They Call Him the Best Japanese Speaker on the Planet
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- Опубліковано 10 чер 2024
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This week we talked to Peter Barakan, a professional broadcaster and host of Japanology! He's written several books mostly about music all in Japanese and has been living in Japan for almost half a century. We talk to him about his experience working in Japan, his approach to learning Japanese including pitch accent, and what he struggles with the most to this day.
Check out our other videos!
► Interview with Dogen: bit.ly/3eUAKLJ
► Speedrunning Duolingo Japanese: bit.ly/3B2xd5C
► Korea 48 Hour Speedrun: bit.ly/3RUXAkO
Outline:
0:00 Who is Peter Barakan?
2:39 What is Peter Barakan's Level At Japanese?
6:15 How He Achieved Perfect Pitch Accent
8:30 How Japanese Has Changed in the Last 50 Years
10:50 The Problem With Japanese Loan Words
12:50 Peter's Story of SHOCKING Japanese People
14:40 Getting Nihongo Jozu'd After 50 Years In Japan
17:30 Is Japanese Hard?
18:40 Peter's KoreKara Message in NATIVE Japanese
#Japanese
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This guy is a legend. Not a lot of people know but he’s a very prolific songwriter, particularly with Yellow Magic Orchestra.
he wrote music with them?
@@schrodingerscat3912 lyrics yes!
and he's also a very experienced broadcaster (lol)
That's awesome I love YMO
His brother is a brilliant guitarist that's played with all of the best (Bruce Springsteen, Van Zant, Mick Ronson, Joe Cocker, Johnny Hallyday etc.).
When I saw him on Japanese TV as a kid, I thought he was half-Japanese who grew up abroad with a foreign name. His Japanese was so natural, that I didn't even question his Japanese ancestry.
He's in fact of Burmese/Myanma ancestry on his mother's side.
Actually, Peter's mother was Anglo-Burmese. He is a remarkable human being and a very kind man.
It's a bit funny since the older he gets, the more Japanese he looks, lol.
What a score! Peter Barakan is a legend, and super knowledgable about a lot of things, particularly music. My Japanese wife grew up listening to his music radio show. It exposed her to some great western music that she would otherwise never have known about. His show was a bright spot in her sometimes difficult childhood, opened up horizons her, and brought her a lot joy. We enjoy listening to his weekly podcast, The Lifestyle Museum, which I highly recommend. Thank you for having him on your show!
Peter Barakan is a living treasure, one of the original, most experienced and most influential 外タレ in post-war Japan. Peter is in that rarified air alongside the likes of David Spector as super Gaikokujins who not only speak at a native level but do so in front of millions of people, and are known by just about everyone in Japan. If I had to characterize Peter Barakan, I would include “patient,” “positive,” “calm,” “respectful,” and “teacher.” All of these qualities are on display in this interview with these two young and enthusiastic Americans (I am assuming). One thing that strikes me about Peter is that he is always thinking in Japanese even when he’s speaking in English - meaning that, he is always thinking about and considering the viewpoint of the interlocutor and tailoring his conversation to that person, and he is never in a rush but always happy to linger on each detail in a way that might bore most Western brains. His pace of conversation and demeanor are thoroughly Japanese.
I have done the same since I was 8. It’s a sad state of affairs that the rest of the world finds consideration boring.
I love Peter Barakan. When I started to study japanese 20 years ago he was my idol
Super inspirational! My guy was on that grind for 50 years and he's finally made it on the Korekara podcast!
he finally accomplished his goal! inspirational stuff for sure
This doesn't really matter, but at 4:10 where the on-screen text says "gives you the input", he actually says "impetus" (as in a force/stimulus).
edit:
Also, what he said about his English/Japanese seeming archaic to younger natives, that also wouldn't entirely be due to age either. There's a phenomenon that when a language gets exported to a region alway from where it's native, it generally changes slower. So, a person learning Japanese in the west likely would learn a style that seems older to natives, because the people who taught the language there generally either are from that older generation or are descendants of people from it.
Similarly, I've had Korean-American acquaintances who said that living here in Korea their friends thought that some of the ways they spoke or things they did were much more traditional than what they say/do as people who've grown up here.
I really love his japanology segment in nhk
It was an honor talking to Peter on the podcast this week. Make sure to turn on subs at the end when he speaks in Japanese!
As always thanks for the continued support, subscribe for more interviews!
