November
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Elf/Dwarf Confusion
While we ‘re on the subject of Christmas in November, every year these sinister nodding dwarves appear outside the Meidi-ya supermarket in Hiroo. They’re definitely of the Snow-White-and-the-Seven variety rather than the elvenfolk who slave away helping Santa come across with the Christmas goodies. I learned today in my Japanese class that there’s a word for “little people,” but it doesn’t seem to discriminate between elves and dwarves.
Also, there’s the soundtrack. Soft music wafts from hidden speakers near the Xmas Dwarves, playing seasonal classics such as that unforgettable disco hit, “The Hustle” and (naturally) the theme from Totoro.
Jonelle Patrick is the author of the Only In Tokyo mystery series, published by Penguin/Intermix.
