Foreign Student (hereinafter FS): The cherry blossom is Japan’s national flower, but what significance does it have for Japanese people?
Teacher (hereinafter T): As you know, pink cherry blossoms are flamboyant, but they fall after about a week of blooming.
Japanese look forward to cherry blossom viewing and to having parties under the cherry blossoms.
Because of its beauty, “sakura” (cherry blossom) is often used as a girl’s name. However, it has been occasionally used in a different manner.
FS: In a different manner? To give an example, for what kind of thing?
T: When you’re walking around town, have you ever seen long queues in front of stores?
FS: Yes, I have. A queue formed outside a certain restaurant. I thought they would serve delicious cuisine and wanted to join the queue, but gave up as it looked like it would take a while.
T: It’s often the case that there are sakura in these queues.
FS: What do you mean by that?
T: The “sakura” referred to here are fake customers. In other words, the restaurant hires these people to make it seem as if business is thriving. This trick is especially prevalent at street stalls or in theaters.
FS: Why do you call them sakura?
T: There are various theories about this, but it seems the name arose from the way they suddenly appear and disappear like cherry blossom that quickly blooms and falls. This practice is also called “yarase.”
FS: If a long queue is made, real customers will go home. Don’t they conversely make a loss?
T: That’s not a problem as Japanese have a tendency to want to do the same thing as others are doing. This is reflected in a joke about the Titanic.
FS: By the Titanic you mean the luxurious passenger ship that sank in the Atlantic Ocean don’t you?
T: That’s right. When the ship was sinking, there were not enough rescue boats. So, the captain said the following in order to get the male passengers to dive into the sea.
To the Americans: “Now, you can be a hero.” To the British, just the one word: “Gentlemen.”
To the Germans: “This is an order.” And to the Japanese: “Everyone is diving.”
FS: Are there any other examples of sakura being misused?
T: Cherry blossom has been the subject of many poems and songs and is often used as a metaphor for the transience of human life.
Are you familiar with the kamikaze?
FS: Do you mean the young pilots in the Japanese military who crashed into American warships?
T: That’s right. In order to boost their morale, the state created some sakura-themed military songs.
As in the lyrics, the young men died like “…blooming flowers fated to fall, we fall beautifully for our country.”
In this way, a shadow is sometimes cast on the flamboyant pink flowers.
留学生
ryuugakusei
foreign student
(以下、留):
ika, ryuu
hereinafter FS
桜は
sakura ha
(the) cherry blossom
国花
kokka
national flower
日本人
nihonnijnn
Japanese people
桜は
sakura ha
it <cherry blossom>
どのように受け取られているのですか。
donoyouni uketorarete iru no desu ka.
what significance does have
(以下、先):
ika, senn
hereinafter T
ご存じのように
gozonnji no you ni
as you know
ピンク色の
pinnku iro no
pink
桜は
sakura ha
cherry blossoms
咲いてから
saite kara
(of) blooming
一週間
issyuukann
a week
散ってしまいます。
chitte shimai masu.
(they) fall
日本人は
nihonnjinn ha
Japanese
花見
hanami
cherry blossom viewing
桜
sakura
(the) cherry blossoms
宴会を
ennkai wo
(to having) parties
楽しみにしています。
tanoshimi ni shite imasu.
look forward to
その美しさ
sono utsukushisa
its beauty
女の子の名前
onnna no ko no namae
(a) girl’s name
つけられます。
tsukerare masu.
is used
違う使い方を
chigau tsukaikata wo
(in a) different (manner)
されることもあります。
sareru koto mo arimasu.
used
違う使い方?
chigau tsukaikata
(in a) different (manner)
たとえば
tatoeba
to give an example
にですか。
ni desu ka.
for [is it]
歩いていて、
aruite ite,
(you)’re walking around when
行列が
gyouretsu ga
queues
見たことがあるでしょう?
mita koto ga aru deshou?
have (you) ever seen?
レストラン
resutorann
restaurant
の前に
no mae ni
outside <in front of>
行列が
gyouretsu ga
(a) queue
できていました。
dekite imashita.
formed
食べられるのだろう
taberareru no darou
(they) would serve
と思って
to omotte
(I) thought and
並ぼうと
narabou to
to join (the) queue
時間
jikann
a while <time>
かかり
kakari
(it) would take
やめました。
yame mashita.
gave up
あるんですよ。
arunn desu yo.
