In Japan, doctors are held in a somewhat exalted position. Japanese people tend to listen passively to them, not ask questions, and definitely do not challenge their assertions. Because of this, many doctors in Japan have some pretty bad bedside manners and can be tyrannical. My brother-in-law, who was perhaps 30 lbs. over an ideal weight at the time, walked into a doctors office and the
jeudi 31 mars 2011
Won't Miss #304 - Japanese doctors
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
In Japan, doctors are held in a somewhat exalted position. Japanese people tend to listen passively to them, not ask questions, and definitely do not challenge their assertions. Because of this, many doctors in Japan have some pretty bad bedside manners and can be tyrannical. My brother-in-law, who was perhaps 30 lbs. over an ideal weight at the time, walked into a doctors office and the
mercredi 30 mars 2011
Will Miss #303 - love hotels
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
"Hotel Vanilla Sweet", perhaps for candy and cake lovers who need to get some loving of a different flavor.
I have never been to a love hotel, but I like the existence of them for several reasons. First of all, the names and designs are generally pretty goofy so they're good for a laugh. Second, they are meticulously clean for a place which is designed around allowing people to pay by the hour
I have never been to a love hotel, but I like the existence of them for several reasons. First of all, the names and designs are generally pretty goofy so they're good for a laugh. Second, they are meticulously clean for a place which is designed around allowing people to pay by the hour
mardi 29 mars 2011
Won't Miss #303 - pointless placating steps
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
If you've ever called tech support and been asked a string of stupid questions before you can get to the heart of the issue, you'll have some idea about the point I'm about to make. In Japan, I've experienced a lot of situations in which I had to "make a show" or someone else had to take pointless steps before the real issue could be addressed. In my former company, there was always a problem
lundi 28 mars 2011
Will Miss #302 - spiritual use of incense
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Back home, incense was associated with people who smoked pot. Anyone who used incense was viewed with suspicion or mocked as some sort of bizarre New Age hippy type. In Japan, incense is used at shrines as part of spiritual practices. One of my students brought me back an incense burner and sticks as a gift from her travels to an Asian country. I think I wouldn't have been given such a gift back
vendredi 25 mars 2011
Won't Miss #302 - denial of free downloads
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
My sister bought a Barnes & Noble "Nook" eBook reader last year and told me that one could get a lot of free books from them and read them either on one's PC, Mac, or iPad even without a Nook. Since my husband recently bought an iPad specifically to read eBooks, we were happy to hear this. Unfortunately, when he tried to download the Nook reader for iPad, the door was shut on his doing so
jeudi 24 mars 2011
Will Miss #301 - the old clock shop
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
There's a very large old clock shop in my neighborhood with a slightly gruff, but sufficiently polite old gent in charge. The shop is this odd mixture of old and new world with it's happy anime character clocks on sale and its 30 (or more) -year old chairs in front of a long counter. The fellow who runs the shop sits in the back watching T.V. behind piles of old clock and watch parts. He's so
mercredi 23 mars 2011
Won't Miss #301 - stingy drink service
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Have you ever researched the cost of a fountain drink to a business? In some places, it costs mere pennies for enough syrup to make a few hundred glasses of Coke. While I'm sure that this is slightly more expensive in Japan (as many things are), it's not greatly more expensive, yet free refills are almost unheard of in most parts. Costco Japan's food court is a rare exception to the rule. I'm
mardi 22 mars 2011
Will Miss #300 - tonkatsu
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
There is a type of cuisine in Japan called "yoshoku", which is influenced by Western cooking practices and was developed during the Meiji restoration in the 1800's in Japan. At that time, the emperor ended Japan's isolation and incorporated aspects of Western culture into Japanese life. One of the many results of that is tonkatsu, or pork cutlet. It is a piece of pork (or sometimes chicken)
lundi 21 mars 2011
Won't Miss #300 - born in a barn
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
I have no pictures of people being born or barns, so the best I could come up with is this pachinko place with the door hanging open in winter (hence the coats on the players).
There are some curious habits that Japanese service people have which I find troublesome. While it's good that I only need some sort of repair, installation or service in my apartment about once or twice a year, when it
There are some curious habits that Japanese service people have which I find troublesome. While it's good that I only need some sort of repair, installation or service in my apartment about once or twice a year, when it
samedi 19 mars 2011
My quake experience (cross-posted)
Posted on 02:51 by Unknown
During the quake, people in Shinjuku leave their office buildings and stand in the street for fear of their buildings falling down with them still inside. (Click any picture for a larger version.)
Note: I wasn't going to write this, but I feel it's something that is worth putting out there. If I still wrote for my personal blogs, I'd put this there. As it is, I'm placing this here as a
Note: I wasn't going to write this, but I feel it's something that is worth putting out there. If I still wrote for my personal blogs, I'd put this there. As it is, I'm placing this here as a
vendredi 18 mars 2011
Will Miss #299 - shinise
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Koganei Imo, a type of bean cake which is the product of a shop with 5 generations of expertise behind it. It's by far my favorite bean cake in Japan.
Shinise (老舗) are long-established restaurants or shops in Japan that usually have generations of expertise behind them. Such shops often present unique fare that can't be had anywhere else. They have developed a technique, formula or recipe which
Shinise (老舗) are long-established restaurants or shops in Japan that usually have generations of expertise behind them. Such shops often present unique fare that can't be had anywhere else. They have developed a technique, formula or recipe which
jeudi 17 mars 2011
Won't Miss #299 - missing sisters
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Part of my freelance work is doing English telephone testing. One of the questions I ask in order to elicit as much speaking as possible from my subjects is, "tell me about your family." In 90% of cases, if someone has a sister who is already married, they won't even mention her existence unless I specifically ask "do you have a sister?" In the other 10% of cases, they'll say, "I have a sister,
mercredi 16 mars 2011
Will Miss #298 - Nakano Broadway
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
The creepy entrance to one of the many "Mandrake" shops on the Nakano broadway. This one specializes in antique collectibles.
