So, I was recently in Japan, and I got the chance to visit the Sony Roppongi Museum and check out the Nogizaka exhibit…!!!
I apologize for blurry images, tumblr is not on my side.
I actually don’t have too many photos because photography wasn’t allowed in most areas of the exhibit, but I’ll walk through it with words.
First, there is a little photo spot, where you can take photos with members…as cardboard cutouts.
I would have taken photos with them, but unfortunately, I was traveling by myself :( and I don’t have enough courage to just pop into selfie mode.
You then watch a 3 minute video, featuring different clips and statements by people who were involved in making Nogizaka who they are - costume designers, MV directors, etc. and.. of course, Akimoto himself. After that, you’re let into exhibition room A, where you can see the startings of nogizaka. It had beta logo designs, and concept jacket art for Guruguru Curtain, Oide Shampoo, and a few other stuff from early Nogi days. Room A goes to about Girls Rule, and the next area (Room B) features Kizuitara Kataomi to Kaerimichi - theres different memorabilia (the suitcase Nanase uses in Mukuchi na Lion! Nanase’s glasses from Kaerimichi! Character designs from Nigemizu!)
The last area features an autograph wall:
I took a few close ups! First is Ikoma! Hers says “I too, was once part of Nogizaka46″
Captain! (who, off topic, I’ve recently started to like alot)
Kazumin! My current oshi now that Waka graduated…
Nogizaka’s King Piece, Nanase!
After the autograph wall, there was a large open area, featuring various stage outfits,
I wanted to get a really nice shot of this area, but there were alot of people, which made this kinda hard…
They also closed up the museum with another film, this time of Influencer being performed at Jingu (if I remember correctly) - which was on this super hi res screen, it was pretty breathtaking, even though it was just a screen.
I went pretty late, so I didn’t actually eat anything at the Nogizaka cafe - it was still open, but I had spent a fair amount of money at the store. I really wanted the N46 AW tshirt, but that was sold out, so I had to splurge on the hoodie instead. I also copped Misa’s Nigemizu cover T-shirt, the calendar, and a few postcards.
Sorry for the lack of good pictures, as photography isn’t allowed in most areas…
But, tldr, this was my experience at the N46 Artworks exhibit! It was definitely worth the admission fee.
One reason you should be careful with your pronunciation is so that when you are talking about someone you know being engaged, you say “engagement” instead of “potato jelly.”
婚約「こんやく」engagement
蒟蒻「こんにゃく」konjac (potato jelly)
Best advice my Japanese friend gave me to avoid this is for こんやく you should pronounce it like こん and やく are two separate words so they don’t merge together into こんにゃく
What is this weird character 々 and how do you read it?
When you’re learning Japanese for a while, you may stumble at this unknown character. “What is this 々 character here?”
You may think of it as a katakana at first since the similarity to マ or タ, but no, it’s not a katakana. It’s a kanji and the way you read it is not important. Why? Because you don’t read it, that’s why !
This 々 character has a lot of confusing and complex name which you don’t need to know about. You only need to know that this 々 kanji character marks repetition of the kanji before it. Yes, basically this 々 kanji is a repetition marker!
When you see 々 partnered up with another kanji, you must repeat the kanji before it. But there’s a catch to it. Remember the list of hiragana with quote or dot such as ひ び ぴ ? Some word, when repeated, will have a change of sound. There are no specific formula though, so you just need to memorize the sound change.
Some word doesn’t change such as these below:
段々 dandan: gradually
中々 nakanaka: very
色々 iroiro: various
Some word changes such as these below and you just need to memorize them:
日々 hibi: days, everyday
人々 hitobito: people
時々 tokidoki: sometimes
So why we don’t just repeat the kanji itself? Maybe because it’s simpler this way? Well anyway, now you know how to read this thing when you see it and that’s the only thing that matter!
Happy learning °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
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Links:
• CrunchyNihongo - Easy to Learn Japanese Lessons Site
• Get our easy Japan lessons on your facebook timeline
One of the most frustrating things about learning a language is the inevitable “say something in that language!” Something I like to do in response is say a tongue twister, which is impressive and a good way to practice pronunciation, anyway. Here are a few I’ve learned:
ばすがすばくはつ [basu gasu bakuhatsu] (3X)
What it means: Bus, Gas, EXPLOSION!
Note: I learned this from a particularly cute Japanese woman, who liked to throw her arms up to imitate the explosion as she taught us.
あおパジャマあかパジャマきパジャマ [ao pajama aka pajama ki pajama] (3X)
What it means: Blue pajamas, red pajamas, yellow pajamas.
Note: I have been told the color order on this doesn’t matter, as long as you say it the same way all three times.
となりのたけがきにたけたてかけた。たけ たてかけたかったからたけたてかけた。[tonari no takegaki ni taketate kaketa. take tate kaketakatta kara taketate kaketa.]
What it means: I leaned on the bamboo fence next to me. The bamboo fence leaned also onto me.
Note: This one is especially fun at parties. One of my coworkers thought this sounded particularly hilarious with an American accent, although that’s probably because she was used to my normal speaking, which I do try to keep close to actual Japanese.
すいたそうしゃじょうしろシャツじゅんしゃしゃさつじけん。[Suita soushajou shiro shatsu junsha shasatsu jiken.]
What it means: The crime of the shooting of a white-shirted associate in a Suita railyard.
Note: my fiance’s father taught me this one, and I’m only 90% sure I’ve mastered it. As I can’t find evidence of its existence on the internet, you’re just gonna have to trust me.
These are called “Hayakuchi Kotoba (早口一言)” in Japanese. I like to learn the words first, then worry about correct intonation and rhythm second in this case. It makes the longer ones especially easier to memorize.
I wonder about other languages’ tongue twisters…