20221220 - 吾輩は狸である progress: 99.28% 
The conversation. It is finally over.
Japanese found under the leaves
Meowords
Forms
永い ＝ 長い「ながい」(Long)
びっくり has kanji! It’s 吃驚 (Surprise; amazement)
20 Likes
Dec 20, Tue of Week 13 of Fall 2022 
- 史記 (latter half of Ch.2)
Also, vocabularies from Tate-Yuusha anime with JP sub, 1/2 episodes.
Interesting words
- あしらう = to handle; to garnish
- ふんだんに = plentiful; abundant. Sound changes from 不断に.
- 切に = strongly; passionately
- 気難しい = hard to please
- 仕立て = tailoring; dressmaking
- 感じ取る = to sense; to guess
- 飢きん = crop failure; chronic shortage. Full Kanji form is 飢饉.
- 付与 = bestowal; granting
- 習得 = learning; acquisition. I believe I have seen 修得 before as well, which is more of studying and training. (JJ has separate entries.)
- 採掘 = mining
- 勉強 = discount; price reduction. Actually, I have realized this meaning for a while, but first time to it in action.
- 貴金属 = precious metal
SFX
- ずぶり = stab through. ずぶりと刺す
17 Likes
December 20th
Card Captor Sakura volume 2 – progress report
Yesterday: Read up to page 104.
Today: Finished chapter 8, continued up to page 151 and finished chapter 9.
Made satisfactory progress today.
Hoo boy am I going to pretend I didn’t see & read those few pages in chapter 9 in order to retain my sanity. (I’m talking about the scene where Terada-sensei gifted Rika an engagement ring and told her that one day he will gift her a wedding ring too.) Yes, I’m fully aware that this is just a fictional story but he is literally grooming a child, his student no less, and it’s beyond creepy despite it being shown in a ‘wholesome’ light and him being a ‘decent’ guy – blegh. Why CLAMP, just why?! 
Word or expression of the day:
急展開 - (きゅうてんかい) - rapid development, rapid unfolding
Honourable mention(s):
一瞬 - (いっしゅん) - (for an) instant, moment
19 Likes
December 20th (Home Post Link)
Finally got the motivation to start my stardew valley japanese save last last night! I’m just gonna keep track of it via my steam playtime (starting at 90.0 hours). I also found and bookmarked the jp wiki, so I’m going to try to use that instead of the english one if I need to look things up about the game (it’s been probably 4 or 5 years since I played, so big parts of the game are going to be relearning for me 
). I might just commit to playing a day or two a day for now.
Getting towards the end of the year is usually when I start to stress out a lot about “oh no I didn’t actually manage to do all the things I wanted to this year! I could’ve worked harder! I could’ve done more studying! I could’ve read more!” etc etc etc, but this reading club has helped me keep that in check a lot so far this year, so thank you all for that 
(at least for japanese, my other goals have been less directly trackable/quantifiable and more prone to these worries 
Like most people pursing graduate coursework, I am nothing more than a coffee-fueled bundle of imposter syndrome) I do think I’m probably reading pretty light at the moment (I adjusted to the style of the NHK easy articles waaaay faster than I was expecting to), and could stand to increase the quantity/difficulty of my japanese, but that can wait for the new year.
Read:
- スターデューバレー (90.0 → 91.7 hours) - handwritingy font and no furigana are actually not as much of a challenge as I feared! Some kanji would be a pain to look up without the wildcard search feature, but so far I haven’t had tooooo much trouble with anything really. I only actually made it through 2 days in game, since there’s a lot of text with introducing yourself to everyone and all the tutorial stuff, but hey! progress!
