕事仕事で気がつけば 女房子供に捨てられて 定年退職一人きり ほんとにほんとにほんとにほんとに御苦労さん いやじゃありませんか 同僚さん 独りだけでは弱いけど 大勢になったら調子こき 平気で誰かを傷つける ほんとにほんとにほんとにほんとに御苦労さん (もう沢山 かなり悲惨 マジ御苦労さん もう散々 要・発散 マジ御苦労さん) いやじゃありませんか 若社長 今日のネクタイ決まらない 飲み屋で注文決まらない くどき文句が決まらない ほんとにほんとにほんとにほんとに御苦労さん 御苦労さん 御苦労さん 御苦労さん

Here's a bonus video of them playing Matsuda Seiko's pop hit, 夏の扉:

Oh, and they each have a blog.

Part 3 of "Happiness Has the Form of a Kitten" (Otsuichi)

Part 1 Part 2


It happened the last week of June. That day it was clear all morning, with no sign of anything that might obstruct the sun. The rain started in the evening, so I ended up soaked on my walk home from school. Naturally, I had left the house without an umbrella, but I didn't even think of stopping on the way home to buy one. I wasn't carrying anything that couldn't get wet.

There was no one around the lake that I always passed by. Wooden benches were installed at regular intervals,  turned lonesomely toward the water. The opposite bank of the lake, blurred with rain, was foggy, and a haze hung between the water and the woods. There was no sign of life; the quiet sound of rain alone reigned over the lake and woods. My eyes were arrested by the unearthly scene, and I stood for a long while staring at the water. It was so cold the early summer seemed like a lie.


The quiet lake that spread before my eyes had stolen Murai's friend away. Its waters reflected an ash-colored sky. I was walking toward the lake as if being sucked in, but I didn't realize this until I was stopped by a thin fence.


The thought that Murai's friend might still be near this lake remained with me. They said his body had been removed. But he could still be there, like Yukimura, rising, sinking into the lake again and again. I thought it would be worth it to search the area more thoroughly. Even if he wasn't visible to human eyes, maybe the kitten would be able to find him. Murai needed to speak with his dead friend. That's what I thought. I had to come here with the kitten sometime.


I left the lake and began to walk home. When I got home, there might be a towel ready for me in the entryway. She could know that I'd be coming home soaked, and wait for me with dry clothes. Maybe she'd put out hot coffee to warm me up.


I felt an incomprehensible pain. I wondered how long this lifestyle could last. She would leave at some point. To that place where everyone goes eventually. Why didn't she leave now? Did she decide not to the moment she lost her life? Maybe she worried about the kitten she would leave behind.


The police said that the person who stabbed Yukimura was a robber. They still hadn't found the culprit.  Once in a while police officers would come to the house, talk, and leave. While it was  obvious she was loved by everyone, she didn't appear to have any close friends her age in the neighborhood. It couldn't be said that the crime was committed by someone she knew, just that she was attacked, unfortunately, by a robber who had come randomly to the house. It was a sad accident, equal to being struck by lightning and killed, or dying in an airplane crash.


In this world, there are many things that make you want to lose hope. Both Murai and I don't have the power to oppose that; all we can do is fall onto our knees and pray to God. We must wait for the sadness to pass over us with closed eyes and stopped ears, curled into ourselves.


What could I do for Yukimura?

"Shima Uta" - The Boom

I fell in love with "Shima Uta" the first time I heard it. It had the Okinawan sound I had come to love in my short time in Okinawa and beautiful lyrics. The sugar cane lines? They get me every single time. I also love the traditional style of singing. I've been listening to it for a year or so now, but I hadn't realized that it was inspired by the plight of the Okinawan people during WWII, who hid in caves to escape American soldiers. The singer of The Boom, Kazufumi Miyazawa, wrote the song after hearing one Okinawan's tale of survival. Since its debut, it has been covered countless times by many singers, including a singer of the Okinawan dialect; a rock star trained in traditional 民謡(folk) singing; and an Argentian, whose version was on the top of the charts for a while despite being in Japanese. These versions follow the lyrics below.

でいごの花が咲き風を呼び嵐が来た でいごが咲き乱れ風を呼び嵐が来た くり返す悲しみは島渡る波のよう ウージの森であなたと出会い ウージの下で千代にさよなら 島唄よ風に乗り鳥とともに海を渡れ 島唄よ風に乗り届けておくれ私の涙 でいごの花も散りさざ波がゆれるだけ ささやかな幸せはうたかたの波の花 ウージの森で歌った友よ ウージの下で八千代の別れ 島唄よ風に乗り鳥とともに海を渡れ 島唄よ風に乗り届けておくれ私の愛を 海よ、宇宙よ、神よ、いのちよ、このまま永遠に夕凪を 島唄よ風に乗り鳥とともに海を渡れ 島唄よ風に乗り届けておくれ私の涙 島唄よ風に乗り鳥とともに海を渡れ 島唄よ風に乗り届けておくれ私の愛

The deigo flower bloomed and called the wind, and the storm has come The deigo flowers blossomed and called the wind, and the storm has come This recurring sadness is like the waves that cross the island I met you in a field of sugar cane Under the sugar cane, we say goodbye forever Oh island song, ride upon the wind, and with the birds cross over the sea Oh island song, ride upon the wind and carry off my tears The deigo flowers fall, the ripples only tremble This small happiness is fleeting, like flowers on the waves You sang in the fields of sugar cane, my friend Under the sugar cane, we part for eternity Oh island song, ride upon the wind and with the birds cross the sea Oh island song, ride upon the wind and carry off my love Oh Ocean, oh Cosmos, oh God, oh Life, grant us the evening calm of this moment forever Oh island song, ride upon the wind, and with the birds cross over the sea Oh island song, ride upon the wind and carry off my tears Oh island song, ride upon the wind and with the birds cross the sea Oh island song, ride upon the wind and carry off my love

"The World is Yours" - Buck-Tick

Buck-Tick has been one of my favourite bands for a while, just on the basis of a few songs that I've come across. I admire the range of styles, the guitar work, and especially the singer's (Atsushi Sakurai's) voice. Honestly, I could listen to his voice all day long. He doesn't limit himself to pretty singing though. Lately I've been trying to learn a bit more about their music. It's tough going, since they've been making music since 1983 (they made their major label debut in 1987) and put an album out every year.* They'll mark their 25th year anniversary in 2012 and have about a million* songs. *This is an exaggeration. They have 17th albums, not including mini/live/compilation albums, and at most half a million songs.

Today I've tried to translate "The World is Yours." It came out in 1990, in their 4th album 『悪の華』. They have a PV for this song, but something about the 80's/90's set, the fashion of the ladies in the audience (who are all standing like contestants in the Ms. America pageant for some reason), Sakurai's pants and the way they resemble a plastic bag, the gravity-defying spikes of hair that quiver above the drummer Yagami Toll, and the bit of monologue at the beginning of the performance (which provides more 聞き取り練習, hurrah), makes me want to place the video of their live on オールナイトフジ(All Night Fuji) here.

Now, without further ado, "The World is Yours."

I'll be scared and chewing poison, longing for destruction, If I look for that fleeting dream at the apocalypse I was promised Don't laugh baby, I've been looking foolish I laugh and scream in the middle of the night The shadow of megalomania dances I'm bound so tightly it hurts on this moonlit night I'll be drowning in the erotic and grotesque, a flower blooming out of season, If I bleed red at the monochrome end Don't cry baby, I'm run-down I stop breathing in this languid darkness And soar into this giant city's sky, So drunk it's scary on this moonlit night CRAZY NIGHT CRAZY MAN CRAZY MOON  You are crazy CRAZY LOVE CRAZY EYES CRAZY DREAM  I'm crazy Don't touch baby, this is goodbye The night has swallowed everything I'll burn out at the edge of this city And never wake again CRAZY NIGHT CRAZY MAN CRAZY MOON  You are crazy CRAZY LOVE CRAZY EYES CRAZY DREAM  I'm crazy Chewing poison, fleeting dreams, laughing, crying, I'll bloom out of season, stop my breath and burn out

