The meaning of the word

[GUITAR CELLAR]

Do you know what "Tokai" means? It's the Japanese word
for "East Sea", and there's an area called "Takai" in Japan between
Tokyo and Osaka. Just FYI.

 

[sneakyjapan]

well, takai also means tall/ high or expensive in Japanese.

 

[GUITAR CELLAR]

I very good Japanese friend explained the term to me the other day and I thought it was interesting, but that is how that particular Japanese musician understands it. I'm sure it could mean many things...like many english terms.

 

[sneakyjapan]

I`ll ask my wife tonight if it means anything else, we`ll look it up in the dictionary.

 

[BluesEd]

I don't know the lit meaning but there is a district in Japan called Tokai.

 

[drt]

Hello everybody! I can answer to the question as I am Japanese. It is district, cannot be someone's surname. In the begining of this post, some one said it is east sea, and Tokai means east sea, however there isn't any sea called East sea, at least major one. (I think the guy meant east chinese sea which is enormous one). Plus even if it is the sea, Tokai sounds very industrial district for me, (among Hamamatu (=Yamaha), Nissan (=..)


Hope there are more people to learn Japanese, from my point of view, it is really shame; although we are really good nationality (and makes great guitars) some people think it is part of china, at least people around me think so. Keep learning Japanese guys! If you get any chances that you become famous musician, recommend Japanese and Japanese guitars!

 

[sneakyjapan]

I have been teaching English in Japan for 10 years. Maybe we have been watching the same Tokais... one I have seen is overpriced I think, even with a hardcase. I own several good Japanese guitars... Ornettes, Van Zandt, Duncan, Crews, Fender Japan from the 1980`s, a 1977 Greco strat, a 1984 Tokai strat and more.
Tell you what... I`ll keep learning Japanese if my students keep learning the international language... English.
Where did you learn to speak English?

 

[luis]

Hi drt.I don' speak japanese,a few words only,but my brother speaks it fairly and he is able to read kanjis(not all of course :wink: ).He is doing what sneaky does but teaching spanish to several japanase boys living here in Spain,and they teach him japanese tone of them becomes his proud teacher in exclusive .I feel japanese people very respectful and kind.

 

[Peter Mac]

Hey guys,

i learnt French, German and Japanese at school and married a South American who tought me some Spanish (castillian)
Of all the languages...Spanish is spoken as a FIRST language in more countries than any other. English is spoken as a SECOND language more than any other.
More people speak CHINESE than ANY other FIRST language

Ive always wanted to learn Swahili.....just a fancy.. :lol:

Peter Mac

 

[Anonymous]

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[sneakyjapan]

Growing up in Montreal the product of a French Canadian dad and a British mom I speak both French and English, studied Spanish and can get by though there are not many oppertunities to speak it in Japan. Having been in Japan for 10 years I have absorbed some of the language, but not nearly as much as I should because my free time goes to guitar and painting.
But the world has adopted English as the international language. We all still feel the influence of the British Empire eh.

 

[sneakyjapan]

my wife told me tonight that Tokai also means urban.

 

[drt]

Hello, sneaky japan, its me again? So you are married with Japanese wife? Good decision. (hence you can get more Tokai guitars ) Anyway, about your wife's comment, she read to/ka/i, it does mean urban, but Tokai guitar we are talking about, it reads to-kai, it has no symbols to strech "to", but vintage Japanese guiatrists never say "to/ka/i". Can you imagine there is a guitar made called "urban" in your language??? Sounds crap isn't it? Now you guys learnt a Japanese word! Londoners, go to Denmark street and make piss of guitar shop around :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

All this just goes to show how bloody ignorant the English are at learning foreign languages. And for that, you can thank our Imperialistic heritage. We expect everyone to converse with us in English no matter where we travel to in the world :x .

End of Rant.....

drt,

I think most westerner?s know that Japan isn?t part of China so don?t let it worry you none.

 

[sneakyjapan]

Tokai with elongated vowels or not, to me it usually means good guitars. It`s a bit tricky the way the Japanese language uses vowels. Sometimes I can clearly hear the difference and sometimes not. Not even taking into consideration the different dialects or ben in Japanese. Similar to the English R and L sounds my students compalin about... they often don`t hear the difference.
I speak French and am conversational in Spanish but I don`t expect folks here to communicate with me in those languages. I do know that for many years now the Japanese educational system has taught English as a second language but many Japanese have a lack of confidence in speaking it. Up until very recently the Japanese gov`t waited until junior high to teach English but they have started teaching it in elementary schools now. I believe the next generation of Japanese English speakers will be better equiped to communicate in the international market place. And I won`t even go into JINGLISH... the " Japanese-English " thats used here.
Usually my attempts at the native language are greeted with stunned looks so I use a combination of sign language, Japanese and English to get my point accross with the help of a dictionary. I can safely say the number of times I could not be understood are very very few.
Gambarimasu.

 

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

Yeah, but apart from dabbling in the local lingo when you're on holiday like - "Two beers please mate" (Dos Cerveza amigo Por favor?). Then you have got to admit that as a nation, we are generally ***** at bothering to learn a foreign tongue.

Now my cousin Jan speaks fluent French, a bit of Russian and can hold her own in a??How do you do?? ?I?m very well thank you.? type conversation with the Japanese.

The world is a much smaller place now so it would be nice if us Poms tried to learn at least one foreign tongue.

Me and the missus are dabbling in Spanish. Quite what we?ll need that for in Oz I don?t know, but its good fun .

Whinge over, again!

 

[luis]

Hey Lee,it seems you have a lot of practice :lol: ,have you ever been to Spain anytime ?:wink: Asking for beers is very dificult,when you are drunk specially .

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Luis,

Some. We have a villa in Spain, just outside Villamarchente near Cheste in Valencia. We get over about 3 times a year. We love it there. Beautiful countryside, loads of Fiestas and terrific Paella!.

Plus it's 20 minutes from the GP circuit which is great as I am Ducati mad!! Are you in to bikes Luis?

That is basically why we are trying to learn Spanish but it is very difficult so don't ask me to write anything. I'm still having trouble swapping my "L's" for "Y's".

Sadly we will have to sell up because we are migrating down under. I will miss Spain .....