- NHK News Web Easy: 雪がたくさん降るときに車の運転で気をつけること
- ホリミヤ ch 31
Good Words
スターデューバレー
小屋「こや」ー cabin
不満「ふまん」ー dissatisfaction
長旅「ながたび」ー long journey
収穫「しゅうかく」ー harvest
酒場「さかば」ー bar, tavern
牧場主「ぼくじょうめし」ー rancher, cattleman
うわさ ー whisper, rumor
種「たね」ー seed
鍛冶屋「かじや」ー blacksmith
仁王門「におうもん」ー deva gate (buddhism, i think i saw this in よつばと！too)
坊主「ぼうず」ー sonny, lad (familiar)
NHK
取り除く「とりのぞく」ー to remove
カイロ ー pocket heater, handwarmer
毛布「もうふ」ー blanket
排気ガス「はいきがす」ー exhaust fumes
緊急「きんきゅう」ー emergency
ホリミヤ
攻撃力「こうげきりょく」ー offensive ability
扉「とびら」ー door
肩たたき「かたたたき」ー shoulder massage
粉砕「ふんさい」ー pulverization
AAA that’s so exciting!! Good Luck Good Luck Good Luck!!
19 Likes
SCNRDecember 20 
叙述トリック短編集 , 79-86%
ユージニア , 47-54%
It appears I’m back! 
Today I caught up with my advent reading, and did in fact read a little further than I was supposed to. And then I proceeded to read all of Eugenia’s assignment for this week. It feels good, I must say.
20 Likes
Home post 
// Dec 20 
・本好きの下剋上 14 (84% → 93%)
Probably just one short story left of the book 
One phrase I thought was a bit confusing: 取るに足らない. I’m not sure I’ve seen that version before, but it seems to have the same meaning as 取るに足りない. From what I can tell they’re the negative form of 足る and 足りる, respectively. Don’t know if there is any difference otherwise 
21 Likes
December 20
Home Post
Orange 
Swedish historical holiday traditions 
So yesterday after I posted I ended up reading two more chapters of Orange. Leaving me with two chapters left of the main story.
There was no way I was gonna wait for half a week and then a week to finish this. Rushing right towards the climax of a story is no time to sit around rolling my thumbs.
So yeah, finished it (volume 5). :3
20 Likes
December 20th!
Today I read a chapter of Shadow’s House, I’m really enjoying this volume so far, a lot of interesting stuff is happening.
I was planning to read 2 chapters tonight, but my plans got derailed by water leaking through my ceiling 
19 Likes
I read ~30 pages of 自殺行き往復切符 and ~10 from ユージニア. This week’s ユージニア chapter feels harder than usual, but maybe I’m just tired. I’ll probably finish it tomorrow when I’m recharged.
Awww that’s so sweet! Europe would indeed be a bit far for me to go for the sake of a test, although I just checked and it appears it’s the same flight time (more or less) from here to Tokyo as it is from here to Berlin 
So I guess if I need a backup testing location somewhere in Western Europe wouldn’t be a terrible choice
Thank you! Hoping I can make myself study diligently so I only have to take it once
My JP<>JP dictionary defines them exactly the same way fwiw
22 Likes
December 20 Home Post
Another VN day; I played a bit more of the 13 sentinels demo and in doing so realized it has a log with audio replay and options to progress dialogue by clicking and all that good stuff, plus I got more sucked into whatever it is that’s going on with these kids, so I did end up buying it while it was still on sale, another to add to the list!
Afterward I was a bit more rational and went back to BU$TAFELLOWS which you know, I’m actually supposed to be reading but yes I’m now solidly beyond where I’d gotten messing with the demo and I’m definitely enjoying it! It continues to be very up my alley, and generally a pretty smooth read what with all my prior adjacent reading experiences so yes, all good thus far!
20 Likes
Over the past three days, I’ve read both volumes of 蟻魔君は魔法使い, though I don’t remember how many chapters I read each day because I didn’t write it down. I went into this fully expecting it not to be a BL even though from the Bookwalker preview it definitely coulda gone that way, and it’s not, it’s a comedy with no real romance (I wouldn’t even really count Maho liking Arima: she more stans him than has a crush on him; she sees him more as an idol or god than a person, and she’s even somewhat aware herself that she’s not really in love with him), although I am just gonna go ahead and assume that everyone in this is bisexual lmao. It was pretty entertaining, and while I am a little sad that there aren’t any more books, the fact that there are only two makes it that much funnier that we don’t learn our two main characters’ given names—or Maho’s surname, for that matter—until ch 10 out of 13, when we have learned two minor characters’ full names before then.
