More Japanese references

[木原善彦]

Thanks a lot for comments on my e-mail "Takeshi Fumimota the Message 
Carrier",
(and also for comments recomending that I should write my name in 
"Romaji").

Here are some other Japanese words, and names, for those who are 
interested.
I do not mean at all that these are thematically important details, I am 
only afraid that most of those on this list are too busy (in reading novels, 
listening to music, writing papers, and so on) to look up the words and 
references. Sorry for the random order.

Ichizo (of the Komical Kamikaze in GR)
This name is common in Japan. I can see nothing in this name.
Etymology: "Ichi" means "one" or "first". "Zo" is probably "to create" or 
"creation". This is why this name is usually given to the eldest son.

assukikaa (VL 122)
If a Japanese should try to say "ass-kicker" in English, it would certainly 
sound like this.

Gojira no Chimpira (VL 127)
It is needless to say that "Gojira" is Godzilla in Japanese.  (It is also 
well known that "Gojira" is, in turn, composed of "Gorira" (a gorilla) and 
"Kujira" (a whale).) "Chimpira" is *not* a kind of "tempura", you know. A 
"Chimpira" is a young hooligan who often becomes a member of the Yakuza. 
Hence "Gojira no Chimpira" is "a young hooligan Godzilla who is all the more 
frightening because he(?) will be a Yakuza". Now you know why this "combat 
system" is "truly unspeakable".

gentlemen with fingertip deficiencies (VL 136)
Samurais used to do "harakiri" or "seppuku" to show that they were 
responsible for a serious mistake. Yakuzas nowadays cut their fingers 
(usually little fingers) one knucke per one mistake to show that they were 
responsible. So the "fingertip deficiencies" imply that they are Yakuzas. 


Central League playoffs (VL 136)
Japanese professional baseball has two leagues: Central League and Pacific 
League. The abrupt termination of the TV transmission at 8:56 mentioned here 
used to be true, until '80s. So TP may have visited Japan in the '70s. But 
the queer thing is that Central League never has had any playoffs in its 
history.

Professor Wawazume (VL 142)
"Wawazume" is undecipherable. "Zume" could be a variant of "tume", or a 
nail. but. . . .

"Hen na!" "Motto Hen na!" (VL 144)
These show that TRP or his Japanese informant is not sufficiently good at 
Japanese. They should be "Hen da!" and "Yokei Hen da!"("Motto Hen da" is 
acceptable, but surely sounds strange). "Hen" means "strange" or "queer". 
The suffix "na" makes noun-modifying case, whereas "da" makes "Hen" 
predicative. "Motto" corresponds to English "more", but in this context 
"Yokei" or "Yokeini", which roughly corresponds to English  "still more" or 
"much more", would be appropriate.

That's all for today.

Yoshihiko Kihara
graduate student at
Kyoto University, Japan
e-mail: y-kihara at mbox.kyoto-inet.or.jp