episode #18 QUESTION & ANSWER
In Episode #18, I cover all of the emails that have collected over the last two weeks. Thanks for your patience, and again, I apologize for taking a week off. You will definitely notice a change in my voice with this show….. at least I cut out the coughs! 
We received some excellent questions that I just thought should be included. I already had a topic lined up, but the emails started stacking so high, and they were all such great questions and observations that the topic had to be set aside for a week.
Thanks to everyone who emailed me. We covered alot….. including small toilets, small bus seats, and well, the homeless population…..
Also, some great observations, and some great stories from people who have spent some time in the land of the rising sun…..
Promos came from The Cinema Slave Podcast, and from The Iron Dove Podcast.
Music comes from 6 Under Par, with the song “Bad Timing”……
Pimp the Pickle is in full swing this month! Visit the Podcast Pickle ’cause that’s where all the cool podcasters and listeners hang out!
Any questions, visit the Josh in Japan Forums and speak your mind. That, or email me at the address listed in the show.
Until next time,
mata-ne!
November 8th, 2005 at 10:36 am
Something you might want to run by your wife; but we were always taught in Japanese class not to use the word anata to a stranger. It is considered way too rude; especially between strangers.
The phrases that you
gave to that woman should work just fine w/o anata.
November 8th, 2005 at 9:57 pm
well then jim, i guess that i should go and correct my wife who has been speaking the language for pretty much 20 some odd years…
when she helps me, and the rest of the listeners to translate something, she gives a very informal and friendly translation. she’s talking to me, her husband when giving these aids to the show. they will always be informal.
sorry, it’s been a long day, and i can’t stand someone criticizing or correcting someone about their native language. i think if the emailer had wanted an official, business japanese reponse, she would have found a professional translator!
November 8th, 2005 at 11:15 pm
Sorry to be pedantic Josh, but in the little Japanese I have learnt, I have picked up one thing - politeness is UTMOST in Japanese. I guess being married to a Japanese woman it must seem a little different though
It’s like most of the time in French you wouldn’t call someone you didn’t know “tu”, same thing in spanish. Makes sense to me…
November 8th, 2005 at 11:39 pm
It’s not a little different, it’s alot different…..
i guess you two have settled it though. no more assistance from my wife is needed. from here on, i will worry about the phrases myself, and use only those that i know or research before hand. it’s truely a shame that the assistance from a native speaker isn’t wanted because she doesn’t speak business japanese, but instead she speaks typical colloquial japanese……
it really is tough pleasing everyone!
and this just in from the wife, she might actually be korean or chinese! at least that’s what she tells me when discussing this info with her. apparently she has developed her english enough to use sarcasm!
please don’t take any of the japanese that she has used over 20+ years to be useful in anyway whatsoever! your japanese teacher is 100% correct in every way possible be they of japanese, american or any other descent….
you have paid money (i am assuming for business, or beginner japanese lessons), so that therefore makes your instructor infoulable and absolutely correct in all maters relating to the japanese language. because we all know there are never any unique situations in which a phrase could be used in a multitude of different ways……
i’m done discussing this issue. at least i (also someone taking japanese lessons) can understand the different uses of a language in different contexts.
November 10th, 2005 at 1:05 am
I apologize Josh, and while I’m not expecting you reply I apologize for any offence caused. I appreciate very much the information from your wife (see, my english isn’t much better than my Japanese!), it’s just that I have never been to Japan before, I’m going next year, and I’d be very mindful of using the wrong forms of phrases in the wrong situations. Obviously the help you are giving is invaluable (and yours is my favorite podcast bar none), it’s just that I think there’s a different between acting friendly and acting like you’re a friend. But as I said, to cause offense was not what I meant to do at all… Obviously we’re not meeting up for a bowl of ramen anymore then
November 13th, 2005 at 10:29 pm
Huh? I think you have that mixed up there, Jim. It’s not rude address a stranger as “anata” (”you”). It’s rude to call them “anata” AFTER you know their name, but BEFORE you know there name… well… that’s the whole reason the word exists. I can’t begin to fathom the fun conversations that would be held without the knowledge of each other’s names or the ability to use the word “you”.
November 21st, 2005 at 5:18 pm
You mentioned that one of the emailers must have been from Osaka or Kyoto because they refer to homeless sleeping on the castle grounds, and those are the only cities in Japan with castles. Japan is lousy with castles.
http://www.jcastle.info/castle/
And I know of no castles in Kyoto.
And I think you should go a little easier on Jim on the “anata” issue. He was asking a legitimate question in a polite way. He was not challenging your wife’s Japanese ability. And certainly you have come across the fact that “anata” can be considered rude in certain situations. I don’t know, but this could also be chalked up to regional differences.
November 22nd, 2005 at 10:06 am
Not sure what you mean by being lousy with castles. You shouldn’t have put too much thought into my listener’s email. Too many people lately seem quick to criticize when the person giving information is just an average gaijin (the point of the show). Nothing I say can be taken for 100% unless I explicitly say so, and even then, I am sometimes wrong.
People seem to post their criticisms here on the comments, but yet stray away from the forums. I would like info to flow in one direction, so I’m probably going to have to close the comments.
And no, I disagree, I shouldn’t have taken it easier on Jim. When someone quesitons my wife’s language ability, in public, infront of 1500 so odd listeners, I take that personally. She is Japanese for Christ’s sake! Should I have her lecture people on the use of their english?
I’m done discussing this topic!
Comments Closed….