Tune In Nagoya

Parasite Singles

2010-05-01T23:40:00.001-07:00

Have you ever heard of the term "parasite singles"? If you have, you might have thought of inconsistency in Japanese child-rearing practices while reading our previous blog entry "Immature Young Adults." As our previous blog entry explains, parents are not expected to attend their children's university entrance ceremony because parents should treat their children as an adult at the age 18. On the other hand, parents allow their "parasite singles" to be dependent on them even after the singles get mature enough to lead their own lives.

"Parasite singles" are unmarried adults who live on their parents. They seem very strange from the viewpoints of most Americans, who are supposed to lead their independent life when they become an adult. Some "parasite singles" do not have a means to support themselves. Others can often afford to make their own living, but choose to live with their parents for their convenience. Even professional adults over 35 years of age are tolerated to stay at their parents' house.

Parents take care of their children by making meals and doing the laundry for them. "Parasite singles" enjoy such luxury as these domestic services and left-over free time which could have been spent on these household chores. They do not even have to pay a rent for their own apartment.

An extreme example of "parasite singles" is a 50-year-old single lady who lives with her brother's family, as well as her parents, at her parents' house. She might sometimes feel uncomfortable about living with her sister-in-law, but she chooses her parasite life over an independent life. Her sister-in-law and/or mother cook for her and do the laundry for her. All she has to do is pay $300 or so per month as a "rent" and for all these domestic services and food. She can use the rest of her salary for her leisure activities, such as travelling abroad or going to a beauty salon to maintain her youth. Don't you find such a parasite life attractive?

Immature Young Adults

2010-04-30T04:21:00.000-07:00

Something unusual has been going on these days in Japan. Japan seems to have been going through some sort of social change. Spring is the season when a lot of memorable ceremonies, such as graduation and entrance ceremonies, take place. It is a pretty common practice for parents to attend such ceremonies for their children up until the high school level. However, this spring sees very unusual phenomena at the university level.

More and more parents have attended the school entrance ceremony of universities their children are permitted to enter. Some universities had to hold their ceremony more than once to accommodate those parents. When interviewed about the reason for their attendance, these parents answered that they wanted to share such an important and precious time with their children. High school graduates gave a similar answer when asked. Yes, that is right. However, eighteen-year-olds (i.e., high school graduates) used to feel embarrassed if they were accompanied with their parents to such a ceremony. They used to feel that this is a sign of immaturity and dependence on their parents. Even if their parents insisted they attend the ceremony, children used to decline their parents’ offer.

Is this only one time phenomenon we have witnessed this year? Or, is it going to continue? Although indulgence of YOUNG children towards their parents is a pretty well-known child-rearing practice in Japan, YOUNG ADULTS’ indulgence has not been tolerated. What is going to happen to Japan if these immature young adults outnumber “ordinary” young adults?

One Day Trip to Hiroshima from Nagoya (part1)

2010-04-04T03:43:00.000-07:00

When you leave Nagoya early in the morning by Shinkansen (English: Bullet Train), you could make a one-day trip to Hiroshima. It takes less than 2 and half hours by Super Express Bullet Train called Nozomi to reach Hiroshima. On your way back, you just take the 8:37 pm Shinkansen so as to return to Nagoya around 11 pm. You can visit famous historical sites, including the Atomic Bomb Dome and its Museum, within one day. If you are a vigorous traveler, you could visit the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima (i.e., an island near the Atomic Bomb Dome), which is one of the Nippon San Kei (English: the three most beautiful places in Japan) as well as a World Heritage site.

If you stay at a hotel in Hiroshima, you can visit the beautiful Kintaikyo Bridge in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi prefecture (which is a prefecture next to Hiroshima prefecture). It takes only one and half hours by both train and bus. Only a few foreign travelers who visit Hiroshima actually reach far to Iwakuni to enjoy such a beautiful bridge.

We would like to share some pictures taken in Hiroshima, Hiroshima prefecture and Iwakuni, Yamaguchi prefecture. However, in part 1, we would like to show some "typical" or famous pictures of buildings, such as the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Itsukushima Shrine and its gate.

This is a picture of the Atomic Bomb Dome. A building was destroyed by the atomic bomb and only its frames survived.

The above picture shows a replica of the actual atomic bomb dropped to Hiroshima. This replica is displayed in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

This is the famous gate to the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima. When the tide rises, the gate looks to be floating in the ocean.

The above picture depicts how the Itsukushima Shrine looks with the gate at its back. The muddy area in the picture will be covered with water when the tide rises. Then, the Shrine really becomes mysterious, as if it were really floating in the ocean.

This is one of the cherry blossoms you see in the garden of the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima.

This picture shows a long hallway or passageway of the Shrine with the five-story pagoda at its back.

In part 2, we will share some pictures depicting some popular food in Hiroshima.

Time to View Cherry Blossoms

2010-03-22T03:05:00.001-07:00

Do you know what the cherry-blossom front (Japanese: sakura zensen) is? As we wrote somewhere in our blog, cherry blossoms have a special meaning to Japanese people. This year as well, the time to enjoy viewing cherry blossoms has just arrived.

The cherry-blossom front, which is officially announced by the Meteorological Agency, is an indicator of when and where people can enjoy viewing beautiful cherry blossoms in Japan. The front moves from Kyushu all the way up to Hokkaido, (i.e., from the south to the north), indicating some part of Japan has become ready for the cherry-blossom feast.

Generally in the US, drinking in public places, such as parks and riversides, is prohibited. In Japan, however, these places, especially under cherry trees or where people can enjoy viewing cherry blossoms, are the very best places where co-workers, friends, or families can get together. While viewing beautiful cherry blossoms, people drink beer and/or sake (English: Japanese rice wine) in such public places. Sometimes, as a Japanese saying "hanayori dango" (English: literally, sweets rather than flowers; figuratively, people prefer eating food to viewing flowers) shows, people may enjoy drinking more than viewing cherry blossoms. However, drinking while viewing cherry blossoms is good for a spring get-together. When you see some plastic sheet (mostly, blue plastic sheet) spread on the ground in a park or a riverside, it means the spot covered with the sheet is "reserved" for the cherry-blossom viewing party.

Female Figure Skaters (Mao, Miki, and Akiko)

2010-02-27T21:39:00.000-08:00

Japanese people, in general, do not show nationalism. However, February 26th, 2010 was an exception. Around noon on that day (Japan time), literally every Japanese person was paying close attention to the figure skate competition of the Vancouver Olympics. It was a "feast" for Japanese people, whose hearts were united to cheer the three Japanese figure skaters: Mao Asada, Miki Ando, and Akiko Suzuki.

Nagoyans were especially in a fever around that time. At every corner of Nagoya, Nagoyans showed their enthusiasm to watch the competition. Pedestrians stopped at the intersection to watch it on the big TV screen furnished on the outside wall of some building. Shoppers bothered to go to an electric store to see on TV how the Japanese figure skaters would perform. Some lucky workers could watch the competition on TV in the office, while less fortunate ones could monitor it on the Internet. Even students could watch the skaters' performance on their cell phones. In the evening, a special news edition featuring Mao Asada's winning the silver medal was distributed to passengers-by at Nagoya station. People rushed to grab the paper.

It really makes sense why Nagoyans were so enthusiastic. All the three figure skaters are from around Nagoya. Mao Asada and Miki Ando are actually from Nagoya while Akiko Suzuki is from Toyohashi, which lies to the south of Nagoya in the same prefecture (i.e., Aichi prefecture). Nagoyans are so proud of the three "local" figure skaters. Nagoya Sports Center (http://www12.ocn.ne.jp/~skate/), where Mao Asada practiced, is getting one of the hottest places to visit now.

Japanese Apartments (Washing Machine)

2010-02-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

When you rent an apartment in Japan, you have to buy a lot of furniture. Furnished apartments are not so common in Japan as in the US although they are getting very popular these days for a short duration of stay. Beds, tables, and chairs are on the list of necessary items to buy. Refrigerators are not furnished either. If you are used to using an oven when cooking, the oven could be a necessary item to buy. A cooking stove, which is normally a gas stove in Japan, has to be purchased if you cook or should boil water for coffee or tea.

From a Japanese sense, it is strange that a dish washer is a sort of standard equipment furnished in American apartments. Japanese people think they can do the dishes by hand, not by the machine, especially when there are a few people in the family. They think they can save electricity and water, which is environmentally friendly. On the other hand, what would surprise Americans is some "laundry space," where a washing machine should be placed, is furnished as a standard in Japanese apartments. Although you have to buy a washing machine, you do not have to go to the laundry mat to do the laundry.

How convenient is it to have a washing machine at home? You do not have to go out in the hot or cold weather. You can do other things while your clothes are being washed. Also, calculate the amount you would spend in the laundry mat. Suppose you do the laundry once a week and spend $5 each. You will spend $240 a year. If you keep paying this amount for 2 years, you could afford to buy a brand new washing machine with the total amount (i.e., $480). Since you would probably spend more than $5 each, the yearly amount could exceed $240. Japanese people would wonder why not a washing machine at home!

Eating Out in Japan

2010-02-10T03:24:00.000-08:00

What we like most about eating at a restaurant in Japan is that we do not have to pay a tip. We do not mind paying it, or rather are willing to, when we get good service there. However, getting nice service is, unfortunately, not always the case in the US. Even when waitpersons do not attend you well, you are obligated to leave a tip against your will. Calculation of the amount of tip may sometimes be a headache.

In Japan, however, you do not have to worry about tipping at restaurants in general. Some restaurants in hotels, for example, charge you for their service. In this case as well, you do not have to worry about the tip because the service charge is already included in your bill. Also, good service is almost guaranteed at such upscale restaurants. Even not-so-sophisticated restaurants, like ones a little above fast food places, generally provide good service to their customers. You could enjoy your meal without worrying about how much you leave for the tip or being upset about the treatment you would get.

McDonald Japan has been on a campaign “Smile for $0,” which promotes a high quality of customer service. The attitudes of its attendants with a lot of smile would surprise you. However, good service is not limited to smile. One of the unique services at restaurants is a clean and hot wet towel (as you can see in the picture), by which you can clean your hands before eating or even wipe your sweat in summer. Once you get accustomed to this great service, you would surely miss it.

Another convenient service is a bell placed on each table, as shown in the following web link: http://www.pospos.jp/sonet.html. When you place your order, you just press the bell to get waitpersons’ attention. The bell transmits to the waitpersons the wireless signal that you are ready to order. At some restaurants, when placing an order, you can even avoid interactions with waitpersons. On the screen of some electric gadget, as shown in the links http://www.necinfrontia.co.jp/fit/hw.htm, you only select food items and then directly transmit the order to the cooks. When checking out, you press the panel and then go to the cashier. You can even check your bill before paying as well.

Setsubun (February 3rd)

2010-02-03T04:23:00.000-08:00

Today, February 3rd, is Setsubun (English: the last day of winter by the lunar calender). On this day, one day before the first day of spring (February 4th), Japanese people have a special ceremony: They scatter roasted beans (as you can see in the picture) while hoping by this ceremony to drive off evils and welcome good fortune.

If you were in Japan, you could hear people chanting "oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi," which literally means "evils out and good fortune in." Since they chant while scattering the beans at home as well as shrines and temples, you could even hear the sound of the splashed beans. Supermarkets set up a special area where beans and other related goods are displayed and sold. Some temples and shrines, such as Osu Kannon in Nagoya, have the special bean-scattering ceremony and sell "sacred" beans. Eating the number of beans which matches your age is thought to bring you a good fortune. Setsubun marks the coming of spring.

Is Japan a "Weird" Country? (Part 2)

2010-01-27T06:49:00.000-08:00

When discussing cultural practices (basically embodied in people’s behavior) of a culture, we think it is important to keep perspective of its cultural effects on macro- and micro-levels: the effects overarching individuals, such as those of cultural norms and social change, and how individual persons are affected on an individual basis.

On a macro-level, Japanese cultural norms and technological advancement (or social change) affect Japanese people’s behavior. For example, because Japanese people are expected to keep quiet on the trains, especially crowed rush-hour trains (i.e., cultural norms), some people had occupied themselves by reading newspaper, magazines and comic books (i.e., people’s behavior). They sometimes read dirty magazines or comic books on the trains, but this behavior is somewhat tolerated as long as the readers quietly read them. These days, however, it is very rare that we witness people reading these printed materials on the trains. Instead, they silently use cell phones, for example, while sending text messages, checking their emails, or browsing. This behavior change is due to technological advancement by which cell phone has become an excellent tool to get connected to friends, get information, and something more.

On a micro-level, or more precisely on an individual basis, we have to keep in mind that these overarching effects vary among individuals. Some people are very affected by cultural norms and technological advancement (or social change) while others are not. Also, personal interest has an influential factor to what cultural norms or technological aspects the person takes in and how to behave. In the above example again, some people anyway read dirty magazines or obscene comic books on the train even though such a reading practice is not so acceptable in Japan. They chose to do so against the expected acceptable behavior (i.e., not reading such magazines and books). We could say that they are less influenced by what they are expected to behave but pretty adamant in their personal preference.

In another example, some people are very sensitive to technological advancement. They have a strong interest in it and paying a lot of attention to, for example, new “geeky” gadgets. Due to their strong interest, they might show certain “geeky” behavior, such as behavior called Otaku. However, whether they actually display such behavior in public or not is, of course, up to them. Again, it is a matter of personal preference and choice. We are not critical of such behavior at all. However, once their behavior starts getting a lot of attention from other people, as if it were a typical example of Japanese cultural practices, it would definitely create huge misunderstanding.

In summary, we argue that it is misleading if we exaggerate certain groups of behavior and report that they are representative characteristics of Japan and Japanese culture. Some people who chose to read dirty magazines and books on the train are not representatives of Japanese people. It is just a fact that there are some people like that. Nor are those who show unique or “weird” behavior, or Otaku. They indeed contribute to interesting and unique characteristics of Japanese culture, but it is not so fair that they have been heavily focused, especially in a distorted way. Thus, keeping these maco- and micro-perspectives in mind, we would like to shed more light on cultural perspectives and practices in Japan. In doing so, we would be able to discover what Japanese people take for granted and likely to overlook and what foreigners find unique and interesting.

Is Japan a Weird Country? (Part 1)

2010-01-23T04:43:00.000-08:00

Is Japan really a “weird” country? These days, we have encountered more and more occasions where we cannot helping wondering if this question is true. As a blogger discussing Japanese social and cultural aspects, we are happy that Japanese popularity has been hitting high in other countries. Without any doubt, some unique characteristics of Japanese culture, such as Manga (English: comics), Anime (English: animated cartoons), Made Café (English: coffee shops where costumed waiters attend), have been contributing to this popularity. These unique characteristics have attracted foreigners—recent supporters as well as ardent long-time fans of Japanese culture.

However, these unique characteristics are just part of Japanese culture. Furthermore, if some “cheesy” aspects (e.g., weird persons and behavior), which are only a fraction of them, are heavily focused on, there is some danger that foreigners, who have limited access to Japanese culture, might create a distorted image of Japan and Japanese culture based on the biased information available. We think this is very sad and unfair at the same time.

In our next entry (part 2), we would like to discuss more this unfortunate phenomenon we have encountered these days. We also want to clarify our stance in reporting people’s behavior and cultural practices in Japan.

One-day Fall Trip to Kyoto (Part 2)

2010-01-10T02:01:00.000-08:00

River-cruising is not so well-known to foreign tourists, but it is one of the most enjoyable attractions in Kyoto. Like a boat-ride in the Rhine, Germany, this river-cruising provides wonderful opportunities in which visitors can enjoy beautiful scenery along the Hozu/Katsura River (two names for one river), while enjoying cool (in summer) and brisk (in winter) air under the blue sky. Around the end of the cruising, interesting motorboats, which sell food, come near to your boat so that you can enjoy food and drinks while on board.

We would like to share some pictures depicting river-cruising in the Hozu/Katsura River and other pictures featuring the area called Arashiyama and Sagano, which is located in the northern part of Kyoto.

This is where you can get aboard.

The above two pictures show how the river-cruising looks, especially at its beginning. The river-cruising goes slow, but later goes through the high current. In the second picture, you can see a red train called Torokko Densha (English: a trolley train) on the upper-right corner, which runs along the river.

As the above picture shows, the current of the river gets pretty fast.

In the above two pictures again, you can see the trolley train running in the mountains along the river.

The above two pictures depict the motorboats which sell food to the passengers on board. These boats approach the river-cruising boats around the end of the cruising. They sell Oden (English:a dish containing of boiled white raddish, hard-boiled eggs, fish cake, and others), which is a traditional dish for the common Japanese, as well as Ikayaki (English: fried squid) and oranges. They sell, of course, beverages such as beer, sake (English: Japanese rice wine) , shochu (English: Japanese spirits), and soft drinks. The smell of squid fried on the spot (mixed with the soy sauce flavour) makes it very difficult for the passengers to resist the temptation.

The above two pictures show how the disembarking area looks in Arashiyama. There is a hiking path along the river.

This picture shows Arashiyama area, where the passengers disembark. You can see rickshaw lining up along the street (under the pine tree in the picture). You can explore Arashiyama in the rickshaw.

This is the famous bridge "Togetsubashi" or Togetsu Bridge, over the Hozu/Katsura river.

Fukubukuro (English: Happy or Lucky Bags)

2009-12-31T10:25:00.000-08:00

It has been very popular that Japanese people buy Fukubukuro (English: happy or lucky bags) during New Year's holidays. Fukubukuro is literally a bag which contains goods, such as clothes, accessories, and shoes. Some Fukubukuro specifically features food items, ranging from fruit to seafood. The reason why the bag is called Fukubukuro is that it is actually a happy or lucky bag, which contains goods more worthy than the money they pay. People also buy it to see if they have good luck in the new year because if they are lucky, they will find expensive goods in the bag.

It is normally purchased on the dates from January 1st and 3rd. People are not supposed to know beforehand what it contains, which is one of the most exciting secrets of its popularity. The year 2009, however, has seen interesting trends: people can buy Fukubukuro before the first three days of the new year 2010 although they actually get it after the new year starts. As early as the beginning of November, some department stores and boutiques started taking orders of Fukugukuro.

Moreover, these sellers disclose what their Fukubukuro contains and further make it customer-made Fukubukuro: Customers can choose the color, size, and design of the items contained in their ordered Fukubukuro. Although losing the excitement of seeing what is inside after purchase, customers can avoid the risk of getting items of unfavorable colors and designs, or different size. This unusual practice is also beneficial for the sellers. Despite the economic downturn, they can secure the customers and increase their sale with the help of Fukubukuro.

Nagoya's Unique Green Project

2009-12-07T03:47:00.000-08:00

Today, on December 7th, 2009, COP 15 (Conferences of the Parties) started in Copenhagen, Denmark. This conference discusses how to prevent the drastic climate change we have been experiencing. Well-known strategies include reducing the emission of carbon dioxide.

Copenhagen is one of the most appropriate cities which should host such a conference. The city has been promoting environmentally-friendly infrastructures. Bicycle lanes are improved along the regular driving lanes so that bike-riders can safely travel or commute on the street. For its citizens, bicycles are said to be one of the most important and convenient means of transportation. On top of this, bicycles are environmentally-friendly because they do not emit carbon dioxide.

Nagoya also contributes to reducing the carbon dioxide emission. This November, Nagoya launched one green project called “Mei Chari Project.” "Mei" is short for Nagoya, and "Chari" means bicycle. Namely, the Project is to promote the use of bicycles and public transportation, rather than using cars or taxis. At 30 locations around Nagoya Station and Sakae (downtown Nagoya), you can rent a bicycle and travel or commute. When you get off Shinkansen (English: Bullet train) at Nagoya station, you can rent a bicycle there and travel to Sakae, where you return the bicycle, instead of taking a taxi. It takes 15 to 20 minutes by bicycle. You could feel the wind and enjoy Nagoya's scenery better. Some commuters for Sakae also use this service. For the time being, you can rent a bicycle for free, but you have to register to use this service. Nagoya has been figuring out how to implement this service without charging any fee from its users.

For general information on this project, go to http://meichari.jp/portal/use.do
For the information on the rental locations, go to
http://meichari.jp/portal/cycleStation.do

Polite or Rude? (Lining Practice)

2009-11-20T01:59:00.000-08:00

Japanese people are known for being polite, patient, and considerate. Some visitors to Japan are amazed at well-mannered Japanese drivers: Even at a busy traffic intersection, Japanese drivers do not honk and patiently wait in line. Is this true all the time?

Japanese train system is well organized and operated, as talked about in our previous entry "Modern or Primitive?" On the other hand, Japanese trains are notorious for being very crowded. Especially during the rush hours, trains are literally packed that people have to push themselves into the train. A train conductor also helps people to get on the train in order to close the doors. In general, people neatly wait in line for the train.

On the train arriving at the platform, however, you would sometimes notice an amazing scene: The line gets disorganized and people hurry to the entrance. In order to get a seat, some people use “elbow attacks,” or strategies by which other people are blocked from getting on the train. Even on the train, the elbow strategies to secure their personal space go on. Staying in Japan for a while would get yourself accustomed to a Japanese custom that people don’t say “excuse me” or “sorry” when they bump into someone. Even after being familiarized with this custom, these “elbow attacks” would surely be upsetting.

Another interesting scene can be observed at a supermarket. Think about how you would behave in the following situation. People wait patiently in line at a checking-out counter. You are the third in the line. You notice another cashier, which was closed, start operating. You would start wondering whether or not you yourself could move to the newly-open cashier or you should let the person before you go first. A moment of your hesitation would make a huge difference. You would see the persons behind you in the line quickly move to the cashier, and there is no chance for either you or the person before you. Even your frustrations, which are expressed with “excuse me,” to raise people’s attention would be in vain.

One-day Fall Trip to Kyoto (Part 1)

2009-11-04T03:59:00.000-08:00

Kyoto is one of the popular destinations tourists, either Japanese or foreign, want to visit in Japan. All the year round, Kyoto presents every aspect of its seasonal beauty: cherry blossoms in spring; temples and shrines surrounded by bright greens in summer; snow-covered historic scenery lying in the brisk winter air. On top of these, Kyoto in autumn provides magnificent, priceless experiences where you can enjoy great scenery "painted" in different shaded colors, such as red, vermilion, orange, yellow, brown, and green.

You could enjoy one-day autumn trip from Nagoya to Kyoto. For example, when you take a Shinkansen (English:Bullet train) leaving Nagoya around 8 am, you can reach Kyoto before 9 am. Since most of the temples and shrines in Kyoto open around 9 am until 5 pm, you can make the most of these 8 hours by using a one-day pass (shown in the following picture) to visit major historical sites. These sites include Kinkakuji, the rock garden in Ryoanji, Ginkakuji, and Kiyomizu, which scatter across Kyoto.

After 5 pm, you can spend evening hours exploring Gion, where you have dinner and/or drinks, or buy some gifts. If you are lucky, you could encounter Maiko or Geigi, who are specific terms of Geisha girls entertaining diners with dancing and serving drinks. After dinner, you could take Shinkansen back to Nagoya.

We would like to share some pictures which depict Kyoto's autumnal beauty. Pictures in Part 1 show famous temples and shrines you might have already encountered somewhere like in travel booklets. Small and minor places which are worth visiting are also shown. Part 2 depicts an interesting river-cruising in Arashiyama, which is located in the northern part of Kyoto.

This is a one-day pass for the subway and bus ride (which costs 1200 yen). Another pass (500 yen), which is only for the bus ride, is also available.

This is a time-indicator for the upcoming bus. As introduced in our previous blog entry (i.e., Modern or Primitive?), Kyoto has a very unique bus-ride system.

The above two pictures depict the famous Kinkakuji (English: Golden Pavilion). The reflection of the Pavilion in the pond is magnificent.

This bell is located near the entrance of Kinkakuji. You can see a tint of autumnal colored leaves behind the bell. You can actually toll the bell.

The above two pictures show how we can enjoy tea called Matcha (English: powered tea used for tea ceremony) in the garden of Kinkakuji.

Vendors promote free samples of wagashi (English: Japanese sweets) to passengers-by (i.e., students wearing their school uniform) in the garden of Kinkakuji.

The above two pictures depict the famous rock garden in Ryouanji. The garden is said to represent the universe.

This picture depicts a miniature rock garden made for blind people so that they can sense how the rocks are located in the garden.

These pictures show where we should wash our hands for purification before visiting a temple or shrine. This water basin lies in the garden leading to Ryouanji.

This picture depicts a pond in the garden leading to the rock garden in Ryouanji. This place is very quiet as you can imagine.

These above two pictures show the path called Tetsugaku no Michi (English: Philosophical Path) leading to Ginkakuji (English: Silver Pavilion).

