News Anchor Japanese

Japan is the only country in the world known to have a law forcing married couples to share a surname - a provision that is more than a hundred years old. Although Japanese laws do not stipulate which partner must change their surname to match the other, about 95% of married couples in Japan currently have the woman adopting her husband’s surname. (Japanese marrying foreigners in Japan are able to keep their Japanese family names.)

In July 2021, the Supreme Court in Japan ruled against three couples’ appeal to legally marry while keeping their separate surnames, refuting the claim that prohibiting separate surnames for spouses is unconstitutional. The couples had first brought their requests to keep separate surnames to court in 2019, and appealed to the Supreme Court after their requests were dismissed in the Tokyo Family Court and Tokyo High Court.

Our resident news anchor explains the policy of spouses sharing a surname in Japan, and the difficulties associated with it:

- Summary 夫婦別姓問題

- Japan’s system on sharing a surname after marriage 現在の日本の制度

- The disadvantages of changing one’s surname after marriage 夫婦同性のデメリット

- Why it is hard to push through a policy for separate surnames for spouses in Japan なぜ夫婦別姓にならない？

- Conclusionまとめ

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

In Japan, food products have deadlines within which they should be shipped to stores. Products that miss these delivery deadlines get discarded although they are still well within their ‘best by’ dates. To combat this problem of food waste, Nestle Japan and startup Minatoku have worked together to install vending machines which sell food products like KitKat and Nescafe which are past their delivery date but still perfectly consumable. 

Our resident news anchor helps you to understand the two ways in which food waste is mainly created in Japan, and the various measures the country is taking to reduce food waste.

- Summary 食品ロス問題OP

- What is food waste and how is it created? 食品ロスとは

- The environmental impact of food waste なぜ食品ロスを削減する必要がある？

- What is Japan doing to combat food waste?日本の食品ロス対策

- Conclusionまとめ

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Watch the news video with Japanese transcript here!

https://perapera.ai/watch/youtube-qvG2Jdj4v_k

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

ネスレ 食品ロス削減の無人販売機 出荷できない「キットカット」など

https://youtu.be/qvG2Jdj4v_k

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

On June 7 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug Aducanumab, co-developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai and U.S.-based Biogen to treat Alzheimer’s disease. The drug is effective in removing amyloid beta, a protein which accumulates in large amounts in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. 

Our resident news anchor delves into the current treatments for Alzheimer’s, and how the latest drug developed by Eisai and Biogen is different.

- Summary エーザイが共同開発した新薬、FDAで承認へ

- About the drug Aducanumab アデュカヌマブについて

- Current treatments for Alzheimer’s これまでのアルツハイマー治療薬

- Dementia among the Japanese elderly 日本の認知症患者数

- Conclusionまとめ

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Watch the news video with Japanese transcript here!

https://perapera.ai/watch/youtube-u1vl8p6oN6U

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

エーザイなど共同開発のアルツハイマー病治療薬 世界初 米FDAが承認

https://youtu.be/u1vl8p6oN6U

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

A new paternity leave bill passed by Japan’s House of Representatives in June 2021 allows new fathers to take a total of four weeks off within eight weeks of a child’s birth. Up to 80% of their salary will be guaranteed under this law.

Japanese companies with more than 1000 employees will also be required to report the take-up rate of paternity leave among their employees from April 2023. 

Our resident news anchor digs deeper into why many fathers currently find it difficult to take childcare leave in Japan.

- Summary 男性も産休を

- An introduction to maternity and childcare leave in Japan  産休とは

- Reasons for legislating paternity leave in Japan なぜ男性版産休制度がつくられた？

- Towards gender equality in Japan ジェンダー平等へ

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Watch the news video with Japanese transcript here!

https://perapera.ai/watch/youtube-rYBZF26TH3g

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

“男性版産休”新設 改正法成立 育休取得を後押し

https://youtu.be/rYBZF26TH3g

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

Senryu is a type of traditional Japanese poetry originating in the Edo Period, made up of three lines of five, seven and five syllables respectively. Every year, Japanese life insurance company Dai-ichi runs a poetry contest, encouraging Japanese salarymen to submit their often humorous and satirical poems. In 2021, the competition attracted 60,000 submissions, many of which inspired by the change in work circumstances due to the coronavirus. 