毒を咬み怯えてる　破滅へのあこがれ　 約束の終末に　淡い夢探せば　  Don’t laugh Baby　バカげてた…… 笑い泣き叫ぶさ　夜の中 メガロマニアの影　踊りだす　月夜に痛い程縛られて… エロ・グロに溺れてる　狂い咲く花びら　 モノクロの結末に赤い血を流せば　  Don’t cry Baby　ボロボロさ 息を止め物憂い闇の中 メトロポリス空に舞い上がる　月夜に怖い程酔いしれて CRAZY NIGHT CRAZY MAN CRAZY MOON You are crazy CRAZY LOVE CRAZY EYES CRAZY DREAM I’m crazy Don’t touch Baby　お別れさ やがて夜は全て呑みこんで メガロポリスの果て　燃え尽きる 月夜にもう二度と　目覚めない CRAZY NIGHT CRAZY MAN CRAZY MOON You are crazy CRAZY LOVE CRAZY EYES CRAZY DREAM I’m crazy 毒を咬み　淡い夢　泣き笑い　 狂い咲き　息を止め　燃え尽きる

Regarding the lyrics: I made some vocabulary decisions about metropolis and megalopolis. They just seemed too big (or something, she said, poorly defending her decisions). I felt like metropolis could fit, but megalopolis? I realize megalopolis is not often heard in Japanese, either, but... I also wanted to separate from the verb tenses used in the original, but since I already changed it up a bit with the megalopolis/metropolis issue, I stuck to the Japanese. And last, there is no outright subject marked, so I suppose it could be someone other than "I" ("we" maybe? Or "you"?).  Really I went with what I felt was proper as I listened to the song, but it is something I pondered over. I'd be happy to hear your own thoughts on these matters, or any errors you notice/suggestions you have.

Part 2 of "Happiness Has the Form of a Kitten" (Otsuichi)

乙一の『しあわせは子猫のかたち』 2
You can read Part One if you haven't yet.

Part Two 


I had been eating lunch alone in the school cafeteria, far removed from everyone. In the beginning I didn't plan to go through the trouble of making a friend to eat with. 

One day a man suddenly sat down in front of me. I didn't know him. 


"You're the guy that moved into the house where someone was murdered, right?" That was Murai. He was in the year above me. At first I just gave short answers to his questions, but he didn't seem to be a bad guy. He look was affable, knew a lot of people, and looked like kind of person who could get along with anyone.

From then on we started hanging out. I say "hang out" but we weren't what could be called friends. I just got to ride in his beloved Mini Cooper to go shopping, or if I had some errands to run near the station. His blue, cutely shaped car drew everyone's eyes when it stopped in the street.

Murai was popular and loved by everyone. He didn't pressure me if I didn't drink alcohol. He often started friendly chats, surrounded by people. At those times I quietly left my seat. Nobody noticed. I didn't feel like participating in that kind of conversation. Instead of listening to the conversation from somewhere a little removed, I felt most at peace sitting alone on a bench on the campus grounds, staring at the rotting root of a potted tree. I could become calm when alone, more so than being in a large crowd. 


Murai's friends were overflowing with energy and always laughing. They were rich, good at sports, and active. They were residents of a world different from mine. 


Compared with them, I felt as if I was a lower level organism. In reality, my shabby, unironed clothes and the habit I had of quickly choking on my words became a target for their laughter. What's more, because I didn't speak unless it was absolutely necessary, they probably thought I was completely apathetic. 


