You can buy fans anywhere in the world, but Japan is the (unofficial) home of fans and they are closely associated with the culture. Who hasn't seen the image of the beautiful Japanese woman holding a fan in front of her? Every summer, a wide variety of attractive, cheap, and free fans are available. You find plastic ones featuring ads being given away on the streets for advertising as well as
jeudi 30 septembre 2010
Will Miss #238 - fans
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
You can buy fans anywhere in the world, but Japan is the (unofficial) home of fans and they are closely associated with the culture. Who hasn't seen the image of the beautiful Japanese woman holding a fan in front of her? Every summer, a wide variety of attractive, cheap, and free fans are available. You find plastic ones featuring ads being given away on the streets for advertising as well as
mercredi 29 septembre 2010
Won't Miss #238 - eating at my desk
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
This is an old picture, but I'm too lazy to take a new one. However, that is pretty much the desk I still have and eat at. :-p
I have grown accustomed to many of the shortcomings of living in a very small space and I'm at peace with most of them. That being said, our apartment is too small for a dining table. When I was younger, that didn't trouble me much, but as I've gotten older and started to
I have grown accustomed to many of the shortcomings of living in a very small space and I'm at peace with most of them. That being said, our apartment is too small for a dining table. When I was younger, that didn't trouble me much, but as I've gotten older and started to
mardi 28 septembre 2010
Will Miss #237 - no line jumpers
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
One of the major complaints that I hear when friends travel in other parts of Asia is that people don't line up when it is necessary to wait your turn for something. In China in particular, it's a free-for-all and can be quite disconcerting and aggravating in a crowded situation, but even in the U.S., you see some pretty selfish and bad behavior while waiting in line. The Japanese are masters at
Posted in Japanese culture, Japanese people, lining up, manners, public life, will miss
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lundi 27 septembre 2010
Won't Miss #237 - "inscrutable culture"
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
There is a notion that Japanese cultural concepts (and the underlying psychology) are too sophisticated for outsiders to comprehend, so most Japanese people won't even try to explain certain ideas to curious foreign folks. Frankly, I can tell you this is a crock. Many Japanese people can't explain Japanese cultural concepts for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with the inability of
vendredi 24 septembre 2010
Will Miss #236 - daruma dolls
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Daruma dolls show up all over the place in Japan and even in Western countries when they want to show some sort of Japanese decor. In fact, I remember seeing one in the attic apartment set used for the American T.V. comedy "Third Rock From the Sun." Some people may know they are Japanese, but not know what they are used for. I don't like daruma for their design, but rather for the concept behind
jeudi 23 septembre 2010
Won't Miss #236 - pedestrian overpasses
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
A typical overpass, one of hundreds, on Ome Kaido Avenue.
I live near a large major street which is the fastest way for emergency vehicles to reach destinations between my home and other major mini-cities inside of Tokyo. Without access to this street, it is virtually impossible for emergency vehicles to get where they need to go. This long and important street is peppered liberally across its
I live near a large major street which is the fastest way for emergency vehicles to reach destinations between my home and other major mini-cities inside of Tokyo. Without access to this street, it is virtually impossible for emergency vehicles to get where they need to go. This long and important street is peppered liberally across its
mercredi 22 septembre 2010
Quick Mention: This blog was reviewed
Posted on 18:29 by Unknown
Just a quick mention that this blog was reviewed at the Japan Blog Review. It's an interesting site that will introduce those interested in Japan blogs to more of the same so you might want to give it a look.
I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
Will Miss #235 - Japanese pottery
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
My husband and I don't give each other gifts for holidays anymore, but early on in our stay in Japan, we still did. One of my earliest requests was some hand-made Japanese pottery. In particular, I wanted some cups with traditional glazing and designs. There's something about the natural look and feel of this type of pottery which is comforting. It makes me feel like I'm consuming food or
mardi 21 septembre 2010
Won't Miss #235 - "do you speak Japanese?"
