JapanSense

I love this song. I play it over and over and get lost in the sound and the lyrics, like I’m spinning around in my head with the chorus hook: 回り出した ( mawaridashita , spun around), あの子と僕の未来が止まり ( ano ko to boku no mirai ga tomari , my future with that girl stopped) どっかで またやり直せたら ( dokka de mata yarinaosetara , if only we could give it a go again somewhere…).  These lines are followed by repetition of 回り出した( mawaridashita , spun around), あの子 ( ano ko , that girl), and どっかで ( dokka de , somewhere), paired with 被害者 ( higaisha , victims), which mimics the sound of 未来 ( mirai , future) in this intriguing section: あの子と僕が被害者面でどっかをまた練り歩けたらな ( ano ko to boku ga higaisha zura de dokka wo mata neri aruketarana , if only that girl and I, acting like victims, could wander around somewhere again).  Here’s the beautiful music video with 小松菜奈 ( Komatsu Nana , Nana Komatsu).  The lyrics create the fragments of a story—temporary love that has left a permanent imprint, a longing for somethin...

After I posted my last blog on uchi-soto dynamics in interviews with Rikuryu (Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara), a reader suggested I explore their body language, specifically which aspects can be traced to Japanese culture. Some gestures signal closeness while also reflecting patterns from Japanese comedy and everyday interaction. A classic humorous gesture is 腕を叩く ( ude o tataku , tap an arm). Miura often gently slaps or taps Kihara’s arm to correct or lightly criticize him. See this video for an example: This interview took place after the exhibition performance where Kihara zipped up Miura’s dress. Kihara says: 今日は僕がお兄ちゃんでした ( Kyō wa boku ga oniichan deshita , Today I was the big brother), in contrast to the day before, when Miura called herself お姉ちゃん ( oneechan , big sister). In response, Miura gently slaps Kihara on the arm and says なんやねん ( nanyanen , What’s this nonsense?), a Kansai dialect phrase often used in comedy. Miura here plays the ツッコミ ( tsukkomi , straight man [person]) ...

The final version of this piece, with additional grammatical explanation and updated information, is published here:  No one else will do: What a pair of figure skaters can teach us about familiarity in Japanese   The Japan Times Photo by: FloweringDagwood, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara perform during the gala at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships.