#i took the train to another city to watch the movie in japanese with subtitles and it was definitely worth it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

auncyen · 3 years

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Ok ok so I'd been idly thinking about updating "Chats with Joker in Mementos" for Royal for a while, except as far as I know there aren't any transcriptions for the Royal Mementos chats like there is for Vanilla...

So...after some questionable use of my time, I now have a list of a good chunk of the starters in Royal. Only starters, not responses, since the point of the fic is having Joker be the one to respond, and I didn't transcribe ones I didn't think would be interesting for him to respond to, but still, if anyone does ever look to do a complete transcription, this might be helpful as a start? Or just interesting if you want to see what some characters talk about. Spoilers for third semester below cut.

Ryuji: Man, we really bust our asses to get stronger in here. I wish it meant we got stronger in the real world too.

Ryuji: Man, I had this horrible dream last night… Can’t remember a thing about it, though.

Ryuji: Ya know what? I guess Mona does have a mask, technically.

Ryuji: Yo, the way he jumps behind Shadows is so sick!

Ryuji: Yo, is it just me, or is fallin’ asleep getting tougher every night? At this point, I’m outta ideas of what to do.

Ryuji: Kinda fiendin’ for some ramen right about now… Maybe I’ll hit up Ogikubo when we get back.

RyujI: So lately, I’ve been tryin’ to work some training into my nightly routine before bed.

Ryuji: Hey, is it just me, or is Morgana’s sword basically the same size as Joker’s knife?

Ryuji: My mom made gyudon last night! My fave! Now I’ve got, like, fifty times more energy than usual!

Ryuji: This phantom thief stuff feels real as hell whenever he’s flyin’ around with that grappling hook.

Ryuji: Dude, that grappling hook is awesome! He looks like a freakin’ superhero with that thing!

Ryuji: Aww man, I just can’t get enough of those Akihabara maids…

Ryuji: Aren’t knives kinda hard to use ‘cause of their shortness? I definitely prefer my own shit.

Ryuji: I always thought darts looked easy—just aim for the board, y’know? But, it’s waaay harder than that.

Ryuji: Every try the monja in Tsukishima? That stuff is LEGIT.

Ryuji: Yo, does this outfit really make me look like I’m part of some biker gang?

Morgana: Listen, it’s not that I look like a cat. Cats just happen to look like me.

Morgana: I repeat: I am not a cat. To prove it, I took an actual bath yesterday.

Morgana: So, cats love to chase mice, right? I don’t get it—where’s the fun in that?

Morgana: I’m always so entranced by Panther’s whip technique!

Morgana: Panther, we have matching tails!

Morgana: You know, I’ve never actually been in a car before. Is it anything like I am now?

Morgana: I definitely made the right decision giving him the code name “Joker.”

Morgana: I’m willing to bet Joker’s skilled enough to use throwing knives.

Morgana: Anime, books, movies… Phantom thieves sure are popular.

Morgana: Last night I dreamt that Phantom Thieves were kicking some serious butt—let’s bring that dream to life!

Morgana: I can teach you everything you need to know about being a phantom thief. Relax—you’re in good hands!

Morgana: *yawn* I didn’t get enough sleep…

Morgana: I couldn’t fall asleep at all last night. I just laid there with my eyes open…

Morgana: I like Yongen-Jaya; it’s a great place for a stroll.

Morgana: Is Shujin Academy the only thing in Aoyama?

Morgana: I was vegetating in front of the TV last night, and I have to say, there are some pretty decent shows on now.

Ann: The bakery had a sale yesterday and I ended up buying everything they had!

Ann: The Ferris wheel is a must for me at theme parks, every time. I love being able to just relax.

Ann: I have an upcoming shoot at a theme park, but what sucks is how I can’t go on any of the rides.

Ann: Last night I dreamt I was eating a chocolate bar, then all of a sudden, it got mad and started chasing me!

Ann: Every once in a while I have a dream where I get chased by a Shadow…

Ann: I’ve been sleeping really well since I started getting all this exercise.

Ann: I was up late watching TV last night, so I might be a little sleep deprived…

Ann: I tend to do my clothes shopping in Kichijoji—it’s fun looking through all the resale shops.

Ann: I hate when people ask me to say stuff in English just ‘cause I lived overseas.

Ann: It always bothers me when foreign movie subtitles leave stuff out or take too many liberties.

Ann: I was talking to my overseas friend the other day—her straightforward attitude was really refreshing!

Ann: I was talking to Shiho on the phone and before I knew it, three whole hours had passed!

Ann: Joker seems like he’d make a good cook, doesn’t he? I mean, he’s great with his knife and all…

Ann: It’s actually quite exhilarating to attack with a whip. I wonder why that is…

Ann: Whenever my foreign relatives come to Japan, they always rave about how much they love Japanese food!

Ann: Do you think there’s anything I can do about my outfit? I feel like I stand out too much in this…

Ann: Is there a difference between a whip and a grappling hook?

Ann: Ya know, Skull’s always been into skull designs and stuff.

Ann: Wouldn’t a grappling hook be awfully handy in the real world?

Yusuke: I wish to paint the world as only I see it. The best way to succeed at this is through practice.

Yusuke: It’s fun to walk around and inspect different temples and shrines. The architecture is always impressive.

Yusuke: If Shadows are sentient, do you think their being moved by a painting would invoke a change of heart?

Yusuke: There have been times where I was compelled to create three-dimensional art.

Yusuke: I’m quite curious about Mona’s Western-style sword…

Yusuke: I hear whips are quite difficult to use. Where did you learn how to wield one?

Yusuke: Joker using a grappling hook…. That would make for a picture-perfect composition.

Yusuke: Mona, what exactly do you have in those pouches?

Yusuke: Creating a piece of art is pointless unless I can convey the full essence of the subject.

Yusuke: Art museums stimulate my creativity like no other place—I wish I could live inside one.

Yusuke: Skull and I both use long melee weapons, but they’re total opposites of one another.

Yusuke: Why does my outfit have a tail? I don’t understand…

Yusuke: I considered growing my own bean sprouts, but it seems to be more expensive than buying them grown.

Yusuke: I once had a dream that I washed up on a deserted island. I painted as much as I pleased… So wonderful.

Yusuke: I may specialize in Japanese-style painting, but I’d like to learn some Western techniques as well.

Yusuke: That grappling hook is very useful. I should find a way to utilize one in my daily life.

Yusuke: The other day, I went into the mountains to gather vegetables so I could cut back on food expenses.

Yusuke: I tried to paint a landscape of the starry sky once, but it’s quite difficult to do so from within the city.

Yusuke: India ink isn’t my specialty, but I’ve been experimenting with it in some recent work, just for fun.

Makoto: I may have stopped being a doormat for adults, but people are still calling me a “teacher’s pet.”

Makoto: A phantom thief’s body is their most vital asset. We need to make sure we eat balanced, nutritious meals.

Makoto: Do you enjoy visiting theme parks? I’ve rarely been to one myself.

Makoto: Fox looks cooler using his katana than I had originally imagined.

Makoto: I had the weirdest dream… I was at school, but I was wearing my phantom thief outfit.

Makoto: Would anyone care to learn how to drive, while we’re here? This place seems as good as any for practice.

Makoto: I know it’s not very healthy, but I do enjoy eating ramen from time to time.

Makoto: Once I’ve graduated, I’m going to buy a motorcycle and go on a road trip.

Makoto: I’ve been working on my grades because I still want to attend college, despite being a phantom thief.

Makoto: I want to read a certain book, but it’s out of print. Where do you suppose I could find a copy?

Makoto: Maybe I’m just burned out, but waking up has grown awfully difficult lately.

Makoto: The grappling hook’s cable seems pretty strong, but it’s scary to think what could happen if it snapped.

Makoto: Once my sister brought home some sushi for me. It was indescribably good…

Futaba: I heard rhythm’s an important part of fighting, sooo… I started playing a rhythm game!

Futaba: There’s going to be an event tonight in the MMO I play. I can’t wait!

Futaba: This MMO I’m hooked on is really cool. Do you wanna play with me? Oh—it’s in English, though.

Futaba: I’m about to beat the game I’ve been playing. Wonder what I should play next?

Futaba: I’ve been going outside a lot more, so now I’m sleeping way better than I did when I was a shut-in.

Futaba: Guess what? I’m making a game called “Hungry Hungry Mona”!

Futaba: You know who’s a really good driver, is Sojiro. He can parallel park with his eyes closed!

Futaba: If you could shoot grappling hooks from your hands, you’d probably be able to get around just using those!

Futaba: Ya know, I’ve thought about workin’ out and fighting alongside you guys.

Futaba: You guys should try playing shooters! It could help you improve your gun skills.

Futaba: Last night I had a dream my hard drive failed… That was scary.

Futaba: Wouldn’t it be cool if you could mod the grappling hook so it was electrified?

Futaba: Sure, the internet’s convenient, but it’s not like it can do everything. Don’t overestimate its capabilities.

Futaba: I wonder if I’d be okay going to some place by myself if it wasn’t crowded. Inokashira Park seems nice.

Futaba: Yesterday Sojiro bought me my favorite instant yakisoba!

Futaba: Maybe I should get a gun too, just for self-defense… Nah, my hands need to be empty.

Haru: I found this cafe in Kichioji with phenomenal tea—would you care to try it sometime?

Haru: I ordered kusaya but they refused to make it—they said they couldn’t get the smell out of the kitchen.

Haru: I feel like I need to learn more about the world, but I’m not sure how to best go about it.

Haru: Recently, I’ve been finding rare delicacies rather enticing…

Haru: Even lately, I sometimes dream about doing phantom thief things with Mona.

Haru: If you’re having trouble getting yourself to relax, I recommend herbal tea.

Haru: Asakusa is a wonderful area—I love how it’s this blend of the old and the new.

Haru: Ever since I started high school I’ve been taking the train in the morning, but I’m still not used to it…

Haru: Queen, your mask looks like it’s made of iron. Doesn’t it get heavy?

Haru: Joker’s so acrobatic! He’s really got the hang of that grappling hook.

Haru: I don’t think I’ve gotten this much exercise since I was in ballet.

Haru: Let me know if you ever get a tear in your clothing—I’m good at sewing, so I could most likely fix it.

Haru: I dreamt that the vegetables I’d been growing all died… I was so sad.

Haru: Your weapon seems fun, Skull. Do you want to swap sometime?

Haru: Sometimes it’s impossible for me to fall asleep on days that we’ve been to Palaces, no matter how tired I am.

Haru: You know, before this, I’d never considered using an axe for anything other than chopping firewood…

Haru: My hands have gotten all calloused… I supposed it comes with the territory in gardening.

Akechi: I have no intention of changing my stance on matters, no matter what anyone may say.

Akechi: Pancakes... I don’t want to hear that word again for a long, long time.

Akechi: We don’t have much time left. Please do what you can to avoid getting sick.

Akechi: The enemies are stronger than ever. Don’t let your guard down.

Akechi: A world that panders to your every whim is so mundane. Where’s the thrill if there’s no competition?

Akechi: Do you prefer my previous outfit or this one? Moving around’s become much easier for me.

Akechi: This place is immense. If there weren’t train tracks everywhere, I’d bring my bike here.

Akechi: We’re working under the constraints of a time limit, so I’d appreciate it if you could be more efficient.

Akechi: If you’re looking for a way to train both your mind and your body, I highly recommend bouldering.

Akechi: You think I’m frightening when I fight? Well, I’m afraid you’re just going to have to accept it.

Akechi: I meant to tell you, regarding Shido… Thank you for keeping your promise.

