Broken Thoughts

One of the most annoying thing people can do around me, other than driving like an idiot, is to use the phrase “samurai sword”.  Here is why using that term is incorrect, disrespectful, and completely idiotic.

1. If you see a western-style sword, you don’t call it a “knight sword.”  If you do, please don’t.

2. The real name is katana.  Use it.  Other perfectly acceptable terms include shinken (live blade), or Japanese sword.

3. The katana changed over hundreds of years.  It started out as a straight edge (like most western style or chinese swords) until it earned it’s curved edge.

4. The katana is to be reguarded with the utmost respect.  It is part of Japanese culture.  By calling it a samurai sword you are not giving the kanata the respect it deserves, and are disrespectful to those who train in Japanese sword arts.

5. Samurai actually carried two swords - the wakizashi and the katana.

6. Other classes were allowed to carry a single sword, the katana, up until the classes were seperated and all swords were taken from anyone who was not a samurai.  Samurai were the only class allowed to carry 2 swords.

7. It’s all about respect.  Call the katana by a propper name and I won’t call you an idiot (or beat you senseless with a bokken).

During class, my sensei will often ask whoever is closest to the wall “Ima nanji desu ka” which means “what time is it.”  My time telling skills on the fly are rather sub-par, so I decided to write up a tutorial on telling time in Japanese to help not only myself, but anyone else who wants to learn.

To tell time, we must first begin with numbers.  Counting in Japanese is a little confusing for beginners, because if you are counting people you use different (but similar) words than if you are counting objects.  In the dojo we use numbers different from regular counting as well.  So, I will teach using the counting system we use in class.

1. ichi 一
2. ni 二
3. san 三
4. shi (or yon) 四 shi also means death, which is why the Japanese prefer to use Yon. This is also directly related to the superstition that 4 is an unlucky number.
5. go 五
6. roku 六
7. shichi (or nana) 七
8. hachi 八
9. kyuu 九
10. juu 拾
Read more »

In the times of feudal Japan, a samurai would travel through Japan in Musha Shugyo.  These wandering Samurai are not to be confused with Ronin, or “Masterless Samurai.”  Ronin are samurai who have been expelled by their master, or their master has been killed in battle.  A shugyosha is a samurai who has left his family and school to travel from town to town, taking challenges and learning at various schools to hone their skills.  This time is also used to seek a daimyo to serve.   The shugyosha would carry only a few supplies, their swords (or weapon of choice), and would hire themselves out for food or money.  During this time, the shugyosha would not be protected by his family or school.  The most famous shugyosha was Miyamoto Musashi.

Being an IT consultant is much like the life of a Shugyosha. Being a consultant and being a samurai require a lot of training and skill. There are good consultants and bad consultants, just like there are skilled samurai and unskilled samurai.
Read more »

Utawarerumono is set in feudal Japan where the “humans” have tails and animal-like ears. Hakuro seems to be the only normal human. He is constantly haunted by images of a raging beast, and always finds himself at the center of conflict. The story is full of strong enemies and big battles, with excellent battle scenes. The action is fast-paced and each battle has it’s own nuances which Hakuro must used his wisdom and cunning to overcome the enemy. The story also has a softer side with Elalu and Amaru, his adopted family. Elalu seems to think of Hakuro as a love interest, but Hakuro calls her his little sister. Amaru calls Hakuro daddy. All the greatest warriors find themselves strangely driven to support Hakuro. What is the mystery this man holds behind that mask?

Utawarerumono is a story that begins in a small village where a mysterious man awakens.  He does not remember who he is or where he is, but he has a strange mask on his face that he cannot remove.  He was found and healed by a woman named Lady Tuskaru, a famous healer, and the grandmother of Elalu and Amaru.  He quickly is adopted into their family, and soon discovers that the village they live in is ruled by an oppressive feudal lord.  Hakuro, as Lady Tuskaru names him, stands up against the sound of the lord to defend Elalu.  This boy destroys a shrine, which enrages the goddess of the forest, Mutikapa.  The goddess is a massive white tiger than cannot be harmed.  She first attacks and destroys a nearby village, killing all of them, and then comes to Tuskaru’s village.  Hakuro cannot stand to see the village suffer as the people huddle in their homes and wait to die, so he stands up to Mutikapa.  Just as she is about to kill him, it begins to rain and she runs off.

Read more »

So, you want to learn to write your name in Japanese? Well, unlucky for you there are different ways to do so. The first is to use the Katakana syllabary. This is done for foreign names and objects. Your name would most likely be written in Katakana. This syllabary is very angular.

The second way to write a name is using Hiragana. This syllabary is the standard for “spelling” out words, as long as they are not foreign, or as additional characters added on to Kanji that give a different meaning to the Kanji. Hiragana has the same sounds as Katakana, but is more of a rounded, fluid-looking syllabary.

The third way, and the way most native Japanese write their name, is by using the meaning of your name to select the Kanji. This is the most difficult means of writing a name, as it requires knowledge of the Kanji to accurately select the correct characters. Since a Kanji can have more than one meaning, and most words have more than one Kanji, parents often select Kanji with a good second meaning when selecting the name for their child. If you would like to try this, I recommend using your favorite search engine to find the meaning of your name. Then, go to Nihongo Resources and search for the Kanji.

Read more »