He Hideki tojo😂
So amazing to see the Barakan speaking naturally to "the kids these days," and turned me on to your channel as a self-learner of Japanese for several decades.
japanology bringing back the memories. love that show
Some notes:
- Awesome you got Peter Barakan! You guys are big time! Have watched him on NHK a lot over the years
- Language labs were common in late 90s US universities as well still, but I think since the wide adoption of Genki they've disappeared
- I remember Crayon Shinchan saying "ねね彼女、ピーマン食べれる？" but getting corrected any time I used ~れる vs ~られる
- I wanted to hear how he would translate "smash that like button" (super sad)
4:08 Peter said "impetus" (motivation) and not "input". The subtitles are a bit spotty here and there I must say.
Peter Barakan is one of the nicest person on earth! I am a huge fan of begin Japanology of NHK and I am also a huge fan of YMO, when I discovered the connection between this two amazing forces for a film project, Peter grant me a interview with some amazing and unique stories from his HUGE contribution to some of Japan coolest music. Very grateful to his insight, kindness and generosity.
At 4:10 i believe he said Impetus and not input. But man that aside, what a legend
Great interview! My wife is a biracial native speaker of Japanese and still gets nihongo jouzu’ed from time to time. So even a native speaker can get that comment, if they don’t look full Japanese!
The same thing happened to my son, who is biracial. A mother of a classmate told me how good his Japanese was, but he was born there, grew up there, and was a native speaker.
I first learned about Peter in Begin Japanology series in NHK. Since I already love watching the less than 5 minutes Japan Video Topics clips on our local channel here in the Philippines since I was a kid in the 90s, I was excited to learn they will have almost 30 min. long episodes just like it. Now I'm still watching Japanology Plus were he is still hosting it which is the updated version of his previous show.
Yass me too! Love Japanology!
It’s Peter Barakan! Love his Begin Japanology NHK series. What a lad. OG.
I love that series! So relaxing!
It sounds like the 60 minutes experience not only vastly expanded his vocabulary, but also really nailed down his accuracy.
I'm shocked. I really like this old dude. He's so cool, self aware and humble, and jouzu. Like button destroyed.
💯
You should watch his Japanology segments from back in the day. They were very interesting and he was very relaxing to listen to. No over the top exaggerations, just professional yet genuine content presentation, which is rare these days.
As a fellow Brit living in Japan this is by far my favorite video that you’ve done🇬🇧 I’ve been here for 14 years now..so I guess another 36 to go🙃
You are living my dream, Japan for me would be hard to beat traveling wise. Did you learn the language before you decided to move? And do you miss England 🇬🇧
@@jonroberts1890 Hey Jon! Thanks for your comment! I studied by myself watching old Japanese dramas before I came here, but it was only after I started living here that things started to improve! I do miss England sometimes..family mostly of course but the banter, pubs, and the food would you believe lol..
When I heard Peter speaking Japanese for the first time on the radio , which was almost three decades ago, I thought he was a native speaker of Japanese🤗
his japanese is really amazing!
Watching Mr. Barakan talks in English is refreshing.
jozu is like an old southern lady saying "bless your heart"
experienced podcaster Peter Barakan
Wow, how did I not see this. You guys actually managed to get Peter Barakan on here lmao. I recently rewatched an interview he did with Yoko Ono about John Lennon in the 80s. Dude is a real og as far as foreigners in Japan go. Bro has been there so long he could've read Dragon Ball as it was releasing from the start haha.
Sweeeeeet!! Just found you guys. Great stuff 👍👍
I thought it was a joke like the interview with Katzumoto :) The like button has been obliterated.
Amazing interview
appreciate the comment!
What a surprise to see Peter Barakan on the KoreKara Podcast! I shouldn't be so shocked, but you guys really do leave no stone unturned in your search for Japanophiles and Japanese linguists from the enthusiast to the legendary!
Peter we love you, thank you for NHK Japanology.
Awesome that you got Peter on.
It was such an honor to talk to him!
Over years and years of UA-cam watching I rarely comment and never "like", but I've impulsively done both for this interview with the legendary Peter Barakan. KoreKara enters the ranks of the elite weebs now...おめでとうございます！！
ありがとう！
Love the stories.
This guy is awesome, I’d like to reach a Japanese level like him one day
The only guy I know that has a better grasp on fluent Japanese is the Samurai Cop, of course, but this guy is definitely a close second. Well done.
The OG. Amazing score! Love Peter
If this guy had started uploading videos of him shocking natives 50 years ago he would be the number 1 youtuber by now
it's never too late to start
Thanks Mr. Barakan.
Oh yeah I've seen him on NHK!
This was fascinating but I wish there wasn’t a lofi bgm on the entire time. At the beginning to introduce the podcast totally OK, but playing the whole time feels like a lot. Looking forward to watching more of your stuff
4:10 'impetus' not 'input'
I learned about him first from the TV show Japanology, and then my jaw dropped when I noticed his name as a lyricist for some excellent songs I found on UA-cam. What a cool guy! He even scanned a picture of the booklet from one of his CDs when I emailed him for the lyrics of one of the songs he worked on. :D
I had no idea Mudan was ur editor, im ... shocked. Oh, and great video as always
I'm shocked as well
Legend! How I adore japanology show!
He is also one of the most known person among japanese music band "Yellos Magic Orchestra" fans. I knew him since late 70s.
Experienced broadcaster peter barakan is my favorite youtube channel
I dont think ill get tired of people being shocked at my japanese, its great! Instant smikes and topic of convo. Whats to hate? I have no ego
I don’t get the video thumbnail.
Peter Barakan is part-Asian though. He’s of Anglo-Burmese descent.
He does pull some Asian featured.
that's pretty pog about the software that you guys used
Living in the US now, I am familiar with Peter B only through watching the English version of NHK World. This is the first time I heard him speak Japanese.
he truly is an *experienced broadcaster !
I love watching japanology
Yes, I was shocked 😳
Never heard of this podcast before, but I will listen to Peter Barakan read a phonebook. He is the King of Ryuugakusei! I will be listening to more of these. And yes we did Language lab type of thing in language school, shadowing. I think that is kind of what he is talking about.
very cool guest all jokes aside. very cool. stellar, even.
食べられる (Taberareru) is also sound like a passive form or a formal expression. So when you say 食べれる Tabereru it is able to distinguish from these forms and become clear that it means nothing but " edible " or " can eat ".
I've gotten "nihongo jouzu" too but they seem sincere and sweet. So I like don't really see it as a problem at all
He is wrong about the economy. Economies do not need to be maintained, they can shrink back while the populace shrinks back. Japan SHOULD NOT import loads of foreigners to work there, it will not stay Japan if this is done.
Thank you for your inane and insular input. You have not a single clue.
omg i know this guy! often saw him on NHK
You guys need to Interview gengotaku,
He is from Brasil lives in Japan ,
And hás the best japonese i ever seen
He had a Channel on UA-cam and the mame is gengotaku..
He is polyglot , he speak english two!
@4:11 he said impetus rather than input..who would have thought his english was so good as well
A true hero, for me! I am only 7 years younger, yet, he has lived a life I could only envy. I found Japanology before Covid, yet, it was during Covid, that I watched it both for educational reasons, and just a sense of quiet and peace, during those years!
It's Peter, with his lovely demeanor, and avant garde shirts, that makes Japanology (in all it's splintered iterations) so cohesive and special. He is just a lovely and humble man. To see Japan through him has been a gift for me!
Good point about English speakers taking it for granted that people will speak English.
I’d like to know a bit more about what he meant about Japanese people “mispronouncing” or “getting it wrong” with katakana English. It felt like he was making a false equivalence between the original English words and their Japanese/katakana versions. “Correct” is a tricky term - it seems to me (with my limited Japanese) that there *is* a correct or standard way to katakanise words in Japanese. In fact, if you don’t say them that way you likely won’t be understood.
I do recognise that there is a widespread phenomenon of Japanese speakers speaking *English* “in katakana”, or in a way that’s very influenced by it. It can get in the way of communication at times. But when they’re speaking their own language, we have to accept to a degree that imported words are going to be adapted to that language’s pronunciation and may even take on new meanings. That’s how language works - just look at English. I don’t know if that’s exactly what he meant though, so I guess I’ll have to read the book!
Nice interview.
Peter Barakan hosts Japanology, a NHK series on Japan, interesting gentleman
how is it possible that these guys got begin japanology guy on and youtube took this long to recommend it to me
Peter is the GOAT
YOOOOO THIS IS THE JAPANOLOGY GUY!!!
As an Australian, his English to me just sounds like a completely normal British English.
I love begin japanology and japanology plus I would love to go to Japan and meet Peter barakan and Matt allt?!
Sadly, Matt is no longer with NHK.
@@ShikataGaNai100 darn it I would love to get a picture with both of them if I ever go to Japan on a single cruise that would be fun?!
4:09 the caption isn't quite right, he said "impetus" not "input" (input doesn't really make sense in that context either).
