So, you think Japan is all good and no social issues at all? Sure, the number of felony crimes are virtually none in comparison to the US, but the society does have its own vice. In its highly homogeneous society developed over thousands of years, the pressure to fit in to the social norms is inherently strong. Therefore, it is easy to be a social outcast if you are even slightly different. In particular, the youth feel the pressure to fit in and try to find the ways to release their frustrations.
One of the possible signs of being rebellious toward society are motorcycle gangs, Bosozoku (long “o” sounds for Boso, Boso=a wild run, Zoku=folk). Unlike US motorcycle groups, the members are mainly youth in their teens and 20s and ride relatively small motorcycles from scooters to the middleweight bikes. They might be involved in petty crimes such as graffiti but generally are not violent unless fights between the gangs occur. They modify exhaust pipes to generate explosive noise and equipped with other sound making devices on their motorcycles. Some gang groups might wear uniform clothes and helmet with their group logo and roar around their self-claimed territory with intolerable noise while people are asleep. Their motivation to disturb people’s quiet time with pandemonium is unclear, but it seems the main goal is a pronouncement of their existence. “We may not fit in, but we are here.” might be their message. Good news is that the number of Bosozoku is in a steep decline. Perhaps, diversification might play a role although the progress is extremely slow.
日本語会話 初級
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A: お隣(となり)の息子(むすこ)さんの信(しん)ちゃんね…
A: その信ちゃんなんだけど、最近(さいきん)暴走族(ぼうそうぞく)に入(はい)っているらしいのよ。
B: えっ、本当(ほんとう)に？ あんなにおとなしくて良い子(いいこ)だったのに。
A: 警察(けいさつ)にも何度(なんど)かつかまって、お隣の奥(おく)さんが泣(な)いていたわ。
B: でも、信ちゃんがバイクに乗(のる)るのを見(み)たことがないけど。
A: そうよねえ… 見たことがないわよねえ。どこに置(お)いているのかしら。
B: 誰(だれ)かのバイクを借(か)りて乗っているのかもしれない。
A: でも、この近所(きんじょ)では暴走族を見たことがないから、やっぱりご両親(りょうしん)には気(き)を使(つか)っているのね。かわいいわよね。まだ、１５歳(さい)だもの。
B: もう少(すこ)し、大人(おとな)になったら、暴走族も止(や)めるだろう。
A: そうね、私(わたし)たちが心配(しんぱい)することはないわね。
日本語会話 中級
A: あ〜、うるさいなあ。 何(なん)だあの騒音(そうおん)は？
B: うるさくて眠(ねむ)れないわね。 暴走族(ぼうそうぞく)ね。
A: しばらく、来(こ)なかったのに、また来(き)だしたのか。いくら警察(けいさつ)に通報(つうほう)しても、なかなかいなくならないなあ。
A: また、１１０番(ひゃくとうばん)に通報(つうほう)しなきゃならないな。
B: うん、じゃ電話(でんわ)しとくね。
A: ところで今、何時(なんじ)？
B: 朝の５時半よ。どうして、こんなに早(はや)い時間(じかん)に起(お)こされなきゃならないのかしら。困(こま)った人たちね。
A: 困ったもんだなあ。あ〜、あと３０分寝(ね)たかったな〜。 しょうがない。起きるか。
覚えたいことば
になる turn to be, e.g. 春になる turn to be spring
見かける v. to sight . compare with 見る、見せる、見える
けど but
入っているらしい seem to have been joined, はいって＋いる＋らしい
何度か several times, か is a particle to refer uncertainty
ことがない have never been
かもしれない may
気を使う v. to concern about the others 気＋を＋使う(遣う)
まだ still
だろう probably. same as でしょう.
こと a thing, こと is often used to create nominalized phrases. A thing we should not be concerned.
騒音 n. a noise
うるさくて i-adj + てsince it's loud. Hereて is replaceable with から、ので
来出した compound verb. 来る＋出す start to come. same as 来始める
いくら警察に通報しても いくら〜ても no matther how~
いなくならない double negative, won't disappear
一度に at once
取締り n. crack-down. tv- 取り締まる
頻繁に adv. often
みたい seems to
し a particle. used to list one example.
少なくなる become fewer. 少ない＋なる
１１０番 an emergency number. pronounced as "hyakutouban"
しとく しておく V＋おく purposefully doing something
こんなに pronoun to describe intangible event
起こされなきゃならない 起こす＋される＋なければならない a direct translation would be: Why must we be awaken. to express inconvenience (caused by something)
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