And both Arima and Tonori were named by their grandfathers, and Arima likes his name (創世), but Tonori hates his, (優勝 —his grandfather’s the president of and developer for a video game company, and I thought that was why he named him that since it made sense, but his name has 勝 in it and his son’s has 優 in it, so his grandson’s 優勝), so he tells Arima and the others what it is only reluctantly, after this big production the whole chapter of them both trying to figure out what the other’s given name is without letting on that they don’t know it because they need it for a form for class and they should know it, right?? And it’s so sweet how Arima was basically like, “No, that name’s perfect, I’m gonna teleport us all to your house so I can thank your grandfather for giving you such a great name right now”? They’re so good. Tonori’s never been popular and he’s never had friends, and though Arima’s always been popular he’s never had any actual friends, they’re each other’s first real friends, and they are so good.
蟻魔：そろそろ許してあげない…？
マホ：推しの顔面殴った罪は重い。本当なら殺してるところだった
蟻魔：マホちゃん、おねがい♡
マホ：あーーーー 余生を楽しめ
蟻魔：ありがとうございます!!
That seems more like a threat than a pardon lmao. Enjoy the rest of your life ('cause ya ain’t gonna have much of it)
Also why is he so cute even as a middle-aged man, how is that fair. Doing that should only be effective when he’s 17, not 37 or whatever (I have no idea how old he is)
The rest of the day today after finishing 蟻魔君 was spent on book club reads: mission 20 of S×F, ch 82-83 of 極主夫道, 12 pages (all of ch 2) of 夜カフェ, and 4 pages of おばちゃんたち.
This chapter of 夜カフェ spells trouble. And considering how the last volume went, I have kind of a bad feeling about this one…
Yayako is working at Yoru Café now, and especially with Ryouma knowing and having a good impression of her… Despite Kurahashi-sensei having been bullied as a kid too, I don’t exactly trust her anymore to handle bully-victim or abuser-victim relationships well. Much less someone finding out that a kouhai he has a favorable impression of is actually a nasty, spiteful little witch who’s bullying two of his friends. (Yayako only puts on a nice face in front of him because she has a crush on him. Well, maybe not only, not when it comes to basketball club since I doubt she has any victims there, but I highly doubt she’ll do anything to Hanabi or Tina when Ryouma’s around.)
Some vocab of note:
かくかくしかじか [expression] such and such; so and so
重役出勤 (じゅうやくしゅっきん) [四字熟語, humorous, noun, する verb] arriving at work late as if one were an executive
一軍 (いちぐん) [colloq., noun] the cool kids; the popular kids. Probably from its sports usage as “first-string players.”
人質 (ひとじち) [noun] hostage
陽キャ (ようキャ) [slang, noun] cheery person. Also 陽キャラ. Short for 陽気なキャラ.
腕っ節 (うでっぷし) [noun] physical strength. I definitely would have guessed this as another word for 肘, except it didn’t make sense in context. Just how…?
I wanna start another novel, but the only novel I’ve finished recently was one of the English ones I was reading… Also I don’t even know which one I most want to read, so if I let myself start another one without first finishing any of the others I have started, chances are it won’t just be one new one I’m starting. Augh. I need to get back to the ones I have started, but I don’t know which of those I wanna read most, either… Curse you, ADHD *shakes fist*
17 Likes
Today my brain was totally fried. Opted to read chainsaw man because it’s easy and there’s no pressure to finish. Reading the first chapters kind of rejuvenated me. So I will read shield hero before bed. Running out of time but that’s ok. Honestly I’m getting a more realistic idea of what I’m gonna read on my trip the closer it gets😂
15 Likes
お隣の天使様 四冊 - 67.64% → 73.15%
I can hear the whistle of the morning train, which basically means I’ve screwed myself again.
Word of the Day:
17 Likes
Just arrived in UK from South Africa. Did a bit of reading before trying to sleep. Managed 4-5 hours but not restful sleep.
