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nikenme_radio

Nikenme Radio

“Nikenme kara Hajimaru Radio” (軒目から始たるラゞオ, lit. “Radio Begins from the 2nd Bar”),1) or Nikenme Radio (軒目ラゞオ),2) is a monthly broadcast where ZUN and Tetsurō Okonogi3) would normally dine at a restaurant to drink sake and chat about anything.

These broadcasts are more suited towards people who are fans of ZUN himself as he usually talks about current events, his family and friends, politics, etc. He rarely brings up Touhou Project, despite who he brings on the broadcast, but that doesn't mean he never talks about it.

List of Broadcasts

To-do later. Eh, don't count on it.

Translated excerpts

Remember: This is a drunk man's ramblings. Don't take everything he says in these streams too seriously.

Ustream era 🍶

Nikenme Radio #7

In the Nikenme Radio broadcast on February 16, 2011, they discuss Touhou Project character design, like how Reimu and Sanae technically aren't wearing shrine maiden outfits at all. For some reason, they also discuss how the characters seem to be designed with bloomers rather than panties4) and ZUN responds that he doesn't want to make the designs too erotic.5)6)

Original Transcript English Translation
豚 「ZUNさん自身も感じおるず思いたすけど、むしろ和服っぜいや぀にフリルを付けるのがスタンダヌドになっおきお、あれ時代が远い぀いおきおるっお思いたすよ」 “I'm sure ZUN has felt it himself, but I think it's becoming standard to put frills on kimono-like clothing, and I think the times are catching up to us!”
ZUN 「そうなのかな」 “Is that so?”
豚 「本圓にそう思いたすよ」 “I really think so.”
ZUN 「未だにアレですよ、霊倢の服装は巫女には芋えないです。あれは巫女じゃない」 “I still don't think Reimu's clothes looks like a miko. That's not a miko.”
豚 「自分で䜜っお自分で蚀っおる」 “You designed it and you're saying that.”
ZUN 「最初は巫女なんだけど、途䞭から巫女っお蚀っおるけど別に幻想郷だから巫女の服である必芁性を感じなくなっおきおるわけです」 “She started off as a miko, but somewhere along the way, she felt like she didn't need to wear miko clothing, especially when she calls herself a miko in Gensokyo.”
豚 「巫女っお蚀っおおけばいいやっお感じですよね」 “It's okay to call her a miko, right?”
ZUN 「最初の頃結構巫女さんっぜい服でしたよ でも今の霊倢芋おるずなんか巫女っぜいんですよね」 “At the time, I thought her clothes looked pretty miko-like, you know? But looking at Reimu now, she looks like a miko somehow.”
ZUN 「そう掗脳されおきおる。神瀟に行っおあんな服装のや぀芋たこずない」 “That's what I've been brainwashed to believe. I've never seen anyone dressed up like that at a shrine.”
ZUN 「䞋スカヌトにしお䞊なんかネクタむしおる」 “She's wearing a skirt below and a necktie up top.”
Original Transcript English Translation
豚 「早苗はどうなんだっおツッコミがありたすけど」 “I'm sure people will ask, what about Sanae?”
ZUN 「早苗も盞圓巫女じゃないです」 “Sanae isn't a miko either.”
豚 「違いたすよね」 “No difference?”
ZUN 「それ以降はもうあんたり気にしなくはなりたした。吹っ切れただけです、最初の现かい資料を芋お描くっお事自䜓を銬鹿銬鹿しくなっおきた。そういうのはいらないんだろうなっお、元々幻想郷なんだからいらないだろうっお」 “After that, I didn't care so much anymore. I just moved on and the idea of looking at all the small details was ridiculous in the first place. I figured I didn't need any of that because this is Gensokyo to begin with.”
豚 「そう蚀い぀぀も服装気にしながら描いおるんじゃないかっお私は思う」 “That said, you still keep an eye on the clothes as you draw, right?”
ZUN 「现かいずころは自分なりに気にしおるわけですよ。今あるものに察しおあんたりこうじゃなきゃいけないずか考えたこずはない」 “I care about the details in my own way. I just don't think too hard about it.”
ZUN 「巫女さんの服を袎にするかスカヌトにするかはもう悩たない」 “No more worries about whether mikos wear a hakama or a skirt.”
ZUN 「どっちでもいいんですよ、結論ずしおは」 “It doesn't matter either way, bottom line.”
Original Transcript English Translation
豚 「コメントでどうしおドロワなの的な。それは悩んでないんですか。むしろパンツがあたり存圚しないような」 “No comment about bloomers? Doesn't that bother you? It's like underwear doesn't really exist.”
ZUN 「なんだろうね、あんたり゚ロい感じを出したくないわけです」 “I don't know, I don't want to make something that feels too erotic.”
豚 「䞖の䞭ドロワのほうが゚ロいっお人が」 “Some people in the world think bloomers are erotic.”
ZUN 「そういう人はしょうがない」 “Such people cannot be helped.”
ZUN 「女の子出すずすぐ゚ロの発想しかなくなっちゃうので」 “The moment it's a girl, all you get is erotic ideas.”
豚 「今曎あなたが蚀いたすかっおぐらいの勢いですけどね」 “The way you said that with such force
”
ZUN 「あんたりそういう方向に行かないようにしたいわけです」 “I don't want to go too far in that direction.”

This is followed up with brief comments about how Touhou Project hasn't necessarially led to an increase in yuri and how the characters are fundamentally children which makes Gensokyo the way it is.

Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「あんたり癟合っおないんだよね。違うんだよ、東方に出おくるキャラクタヌは基本的に子䟛なんですよ、基本的に」 “There hasn't been much yuri, is there? It's different, the characters in Touhou are fundamentally children, basically.”
豚 「えっ」 “Huh?”
ZUN 「頭の䞭もすごい、シンプルな考え方しおるわけです。だから幻想郷なんです」 “It's a very simple way of thinking in my head. That's what makes it Gensokyo.”
Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「癟合っおそういう蚀葉が出おきた時代がわからないけど、たあなんか盛り䞊がったのがマリアさたがみおるかなっお思っおたの」 “I don't know where the term 'yuri' exactly came from, but I thought Maria-sama ga Miteru was exciting.”

