This is the sort of assertion that people who elevate Japanese culture about other cultures tend to make, but that is not what I'm attempting to do. Though I cannot make this assertion about every single individual raised in a Japanese cultural environment, I can say that Japanese people have much better empathy than most people from Western countries. It makes sense that this would be
jeudi 30 juin 2011
Will Miss #336 - highly developed empathy
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
This is the sort of assertion that people who elevate Japanese culture about other cultures tend to make, but that is not what I'm attempting to do. Though I cannot make this assertion about every single individual raised in a Japanese cultural environment, I can say that Japanese people have much better empathy than most people from Western countries. It makes sense that this would be
mercredi 29 juin 2011
Won't Miss #336 - Japan honeymooners
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
I've played a role-playing game for over a decade. When I first started playing it, I paid attention to and enjoyed every detail from the nifty sounds items made to the details and rewards of every quest. Many years on, I still like the game, but the artwork, sound, and shortcomings of the quests have become apparent. It doesn't mean I don't like it, but just that the way in which I experience
mardi 28 juin 2011
Will Miss #335 - office lady trot
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
It's probably not fair to call this "the office lady trot", since women everywhere do it, but it is something that I witnessed early and often among office ladies. We all know what people mean when they say "run like a girl", but I've seen it taken to an all new level in Japan. This is a "run" which has all of the appearances of increased movement without any but the most incidental increase in
lundi 27 juin 2011
Won't Miss #335 - kisoku wa kisoku da
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
One of the things in life that I'm naive about is the idea that sometimes it's better to lie. That idea has been strongly and boldly underscored to an incredible extent while living in Japan. A big reason for this is that telling the truth will gain you nothing. Lying, even when it's obvious that you are doing so and and as transparent as glass, gets you a free pass. This is because the lie
vendredi 24 juin 2011
Will Miss #334 - 10 months of pregnancy
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
One of the situations which continues to fascinate and interest me is the way in which pregnancy lasts 10 months in Japan, but 9 months in Western countries. When I address this inconsistency with Japanese friends, they grow wide-eyed in a response which I sometimes feel scarily validates (to them) all of the nonsense about how Japanese people are biologically very different from foreigners (
jeudi 23 juin 2011
Won't Miss #334 - people who pretend to understand
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
One of the things I never had to contend with when I shared the native tongue of the people around me was people who didn't understand me pretending to understand. Whether the language being used is Japanese or English, there always seems to be a fair amount of nodding and the equivalent of saying, "uh-huh", when it's clear that one is either not being understood or is not being carefully
mercredi 22 juin 2011
Will Miss #333 - funky good luck charms
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
There are a lot of shrines in Japan. In fact, it is downright shocking how many there are for a country in which people state they are absolutely not religious. At many shrines, various good luck charms are on offer. The charms are good for a year and various types are supposed to bring you particular types of good fortune - driving, health, studies, etc. Though I am no fan of the fact that
mardi 21 juin 2011
Won't Miss #333 - necessities that are not available
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Disposable heating patches on sale in a plethora of sizes.
This was a hard post to title, but it comes about because of my increasing decrepitude as my age advances and the fact that there are some things which are easy to get back home which are damn near impossible to locate in Japan. For reasons I do not understand, getting a hot water bottle or heating pad is difficult here. A sort of heating
This was a hard post to title, but it comes about because of my increasing decrepitude as my age advances and the fact that there are some things which are easy to get back home which are damn near impossible to locate in Japan. For reasons I do not understand, getting a hot water bottle or heating pad is difficult here. A sort of heating
lundi 20 juin 2011
Will Miss #332 - lady liberty replicas
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Being American, seeing replicas of the Statue of Liberty around Japan always strikes me as smile-worthy for two reasons. First of all, it feels like a curious homage to all things American without any consideration for what this symbol means. Second, since the statue was placed in New York Harbor to welcome immigrants, and Japan is one of the least immigrant friendly countries in the world, it
vendredi 17 juin 2011
Won't Miss #332 - little joy for turkey fans
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
A rare food stand selling smoked turkey legs in front of a shrine in Ueno.
If you grew up in America, there's very little chance that you don't have some experience with turkey because of Thanksgiving. Well, maybe you didn't eat it if your parents were vegetarian or vegan, but even then perhaps you had a tofu turkey. Around the holidays, my husband and I always embark on a quest for turkey, and
If you grew up in America, there's very little chance that you don't have some experience with turkey because of Thanksgiving. Well, maybe you didn't eat it if your parents were vegetarian or vegan, but even then perhaps you had a tofu turkey. Around the holidays, my husband and I always embark on a quest for turkey, and
jeudi 16 juin 2011
Will Miss #331 - rent contract terms
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
No, this is not where I live, but someone else does.