Akechi: You may not like working with me, but I’m counting on your assistance until our goal is achieved.

Akechi: When we’re riding in the car like this, it’s easy to forget that we’re actually inside Mona.

Akechi: The Shadows here behave differently from the ones in the Palaces, don’t they?

Akechi: I’m getting a bit hungry. I should’ve eaten beforehand.

Akechi: I enjoy spending time in Kichijoji. It’s not very big, but there are plenty of trendy shops.

Akechi: Riding in the car may beat walking, but it doesn’t stop my legs from growing stiff and sore…

Sumire: I have a few different superstitions for good luck in my routines… They get sort of hard to drop.

Sumire: It was already hard for me to believe Palaces existed, but to think there’s such a massive one under Shibuya…

Sumire: It’s a bit cramped in here with this many people…

Sumire: I get stiff all over from just sitting in the car.

Sumire: Why is the one desert you get to eat during the week so delicious?

Sumire: A phantom thief outfit represents a person’s image of their rebellion, right?

Sumire: I wonder if I should try incorporating another sport into my gymnastics training.

Sumire: I wonder what I could use as inspiration for my performances…

Sumire: Swords are actually pretty hard to wield.

Sumire: Whenever I travel, I always end up buying some sort of good luck charm.

Sumire: Your outfits are all so unique. I can see coordinating them wasn’t a priority.

Sumire: This time of year, a heating pad’s an absolute must for keeping warm.

Sumire: Sometimes people will just walk up to me and ask me to show them a standing split.

Sumire: I’m in top shape today! Let’s keep going.

Sumire: Do you all stretch beforehand? You could pull a muscle if you don’t.

Sumire: It’s too bad gymnastics competitions aren’t on TV more often.

Sumire: Fighting makes for a pretty good workout, doesn’t it?

while I didn't transcribe responses, I did notice something a bit disappointing: neither Sumire nor Akechi seemed to have responses for anyone else. It's possible I missed one?? But not being able to remember any, they must not have many if they do have some. A bit odd.

#persona 5 #p5r #p5r spoilers #to pick from later

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welovekpopscenarios · 7 years

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Cherry Blossom (Yuta x Reader)

Admin: Candi Request: “Could I have a scenario where you and Yuta are vacationing in Osaka and he takes you to see the cherry blossoms??? Thanks! You guys are awesome!!! (: - anon” Fandom: NCT 127 Member/reader: Yuta x Reader Genre: Fluff Warnings: None Words: 1.3k Authors note: Kinda a life lesson at the end lmao ily x

Yuta has been planning a trip to Osaka, Japan for a while now. He wanted to go back and visit his beloved country. He surprised you with plane tickets so you could go with him and obviously you accepted, you couldn’t turn down such an amazing opportunity considering you always wanted to visit Japan. He chose the perfect time to fly out; spring. Spring was the time where everything blossomed and Osaka was at its peak in spring, everything looked so beautiful and colourful. The whole city was full of life and excitement.

The day of the flight finally came, you were restless with excitement and it looked like you drank 5 coffees this morning. In the airport, you got to the security check, then the gate and then you were off on your adventure with Yuta. For the whole flight, you weren’t able to stop talking and asking questions, Yuta was surprisingly patient with you and never once told you to calm down even if you were driving him insane, he was happy seeing you so excited to see where he came from.

You landed quite late so you took a cab to the hotel you were staying at and decided to rest for the night.

“We’ll start being tourists tomorrow.” Yuta laughed and you immediately pouted, you couldn’t wait until tomorrow. “Don’t look at me like that!”

“I want to go see stuff now!” You demanded.

“Everything is closed baby.”

“I guess I’ll have to wait.” You sighed and fell onto the bed.

“We can order room service and put on a movie if you want?”

“I won’t understand anything though.”

