＜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
・意外と知らない物や現象の名前（その３）乳、擬宝珠、ｸﾞﾛｰﾌﾞｼﾞｬﾝｸﾞﾙ、ｶｽｹｰﾄﾞなど
I previously wrote an article titled “Names of Things and Phenomena You Might Not Know” and “Part 2,” but there are still many interesting examples, so I’ll introduce them in Part 3.
1. Nipples (chi/nyu)
乳（ち/にゅう）
What are the names of the small bumps on the bells (bonsho) found in temples?
The numerous wart-like bumps lined up on the upper surface of the bell are called “nipples (chi/nyu).” Among bells, the large bells found in temples are called bonsho, and are also known as the New Year’s Eve bells.
The area on the upper surface of these bells where the “nipples” are lined up is also called the “nipple room (chinoma)” or “nipple town (chinomachi),” and it is said that many have 108 “nipples,” the same number as the number of worldly desires.
The “nipples” play a role in amplifying the sound effect.
2. Ornamental finial (giboshi/giboshu)
擬宝珠（ぎぼし/ぎぼうしゅ）
The traditional architectural ornaments found on the pillars of bridges, shrines, temple stairs, and balustrades are called “giboshi.”
They are also called “sōdai” (葱台) because they resemble the flowers of a leek.
There are several theories about their origin. One theory suggests they originate from the Buddhist concept of the “hoju” (宝珠). The hoju is said to be either the shape of the Buddha’s reliquary (sarira) or the jewel that emerged from the head of a dragon god, and is often depicted in the palms of Buddhist statues such as Jizo Bodhisattva. This theory suggests that the ornament was named “giboshi” (義宝珠) because its shape resembles this hoju, meaning “imitation hoju.”
Another theory suggests that the ornament came to be used because the unique odor of leeks was believed to ward off evil spirits, and the kanji characters for “giboshi” (義宝珠) are later phonetic equivalents of “negiboshi” (葱帽子) or “negibouji” (葱坊主). This also explains their use in architecture other than Buddhist structures, such as bridges and shrines.
As a side note, there is also a plant called “giboshi” (位宝珠). This name comes from the fact that the buds or young inflorescences enclosed in bracts of this plant resemble a giboshi (a type of ornamental finial).
3. Globe Jungle (Globe Jungle Gym)
グローブジャングル（グローブジャングルジム）
The spinning play structure found in parks is called a “globe jungle.” It’s a rainbow-colored, globe-shaped rotating play structure (a globe-shaped jungle gym).
“GLOBE” means “globe” or “earth,” and is often used in phrases like “global network.”
Recently, they’ve been removed due to safety concerns and are rarely seen anymore.
4. Cascade
カスケード
A series of small waterfalls, often found in gardens, is called a “cascade.” You can also see them in urban areas, such as fountain sculptures in building entrances.
The original meaning of “cascade” is “a series of small waterfalls.” In architecture, it refers to artificially created structures.
5. Perforated Blocks
透かしブロック
A block wall that allows you to see through to the other side is called a “perforated block wall.”
This is primarily for “improving ventilation in the wall,” but it also serves as an “accent.”
6. Top Star
トップスター
The star at the top of the Christmas tree is called the “Top Star.” It’s a very straightforward name. It’s modeled after the “Star of Bethlehem” in Christianity.
7. Candy Cane
キャンディケイン
The hard, candy-shaped candies often used to decorate Christmas trees are called “candy canes.”
“Cane” means “cane” or “stick.”
8. Daruma Sun
だるま太陽
“Daruma Sun” is a type of solar mirage where the sunrise or sunset appears distorted like a “Daruma” doll on the horizon. It is also known as Daruma Sun（達磨太陽）, Omega Sun（オメガサン）, Daruma Sunrise（だるま朝日）, Daruma Sunset（だるま夕日）, Daruma Sunrise（達磨朝日）, and Daruma Sunset（達磨夕日）.
9. Cryptomnesia
クリプトムネジア現象（クリプトムネシア現象）
The phenomenon of believing that something you’ve read in a book or heard from someone in the past is your own experience is called “cryptomnesia.” It’s also known as “unconscious plagiarism.”
Sometimes, songs, poems, or ideas that you thought you came up with yourself are criticized as being “strikingly similar to something that already exists” and considered plagiarism.