19/12 6 pages かみさまがまちがえる(to end of chapter), 3 pages 夜カフェ
20/12 4 pages 夜カフェ (to end chapter 2), 12 pages Orange, 5 pages おばちゃんたちのいるところ
Now going to nap!
19 Likes
Home 
December 20
人間椅子 -
ジョジョの奇妙な冒険58
start - 19
I didn’t want to read more… Really hoping to at least finish this fight tonight though.
18 Likes
Dec 21, Wed of Week 13 of Fall 2022
- BU$TAFELLOWS (Ch.1, 2 choices)
I didn’t look up much, compared to a month ago. Perhaps I have improved?
Luckily, I haven’t chosen a wrong choice yet. (I can always rewind anyway.)
- うたわれるもの (a little less than an hour)
Big big capital.
- Yurucamp Vol.14 Ch.77
Perhaps read once in a while, but I thought about giving up this series before.
I talked about wanting to play games in another thread. Maybe some are not particularly difficult even now. Still, I need to learn vocabularies and Kanji first from other places.
Interesting words
- ドンピシャ = precisely correct
- エンタメ = entertainment
- なだらか = gently sloping
- ぼやく = to complain
- タレコミ = anonymous report to authorities. Come from 垂れ込み
- そっけない = curt; blunt. Kanji form is 素っ気ない.
- さらなる = even further. From 更なる.
- しかと = certainly. From 確と. Very different from another シカト.
- つゆ知らず = utterly ignorant. From 露知らず, which 露 also means, not at all (normally, dew; water drop of dew).
- 大儀そうに = heavily; wearily. 大儀 is stately; ceremonious.
- 若干 = a few
- 頭取 = (bank) president. Appears to be a case of hidden Okurigana (also Rendaku).
- 方角 = direction; point of the compass
- 発注 = placing an order
- 端末 = information access device (e.g. smartphone, tablet) / computer terminal / end portion
- 出頭 = turning oneself in to the police. Also, 自首.
- 威信 = dignity; prestige. Must protecc
- 挽回 = restoration, i.e. of dignity
- 邪道 = unorthodox method; heresy. Opposite is 正道.
- 関与 = participation
- 忌避 = evasion
- 黙秘 = keeping silent
- 痛快 = gratifying; intensely pleasurable
- 悪徳 = immorality. I keep forgetting this one, bad + good (or virtue) is actually bad.
- 伝票 = voucher
- 名刺 = business card
- 被告 = the accused. Indeed, 告らせた被害者.
- 起訴 = prosecution; accusation
- 司法 = administration of justice
- 要塞 = fort; stronghold
- 扶持 = allowances
- 雑多 = miscellaneous
- 喧噪 = turmoil. Also, 喧騒. First Kanji is from 喧嘩.
- 祝祭 = a celebration. The context is 祝祭の日 = 祝祭日.
- 歓待 = warm reception
- 慰安 = relaxation
- 前方 = ahead
- 祭壇 = altar
- 祭事 = sacred rites
- 施政 = administration
- 御世 = reign. Also, 御代.
- 名代 = proxy; representative
- 出仕 = to enter the service
- 門衛 = gatekeeper
- 萎縮 = withering; shriveling
- 印章 = seal; stamp. Compare, 印象 = impression.
- 無垢 = pure; innocent
- 土塀 = mud wall
- 丁重 = polite. Somewhat like 丁寧, perhaps.
- 分厚い = bulky. Short 分.
- 暗示 = suggesting. Probably like 示唆.
- 弥栄 = prosperity
- 大内裏 = greater palace. The small version is 内裏, where だい is an alternate Onyomi for 内.
- 姫御子 = imperial princess
- 通行人 = passerby; pedestrian
- 入国者 = immigrant
- 骨伝導 = bone conduction
- 建築物 = a building; a structure
- 設える = to provide
- 奉る = to offer
- 言祝ぐ = to congratulate; to wish someone well
- 鏤める = to stud; to inlay. Can also be seen as 散りばめる, so 散る + 填める.