Once, they performed a small experiment. It happened in the A building lobby on campus.


"We'll be back soon, so you wait here," they said, and left for somewhere, taking Murai with them. I sat on a bench in the lobby and read a book as I waited for them to return. College students milled noisily around me. An hour passed, but no one had come back. I grew nervous, but in the end I continued to read for another hour. 


That's when Murai returned, alone. He looked at me with a complicated expression on his face and said, "You were tricked by everyone. No one was going to come back, no matter how long you waited. They all got tired of watching you and drove off a long time ago."


I responded only with Oh, I see, then closed my book and stood to go.


"You aren't embarrassed? Everyone was having fun watching you get nervous," Murai said. 


It's always happened to me, so I only half cared.


"I'm already used to this kind of thing." I left him behind and walked quickly away from that place. I felt Murai's gaze on my back. 


I had felt from the beginning that I couldn't belong with them. They had all kinds of things that I would never be able to get, no matter how much I reached for them. That's why I felt a secret hopelessness after I exchanged words with them, and embraced a feeling close to hatred. 


No, I didn't feel that only for them. I hated everything, cursed it. Especially things like the sun, the blue sky, flowers, songs - I emphatically muttered my curses at them. I thought all of the people who walked around with bright faces were all very ugly, stupid things. Solely by rejecting the world and keeping it at a distance like that, I could become calm.


That's why I thought the pictures that Yukimura had taken were miraculous.

しあわせは子猫のかたち｢作家｣乙一 "Happiness Has the Form of a Kitten" (Otsuichi)

Otsuichi (real name 安達寛高, Adachi Hirotaka) is a prolific author who began publishing at 17. A number of his works have become movies and/or manga, including the short story 『君にしか聞こえない』 (Calling You) and the novel　『GOTHリスット事件』 (Goth). He is also a scriptwriter. Several of his works have been translated into English, including his short story collection Zoo and his first published book, 『夏と花火と私の死体』 Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse. You can read about his reading habits in this interview with 作家の読書道. He also uses twitter.

The following is the first part of Otsuichi's 『幸せは子猫の形』, which is in his own collection 『失われる物語』 and part of a compilation called 『きみが見つける物語』. The latter describes itself as a "十代のための新名作恋愛篇", or a collection of new masterpieces about love for teenagers. I initially wanted to get the mystery series version of the book, but I decided I would try to broaden my horizons and read some love stories, since I guess love isn't that bad now that they have mostly proven that cooties don't exist and all. They have quite a few different collections for students of Japanese who want to read something at a kind of middle level. The text is more advanced than beginner/elementary reading materials (probably more interesting too), but the kanji isn't as in your face as more complex materials. Moving onto Otsuichi's story, I'd heard of some of his stories and movies, but only had a general idea of his work (spooky, twist at the end, imaginative, bittersweet, etc). I've really enjoyed what I read so far, and I'm looking forward to Part Two, and more after that.


Part One


When I decided to leave the house and live on my own, it was simply because I wanted to be alone. What I wanted more than anything was to go to an obscure town where no one knew me and die alone. That's why I purposefully chose to go to somewhere far from home for college. I apologize to my parents for becoming the kind of person who turns his back on his hometown. But I have many siblings, so they shouldn't be hurt that they've lost one never-do-well son.

It was necessary to determine a place of residence before I began living alone. My uncle owned an old house, so I decided to rent it. The last week of March, I went to that house together with my uncle, to inspect it.

Until that time I'd never had even a single conversation with my uncle. I sat in the passenger seat of the car he was driving, and we headed for our destination, but the conversation fell flat. It wasn't just because we had no topics in common. I lack any ability to converse, so I'm not the type of person who can speak frankly with ease.

"I heard that a college student drowned in that lake over there about a month ago. Got drunk and fell in." My uncle pointed out the window with his chin as he drove.