This isn’t always intentional plagiarism. It can occur when the person has forgotten what they remembered, but still retains the memory; they mistakenly believe they “came up with it” even though they’ve “remembered” it.
Listening to Shinji Tanimura’s “The Secret Story Behind the Creation of Subaru,” one might think that rather than imitating Takuboku Ishikawa’s “Sad Toys,” the poem deeply resonated with him.
In Yukio Mishima’s autobiographical novel “Confessions of a Mask,” there’s a description of someone who “clearly remembers the circumstances of their birth.” However, it’s generally unlikely that someone would have memories of their birth, so I think they might have mistakenly believed they remembered their birth based on what others had told them.
10. Charpentier Effect
シャルパンティエ効果
If you were asked, “Which is heavier, 1 kilogram of iron or 1 kilogram of cotton?”, you’d probably answer iron.
This effect, where we perceive something as heavier or lighter than it actually is (cotton, with its larger volume, feels lighter), is called the “Charpentier effect.”
The “Charpentier effect” also explains why “One in three people use our product” feels like a better deal than “The third largest market share in the industry,” and “Essentially one free” feels like a better deal than “Buy two, get one free.”
The effect is named after the French physician Augustin Charpentier (1852-1916), who tested his hypothesis.
11. The Name-Letter Effect
ネームレター効果
The phenomenon where we unconsciously tend to feel more favorably towards things that resemble our own name is called the “name-letter effect.”
It’s said that when talking to someone, incorporating their name throughout your sentences can increase their liking for you.
For example, you could say, “This project is interesting, Mr./Ms. XX,” or “By the way, Mr./Ms. YY,” frequently using their name. This is a technique called “name-calling” in psychology, and it utilizes the “name-letter effect.”
12. Carton
カルトン
The tray used at store cash registers and bank counters for taking out money, passbooks, change, and receipts is called a “carton.”
“Carton” is a French word, and other names include “gold tray,” “cash tray,” “coin tray,” and “change tray.”
In English, the spelling is the same, but the pronunciation is “carton.” It also means “a box made of thick cardboard” or “a certain number of products packed in a cardboard box.” For example, a cardboard box containing 10 packs of cigarettes is called “1 carton.”
13. Packing table
サッカー台
In supermarkets and other retail stores, the work area for customers located after the checkout counter is called a “sucker’s table.”
This is the space where customers remove their purchased items from their baskets and pack them into shopping bags (either the store’s own or a shopping bag).
In Japanese, it’s also known as “sakkadai” or “sakkadai,” a play on words combining “sucker” and “packing.”
Regarding the origin of the Japanese name “sucker’s table,” there are several theories suggesting it comes from the British English word “sacker,” which is formed from [sack + -er] and refers to a store employee who bags groceries. However, none of these theories are definitively proven.
① The Japanese term “sakukadai,” meaning “a table for packing goods,” is being confused with “soccerdai,” derived from the English word “sacker.”
② As supermarkets became widespread in Japan, the term “sakukadai” was created as a phonetic equivalent derived from the English word “sacker.”
In supermarket business documents, fixture manufacturers’ catalogs, and customer notices posted in stores, either “soccerdai,” “sakukadai,” or both are used, and there is no consistency.
Incidentally, while “sacker” in British English is called “bagger” in American English (a combination of “bag” and “-er”), supermarkets in Europe and America do not have a dedicated “soccerdai.” American retailers such as Walmart and Target typically use a “checkout counter,” which also serves as a packing table.
In Japan, convenience stores and drugstores also have a “checkout counter” (or similar counter), but do not have a dedicated packing table.
That’s why, when I buy a lot of things at a drugstore, I have the staff bag my items at the checkout counter.
14. Dispenser Pack
ディスペンパック
A “dispenser pack” is a container that, when you pinch it with your fingers, snaps in the middle, releasing two different contents simultaneously, such as ketchup and mustard, or jam and margarine. The word is a combination of “dispense” and “pack.”
This type of dispenser pack exists only in Japan. It’s a very Japanese ingenious idea.
15. Ottoman
オットマン
An ottoman is a footrest used with sofas or chairs. It’s also called a footstool or footrest.
The name “ottoman” originates from the Ottoman Empire.