watch with the lights off

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

katakana analysis

キウイグミ -- Kiwi Gummy (candy): (2 parts) Kiwis originated in SE Asia, near the Yangtze Valley. After being popularized in the West, they were reintroduced to other parts of Asia, in this case, Japan. For food items that do not originate in Japan, it is likely that the Japanese use Katakana to spell the loan word. Had Kiwis originated in Japan, it is likely they would be called something else, and in that case be spelled in Hiragana. Gummies, made from gelatin, likely originated in the West as well. In this case, it is also like that the Japanese use Katakana to spell the word in order to maintain its status as a non-native Japanese item. It is likely that katakana is used for loan words like "kiwi" and "gummy" as opposed to hiragana or kanji because of its appearance. Katakana has a block like appearance that almost resembles some English letters. Perhaps the Japanese, in attempting to distinguish words as non-native but still implementing some ownership over the usage of loanwords, decided to use katakana because of its resemblance to English letters. While this would specify a word as a "loan-word," it is still written in a Japanese alphabet and this way, the Japanese can dictate its usage.

ハンコック -- Hankock (movie poster): Hancock is spelled with Katakana, most likely due to the fact that it is an American movie, with an English named main character. In order to preserve respect to the American origin, it is likely that the Japanese use Katakana to 1) pay respect to the movie's origin and 2) to show that the movie is not originally Japanese. Perhaps it is easiest way to pay tribute to the American origin--by providing an alphabet that resembles the English language. Therefore, for the same reasons listed above--mainly that Katakana resembles the English alphabet and still manages to maintain Japanese ruling over the usage of the word within its language,--the Japanese chose to use Katakana for loanwords.


The exact reasons behind spelling certain words in Katakana is largely an arbitrary issue. Because of this, it is difficult to determine exactly why the author, creator, etc chose to write the word(s) in Katakana. This is also why many books vary on explaining any definitive consensus regarding the "rules" of using Katakana.


Other loan words spelled in Katakana found for this project include:
エブリバーガーEvery burger (candy)
ジュエリーJewelry (nippon vogue)
ミルクコーヒーmilk coffee (drink)
スズキsuzuki (car ad)
トヨタtoyata (car ad)

financial times.

came across this article while reading for class... i thought it might be of some interest to you.

Japanese earnings on course for recovery

By Robin Harding and Jonathan Soble in Tokyo

Japan’s short but intense first-half results season will this week confirm that a broad recovery in corporate profits remains intact.

But analysts are anxious for guidance on whether the strong yen will hurt exporters in the run-up to Christmas.

“Guidance for the second half will be important in determining whether the market can resume a sustainable uptrend,” Kathy Matsui and Hiromi Suzuki, Goldman Sachs strategists, wrote to clients.

The earnings season, with more than 400 companies reporting on Friday alone, is expected to show the breadth of the recovery in the technology sector after strong results from US technology blue chips such as Apple and Microsoft.

Strategists have reason for confidence on improved earnings.

Japanese industrial production “has risen 7 per cent quarter-on-quarter , leading us to expect manufacturing operating leverage to again be the dominant driver of the results season”, according to strategists at Macquarie Securities in Tokyo.

Manufacturers make up a large part of the Japanese stock market. Because of the high fixed cost of factories and equipment, their profits are sensitive to even small changes in production and sales.

There is evidence that stimulus moves such as car scrappage programmes and Japan’s ecopoints scheme for consumer durables have helped sales.

Shipments of flat-panel televisions in Japan were up 32.4 per cent in September on the previous year, according to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association.

There have also been relatively few revisions to formal earnings forecasts.

Aggressive cost-cutting by Japanese companies is expected to have helped profit, if not a sustained recovery.

However, some sectors are continuing to suffer.

The motor industry, one of the worst hit by the plunge in global demand, is expected to see further losses.

Honda Motor, which has focused on small, fuel-efficient vehicles, has weathered the crisis better than most.

Among the country’s top three producers, Honda alone is believed to have earned a small net profit.

せんしゅう の どようび と にちようび

こんにちは　みなさん。

せんしゅう の　どようび　わたしは　korea-townへ　ちかてつで　いきました。Korea-townで　かんこく　の　ばんごはんを　たべました。BCD　レストランで　たべました。それから　pinkberry　の　アイスクリームを　たべました。

せんしゅう の　にちようびに　わたしは　Keelyと　Butler　としょかんで　べんきょしました。それから　やすみました。

さようなら。