Welcome to the fifth issue of the Hai Japan Newsletter!

Pizzicato Five Edition!

It’s been a long week.

But a good Japanese tune is enough to evaporate all feelings of angst.

By the end of this issue, you’ll be able to sing your first Japanese song!

“Masaka!”, exclaimed the subscribers.

You won’t be selling out stadiums in Osaka but you will be able to:

• Improve your listening skills

• And, acquire useful vocabulary through repetition in a fun and catchy way!

But a few important notes on using music to learn Japanese:

• Japanese music can’t teach you pitch accent which is a significant feature of the Japanese. Pitch accent is when a particular word can mean different things depending on which part of the word is accentuated. (Some Japanese music gets it right but not all),

• The word “kimi” is a common word in Japanese music and it means you. For example:

• A lot of female singers use “boku” to refer to themselves in songs, but this is a masculine pronoun that is rarely used by women in real life,

• “Anata” is also a common word in songs but not used often in everyday Japanese.

We’ll be studying “Telepathy” by Pizzicato Five!

But first, who is Pizzicato Five?

Pizzicato Five 

Pizzicato Five, originally formed as Pizzicato V, was a Japanese pop band known for their eclectic blend of 1960s pop, jazz, and synth-pop.

Founded in 1979 by Yasuharu Konishi and Keitarō Takanami, the band gained international fame in the 1990s as a duo with vocalist Maki Nomiya.

Pizzicato Five was highly prolific, releasing numerous albums, EPs, and remixes, with their music featured in movies, TV shows, and video games.

Despite several lineup changes, Konishi and Nomiya remained the core members until the band's breakup in 2001.

They’re a pretty charismatic group, now let’s get into it!

How to use this lesson:

1. Grab your phone and select “Telepathy” by Pizzicato Five. (Here’s the song on Apple Music and Spotify)

2. Listen to the song once without looking at the lyrics.

3. Read the lyrics and the translations.

4. Then come back here!

The meaning of the song:

The song expresses the feeling of being able to read each other's thoughts and emotions without speaking, comparing it to telepathy.

It talks about the desire to immediately express love, kiss, make promises, and confirm mutual feelings.

The lyrics convey a sense of urgency and desire for immediate closeness and affection.

It’s a very simplistic and repetitive song (perfect for Japanese learning).

Here’s a vocabulary list from the lyrics and it’s like 93% of the song:

• 考えてること (kangaeteru koto) - What one is thinking

• いつでも (itsudemo) - Always, anytime

• 顔 (kao) - Face

• 書いてある (kaite aru) - Is written

• お見通し (omitōshi) - Seeing through, understanding completely

• テレパシー (terepashī) - Telepathy

• 隠しごと (kakushigoto) - Secret, something hidden

• できない (dekinai) - Can't do

• いますぐ (imasugu) - Right now, immediately

• 愛してる (aishiteru) - I love you

• 言って (itte) - Say, tell

• キッスして (kissu shite) - Kiss (me)

• 約束して (yakusoku shite) - Promise (me)

• 私 (watashi) - I, me

• 同じ (onaji) - Same

• 秘密にしておきましょ (himitsu ni shite okimasho) - Let's keep it a secret

• 好き (suki) - Like, love

• ほんとに (honto ni) - Really, truly

• 同じ (onaji) - Same

• コピー (kopī) - Copy

These are some of the key vocabulary words in the lyrics.

Grammar run-through ~

• あなたの考えてることなんて(Anata no Kangaeteru koto nante) : "What you're thinking" - This is a noun clause that describes the content of someone's thoughts. The なんて (nante) adds a nuance of "such things as."

• いつでも: "Always" - いつでも (itsudemo) means "anytime" or "always." It indicates the frequency or timing of an action.

• 顔に書いてある: "Is written on your face" - This is a passive construction using the verb 書く (kaku, to write) in its te-form followed by the auxiliary verb ある (aru, to be/exist). It describes the state of something being visibly expressed on someone's face.

• お見通し: "I can see through you" - お見通し (omitōshi) means "seeing through" or "understanding completely." It implies understanding someone's true thoughts or feelings.

• テレパシーみたいなものかもね: "It's like telepathy, maybe" - This is a comparison using the pattern ～みたいなもの (mitai na mono), meaning "something like." The もの (mono) adds a sense of abstraction or concept.

• 隠しごともできない: "Can't even hide secrets" - This is a negative potential form (～ない) of the verb 隠す (kakusu, to hide) followed by も (mo), emphasizing the difficulty or impossibility of hiding something.

• ねえ、いますぐ: "Hey, right now" - This is a combination of the interjection ねえ (nee, hey) and the adverb いますぐ (imasugu, right now), indicating immediacy or urgency.

• 愛してるって言って: "Say 'I love you'" - This is a request/command using the te-form of the verb 言う (iu, to say) followed by the quotation particle って (tte) to indicate the content of what is being said.

• ねえ、キッスして: "Hey, kiss me" - Similar to the previous example, this is a request/command using the te-form of the verb キッスする (kissu suru, to kiss) followed by the te-form of する (suru, to do).

• 約束して: "Promise me" - This is a request/command using the te-form of the verb 約束する (yakusoku suru, to promise) followed by the te-form of する (suru, to do).

Each of these grammar points contributes to the overall tone and meaning of the lyrics, which express a sense of intimacy, desire, and urgency in a relationship.

I hope you enjoyed that song and learnt a thing or two!

Why Japanese Employees Rank Lowest in Motivation Worldwide

In various international surveys, Japanese employees consistently rank lowest in motivation and work engagement. However, is this perception accurate? Let's delve into the reasons behind this phenomenon.

It's a fact that motivation is on the decline in Japan. According to surveys, only a small percentage of Japanese employees express satisfaction with their work, and the number of employees displaying enthusiasm is significantly low compared to other countries.

Ambiguity in job responsibilities is a major contributing factor. Unlike in countries like the United States where job roles and rewards are clearly defined, Japanese employees often find themselves performing various tasks without clear guidelines. This lack of clarity leads to confusion and dissatisfaction among employees, especially concerning their role in the company and how to achieve goals.

While Japanese companies are transitioning to job-based employment, where job responsibilities are clearer, some skeptics believe that traditional practices will continue to overshadow any meaningful change.

The perceived lack of motivation among Japanese employees is more nuanced than a simple lack of drive. Addressing the ambiguity in job responsibilities and aligning employee expectations could be key to improving motivation levels in Japan's workforce.

Media Spotlight

Let’s talk about Tokyo Vice.

This show is amazing.

In 1999, American journalist Jake Adelstein has relocated to Tokyo and must pass a written exam in Japanese to have the chance to join the staff of a major Japanese newspaper. He succeeds in becoming their first foreign-born journalist and starts at the very bottom. Taken under the wing of a veteran detective in the vice squad, he starts to explore the dark and dangerous world of the Japanese yakuza whilst living under the city's official line that "murder does not happen in Tokyo".

This program shows a different side of Japan. And there’s so much intrigue. It feels like everyone is hiding something. Everyone has an angle, and it’s just a rollercoaster of twists and turns.

I’m only on episode 5 so far but I love it so far!

What did you think of this issue and this new format? I read all replies!

I think I’ll continue experimenting with new ideas (I might start a grammar series next week) and try to make this the most valuable newsletter, but anyway: