Being Lucky (Happiness from Winning) Shizuka Kamioka When do you feel Lucky? There are many situations when you feel lucky in daily life. I’ll focus on some “lucky” situations, and Japanese responses to these lucky moments. Situation 1 Imagine you have an appointment to see a friend. On that day, it is a fine day. Don’t you feel a little lucky? You can have a good feeling because of the good weather. Our (Japanese) response is saying to ourselves “Ah ii tenki da na” in Japanese (It means “It is fine day” in English.) and we smile. Of course, not everybody mutters to themselves, but everybody has a similar feeling. And we sometimes stretch both arms to the sky saying “Ewwwww---”.  Situation 2 Do you use the finger-flashing game of “stone-paper-scissors” when you have to allot parts with your friends? How do you feel when you win? You feel lucky, don’t you? The finger-flashing game of “stone-paper-scissors” is a very simple game, but the result of the game brings happiness to the winners. When we win the finger-flashing game, we sometimes give a cry “Yatta” (I did it!), and we clench our fists for a moment in triumph, and finally we jump up and down with the other winners.  Situation 3 You are a soccer player, and the scene is a very important game that you cannot fail at. Before the game you make a wish to win, and you concentrate on the game. Then….in the game, you shoot a goal and score! You bring the win to your team. Then, how great happiness you feel! It is really good luck for you. In such a situation, we cry out “G-O-A-L!!!!!” and clench our fists in triumph again and again, run about on the ground turning our hands and dancing with our teammates.  Situation 4 Can you imagine becoming a billionaire for one night? Such a dreamy story sometimes happens to someone who wins a bet at the casino or wins in a lottery. To tell the truth, I’ve never seen a billionaire. However, I could see some of them on TV. The huge luck brings a huge change to their lives, but surprisingly, their first response is really quiet. They have a puzzled expression on their faces as if they are dreaming. They mumble to themselves “Atatta! Atatta! Shinjirarenai!” (I won! I won! I can’t believe it!) And they make sure they won by asking their friends. Gradually, they can believe it, and then, finally, they are delighted.  Situation 5 Lucky feelings come not only from a game or gambling, but also from love. A man who marries beautiful woman is sometimes called a ‘lucky dog’. He can achieve happiness and a beautiful wife. People envy him and say “You are really lucky to have such a beautiful wife!” He smiles shyly but happily, and he makes a small peace sign to his teasing friends. Maybe he feels the biggest happiness that he has ever felt, because he has found a beautiful companion for life. There are many lucky situations and responses to lucky moments in Japan as all over the world. Different areas have different expressions, and even if we live in the same country, there are various phrases for the same situation. However I think there are common body language and facial expressions on the theme of “Being lucky” in different countries, so we can communicate and understand each other’s lucky feelings. Back to Expressing Feelings Index  |
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