このページはフレーム対応ブラウザ用に作成されています。下のリンクは非フレーム使用ページですのでそちらをご覧ください。
この記事をプリントする
日本でコラムニストになるには
日本でコラムニストになるには
ある日、神田の古本屋で
奥の棚にあった本を手に取ると、
そこには外国人が日本で
コラムニストになるための
こつが書かれていた…。
Tips for Columnists
By DOUGLAS LUMMIS
Recently in the back shelves of a used bookstore in Kanda, I found a remarkable old pamphlet. Written in English, it
is entitled, "You, too, Can Be a Foreign Columnist in Japan." It is written in the manner of a how-to booklet.
It begins by saying that to be a successful columnist in this country, you do not need either special writing ability or
the news sense of a good reporter. It does not matter that you could never get your articles published back home. Here,
all you have to do is follow a formula and you will do fine.
The essence of the formula is, "My country is right, and Japan is wrong." "It works best," the pamphlet says,
"if `my country' is the U.S.A., England, or France; other European countries will also do. If you come from a
non-European country, it is a little more difficult, but if you substitute `other countries' or `foreign countries' for
`my country' the formula will still work."
The pamphlet insists, " Any issue can be translated into this
formula !! (emphasis in original). Whatever question you take up, rearrange it so that the entity at fault is `Japan.' Not an individ- ual, not a
group, not the pressures of modern society, but `Japan.'
"Then point out that in your country (or in `foreign countries') this problem does not exist. Repeat this over in two
or three different ways, and you have yourself a very printable Letter to the Editor. Polish it up a bit and some-
one may even pay you for it."
The pamphlet goes on to describe several variations of this simple formula. One is the "cultural critique."
"Select some custom or practice in Japan that you don't like very much. Describe it. Then point out that in your country
they don't do things in that way. Remember, that is all you
have to say ! (emphasis in origi
nal) You may add some more if you like, but when you have said, `They don't do it that way in my country,' you have said
it all. That constitutes the entirety of your criticism of this practice in Japan."
The pamphlet points out that this formula can be, and is, used to criticize virtually anything: fashion, driving
customs, mass consumption, manner of keeping pets, ways of working, ways of spending leisure — there is no danger of
running out of topics.
The pamphlet also warns that the problem you choose might in fact be a problem in your country. This, of course, would
spoil everything. That's why topics must be "rearranged." "If the topic is consumerism, don't criticize consumerism
per se, because that would be a criticism of your home country. Criticize only the `Japanese way of consumerism.' Then
your home country will be innocent, and the formula will work."
The problem is, I am not able to tell whether this pamphlet is serious, or whether it is a parody.
The publication date is 1957.
Recently in the back shelves of a used bookstore in Kanda, I found a remarkable old pamphlet. Written in English, it
is entitled, "You, too, Can Be a Foreign Columnist in Japan." It is written in the manner of a how-to booklet.
It begins by saying that to be a successful columnist in this country, you do not need either special writing ability or
the news sense of a good reporter. It does not matter that you could never get your articles published back home. Here,
all you have to do is follow a formula and you will do fine.
The essence of the formula is, "My country is right, and Japan is wrong." "It works best," the pamphlet says,
"if `my country' is the U.S.A., England, or France; other European countries will also do. If you come from a
non-European country, it is a little more difficult, but if you substitute `other countries' or `foreign countries' for
`my country' the formula will still work."
The pamphlet insists, " Any issue can be translated into this
formula !! (emphasis in original). Whatever question you take up, rearrange it so that the entity at fault is `Japan.' Not an individ- ual, not a
group, not the pressures of modern society, but `Japan.'
"Then point out that in your country (or in `foreign countries') this problem does not exist. Repeat this over in two
or three different ways, and you have yourself a very printable Letter to the Editor. Polish it up a bit and some-
one may even pay you for it."
The pamphlet goes on to describe several variations of this simple formula. One is the "cultural critique."
"Select some custom or practice in Japan that you don't like very much. Describe it. Then point out that in your country
they don't do things in that way. Remember, that is all you
have to say ! (emphasis in origi
nal) You may add some more if you like, but when you have said, `They don't do it that way in my country,' you have said
it all. That constitutes the entirety of your criticism of this practice in Japan."
The pamphlet points out that this formula can be, and is, used to criticize virtually anything: fashion, driving
customs, mass consumption, manner of keeping pets, ways of working, ways of spending leisure — there is no danger of
running out of topics.
The pamphlet also warns that the problem you choose might in fact be a problem in your country. This, of course, would
spoil everything. That's why topics must be "rearranged." "If the topic is consumerism, don't criticize consumerism
per se, because that would be a criticism of your home country. Criticize only the `Japanese way of consumerism.' Then
your home country will be innocent, and the formula will work."
The problem is, I am not able to tell whether this pamphlet is serious, or whether it is a parody.
The publication date is 1957.
Shukan ST: Dec. 24, 1999
(C) All rights reserved
- back shelves of 〜
- 〜 の奥の棚
- used bookstore
- 古本屋
- remarkable
- 驚くべき
- is entitled 〜
- 〜 という題がついている
- in the manner of 〜
- 〜 の形式で
- how-to booklet
- 薄っぺらなハウツー本
- news sense
- ニュース感覚
- could never get your articles published back home
- 自国では文章を新聞や本で発表することなど絶対できない
- formula
- 公式
- essence
- 中心
- It works best(if 〜 )
- 〜 なら一番うまくいく
- 〜 will also do
- 〜 でもよい
- substitute 〜 for 〜
- 〜 の代わりに 〜 を使う
- insists
- 力説する
- issue
- 問題
- can be translated into 〜
- 〜 にあてはめることができる
- emphasis in original
- (下線による)強調は原文のまま
- take up
- 取り上げる
- entity at fault
- とがめられるべき存在
- point out
- 指摘する
- Repeat this over
- これを何度も繰り返しなさい
- you have yourself 〜
- 〜 がちゃんとできあがる
- printable
- 掲載してもらえるような
- Letter to the Editor
- 読者投稿
- Polish it up a bit
- ちょっと磨きをかける
- goes on to 〜
- 続けて 〜 する
- critique
- 批判
- custom or practice
- 習慣や慣例
- have said it all
- すべて言い尽くした
- constitutes the entirety of 〜
- 〜 の全体を構成している
- virtually
- 事実上
- driving customs
- 運転の仕方
- mass consumption
- 大量消費
- manner of keeping pets
- ペットの飼い方
- running out of 〜
- 〜 を使い果たすこと
- in fact
- 実は
- spoil
- 台無しにする
- consumerism
- コンシューマリズム(健全な経済の基礎として消費拡大を唱える)
- per se
- それ自体を
- innocent
- 罪のない
- publication date
- 発行年