The above three pictures depict Ginkakuji (English: Silver Pavilion, although it is not covered with silver as Kinkakuji, or Golden Pavilion, with gold). This Pavilion was built later than Kinkakuji after the power of Shogunate declined, for which reason this Pavilion is not covered with silver.

The above two pictures show the garden of Ginakkuji.

This picture depicts Kiyomizu (temple). A Japanese famous saying "Kiyomizu no butai kara tobioriru" literally means jumping from the stage of this temple (i.e., the extended balcony in the picture). This saying is referred to mean "making a big decision" because, as you can see, its stage is so high that you have to overcome the fear and anxiety to make a big decision.

This picture shows how high the stage of Kiyomizu is.

The above picture is a path (called Ninenzaka) consisting of stone stairs, which leads to Kiyomizu. Its sides are lined with gift shops, restaurants, and ice cream shops.

This shop is one of the shops lining the Ninenzaka. This is the place where you can transform to a geisha girl by waring white make-up, Kimono, and special raised wooden footwear.

The above two pictures slightly depict how Gion looks like. The exploration in the evening or night time could give you a better sense of Gion.

This is the picture of Nanzenji, which is located to the north of Kiyomizu. This temple has a famous wooden gate, on the top of which you can have a magnificent view of Kyoto. The next picture shows that you have to climb steep stairs to reach the top of the gate.

This is the steep stairs leading to the magnificent view.

The above picture shows a stone monument in the garden of Nanzenji.

The above picture depicts the old water gate near Nanzenji. This place is a very famous spot where scenes in soup drams, e.g., murder scenes, are shot.

The above two pictures are gardens in the Eikando Zenrinji (temple), which is in the vicinity of Nanzenji. Eikando Zenrinji is famous for its fall foliage. This temple is not so well-known as Kiyomizu, but worth visiting. It is quiet and has interesting characteristics, as you can see from the following pictures.

This picture shows an earthen jar in the garden of Eikando Zenrinji. When water drops into the jar, it makes a sound. Since this place is quiet, you can enjoy its delicate sound.

In Eikando Zenrinji, you have to climb these steep stairs to enjoy its garden.

The above picture shows the entrance of another minor but worth-visiting temple called Shoreiin. This temple is in the western part of Kyoto, or more specially is located between Kiyomozu and Nanzenji. This year, they have a special exhibit: a national treasure of scroll depicting Buddha. Check it out at http://www.shorenin.com/gokaicho/index.html

The following pictures depict some other exhibits at Shoreiin.

The above two pictures show a court carriage, where emperors, nobles, Shogunates comfortably sit. You can see sliding doors behind the carriage.

This is a wall decoration inside the Shoreiin temple. Yellow part of the decoration is gold. These kinds of expensive decorations are made for emperors and nobles.

This is another kind of decoration. This depicts a typical feature of the tea-ceremony room.

The above picture depicts a scroll displayed in Shoreiin. It says: We should believe in the existence of Buddha in our heart. Instead of yielding to earthly temptations, such as greed, hatred, and anger, we should always bear in mind the gratitude and considerations for others. Chant the Buddhist scriptures.

Modern or Primitive?

2009-10-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

What do you think would surprise you when you first visit Japan? More specifically, what would surprise you when you take a train from the airport to your destinations in Japan? You might be amazed by high-tech train system, such as Shinkansen (English: Bullet trains), skyscrapers, and clean streets.

Japanese train system is well organized and operated: trains come on time and digital indicators for the next train coming are operated at almost all major train stations. Turnstiles at the wicket are sophisticated and effectively control the in-coming and out-going passengers. To get on a train, you insert your ticket into a turnstile and pick it up. At your destination, you insert the ticket again into another turnstile. The turnstile somehow checks the fare you paid at your entrance and collects the ticket if the fare is right. If not, the turnstile blocks you and gives you some embarrassment. You can pay the fare by placing your cell phone (which carries prepaid electronic money like Edy) over the turnstile.

You would notice, as in New York and other big cities in the US, skyscrapers during your trip. Some highways are elevated and go through such downtown. You might also notice how clean, in general, Japanese streets are. Your prior image about Japan of being a high-tech, modern, and clean country might be confirmed.

However, once your train hits a residential area, even in downtown, you would start noticing something unfit to your image of Japan: laundry hung in one balcony after another of houses and apartments. For example, on a sunny day, laundry in the balcony swims like carp streamers shown in our previous blog entry. To Japanese people, who do not have the custom of using a dryer, this practice is not strange at all. Rather they consider this environmentally-friendly. They do not consume electricity to dry their clothes. One study conducted in 2005 reports that only 50 percent of the Japanese households own a dryer. However, to those who are not used to hanging laundry in the balcony, this practice might be evaluated pretty primitive, unattractive, or unsophisticated, which does not fit to the image of Japan.

Food Delivery Service in Japan

2009-10-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

There are some unique delivery services available in Japan. Food industry has been taking the advantage of this kind of service to fulfill various needs of their customers. Some sit-in restaurants, especially local restaurants, deliver their dishes to your house. When you see a wooden box called Okamochi placed on the doorstep of a house, you should know that food was delivered to the house. Special types of dishes, such as dishes for people on a diet or under some medical condition, are also delivered. These types include food specifically targeted for the elderly. Another service delivers only ingredients, not dishes themselves, for such special food.

Some specialize only in delivery service without having the place where they serve their food. Bento boxes (English: boxed lunch) are one of the ready-made foods delivered, for example, to offices as well as houses. People can buy bento boxes at a convenience store, but when you place an order beforehand, you do not have to get out of your office to get lunch.

Pizza delivery is also pretty common in Japan. Though being very expensive in Japan compared with in the US (e.g., a medium size pizza with 25 centimeters in diameter costs 2,000 yen or more), pizza is a popular item for a party, especially among young people. More interesting and common, Japanese people use sushi delivery service. “Gin no Sara,” one of the sushi delivery specialists, provides high quality but reasonably-priced sushi to your home. As seen in the pictures, you can order for from one person to a party. You can check it out on their website: http://www.ginsara.jp/

Nagoya Festival 2009

2009-10-03T01:11:00.000-07:00

We would like to share some video clips and pictures which show part of Nagoya Festival 2009. One of the main features of Nagoya Festival is the parade of Samurai warriors called "Eiketsu Gyoretsu (English: warriors' procession)." "Eiketsu," literally meaning heroes, are Nobunaga Oda, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, and Ieyasu Tokugawa. These three (in the above order) contributed to unifying the war-torn Japan around 16th century. They are originated from Aichi Prefecture, where Nagoya is located. Every year, on the first weekend of October, Nagoya Festival features the procession to commemorate these three hero warriors.

