Still in the afterglow of President Obama’s Inauguration, I spent the afternoon window shopping in Osaka yesterday. Walking through Kinokuniya – one of Japan’s largest bookstore chains – I paused by the DVD section to enjoy the clips of Obama’s Inauguration Day speech that was playing on loop. Beautiful, baby; beautiful. Did I feel the need to linger even more to firmly declare to anyone who might see me that I was in the “Yes, We Can!” camp? Maybe. Maybe not; his speech was truly wonderful and I’ll watch it as many times as I can.
Further down the store, I came across what is apparently Kinokuniya’s Obama section.
Obama paraphernalia comes complete with a Japanese man browsing books in the background.
Among biographies and news magazines, this is, of course, also available at Kinokuniya’s Obama section:
According to Japanese news sites, some Japanese people think Obama’s speeches may help them learn English. This book definitely oughta help. The Japanese translation of the title equates to, “Goodnight, O honorable Sir moon.” I took it the picture quickly with my lousy phone camera so I didn’t read the special advertisement on the book sleeve at the time and can’t read it now due to, uh, the photo quality. Yes. Really. Darn photo quality.
I enjoy your blog so very much. I would love to live in Japan so I enjoy myself vicariously through you.
I enjoy your blog so very much. I would love to live in Japan so I enjoy myself vicariously through you.
Ooh, Little Pickle has that book! Well, the orginal version 🙂
oh Japan <3 and their "yep THIS will teach me English when everything else has failed!" mentality. It’s cute, and probably endearing 😀
oh Japan <3 and their "yep THIS will teach me English when everything else has failed!" mentality. It’s cute, and probably endearing 😀
jinsei no saisho no ichi something? i would never have even tried to read it if you hadn’t mentioned it but now i want to know 🙁
otsuki san is what my grandma always called the moon! i just thought that’s what everyone called the moon.
otsuki san is what my grandma always called the moon! i just thought that’s what everyone called the moon.
Will this help? Maybe you could tell me what it says? 😉
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B9sXquV1n4YsMTgxZGI1MzAtZmEzZS00M2I2LWFiNWYtOGY2Y2EwNGY3MTA4&hl=en