基本「朝焼け編」と「夕焼け編」、そしてこの二つをクリアした人だけが進める無料のエクストラステージ「宵編」の3部構成のゲームになっているようです。

Bon Jovi at Shinjuku Gyoen?

Hello,  from Hanaken Blogger #2!

Our famous Hanaken character, Mr K, is not exactly a loud talker.

Of course, when he gives lectures, he projects his voice clearly so that everyone can hear him, usually with a microphone in hand. In everyday conversation, however, he speaks very softly and politely.

One thing that stands out is the way he pronounces consonants. The Japanese sounds shi and shu, for example, come through remarkably clearly. The same goes for sounds like sho and jo.

Now, let me tell you a story from this summer.

It was the morning of 3 August, during one of the hottest periods of the year in Japan.

Mr K said:

“Yesterday I went to Shinjuku Gyoen for a botanical quiz rally.

They said it would take about two and a half hours, but it took me three and a half.”

 

Now, if even Mr K, who knows a great deal about plants, needed an extra hour, I suspect most people would need even longer if they took the challenge seriously.

And remember, this was early August, right in the middle of Japan’s intense summer heat.

So my first reaction was:

“That must have been BOILING HOT.”

I was interested in hearing about the quiz rally itself, but honestly, I was more impressed that he had managed to walk around Shinjuku Gyoen for as long as three and a half hours in that weather.

At that point, Mr K, already exhausted from the previous day’s adventure, lowered his voice even further. I could barely hear anything except a few consonants.

Then he said:

“…bon jovi.”

 

“Bon Jovi?”

Wait, what?

Did he just say Bon Jovi?

Why would Bon Jovi suddenly appear in a conversation about a botanical quiz rally?

For a moment I wondered whether Bon Jovi’s music had somehow been playing throughout Shinjuku Gyoen to help visitors cope with the heat. That seemed highly unlikely.

Or perhaps the heat and exhaustion had caused Bon Jovi songs to start playing inside Mr K’s head.

So I asked him to repeat himself.

This time, he gave me the answer.

“Mōshobi.”

In Japanese, mōshobi means a day of extreme heat, when temperatures reach 35°C (95°F) or higher.

Ah…

Mōshobi.

Not Bon Jovi. Now I understand.

And then he looked at me and said:

“Why on earth would I be talking about Bon Jovi?”

Fair point.

Given the context, he was obviously talking about the weather.

Still, the way he pronounced mōshobi so softly made it sound surprisingly similar to Bon Jovi.

Try saying “mōshobi” quickly and emphasising the consonants a bit. You might hear it too.

Actually, rather than trying that, why not try the Shinjuku Gyoen quiz rally itself?

Officially called “Shinjuku Gyoen Plant Explorer”, it has been running as a permanent attraction since March and, as of the time of writing, has no announced end date.

So I asked Mr K one final question:

“Was the quiz rally fun?”

His answer:

“It was so hot that I stopped being able to tell whether I was having fun or not.”

That is probably the strongest recommendation you could ask for.

The game consists of three stages: a Sunrise Edition, a Sunset Edition, and a free bonus stage called the Twilight Edition, which only becomes available after completing the first two.

So why not give it a go?

Until next time, goodbye and take care.