This above clip shows how warriors wear a suit of armor, which looks very heavy.

This video clip shows the procession of Nobunaga Oda. He is the first warrior who rides on a horse. You can see his wife, Nohime, on the roof of a car after the process of her maids (in yellow kimono with a Naginata sword).

These are infantrymen in armor. You can see how heavy their armor is.

The samurai warrior on the horseback is a little higher ranking warrior than infantrymen shown in the previous picture.

This picture shows a unit of Horagai, which announces the start of a battle with the sound of trumpet shells.

This picture shows Nobunaga Oda's family crest (on the top of the pole), which was hoisted in the battle with other warriors.

The above two pictures show the procession of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. The second one shows Hideyoshi himself.

This is Hideyoshi's wife Nene.

This is Nene's maid. The below two pictures show how lower-ranking maids look like, compared with this high-ranking maid in this pictures.

The above picture (in white kimono) shows that maids are supposed to protect their master called hime (Englsih: princess) with Naginata (longer blade) swords.

This picture shows Ieyasu Tokugawa, who started the Tokugawa or Edo Shogunate in 1603. Although Ieyasu himself is far back of this picture, you can see his family crest clearly.

The above picture shows a carrier in the Edo era. Interestingly, the shown carrier was actually for Tokugawa's dog called Oinusama, which was adored and protected by Tokugawa Shogunate.

Wagashi in Autumn

2009-09-23T02:15:00.001-07:00

Today is Autumnal Equinox Day. These days, due to the change of weather (i.e., despite the heat in the daytime, the air is getting cooler and cooler both in the morning and evening), Japanese people have started enjoying the coming of autumn. Officially, however, the autumn has come to Japan. Here are some pictures of Wagashi featuring Japanese autumn. The above picture shows a box of Kurikinton (English: Japanese chestnut sweets) which contain 6 delicate pieces of Kurikinton.

This is one piece of Kurikinton, which is made from Japanese chestnuts and a little taste of sugar. This small piece costs over $2. However, you can definitely enjoy the autumn with its delicate taste along with hot green tea. Kawakamiya, which is located in Nakatsugawa, Gifu prefecture, is one of the best Kurikinton manufacturers. You can check out their websites:

http://www.kawakamiya.co.jp/
http://www.kawakamiya.co.jp/webshop/user_data/products.php

This picture shows Ohagi (English: red-bean rice cake), which is also called Botamochi. This is made from red beans and a special type of rice called Mochigome. Ohagi is a generic name for this type of rice cake (the one on the left is a typical example of Ohagi), but has some varieties, which include Kinakomochi, Ohagi powdered with sweetened soybean flour (on the right of the picture) or covered with sesame. This is called Onimanjyu (English: sweet potato Manjyu or sweets), which is made from sweet potatoes and a little taste of sugar. This is steamed, not baked. Although you can taste this throughout the year, you can enjoy Onimanjyu made with newly-harvested sweet potatoes in Autumn.

The above picture shows Uirou (English: steamed cake), which is made from rice powder or flour. As you can see, there are several types of Uirou available. The one on the right has chestnuts in it. This shop sells particular types of Uirou featuring a season, along with standard types of Uirou. Nagoya is famous for Uirou.
This is a little different version of chestnut Uirou (from the right one in the previous picture).

This picture shows Gozasourou (English: baked bean cake). On the heated board (shown above), red and white beans are baked along with the solution of flour. You can eat this all the year round, but in Autumn you can enjoy Gozasourou with chestnuts in it.

Some Secrets of Japanese Longevity

2009-08-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

Japanese life expectancy has been known highest in the world: 86.05 years for women and 79.29 for men (according to the survey released in 2009). Since diets and exercises are reported to play an important role in maintaining good health, Japanese people must have some secrets in their diets and exercises.

Japanese eating practices have a very unique characteristic. They not only eat Sushi and Sashimi (English: raw fish), which are typical examples of healthy Japanese dishes, but they also eat food on special occasions. For example., they eat BBQ eels on specified days in summer because they believe that the affluent nutriment (e.g., Vitamin A and Bs) of eels helps them to combat the summer heat. Vegetables, such as pumpkins, are also eaten on special days in winter. Japanese people follow these eating traditions to take in important nutrients in accordance with seasonal changes.

Morning exercise may contribute to Japanese longevity. In summer, people get together somewhere (e.g., in the nearby park or on the street) and do so-called radio exercises called Rajio Taisou. Children are expected to participate in this morning exercise as early as 6 am. Their participation brings them a stamp on their stamp card (one stamp per participation) and eventually some rewards around the end of summer vacation (i.e., August 31st). This radio exercise is pretty common at workplaces as well. You could see, if you are lucky, workers do exercises together to the tune of radio before they actually start their work.

Drinking Gathering in Japan

2009-06-29T02:17:00.000-07:00

How do you define “fairness”? A more specific question like the following would illustrate Japanese society and culture: “A group of 5 people work together on a project and get $100 for the project. How would you divide the amount among the 5 group members?”

When you ask Japanese people this question, quite a few of them, of course not all of them, would answer “$20 for each.” Westerners, on the other hand, would claim that “$100 should be divided based on each member’s contribution to the project. Some members could get nothing whereas only one member could get all the $100.” Japanese people would counter-argue that the work was done in a group, insisting that the money be divided “equally.”

This unique notion of fairness is applied to a drinking gathering. If you are not familiar with this uniqueness, you might get very frustrated or upset when you get the check after drinking. The waitperson normally does not ask if we prefer one or separate check. The amount each participant owes is obtained by dividing the total amount, which include all the dishes and drinks for the entire group. We each are expected to pay the divided “fair” or even amount. You might feel “unfair,” especially when you feel obligated to come to the gathering while surely knowing that you cannot consume the fair amount of food and alcohol. Don’t worry! There is one solution for your frustration: Try “nomihoudai” (English: all you can drink). When you order “nomihoudai,” you have to pay extra but only pay a fixed amount regardless of however much you drink.

