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

Fun fact: Isn’t it crazy that Tokyo is largest city in the world?

The Greater Tokyo metropolitan area has over 38 million people and counting…

That’s a lot of people.

In today’s email:

• Japanese Authorities’ Crackdown on Piracy

• Literature Club: I am a Cat by Natsumi Sōseki.

• The Best Anime of Each Genre (according to animementor.com).

• 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.

Now without further ramblings, enjoy!😁 

In Japanese, "This is a cute couple on a bed. They seem to love each other. It is also morning." can be translated as:

これはベッドの上の可愛いカップルです。お互いを愛しているようです。また、朝です。 (Kore wa beddo no ue no kawaii kappuru desu. Otagai o ai shite iru yōdesu. Mata, asa desu.)

Let's break down the grammar:

1. これは (Kore wa): "This is." This is a demonstrative pronoun indicating something near the speaker, followed by the topic marker は (wa).

2. ベッドの上の (Beddo no ue no): "On the bed." This is a prepositional phrase indicating the location of the cute couple.

3. 可愛い (Kawaii): "Cute."

4. カップル (Kappuru): "Couple."

5. です (Desu): Copula indicating the sentence is a statement.

6. お互いを (Otagai o): "Each other." This is a phrase indicating mutual action or feeling.

7. 愛している (Ai shite iru): "Love each other." This is the continuous form of the verb 愛する (aisuru, "to love").

8. ようです (Yōdesu): "Seem to be." This is a phrase indicating an observation or impression.

9. また (Mata): "Also." This is an adverb indicating addition or continuation.

10. 朝 (Asa): "Morning."

In Japanese, "What is she writing? She looks very busy." can be translated as:

彼女は何を書いているのでしょうか？とても忙しそうですね。 (Kanojo wa nani o kaite iru no deshō ka? Totemo isogashisōdesu ne.)

Let's break down the grammar:

1. 彼女は (Kanojo wa): "She." This is the subject of the sentence, followed by the topic marker は (wa).

2. 何を書いているのでしょうか (Nani o kaite iru no deshō ka): "What is she writing?" This is a polite way to ask a question.

   • 何 (Nani): "What."

   • を (O): Object marker.

   • 書いている (Kaite iru): "Is writing." This is the progressive form of the verb 書く (kaku, "to write").

   • のでしょうか (No deshō ka): This is a polite expression used to seek information or confirmation. It can be translated as "I wonder" or "I suppose."

3. とても (Totemo): "Very."

4. 忙しそうですね (Isogashisōdesu ne): "Looks very busy, doesn't she?" This is a polite way to comment on someone's appearance or behavior.

   • 忙しい (Isogashii): "Busy."

   • そうです (Sōdesu): "Seems to be." This is a phrase indicating an observation or impression.

   • ね (Ne): Sentence-ending particle used for seeking agreement or confirmation.

In Japanese, "She looks very sad because it is an apocalypse." can be translated as:

彼女はとても悲しそうです。それは黙示録ですから。(Kanojo wa totemo kanashisōdesu. Sore wa mokushiroku desu kara.)

Let's break down the grammar:

1. 彼女は (Kanojo wa): "She." This is the subject of the sentence, followed by the topic marker は (wa).

2. とても悲しそうです (Totemo kanashisōdesu): "Looks very sad."

   • とても (Totemo): "Very."

   • 悲しそうです (Kanashisōdesu): "Looks sad." This is a phrase indicating an observation or impression.

3. それは (Sore wa): "It is." This is a demonstrative pronoun indicating something near the listener, followed by the topic marker は (wa).

4. 黙示録ですから (Mokushiroku desu kara): "Because it is an apocalypse."

   • 黙示録 (Mokushiroku): "Apocalypse."

   • ですから (Desu kara): "Because." This is a conjunction used to indicate the reason for something.

14 Best Anime of each Genre you have to watch (according to animementor.com)

Gintama (Best Comedy Anime)

Attack on Titan (Best Action Anime)

One Piece (Best Adventure Anime)

Steins; Gate (Best Sci-Fi Anime)

Fruit Basket (Best Romance Anime)

Violet Evergarden (Best Drama Anime)

Hajime no ippo (Best Sports Anime)

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Best Fantasy Anime)

Re: Zero (Best Isekai Anime)

The Fate Series (Best Supernatural Anime)

Parasyte: The Maxim (Best Horror Anime)

Monster (Best Mystery Anime)

Mushishi (Best Slice of Life Anime)

Your Lie in April (Best Music Anime)

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with this selection?

