Thanksgiving Weekend

せんししゅのもくようびからどようびに"Thanksgiving"やすみです。たくさんなりょうりをたべました。とてもおいしかたです！でも、わたしのかぞくは"Seattle"にいますから、ちょうとさびしいです。きょねんのじゅうにがつにひこうきでうちへかえります。Seattleのてふゆはニューヨークのふゆよりあたたかいです。いいですね。はたしはなつがいちばんすきですが、クリスマスはとてもたのしです。

Katakana Literary Work

A Silent End

いぬシャベル

どこきましたか

しずかかな


I chose to write the word "shaberu" in katakana to emphasize the unusual nature of human-animal communication. Although the dog cannot really speak, I am asking the reader to think of the ways that we often empathize with a childhood pet that is dying.

The Brevity of Life

あきのあめ

せかいがおもい

フルイし


In this haiku I was initially talking about the weather of a season signaling the passing of another year. The word "furui" is in katakana to show that although the passing of time does make you older in a literal sense, it does not have to be perceived as your spirit getting old too. Since katakana is often used by the younger generation of Japanese, I thought it could be used for this concept.

The Crux of Education

ダイガクや

せいかつのやま

なかわなに


The word "daigaku" is in katakana to show that attending a university is the popular choice after high school. Yet, many young students have no idea how this education will help them achieve their future goals. This use of katakana shows how an action can also be associated with a "cool" decision.

Letter to a Japanese Host Family

やまださんへ、

はじめまして！わたしのなまえはダニエルなかうちです。にじゅうさんさいです。コロンビアだいがくのがくせいです。シアトル、ワシンしゅう からきました。わたしもにほんじんです！

コロンビアだいがくはとてもたのしいですが、むずかしです。まいにちしゅくだいがたくさんあります。でも、わたしたちのせんせいはしんせつです。そしてクラスメートはあたまがええですよ。

まいあさごぜんろくじにおきます。あさごはんはなにもたべませんが、いつもコーヒーをのみます。それからはちじまでにほんごのべんきょうをします。はちじにちかてつでがっこうへいきます。ニューヨークのちかてつはきれいじゃありません。にほんのちかてつはどうですか。ごごよじにうちへかえります。きんようびとどようびはがっこうへいきません。でも、くじからはちじまでべんきょします。がくせいのせいかつはいそがしです。にちようびにちょっとやすみです。ともだちとテレビでフットボールをみます。やまださんはスポーツがすきですか。

しちがつじゅうよっかにひこうきでにほんへいきます。わたしはやまださんかぞくにプレゼントをあげます。ほんのきもちです。

よろしくおねがいします。

Don't Call Me たもり, Call Me タモリ

Kazuyoshi Morita is a big deal. In Japan, the sixty-six year old comedian has been hosting the television show "Waratte Iitomo!" since 1982. Like many famous individuals he is not known by his given name. Rather, he goes by the screen name Tamori. Interestingly, Moritasan writes "Tamori" in the Japanese katakana script. It is, of course, a Japanese name. Yet, he purposely chose not to write it in the native japanese script. Why would this be?

The reason behind Moritasan's choice dates back to the westernization that swept through Japan during the Meiji era (1868-1912). Before this period, Japan had closed its borders to western culture and essentially disconnected itself from the rapid modernization taking place across the globe. When it ended this lengthy divorce, the rapid influx of western culture would serve to develop within Japanese a strong affinity for "all things western". The west became a source of trendiness; it was a rebellion from the older generation's serious, honor-driven philosophy of the past. Katakana, as the source of writing which was created to represent the foreign world, became the literary representation of this idea. With it's sharp, simple characters, katakana stands for everything the detailed, complex Kanji is not: modern, fast, and unburdened by the beliefs of the older-generation.

When Kazuyoshi Morita chose to write his name in katakana he was making a statement: he was famous, and he was cool "now". Understanding the history of Japan reveals the origin of his intent and also offers insight into the future of Japanese culture. This is a country whose decision to create a script for foreign words was symbolic of their intense desire to retain their cultural heritage in the face of outside influence. Sadly, in the end, the seeds of change may have already been sown from within.