The trees flew past and I glimpsed a large pond in the midst of the dense, thick leaves. The pond's surface was dyed grey as it reflected the overcast skies, and it gave off a lifeless, lonely impression. Around it was a field of grass.

"Really?" As soon as I said it, I thought I should have been more exaggeratedly surprised. My uncle was probably expecting me to be surprised.

"You aren't really shocked by things like people dying, then?"

"Well, no..." I'm not easily moved by the mundane deaths of strangers.

My uncle looked slightly relieved, but I didn't realize the meaning behind his expression.

Thanks to my manual-like answers, the conversation with my uncle didn't last much longer after that. My uncle fell quiet, looking bored, and as I wondered whether he thought I was tedious an uncomfortable silence rose within the car. It's a situation I can't get used to, despite having experienced it countless times, but I don't feel any anger. I've simply always been the kind of person who is unable to match up with others.

Even so, I'd already grown tired of worrying over how to connect with people. It was enough already, more than enough. From now I would refrain from meeting with people as much as possible. I would try not to leave my house to often, and live quietly. And as much as possible, I wanted to avoid doing things like walking down the middle of the street. Nothing is a greater relief than to leave the crowds behind, and be alone. From now on, I would live my life alone with the curtains closed.

The home that my uncle owned was a two-story wooden house in an unremarkable, ordinary residential area. Compared to the homes surrounding it, it seemed old as a hand-coloured photograph, and looked like it might lean to the opposite side if you pushed it. When I walked around it I was back to where I started before I knew it, so I didn't foresee any disasters. There was a neat garden, and there were traces of someone having grown their own vegetables there recently. There was a water pipe and faucet on the side of the house, and the green hose was laid out in a coil.

When I looked around I was surprised to find that nearly all the furniture and household items were still inside. I had imagined an abandoned house, but now I felt as if I'd set foot in a stranger's home. 
 
"Had someone been living in here until recently?"

"I was renting it to a friend of a friend. That person's already died, but since they had no relatives there was no one to take the furniture and all..."

My uncle didn't seem eager to say much about the previous tenant.

It was as though life had been going normally until just a second ago, when suddenly only the people disappeared with a puff. An old movie calendar, a postcard stuck to the wall with a pin. Silverware, books, cassette tapes, cat figurines on the shelves. All of the previous tenant's things were left just as they were.

"You can use what's left. The owner is gone," said my uncle.

"I Tried to Get Rid of 9 Outfits"

I read the first chapter of an online manga, 洋服を９枚に減らしてみた, by 青木光恵 (Aoki Mitsue). It's really short and an easy read. I translated it - the first chapter is お服、大好き！ or, I Love Clothes! The lines are separated as per the panels and grouped as per the page. You can read the Japanese (and actually see illustrations, which helps a lot since it's a comic and all) for frizzle (that's free, said in a hip way) here. It's only a few pages. You can find more free manga at Yahoo!コミック.

Since I was young I've longed to go camping.
Do you remember "The Story of Perrine"? About the girl that travelled around with her gypsy mother?
I loved that part where they live in the log cabin!

In the last episode she gets to live in that rich old man's mansion. It's a happy ending but...
".... Boring..."
"Living on the road sounds like so much more fun than being rich!" ...was the kind of reaction I had.
I really yearned for the -- what do I call it?-- the have-nothing, free lifestyle.

So how could I, at 41 years old, have a room like this?
It would be OK if it was just my office... "The living room..."

"Bedroom..."
And the bulk of it is clothing. "I can't travel like this! This won't fit on a donkey!"

"The clothes over here... They're the kind I wore 10 years ago."
"They're still in boxes... since the house before the house I moved here from..."
"There's no way they still fit."
"Oh, I still want to wear them... ... But they definitely don't fit."

"But I still like them! And they have sentimental value! Plus they were expensive! I don't wanna throw them away!"
"Still! Just thinking about dealing with them in any other way..."
"It's such a pain in the ass!"
"Ooo, seriously!"
So then, what to do?

