Jimoto no Gaijin

Who am I? Since 1985,a resident of Ajigasawa, a small town on the west coast of Honshu, Japan- yes, way up there near the top, in Aomori Prefecture. Problem? I've got the wrong face (Canadian Celt). People still give a start when they round the supermarket aisle and see me. So, who am I? Jimoto no Gaijin- the local foreigner.

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Location: Ajigasawa, Aomori, Japan

Curiosity- maybe that's why I like cats?

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Car Mottos Again

Perhaps I shouldn't worry so much about what people write on their cars. Still...

"Listen to the murmuring stream"- over the rumble of your 2.6 liter engine. "Run after the wild birds"- in 4 wheel drive. "Rest in the bosum of the woods"- after you land in a swamp because you were chasing after wild birds in 4 wheel drive.

"One box" is another name for a van. Stuff it with toys, stuff it with friends, stuff it with couples- anything that makes you happy.

Around here, wet ahphalt usually smells like all the frogs squished on it. I want to return to my house and close the windows. I HAVE seen cars return to nature when they have been sidelined in a field for 10 years.

"Human Car Life"? "Life", in this case, is a translation of the word "seikatsu", which is really something more like "lifestyle". Does that make it clearer? Ah... not really.
However, these linguistic enigmas are not all one sided. An American aquaintance once told me about a Japanese SUV sold in America, called the "Yamayagi". He didn't know how to prononce it. He didn't know it means "mountain goat". So, why did the American promoters decide to give this vehicle a Japanese name? I mean, aside from the obvious (who wants a car with "goat" in the name?).
The tower of Babel is still with us, it seems.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I saw this one in Goshogawara on the way home from Kanagi while you guys were on Home Assignment...

http://www.loughanmore.f2s.com/wordpress/2006/06/10/north-korea-threat-looms/

Seems a bit extreme for the (relatively) nice Japanese road manner!

4:49 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here is a clickable link!

4:50 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here is a clickable link!

4:50 AM  
Blogger John Elliot said...

Looks like he should have gotten some rust protection while he was at it.

7:33 AM  

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