The end of moon Ltd.

“What was the most difficult part of studying Japanese?” is a question that is asked a lot.

のみこむのに苦労した日本語は、佃煮にするほどあった。For example, how to distinguish

“Ikou”, “Igou” and “Irai”. Also, even if you try very hard to memorize difficult idioms, in order to use
them rightly… suitably… correctly, you have to hang on to it and try to find the best way further.
However, when it comes to the most difficult one, the first comes to my mind instinctively was
“Gesshoku.”

When I just came to Japan, I always put a dictionary in my backpack. I used to walk around in
streets in Ikebukuro while I was trying to understand the signboard. I came across the word
“parking” early and I understood the place with that signboard is a carpark. However, the word
“Gekkyoku” sticked into my mind.

Even I searched the word “Gekkyoku” in Japanese-English dictionary, I could not find it.
Maybe it is just the name of the owner of the carpark, or it is name that means “the end of moon.”
By any means, the word “Gekkyoku” went into my head and gradually used to seeing it.

In that time, I rode a bike so the range of signboard that I am trying to understand increased.
No matter I was going to Shinjuku area or going across the Nerima area, or Ueno area, or Tsukishima
area, I see the “Gekkyoku” car park. Obviously it is a big company. It seems like it is occupying the
car parking markets in Tokyo by itself. I was rushing while I kept thinking maybe it is listed in the first
section market.

After staying Japan for six years, I went to Aomori. I went in the direction to the harbour for
then (とりあえず). When I was aiming to walk to the Product Centre, I saw a signboard with
“Tsukigime(monthly) Parking” on it. At that time, the dictionary in my backpack was not Japnese-
English or English-Japanese. I have put a Japanese dictionary in but when I searched “Tsukigime”, it
came up with “Monthly.” Its definition is a monthly promise or a contract for monthly calculation.
After the definition, there is a line where it said it is common to use interchangeably with
“Tsukigime.” At that moment, the big company collapsed.

Even now, there is a sound saying “Gekkyoku” deep in my ear when I see the signboard of
“Monthly paid car park” in Ikebukuro. However, the pronunciation in my head is not going to be
wrong even if “Tsukigime” is written somewhere when I am walking in Aomori, which I go to once a
month.