Touching You Softly
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I’ve been fortunate to get to know some truly remarkable people in my life. One of them was an origami artist Akira Yoshizawa whom I wrote about in “Akira Yoshizawa: the Master of Origami.” Another was Shigeru Kayano whom I only knew through mass media.
Kayano was known as an activist of the Ainu ethnic movement. He founded Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum and became the first Ainu Diet member. He was also the first person to pose questions in the Ainu language in the Diet. He played a major role in enacting the Act for the Promotion of Ainu Culture & Dissemination of Knowledge Regarding Ainu Traditions (アイヌ文化の振興並びにアイヌの伝統等に関する知識の普及及び啓発に関する法律) in 1997.
Since the major purpose of becoming a statesman was to enact the law, he left the House of Councilors after serving only one term with the words: “A hunter goes home before the darkness falls.”
When I lived in Hokkaido, I noticed that there was an Ainu language program on the radio. Since I had never heard anybody speak the language, I was curious and tuned in to the program.
“Iramkarapte.”
The instructor was Kayano. I was surprised when his warm tone of voice wrapped me gently because I had regarded Kayano as a fierce activist. His Ainu speech exuded nothing but love.
The Ainu language is of course very different from Japanese. I soon gave up studying the language, but sometimes switched on the radio just to be enveloped by Kayano’s affection.
“Iramkarapte” is a greeting which means “hello.” However, its true meaning in Ainu is: let me touch your heart softly.
Kayano’s voice indeed touched my heart softly.
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The homepage of Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum:
http://www.town.biratori.hokkaido.jp/biratori/nibutani/
Although Kayano passed away in 2006, you can listen to the language program in which he once taught:
http://www.stv.ne.jp/radio/ainugo/index.html
Here are some video clips of a documentary on Kayano visiting Scotland to find the roots of a Scottish doctor, Neil Gordon Munro, who had helped the Ainu people some seventy years ago.
Kayano was known as an activist of the Ainu ethnic movement. He founded Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum and became the first Ainu Diet member. He was also the first person to pose questions in the Ainu language in the Diet. He played a major role in enacting the Act for the Promotion of Ainu Culture & Dissemination of Knowledge Regarding Ainu Traditions (アイヌ文化の振興並びにアイヌの伝統等に関する知識の普及及び啓発に関する法律) in 1997.
Since the major purpose of becoming a statesman was to enact the law, he left the House of Councilors after serving only one term with the words: “A hunter goes home before the darkness falls.”
When I lived in Hokkaido, I noticed that there was an Ainu language program on the radio. Since I had never heard anybody speak the language, I was curious and tuned in to the program.
“Iramkarapte.”
The instructor was Kayano. I was surprised when his warm tone of voice wrapped me gently because I had regarded Kayano as a fierce activist. His Ainu speech exuded nothing but love.
The Ainu language is of course very different from Japanese. I soon gave up studying the language, but sometimes switched on the radio just to be enveloped by Kayano’s affection.
“Iramkarapte” is a greeting which means “hello.” However, its true meaning in Ainu is: let me touch your heart softly.
Kayano’s voice indeed touched my heart softly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The homepage of Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum:
http://www.town.biratori.hokkaido.jp/biratori/nibutani/
Although Kayano passed away in 2006, you can listen to the language program in which he once taught:
http://www.stv.ne.jp/radio/ainugo/index.html
Here are some video clips of a documentary on Kayano visiting Scotland to find the roots of a Scottish doctor, Neil Gordon Munro, who had helped the Ainu people some seventy years ago.
Thanks for uploading these videos. I know next to nothing about Ainu culture, but I'd love to learn more about it.
I'm looking forward to hearing more from you. Also, I've been waiting for the next installment of your novel. ;)
I'm afraid I don't know much about Ainu culture, either. I've been to the museum in Nibutani village, but my head is like a sieve. I remember next to nothing. (^^;)
およよ、voiceには使わないのかな？？ 迷わずどんどん指摘してクダサーイ！
http://tiny.cc/gq87p
などではsmooth vocal という感じなので、物柔らかな声、というので問題なさそうですが・・。少しセクシーさが混ざる感じになってしまうのかな？？
ちょっとネイティブにも聞いてみますね。
http://goo.gl/C5KVx
http://goo.gl/TOHdF
http://goo.gl/qNm56
Jubay,
"suave" means "smooth, sophisticated, relaxed"
a "suave voice" is a voice that is relaxed and confidence and it seems sexy.
なので、やっぱりややセクシーなイメージが入るようですね。以後気をつけますね。Thanks for your tip!
He was also the first person to pose questions in the Ainu language in the Diet.
Yes, I think this video might interest you since it's about languages and ethinic heritage.
Here are some video clips of a documentary on Kayano visiting Scotland to find the roots of a Scottish doctor, Neil Gordon Munro, who had helped the Ainu people some seventy years ago.
Because it just sounds good!
...some 何々 years ago.
>Because it just sounds good!
Sounding good is great! :)
Since I had never heard anybody speak the language, I was curious and tuned in to the program.
Ainu culture is something I rarely hear about, so it was eye-opening to hear a bit about it here in your entry and through a bit of part one of the documentary. Thank you for sharing these - I plan to watch the rest this weekend :)
Yes, I think you might find this documentary fascinating since Kayano talks about what role a language plays in establishing one's identity (or ethnicity).
At first, I wrote "tuned in on the program," but when I googled it, I realized it was wrong. When I googled "tuned in the program," I found some examples so I used it, but I kept feeling that it didn't sound quite right. I was wondering what was the most natural way of writing it. :)