Nikenme Radio #15

In the Nikenme Radio broadcast on October 28, 2011, the two would be joined by Heppoko (ぞっぜこ) from “Eikyuu Loop” for the first time. Heppoko turns out to be quite talkative as he moves the conversation by joking about how people are tuning into laid-back homosexuals in their 30s and taking off his clothes. We get some insight on how ZUN felt about the internet back then.7)

Original Transcript English Translation
豚 出挔人物みんな芖聎者のこず䜕にも考えおないっおいう All the hosts don't care about the audience.
小歀朚さんは考えおるかもしれないけどこの人神䞻は䜕にも考えおない Okonogi might think about it, but this guy (the Kannushi) doesn't think about anything.
この人に魅力あんのかな Do you believe he's attractive?
Heppoko 粟神的ホモなので It's because he's spiritually a homosexual.
豚 それこそホモ゜ヌシャル It's called homosociality.
Original Transcript English Translation
豚 今日は私以䞊にZUNさんに突っこんでくれる人がいお良かった I'm just glad someone else can poke fun at ZUN other than me today.
Heppoko 小歀朚さんこの人に甘すぎる Okonogi is too sweet with this guy.
ZUN 怒っおる姿は䜕床も芋おる気がする I feel like I've seen him get angry many times.
Heppoko 草食系肉食獣みたいな Like a herbivorous carnivore.
Original Transcript English Translation
Heppoko 本業に関しおは神䞻䞊の鈍感さがあるから When it comes to my main profession, I'm just as obtuse as the Kannushi.
神䞻あんたりネット芳ないしメヌル芋ないし  The Kannushi doesn't look at the internet or read his emails that much

それ䞀時期怒られたでしょ That made you angry for a while, didn't it?
友達から間接的に愚痎を聞いただけだけどさぁ I just indirectly overheard that from my friends though.

The group proceeds to talk about Touhou Shinreibyou, the upcoming Febri interview about it,8) the type of alcohol and dinner they have, how it felt starting out in 2008 compared to 2011 where Touhou Project is considered a full-blown genre, not wanting to be like Neon Genesis Evangelion, how ZUN is planning to drink during “The End” (2012 phenomenon), then Heppoko makes the atmosphere homoerotic again.

Original Transcript English Translation
Heppoko い぀もの呑み䌚だから聎いおる人は楜しくない It's just an ordinary drinking party, so the listeners aren't having fun.
あずたさんはホモパワヌに抌されお私は違うなっお Azuma was repelled away by their homo powers, but I'm different.
断蚀したすあれはセクハラです I assure you, that was sexual harassment, lol.
ZUN リスナヌは男ですよ The listeners are men.
Heppoko 女性リスナヌからすれば神䞻攻めぞっぜこ受けみたいな From a female listener's perspective, it's like the Kannushi is a top and Heppoko is a bottom.
ZUN 男の子に蚀っおるいい酒呑みになるためにはどうすればいいか I'm teaching the boys how to be a good drinker.
Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 脱ぐよ脱ぐよ Are you gonna take it off?
Heppoko 脱ぎたいわけじゃなくお倪田君が脱がす I don't want to take it off, but Ōta-kun will.
ZUN 僕は脱がしたこずない I never take off my clothes.
粟神的にも脱がしたこずない I don't mentally take off my clothes either.

Shortly after, they get into a discussion about Pretty Cure and ZUN actually has very strong opinions about it, including his dislike for people who use “artistic” to describe things.

Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 等身ずか関係ない 粟神的な話 倉態なんだよ The body proportions are irrelevant, but the spiritual story? It's just abnormal.9)
気持ち悪いぐらい倉態 It feels bad when it gets that perverse.
豚 倉態ずいう名の玳士 A gentleman named pervert.
ZUN 倉態玳士たあアリだな A perverted gentleman? Well, I guess.
Heppoko 神䞻の䞭でロリが奜きなわけでもなくボむンが奜きでもなく The Kannushi doesn't like loli or big breasts.
ZUN 肉䜓でしか芋おないから Because I only observe them physically.
東方は倉態 そんなのはみんな分かっおる Touhou is abnormal. Everyone knows that.
僕が䞀番嫌いな蚀葉で蚀っおいいですかアヌティスティック、芞術的な。 Can I say the words I hate the most? Artistic, artistic.
ドダ顔しお蚀うのが嫌 I hate when it's said with a smug face.
それが䜕かっおいう事を圓お嵌めちゃいけない You can't just pretend that's what it is.

After talking about the 10th anniversary of Touhou Koumakyou, then getting into a discussion about Kamen Rider and Pretty Cure, Heppoko asks ZUN about the size of boobs that he likes.

Original Transcript English Translation
Heppoko 神䞻はおっぱい倧きい方がいいの小さくおもいいの Does the Kannushi prefer large breasts? Or does he prefer small ones?
ZUN おっぱい星人じゃない I'm not a boob alien.10)
甘い物嫌いだけど食べないわけじゃない I don't like sweets, but that doesn't mean I won't eat them.
倧きくおも小さくおもいい誀魔化す They can be big or small. (Dodging the question)

Nikenme Radio #22

In the Nikenme Radio broadcast on May 24, 2012, a couple days before ZUN's Reitaisai 9 wedding, the two are joined by Heppoko (ぞっぜこ) from “Eikyuu Loop” on Heppoko's birthday. This is mostly known as the broadcast where ZUN says “I never said I was gay in the first place! I am bisexual!”,11) presumably to Heppoko as he was known for joking that ZUN was gay on Twitter.

Nikenme Radio 3D ~ Dangerous Deisui Dimension.

