Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

Film

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Mildly amusing Japanese-English #9

burapi

The Japanese seem to enjoy shortening words and names. A remote controller is known as a rimocon. Jimi Hendrix becomes cute and cuddly jimi hen. And Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt gets the rather unfortunate new name of burapi.

Apparently it’s now official that Mr. burapi is the second most desirable male in Japan. The top dog of course being the god of fashion and football, David Beckham. Even despite Beckham’s recent dalliance with his assistant, Japanese ladies still regard him as the hottest catch. Allowing the England captain to continue making millions from dodgy chocolate commercials.

But lets not take anything away from Hollywood heartthrob burapi. He recently arrived in Japan to promote his latest offering Troy, and was greeted at the airport by more than 1,000 screaming fans. With presumably all of them chanting the mantra, “burapi, burapi, burapi, burapi.”

I just wish I’d been there to hear it.

brad-pitt.jpg
burapi in Japan yesterday

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A fishy story

“I bought my daughter a clownfish because she wanted Nemo. I put it in a bowl filled with tap water and it died soon after.”

Tokyoites and pets it would appear are not the best of bedfellows.

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Moan, moan, moan

Christmas day is over, so I feel I can guiltlessly have a good moan again. Good.

So here goes then. Judging from what I’ve seen and read, it would appear that every man and his dog has had the pleasure of seeing the third and final chapter in the The Lord of the Rings saga.

Except of course us poor souls in Japan. I just found out we are looking at a mid-February release on these shores. Not the end of the world I admit, but it would be nice to see things around the same time as everybody else, not two months later. Is it too much too ask?

It’s an odd one though. The last installment of The Matrix saw a simultaneous worldwide release. Now I guess it could be argued that the makers didn’t want the ending to be given away by those who saw it first. But there again, from what I’ve heard, there wasn’t much to give away anyway. Whereas The Lord of the Rings won’t be quite such a cliffhanger. I’ve avoided reading about the movie too much, and I’ve never read the book, but I’m pretty sure good will triumph in the end. It would be nice to be surprised, but …

So apart from the translation, what other reason is there for such a delay? Whatever it is I wish somebody would sort it out. But as for The Lord of the Rings goes, February it is. Ho hum.