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Some questions when asked have nothing but bad intentions behind them, and this is one of them. Note that there are only two types of people who ask me this question. One is students in language lessons who are supposed to only deal with me in English and my Japanese language ability has nothing to do with them (as I'm not going to speak Japanese to them regardless). The others are
lundi 20 septembre 2010
Will Miss #234 - the passive nature of Japanese people
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Japanese people are generally pretty passive and tolerant. This is because their culture values emotional control and stoicism far more than many Western cultures and they have a culture which values "gaman" or "enduring suffering" rather than fighting back. They view the inability of foreign people to control their emotions or withhold their opinions in circumstances when expressing them might
vendredi 17 septembre 2010
Won't Miss #234 - reluctance to express oneself
Posted on 00:00 by Unknown
The Japanese are often reluctant to express themselves because their culture does not reward varying opinions. A lot of Japanese people will not have a debate or even a discussion with you about a topic of interest because they do not want to risk offending or upsetting you with a different opinion. In fact, many Japanese people will simply shake their head "yes" when you assert some viewpoint
jeudi 16 septembre 2010
Will Miss #233 - takarakuji
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
A window which sells Japanese lottery tickets.
"Takarakuji" is the Japanese version of the lottery. Let me say that I do not buy lottery tickets or gamble. To me, it's simply tossing ones money out the window because the odds are so low that you'll win as much as you spend, let alone more. That being said, I always get a kick out of the way the Japanese lottery works because the prizes really
"Takarakuji" is the Japanese version of the lottery. Let me say that I do not buy lottery tickets or gamble. To me, it's simply tossing ones money out the window because the odds are so low that you'll win as much as you spend, let alone more. That being said, I always get a kick out of the way the Japanese lottery works because the prizes really
mercredi 15 septembre 2010
Won't Miss #233 - men first
Posted on 00:00 by Unknown
When I ask my female students who have traveled abroad what they have liked about visiting a Western country, every one of them says that they like the "ladies first" mentality of the people in those countries. A lot of foreigners believe this to mean things like opening doors for women, pulling out chairs for them in restaurants, etc. There is no history of chivalry in Japan so it isn't
Posted in etiquette, Japanese culture, Japanese men, Japanese women, manners, won't miss
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mardi 14 septembre 2010
Will Miss #232 - valuing cultural pursuits
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
A sign offering piano and electone organ lessons.
The prevailing attitude in the U.S. when it comes to education is that it should be in the service of earning money. In particular, people believe that you should spend your time pursuing only those things which will advance your career. This is one of the reasons that people hold liberal arts degree holders in contempt and have a higher regard
The prevailing attitude in the U.S. when it comes to education is that it should be in the service of earning money. In particular, people believe that you should spend your time pursuing only those things which will advance your career. This is one of the reasons that people hold liberal arts degree holders in contempt and have a higher regard
Posted in attitudes, cultural differences, Japanese education system, skills, will miss
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lundi 13 septembre 2010
Won't Miss #232 - low sofas
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
For reasons I'm sure that I can only guess at, the sofas in Japan seem to be built for munchkins. I'm not talking about the kind of furniture which has you sitting essentially on the floor with a back support (of which there is plenty in Japan), but about Western-style sofas and sometimes cushy chairs that are just about 4-6 inches too low to be comfortable to sit on (because there is increased
samedi 11 septembre 2010
Posting Frequency Changes
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
As of the today, this blog will be going from a posting schedule in which at least one post is made everyday to a weekday schedule. New posts will only be made from Monday to Friday. The reasons for this are personal, and not of great interest to my readers but the gist of it is that I've been writing 14 posts (or more) per week on average for several blogs (mainly this one and my Snack Reviews
vendredi 10 septembre 2010
Will Miss #231 - tachiyomi
Posted on 00:00 by Unknown