In this special Nikenme Radio broadcast on November 3, 2012, ZUN and Okonogi is joined by a few guests from Poripori Club (i.e. Yoshirō Kimura, YÅ«ichi Tanzawa, Yoshinaga), Aya Azuma who illustrated Touhou Ibarakasen, and Heppoko (ぞっぜこ) from “Eikyuu Loop”. Most of this is second-hand information, written by an anonymous listener who documented what they believed was interesting to them.12)

Halfway through the stream, ZUN talks about his Taito career and proposing “Gensōkyō Kitan” (幻想郷奇譚) to the company, but it died after Taito allegedly claimed that they wouldn't be making a shooting game.13) Afterwards, ZUN talks about his frustrations with the company and developing Touhou Koumakyou as he was that stressed out by Rakugaki Kingdom 2's development.

Original Post English Translation
・タむトヌがSTG䌁画を募集したので「幻想郷きたん奇譚、綺譚」ずいう䌁画を出した。 ・Taito was taking applications for shooting game projects, so I submitted “Gensōkyō Kitan”.
しかしSTGは出さないずタむトヌが突劂蚀い出しお没になった。 However, Taito suddenly said that they won't be making a shooting game, so it just died.
・ラクガキ王囜2のプロゞェクトに参加したが、酷いプロゞェクトでストレスばっかりたたった。 ・I participated in the Rakugaki Kingdom 2 project, but it was a terrible project that made me stressed.
その鬱憀を晎らすために東方玅魔郷をゲヌム䜜った。 To de-stress, I made Touhou Koumakyou.
システムはタむトヌに出した䌁画通り䜜った。タむトヌの人はみんなわかっおいた。 We followed the plan that was submitted to Taito's systems. Everyone at Taito knew.
タむトヌの人もわかっおいお、仕事ちゃんずやれよ、ず蚀っおくる。僕もやりたすよ、ず蚀うけど、倧した仕事じゃないから、残業はしなかった。 The people at Taito knew and they told us to work hard. I'd say I did too, but I didn't work overtime since the project wasn't that important.
・䞹沢悠䞀が初ディレクタヌをするはずだったゲヌムのメむンプログラマヌになり、これ終わったら蟞めるずいう話はしおいた。 ・YÅ«ichi Tanzawa was the first director, but he essentially became the game's main programmer, and we talked about quitting.
ずころがその䌁画がボツになり、さらに圓日新しい䌁画がもちあがっお、DS版ずPSP版の二぀のメむンプログラマヌにされお、 Still, the project died and we were suddenly appointed a new project: being the main programmers of the DS and PSP versions.
出来るわけがないだろ、ず蟞めた。 I just said “I'm not doing that” and quit.
・蟞める前に、アヌケヌドゲヌムでお化け屋敷の䌁画を考えおいた。蟞めた時期は2007幎頃。 ・Before I quit, I thought about making a haunted house arcade game. I quit was around 2007.
・LoVの霊倢・幜々子远加のアプデの日は5幎間で最高のむンカムだった。 ・The Reimu and Yuyuko update for Lord of Vermillion was the most income I made in 5 years.
・アヌケヌドゲヌムに関わりたい。昔からアヌケヌドの話は沢山来たけど党郚断っおきたから、いたさら出来ない。でも基盀から䜜りたい。 ・I want to be involved in arcade games. I had many offers for arcade games back then, but I turned them down, so now I can't do it anymore. However, I want to start from scratch.

The same listener also mentioned that ZUN said “gay jokes are rude to gay people” in a very serious tone to Heppoko, who is known for tweeting these jokes to ZUN on Twitter, so the listener proceeds to complain why he even invited Heppoko. As for the “gay joke”, or “homoneta” (ホモネタ), we can presume that he just joked about ZUN being gay again despite him being married to a woman back in May 27, 2012.

Original Post English Translation
ラゞオでは他に、神䞻が倧真面目に「ホモネタは本圓のホモの方に倱瀌」ず蚀っおいたのが印象的だったな。 On the radio, I was impressed that the Kannushi said “gay jokes are rude to gay people” in a deadly serious tone.
俺もホモネタをク゜぀たらんず思っおいるから、これを機䌚になくなっおくれればず思う。 I think gay jokes are boring as shit too, so I hope this is a chance to get rid of them.
そもそもぞっぜこ氏ずホモネタを絡める理由もわからんし。 I don't know why Heppoko even brought up gay jokes in the first place.
芖聎者は氞久るぷのゲヌム遊んだこずないんじゃないかず疑うレベル。 The audience is forever suspicious that he's never played a game.
Original Post English Translation
第䞀回からラゞオは芋おるけど、なぜホモネタをわざわざ曞き蟌む奎がいるのかは理解できないよ。 I've been watching the first radio, but I can't understand why there's this guy who deliberately posts gay jokes online.
神䞻が結婚した埌もホモネタ匕っ匵るぞっぜこ氏も倧抂だずは思うけどさ。 Even after the Kannushi got married, I'm sure Heppoko will still make the same gay jokes.

Nikenme Radio #43

In the Nikenme Radio broadcast on February 25, 2014, Okonogi gets very political as Russia had begun annexing Crimea. Okonogi talks about his visit to Yokosuka where the IJN Mikasa was preserved, the battleship mostly known for defending against Russia in the Russo-Japanese War. ZUN simply replies with a comment on how Mikasa isn't in Kantai Collection yet.

By the end of the stream, Okonogi starts cursing about Western foreigners in Japan. To start, he complains that English-speaking tourists are so entitled that they expect people in another country to speak English back to them. This is followed up with Okonogi allegedly stating that “many Americans in Japan are retarded” and claiming that United States' military personnel stationed in Japan are at the top.14)

Chinese Translation English Translation
豚 英语圈的人觉埗无论到哪儿郜应该有人跟他们诎英语真是该他们的。 English speakers think someone must speak English to them wherever they go, as if they have a right.
豚 奜倚圚日矎囜人郜是智障以驻日矎军䞺銖。 Most Americans in Japan are retarded, especially the U.S. armed forces stationed in Japan.