When I lived in the U.S., I lived in circumstances in which I didn't have to pay rent in both Pennsylvania and California. Lucky me. I only started forking over a pile of cash to a landlord upon moving into my Tokyo apartment, and I was annoyed at the key money and renewal fees, but figure that was the cost of business here. I've since come to
When I lived in the U.S., I lived in circumstances in which I didn't have to pay rent in both Pennsylvania and California. Lucky me. I only started forking over a pile of cash to a landlord upon moving into my Tokyo apartment, and I was annoyed at the key money and renewal fees, but figure that was the cost of business here. I've since come to
mercredi 15 juin 2011
Won't Miss #331 - foreigners speaking Japanese to me
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Occasionally, I have foreign friends over to my apartment for dinner or socializing. Though such friends are native speakers of English, they sometimes do something which is one of my pet peeves, and that is tossing in random Japanese words for things which are absolutely unrelated to Japan or Japanese things. I'm not talking about using the word "sushi" or even "chikatetsu" (subway) or
mardi 14 juin 2011
Will Miss #330 - shiba inu
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Many dog lovers may already be familiar with this ancient breed of dog from Japan. The dogs are beautiful, intelligent, and generally gentle in nature. Since I can't have a pet, I have little interaction with these dogs aside from observation. Since I live in Japan, I see them a lot and their image is used in advertising quite frequently. They're beautiful dogs and lend themselves to some pretty
lundi 13 juin 2011
Won't Miss #330 - having to wear pajamas
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
I'm going to confess that I preferred to sleep in the buff back home. I'm not some free-thinking anarchist or a hippy. I just prefer not to have to have clothes bunched up under me, tangled or giving me a wedgie when I sleep. It's simply easier to wear nothing, especially when it's hot or warm during the 5 months of summer or 2 months of rainy season in Tokyo. During the other 4 months of
vendredi 10 juin 2011
Will Miss #329 - Japanese person/foreign nickname
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Shirley McClaine is an American actress who is probably more famous for her new age spirituality at this point in time than her acting. One of the more curious facts about her is that her daughter is called "Sachi". Given that both of her parents are Caucasians and American, it seems odd for her to be called by a Japanese name (her real name is Stephanie). Similarly, it is odd in Japan when I
jeudi 9 juin 2011
Won't Miss #329 - limited diet soda options
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Okay, let's get this out of the way first. Diet sodas are bad for me. They are the devil's sperm meant to inseminate me with their evil cancer-causing hobgoblins. I shouldn't drink diet sodas and if I "have to" have a soda, I should suck it up and drink the sugary stuff. Finished with your finger wagging and judging? Good, good. You are superior to me in every way and I bow to your greatness
mercredi 8 juin 2011
Will Miss #328 - tsurushi bina
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Japan has its own brand of folk art, and some of it is known well all over the world (origami or paper folding craft). Tsurushi bina, or stuffed dolls displayed on strings, bring to mind mobiles, are less known, but they have a unique Japanese flavor both in the design of the dolls and the way in which they are strung together. It is said that the dolls originate in Shizuoka prefecture in Japan
mardi 7 juin 2011
Won't Miss #328 - English practice moochers
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
One evening, my husband and I met up around 9:00 p in Nakano after long tiring days at our respective jobs. Our plan was to have a nice dinner and unwind after talking to people all day. As we were walking along, a stranger in a business suit rushes up alongside my husband and asks if we'll speak English with him at a bar. This was neither our first or last experience with random strangers just
lundi 6 juin 2011
Will Miss #327 - cat cafes
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Tokyo has quite a few "cat cafes" in which patrons can go in and play with cats as well as have drinks and food. As someone who loves cats, but isn't allowed to have one in her apartment, this is a pretty nifty service. I'm not sure, but I believe it's also the kind of thing which would never be allowed back home because of concerns about cleanliness when animals are mixed with food preparation
vendredi 3 juin 2011
Won't Miss #327 - pet stores (and most zoos)
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
Pet stores in Tokyo in my experience are insanely depressing places. The animals are often in small cages in cramped and too hot or cold spaces. The animals seem to be largely ignored and are left in the cages overnight. Most of the cages are about twice the size of an animal carrier, and at least some of the smaller shops look pretty grubby as well. I can't even really bear to make a passing
jeudi 2 juin 2011
Will Miss #326 - gaijin smash
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
There is something that we foreigners do which I'm frankly embarrassed to admit that I have done in the past. For those who have never heard the term "gaijin smash", it is essentially a way for foreigners to bully the Japanese into allowing them to have their way. This happens because the Japanese tend not to like conflict and will often capitulate to avoid making a scene and because sometimes
mercredi 1 juin 2011
Won't Miss #326 - the peanut gallery
Posted on 00:15 by Unknown
A former stalker of mine once spent several months in Japan and found how she was treated so unbearably that she fled back home in a state of depression and sought medication. Since returning there, she seems to have forgotten how she felt about being treated like a purple multi-tentacled alien and seems to jump on a soap box every time someone who actually lives here has a complaint about
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