“There are subtitles you know.” Yuta reminded you and you laughed at yourself. You agreed to have food and watch a movie. He put on a movie but you couldn’t focus on anything, all that was going through your head was the different places you could see and all the shops you’d want to visit. In the middle of the movie, you noticed Yuta fell asleep so you decided to turn off the TV, clean up the plates and try to get some shut eye as well because tomorrow would be a busy day for the both of you.

In the morning, you were obviously the first one out of bed, you hopped in the shower, dressed yourself and did your makeup. Yuta didn’t take as long as you to get ready so you didn’t have to wait for him, the second you were done getting ready you were able to go out the door onto the streets of Osaka.

“Okay so, what do you want to do first?” Yuta asks, preparing himself for the blow. He was sure you weren’t going to have your mind made up.

“I’d love to see the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.” You say, gripping your “Things to do in Osaka” book tightly in your hands.

“Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan it is so.” Yuta smiled at you and your eyes lit up with excitement. You rushed to get a train there and you were surprisingly quiet during the trip there but it was only because you were thinking about how beautiful it was going to be.

Once you arrived you went to the reception to purchase your admission tickets, Yuta handled everything since you didn’t speak a word of Japanese and even though most people spoke English there, it was easier for them to speak Japanese so you let Yuta handle all that stuff. You were in a group with other tourists from around the world, there were French people, Irish people, Koreans and even some were Japanese. The tour guide spoke English but not many people listened, everyone was too focused on all the different species of fish and how breathtaking the place was. After a while of following the group, you managed to abandon them and did your own thing, you wanted to see everything and take pictures of every single fish that was there which proved to be impossible. During the visit, you were also able to hold a starfish in your hand which felt bizarre and freaked you out. Towards the end of the tour you ended up in a gift shop which wasn’t good for your wallet; you ended up buying a shark plushie and a hat with the Aquarium logo on it which made you look like the ultimate tourist.

“I have somewhere I want to take you now.” Yuta says and your curiosity grew.

“Is it a surprise?” You ask.

“I guess you could say that. You’re going to love the place anyway.” He says and your smile reached from ear to ear.

You took another train in a different direction and Yuta began explaining how beautiful the place is and that this time of year is the best because it’s at its prime. Every word that came out of his mouth made you more eager. When you finally arrived at the destination you could see that he was taking you to the Osaka Castle Park judging from the big castle you could see from the stop. You had your camera at the ready but you weren’t prepared for what you were about to see at all.

Yuta grabbed your hand upon entrance and walked you in, the air from your lungs got immediately knocked out once you saw the park. The place was so magnificent you couldn’t even take a picture of it, you were too in awe and wanted to absorb it before taking any photos.

“Yuta this place i-is…”

“I know.” He smiled. “These are cherry blossoms. They look the best this time of year and they only look like this for two weeks. After two weeks they start to fall and coat the ground in the pastel pink petals.”

The flowers looked like the tutu of a ballerina, everything felt so peaceful. The birds were chirping away and it felt like the whole world stood still the second you entered the park. There were old couples sitting on the benches of the park, enjoying the beauty and peace of the place while holding hands, there were children running around, chasing each other, laughing away. It felt like the world was in perfect harmony and there was no evil and no sadness in the world. The air seemed clearer and the wind was warm. You were convinced that this place could solve any dispute because of how calm it was, there was no sadness in this place, everyone was laughing and smiling.

“It’s a shame they only last two weeks.” You say.

“Tied to the Buddhist themes of mortality, mindfulness and living in the present, Japanese cherry blossoms are a timeless metaphor for human existence. Blooming season is powerful, glorious and intoxicating, but tragically short-lived — a visual reminder that our lives, too, are fleeting.” Yuta begins. “Why don’t we marvel at our own passing time on earth with the same joy and passion? Why do we neglect to revel in life when it can end at any moment, or in the grace surrounding us everywhere: our family, friends, a stranger’s smile, a child’s laugh, new flavours on our plate or the scent of green grass? It is time, cherry blossoms remind us, to pay attention.”