I'm not that big into "tourist spots" in Japan, but there are areas which I think are interesting to visit on occasion. I'm not such a great fan of the "classic" spots like Kyoto or Mt. Fuji because I think they aren't "real Japan" anymore than the Grand Canyon is "real
I'm not that big into "tourist spots" in Japan, but there are areas which I think are interesting to visit on occasion. I'm not such a great fan of the "classic" spots like Kyoto or Mt. Fuji because I think they aren't "real Japan" anymore than the Grand Canyon is "real
mardi 15 mars 2011
The Situation Now in Tokyo
Posted on 21:10 by Unknown
I'm not inclined to make posts about the earthquake, tsunami, or the nuclear situation because I'm not an authority on such matters, but I have been asked about what is really happening and have found that there is a massive amount of misinformation spreading in the West regarding how bad it is. One bit of grim irony is that those of us who are potentially in more immediate danger as we are
Won't Miss #298 - Japanese way of washing dishes
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
It's odd how it's the little things that really hit you sometimes about life in a different culture. One of my students went to Germany and said that she was really bothered because they didn't rinse the soapy water off of their dishes after cleaning them, but just put them on the rack to dry.* In Japan, the sinks are designed differently than back in the U.S. There, we had a sink with two
lundi 14 mars 2011
Will Miss #297 - obsession with "first/new"
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
The Japanese have a preoccupation with whatever is "new" which I find interesting (and sometimes amusing). It likely started with their own harvests and the value they attached to sampling the first rice crop of the year, but has since expanded to encompass the "new" comestibles from other countries. Around late November, signs will start going up everywhere about the Beaujolais Nouveau being at
vendredi 11 mars 2011
Won't Miss #297 - discussions become competition
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Do you know what never happened to me in the U.S. when I made a critical statement about a political, social or economic situation? No one ever said that it was okay that America was like that because it was worse in Japan. Do you know what happens 90% of the time that I make a critical statement about political, social or economic issues in Japan? Someone (who has never lived in the U.S.) says
jeudi 10 mars 2011
Will Miss #296 - mikan
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
I grew up in the rural Northeast, where fresh fruit was something that came along seasonally and with few exotic varieties. Because of this, and growing up in poverty, I rarely had experience with fresh fruit growing up and I certainly never got my hands on any oranges that weren't the cheapest and most readily available. Because of this, I grew up disliking oranges because they were bland and
mercredi 9 mars 2011
Won't Miss #296 - expensive aspirin
Posted on 00:00 by Unknown
I offer you a picture of this promotional box of tissues given away by the makers of Bufferin because I'm not wealthy enough to buy the actual medicine.
Over the counter medicine, and things like aspirin or other self-administered painkillers, are very expensive in Japan. The last time I bought a box of Bufferin in Japan, I paid 500 yen ($6) for 16 tablets lovingly packaged individually in a
Over the counter medicine, and things like aspirin or other self-administered painkillers, are very expensive in Japan. The last time I bought a box of Bufferin in Japan, I paid 500 yen ($6) for 16 tablets lovingly packaged individually in a
mardi 8 mars 2011
Will Miss #295 - collectible movie tickets
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Yes, it's a terrible picture... it was taken through the window of a display case at night.
Movie tickets in America are usually boring affairs. Either they are generic with text or computer print-outs. In Japan, there are boring tickets, but you can also buy pretty cool looking ones with a picture from the movie on it. They serve as a much more attractive reminder of your experiences and are
Movie tickets in America are usually boring affairs. Either they are generic with text or computer print-outs. In Japan, there are boring tickets, but you can also buy pretty cool looking ones with a picture from the movie on it. They serve as a much more attractive reminder of your experiences and are
lundi 7 mars 2011
Won't Miss #295 - "fishing"
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
I continue to do freelance work for my former company and as part of this work I am asked to offer my time in line with a company's request. The company will say they want me to do a job between X and Y time with spans of up to 8 hours between those times, but they will only need two hours of my time. They will not say they want 1 hour in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. They will simply say
vendredi 4 mars 2011
Will Miss #294 - ground blessing ceremonies
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
The Japanese have a curious relationship with spirituality. Most of them don't believe in anything, but they still go through the motions, even when it costs them money. One of the things you find people will fork over a wad of cash for even though they don't deeply believe in a) demons or b) God, is ground blessings (jichinsai). A priest comes to a place where a new building is to be built
jeudi 3 mars 2011
Won't Miss #294 - tragically misguided welfare policies
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
I realize that the idea of welfare is controversial and many people all over the world resent paying taxes to support people who do not work, but can we all agree that the point at which people actually need that money is when they are at risk of dying of starvation if they don't get it? In Japan, the welfare system is set up such that those who work in the social services offices are obligated
mercredi 2 mars 2011
Will Miss #293 - soba boro
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
There is a type of buckwheat cookie that is unique to Japan (in my experience) which I really love. It's called "soba boro", and is a small, flower-shaped crispy treat. It is made with simple ingredients - buckwheat flour, sugar, and eggs. They aren't too sweet, taste of caramel, and have a lot of the crispy, airy nature of meringue cookies due to the large amount of eggs and sugar that are used
mardi 1 mars 2011
Won't Miss #293 - Japanese dish soap
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
One of the things about living in another country is that you find that they balance the strength of various products differently based on their consumers' preferences. In most cases in Japan (but not all), that means that things are watered down or weaker relative to the U.S. Dish soap is a good example of this. It is thinner, doesn't makes suds as well, and requires more liquid to get dishes
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