Happy Sunday Japanophiles, Herewith the fifth issue of the Hai Japan Newsletter — your Weekly Dose of Japan!

Fun fact: Square watermelons are a thing in Japan.

Check this out:

There was a whole other race of watermelons I didn’t know about! 😭 

In today’s email:

• Japan’s Most Wanted (allegedly)

• Video Game Verb Conjugations

• American Mother gives Birth in Japan (and the amenities are crazy!)

• Cool pictures, grammar tidbits, and more!

This newsletter follows the K.A.W.A.I.I format (a format I made up) which you’ll figure out as you read. You’re free to reply to this newsletter to share any thoughts or opinions you may have.

But before we continue, check out TokyoTreat! A subscription-based service where they’ll deliver a delicious box of Japanese snacks to your home EVERY month! I’m an affiliate so it’d be appreciated if ya’ll subscribed using this link!

Now without further ramblings, read on!😁 

Let’s describe this image!

1. "これはかわいい女の子です。" - This is a cute girl.

   • これ (kore) is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "this."

   • は (wa) is a topic marker, indicating that "this" is the topic of the sentence.

   • かわいい (kawaii) is an adjective meaning "cute."

   • 女の子 (onna no ko) is a noun meaning "girl."

   • です (desu) is a copula used to indicate politeness and formality.

2. "彼女はとてもリラックスして見えます。" - She looks very relaxed.

   • 彼女 (kanojo) is a pronoun meaning "she."

   • とても (totemo) is an adverb meaning "very."

   • リラックスして (rirakkusu shite) is the te-form of the verb リラックスする (rirakkusu suru), meaning "to relax."

   • 見えます (miemasu) is a verb meaning "to seem" or "to appear."

3. "彼女はデニムジャケットを着ています。" - She is wearing a denim jacket.

   • デニムジャケット (denimu jaketto) is a noun phrase meaning "denim jacket."

   • を (wo) is a particle indicating the direct object of the verb.

   • 着ています (kiteimasu) is the progressive form of the verb 着る (kiru), meaning "to wear."

4. "そして、彼女は赤いネクタイをしています。" - And she is wearing a red tie.

   • 赤い (akai) is an adjective meaning "red."

   • ネクタイ (nekutai) is a noun meaning "tie."

   • を (wo) is a particle indicating the direct object of the verb.

5. "彼女はレストランにいるように見えます。" - She looks like she is in a restaurant.

   • レストラン (resutoran) is a noun meaning "restaurant."

   • に (ni) is a particle indicating location.

   • いるように見えます (iru you ni miemasu) is a phrase meaning "looks like she is."

6. "彼女の白いハンドバッグが見えますか？" - Do you see her white purse?

   • の (no) is a particle indicating possession.

   • ハンドバッグ (handobaggu) is a noun meaning "purse."

7. "彼女の後ろにある白い枕が見えますか？" - Do you see the white pillow behind her?

   • 後ろにある (ushiro ni aru) is a phrase meaning "behind."

   • 白い (shiroi) is an adjective meaning "white."

   • 枕 (makura) is a noun meaning "pillow."

8. "彼女の後ろにあるカーテンが見えますか？" - Do you see the curtain behind her?

   • カーテン (kaaten) is a noun meaning "curtain."

My Top 5 Anime of All Time (in 5 words)

The Viking life is not easy.

Psychics have personal lives too!

Can you pass the hunter exam?

Come back in two years.

Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong.

Dying man tells police he was on Japan’s most wanted list for 50 years

Crazy stuff.

A 70-year-old man, claiming to be Satoshi Kirishima, one of Japan's most wanted fugitives, revealed his identity to police while on his deathbed in a Tokyo hospital. Kirishima had been on the run for nearly 50 years for his involvement in a radical group responsible for bombings in the 1970s. He disclosed details about the bombings and expressed his wish to die under his real name, rather than his alias. Despite his death, police have not officially confirmed his identity.

Kirishima, born in 1954, joined the East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front, a militant group responsible for several bombings targeting major Japanese companies. The group's most notorious attack was the 1975 bombing of a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries building, resulting in eight deaths and over 160 injuries. Kirishima was allegedly involved in multiple bombings, including a 1975 timebomb incident in Tokyo's Ginza district.

While evading capture, Kirishima lived a discreet life without a mobile phone or health insurance, receiving his salary in cash to avoid detection. Police raided a construction company where he had worked under an alias for about 40 years. Kirishima's wanted poster depicts him with long hair and glasses, smiling.

Although Kirishima was not a key member of the group, he was the only one of ten members who remained at large. Two members of the group were sentenced to death, including its founder, Masashi Daidoji, who died on death row in 2017. Two other members, still at large, were released in 1977 as part of a negotiation by the Japanese Red Army, which had hijacked a Japan Airlines plane in Bangladesh.

Full source: [here]

American mom gives birth in Japan and the amenities are jaw-dropping

In the U.S., the birthing experience often falls short, leaving many mothers burdened with hefty medical bills. However, one American mom in Japan is showcasing a starkly different narrative on TikTok.

TikToker Nicole Patrice, known as @nicole_does_japan, is documenting her family’s journey after relocating from Kentucky to Japan. Contrasting her traumatic and discriminatory first birth experience in the U.S., Nicole's recent birth in Japan was marked by a sense of being "very loved," for both herself and her new baby Jonah. The video tour of the Nagoya Birth Clinic, where she stayed for five days in the special "precious suite" after a C-section, reveals a spa-like environment with a strong emphasis on care for mothers and babies.

Despite being separated from her newborn for 24 hours due to phototherapy treatment, Nicole was able to bond with Jonah in the clinic's nursery and focus on her own healing. The clinic provided restaurant-quality meals to enhance healing and support lactation, including Japanese and Korean cuisine. Other amenities included an on-site aesthetic clinic (closed during her stay), a cozy reading area, and in-room tea and coffee service. Nicole expressed gratitude for the delicious food and the clinic's emphasis on rest, relaxation, and enjoyment.

Remarkably, this luxurious stay cost less than $3,000 USD, a gift from her uninsured husband. Commenters praised the Japanese approach to birthing and recovery, contrasting it favorably with the U.S. system. They called for improvements in American after-birth facilities to match the supportive and nurturing environment seen in Japan. This story highlights the importance of maternal care and suggests that other countries could learn from Japan's approach to supporting mothers, babies, and families.

Full source: [here]

Music I’m listening to:

ecosystem (エコシステム) was a rock band from Osaka, formed in 2007 and disbanded in 2014.

• Tsubosaka Megumi (壺坂恵) - Vocalist & Guitarist

• Goto Yoko (後藤葉子) - Bassist

• Arai Kaname (荒井要) - Guitarist & Keyboardist (Joined Jun 2010)

This group is underrated!

Even Japanese natives are like “😕” when I mention them. Nevertheless, they’re always a feature on my playlist. Anyway, their album, Ushirono Shoumen Dilemma is a fun listen, with my favorite song being “NO MAKE”.

They even recorded an opening for Gintama:

Listen to this album people!

Struggling with remembering Japanese Verb Conjugation? I recommend this video. If you’re a visual learner, great. If you’re a gamer, even better!

Thank you so much for reading this far!

I hope this issue was entertaining and educational to you all. Enjoy your Sunday, and don’t miss our next week’s issue!