Land of spectacular landscapes.

壯觀的風景之國

Centuries of culture.

百年文化。

Mouthwatering cuisine.

令人垂涎的美食

And an endless sea of kawaii.

還有一望無際的卡哇伊海洋。

Cute, cute, and more cute.

可愛，可愛，更可愛。

And lately, one particular character has skyrocketed through Japan's kawaii economy.

最近，一個特別的角色在日本的卡哇伊經濟中躥紅。

One special cutie that rises above the rest.

與眾不同的小可愛。

Literally.

就是字面意思。

So, who is this master of cute?

那麼，這位可愛大師究竟是誰呢？

This champion of kawaii?

這位卡哇伊冠軍？

Oh, hello there!

哦，你好！

I'm Tim, and welcome to a new chapter of Tim in Japan, where I explain some of the finer points of Japanese culture.

我是 Tim，歡迎來到「Tim在日本」的新篇章，在這裡我將介紹一些日本文化的精髓。

In today's episode, we'll take a closer look at Japan's latest, cutest obsession, Chikawa.

在今天的節目中，我們將近距離了解日本最新、最可愛的迷戀——吉伊卡哇。

While relatively unknown in the western world, Chikawa has rapidly risen through the ranks of Asia's competitive cute mascot culture.

雖然吉伊卡哇在西方世界相對默默無聞，但它卻在亞洲競爭激烈的可愛吉祥物文化中迅速崛起。

And so now you're probably wondering, what exactly is Chikawa?

現在你可能想知道，吉伊卡哇到底是什麼？

And what propelled such a meteoric rise to the top?

是什麼推動了他如日中天的崛起？

Well, this is Chikawa.

這就是吉伊卡哇。

A funny, relatable, cute little something or other.

有趣、親切、可愛的小玩意兒。

Perhaps best described by the Japanese tagline, which roughly translates to, something small and cute.

也許用日語標語來形容最恰當不過了，它的大致意思是：小巧可愛的東西。

Chikawa is actually a Japanese portmanteau, a combination of the two separate words, chiisai, meaning small, and kawaii, meaning cute.

吉伊卡哇實際上是一個日語諧音詞，由 chiisai 和 kawaii 兩個獨立單詞組合而成，chiisai 是小的意思，kawaii 是可愛的意思。

Put them together and you get Chikawa.

把它們放在一起，就是吉伊卡哇。

Both Chikawa's gender and species remain unknown, and these are Chikawa's best friends, Hachiware and Usagi.

吉伊卡哇的性別和物種仍然未知，吉伊卡哇的好朋友是小八和宇佐木。

And of course, there's a whole cast of other buddies to round out the crew.

當然，還有一幫其他的小夥伴來充實這個團隊。

So who created this kawaii phenomenon?

那麼，是誰創造了這種卡哇伊現象呢？

A somewhat mysterious Japanese author and illustrator by the pen name, Nagano.

筆名長野的日本作家和插畫家有點神祕。

While originally famous for a cute series of line stickers titled, Joke Bear, one fateful tweet would change everything.

雖然他最初因一系列名為 "笑話熊 "的可愛線條貼紙而出名，但一條命運攸關的推文改變了一切。

This unassuming little comic strip would unwittingly begin a chain reaction that would dramatically alter the landscape of Japan's merchandising forever.

這本不起眼的小連環畫在不知不覺中引發了連鎖反應，從此徹底改變了日本商品銷售的格局。

And don't just take my word for it, here is the product director of Kiddyland, one of Tokyo's premier toy and collectible stores.

這不是我瞎說，聽聽東京首屈一指的玩具和收藏品商店 Kiddyland 的產品總監怎麼說。

(Speaking in Japanese) Chiikawa's sales forecast for fiscal 2023 is double that of fiscal 2022.

（日文）吉依卡哇的 2023 財年的銷售額預測是 2022 財年的兩倍。

I've been in this industry for 30 years, but I've never seen a character like this.

我從事這個行業30年了，但從未見過這樣的角色。

From Twitter comic to serialized manga to full-on anime adaptation, along with endless amounts of sponsorships, branded tie-ins, and sold-out goods along the way, Chikawa's journey feels like it's only just getting started.

從推特漫畫到連載漫畫，再到全面改編的卡通片，一路上還有數不盡的贊助、品牌合作和售罄商品，吉伊卡哇的旅程似乎才剛剛開始。

Stories are generally self-contained vignettes, about a page long or a quick 40-second episode, though there are running plot lines that span multiple chapters.

