＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・「日本フルハップ」と「日本フルハーフ」という面白い名前の由来は？
<Added October 19, 2023> Ichiro Zaitsu, familiar from the commercials for Nippon Fullhap and Takemoto Piano, passed away on October 14th. May he rest in peace.
1. Nippon Fullhap
Nippon Fullhap is well-known for its commercials featuring Ichiro Zaitsu (1934-2023), which have now been replaced by commercials featuring All Hanshin-Kyojin.
Its predecessor was the “Kinki Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Management Disaster Compensation Foundation” (abbreviated as Kinki KSD).
The official name of “Nippon Fullhap” is the “Japan Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Welfare Business Foundation” (abbreviated as Nippon Fullhap). It is a public interest foundation whose purpose is to “promote the improvement of the welfare of workers in small and medium-sized enterprises, including sole proprietorships, and to improve the quality of life for workers.”
The abbreviated name “Nippon Fullhap” is a coined word combining the English words “FULL” and “HAPPY,” reflecting the wish for members to be “full of happiness.”
The foundation’s activities include the following:
(1) “Injury Compensation”
Compensation covers injuries not only at work, but also in traffic accidents, during leisure activities, and at home.
(2) “Injury Prevention”
Support for creating a safe and comfortable workplace (subsidies for helmets, safety shoes, air conditioning, etc.)
(3) “Welfare Benefits”
Support for a fulfilling and vibrant life, including health promotion and subsidies for accommodation at resort facilities (subsidies for comprehensive health checkups, invitations to events such as theatrical performances, etc.)
2. Nippon Full Half
When driving on the road, you often see Isuzu panel trucks. A sticker that says “Nippon Full Half” is affixed to the upper corner of the door on the cargo bed panel.
The name “Fullhalf” is rather odd when you think about it. “Full” means “full,” and “half” means “half.”
In fact, the name originates from a person’s name.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Ford Model T brought about a massive surge in motorization in America. The trailers towed by these Fords were developed and manufactured by August Fruehauf (August Fruhalf) (1868-1930), a blacksmith from Detroit. This German-American name is actually spelled “Fruehauf,” not “Fullhalf.”
The names of the American company “Fullhauf Trailer Corporation” and “Fullhalf Japan Corporation” are derived from this individual.
Incidentally, the American company “Fullhauf Trailer Corporation” went bankrupt in 1996.