Today’s Question
On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Have you ever had any weird experiences in Japan?
Topics Discussed
- Weird/crazy/surprising experiences had in Japan
- Peculiar Japanese coworkers/teachers
- A teacher who wanted to go to France to become a witch
- Whether English is the lingua franca of witches trained in France
- Eating cat… not really, but kind of
- Being accosted by an individual that appeared to be a far right nationalist
- A sarcastic Japanese guy
- Getting called handsome by a yakuza while urinating
- And more!
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Sources, Links, Videos, Etc.
In the story about the yakuza in the bathroom a magician named Sero is mentioned. This is the Japanese pronucniation of his name. His real name is Cyril Takayama. Also, it should be noted that it was mistakenly stated that is part Turkish. According to Wikipedia he is of French, Moroccan, and Japanese descent. He has performed in many countries around the world and even had numerous specials air on Japanese television. Below is a clip from one involving a burger.
And in case you want more of Cyril Takayama, below is another video showing him at work in Japan.
As for the temple in Kyoto that was mentioned during this episode, it is called Sanjūsangen-dō. It is a place I (Tony) highly recommend visiting when in Kyoto and if you would like to know more about it you can start by checking out the Wikipedia page for it. Another thing you can do is listen to episode 22 of the Japan Station podcast.
Japanese Vocabulary List
Most episodes feature at least one or two interesting Japanese words or phrases. Here’s some of the ones that came up on this episode. All information is from Jim Breen’s WWWJDIC.
- Majo
- 魔女 【まじょ】 (n,adj-no) witch
- Otokomae
- 男前 【おとこまえ(P); オトコマエ】 (n) handsome man; man’s looks; good looks
- Neko
- 猫 【ねこ(P); ネコ】 (n) (1) cat (esp. the domestic cat, Felis catus); (2) shamisen; (3) geisha; (4) (abbr) (See 猫車) wheelbarrow; (5) (abbr) (See 猫火鉢) clay bed-warmer; (6) (uk) (col) (ant: タチ) bottom; submissive partner of a homosexual relationship
We Want Your Questions
Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We’re always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to ichimon@japankyo.com.
Special Thanks
Opening/Closing Theme: Produced by Apol (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Fiverr)
Ichimon Japan cover art: Produced by Erik R.
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Full Show Notes