Japanese Authorities' Crackdown on Piracy Will Change the Way Fans Consume Manga

The recent arrest of professional manga leakers in Japan signals an ongoing effort to combat piracy, which is expected to significantly impact manga fans.

Two foreign nationals were arrested on February 4th in Japan for illegally acquiring and distributing manga images from Weekly Shonen Jump before their official release. This has led to the shutdown of several websites and social media accounts that provided illegal scans of manga chapters before their release dates.

According to the investigation and a statement by Shueisha, the publishing company that owns Weekly Shonen Jump, the images were obtained by bribing bookstore employees who receive the magazines days before their official release. This practice has thrived in recent years but is now being targeted by Japanese authorities.

The crackdown on piracy is expected to change how fans consume manga. Many fans read chapters of popular series illegally, even if they later read or purchase the official versions. The nature of social networking sites can also unintentionally force users to read spoilers. Shueisha received over 1,000 complaints from readers in nearly a week, including threats to cancel subscriptions, due to unintentional exposure to spoilers.

The impact of these arrests extends to popular content creators who rely on spoilers and illegal scans for their content. As these accounts collect millions of views and impressions, it will be interesting to see how they adapt to the lack of spoilers and early scans in the future.

Shueisha and other manga publishing companies have been combating piracy for years. Although it is challenging to crack down on leakers who quickly delete images after posting them, the recent arrests and the shutdown of pirate sites like "M" indicate a turning point in the fight against piracy. Shueisha emphasized that piracy could "shake the very structure of the industry itself."

It is ironic that these arrests occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture, the birthplace of Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, a manga heavily targeted by illegal practices. This development underscores the impact of piracy on the manga industry.

The irony.

Original Source: [Here]

The winner of a prestigious Japanese literary award has confirmed AI helped write her book

Japanese Author Rie Kudan Wins Literary Award with Help from ChatGPT

After winning the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for her novel "The Tokyo Tower of Sympathy," Japanese author Rie Kudan revealed that around 5% of her award-winning book was word-for-word generated by AI, specifically ChatGPT. The novel, praised by committee members as "practically flawless," centers around an architect tasked with building a comfortable high-rise prison in Tokyo for rehabilitating lawbreakers, featuring AI as a central theme.

Kudan expressed her intention to continue using AI to enhance her creativity in writing, noting that she consults ChatGPT for personal problems and sometimes incorporates its responses into her writing when they don't match her expectations.

While some view Kudan's use of AI as innovative and are now more intrigued by her work, others criticize it as "disrespectful" to authors who write without AI assistance. The debate reflects broader concerns in the creative community about the impact of AI on traditional artistic practices.

Last year, photographer Boris Eldagsen withdrew from an awards competition after revealing that his winning entry was created using AI, and several prominent authors have raised legal and ethical questions about AI's use of copyrighted material.

Writer and prize committee member Keiichiro Hirano defended Kudan's use of AI, stating that the committee did not see it as a problem and clarifying that the AI's involvement was transparent in the novel. However, the broader implications of AI in creative endeavors continue to be a topic of discussion and contention within the artistic community.

Source: [Original article source]

Reply to this email to let me know what you think!

Music I’m listening to:

Daoko: Japanese Singer and Rapper

Daoko (だをこ), born on March 4, 1997, is a Japanese singer and rapper from Tokyo. She gained recognition at the age of 15 in 2012 when one of her uploaded videos on Nico Nico Douga caught attention.

Her web nickname, Daoko, became her stage name.

Daoko embarked on her first tour on January 15, 2016, starting at Tsutaya O-East in Tokyo, Japan. She was nominated for Next Break Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2015.

In 2017, Daoko and Kenshi Yonezu performed the song "Uchiage Hanabi," which was used as the theme song for the anime film "Fireworks."

This song was kind of my introduction to Japanese music, and it remains a nostalgic listening experience for me.

Please listen to Yumemitetano Atashi below meaning “I was Dreaming”.

I enjoy its gradual build in intensity. Breathtaking, to say the least.

