The following is my article for the 2016 School Year Book. Enjoy!
When I first came to Japan, I was faced with many questions. Most were the same, repeated questions that every ALT is asked:
How old are you?
Do you like Japanese food?
What Japanese food do you like the most?
Do you have a boyfriend?
I was well prepared for such questions and could often give a quick response. However, as my stay in Japan grows longer, I am faced with much more complex and thought provoking questions. An example of this was during one afternoon when a student suddenly asked, ‘Jessica Sensei, what is your favourite Japanese word?’
I was completely ‘blank’. I had no quick reply for her, let alone myself. What was my favourite Japanese word? I tried to think of words I commonly use. Or maybe a word that I enjoy hearing because of it’s sound. Yet, I still had no answer. In a language filled with thousands of words, how can I find and choose just one favourite? About to give-in on my search to find the perfect word, I came across one that I remember learning as a high school student.
During high school, I studied ukiyo-e (浮世絵) as a part of my art course. I have always been particularly interested in Japanese art and printing. However, as much as I studied the extraordinary works of Hiroshige and Hokusai, I never deeply thought about the English meaning behind the word ukiyo-e.
Ukiyo (浮き世) directly translates to ‘floating world’ in English. The first kanji 「浮」 translates to ‘float’, while「世」 means ‘world’. However, this English phrase doesn’t have the same meaning as it does in Japanese. Ukiyo, from what I understand, has a much deeper and philosophical Japanese meaning. It is a word to express someone who ‘lives in the moment’: someone who ‘separates themselves from the problems in life’ or someone who ‘lives freely’. This of course creates an entirely new definition to the original phrase, ‘floating world’.
English-speakers have recently adopted such a phrase that could be considered the Japanese equivalent. The word ‘YOLO’ (You Only Live Once) is often used among youth, particularly when making decisions. Yet, this word does not strike me with the same emotions as ukiyo.
Ukiyo, for me, is motivational and poetic in sound. The fears of the future or regrets of the past often restrain us from experiencing further opportunities in life. Ukiyo reminds me that I should ‘let go of my problems’ and ‘live freely’. Will my past change if I keep thinking about it? No. Will worrying about a future event help me? No. Instead, I should live my life as per 浮き世 style.
Japanese, in my opinion, is a very poetic and rhythmic-sounding language. Each word and kanji seems to be rich with culture and significant meaning. I think that is why foreigners learning Japanese (such as myself) find it difficult to choose their one favourite word. While ukiyo is my favourite Japanese word, there are definitely some close seconds!
Do you have a favourite English word?