Summer Festival in Japan

2009-06-09T04:33:00.000-07:00

There are several things that indicate that summer has come to Japan. For example, Japanese people have to go through the gloomy and depressing rainy season before they enjoy the bright summer sunshine. Thus, the onset of the rainy season, which is officially announced by news media, makes people excited about the summer being almost there. Other examples include summer vegetables and fruit (e.g., watermelon) on sale at supermarkets, morning glories, the buzz of mosquitoes, and media reports on the first typhoon in the nearby ocean.

Summer festival and fireworks are also one of the unique summer indicators. Here are some pictures taken (in the first week of June) at some summer festival, which is one of the earliest summer festivals in Japan. Although pictures of magnificent fireworks could not be taken, the following pictures will show you some unique characteristics of Japanese summer and culture in general.

The first three pictures show floats which are carried by men on the street. The doll gadgets each on its top stage perform some kind of short skit to the live music played by young and old men aboard the bottom of the float. These floats were exhibited at the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi prefecture.

The above picture illustrates a storehouse specifically made for such a tall float. You can easily imagine that these floats are treated as treasure. You can see a man wearing happi (English: a kind of kimono specifically for a festival) on the right corner.

The following pictures are street vendors lined up on both sides of the narrow street, where floats are carried. You can see a lady and a girl wearing yukata (English: summer kimono).

This picture was taken around 6 pm, just before it got dark. At night, this street is more crowded.

This street vendor sells banana chocolate candies (i.e., banana is chocolate-coated). The vendor behind, which has a yellow banner with red letters, sells deep-fried sausage. This picture shows a traditional Japanese entertainment called shateki. (English: a shooting game). You use a toy gun to shoot down the targets (e.g., lighters, stuffed animals, and candies) arranged on the shelves. If you can get the targets down (actually down, not just being shot), you can obtain them.

The above vendor makes and sells takoyaki (English: octopus balls). This picture shows a vendor which sells a variety of things: sake (English: Japanese fermented rice wine), kushikatsu (English: deep-fried meet in stick), yakisoba (English: fried egg noodles) and doteni (English: miso-flavored beef). As you see, you can sit and eat your ordered food on a table behind this vendor.

Movie Promotion (Angels and Demons)

2009-05-17T03:35:00.000-07:00

Tom Hanks is all over at the subway Nagoya Station. He is on the promotion posters for the movie "Angels & Demons," which was released on May 15th in Japan. Some posters have covered almost all the wall of the subway station and others have been on the pillars for at least 10 days (as of May 17th). The following pictures taken on a weekend show how Tom Hanks have been watching subway passengers and grabing their minds. Since the subway Nagoya station is literally packed with commuters (e.g., office workers and students) on weekdays, you can easily imagine that greater numbers of passengers are exposed to his movie promotion EVERY day. Some of the passengers eventually watch the movie. How effective this promotion technique is!

On Weekdays, the area indicated by the yellow sign (i.e., the sign just above Tom Hanks' poster) is where only women can go aboard the car (called women-only car) of the subway. This women-only car is available during morning and evening rush hours so that women can have a comfortable subway ride.

This picture shows how empty the platform becomes after everyone is on board on weekends. On weekdays, however, the platform is constantly packed with passengers waiting for the next trains, which run every 4 minutes.

Carp Streamers for Children's Day

2009-04-25T23:58:00.000-07:00

May 5th is Children's Day, one of the national holidays, in Japan. Japanese people celebrate well-beings of children by eating kashiwa mochi and chimaki (English: Japanese sweets), dispalying warrior dolls at home, and hoisting carp streamers in the air. As its holiday name suggests, May 5th is meant for all the children, but specifically for boys' well-beings (while girls have their festival called Hinamatsuri on March 3rd). People hope that boys will grow strong like samurai warriors, who can bravely fight in the battle. Boys are also wished to be like carp streamers, which swim in the air while defying strong winds (figuratively meaning difficulties in life). Even in the balcony of an apartment, we can find carp streamers swimming around Children' Day. This custom actually helps us pinpoint which household has a boy or boys.

We would like to share some pictures of carp streamers swimming in the air near Kiyosu Castle (located in the suburb of Nagoya), which features Nobunaga Oda's feudal period. Every year around Children's Day, we can see the carp streamers swimming over the nearby river. The picture of Kiyosu Castle is also shown.

The above two pictures show carp streamers swimming over the river with Kiyosu Castle at their back. You can see the fence of Shinkansen tracks (in gray) between the Caslte and the streamers. This pictures shows Kiyosu Castle with the red bridge.

Cherry Blossoms

2009-04-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

Spring has a special meaning to Japanese people. It is associated with new beginnings. For example, the school year starts in April. New students, who are excited about their upcoming school life, even freshmen in college, feel anxious as well as excited around this time of the year. Transfer to a different position at public and private companies usually happens in April as well. People say goodbye to their old pals and have to welcome newcomers. Thus, in spring, Japanese people feel nostalgic for old and familiar things, while anticipating new excitement at the same time.

Cherry blossoms add a tint to these feelings. Cherry blossoms are, in general, at their best in early spring. Their pinkish color is neither gaudy nor assertive at all, and thus matches everything. When Japanese people are new to their unfamiliar environments, such as new schools and workplaces, they are expected to behave like cherry blossoms, and to adapt themselves to the new environments. In addition, cherry blossoms at their best normally last only a week or so, as if they were sending a strong message to Japanese people: seize the moment in your life. When cherry blossoms are out of their best and green buds take the blossoms' place (around the end of April), people could leave these mixed emotions behind and get ready to explore in their new life.

We would like to share with you some pictures of beautiful cherry blossoms and Nagoya Castle with cherry blossoms at its back. We hope that you could have some sense of the above-mentioned emotions Japanese people would have when seeing cherry blossoms.

The second and third pictures show how beautiful Nagoya Castle is with "modest" cherry blossoms on its back.

The above picture shows the entrance of Nagoya Castle. Street vendors (in red) sell food to cherry-blossom viewers.

This picture again depicts Nagoya Castle.

A Necessary Item in Japan: a Handkerchief or Hand Towel

2009-03-31T05:02:00.000-07:00

There are several things you must carry with you whenever you travel in Japan. A handkerchief or a hand towel is one of these essential items.