GREETINGS FROM NOVOSIBIRSK, GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I don't mind the nihongo jozu. I recognize it comes from a want for me to keep going and a love of sharing their culture with others. And while there are a lot of people who can speak it I think most only really count people in major cities like Tokyo . If you go around military bases, which there are a lot, then the number of Foreigners goes up but the Japanese level goes way down. So many of them live here and have little interest in learning the language
The legend!^_^❤
both are high points 😂
OMFG you guys got Peter Barakan up in here... nice!
impetus is the word, not input
The dictionary also spells it as impetuous.
impetuous and impetus are different words with completely different meanings. omg 😂😂😂
4:10 *impetus, not input
Thanks for this lovely talk with the legend that is the radiohost, music aficionado, writer of YMO lyrics, and alround nice guy Peter Barakan
But why didn't you link to Peter's music festival. That seemed a little disrespectful
Im studying Mandarin Chinese and I can totally relate about stressing on reading. Like if im watching TV I can quickly look up the words or try to guess the thousands of 成语 (idioms) I’ve come across lol
I find it fascinating how he almost looks like a japanese man to me. I'm not sure if he has asian ancestry, or if it's a coincidence, or if it's something about his demeanor that he perhaps adopted from living in Japan for so long. But often when I see, for example, Chinese or Korean people in Japan, or Japanese people abroad, it's something about their demeanor that gives away their nationality. (I don't have a 100% hit rate, of course.) What I want to say is, there is something other than physique, because many Chinese or Korean people are hard to distinguish from Japanese people based on, say a photo from a driver's license.
Also I have a friend who's Iranian and doesn't look asian at all, but she grew up in Japan and to me it feels like she's 100% japanese. And sometimes I forget that to others she looks like a foreigner and get confused about other people's reactions. :D
I looked up his last name. It's Indonesian in origin 😊
@@ijustneedmyself ah, interesting!
@@plasticflower Between his appearance and his last name and then your comment, I had to check it out. I just saw an old photo of him and he definitely looked less Asian as a young man.
I think its the gestures, one thing I have noticed is that japanese is rather very expressive with their expression and body movement when they talk. I can often tell if someone is Japanese when they are talking. Other than that, the way they dress and their haircut are also somewhat different, Korean is the most obvious one in this case. For women, the way the do their make up can also be distinguishable, I don't know the details, but I could often tell if they are chinese/japanese/korean based on the way they do their make up. And when they order ice americano, they are most likely korean 😂. Idk why koreans always order ice americano. 😂
Peter Barakan best TV Host 😎
He's been on TV for years.
even longer than many Japanese celebrities
THE BEST pog
He said "that gives you the impetus to up your game" not the "input".
4:08 impetus, not input. Why add subtitles to the words you can't understand?
I noticed same thing. 👍💯
Okay so judging by the comments, this guy‘s reputation is exemplary
experienced broadcaster peter barakan. where the fuck is oneplus though, i thought they came as a package deal?
that man has sushi written all over, hence his that good at that language.
Target goal, now sighted and locked onto.
this shocked me.
GOOD
Wow, I would have expected the "best Japanese speaker on the planet" to be a native speaker!
gives you the impetus to up your game, not input to up your game.
*impetus, not input - good stuff!
I thought the best was Robert Campbell.
subtitle should be "impetus"
If you think it's this, it's the opposite 😂
mooshi mooshi shi shi
16:01
I have the perfect remedy for the infamous “Nihongo Jozu”…
Wear a mask.
In fact, it’ll be awesome if you did a social experiment video on this:
Ordering a food or beverage with the mask on while speaking in Japanese, then take off the mask mid-sentence and see their reaction.
Or start off a street-interview with the mask on, as if you were doing a census on living habitat demographics, and ask them base on your “accent” where do they think you live, then as you tell them where you live, you take the mask off.
Here’s a good one: go in to a restaurant or café as a a team and the Japanese looking person can’t speak Japanese, while his friend, the non-Japanese, speaks perfect Japanese. And have the Japanese person low-key afraid to speak to the vendor, so they ask the non-Japanese speak for them. And even say something cheeky, like they look hot in that uniform.
Japanese are really good at spotting a foreigner by their eyes, height, build, body language and many other factors...
Peter is my hero, from when he was a road manager for Yellow Magic Orchestra through Begin Japanology/Japanology Plus on NHK...and beyond. I think Peter is also a graduate of U. of London SOAS.
Matt Alt next?