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盛況のフリーマーケット
まだ使えるのに粗大ごみとして放棄される中古品。それに目を付けるのはもっぱら外国人ばかり—というのは1980年代の話だ。不況のあおりで、日本人の中古品に対する態度は大きく変わった…。
Thriving Flea Markets
By GWEN A. ROBINSON
I recently visited one of the many booming flea markets that take place regularly around Tokyo. That visit made me realize the enormous changes Japanese consumer attitudes have undergone over the past decade. Flea markets ― and indeed, used goods in general ― were definitely not fashionable during the 1980s in Japan.
I recently visited one of the many booming flea markets that take place regularly around Tokyo. That visit made me realize the enormous changes Japanese consumer attitudes have undergone over the past decade. Flea markets ― and indeed, used goods in general ― were definitely not fashionable during the 1980s in Japan.
Back then, I think many Japanese wouldn't have been caught dead foraging through secondhand items and clothing. In fact, most of my Japanese friends used to display palpable contempt for anything even slightly old or worn. I remember well the laughs I used to get at electrical repair shops when I'd ask to have something more than three years old fixed. The repair people would say, "Impossible. Buy a new one."
Foreigners found it incredible that Japanese people were willing to pay for the collection and disposal of their "sodai gomi." But legions of struggling English teachers and foreign students benefited enormously from the attitude that anything old should be replaced, even if it was still in working order.
It was common in the 1980s to see expensive equipment and furniture, such as large television sets, videocassette recorders, microwave ovens and even lounge chairs, sitting abandoned on street corners. Often, they'd be carefully wrapped in plastic to protect them from the elements, and usually they functioned perfectly well. I had many friends who furnished their apartments almost entirely from the streets and would cheerfully joke about how they acquired the goods at "Emporium de Gomi."
Not any more. The bursting of Japan's economic bubble brought a new sense of austerity. Foreigners increasingly found that the VCRs and other items dumped on the street truly didn't work and were too old to fix. Japanese people also began showing new interest in another of the foreigners' favorite sources of cheap secondhand goods: English-language public notice boards, classified ad publications, and the "sayonara sales" announced in newspapers and magazines.
I was amazed recently when I advertised some secondhand household items in various English-language publications, because I was deluged by calls from Japanese people. Back in 1990, when I advertised used items, I didn't receive even one call from a Japanese person.
It's clear these days that society has changed its views on the sale and purchase of used items. It's particularly staggering to see the growth of stores specializing in secondhand goods such as clothes, CDs and furniture. In fashionable areas such as Harajuku, stores selling tatty old jeans, T-shirts, knickknacks, and other paraphernalia actually seem more trendy than stores selling brand new merchandise.
The biggest change, however, must surely be in the current popularity of flea markets. I see housewives, young couples, and whole families buying and selling. Some are making a bit of extra money from their unwanted belongings. Others are hunting for a bargain. But I'll bet that most of them would not have given a thought to selling or buying used items 10 years ago.
Shukan ST: Dec. 20, 1996
(C) All rights reserved
- Thriving
- 繁栄する
- flea markets
- ノミの市
- booming
- 盛況の
- take place regularly
- 定期的に行なわれている
- enormous changes
- 大きな変化
- 〜 Japanese consumer attitudes have undergone
- 日本の消費者の態度がみせた 〜
- over the past decade
- 過去十年の間に
- Back then
- 当時は
- wouldn't have been caught dead 〜
- 〜 しているところなど絶対に見られたくなかっただろう
- foraging through 〜
- 真剣に 〜 をあさること
- secondhand
- 中古の
- palpable contempt for 〜
- 〜 に対するあからさまな軽べつ
- anything even slightly old or worn
- 少しでも古かったり使われていたりするもの
- electrical repair shops
- 電気修理店
- found it incredible that 〜
- 〜 が信じられなかった
- were willing to 〜
- 〜 するのをいとわない
- collection
- 回収
- disposal
- 処分
- legions of 〜
- 大勢の 〜
- struggling
- 苦労している
- 〜 benefited enormously from 〜
- 〜 は 〜 から多大な恩恵を受けた
- (was)in working order
- 正常に動いている
- equipment
- 器具
- microwave ovens
- 電子レンジ
- lounge chairs
- 安楽椅子
- sitting abandoned on street corners
- 道端に放棄されている
- the elements
- 日光や雨など
- entirely from the streets
- すべて路上から
- acquired
- 手に入れた
- "Emporium de Gomi"
- 「ごみ百貨店」
- Not any more.
- もはやそうではない
- bursting of Japan's economic bubble
- 日本のバブル経済の崩壊
- brought a new sense of austerity
- 新しい、質素な感覚を生みだした
- 〜 dumped on 〜
- 〜 に捨ててある 〜
- foreigners' favorite sources of 〜
- 外国人の好む 〜 の情報源
- public notice boards
- 公共の掲示板
- classified ad publications
- 項目別の広告出版物
- "sayonara sales"
- 日本を離れる外国人が持ち物を格安で売り払うセール
- was deluged by 〜
- 〜 が殺到した
- staggering
- 驚異的な
- tatty
- ボロの
- knickknacks
- 骨董品
- paraphernalia
- 身の回り品
- brand new merchandise
- 真新しい品物
- are making a bit of extra money from 〜
- 〜 からの臨時収入を得ている
- unwanted belongings
- 不要品
- are hunting for 〜
- 〜 を物色している
- I'll bet 〜
- きっと 〜
- would not have given a thought to 〜
- 〜 するなんて考えてもみなかっただろう
-