Nikenme Radio #58

In the Nikenme Radio broadcast on May 28, 2015, the hosts are joined by “Unabara Iruka” (海原海豚) from TasoFuro and “DNA” from D.N.A. Softwares, following the release of Touhou Shinpiroku. Mokou's return is brought up and Iruka passionately mentions how she's been on the list of possible candidates since Touhou Hisouten, while ZUN laments on being unable to add Flandre.15)16)

Original Transcript English Translation
豚 「久々に効玅出たしたね」 “After a long time, Mokou has returned.”
Iruka 「ずっず昔から出したかったんですよね。で今回なんか知んないけど通ったんですよね」 “I've been wanting to put her in for a long time now, actually. And this time, I don't know how it happened, but she went through.”
ZUN 「なんか知らないけど確かに効玅はちょうど良かった」 “I don't know what it was, but I'm sure it was the right time for Mokou.”
ZUN 「あれは倚分次の䜜品のこずを考えたんだよ」 “Maybe I was thinking about the next work.”
Iruka 「叀くは緋想倩の頃から候補にいたんですよね、毎回キャラ遞別するずきに」 “Ever since Touhou Hisouten, she was always on the list of candidates to choose from.”
ZUN 「でも萃倢想 緋想倩からかな ずヌっずフラン出したいずか蚀っおるけど、あれストヌリヌにならないから」 “But, from Touhou Suimusou
 to Touhou Hisoutensoku, was it? I've been saying I wanted to put Flan in, but I couldn't make up a story for it.”
Iruka 「フランはZUNさんがどうしおも各キャラクタヌず蚭定から孀立しおるからどうしおもそういうキャラクタヌだからっおいうこずで」 “ZUN insisted that Flan was isolated from every character and scenario [we made] because that's the kind of character she was.”
ZUN 「黄昏さんが持っおくるキャラクタヌでストヌリヌ䜜れるむメヌゞがなかった」 “I just couldn't imagine up a story for that kind of character with TasoFuro.”
Original Transcript English Translation
Iruka 「ほんずに遊ぶ偎なんで、ZUNさんからもその䜜品に関する話のずころしか来なくお、そっから倖の話は基本的に来ないんですよ」 “I'm the one who plays it, ZUN only comes to discuss the work's stories, and there's basically nothing else to talk about after that.”
Iruka 「だから今回の玺珠䌝の最初のブログの発衚芋お吹きたしたからね。ちょっず埅っお、こう繋がっおるのっおいう」 “So I was blown away when he announced Touhou Kanjuden on his blog. Then I thought, wait a minute
 it's all connected.”
ZUN 「たああれは繋げたね。繋がっおるわけじゃないけど、あれ繋がっおるのは魔理沙だけなんで、他のキャラは繋がっおないけどそこだけ繋がる」 “Well, I guess it's connected. It doesn't mean that there is a connection, but only Marisa has a connection and nobody else.”
Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「がっ぀りみんなで䜜っお、ストヌリヌを固めおいくず、最終的にできるのは考えおいる郚分の末端の郚分だから、末端の郚分が狭たるのはよくない」 “When everyone works hard to solidify a story, you'll eventually have to think about the ending, so it's best to avoid a narrow ending.”
ZUN 「そのためには䞊は雲のような状態にするこずによっお、末端は色んな所から結び぀けるずきっず䞊手く行くんだよ。それは僕が最近やっおる創䜜の仕方」 “To do this, the beginning should be like a cloud, and the ending should be smooth with many connections. That's the creative method that I've been using lately.”
Iruka 「前䜜で決めた蚭定で次回䜜の内容が瞛られるっおいうのはちょっずき぀いものがありたすからね、それはそれで」 “It's a bit tough to have the contents of your next work be bound by what you decided in the previous work, that's for sure.”
ZUN 「うん、き぀いでしょ」 “Yeah, it's tough, isn't it?”

WIP. Touhou Project is discussed a lot in this episode!

Nikenme Radio #70

In the Nikenme Radio broadcast on June 28, 2016, prior to ZUN's trip to Los Angeles (Anime Expo 2016) and San Francisco (Game Breakers interview),17) the two are joined by “JYUNYA” from AQUA STYLE and “Yuro” (響谷ゆろ) from CUBE TYPE. The broadcast starts with ZUN announcing his trip, then recalling his trip to Atlanta for Anime Weekend Atlanta back in 2013.18)

Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「ここに行きたいっお蚀えば行けるよ。SP付きで」 “If I said I wanted to go somewhere, I would go
 with security.”
ZUN 「アトランタのずきはそうでした。僕の歩いおるずころずっずSP付いお、すげえこんなでっかいマシンガンみたいなの持っおずっず぀いおきた」 “That's how it was in Atlanta. Security just accompanied me the entire time that I got used to that incredibly huge machine gun they had.”
JYUNYA 「それ本物なんですか」 “Was it real?”
ZUN 「本物本物。本物じゃなかったら意味ないじゃん。すげヌ軍人䞊がりみたいな人が぀いおくる」 “It was definitely real. If it wasn't real, what's the point? They looked like an incredible soldier.”
ZUN 「その人に聞いお南郚料理食べたいっお蚀ったら、南郚ノ料理ダメ、豆バッカリデオ腹壊スカラ゜コむケっお行った店がテキサスステヌキ」 “I asked if they wanted to eat southern food, but they weren't interested since they were sick of beans and suggested a Texas Steak restaurant instead.”

Halfway into the broadcast, the group manages to get ZUN to talk about his trips to the United States. ZUN does mention prior trips to Anime Weekend Atlanta and Touhoucon, but more importantly, he talks about wanting to try out southern food for his last day in Atlanta and how 4chan founder Christopher “moot” Poole looked up a place for them19) to dine at.

Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「アトランタの最終日にどこに行きたいかっおなっお、そろそろ南郚料理が食いたいっお。知っおる人誰もいなかったから、元4chan管理人のmoot君がアメリカ版食べログみたいなもので調べた店を玹介しおくれた」 “On the last day [in Atlanta], we talked about where we wanted to go and decided to try out southern cooking. Nobody knew where to go, so the former 4chan administrator moot pulled up a restaurant that he found on some American food blog thing.”
ZUN 「そしたらゎヌストタりンみたいな街で、誰も来たこずがない堎所だった」 “Then, the streets were like a ghost town, a place where no one had ever been.”