- 検める = to examine, to inspect. 間違いがないかどうか調べる。検査する。
- くぐり抜ける = to pass through. From 潜り抜ける.
- 行き交う = to come and go
- 気を抜く = to lose focus
- 覚束ない = uncertain; doubtful. Not the bulk (束) you have can recall (覚える)
- 顔を立てる = to make someone look good
- 助け船 = friend in need. Also, 助け舟.
- 興味津々 = being very interested in. Probably similarly to 興味深い.
- 感度良好 = loud and clear
- 実事求是 = the practical search for the truth
-
五穀豊穣 = huge harvest (of five grains)
- 5 grains are 米 ・ 麦 ・ 粟 ・ 黍 ・ 豆
- 山海の珍味 = all sorts of delicacies
SFX
- ゴテゴテ = lavishly; piling over. Also, コテコテ.
- ポソポソ = whispering. From ぼそり / ぽそり.
Kanji
-
挽
- dragging a coffin cart
- 挽回, 挽歌
- grinding with a mortar / a saw
- 挽き肉
- dragging a coffin cart
-
垢
- dirt
- 垢
- 無垢
16 Likes
20221221 - 吾輩は狸である progress: 100% 
Seriously, that’s the last chapter?
Endless, tedious conversation that takes up 15% of the whole book, then just a few paragraphs going like “yeh, this happened” in a tone that feels quite different from the rest of the book. Feels like Soseki might have been coaxed into writing one last chapter and just wanted to get it over with and move onto something else. Chapter 10 felt like a more fitting end, with it bringing the whole family together and all.
I enjoyed the rest of the book, there was some great parts, but that last chapter was pretty terrible in my opinion and brings it down a bit. But at least I feel like I’ve learnt a lot of Japanese from completing this.
(not to discourage anyone else from reading it, I would recommend it (just not chapter 11), that last chapter has just annoyed me 
)
Japanese found under the leaves
Meowords
月夜「つきよ」ー Moonlit night
甕「かめ」ー Earthenware pot; bottle
Since it’s the last day of reading for me here’s a:
Tanuki Reading Roundup
Here’s what “however many days it is I’ve been reading continuously in Japanese” displayed with emojis looks like:
Reading days with emoji links
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… so most of the year! Feels like my reading has improved quite a bit but I still have a long way to go, onto the next challenge!
Hope to see you guys in the next one, and hope you all have a great new year! Remember to dream about… what was it again… Mt. Fuji, Eagle and Eggplant on new years day to have a prosperous 2023! 
But until then, for everyone still carrying on and for next time:
タヌキ頑張って！
20 Likes
December 21st
Card Captor Sakura volume 2 – progress report
Yesterday: Finished chapter 8, continued up to page 151 and finished chapter 9.
Today: Read up to page 172.
I’m rather tired today and couldn’t bring myself to read more than 20 pages. I’ll most likely finish volume 2 tomorrow.
Reply
@Zakarius I lost count on number of the posts you made that were dedicated solely to that ridiculously long last dialogue but 15% of the whole book sounds like way too much to dedicate to one single conversation. No wonder did it feel like forever. 
Congrats on making it through that one – and through the whole book on that matter – and to all of your steady reading practice during 2022, good job!
Word or expression of the day:
霊感 - (れいかん) - inspiration, afflatus; ability to sense the supernatural
Honourable mention(s):
凛々しい - (りりしい) - gallant, brave
小僧 - (こぞう) - youngster, kid, brat; errand boy; apprentice; young Buddhist monk
18 Likes
Yeah, I think he definitely must have wanted to tie things off, but he didn’t need to write a chapter twice as long as 9 and 10 if he was bored with it… I think in the end the conversation stuff was a big part of what Soseki ended up deciding he wanted to write. Chapter 11 does also have the resolution of one of the few ongoing plot threads (the possible marriage of the physicist to the rich guy’s daughter).
I believe he started writing other stuff while this was still being serialized – 坊っちゃん came out before this finished.
12 Likes