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ALC Newsletter No. 081 4/9/08
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By the International Marketing Team at ALC Press http://www.alc.co.jp/international

Contents:
1) The "Dear Readers" Column: Messages from the International Marketing Team at ALC Press
2) Trendy Japanese #35: Sekai-no-Nabeatsu (pronounced "nah-bay-ah-tsu")
3) Quiz on Japan #20: "What might a schoolgirl ask a boy for at graduation"
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Dear Readers,

Greetings from Tokyo!

We have now started to offer the Special Advertising Package for colleges and universities in the USA, Canada, the UK and Ireland for 2008-09. The package includes a print ad in ALC's study abroad guide, as well as PC and mobile-phone website ads. For more details, please go to:
http://www.alc.co.jp/international/CampusADPackageUni.html

If you have any questions on this matter, please e-mail us at <intsales@alc.co.jp>.

Best wishes from the International Marketing Team at ALC Press.

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Trendy Japanese #35: Sekai-no-Nabeatsu (pronounced "nah-bay-ah-tsu")
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OK, so we've already written about several popular comedians in Japan in previous newsletters, but we just see new comedians coming on (and disappearing from) TV every month! However, Sekai-no-Nabeatsu, pronounced as "nah-bay-ah-tsu" and meaning "the World's Nabeatsu," has had quite a long career although his popularity only really began soaring in late 2007.

His name is Watanabe Atsumu, from which his nickname "Nabeatsu" comes. He began his career as a comedian in 1991, performing in a duo called "Jyarizumu." The duo broke up in 1999 but re-formed in 2004, and their popularity has been stable to some extent since then. Nabeatsu also began to appear on TV as a solo comedian.
And since he brought out a new series of comedy performances in late 2007, many comedy fans have been attracted to him.

His main performance is called "A man who becomes stupid when calling out numbers with 3 and multiples of 3." It sounds complicated and doesn't really make sense, but if you see Nabeatsu actually performing it, you'll know that it's quite simple ─ and funny. So, here's how it goes: Nabeatsu calls out the numbers from 1 to 40 with a serious face. But when he calls a number that either has "3" in it or is a multiple of 3, he calls it in a very stupid way ─ like Mr. Bean or Austin Powers, for example.

If you try the performance yourself, you'll notice that you have to be stupid the whole time with the numbers from 30 to 39, because they all contain "3." And this is what makes it interesting. Being stupid for a certain time creates a climax, and then the serious "40" brings a perfect end to the performance. Nabeatsu looks stupid in his performances, but considering how elaborately they are composed, he might actually be a genius in Japan's comedy world.

If you'd like to see what Nabeatsu looks like, check out his official blog at:
http://atsumu-watanabe.laff.jp

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Quiz on Japan #20: "What might a schoolgirl ask a boy for at graduation?"
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How much do you know about Japan? We'll give you a quiz in each issue, so try to find the right answer!

［Answer to last week's quiz］
Last week's quiz question was "What do members of the audience throw at sumo wrestlers?" The answer is (c) Cushions. It is said that the audience used to pay for their cushions, and got the money back when they returned them after the bouts. And when they thought the bout was great, they threw their cushions to the wrestlers so they'd "donate" the cushion money for their wonderful performance. Now you don't need to pay for the cushions, so throwing them doesn't mean donating money to the wrestlers but the custom still remains although it can be dangerous and is not recommended at all.

Quiz for this week: Spring is a season for graduation from and entrance to schools in Japan. At graduations, there has been a custom ─ though maybe it's not so common now ─ that a schoolgirl might ask a boy who she likes for something that belongs to him as a sweet memory. What is it?

(a) the second button of his uniform jacket
(b) the shoelace of his left shoe
(c) his student handbook
(d) his underpants

Check out the correct answer in the next issue!

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Thank you for reading!

*Back issues of the ALC Newsletter are available at:
http://www.alc.co.jp/international/Newsletter.html

*If you wish to be removed from this newsletter or change the e-mail address to which it is sent, please let us know by e-mailing us at:
intl-mag@alc.co.jp

Publisher: ALC Press, Inc.
2-54-12 Eifuku, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 168-8611 Japan
Writers: The International Marketing Team at ALC Press / Ayako Ishimoto
Editor: The International Marketing Team at ALC Press

Copyright (c) 2008 ALC Press, Inc. All rights reserved.