Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

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Mildly amusing Japanese-English #6

Nice on!

There are lots of English words (or variations of them) used on the golf course, but nice on! is my personal favourite. It can be heard all over the course, as any shot that results in the ball finishing on the green is met with a hearty cry of nice on!.

This is ok if you’ve just nailed a 4 iron into the heart of the green, but it does have a tendency to wear a little thin. Especially when your fluffed chip shot just about manages to trundle onto the putting surface, miles away from the flag, and is met with an enthusiastic bellow of nice on! from your playing partners.

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A French letter

Just recently a French speaker arrived at Tokyo Times through this rather intriguing route.

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It could have been merely an innocent search, or more worryingly a damning critique of this site.

I fear it could be the latter.

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Fast food

A week or so ago I posted a few pictures of some valentine chocolate madness. If you can be bothered to have a look, click here. But as outrageous as a chocolate Mona Lisa seemed at the time, I’ve now realized that it was mere kids play. Because now showing at Harumi Triton Square, is a chocolate Volkswagen Beetle.

I have to say that I’m not averse to a bit of frivolity now and again (and perchance even a bit of romance), but with that wedding cake positioned in the middle of the bonnet, visibility must be severely restricted.

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Against all the odds it always starts first time

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Tyson the good

Mike Tyson has recently been making a lot of appearances on Japanese TV (although all of it filmed in the U.S., as he isn’t allowed into the country). And after reading this over at Hammersuit, I now know why.

But for reasons unknown, on these shores Tyson seems to have gained the reputation of being a thoroughly decent fellow. An example of this was as at school yesterday. The students were involved in a game that had them writing a short story in English. To my surprise, one of the groups started their story with the line,

“Mike Tyson is a very nice boy.”

It has to be said, that certainly makes a change from the usual descriptions aimed in his direction.

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Mike “nice boy” Tyson with a close friend last week

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Lavatorial laureate

This week, Masaki Kinoshita was given a 14 month suspended prison sentence for spraying anti-war graffiti on a public toilet wall in Tokyo. With Japan’s troops now in Iraq (which creates all kinds of constitutional questions), and the frustration that Mr. Kinoshita must have obviously felt, I still can’t condone such actions.

But in summing up, the Judge came out with this statement. “He virtually covered the whole wall with large characters, and spoiled its beauty, resulting in a situation capable of making users uncomfortable and unhappy.”

Now I’m guessing the Judge doesn’t use public lavatories very often, as the word beauty is not a word one usually associates with such places. And as for feeling uncomfortable and unhappy, I thought that was a normal reaction upon entering a dark, damp, and foul smelling public convenience.

Apparently not.