One of the things I often see in Tokyo are relatively slender, average-looking men carting around or hauling enormous loads up (or down) stairs. The amazing thing about it isn't necessarily that they perform back breaking labor without overt concern for damaging themselves and then suing their company for the injury, but that they will haul what must be hundreds of pounds up a huge flight of
mardi 31 mai 2011
Will Miss #325 - great feats of strength and endurance
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
One of the things I often see in Tokyo are relatively slender, average-looking men carting around or hauling enormous loads up (or down) stairs. The amazing thing about it isn't necessarily that they perform back breaking labor without overt concern for damaging themselves and then suing their company for the injury, but that they will haul what must be hundreds of pounds up a huge flight of
lundi 30 mai 2011
Won't Miss #325 - ignorance about Japan back home
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Public transportation in Japan, through the eyes of my old mum.
When I was growing up, I loved to look through the old pictures my mother had from her youth. One of those pictures was of a Japanese man with two children who was once her penpal when she was in high school in the 50's. My mother's knowledge of Japan was frozen in the time he wrote to her and whatever pop culture misconceptions she
When I was growing up, I loved to look through the old pictures my mother had from her youth. One of those pictures was of a Japanese man with two children who was once her penpal when she was in high school in the 50's. My mother's knowledge of Japan was frozen in the time he wrote to her and whatever pop culture misconceptions she
vendredi 27 mai 2011
Will Miss #324 - used record shops
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Bins full of 45 rpm records with their unique Japanese picture inserts.
My husband and I spent our first decade in Japan collecting and selling second-hand collectible records. The records in Japan are unique in a variety of ways including 45 rpm records (singles) having a picture sleeve and albums having a paper band (obi) around the side or across the top. In addition, some Japanese records
My husband and I spent our first decade in Japan collecting and selling second-hand collectible records. The records in Japan are unique in a variety of ways including 45 rpm records (singles) having a picture sleeve and albums having a paper band (obi) around the side or across the top. In addition, some Japanese records
jeudi 26 mai 2011
Won't Miss #324 - "gaijin da!"
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Spot the foreigner in the mix!
You're walking to the local train station as part of your daily commute and living in the dream world that is your own thoughts when suddenly, you hear someone (usually a child) shout, "gaijin da!" (a foreigner!) Instead of being wrapped up in the relative peace of your own thoughts, you're pulled into the reality that you are a stranger in a strange land and that
You're walking to the local train station as part of your daily commute and living in the dream world that is your own thoughts when suddenly, you hear someone (usually a child) shout, "gaijin da!" (a foreigner!) Instead of being wrapped up in the relative peace of your own thoughts, you're pulled into the reality that you are a stranger in a strange land and that
mercredi 25 mai 2011
Will Miss #323 - plum blossoms
Posted on 00:14 by Unknown
When people think of Japan, they think of the cherry blossoms, and certainly they deserve all of the admiration that they are due. For me though, the real harbingers of spring are not cherry blossoms but their precursors, plum blossoms. They look relatively similar and people often mistake the plum flowers for their more famous cousin. They're both beautiful, but the plums show up to the party
mardi 24 mai 2011
Won't Miss #323 - talk of "the big one"
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
A cafe window in Tokyo which was cracked in the Great Tohoku Earthquake. The word spelled in tape is "danger".
People seem obsessed with talking about a huge earthquake leveling Tokyo like the great Kanto earthquake of 1923. You'd think that such talk might settle down in the face of the Tohoku earthquake on March 11, 2011, but that doesn't satisfy the need for people to see Tokyo shaken apart.
People seem obsessed with talking about a huge earthquake leveling Tokyo like the great Kanto earthquake of 1923. You'd think that such talk might settle down in the face of the Tohoku earthquake on March 11, 2011, but that doesn't satisfy the need for people to see Tokyo shaken apart.
lundi 23 mai 2011
Will Miss #322 - traditional music
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
I'm not sure I'd ever buy a CD of Japanese traditional music or sit around listening to it for hours. It's not much of a toe tapper, but there is something about it which puts you very much in the spirit of living here and reminds one of nature through its simplicity. Most places are overwhelming you with annoying pop music or, worse, muzak, so it's a refreshing change of pace and a
vendredi 20 mai 2011
Won't Miss #322 - open meat handling/tray disposal
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
The Japanese are known for being fanatical about cleanliness and food safety, yet they engage in a thoroughly unsanitary and slightly gross habit in their markets for dubious reasons. There are trash bins near the counters and tables set aside for people to bag their own groceries. These bins have open packaging that used to contain various sorts of raw meat. On occasion, I have witnessed women
jeudi 19 mai 2011
Will Miss #321 - daikou
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
When debuneko overdoes it, he knows that daikou service is there to help him get home. ;-)
I've often talked about how subjective ones experiences are in Japan and how no one person can speak with encompassing authority or knowledge on life here, and the existence of daikou services and my coming by knowing about it about it so late in the game is proof of that. Daikou service (代行サービス) is, in
I've often talked about how subjective ones experiences are in Japan and how no one person can speak with encompassing authority or knowledge on life here, and the existence of daikou services and my coming by knowing about it about it so late in the game is proof of that. Daikou service (代行サービス) is, in
mercredi 18 mai 2011
Won't Miss #321 - Tokyo marathon
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
I don't have anything against marathon runners and I'm sure that there are people who have to drive their cars through the path the Tokyo marathon takes who have far better reasons to be annoyed than me. That being said, there are things about it which are irritating. First, those who want to take part in it talk about it. A lot. Too damn much. They do this because you have to win a lottery to
mardi 17 mai 2011
Will Miss #320 - noren
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Quite some time ago, the doors (literally) fell off of my closet so I strung some sumo noren over the doorway. This picture actually makes it look much more sheer than it really is. Without the camera flash, you can't see the clothes behind it much as all, nor do you notice the dust along the top. :-p
Noren are a traditional fabric "curtain" that is used to divide rooms or at the entrances of
Noren are a traditional fabric "curtain" that is used to divide rooms or at the entrances of
Posted in decorations, home life, Japanese culture, noren, traditional culture, will miss
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lundi 16 mai 2011
Won't Miss #320 - gaijinpot
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
When I think of the on-line forum for foreign folks in Japan, Gaijinpot, I think of the line delivered by Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars about Mos Eisley space port: "there has never been a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." Okay, it's not quite that bad, but this place which is supposed to function as a support area and a place to find jobs is a water cooler for the angriest, most
vendredi 13 mai 2011
Will Miss #319 - interest in my picture taking
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Generally, I really don't like having attention directed my way simply because of my hair color, eye color, or body. This sort of attention is unwarranted and based on superficial observation and objectifies me. There is one type of attention which I rather like and that's when I take a picture of something strange and the Japanese folks around me notice and look very carefully at what I'm
jeudi 12 mai 2011
Won't Miss #319 - institutionalized sexism
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
People stand around the dohyo (the ring) to make sure no one runs up and steps on it as the national stadium (kokugikan) empties after a day of sumo wrestling.