Translated Book Review (Series?): 「死んでも何も残さない」中原昌也

Originally appearing in the Asahi Shimbun.

死んでも何も残さないー中原昌也　自伝 ("I Won't Leave Anything Behind, Even in Death") by Masaya Nakahara
Reviewed by Tamaki Saitou
Translated on a whim by myself, with a fair bit disgusting amount of temerity and tribulation, beginning with the title

A Genius for Pure Nonsense

Admitting the author himself would hate to hear it, I've been a decade-long fan of Masaya Nakahara. As an author who continues to utilize pure nonsense in his work, he is a rarity in Japan. When one suddenly laughs it is because one can't help but do so to hide the dismay of the anti-pleasure-seeking experience which is inherent in true nonsense.

A creator of nonsense without pathological basis, Nakahara's genius was displayed freely through the noise music project "Violent Onsen Geisha." However, despite winning three major literary prizes, that genius did not result in any financial success. Why not? Because people of this country don't put out cash for anything but "stories."


This book, resembling stream of consciousness, in addition to telling us how that singular talent was nurtured, is a uniquely intimate work. Nakahara, raised in Aoyama, was a "poor city kid." A child who liked occult movies, he says his foundation is "Monty Python." An enthusiasm toward senseless violence and laughs. Nakahara, who considers the iPod "a device that turns music into nothing but background music," trusts neither digital broadcasts nor the internet. These are equipment that suppress the variety that is nonsense and the choice of freedom which still existed in the 80's. Within the substance of analog objects, there is "an incomprehensible chaos born of human power."

Yes, it isn't simply nonsense that he loves. There is the "ruthlessness carried by printed type," the "folly of simply acting in violent passion." From this view point, in his description of the point at which he glimpses the true essence of film through the beheading scene of the film "The Omen," there is a persuasive power which is beyond criticism.

"I don't want to write anything but the things that I write not because I want to write them": his compositions reflect on the "absurdity of the world," but that consequently is what is called nonsense. The fact that this book's title, in this "World After 3/11," can be read as if it were a simple declaration, is by no means a coincidence.

Original text:

純粋な無意味さを作り出す天才

本人が嫌がることを承知で言えば、私は十年来の中原昌也のファンだ。彼は純粋な無意味さを小説において実践し続けた作家として、 日本では稀有（けう）な存在である。その小説を読んでつい笑ってしまうのは、真の無意味さが持つ反―享楽的な体験の恐怖を、笑ってごまかすしかないため だ。
病理によらずに無意味を作り出す中原の天才は、ノイズユニット「暴力温泉芸者」においても存分に発揮された。しかし主要な文学賞を三つも受賞しながら、その才能は経済的成功につながらない。なぜか。この国の人々は「物語」にしかカネを払おうとしないからだ。
語り下ろしによる本書は、その特異な才能がいかにして育まれたかを知る上で、またとない好著である。青山育ちの中原は「貧乏な 都会っ子」だった。オカルト映画好きの子どもだった彼の基本は「モンティ・パイソン」だという。意味のない暴力と笑いへの情熱。　ｉＰｏｄを「音楽を ＢＧＭ以上のものにさせない機械」とする中原は、地デジもネットも信用しない。それは８０年代にはまだあった選択の自由や、無意味さという多様性を抑圧す る装置だ。アナログなものの物質性には、「人間の力によって生まれるわけのわからない混沌（こんとん）」があったのだ。
そう、彼が愛するのは単なる無意味ではない。「活字というものが持つ無情な感じ」であり、「激情に走っただけの愚行」だ。この視点から映画「オーメン」の首が飛ぶシーンに映画の本質を垣間見るあたりの記述には、批評を超えた説得力がある。
「書きたくて書いているんじゃないことしか書きたくない」という彼の文章が「世界のバカバカしさ」を反映しているがゆえに無意味であるということ。本書のタイトルが、“３・１１後の世界”にあっては、あたかも一つの宣言に読めてしまうのは決して偶然ではない。

The Strange Young Man, Shinichi Hoshi

Here's the rest of the story. I was kind of disappointed by the end, but the more I think about it the more terrifying it seems to become. My only question is, why wait five years?

