When English is not fun!
James at Japan Probe posted this interesting video of a kid living out his mother’s dream [my opinion]. The mom is so set on her son passing frickin’ tests instead of him ENJOYING youth and LOVING TO LEARN, the poor kid is reduced to living a Japanese businessman’s life at an early age. Check out what James has to say below:
“Below is an excerpt from an NTV feature report about an elementary schooler aiming to be the youngest Japanese person to pass grade 1 of the Eiken Test in Practical English Proficiency:
[display_podcast]
As you can see, the poor kid spends every single moment of his free time studying. He attends and elite private school where English language education is stressed, and when he gets home from school he engages in non-stop English cramming. Even meal times are spent watching English language movies with English subtitles as reading/listening practice. The video clip also shows him studying for a French proficiency test. His mother buys him toy cars are rewards for successfully answering study questions.
Grade 1 of the Eiken exam tests university level English proficiency, and it’s unreasonable to expect an elementary school kid to pass it. However, his mother drives him on and he takes the test. He ends up failing it, but he is determined to take it again until he passes. He’ll also continue to study French after having passed a beginner level French proficiency test.”
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )An iPhone Mondai?
James over at Japan Probe has this very interesting article on a potential problem that foreigners may face when buying an iPhone in Japan. He writes:
“Live in Japan and want an iPhone? If you’re a foreigner, you’ll probably have to pay a huge sum of money. Blogger w00kie has translated the terms on Softbank’s website.”
It is reported that some have said that they were able to bypass these rules by using a Japanese drivers’ license/health insurance ID.”
Here is the Softbank iPhone 3G Service Plan announcement.
Here is the iPhone Apps Store in Japanese and in English.
Read the rest of the story here.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )My Response to the “Obama is a Monkey in Japan?” Comments
Well the first round of feedback on E Mobile’s “Yes, We Change” commercial shown on TBS and TV Tokyo’s World Business Satellite comes from one reader that thinks Black Tokyo harbors a “bitter racist” and from the website Japan Probe:
While I respect everyone’s opinion, let me clear a few things up and respond to comments such as these:
- “The only people who find this racist are LOOKING for racism; butthurt gaijin who need to get a life.”
- “Taken completely out of context by foreigners, this commercial will appear racist.”
- But hey – why would e-mobile parody a currently-broadcast weekly TV drama starring a very popular and bankable idol when they could instead enrage foreigners everywhere by a blatantly racist parody of the Obama campaign!
Black Tokyo Japan 
Yajima Biyoshitsu
Posted on 9月 29, 2008. Filed under: Commentary, Culture & Society, Japanese Comedy, Shopping | タグ: avex, black tokyo, commercial, DJ Ozma, Gosperats, gum, japan probe, kimono girl, Lotte, stereotypes, Tunnels |
The talented and sometimes funny owarai duo, Tunnels, have recently hooked-up with DJ Ozma (former Kishidan band leader) to form and produce a temporary female trio called Yajima Biyoshitsu (Yajima Beauty Salon). The female trio is actually the three men in drag. Here is the official website.
The Yajima Biyoshitsu new song ties into a new Lotte chewing gum commercial (the CM schedule can be found here) starring actress Masami Nagasawa. The debut song, “Nihon no Mikata – Nevada Kara Kimashita,” debuted on TV the day before and saw a reportedly 14,000 chaku-uta (ringtone) downloads in the hour after its premiere, taking the #1 spot on the Recochoku daily charts.
[display_podcast]
Now I do not mind comedy but I do mind the direction that the group, Avex and Lotte took in putting this commercial together.
I worked with the Tunnels twice in the late 90’s and their current comedy to me is mediocre at best. These guys are known for pushing the envelope or being over-the-top when it comes to stereotypes. To see DJ Ozma come out of retirement to do this gig is sort of a disappointment since I have been a fan of his since he was a leading the band Kishidan. Additionally, I have done a print, television and internet campaign for Lotte’s restaurant chain, Lotteria.
Now unlike the Gosperats, no black face is involved in this current CM and it seems that men (on television) dressing up as women in Japan is sort of a norm. What I find extremely distasteful is the description of the faux black women, the implied teenage pregnancy and the husband that left the US (his family and his business) to return to Japan. What’s up with that?! (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )