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Old 2014.02.16, 10:53 AM   #45
TurtleFu
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I took a stab at translating "Shinjuku". It was much harder than I thought. Anybody who reads Japanese better than me, please help with your input! I had to write down what I heard, so no kanji for most words.

Japanese:
きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ
みんあのうたは誰のうた?
BLTみたいなCanCamみたいな
ジャンプSPRING smartなうた

女のこだけもらえるポケットチィッシュ
私のおまもり汚れてもいいの

あのまちを歩く才能がなかったから
私新宿がすき汚れてもいいの

性格保護ではしからはじまで
みつあみをしたおんあとあそんで
いい大学とか気にせずに
君のこと好きだよ

もしもいつか子供がうまれても
ギターのほうがかわいいんたもの

あの愛にうずくまる才能がなかったから
私あなたがすき、誰でもいいの

あのまちを歩く才能がなかったら
私新宿がすき汚れてもいいの
私新宿がすき
汚れてもいいの

English: (bolded is what I'm unsure of)
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu
Everyone’s song is who’s song?
A BLT-like, CanCam-like
Jump Spring smart-like song

Only (young) girls can get pocket tissues
It’s ok if my protection/talisman is dirty!

Because I do not have talent I walk that street
I like Shinjuku even if it is dirty!

To protect my personality I (go) past the bridge until I am ashamed (?)
I play with the braided (hair?) girl

Without having to worry about a good university
I love your things!

Even if whenever the child is born
The way of the guitar is cute too


I did not have the talent to crouch/cower in that love
I love you, anybody is alright

Because I do not have talent I walk that street
I like Shinjuku even if it gets dirty!
I like Shinjuku
even if it is dirty!

Notes/Analysis:
The electro-pop singer Kyary, very popular with college-aged girls, typifies Akihabara and Shibuya (the typical hangouts for young women)
A song that everyone likes is nobody’s song in particular (possibly that Kyary is supposed to be seen as “unique” but since she doesn’t write her own songs, unlike Seiko, her songs don’t truly represent herself)
BLT, CanCam, are fashion magazines for college-aged girls (Seiko’s age group)
I have no idea what Jump Spring Smart is supposed to mean, possibly another fashion magazine

I have no clue about pocket tissues. Possibly a reference to what is considered fashionable for young women?
Mamori means “protection” but can also mean “talisman”, so possibly a reference to something that Seiko uses to feel protected/in defense of herself
“yogoreru” literally means dirty, but it can also have the connotation of “becoming disgraced”, so it may be a metaphor for doing something that is deemed unpopular (for example, liking Shinjuku when it’s more “fashionable” for girls her age to hang around Shibuya)

I have an issue with the grammar here, as the “kara” clause, when at the beginning of the sentence, typically means “because” but otherwise can mean “through, since, or out of”. I have no idea which to use.

The second verse is harder to understand because of the lack of kanji and me unable to finger out which word is appropriate from context. Her consistent use of “mo” is also throwing me off, since by my understanding it usually means “also/too”.

The last couple of verses make little sense to me, but I think it has to do with Seiko’s loneliness/outcast status, not worrying about the typical things women her age do.

She switches between "atashi" (the highly feminized "I", typical of young women trying to sound cute) and "watashi" (the less feminine "I", more common in business-like settings) throughout the song. Why? I do not know.

There are a whole bunch of implications about Shinjuku I am definitely missing as somebody who does not live in Tokyo.

Last edited by TurtleFu : 2014.02.16 at 10:58 AM.
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