I always look for sparks of joy in my Japanese study. Perhaps I am a grey-haired Mari Kondo.

During the Easter holidays, I have been hunting for joy in books. Firstly, I searched for it in Machida Sonoko’s book, 52 ヘルツのクジラたち　GO-JUU-NI HERUTSU NO KUJIRA-TACHI (The 52 hertz whales).

The narrator of the story, a victim of abuse and domestic violence finds consolation by listening to the call of the 52 hertz whale. This whale is known as the world’s loneliest, it has been heard many times but never sighted.

This whale symbolises the plight of 3 of the characters in the story whose experiences are so unique and traumatic that nobody can hear them.

Ok, I’ll admit it. That story didn’t spark much joy. But it was interesting, beautifully written and was full of warmth despite the sadness gripping many of the characters.

I have found more joy, ひと HITO (Person) by Fuminori Onodera. The narrator of this story is a 20 year old boy man who suddenly becomes penniless and directionless after the sudden death of his mother, his only surviving relative.

The joy has come in this book from the narrator’s job selling 50 yen コロッケ KOROKKE (potato croquettes).

The narrator loves the KOROKKE. He uses 2 great オノマトペ ONOMATOPE (Japanese onomatopeia) words to describe the croquettes.

Onomatope spark joy. All you have to do is say the word out loud:

カリカリ KARIKARI means something like crispy or crunchy.

ヘナヘナ HENAHENA means something like weak or flimsy.

They sound like what they mean, right? Well, maybe not exactly but they give a big clue.

カリカリが ヘナヘナに ならない KARIKARI GA HENAHENA NI NARANAI (the crispiness doesn’t go soft).

The narrator loves the KOROKKE so much one day he asks the 店主 TENSHU (the boss of the store):

こだわりは なんですか KODAWARI WA NAN DESU KA (What’s your style/trait?)

こだわり KODAWARI is a tricky word to translate. It refers to the thing that you fuss about that others may think is not important.

One of narrator’s co-workers describes the boss’s KODAWARI as:

こだわりが ないのが こだわりだ KODAWARI GA NAI NO GA KODAWARI DA (His particularity is he is not particular about anything)

I was expecting his particularity to be something: ソースが こだわりだ SOUSU GA (the sauce is ), or いもが こだわりだ IMO GA KODAWARI DA (the potato is)

Instead, ないが NAI NO GA refers to the absence of a particularity.

The TENSHU has sparked some joy in me. He makes me think of the master in Midnight Diner, well worth a look on Netflix if you haven’t seen it already.

I am going to be dreaming about コロッケ KOROKKE for the next few days. Hopefully those borders will open soon………….

For anybody planning to take the N5 Japanese Language Proficency Exam, the story below might provide some joy as well as some much needed reading practice.

Nihon No Omoshiroi Kafe – Tadoku Unri This was another great recommendation from N5 (dokushoclub.com).

PS Our online group classes begin next week (the week of April 25th).

Please email info@shimaguni.co.uk to book your place, or for a free consultation about which class would suit you.

PPS We have a real life meetup this Saturday. Please come along if you are free:

(Cherry Blossom) Picnic at Queen's Park ブライトンでお花見, Sat, Apr 23, 2022, 2:30 PM | Meetup