You look at Yuta in admiration, he always had a way with words that seemed to influence your way of thinking. He was right, everyone should pay attention to their lives and not take everything for granted. Humans get so lost in their existence that they forget about what really matters and it could end any second, we get so wound up in our affairs that we don’t remember to think about our family, our friends, we don’t think about what we really want from life. We go through life without living it and we should really stop sometimes and think about what we want and what we’re grateful for. Our surroundings are what makes our lives better but we forget to appreciate them.

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63824peace · 4 years

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Tuesday, 29th of november 2005

When I left home this morning, I saw that someone had repainted the pavement's white lane markings. The newly lettered STOPs covered the old and faded characters like freshly fallen snow.

The icy new lines sat slightly off-center the old ones, and the two STOPs blended into double-vision. I felt as though I had astigmatism when I looked at them. The painters hadn't traced the old edge-lines very well either. I could see traces of the old and over-trodden markings beneath the newly painted lines.

They should do better work when they try to renovate the area. Even so, the repainted lane markings made me feel as though the roads had renewed their vigor.

I walked to the train station and thought about roads. Roads and the ground that they pattern form much of our perception of a town. We need them to comprehend something as simple as a row of houses along a street.

An unpleasantly warm wind slipped across my face.

I noticed the blurred STOP letters on the ground and then I noticed other lines and figures that I usually ignore. Though it sounds odd, the lettered STOPs made it impossible to stop seeing new things!

I observed the pavement while I walked, and the act felt natural. I had paid enough attention to notice two species of STOPs on the road: one written in kanji, and the other written in hiragana. Had someone placed the hiragana STOPs for younger school children who might rush into traffic? And, if that's so, had someone placed the kanji STOPs in traffic lanes for kanji-literate drivers?

No... I decided against my explanation. I saw hiragana STOPs for drivers too. What standard does the city use to determine where hiragana and kanji STOPs go?

I continued walking with my head bent toward the ground. I saw so many painted figures such as squares, plusses, and perpendicular Ts. I noticed numbers and letters on speed limit signs... I saw Emergency Parking signs in front of the hospital. I even noticed the commonplace median markings, stop lines, and crosswalks.

I gave the pavement's surface more and more attention. I saw grounded dashes, marks, numbers, and letters fill the pavement. All countries paint this kind of national graffiti on their roads.

I hadn't realized so before, but different types of roads serve as navigation media that carry a lot of information. The asphalt symbols define a sort of program to describe the way everything should move... people, bicycles, motorbikes, and cars.

I didn't see a single naked road during my walk to the station. Well… I didn't see anything in the alley where I take my shortcut. No cars travel there.

We'll see our roads painted with more and more symbols in the future. We'll walk around looking at the numbers and road signs on the ground.

We should look at the ground more often while walking. Our postures will worsen, but perhaps we'll discover something from our new perspective. Our tears will drop straight down our faces though, so we'll need to take care when we cry.

I ate an Agedori Lunch at the restaurant Hana Goyomi. Gucci ordered Ishiyaki Kaisen.

I met with Mr. Muraoka at the bookstore. He recommended that I pick up The Day Yukio Mishima Died (Vol. 2). I got Joseph Finder's new novel, Paranoia, instead.

People are holding many festivals in honor of the thirty-fifth anniversary of Yukio Mishima's death. The movie Spring Snow has become a big hit recently too; Mishima wrote the film's source material. Maybe I'll read Mishima's books again after I've taken a long break from them.

My father ardently admired Mishima's writing. I remember his shock when he learned that Mishima had committed harakiri.

I stopped by Shin-chan's work booth after I had returned to KojiPro. I found him with a Mishima biography.

Shin-chan, Murashu, Rettsu, and I received our flight suits for OOOO Training from Phantom. Murashu tried his on first. He posed flamboyantly when I took out my camera.

We had arranged to get identical flight suits. We bought them used from a military base. We don't need brand-new materials this time because we plan to incorporate them into our self-made camouflage outfits.

