まったり意味：ゆったりとしているさま。のんびりと落ち着いた気分であるさま。また、だらだらしているさま。(Yahoo! Dictionary)
Definition: Easy going, relaxed, calm, laid back; sluggish

I heard this word in the drama "Hotaru no Hikari" about this girl who enjoys doing nothing and drinking beer.(That's basically all she ever did at home- I kid you not). まったり was thus used to describe her laid-back ( Read more... )

:::QUALITY/COMPARISONS ( Read more... )

These are words I've picked up from reading (song lyrics, newspapers, journals, etc ( Read more... )

GLORIA is YUI's most successful single, selling over 81,000 copies. With this single, YUI became the 2nd singer-songwriter to top Oricon's Weekly Single Chart four singles in a row (the other one is Utada Hikaru, by the way ( Read more... )

Reading the news is a great way to learn another language! Today, I read an article from Mainichi Daily News (毎日新聞 Mainichi Shimbun) in the section "Reporter's Eye" (記者の目 kisha no me) about a reporter (山崎明子 Yamazaki Akiko) who interviewed her Great Aunt, a survivor of the atomic bomb (被爆者 hibakusha) in Nagasaki ( Read more... )

"Three Wishes" by FIR, my favorite Taiwanese band. I feel they are truly an original group, and I appreciate the time and effort they put into writing out (most of) their songs. I wish more Taiwanese artists would learn from their creative energy ( Read more... )

Another great song! This one came from Arashi's 24th single "Beautiful Days" and was used for their "Au by KDDI" CMs with the theme "If I were not in Arashi..." (もし僕らが、嵐でなかったら). That the commercial matches really well with the nostalgic song lyrics is another plus ( Read more... )

From Yahoo! News (japan)

無職だったので『仕事がきたー』とうれしくなりました。引退後初なので、これまで以上に真剣に頑張ってやろうと思っています
I've been unemployed since I retired, so I'm very happy to have this job. I'll work harder than I ever have.

びっくりというより、よかったなと。
I felt more happy than surprised.

From Variety Shows:

聞きなれているあの声がなぜか誰だか分からない。
For some reason, you can't recognize a voice you're used to hearing.

( Read more... )

 I really CAN'T RESIST THE FUKUI MAI'S SONG!! It's so simple and rich I decided to translate it the best as I could. Please comment if this helps you understand the meaning of it better ( Read more... )

QUALITY/COMPARISONS:::
惨(みじ)め miserable/wretched
―惨めだった思い出を記憶から拭い去るwipe miserable memory from one's mind
ありふれた normal/commonplace　―ありふれたことに満足できない人
ピカイチ　Sth that stands out above the rest　―新人の中ではピカイチだ

PERSONALITY TRAITS・ATTITUDES:::
ちゃっかり calculating　―彼はちゃっかり借金を申し入れるHe isn’t bashful about asking for loans.
天(あま)の邪鬼(じゃく) perverse/contrary　― ( Read more... )