Here’s something I’ve noticed about
Japanese elections: they’re a bit noisy, aren’t they? What with all those vans
driving around just shouting people’s names. Why, just the other day I…
*sigh*
Hey, if you say ‘Election’ with a Japanese
accent, it sounds a bit… doesn’t…?
*bigger sigh*
Nope. I’ve got nothing on this, and no
desire to get anything, either. You’ll all just have to amuse yourselves this
time around.
This guy has an interesting take: http://www.burogu.com/2012/11/sound-truck-armageddon.html
ReplyDelete"This politicians words are phatic; they mean almost nothing at all.
The politician has no policies, no message, nothing linguistic that might differentiate him from his competitors. The important thing, to his Japanese supporters is that he is out there on the streets, that he can be seen, heard, experienced there giving his all, till his voice runs horse...
The important thing is this, his act. He is demonstrating his concern. He is there for everyone to see and hear (but not linguistically understand)... He is thus a man who tries. Like pachinko players, this politician makes no choices, but he perseveres in spades. And it is the demonstrable fact that he perseveres that encourages his constituents vote for him.
Perseverance can been seen and imagined. Choices (or words that one says to oneself) can not."
Is it that 'gambaru' and 'gaman' are part of the national malaise? That the two are often mistaken for any kind of progress much to everyone's detriment?
ReplyDeleteNow excuse me while I look for a nice place to vomit.
"This politicians words are phatic; they mean almost nothing at all."
ReplyDeleteHowever, sometimes Japan merely makes clearer what is also wrong with my own culture.
Oh I can't wait for the two week period before the election, 8am on a Sunday ruining the peace. At least with the incessant TV election adverts you can turn the thing off. Fuck I hope Abe doesn't win, he is a has been, but I suppose better than a supposed Meiji Restoration V.2 with all the turds on the revisionist sun powered gravy train. The party doesn't even have a website yet, I want to see what shitty translation they will use. They'll end up sounding like an environmental party campaigning for solar power.
ReplyDeleteThank you all, and thank you Ant for the link to that blog. He keeps up a pretty hectic pace, doesn't he?
ReplyDeletePlease excuse the group response. I've come to the conclusion that there are only three reasonable and justifiable responses to Japanese politics: Anger, despair, and apathy.
I feel the last of these will do the least damage to my immortal soul, and am thus trying ever so hard not to care any more than is strictly necessary.