Each suit's color differs from the others', but they all were once identically green. The colors of the Nomex fibers blush when over-exposed to the sun. The tincture of the new colors depends upon the circumstances and length of exposure to ultraviolet rays.

Each suit outwardly bears the record of its military career.

Microsoft has recently released the Xbox 360 in the United States. I played a bit of Project Gotham Racing 3 and drove a white Lotus Esprit through London. I felt like Roger Moore as 007.

I parked the car on the side of the road and then manipulated the camera to view the onlookers behind the wire frame. The people aren't in 2D - they're in 3D! It's a next-generation system, so that's really expected.

I played the U.S. version, and I found that the options include Japanese and even Korean subtitles. Incredible... does this mean that the system is region-free? If that's true, then I can play foreign games too. I definitely want to play King Kong, but I should watch the movie before I play the game.

I gave an interview in the early evening with Mr. Hamamura for Famitsu's December 22 issue. Mr. Hamamura's interviews always turn into pleasant conversations.

Enjoyable interviews don't happen very often. No matter how many interviews I give, I always feel apprehensive. I especially become more cautious whenever I interview with newspapers or general interest magazines. Some of the nastier interviewers schedule an appointment just to bring up their ideas about the immorality of video games. Other wily interviewers try to talk me into a corner. I actually get a stomachache after enough of those.

Mr. Hamamura is totally different. We have both worked in the industry for a long time, and he has a lot of experience in games. Mr. Hamamura loves games, and he shares my concern for the future of the gaming industry.

I actually started to enjoy today's conversation so much that I forgot it was work! I dropped my guard and I accidentally mentioned our new PSP project.

I'll apologize to Okamura before they publish that issue of Famitsu.

I went shopping in Ginza later in the evening. I hadn't been there in a while. Ginza's department store closes early at night, so I only had an hour. I had to shop so quickly that I didn't have a lot of time to deliberate.

I automatically rush out of a department store whenever they play Auld Lang Syne. They only use the chime to announce that they will close soon. They don't mean to throw me out, but I rush out anyway. I wasn't able to buy a lot, but at least I had the chance to shop.

I saw a huge Christmas tree in front of the Chanel boutique. It would light up only in fixed intervals, probably to save energy. All the nearby girls started to photograph the tree with their cell phones when it lit up. They treated the occasion like a red carpet affair for a film star.

I pulled out my camera, too, for HIDEOBLOG. I was the only man there-but at least I had the best camera.

I wonder... who will they show their pictures to? Will the girls send them to their peers or boyfriends by cell phone email? I don't think that many women take photographs to preserve their subjects' beauty. I think they take them to show other people.

Of course, I took my photograph to include in HIDEOBLOG. Widespread cell phone usage has really changed the purpose for photography.

I passed in front of the lottery ticket seller with the reputation for selling the most winning tickets. Unfortunately they had already closed for the day.

I was surprised to see guards standing around the front of the booth. I suppose they had received a lot of daytime business.

It was the legendary booth where they sell the most winning tickets in Japan. The booth's front sign proclaimed in large letters: "Our billionaires were born here! Three hundred people have won 42.1 billion yen during the whole Heisei Era! Fourteen people won 2.6 billion yen in Heisei-16 alone!"

The booth gave me a strangely strong feeling that I could win. I would have bought some tickets had the booth stayed open. I stepped closer and noticed that its windows had been assigned numbers from 1 through 7, with the exceptions of 4 and 6.

I can understand why they omitted 4 - it’s an unlucky number. I wonder why they left out 6 though. What's wrong with 6?

I mused quietly to myself about these things, and Kenichiro called the Chance Center to ask about it.

They had seven numbered windows in the beginning. "Vox Populi, Vox Dei" had mentioned on November 28 that people would wait in line at Window-1 for three and a half hours. The window gained a reputation for selling many winning tickets. News of Window-1's fortune spread, and its business increased.