故事一般都是自成一體的小插曲，大約一頁紙長或 40 秒的快速插曲，不過也有跨越多個章節的連續情節線。

Generally shy and reserved in nature, Chikawa lives in a magical land where delicious foods appear out of nowhere, and pudding companies give away hot pot sets and residential housing.

吉伊卡哇生性靦腆拘謹，卻生活在一個神奇的國度，在那裡，美味佳餚會突然出現，布丁公司會贈送火鍋套餐和住宅。

But it's not all roses.

但是人生並不總是那麼美好。

They have to work hard to earn a salary, whether that's weeding, putting stickers on fruit, or fighting off gigantic bugs with a pointy stick.

無論是除草、在水果上貼標籤，還是用尖棍子對付大蟲子，他們都必須努力工作來賺取薪水。

Yes, life in Chikawaland is a mixed bag, but that's what makes it relatable and heartfelt.

是的，吉伊卡哇樂園的生活是喜憂參半的，但這正是它的可親性和真摯性所在。

And so maybe now you're thinking, okay, this is just another kid's toy, right?

也許你現在會想，好吧，這只是另一個孩子的玩具，對嗎？

Another cute little buddy for children to covet.

又一個讓孩子們垂涎欲滴的可愛小夥伴。

What's the big deal?

有什麼大不了的？

And I'd say, you're about half right.

我得說，你說對了一半。

While Chikawa is indeed popular with the Japanese youth, the core marketable audience is actually the adult population.

雖然吉伊卡哇確實深受日本年輕人的喜愛，但其核心市場閱聽人其實是成年人。

Billions and billions of yen, this adorable little creature has become a significant cog in Japan's economy.

這個可愛的小東西已成為日本經濟的重要支柱，價值數十億、數百億日元。

For example, take a look at this special magical Chikawa collaboration.

例如，請看這一特別的神奇吉伊卡哇合作項目。

Upon release, customers queued for hours, just for a 1 in 20 chance to purchase some of the limited time merchandise.

一經推出，顧客們就排了幾個小時的隊，只為20分之一的機會能買到一些限時商品。

And it doesn't stop there.

而且還不止於此。

Handheld consoles, regional keychains, educational laptops, refrigerator buddies, an entire train-railway collaboration, even the voice actors have become bona fide child TV stars.

掌上游戲機、地區鑰匙扣、益智筆記本電腦、冰箱夥伴、整個火車鐵路合作項目，甚至連配音演員都成了名副其實的兒童電視明星。

An entire YouTube subculture has spawned around Chikawa.

圍繞著吉伊卡哇，YouTube 上產生了一整套亞文化。

Hundreds of millions of views about new merch, handmade crafts, fan-made episodes, edits, and parodies.

新商品、手工藝品、粉絲自制劇集、剪輯和模仿作品的瀏覽量高達數億次。

And whatever this is...

不管這是什麼...

And so now you're probably wondering, why?

現在你可能想知道，為什麼？

What is so special about this Chikawa?

這個吉伊卡哇有什麼特別之處？

Especially in Japan, where around every corner it feels like there's another cute little mascot slinging some kind of unnecessary yet irresistible purchase.

尤其是在日本，每個角落都有一個可愛的小吉祥物在推銷某種不必要卻又讓人無法抗拒的商品。

And so why Chikawa?

為什麼是吉伊卡哇？

Why has this particular cutie captured the heart of an already kawaii nation?

為什麼這個特別的小可愛會俘獲這個已經很卡哇伊的國家的心呢？

Well first, and most obviously, Chikawa is just too darn cute.

首先，最明顯的是，吉伊卡哇實在是太可愛了。

(Speaking in Japanese) After all, it's just too cute, isn't it?

（日文）畢竟，這也太可愛了吧？

If your grandchildren show an interest, try to remember what it was like. I want to be able to talk to them about it when they ask me.

如果您的孫子表現出興趣，請嘗試記住那是什麼感覺。當他們問我時，我希望能夠與他們談論這件事。

But there is another, deeper reason for the sudden surge in popularity.

不過，人氣突然飆升還有另一個更深層次的原因。

Beyond Chikawa's surface-layer cuteness is a relatable struggle that has touched the hearts of millions of fans.

除了吉伊卡哇表面上的可愛，她內心深處的掙扎也令人感同身受，打動了無數粉絲的心。

(Speaking in Japanese) Feelings like, "I don't get rewarded even when I try hard," or when all of a sudden, a strange creature attacks you -

（日語）「即使努力也得不到回報」，或者突然有奇怪的生物攻擊自己的感覺——

Over the years, the harsh reality has become more and more like this, and I feel like the situation has only gotten worse.