One of the most fascinating things I witnessed early in my stay in Japan was large groups of people, particularly men, who stood in book shops and convenience stores and just read the magazines or books. The shop owners never sweated this, despite the fact that many people read entire magazines, books, or comic books (manga) and didn't make a purchase. The publications would sometimes become
jeudi 9 septembre 2010
Won't Miss #231 - poor rain etiquette
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
I think this is a "Tokyo thing". It might also be a "treatment of females thing", or even a thing that is related to being a foreigner. I don't know all of the variables, but for quite some time I've noticed that people act incredibly selfishly when it rains. I realize most Japanese people react to rain as if they were composed of sugar and might melt away entirely should the drops touch them,
mercredi 8 septembre 2010
Will Miss #230 - traditional healing
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
In the West, people tend to view any sort of healing which is non-scientific or medical in nature as useless. The Japanese embrace a variety of healing methods including acupuncture, acupressure, and herbal medicine. Many of my students partake of these types of healing to help them deal with stress or chronic pain. Many have told me that it helps them with things like back, neck, and shoulder
mardi 7 septembre 2010
Won't Miss #230 - Japanese cemetaries
Posted on 00:20 by Unknown
As I mentioned in the previous post, I grew up around a cemetery and I have had an interest in grave markers as a result. The designs of the stones, the words written upon them, and the epitaphs always told me something about the people and how they felt. Some of the graves even told me something about how the people looked as photos were included as part of the stone design. Burial markers are
lundi 6 septembre 2010
Will Miss #229 - cremation as the law
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
A Japanese grave upon which someone has left an Ultraman figure, perhaps in memory of a child who has died.
I grew up in a house that was about a 15 minute walk through the woods from a cemetery. When I was a kid, my cousins, sister, and I used to tromp through the woods and wind up in that cemetery where we'd run around and look at the stones to see what they looked like and said. Sometimes,
I grew up in a house that was about a 15 minute walk through the woods from a cemetery. When I was a kid, my cousins, sister, and I used to tromp through the woods and wind up in that cemetery where we'd run around and look at the stones to see what they looked like and said. Sometimes,
dimanche 5 septembre 2010
Won't Miss #229 - expensive, unpleasant water
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Water in Tokyo is pretty expensive. In fact, it's sufficiently expensive that some Japanese people use their old bathwater to do laundry. My water bills recently went up 20% for no reason that I could work out, so I've taken to trying to save water by turning the shower water on and off when I can in order to cut back on water use. Of course, I usually do this in the summer when it's warm anyway
samedi 4 septembre 2010
Will Miss #228 - plethora of chestnut-based foods
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
I grew up around chestnuts, but we rarely ate them except perhaps around Christmas. In Japan, chestnuts are everywhere. You can buy them in foil packs or freshly roasted to snack onr or garnish food. They are used to make rice dishes, traditional sweets like manju, and more Western-style cakes. They are also often mixed with beans or made into a paste for fillings, and, of course, used in
vendredi 3 septembre 2010
Won't Miss #228 - gaijin monkeys
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
While I have an intense dislike for the fact that many people view foreigners who teach as little more than gaijin monkeys, I have to acknowledge that some people do act like said monkeys. A "gaijin monkey" is a foreigner who puts on an act to entertain Japanese people. Such people often treat Japanese people as if they were children who needed to be energetically amused at all times. This
jeudi 2 septembre 2010
Will Miss #227 - free tissues
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
If you're walking down the street in Tokyo, there's a pretty good chance someone will stick their hand out and offer you a packet of free tissues. One of the ways in which advertisers get people to actually take their ads is to place them on the back of pocket-size tissues. There are foreign folks who say they never buy their own tissues, and others who say they get so many of these free packets
mercredi 1 septembre 2010
Won't Miss #227 - bosozoku
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Our apartment is about a 30-second walk from a major road and a traffic light is just a few more seconds from the intersection of our little street and that road. At night, sometimes after midnight, and when our windows are open because of the heat, we will hear the ebb and flow of traffic as it zooms down the street and becomes suddenly silent when the light is red. Occasionally, rather than
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