Our resident news anchor discusses the top 10 poems Japanese salaryman have come up with this year, as voted by the Japanese public.

- Summary サラリーマン川柳OP

- The Top 10 Salarymen Poems 今年のサラリーマン川柳ベスト10

- Conclusion まとめ

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Watch the news video with Japanese transcript here!

https://perapera.ai/watch/youtube-vd8V517jEiY

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

悲哀しみじみ サラリーマン川柳 コロナ色濃く反映

https://youtu.be/vd8V517jEiY

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

Plans to pass a bill protecting LGBT individuals in Japan were shelved by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Japan in June 2021. The ruling party’s conservative lawmakers were reported as making discriminatory remarks against sexual minorities during the discussion process, sparking protests by the LGBTQ+ community in Tokyo.

Many had hoped the bill would be passed ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in line with Japan’s pledge for a “diverse” Olympics. However, the wording of the bill’s title, which can be loosely translated to mean “promoting correct understanding” of LGBT individuals falls short of its intention to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Our resident news anchor discusses why this is so in this episode:

- Summary 

- The Japanese understanding of the term LGBT  LGBTとは

- LGBT legislation: from “anti-discrimination” to “promoting correct understanding”  LGBT理解増進法案

-  LGBTへの差別をなくそう

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

Local residents rejoice as Japan looks to welcome Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, as well as the northern part of the main Okinawa Island and Iriomote Island in Okinawa Prefecture as new natural World Heritage sites designated by the UNESCO in late July 2021. 

Our resident news anchor discusses the number of World Heritage sites in Japan and gives an introduction to the four islands currently recommended to be added to the list by the International Union for Conversation of Nature. 

- Summary

- What are World Heritage sites? 世界遺産とは

- Introduction to the islands in Southwestern Japan 奄美、徳之島、沖縄島北部、西表島

- Becoming World Heritage sites 世界自然遺産に向けて

Watch the news video with Japanese transcript here!

http://perapera.ai/watch/youtube-_0jGjIqOAH0

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

「奄美・沖縄」世界遺産へ 登録勧告に“喜びの舞”

https://youtu.be/_0jGjIqOAH0

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

Moritomo Gakuen is a Japanese private school operator located in Osaka, Japan, which found itself at the center of a scandal in 2017 involving a steep discount given by the Japanese Finance Ministry’s Kinki Bureau on the sale of the plot of the formerly government-owned plot of land which the elementary school would be built on. 

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s wife, Akie Abe, was found to be named honorary principal of the elementary school before it was built, sparking allegations that the steep discount worth more than 800 million yen was offered due to the school operator’s relationship with the then First Lady. 

The issue resurfaced in June this year when the Osaka District Court finally disclosed the documents compiled by deceased Finance Ministry bureaucrat Toshio Akagi detailing instructions he received to falsify public records relating to the sale of the plot of land. The document, dubbed the “Akagi file”, includes documents on instructions given in the period between February to April 2017 to alter records regarding the sale of the plot of land, as well as email exchanges between the Financial Bureau’s ministerial headquarters in Tokyo and the local finance bureau in the Kinki region. Toshio Akagi committed suicide in 2018 after allegedly suffering from depression due to having to follow orders to falsify the documents. 

Our resident news anchor discusses the development of the scandal from 2016 to the present.

- Summary 

- What is the Moritomo Gakuen scandal about? 森友学園問題とは

- What is the Kakei Gakuen scandal about? 加計学園問題

- The truth behind these scandals 事件の真相は

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FNN Prime Online YouTube Channel

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

As Japanese adults embrace remote work due to COVID-19, their children also get their taste of working remotely with family entertainment center operator Kidzania, which allows children to role-play adult jobs.