YouTube era 🍺

Nikenme Radio #78

In the Nikenme Radio broadcast on February 25, 2017, the two are joined by “Uni Akiyama” from TasoFuro and “JYUNYA” from AQUA STYLE. This broadcast wasn't really that interesting aside from small comments regarding the United States under Donald Trump.20) After that, ZUN comments on Kemono Friends' situation, how children affected his life, and how he still wants to have his own izakaya someday.21)

Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「アメリカは閉鎖的な囜だからしょうがない」 “America is a closed country, so it can't be helped.”
豚 「アメリカは今閉鎖的な囜だからね」 “America is a closed country now?”
JYUNYA 「今行ったらどこかに連れお行かれるかもしれない」 “If you go now, you might be taken somewhere.”
ZUN 「こい぀らテロするず思われるかもしれない」 “They might think these guys are terrorists.”

Nikenme Radio #79

WIP.

Nikenme Radio #81

In the Nikenme Radio broadcast on May 30, 2017, after releasing the Touhou Tenkyuushou demo, the two are joined by “JYUNYA” from AQUA STYLE and “Yuro” (響谷ゆろ) from CUBE TYPE. They all discuss the expected difficulty for Touhou Tenkyuushou, after the demo was just released, then move onto the silhouette guessing game that surfaces when the jewel case cover is revealed.

Translate the excerpt and add in citations later.

Nikenme Radio #84

In the Nikenme Radio broadcast on August 31, 2017, ZUN mentions that his grandmother had recently died from colon cancer at 95, reminiscences on how she'd be there while his parents both worked, then talks about how she was a military nurse and how his grandparents met in Occupied Manchuria.22)23) This just gives context to how much his grandmother factored in his life and a bit into ZUN's thought process.

Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「僕もけっこうお婆ちゃん子だったので、お婆ちゃんに育おられおきたの」 “I was a grandma's boy because I was raised by my grandma.”
豚 「最近はあたり曞いおないけど、ブログずかもけっこうお婆ちゃんのこず曞いおたじゃないですか」 “You haven't been writing much lately, but I think you wrote about your grandmother a lot on your blog, right?”
ZUN 「基本うちの芪も䞡方働いおたし、お婆ちゃんしかいないの。お爺ちゃんは生たれる前に亡くなったからね」 “Basically, both of my parents worked, so all I had was my grandma. My grandfather died long before I was born.”
ZUN 「お婆ちゃんはだいたいのこず知っおるから、だいたい僕のこず育おおきおる。たあ攟眮だったけどね。攟任䞻矩ではありたしたが」 “My grandma already knew what to do, so she mostly raised me. Then again, she'd also let me be. She was very laissez-faire​.”
Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「うちの爺ちゃんず満州で知り合っお満州で結婚したの。戊争䞭に。だから満州の話よくされるんだよ」 “She met my grandfather in Manchuria and got married in Manchuria. During the war. That's why Manchuria was often talked about.”
ZUN 「埓軍看護婊だったの。軍人ずしお行くのは結構いるかもしれないけど、お爺ちゃんも軍人ずしお行ったんだけど、看護婊ずしお行くっお珍しいなず」 “She was a military nurse. A lot of people went in as a solider, even my grandfather was a soldier, but it was rare to go in as a nurse.”

This conversation is followed up by ZUN's view of world affairs, how terrifying the national sentiment can be, and how current events do influence Touhou Project, stating that religion would be followed up with power balance.24)25) Afterwards, they joke about hormones, how hormone injections shouldn't be banned, then they mention the gender ratio of people who come to buy the games.

Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「暩力を持ったり力を持っおる人間の争いじゃない。やっぱ怖いのは囜民感情。北朝鮮の䞭にいる人ず日本の䞭にいる人の感情」 “It's not a struggle between those who have or are in power. What I'm afraid of is national sentiment. The sentiment of people in North Korea and people in Japan.”
ZUN 「結局遞挙で人を遞んでるんだから、その人達の感情が爆発するずどうにもならないよ」 “In the end, we're just choosing people in elections, so if their emotions explode, we can't do much.”
豚 「みんなで忖床しあっお、こういう颚に望たれおるんだからしなきゃいけないんじゃないかみたいなのがどんどん空回りしおいくんですよね」 “We all have to be disciplined. They think, 'since they want us to do it this way, we have to do it this way', but it keeps spinning nowhere.”
ZUN 「それが日本が戊争起こした理由でしょ。本圓の理由はここなんだよ。囜民はもうしお圓然だっおくらいたで高たっおたんだよ」 “That's how Japan started the war. That's the real reason. The people had risen up to the point where it felt natural to them.”
Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「今はむンタヌネットがあるから、教育は勝手に行われおるんですよ」 “Now that we have the internet, people can educate themselves on their own.”
ZUN 「だからちょっず過激な方に行くのをやめようっお蚀うのも、グロヌバルな考え方の䞭では極端な方に行くのは圓然だし、誰かがこういう颚にしたいっおいうのがない䞖界だからこそ怖いんだよね」 “That's why I say let's not get a little too extreme, because it's normal to think extremes in a global mindset, so it becomes a scary world for people who don't want things to be this way.”
ZUN 「どこに暎走しおいくかわからない。っおいう時代だからこそ東方は面癜くなるだろうな。そういうのネタにいっぱい䜿えるようになっおいくんじゃないかな」 “I don't know when things will spiral out of control. That's why Touhou will get a lot more interesting. We'll be able to turn a lot of this stuff into stories, right?”
ZUN 「これからはパワヌバランスの話になっおいく。東方的には宗教から次はパワヌバランスだから。時事ネタ倧奜き」 “We'll get into power balance in the future. From a Touhou perspective, the next thing after religion is power balance. I love current affairs.”
Original Transcript English Translation
豚 「そうだけど、それはほら、取り締たられたりするこずがたかり間違っおもあるからね」 “That's right, but, you see, things can go wrong if they get cracked down on.”
ZUN 「そうなったずきにそれが正しくない、取り締たるこずがおかしいっお人のためにはファンが必芁だったり、それでも匟圧があるんだったら囜を逃げおもいいわけだ。もし日本だけだったらね。䞖界䞭そうなっおるんだったら、新しい囜を䜜るしかない」 “When that happens, the people who think it's not right to crack down on people need support. But if there's still oppression, they can flee the country. If it only happened in Japan. When it's like that around the world, you just have to make a new country.”
豚 「どこ 月」 “Where? The moon?”
ZUN 「そこは哲孊甚語で蚀えば垝囜です。領土を広げおいくしかない」 “In philosophical terms, it's an empire. We have to expand our territory.”
豚 「戊争はないけどみんな戊っおるのよ。そうでしょ」 “There's no war but everyone is fighting, right?”
ZUN 「それは男性的な、テストステロンのせい」 “It's masculine because of testosterone.”
豚 「芁はホルモン泚射でなんずかなるな」 “The point is don't get rid of hormone injections.”
ZUN 「党員女性化すれば平和かもしれない」 “If everyone was feminized, there may be peace.”
豚 「これは぀たり癟合の䞖界が最高なのか 私の䞭では䞀番苊手な䞖界なんだが 」 “Does this mean that a yuri world is the best? It's not my favorite world
”
ZUN 「ゲヌムが奜きなのは男だから。闘争本胜がなくなったらゲヌムも売れないよ。うちに買いに来る男女比なんお驚きの99は男性だから。もちろん女の人もいたすよ でも比率的にはそのくらいだ」 “It's because men love to play video games. If that fighting instinct vanishes, games wouldn't sell. The ratio of men and women that come to buy is surprisingly 99% men. Of course, there are women too? But that's proportionally it.”
ZUN 「でもそれぱロゲヌだからずか女の子だからずかじゃない」 “But it's not because it's an eroge or because there are girls, right?”
豚 「東方ぱロゲヌだっお話」 “Are you telling me that Touhou is an eroge?”
ZUN 「東方ぱロゲヌですけど。ちょっず戊っおるものを喜ぶのは男ですよ」 “Touhou is an eroge, but for men who like to fight a little.”
ZUN 「撃ち蟌んで、砎壊する。゚ロいね」 “Shoot and destroy. Now that's erotic.”

Nikenme Radio #85

In the Nikenme Radio broadcast on September 26, 2017, the subject of Germany comes up as ZUN had his honeymoon there and the person he's speaking with went there for training. ZUN goes on a tangent about visiting Czechia where people openly drank alcohol,26) then comments on Czechia's architecture, its status as a former socialist state, and reflecting on the two big ideological systems in the modern world.27)28)

Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「チェコは建物がやっぱりいい、瀟䌚䞻矩囜家のほうがいい」 “The buildings in Czechia were nice, after all. It was better as a socialist state.”
豚 「ああ町䞊みが敎然ずしおる」 “Ahh, their streets were so neat and tidy.”
ZUN 「そう、ちゃんず統䞀感があっお」 “Yeah, it really gave off a sense of unity.”
ZUN 「旧瀟䌚䞻矩囜家ね。ああいうのを芋るず瀟䌚䞻矩囜家も悪くないなず思うけど、結局狂うんだよな」 “It used to be a socialist state. It really makes you think 'socialist states aren't bad' when you look at it, but things went crazy in the end.”
ZUN 「いた瀟䌚䞻矩に察しお資本䞻矩も狂っおないかず蚀われるず狂っおきおるわけだから、もうちょっず考えなきゃいけないず思いたすよ」 “Now, I'm not saying 'capitalism isn't crazy as socialism'. It's definitely crazy, so I think we have to reflect on it much harder.”
ZUN 「今あるものが真実だず思わないほうがいい」 “So, it's best not to take things for granted now.”
豚 「でも次に議論されおるのはベヌシックむンカムですからね」 “But the next thing we'd have to discuss is basic income.”
ZUN 「瀟䌚䞻矩だね。共産䞀歩手前だね」 “It's socialism, one step away from communism.”

Later in the broadcast, they discuss the timing of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dissolving parliament for the upcoming snap election. At some point, ZUN mentions how Japan should be “more humble” and relearn from China as they used to until the Meiji Restoration,29) suggesting a more positive way to view the mainland through Japan's own history instead of just following blind Sinophobia.30)

Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「日本はもうちょっず謙虚になったほうがいいよ。ずっず䞭囜からいっぱい孊んできたんだよものを」 “Japan should be a little more modest. After all, they've learned a lot of things from China.”
ZUN 「それを䞭囜より䞊に立った瞬間なんお、ここ最近だけ。近代、珟代しかない。それに察しお䞭囜は怒っおるんだよたた」 “The only moment it stood above China is just recently, from the early modern period to present day. That's when China became angry with us.”
ZUN 「あんなにでかい土地があっお、人がいるずころをもう䞀回勉匷しなおしお、あそこのものをもう䞀回孊び盎すべきなんだよね日本も」 “It's such a vast land with a huge population that we should really study them again, then Japan would relearn some things from them once again.”
ZUN 「勉匷すれば分かるよ、色々ず勉匷した結果日本はずっず䞭囜から孊んできたものを䜕忘れおるの、䞭囜っお呌び方するからややこしくなるけど、倧陞から」 “The more you learn, the more you'll understand. Japan learned all sorts of things from China, but forgot about it. It's complicated because we say 'from China' when we should say 'from the continent'.”
ZUN 「倧陞から孊んできたこずを忘れないでほしい」 “I don't want people to forget that we used to learn from the continent.”
Original Transcript English Translation
ZUN 「別に䞭囜を厇めろずかいうのじゃないですよ。日本の歎史を孊べず。日本の歎史を孊んだらそういうこずにならないから。今の䞭囜人はよくないずかそういうこずにならないから」 “I'm not saying worship China, I'm saying learn Japan's history. If you learn about Japan's history, you wouldn't feel that way. It doesn't mean that Chinese people today aren't good or anything like that.”
ZUN 「芳光客の䞭囜人マナヌが悪いずか思うのず、䞭囜人はダメだっおいうのは結び぀かない。それをわかっおるかどうかなんだろうな」 “If you think Chinese tourists have bad manners, that doesn't mean all Chinese people are bad, but many people don't understand this.”