After a while, Window-1 couldn't handle its number of clients. They wanted to create a second Window-1 to resolve this. They would renumber the windows 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 – but then 7 would have disappeared. They couldn't just do away with lucky number seven. They decided to discard the number 6, so that's why the booth appears as it does today.

Even lottery shops outwardly wear their histories.

I would have bought lottery tickets from Window-3. I haven't aggrandized the number 3 like the hero did in Stealth. It's just an attractive looking number, and I've always liked it because of that. Number three is also another lucky number.

At the HMV in Ginza, I listened to the album With Love & Squalor by the band We Are Scientists. I decided to go ahead and buy it. It's the New York based trio's first album.

Their style sounds a lot like British rock, and their sound coheres with the in-vogue Post-New-Wave movement. The Bravery and The Rapture came from New York too. Perhaps British rock fans should pay attention to New York.

I ate a late dinner at Toridori in Ginza San-cho-me. "San" means three, so there's another number three! It took me a little while to realize that I had been there before.

I settled for a couple of glasses of draft beer since I wasn't in top physical shape today.

I left Ginza on the Hibiya subway line. It was already late, so I just descended at the transfer station and passed Roppongi Station. I didn't go back to the office.

I only bought a ticket for the trip between Ginza and Roppongi since I already have a commuter pass. I wouldn't have been able to pass through the automatic ticket gate outside the transfer station without that ticket. The alarm would have activated if I had only inserted my Roppongi pass. They use these measures to prevent people from cheating on their fares.

I have always taken the gate with an actual stationed employee to solve that problem. I could simply show him both my commuter pass and my ticket. I went to the last gate on the row and presented both to the employee.

"Oh, right," he said casually. "Put both of them into the automatic gate's slots, please. Then you can pass with no problem!"

"Really? I haven't heard of this before."

I half doubted what he said, but I inserted both into the machine as he had advised. It's the same method used when boarding the Shinkansen bullet train. They require us to insert both the regular ticket and the special express pass at the same time.

The gate opened just like he said it would.

"Wow!"

That was convenient. How long have they used this? Was I the only one who didn't know about it? Or had they recently revamped the automated gates?

I later considered it rationally, and I realized that it shouldn't be too difficult. From both technological and financial perspectives, machines ought have the ability to accept a ticket and a pass pretty easily, one laid atop the other. What have they been doing all this time?

It's such a trivial matter, but I can't stop thinking about it.

I suddenly remembered when I first passed through an automatic ticket gate. I had boarded the Hankyu Line in the Kansai region. That was over thirty years ago.

Not many people know this, but Kansai used automatic ticket gates long before Tokyo. They installed the mechanized gates one day without any warning. I was a boy in elementary school, and I felt as though the door to the future had opened.

"Now, wait just a second...."

Thirty years have passed. The ticket-reading technology and its speed have surely improved since then. It can now recognize the doubled-up SUICA Pass.

But can we really call that progress? We've only modified our machines to read two passes at once after thirty years. Nothing about the ticket gates has really changed, unless we count the advertisements stuck on them. Other technologies advance quickly, but ticket gate technology has moved as slowly as a turtle. Even the game consoles have advanced rapidly within only ten years.

What will the next-generation ticket gate look like? The idea seems kind of strange.

I'm sure that the very concept of ticket gates will disappear in the future. We'll soon enter into the age of digitized personal identification. We won't need to carry anything with us. We'll shop with digitized personal IDs, and we'll even use them to pay for transportation and food. The fees will automatically withdraw. A time will come when personal IDs will handle all of our living needs-food, clothing, and even shelter.

It will be convenient, but I still can't shake the suffocation that comes when I think about it. We may even see a society so controlled that we'll need personal IDs just to breathe fresh air. We will exchange that freedom for 21st century security.

I wrote HIDEOBLOG after midnight with the television running in the background. I saw Mr. Tokoro's commercial several times: "The End-of-the-Year Jumbo Lottery: Three Hundred Million Yen!"

The absent Window-6 haunts me.

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