Our resident news anchor discusses how the nature of work will change in the future.

- Introduction to Kidzania キッザニアで初のリモート体験OP

- What do Japanese kids want to be in the future? 今の子どもの将来の夢は？

- How will jobs change due to remote work and artificial intelligence? リモートワークやAIによって仕事は変わる？

- The future of work これからの仕事は？

Watch the news video with Japanese transcript here!

http://perapera.ai/watch/youtube-iwGFd_VDFQQ

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

キッザニア“初”リモートワーク 人気の「映像クリエイター」体験

https://youtu.be/iwGFd_VDFQQ

FNN Prime Online YouTube Channel

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that Japan will target a 46% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from 2013 levels at a 2-day virtual climate summit hosted on 22nd and 23rd April 2021. 

Our resident news anchor discusses Japan’s, as well as the U.S. and China’s response to climate change as expressed by country leaders during the virtual climate summit.

- Summary 温室効果ガス削減へＯＰ

- Japan’s response to climate change 日本の対策

- The U.S. and China’s response to climate changeアメリカと中国の対策

- What is the Paris Agreement? パリ協定

Watch the news video with Japanese transcript here!

http://perapera.ai/watch/youtube-YiOhydU2648

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

菅首相 温室効果ガス46%削減を表明 気候変動サミット

https://youtu.be/YiOhydU2648

FNN Prime Online YouTube Channel

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

The planned marriage between Princess Mako, the niece of Emperor Naruhito, and Kei Komuro has been postponed for over three years since they became informally engaged in September 2017. In February 2018, allegations surfaced that a ¥4 million loan to Komuro’s mother from her former fiancé had not been paid back. In April 2021, Komuro expressed his family’s intent to offer a settlement payment, despite releasing a 24-page document a few days before detailing that the money in question, including his educational expenses, was provided by the former fiancé as “a gift.”

Our resident news anchor discusses what the Komuro family money dispute is about and why it has attracted heated speculation in the Japanese media.

- Summary 小室圭さん金銭トラブルＯＰ

- What is the background of the money dispute between Kei Komuro’s mother and her former fiancé? 金銭トラブルの経緯

- What is the Japanese koushitsu (Imperial Household)? 皇室とは

- The Japanese public’s response to the issue国民も関心をよせている

Watch the news video with Japanese transcript here!

http://perapera.ai/watch/youtube-nzFuj3_FGuI

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

元婚約者「突然の提案に戸惑い」 小室圭さん 解決金渡す意向

https://youtu.be/nzFuj3_FGuI

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

Did you know that Japanese schools have strange rules such as only having one keychain on your school bag, or not being able to wear a scarf without your coat?

Our resident news anchor discusses what are “black school rules” in Japan and how they are changing following a review by 

- Summary ＯＰ

- What kind of “black school rules” are there in Japan? どんなブラック校則がある？

- The rationale for these school rules  なぜブラック校則がある？

- How these school rules are changing ブラック校則の変化

Watch the news video with Japanese transcript here!

http://perapera.ai/watch/youtube-OLilOpAahQw

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

ブラック校則 見直しの動き

https://youtu.be/OLilOpAahQw

FNN Prime Online YouTube Channel

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

On 27 March 2021, former Japan prime minister Abe gave a speech in Niigata where he stressed once again the need to add a reference to Japan’s Self-Defence Forces in the Japanese Constitution. 

