Terry Ito Column Vol.10 How many interesting encounters do you have in a day?

"Kawaii" is a word that everyone uses frequently from a young age. For babies, it may be the first word they hear after they're born. Typical usages include "cute baby's sleeping face," "flowers blooming in the fields are cute," "idols dancing is cute," and "pandas' movements are cute," but in the past few decades, the interpretation of "cute" has expanded dramatically. High school girls in particular have expanded their range of interpretations, with expressions like "the way the guy with the perm curls is cute," "the way the pro wrestler falls after being punched is cute," and "the old man sleeping drunk under the red lantern with a 1.8L bottle of sake as his pillow is cute." While this could be attributed to their lack of vocabulary, words are always in sync with the times, so it's more fun to have fun with them!

Speaking of "interesting," the other day I gave a 1-minute lecture at a girls' high school, and afterward the students sent me a letter of review saying, "Terry, your lecture was full of interesting words, and it was fascinating." As you pointed out, I do try to look at life with an interesting perspective. And the more difficult life becomes beyond the mundane, the more interesting my thoughts become.

For example, if you try to avoid traffic by taking a back road, you'll find yourself stuck in a huge jam of drivers with the same idea, which ends up taking even longer than you'd like. It's funny. After paying for a coin parking lot, you realize you got the license plate number wrong with the car next to you. It's hilarious how silly it is. After two hours, you finally arrive at the restaurant you were looking for, only to see a sign saying it's closed today. You submit a TV program proposal you've worked on without sleep, only to return home with a smirk as it's rejected. It's really disheartening, but it must be funny to see yourself like that from the outside! You're just walking down the street, but you fall and your chin starts bleeding. You think it'll stop soon, but it doesn't, and before you know it, your shirt is covered in blood. You rush into a drugstore, only to find the store in chaos. The pain is so bad you go to the hospital after work, only to end up needing seven stitches. As you wait in the hallway for your medicine, you ponder, "What was I doing today?" All you were doing was walking normally. You ask yourself again. I don't know if I was tired, or if I was daydreaming, or if someone was casting a curse on me. But it's okay, in a week everyone will be laughing at me. This could be a good thing. I could use it as a joke for years to come. It's funny! That's right, my funny story will be enjoyed by everyone later.

First of all, other people don't really care about me or think about me that much. That's a good thing. That's what makes life interesting!

Terry Ito (director)

Born in Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1949. After attending Waseda Jitsugyo Junior and Senior High School, he graduated from Nihon University's School of Economics.
In March 2023, he completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University.
He joined the television production company IVS Television, where he worked on variety shows such as "Tensai Takeshi's Genki ga Deru TV" and "Neruton Benikujidan."
He then went independent and worked on planning and directing a number of television programs, including TV Tokyo's "Asakusabashi Young Clothing Store."
His book "Comedy North Korea" became a bestseller, and he subsequently made numerous media appearances under the name Terry Ito.
In addition to his work as a director, he is also active in a variety of fields as a producer, entertainer, and commentator.
YouTube channelTerry Ito's Comedy Backdrop'
Currently writing a column in LALALA USA
https://lalalausa.com/archives/category/column/terry