Nihongolalia- the direct translation

I noticed something the other day, and I wanted to get it out on my blog before my hectic life and short attention span sweep it completely from my memory. The thing I noticed (or continued to notice) is this: Japan, in both language and culture, is really its own entity. We're used to thinking of multiculturalism in terms of arts, music, and food in America. If there's a cultural event event, you can bet that someone will be there in traditional dress, someone will play a traditional instrument, and everyone eats their tacos/egg-drop soup/sushi/borscht and goes home happy. While this is an oversimplification for any culture, it is moreso in Japan. I may have mentioned previously that the Japanese not only speak a different language, but actually say different things from Americans. The wires up there, for someone raised Japanese, are relaying different signals to different places than they are in people elsewhere (again, I imagine that this is true for all cultures, but the Japanese are so idiosyncratic it becomes apparent much more easily).

As an example, I will first post a conversation- two people being introduced by a third party, as you might read it in an American phrase book. Then I will translate the meanings directly from the Japanese. Some differences should be apparent.

Phrase-book translation:

Mr. Nakamura: Good Morning. Mr. Jugoarashi, this is Ms. Uchiyama.

Mr. Jugoarashi: Nice to meet you, I look forward to working with you.

Ms. Uchiyama: Nice to meet you, and likewise.


...then here's the literal translation (and just for fun, I've translated the names, too):

Mr. Middle Village: It is early. Mr. Fifty Storms, this over here is Ms. Inside-the-mountain.

Mr. Fifty Storms: It is the first time. Treat me well, please.

Ms. Inside-the-Mountain: It is the first time. Treat me well, please.


Just thought I would post that, as I find some of the differences to be amusing. I also love first names in this country- people with names like "Ryu" (Dragon) or "Emi" (Beautiful Image) are pretty much the norm- making it sound, to American ears, like every child in Japan was named either by a hippy or by a some serious LARPers. It also gives me something of a name inferiority complex: some days I just don't feel as cool as I might if I was named Dragon. Anyhow... That's all for now- I hope that some of the cross cultural strangeness is as interesting to you all as it is to me.