Our resident news anchor discusses the significance of this news:

- Summary 憲法に自衛隊をＯＰ

- Background of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces (jieitai) 自衛隊とは

- Article 9 of the Japan Constitution (kenpou kyuujou) 憲法9条と自衛隊の存在

- What is the “right to collective defense”? 集団的自衛権

- History of Japan Constitution 憲法改正の背景

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

憲法に自衛隊明記を訴え 安倍前首相が新潟で講演

https://youtu.be/ZXBXpQLg0zg

FNN Prime Online YouTube Channel

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

Today, our resident news anchor discusses the Sapporo's District Court ruling on 21 March 2021 that the current law, which does not recognize same-sex marriage, is unconstitutional because it violates the principle of equality. We will cover the following topics:

- Why we picked this news topic ニュースを選んだ理由

- Details of the Sapporo ruling on same-sex marriages and similar developments in other prefectures in Japan 同性婚をめぐる裁判

- What are "partnership certificates" and what rights do same-sex couples in Japan have with it  パートナーシップ制度

- What can we expect the situation for same-sex marriages to look like in the near future  これからの裁判に注目

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

「同性婚」認めないのは違憲 札幌地裁 全国初の判断

https://youtu.be/uFVDl55E9-w

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

On February 3rd 2021, then president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, Yoshiro Mori, made disparaging remarks toward women, saying that meetings would never end because "women talk too much". His sexist remarks caused a furore among the Japanese public and Mori has since stepped down from the organizing committee.

Today, our Japanese news anchor explains the reality of Japan's persistent gender gap, and offers an insight into the reasons for women under-representation in the workplace.

- Summary of the news

- What Japan's current gender disparity is like 男女格差の現状

- Reasons for gender disparity in the workplace in Japan 男女格差の原因

- How to bridge the gender gap in Japan 男女格差の解決

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

菅首相「偏見あれば改善を」 男女共同参画に向け

https://youtu.be/Sb2s8OdRthY

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

On the third of March every year, Japan celebrates hina-matsuri, also known as Doll's Day or Girls' Day. Our resident news anchor discusses the origins and 

- Introduction to Hina-matsuri ひな祭り概要

- What are the hina-ningyou, the ornamental dolls associated with the festival and what purpose do they serve? ひな人形

- What do the Japanese eat during Hina-matsuri? ひな祭りの食べ物

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

あちこちにひな人形 町おこしへ 職人技“世界に一つ”に再生

https://youtu.be/B-TJu_jri6M

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

Today, our resident news anchor discusses the latest earthquake to hit Fukushima on 13 February 2021:

- Why we picked this news topic ニュースを選んだ理由

- About the recent earthquake in Fukushima 今回の地震について

- The largest earthquakes in Japanese history これまでに起こった日本の地震

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

各地の地震発生時、発生直後の映像まとめ【福島・宮城南部で震度６強】

https://youtu.be/H-83NBkQCwM

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

Today, our resident news anchor discusses the latest changes to Japanese university entrance examinations in 4 parts:

- Why we picked this news topic 大学入試のニュースを選んだ理由

- What are most Japanese university entrance examinations like? 日本の大学入試

- What is the difference between university entrance examinations ("daigaku nyuushi") and centre examinations ("senta shiken")? センター試験とのちがい

- How do national examinations take place amid the coronavirus pandemic? コロナの中での入試

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online. 

“緊急事態”下で初の大学入学共通テスト 大雪で一部会場中止に

https://youtu.be/Zu_zjDBKR6g

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

Today, our resident news anchor discusses the trend of working remotely in Japan, and its impact on eyesight.

- Why we picked this news topic リモートワークのニュースを選んだ理由

- What is remote work? リモートワークとは

- The pros and cons of working remotely リモートワークのメリットデメリット

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This podcast episode is best listened to in conjunction with the following news video from FNN Prime Online.

スマホ・PCで「リモート老眼」 20代・30代の発症が増加

https://youtu.be/_gq4yBsAOkg

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Disclaimer: News Anchor Japanese is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Fuji News Network, Inc., or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The official FNN Prime Online website can be found at https://www.fnn.jp/

Listen to our resident Japanese news anchor introduce herself and what "News Anchor Japanese" is about!