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Tweet of the Week #42: Pokémon Recruitment Ads Will Make You Smile

Pokémon Centers in Japan are looking for staff and they've enlisted the help of everybody's favorite monsters.

By 3 min read

The first Pokémon Center opened in Osaka in 1998 and today Japan counts 11 official retail spaces for Poké-maniacs to catch ’em all. With Pikachu as their adorable leader, those poké-wonderlands are just perfect to satisfy the p-otaku in you (wahey!)

Merchandising-wise, Nintendo is making big money from Pokémon Centers. These official stores are like a sanctuary for fans to adopt plushies and purchase figures, drawings, clothes, snacks, jewelry, and other great goodies. There’s even an online store for fans in the U.S.

And they’re now hiring!

Get your resumes ready because Pokémon Centers across the nation are looking for new staff!

渋谷駅しぶやえきにあるポケモンセンターの求人きゅうじん広告こうこくかった。
渋谷東京とうきょうメトロ1番いちばん出口でぐちにいっぱいいたのでいってみてください

= The hiring ads for Pokémon centers at Shibuya station are great. There are lots of them near the metro Exit 1 so go check them out!


ポケモンセンター社員しゃいんの広告、すご~っててたら最後さいごのコイキングでわらった

= As I was looking at all the ads to hire staff for the Pokemon centers the last one with Magikarp made me laugh.

With over 1.1 million passengers daily, Shibuya station is THE perfect spot for companies to show their hiring ads. All they need (aside from paying an expensive advertising fee) is to come up with a creative ad campaign to generate social media buzz.

So what did Nintendo choose? Pokémon puns.

Each poster’s tagline is basically a word-play on a Pokémon’s characteristics. The purpose? Appealing to そんなキミに, “someone like you.”

Some of our favorites are:

Cubone (カラカラ, Karakara)

Cubone Pokemon

ほねのある仕事しごとください = I want a job with backbone

Slowpoke (ヤドン, Yadon)

Slowpoke Pokemon

たまにはかたちからかなきゃ = Sometimes, you need to take it easy

Snorlax (カビゴン, Kabigon)

Snorlax Pokemon

めるような仕事ないかな = Isn’t there a job that keeps me awake?

Magikarp (コイキング, Koi king)

Magikarp Pokemon

のびしろしかない = I have no choice but to grow my potential

Meowth (ニャース, Nyarth)

Meowth Pokemon

やりがいもおかねもある = (A job) worth doing that’s well-paid

How to say something is worth doing in Japanese

Meowth may want money, but he also makes a fair point: there’s nothing better than a job worth doing.

Let’s take a look at the simple yet interesting Japanese suffix がい. By itself, がい means that something is worth your time or your effort. The most common expression you’ll encounter is the combo する (to do) and がい.

  • やりがいのある仕事 = A job worth doing (a fulfilling job)
  • やりがいのある経験けいけん = An experience worth having

But がい can be coupled with other verbs as well. Take a verb, conjugate with the ます form, take out ます and add がい instead:

  • おしえがいのある生徒せいと = A student worth teaching
  • みがいのあるほん = A book worth the reading

Vocabulary

Japanese Romaji English
渋谷駅しぶやえき shibuya eki Shibuya station
ポケモンセンター pokemonsentaa Pokémon Center
求人広告きゅうじんこうこく kyuujinn koukoku job ads
yoi good
東京とうきょうメトロ toukyou metoro Tokyo metro
1番出口いちばんでぐち ichiban deguchi Exit 1
いっぱい ippai a lot
いってみてください itte mitte kudasai go see
そんなキミに sonna kimi ni someone like you
社員しゃいん shain employee
てたら mitetara as (I) was looking
最後さいご saigo end, last
コイキング koikingu Magikarp
わら warau laugh
ほねのある hone no aru spirited, have backbone
かね okane money
たまに tama ni from time to time
かたちから kata no chikara o nuku take it easy, relax
める
me mo sameru stay awake, keep eyes open
のびしろ nobishiro room for growth, potential
しかない shika nai only but
経験けいけん keiken experience
おしえる oshieru teach
生徒せいと seito student
yomu read
ほん hon  book

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