Sexism, like racism, is everywhere in the world. This is obviously a fact. No society can dictate the thoughts or actions of individuals. What a society can do is make rules and laws in order to reduce the ability for its citizens to
mercredi 11 mai 2011
Will Miss #318 - laughing in all the "wrong" places
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Seeing an English language movie in Japan can be a surreal experience, particularly if it is a comedy. The movie you are watching may look like the same one that the Japanese patrons are viewing, but in reality you are having a somewhat different experience. While you are following along in your native tongue, the Japanese are following the subtitles; these do not often say the same things as
mardi 10 mai 2011
Won't Miss #318 - teeth/wind sucking
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
You can't hear it, but that's pretty much what the face looks like during this maneuver.
Every culture has its body language tics and odd sounds associated with certain actions. I'm not a big fan of any of them, but one of the habits which is like nails on a blackboard for me is when people (usually men) suck air around their teeth in a particular manner. This is a habit which I never
Every culture has its body language tics and odd sounds associated with certain actions. I'm not a big fan of any of them, but one of the habits which is like nails on a blackboard for me is when people (usually men) suck air around their teeth in a particular manner. This is a habit which I never
Posted in body language, habits, noise, pet peeves, teeth sucking, wind sucking, won't miss
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lundi 9 mai 2011
Will Miss #317 - sesame sweets
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Ginbis animal biscuits for children, flavored wonderfully with sesame.
What peanut butter is to Americans, it seems that sesame is to the Japanese (also possibly to other Asian cultures). Our sweets are often infused with creamy peanutty goodness, and theirs with the rich, strong flavor of various types of sesame including both black and white varieties. Though you can get sesame treats nearly
What peanut butter is to Americans, it seems that sesame is to the Japanese (also possibly to other Asian cultures). Our sweets are often infused with creamy peanutty goodness, and theirs with the rich, strong flavor of various types of sesame including both black and white varieties. Though you can get sesame treats nearly
vendredi 6 mai 2011
Won't Miss #317 - imperial palace
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Early on in my time in Japan, I visited the imperial palace and after a long time, I forgot what it was like so I went back last year. Now, I have a much better idea of why I retained no memory whatsoever of the experience. Visiting the imperial palace in Tokyo is a singularly unmemorable experience. In fact, after having gone there and remarking on that fact to Japanese folks I know, their
Posted in Emperor, Imperial family, Imperial Palace, Japanese culture, sightseeing, won't miss
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jeudi 5 mai 2011
Will Miss #316 - "capsule" services
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
A lot of hoopla has been made about capsule hotels in the West so many people are aware of these tomb-like spaces meant to allow people to sleep on the cheap in expensive areas. The truth is that capsule hotels are losing some of their appeal these days because business is changing in ways which aren't allowing for the expenses that brought people (mainly men) to use them. They're still around,
mercredi 4 mai 2011
Won't Miss #316 - ramune
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Ramune is a type of soft drink which is associated with summer in Japan. You often see it on offer in its distinctive bottle design. All food and drink is strictly a matter of personal taste, and its not the flavor of ramune (that I don't much care for, but that's beside my point) that I take issue with. The first thing is that the bottle design is irritating. You can't see it in my picture, but
mardi 3 mai 2011
Will Miss #315 - Japanese manhole covers
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
A manhole cover at Mt. Takao.
Many areas in Japan have unique manhole covers. You can find pictures of them on Japan blogs all over the web, and there is even a book devoted to them. Some of them are colorful or intricate and others are cute. Most of them are culturally relevant to the regions they are in.
I'll miss chancing across these interesting and often artistic drain covers.
Many areas in Japan have unique manhole covers. You can find pictures of them on Japan blogs all over the web, and there is even a book devoted to them. Some of them are colorful or intricate and others are cute. Most of them are culturally relevant to the regions they are in.
I'll miss chancing across these interesting and often artistic drain covers.
lundi 2 mai 2011
Won't Miss #315 - JLPT score preoccupation
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Most foreigners who come to Japan spend some time studying Japanese and taking useless tests to prove how well they can speak, read or write it. OK, perhaps the tests aren't entirely useless if you need to achieve a specific score for a particular job, but it often seems that the main point of these tests is to boast about your Japanese level by pointing to what level of JLPT (Japanese Language
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