這些年來，殘酷的現實越來越像這樣，我感覺情況只會變得更糟。

But in the mindst of all that, [chiikawa] has happy endings and it's a lot of fun.

但在這一切之中，吉依卡哇有幸福的結局，而且很有趣。

Even though it seems like things are taken for granted, that's actually not the case.

儘管看起來一切都是理所當然的，但事實並非如此。

When I look at the show, I think there's an important "human touch" to it.

當我看這個節目時，我認為它有一個重要的「人情味」。

Yes, Chikawa is a small cute something or other.

是的，吉伊卡哇是一個可愛的小東西。

Another Hello Kitty, another cute flavor of the month.

又一個 Hello Kitty，又一種速食的可愛。

But there is something markedly different about Chikawa.

但吉伊卡哇有一些明顯不同的地方。

Looking past the magically full of relatable struggles, work is hard, unforgiving, and doesn't pay enough.

拋開那些神奇的充滿親情的掙扎，工作是艱苦的、無情的，薪水也不夠高。

Life is weird.

生活就是這麼奇怪。

Strange, aggressive creatures attack at random intervals.

奇怪的攻擊性生物會不定時地發動攻擊。

They need to work hard jobs to afford their lifestyles, and they often experience failure and hardship.

他們需要從事艱苦的工作才能負擔得起自己的生活方式，他們經常經歷失敗和困苦。

Yet despite it all, Chikawa never gives up, determined to keep on going.

儘管如此，吉伊卡哇從未放棄，決心繼續前進。

This perseverance and dedication in the face of it all is what really seems to resonate with fans.

這種面對一切的毅力和奉獻精神似乎真的能引起粉絲們的共鳴。

Life is hard, and it only seems to get more difficult.

生活是艱難的，而且似乎只會變得更加艱難。

We've all been there.

我們都經歷過。

But perhaps knowing that someone so small and so cute goes through those very same struggles, seeing them face the same challenges and the inescapable ups and downs of life, perhaps this forges an empathetic bond with this fuzzy little friend, helping to ease a bit of our existential burden.

不過，也許知道這麼小這麼可愛的人也經歷過同樣的掙扎，看到他們面對同樣的挑戰和生活中不可避免的起起伏伏，也許這會與這個毛茸茸的小朋友建立起一種感同身受的聯繫，幫助我們減輕一點生存的負擔。

When even the cutest among us are out here struggling, it helps one feel a little bit less alone.

當我們中最可愛的人也在這裡掙扎時，會讓人感覺不那麼孤單。

And I think this really is the core message that gets through to people, to see a little reminder in everyday life that's not only remarkably cute, but also relatable and heartfelt.

我認為這才是傳達給人們的核心資訊，在日常生活中看到一個小小的提醒，不僅非常可愛，而且貼近生活、發自內心。

An adorable little friend cheering you on, encouraging you to never give up through the darkest of times.

一個可愛的朋友為你加油，鼓勵你在最黑暗的時刻永不放棄。

I think this is what sets Chikawa apart, what reverberates in the hearts and minds of fans everywhere.

我想，這就是吉伊卡哇與眾不同的地方，也是迴盪在各地粉絲心中的地方。

An adorable, relatable little fighter just trying their best to do right by friends and to live a good life, just like you and me.

他們是可愛、可親的小鬥士，只是盡力為朋友們做好事，過上美好的生活，就像你我一樣。

Or maybe it really is because Chikawa is just too dang cute.

或許真的是因為吉伊卡哇太可愛了。

Either way, I've completely fallen in love and wouldn't blame you if you did too.

無論如何，我已經完全愛上了它，如果你也愛上了它，我也不會責怪你。

This video is but another stop on Chikawa's total global kawaii domination.

這段視頻只是吉伊卡哇全面統治全球卡哇伊的又一站。

I'm Tim, and these are my thoughts.

我是 Tim，這是我的想法。

I hope you enjoyed this first chapter in the new Tim Explains Japan series.

希望你喜歡新版《Tim 解說日本》系列的第一章。

For the rest of Tim in Japan, be sure to stop by the channel.

有關 Tim 在日本的其他資訊，請務必訪問該頻道。

And for more Tim thoughts like these, be sure to follow me on Instagram and drop by the channel.

如果你想了解更多類似 Tim 的想法，請務必關注我的 Instagram 並訪問我的頻道。