(it)’s (the) case
どういうことですか。
douiu koto desuka.
what do you mean by that
サクラとは、
sakura toha,
(the) sakura
お客のこと
okyaku no koto
customers
つまり、
tsumari,
in other words
この店が
kono mise ga
the restaurant
彼らを
karera wo
these people
繁盛している
hannjyou shite iru
business is thriving
見せるのです。
miseru no desu.
to make (it) seem
行為は
koui ha
trick <behavior>
街頭販売
gaitou hannbai
(at) street stalls <sales>
劇場など
gekijyou nado
theaters[and like]
行われています。
okonawarete imasu.
is prevalent
呼ぶのですか。
yobu no desu ka.
do (you) call
咲いて
saite
(that) blooms and
現れ、
araware,
(they) appear and
つけられた
tsukerareta
(the name) arose
ようです。
you desu.
(it) seems
言われます。
iware masu.
(this practice) is called
行列が
gyouretsu ga
(a) queue
帰ってしまうでしょう。
kaette shimau deshou.
will go home
ならないのですか。
naranai no desu ka.
don’t (they) make
日本人には
nihonn jinn niha
Japanese
みんな
minnna
others (are doing)
同じことを
onaji koto wo
the same thing
したがる
shitagaru
to want to do
習性が
shuusei ga
(a) tendency
その心配はありません。
sono shinnpai ha arimasenn.
that’s not (a) problem
タイタニック号
taitanikku gou
the Titanic
表われています。
arawarete imasu.
is reflected
タイタニックって、
taitanikku tte,
by the Titanic
大西洋
taiseiyou
the Atlantic Ocean
沈んだ
shizunn da
(that) sank
豪華客船の
gouka kyakusenn no
(the) luxurious passenger ship
ですよね?
desu yo ne?
don’t you?
救命ボートは
kyuumei bo-to ha
rescue boats
限られていました。
kagirarete imashita.
there were not enough
船長は
sennchou ha
(the) captain
男性客に
dannseikyaku ni
(the) male passengers
飛び込んでもらう
tobikonnde morau
to get to dive
アメリカ人
amerikajinn
the Americans
ヒーローに
hi-ro- ni
(a) hero
イギリス人
igirisujinn
the British
一言
hitokoto
(the) one word
「ジェントルマン」
jenntorumann
gentlemen
ドイツ人
doitsujinn
the Germans
日本人
nihonnjinn
the Japanese
飛び込んでいますよ」
tobikonnde imasu yo
is diving
利用された
riyou sareta
being used
ありますか。
arimasuka.
are there
桜は
sakura ha
Cherry blossom
題材に
daizai ni
(the) subject
はかなさ
hakanasa
(the) transience
しばしば
shibashiba
is (often)
なぞられます。
nazorare masu.
used as (a) metaphor
「神風特攻隊」を
kamikaze tokkoutai wo
(the) kamikaze suicide squad
知っていますか?
shitte imasu ka?
are (you) familiar with
アメリカの
amerika no
American
体当たりした
taiatari shita
(who) crashed
日本軍
nihonngunn
(the) Japanese military
パイロット
pairotto
(the) pilots
ですよね?
desu yo ne?
do (you) mean
その通り。
sono toori.
that’s right
彼らの士気を
karera no shiki wo
their morale
国家は
kokka ha
(the) state
桜を題材にした
sakura wo daizai ni shita
(some) sakura-themed
軍歌を
gunnka wo
military songs
つくりました。
tsukuri mashita.
created
見事
migoto
beautifully <wonderful>
散りましょ
chirimasho
(we) fall
彼らは
karera ha
the young men <they>
散っていったのです。
chitte itta no desu.
died <fell>
華やかな
hanayaka na
(like)flamboyant
桜
sakura
(the) flowers <cherry blossom>
このように
konoyou ni
in this way
影を落とす
kage wo otosu
(a) shadow cast (on)
こともあります。
koto mo arimasu.
is sometimes