I have a few free hours for the first time in weeks.

I am converting all of my Japanese music ID3 tags to Japanese language.

I need help.

I purchased a candy bar today called “Black Thunder.”

…as if that weren’t enough, the label claims that this “cocoa cookie crunch” has “lightning-class flavor” and, somewhat disturbingly, is “very popular with young girls.”

…

Oh my god.

My current goal is to get the Singer Songer site up in time for the album launch in June. Until then, it all goes here! (not so formatted, here…)

Shokarinrin (The Chiming of New Flowers)

Lyrics (Japanese)

jidanda funde
dada wo koneta
ayamarikata ha
shitteru
da kedo shiranai
step mo nani mo
ashita no
anata no yukue mo

zutto haroo

Lyrics (English)

I stomped my feet
I pitched a fit
I know how to
Apologize
But I don’t know
The steps, or something
Or where you’ll be
Tomorrow

Gathering uncountable
Farewells
Yes, it’s far, but suddenly!
I want to meet you…

Hello, hello
With our hands together
Hello, hello, hello, hello
We’ll travel so far

I put my mottled memories
Up on the shelf
And prayed
Without any distinctions
To the dark night and
The sorrowful morning
Disappearing
Somewhere in the world

Blowing, being blown
Like this
Laughter and tears, sleeping
They reach you…

Hello, hello
A kaleidoscope of song
Hello, hello, hello, hello
The flowers are blooming

Forever, hello

Interpretation and Notes

First, lyrics and music are both attributed to “Cocco.” So while Cocco may be in a band, this is still definitely her ship.

I feel confident that this song is about Cocco’s feelings toward coming out of retirement. The first verse talks about the way she abruptly left the music industry in 2001 to return to Okinawa. She wanted to return to music, but wasn’t sure how she could (thus all the singles, covers, art books, we’ve been seeing). Suddenly, though, she wants to return! (The Japanese, “kirari,” means flash/twinkle, implying that it was both sudden and impossible to deny).

In the first chorus, “with our hands together / we’ll travel so far” is about her new band members, and how this new journey (as Singer Songer) is together with them, not just a solo career.

In the second verse, she talks about the process of returning: coming to grips with her past life as a solo artist, and searching for strength and a reason to return. (the phrase here is literally, “I prayed without distinction by class/level,” using the same word for open-class competition. Amusing, but a somewhat scattershot approach to religion). But in the end, it is her connection with her fans which encouraged her to return.

In the final chorus, the words “momoiro” (pink) are said, but the words “hyakuiro” (one hundred colors) are written. Taking this chorus together with the title, I think it’s fair to say that the flowers are metaphors for songs, and that Cocco is celebrating the “new flowers” that will bloom together with her new bandmates.

Finally, it goes without saying that the upbeat tone of the song and the constant greeting of “hello, hello” mean that Cocco is happy to be back.

I’m happy too!

Dane McGowan says:
hahaha oh christ
Dane McGowan says:
go to logitech.com and look at that middle pic
ferricide says:
jhfklsdahl;dasfjsd;;kjl;fdajs
ferricide says:
if it weren’t for you gettng the pic
ferricide says:
i’d assume it IP tracked for san francisco

I went to E3 and it was fun BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THAT! You want to hear about the new convenience store that opened up near my apartment!

So, this new convenience store opened up near my apartment! It’s a chain I’ve never heard of before, “Q’s Mart,” and the only thing I knew about them before today was that their windows were covered with the phrase “99 Style.” I went over there about 11:20 A.M. today to pick up some lunch, only to discover that it had not opened that morning, but 20 minutes before, at 11:00 A.M.

Oh my!

I don’t know what I was expecting a convenience store opening to be like, but I certainly wasn’t expecting press lined up across the street, five cameras and boom mikes in tow. Interviewing the manager, the workers, customers as they left the store… The store itself was absolutely packed with people.

In any case, Q’s Mart is an exciting new paradigm in conbini technologies. It’s sort of a mix of a regular convenience store, the fresh produce section of a supermarket, and a 100-yen shop. (The “99 style,” read “kyuu kyuu style” in Japanese, in what I’m sure the Q’s Mart executive board thought was a delicious pun.) The produce prices seemed on par with the grocery store, and the “99 style” meant several quotidien items – drinks and chips, for example – were an easy 20-30 yen cheaper than at other convenience stores. I’m not quite sure yet how this hybrid beast fits into my current understanding of conbinis and grocery stores, but there’s definitely a place for it.