吾輩は猫である。名前はまだ無い。 どこで生れたかとんと見当がつかぬ。何でも薄暗いじめじめした所でニャーニャー泣いていた事だけは記憶している。吾輩はここで始めて人間というものを見た。しかもあとで聞くとそれは書生という人間中で一番獰悪な種族であったそうだ。

Wagahai wa neko de aru. Namae wa mada nai. Doko de umareta ka ton to kentō ga tsukanu. Nandemo usugurai jimejime shita tokoro de nyānyā naite ita koto dake wa kioku shite iru. Wagahai wa koko de hajimete ningen to iu mono o mita. Shikamo ato de kiku to sore wa shosei to iu ningen-chū de ichiban dōaku na shuzoku de atta sō da.

I am a cat. I do not yet have a name. I have no idea where I was born. All I remember is crying in a dim, damp place. It was here that I first saw humans. And what I heard later was that among these humans, the one called a student was the most vicious species.

This passage is the opening of Natsume Sōseki's novel "I Am a Cat" (吾輩は猫である, Wagahai wa Neko de Aru). It features a first-person narrative from the perspective of a cat, reflecting on its existence and experiences. Here's an analysis of the Japanese used:

1. Formal Language: The language used is relatively formal, reflecting the style of written Japanese from the Meiji era when the novel was written (early 20th century).

2. Humble Language: The cat refers to itself using the humble form 吾輩 (wagahai), which is a formal and modest way of saying "I" or "myself" in Japanese literature. This reflects the cat's perspective of humility or self-effacement.

3. No Pronouns for "I": The cat doesn't use the pronoun 私 (watashi) for "I" but instead uses 吾輩 (wagahai), which is more literary and adds a sense of distance or formality.

4. Polite Language: The cat uses polite language when describing its observations, as seen in phrases like 名前はまだ無い (namae wa mada nai, "I do not yet have a name") and 何でも薄暗いじめじめした所で (nandemo usugurai jimejime shita tokoro de, "In any case, it was a dark, damp place").

5. Narrative Style: The passage is written in a descriptive and reflective narrative style, characteristic of literary works from the Meiji era. It sets the tone for the novel and introduces the reader to the cat's perspective on its surroundings and experiences.

Let's look at 10 Useful Grammar points used in this passage:

1. Particle "で" (de): In "猫である" (neko de aru, "I am a cat"), the particle "で" is used to indicate the means or method of being. Here, it connects "猫" (neko, "cat") to "ある" (aru, "to be"), indicating that the cat exists as a cat.

2. Verb "ある" (aru): This is the verb for existence or being. In this context, it is used to state the existence of the cat as a cat.

3. Polite Form of "ある" (aru): The verb "ある" is in its polite form "あります" (arimasu) when used in polite speech. In this passage, it appears in its dictionary form "ある" (aru) in a literary context, reflecting the formal style of the narration.

4. Negative Verb "ない" (nai): The negative form of the copula "ある" (aru) is "ない" (nai), indicating the absence of something. In "名前はまだ無い" (namae wa mada nai, "I do not yet have a name"), the cat is stating that it does not yet have a name.

5. Particle "と" (to): The particle "と" is used to indicate quotation or reporting. In "とんと見当がつかぬ" (ton to kentō ga tsukanu, "I have no idea"), it marks the reported speech of the cat expressing its lack of knowledge about where it was born.

6. Verb "つかぬ" (tsukanu): This is the negative form of the verb "つく" (tsuku, "to find, to hit upon"). The phrase "見当がつかぬ" (kentō ga tsukanu) means "I have no idea" or "I cannot guess," indicating the cat's uncertainty about its birthplace.

7. Adverb "とんと" (ton to): This is an adverb that emphasizes the extent of something, often used with negative verbs to convey a complete absence or lack of something. In "とんと見当がつかぬ" (ton to kentō ga tsukanu), it emphasizes the cat's complete inability to guess or determine its birthplace.

8. Verb "泣いていた" (naite ita): This is the past progressive form of the verb "泣く" (naku, "to cry"). In "ニャーニャー泣いていた" (nyānyā naite ita, "crying meow-meow"), it describes the cat's action of crying in a meowing manner.

9. Quotation Marker "という" (to iu): This phrase is used to introduce a description or definition. In "書生という人間" (shosei to iu ningen, "a human called a student"), it specifies that the human in question is called a "student."

10. Verb "であった" (de atta): This is the past tense form of the copula "である" (de aru, "to be"). In "であった" (de atta, "was"), it indicates the past tense of "to be" to describe the student's nature at the time of the cat's encounter.

Overall, the passage showcases the formal and reflective nature of Japanese literature from the early 20th century, as well as the unique perspective of the cat narrator in "I Am a Cat."

If you’d like a closer analysis as well as furigana and audio, click here.

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!