You can read the first half of the story here.

"The Strange Young Man", by Shinichi Hoshi, continued:


"Your name is...?"


"The name you had when you were alive doesn't mean anything once you're a ghost, does it?"

"Yes, you're quite right." The manager thought as he said this. The young man was certainly was a strange person. What he was saying and his way of speaking didn't seem flippant at all. So was he disturbed? If he was somehow made sane again, he'd clearly remember who he was, wouldn't he? The family could be informed, and the hospital could demand medical fees.


It was for the young man's own sake, too, and there was no doubt that the hospital's reputation would be improved as well. To start, a patient this strange was a first. He couldn't restrain his curiosity.

The manager took the young man with him to the neurologist, and informed him of the circumstances. The doctor also showed an interest, and began to question the young man again.


"So it seems that you're ghost..."

"Yea, I'm a ghost."

"I see, and about when did you become a ghost?"

"Five years ago."


"How did you become a ghost?"

"Doctor, don't you know that kind of thing? How people become ghosts?"

Translating (a bit) on the Fly

Recently I've been looking for a short story to translate. I'm not sure I really have any criteria outside 'interesting', and I'm not that well-versed in Japanese authors outside the famous ones that have already been translated. The other day I went to the library and just picked out a few that seemed promising. The story I've settled on reading so far is called "Not Only Bread", by Meisei Gotou (｢パンのみに非ず」、後藤明生). He's been translated into English ("Shot By Both Sides") before, but this collection isn't.

While his sentences don't seem terribly difficult, and there isn't a ridiculous amount of kanji for me to trip over, he does have some long sentences, kind of as if someone was talking to you or writing in stream of conscious, so I'm a little worried as to whether or not I can get the right tone. It's pretty humorous, as far as I can tell; it's the story of a guard at at a weight-loss center on the top of a mountain. I say weight-loss center, but the Japanese is 断食道場, which I suppose is literally 'fasting place'. Googling a bit it seems more like what we'd call a health and wellness center, or something, so that might be the better term, since I'm not sure if the people there have weight-loss in mind when they come to fast. I've only really translated the first page, and I'm not very happy with it. I'm going to read far ahead with as little dictionary interruption as possible, and then try to go at it again.

If you're looking for something Japanese to read, Shinichi Hoshi's stuff is fun. The sentences are straightforward, so I've been reading him in between other more difficult things; otherwise I run away to English books (or worse, the internet), and get no studying done at all. Here's a bit I did from おかしな青年. I translated it on the fly, so I'm sure there are things that aren't quite right, but I'll only put up enough to make you want to read it yourselves. Shinichi Hoshi does have a collection published in translation, so if you think you're reading skills aren't up to snuff, you may be able to find it in English (with a less clunky opening than my own).

***

"The Strange Young Man", Shinichi Hoshi

There was a large hospital. In this general hospital, with both internal medicine and surgical departments, there was also quite a substantial amount of medical examination equipment. The receptionist, wearing a troubled expression, came to the manager with some news.

“Actually, there's a strange person here, and he won't leave.”

“Is he sick?”


“He doesn't look sick, but he must be.”


“What's strange about him?”

“He's mumbling nonsense.”


“Now I'm interested. Lately all we've had is cut-and-dry cases. The consistency gets tedious. Let's have a look at him then. Bring him in.”


“Yes...”


The woman returned with the young man, and had him sit in a chair. “It's this person here.”


“I see. Well then, please get on your with work...” The manager began to talk to the young man. “Well then, what seems to be the trouble?”