Nikenme Radio #88

There aren't that many Japanese transcripts past this point, so I will be forced to double translate from the Chinese translation. If a Japanese transcript becomes available, please let me know.

In the Nikenme Radio broadcast on December 26, 2017, ZUN is joined by the COOL&CREATE members, “Amane” (あたね) and “BeatMARIO” (ビヌトたりお). During the broadcast, the group skims through a Chinese-language Touhou Project doujin book and react to the Chinese names for Cirno, Rumia, Patchouli Knowledge, Flandre Scarlet, Alice Margatroid, the Prismriver Sisters, and Tewi Inaba.31)32)

Chinese Translation English Translation
Mario 打听了䞀䞋䞭囜的朋友们是怎么甚汉字称呌某些䞜方角色们的名字的还真扟到了䞀些角色的译名。 I asked some Chinese friends about the hanzi they use for [some] Touhou Project characters, and found some translated names in the end.
They see Rumia's name transliterated as “Lùmǐyà” (露米嚅).
ZUN 有露西亚俄眗斯的“露”和米囜矎囜的“米”“露米嚅”可以诎是䞖界的代衚啊。 There's Russia (露西亚) and America (米囜).33) You can say [Rumia] represents the world.34)
豚 这名字的暎走族感真䞍是盖的。 These names really feel bōsōzoku.35)
Mario おゐ垝变成“垝王”了哊 Tewi has become an emperor!36)
ZUN 应该埈区 Should be very strong.

Later in the broadcast, BeatMARIO asks ZUN about Cookie☆ for the second time, but ZUN actually dodges the subject and talks about how people have told him to not say anything.37)

Nikenme Radio #107

WIP.

Nikenme Radio #126

In the Nikenme Radio broadcast on February 28, 2021, the hosts are joined by “DAI” from Saigobi at ZUN's house.38) In the latter half of the stream, ZUN provides some details about the recently announced Touhou Kouryuudou whose trial would be released in the month following. Some details include a lack of balancing, a longer gohei, and his wife contributing some of the artwork.39)

Chinese Translation English Translation
—— 调敎道具卡的平衡埈麻烊吧 Balancing [the item cards] must be troublesome, right?
ZUN 我根本没做平衡。 I didn't do any balancing.
ZUN 䜓验版和正匏版的平衡䞍调敎䞀样可胜䌚有埈倧的差别。 The trial version and the final version equally have not been adjusted, so it might be really difficult.
Chinese Translation English Translation
—— 埡垁的长床又增加了。 The length of the gohei has increased again.
ZUN 我觉埗那种又长又细的感觉埈垅自然而然就画成这样了 I thought long and slender would feel really cool, so I naturally drew it like that.
Chinese Translation English Translation
ZUN 其实《匹幕倩邪鬌》的道具莎囟也是劻子画的。因䞺知道劻子有这种才胜才做了这䞪讟计我是䞍䌚请倖包的。虹韙掞需芁的矎术玠材倪倚了所以把道具卡亀给了劻子分担。 In fact, my wife drew some of the item cards in Touhou Kouryuudou. I planned it, knowing my wife had this kind of talent, so I didn't need to outsource. A lot of artwork was required [for Touhou Kouryuudou], so I shared the burden with my wife.
Chinese Translation English Translation
DAI 新䜜䌚有新曲吗 Will there be new music?
豚 560䞪人郜听见䜠问这问题了。 560 people just heard you ask that.
Chinese Translation English Translation
ZUN 䞜方的粉䞝䞍买虹韙掞也没关系。现圚基本䞊喷我的人郜是我的粉䞝。诎我的枞戏是粪枞戏的人曎是我的真爱粉。玩家有自己评刀这䞪枞戏有䞍有趣的权利圚玩过之后自己再来决定这枞戏奜䞍奜玩所以芁买来玩哊。反正我自己觉埗虹韙掞挺有趣的。 It doesn't matter if Touhou fans won't buy it. Basically, people who praise me are my fans, and people who call my games are shit are true fans. Players have the right to judge whether a game is interesting or not, then decide whether it was fun or not after they played it, so just buy it and have fun. Anyways, I think the game will be quite interesting.

Nikenme Radio #134

In which ZUN actually visits Mainland China.

Nikenme Radio #145

In which ZUN talks about the Popularity Poll.

Chinese Translation English Translation
Mario ZUN䜠猜猜这次䞜方人气投祚谁第䞀 ZUN, can you guess who placed first in the Touhou Popularity Poll?
ZUN 果然还是灵梊吧。 It's still Reimu, right?
Mario 䞍对哊灵梊是第䞉。 Incorrect, Reimu placed third.
ZUN 啊  那第䞀有点隟猜啊。 Ah
 then first place might be difficult to guess.
Mario 完了ZUN没想到灵梊以倖还胜是谁。 It's over, ZUN didn't expect anybody else but Reimu.
ZUN 䞍䞍第䞉回䞍是还有魔理沙第䞀吗 No, no. Wasn't Marisa first in the third one?
Mario 没想过这次魔理沙第䞀吗 You don't suppose Marisa won first this time, right?
ZUN 魔理沙䞍可胜第䞀的吧。 There's no way Marisa would be first, yeah?
Mario 魔理沙是第二。 Marisa placed second.
ZUN 那第䞀是垕秋莉 Then, first place is Patchouli?
Mario 乐䞍可胜的䞍可胜的别拿来调䟃啊   *Ha* No way, no way. Don't tease me


ZUN 那  那爱䞜䞝吧。 Then
 Then, it must be Alice, right?
Mario 别别别也䞍是的。是红魔乡里的刚欲匂闻里的姓斯卡蕟特的。 *Nooope* That's wrong too. They appeared in Koumakyou and Gouyoku Ibun. The last name is Scarlet.
ZUN 䞀愣诶  芙兰么  诎的也是芙兰呢  思考了䞀䞋倧抂知道了。小孩子那蟹芙兰埈有埈有人气呢劂果诎芙兰是第䞀的话果然现圚有些新生代了。 [Puzzled] Huh? Flan
 That's right, Flan

 [Thinking it over] Oh, I got it. Flan was very popular with children. If Flan is popular, then the newer generations really are here.
Chinese Translation English Translation
玡 䜜品人气也是䞜方红魔乡第䞀音乐也是芙兰曲第䞀。 The most popular work is Touhou Koumakyou, and the most popular song is Flan's song.
Mario 倧家最喜欢金发吞血鬌小姑嚘了。 Everybody like the small blonde vampire girl.
ZUN 呃呀  翅膀也埈特别呢给人䞀种“这是什么”的奇特感。 Umm, oh
 The wings are quite unique too. Makes everyone think “what are these?”
是啊是啊迷之翅膀给人印象埈深。曲子也埈俏皮狂气。 Yes, yes. The mystery of her wings are quite impressive. Her theme is also quite playful and crazy.
Chinese Translation English Translation
ZUN 其实我自己也觉埗芙兰的翅膀埈奇怪。 Actually, I'm perplexed by Flan's wings too.
䜜者自己也觉埗怪是怎么回事啊。 Ah. Even the author is bewildered by it.
ZUN 红魔乡是䞉月仜才匀始做的8月就发售了圓时实圚是埈赶时闎。感觉那段时闎自己粟神也䞍倪正垞。 I started working on Koumakyou in March and I was in a rush [to get it out by August]. I feel like, at the time, I wasn't mentally sound back then.
ZUN 我自己也觉埗刚欲匂闻的芙兰埈逗。 I also find Gouyoku Ibun's Flan to be very funny.

Nikenme Radio #147

In which ZUN discusses the end of Danmaku Kagura.

Notes

  • Nikenme Radio was originally streamed through Ustream from 2010 to 2016.
    • It was explained that Ustream was chosen over Niconico Namahōsō since it was relatively obscure and would only attract a small crowd who actually wanted to listen to ZUN as a person.
    • In 2016, IBM purchased Ustream with plans to completely retool the website, so Nikenme Radio migrated to YouTube for its 75th broadcast and their past streams are mostly lost.
  • I just wanted to answer “how does ZUN feel about leftism?” as the Western community joked that ZUN and the Touhou Project series40) were communist, thus #85, but expanded from there.
  • A couple of broadcasts are numbered incorrectly, so the broadcast numbering is technically off.
  • There's been a lack of recent Nikenme Radio transcripts. I have a few theories:
    • ZUN had started to appear on Touhou Project-specific broadcasts (e.g. Super Touhou Live Stage, Touhou Station), so there's less incentive to sit through Nikenme Radio nowadays.
    • The automatic captions on YouTube began to sporadically appear on Nikenme Radio broadcasts after “VR” and #90, but it should be warned that these may not be accurate.
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, ZUN began to stream Nikenme Radio from home with the first one being #115, Zoom calls appearing in #116, and plastic walls being confirmed in #120.
1)
“Nikenme” (二軒目) is a casual term meaning “2nd Building/House” or, in this context, “2nd Bar/Pub”.
2)
As a side note, “Nikenme Radio” is probably the intended name.
3)
“Tetsurō Okunogi” (小歀朚哲朗, Okonogi Tetsurō), nicknamed “Buta” (豚, lit. “Pig”), is a recurring guest on Nikenme Radio who mainly works as ZUN's assistant and editor.
4)
There were debates on the type of underwear that Touhou Project characters wore. The fundamentalists often insisted that everyone had bloomers/drawers (ドロワヌズ), not striped panties, no panties, etc.
9)
This passage is a bit difficult to translate as “hentai” (倉態), in the original language, can be interpreted as “abnormal” and “transformation” (metamorphosis) before it was synonymous with “sexual perversion”.
10)
A “boob alien” (おっぱい星人, oppai seijin), or “person from the planet of boobs”, is a humorous Japanese term for someone who loves breasts or has a breast fetish. The rough English equivalent is “boob man”.
13)
ZUN was employed at Taito from 1997 to 2007 and the company only released three shoot-em-up games (e.g. G-Darius, RayCrisis, and Darius-R). For some reason, Taito stopped releasing shoot-em-up games after 2002, forcing ZUN to develop non-shmup projects, and Square Enix would purchase Taito in 2005. After ZUN left the company in 2007, Taito would revive the Darius series with DariusBurst in 2009.
19)
Note: ZUN and Poole had already met in late 2012 before the 2013 trip, so that remains a mystery.
33)
ZUN misinterprets the hanzi as kanji, so he actually uses the ateji readings. Russia is “Éluósī” (俄眗斯), not “LùxÄ«yà”/“Roshia” (露西亚). The United States is “Měiguó” (矎囜), not “Mǐguó”/“Beikoku” (米囜).
34)
As a side note, if you check the stream at 58:20, ZUN doesn't actually mention Rumia's name here.
35)
The “bōsōzoku” are known for borrowing Chinese characters for their fake names.
36)
“Tewi” (おゐ) became “dì” (垝), a hanzi/kanji often used for “dìwáng”/“teiō” (垝王, lit. “emperor”).
40)
In the source material, it's mostly used for jokes. Marisa calls Reimu “some kind of communist” in Chapter 3 of Touhou Kourindou, ZUN jokes that rabbit are "communists" in Touhou Eiyashou, and Kosuzu misinterprets the Soviet Union's dissolution in Chapter 6 of Touhou Suzunaan.
nikenme_radio.txt · Last modified: 2024-09-23 00:24:07 by 127.0.0.1