Engrish played over the loudspeakers: “Let’s enjoy kyuu-kyuu style… for your life!” Also, when you check out, the cashier loudly proclaims how many items you got as well as the total, presumably so that you (and others) are acutely aware just how much 99 style saved you. Hopefully they’ll stop that as the crowds thin out.

Arriving as early as I did, I was probably the first foreigner to ever shop there. How exciting! But now they have to burn the building down. :(

Viva la Quuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!

Apologies for neglecting my blog; if it makes you feel any better, I’ve been neglecting games, friends, sleep, decent food, and exercise just as much. The month of April is lost forever to me, now, and it’s really frustrating to know I’ll never get it back. I wish I could make some promises about updating more in the future, but given how much I’ve been working, am working, and will be working, that seems statistically unlikely.

Happier news: stores started selling Singer Songer’s stupendous single!

Welcome to yukihime.com!

If you are reading this because you met my Nintendogs, please leave a message!

JEFFREY THE KATAMARI IS A REFLECTION OF THE DUDE WHO ROLLS IT

Tired and Busted: Mister Donut
The New Hotness: Doughnut Plant New York City

Square donuts?! If they taste great and are the size of your head, why not!
Now in Jiyugaoka, seats 120.

…okay, perhaps some context is in order. Apparently, Doughnut Plant makes upscale donuts in New York City. That’s cool. But instead of expanding around America, they’ve gone aggressive into Japan. Though this confused me at first, this actually makes a lot of sense; after all, Americans’ primary donut-purchasing criterion is “how many can I get for a dollar?”, and the biweekly total menu changeover probably wouldn’t go over well with people who want either chocolate or glazed and definitely don’t want to think about it.

Japanese people, on the other hand, are absolutley nutsoid about pastries and bakeries to a downright obsessive degree, and Jiyugaoka is known for its sweets – so what better place to build your flagship store, and maybe even make your own mark on the area? Good thinking, Doughnut Plant. I approve of the logical train of thought that resulted in you building a big donut store near where I live.

I realize, suddenly, why I bought a second monitor: so I can punch one, but still keep working.

I finally managed to snag the first Singer Songer single … it goes on sale 5.25, but hit radiowaves yesterday. Thank you, anonymous Win MXer with sub-100 queue!

It’s hard to describe how scared I was before pressing “play.” I mean, I love Cocco, and I’ve been hoping and praying for a Cocco comeback ever since she retired in 2001. If this song sucked, or was even just “okay,” I’d be in for the biggest disappointment since that year they cancelled Christmas. Given how much I love Cocco (lots), suicide might end up being my best bet.

Fortunately, Singer Songer’s first single, Shokarinrin, is totally awesome. It’s definitely “happy side” Cocco, as expected – a band structure seems a lot more stable for her, bless her bipolar little heart. The time off seems to have done her good, and for all I know, she’s medicated up to the eyeballs now. The quality of her players is much higher than her previous band … sorry Cocco’s previous band, but you’re not Quruli. Cocco is definitely the lead singer here, with other members only harmonizing on the chorus.

Shokarinrin, means, uh, “The tintinabulation of early summer flowers” Cocco, as always, knows how to flex her kanji power; “rinrin” isn’t even in the Windows IME. A more melodious translation would be something like “Summer Flowers Sing!” It has a jangly acoustic guitar, multiple, layered, constant xylophone cascades, and a muted guitar that sounds almost like a wind synth. The drums are a sort of syncopated 4/4, and the bass is your standard driving rockiness. The other members mostly back up Cocco on the chorus:

hello, hello, hello
kono ryuu wo no te
hello, hello, hello, hello
haruka yuku yo
sugoi
sugoi
sugoi
sugoi

(hello, hello, hello
with our hands like this
hello, hello, hello, hello
we’ll travel oh so far
it’s wonderful
so wonderful
wonderful
wonderful)

Really, the song sounds like running through an endless field of singing summer flowers! Good job on mood/title matchup, guys!

I was surprised to discover that Yukihime is currentlythe #3 hit on Google for “Singer Songer.” I think it’s important that I take advantage of my early Singer Songer thought leadership by creating the world’s first Singer Songer fan site. Watch that space!

I’m the best 17-year-old ever.

Lincoln asked, “If we call the tail a leg, then how many legs does a dog have?”
“Five,” came the reply.
“No,” Lincoln said, “Just because you call a tail a leg doesn’t make it so.”