Sunday, December 5, 2010

The top 10 words describing the Japan of 2010--part2：いい質問ですねぇ/ イクメン/AKB48/女子会

A few days ago, the top 10 winners of the 2010 new words and buzzwords contest were announced. In my previous entry, I talked about the phrase that won first place:「ゲゲゲの～/ge ge ge no......」(please click here). In this entry, I'll talk about the others. Actually, the nine words/phrases aren't ranked. They were announced as the top 10 winners.

1.「いい質問ですねぇ/ii shitsumon desune/ that's a good question」
It's the comment that a well-known journalist, Akira Ikegami/ 池上彰, often makes when he feels that the question posed to him is a good one in his regular TV show, 池上彰の学べるニュース (This is a news program where you can learn through explanations made by Akira Ikegami).

Until 2005, he had worked for NHK, the public broadcasting service, as a reporter and newscaster. At the time, in a NHK TV show on Sundays, he illustrated the key points and backgrounds of major news and made them easily understood by children. The show was for children, but I'm sure that his explanations were very useful to grown-ups. In the past few years, people have become more interested in politics, the international situation and things like that. This is partly because people have realized that the global economic climate and the international power balance is changing and partly because there is growing uncertainty about the future.

Under these circumstances, in April this year, the aforementioned TV show began to air on TV asahi. He always makes detailed, objective and satisfactory explanations on events in major world news. In the show, actors/actresses, singers and comedians etc appearing there as guests ask him questions after he has given an explanation on a particular topic. One of his common responses is that いい質問ですねぇ/that's a good question. It has been reported that the show is enjoying great popularity. I feel like his increase in popularity over the summer is due to the increased frequency of serious international incidents, which would garner plenty of media attention. In my opinion, the surge in popularity of the phrase and Ikegami himself reflects a growing concern about both the domestic and international situations.

2.イクメン/ Ikumen
This is a newly coined word. It means men who are willing to or are active in taking care of their children. I talked about it a few months ago. Please see the link below. 
http://japan-through-my-eyes.blogspot.com/2010/10/cool-men-ikemen-ikumen.html


3.AKB48
It's a very popular girl group. It has bee said that AKB48 is a new successful business model. I talked about it in June. Please see the link below.
http://japan-through-my-eyes.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-is-girl-group-akb48-popular-in.html  


4.女子会/jyoshi kai
The phrase has become very popular this year. 女子会 means women gather to enjoy meals, drinking and talking mainly in restaurants. Men are not allowed to join them. I talked about it a month ago. Please see the link below.
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