Although, recently in Japan, a drying device like the one shown on the right picture (i.e., hand dryer in a Japanese bathroom) has been getting very popular, some bathrooms of shopping malls and, especially, of minor tourist spots such as hiking trails and rural onsen (English: hot spring) resorts do not carry such a hand dryer. Sometimes, paper towels are not available, either. Probably because Japanese people are environmentally friendly, they are expected to carry a handkerchief or towel to wipe their hands after they are done with the bathroom. If you don't carry one with you, you may be in trouble. Sometimes, you ought to carry tissue as well because there are some cases where toilet tissue is not available. Otherwise, you will be in a big trouble.

Japanese-style Toilet

2009-03-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

When you ask Japanese people whether they prefer Japanese-style or Western-style toilets, they are more likely to select the Japanese one(as shown in the right picture). Japanese-style toilets are more sanitary because people do not have to sit directly on the toilet seat. Even though sanitary devices, such as disinfectant lotion to clean the toilet seat, are available, Japanese people do not have to bother to use the device. They only have to squat over the toilet bowl. This reasoning makes some sense as long as you are comfortable with squatting. However, Westerners might not be as familiar with this practice and prefer Western-style toilets for the following reasons.

First, sitting on the Western-style toilet seat seems to be more comfortable. For example, if you have some physical disability, squatting is not easy because it requires more effort than sitting. Thus, it is quite puzzling that even big shopping malls don't have Western-style toilets furnished. Second, in Japanese toilets, you are required to squat with your back facing the compartment door. You might feel very uncomfortable because you cannot move quickly in an emergency. Finally, it may not be so easy to aim at the inside of the toilet bowl while keeping the posture of squatting. What if your body wastes don't land at the proper spot? What if your trousers or skirt get loose and then touch the toilet floor? Not the most sanitary thought, right?

Fertility Festival

2009-03-15T02:20:00.000-07:00

On March 15th, 2009, the Honen Festival (English: Harvest or Fertility Festival) was held at Tagata Shrine, in Inuyama city. The shrine is about 40 minutes away from Nagoya Station by train. As shown in our YouTube video clip below, the main attraction of the festival was the float procession of a long wooden phallus. The climax of the procession was near the gate of Tagata shrine, to which the wooden phallus was dedicated. About two hours prior to the wooden phallus reaching the gate, people started taking their places along the street to have a better view of the procession. The shrine gate area was packed by people standing on both sides of the street.

Here are some interesting pictures taken during the festival. With these pictures, you can have some sense of why this festival is so popular among foreigners as well as Japanese.

The above picture depicts a street vendor selling wooden art crafts near the closest train station to Tagata shrine. Can you see why this vendor attracts so many passers-by?

The above picture shows a street gift vendor selling candies. Upon closer inspection, you might notice that the candies resemble male and female genitals. Actually, people who bought these candies are licking them while walking on the street. Can you believe this?

The above is a picture of the gate of Tagata shrine about three hours before the procession started (probably around noon).

The above is a picture of street vendors near the shine gate before the street gets very crowded with people who want to watch the float procession of the wooden phallus. The vendors sell fried chicken, roasted corn, and takoyaki (English: octopus balls).

The above is another picture of a gift shop which sells unique crafts inside the shrine. Please look at the crafts carefully, then you will see how graphic they are!

The above shows one of the floats. As for the main float of the wooden phallus, please view our YouTube clip.

These two pictures above are the banners people carry as part of the float procession. They are very graphic, aren't they?

Music Album Released on USB Memory Stick

2009-03-14T02:25:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Ayumi Hamasaki? Ayu is a very popular Japanese singer, especially among young people. She is also known by the nickname Utahime (English: princess of singers). Considered a trendsetter due to her fashionable on-stage and off-stage clothes, young women especially admire her style.

Later this month, Ayu will set another trend in Japan. On March 25th, she will release her new album Next Level on USB memory stick, as well as CD and DVD. The USB stick will contain music, video, and a digital booklet. Ayu's album will be the first music release on this medium in Japan. The USB stick looks like small silver jewelry with an angel's wing attached. It is pretty neat, huh? Please check it out at her website: http://avexnet.or.jp/ayu/jp/news/090212.html. At the bottom of this link, you will see the design of her USB memory stick.

Wagashi (Japanese sweets) coming to the U.S.

2009-03-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

Nagoyans love sweets derived from red beans. For example, Ogura toast (shown in the right picture) is toast with red beans spread on it. This toast is a popular item at coffee shops in Nagoya as well as bakeries. Compared to American sweets, wagashi (e.g., manjyu) typically consist of one or more of the following ingredients: red beans, green tea, brown sugar, or fermented soybean paste (i.e., miso). Thus, wagashi could be a low fat and healthy alternative to desserts with higher amounts of sugar and calories.

On March 3rd, the food company Imuraya, which is headquartered in Mie Prefecture next to Aichi Prefecture where Nagoya is located, announced the launch of a wagashi product line in the US. Specifically, Imuraya is introducing wagashi red bean ice cream (shown in the third picture) to regular stores as well as Asian grocery stores. You will be able to enjoy wagashi ice cream as a dessert soon in the US!

Vending Machine Ubiquity (Part 1)

2009-03-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

One of the first things you will notice while walking on the streets of Japan is vending machines. Vending machines are all over Japan. Interestingly, they are available on the streets, as well as inside buildings. When you get thirsty while walking down the street, you can buy drinks from a “drink” vending machine on the spot. Although not as common in recent years due to some new regulations targeting underage alcohol consumption, you can buy beer or sake (English: fermented alcoholic beverage made from rice) from some street vending machines. When you are hungry, you can get food from a vending machine. Some vending machines even cook food on the spot (e.g., fried chicken).

Other vending machines sell magazines, which feature ladies posing for men and/or contain dirty comic illustrations, as the right picture shows. There are also some vending machines that sell adult toys. Some machines for adult products are blocked from the view of passers-by with a cheap plastic fence, but it is not so difficult to notice the items on display in the machine. Also, condom vending machines are located near drugstores. Since many drugstores in Japan are not open 24/7, these condom vending machines are quite convenient when sparks begin to fly after hours.

Obama Shi (Mr. Obama) in Japan

2009-02-25T03:55:00.000-08:00

You might have heard of the City of Obama, Japan, which has been showing its enthusiastic support for the US President Obama ever since his presidential campaign began.

The city of Obama is in Fukui Prefecture. It faces the Japan Sea and is located at the south edge of Fukui, which is close to Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures (as shown in a circle on the left picture). Obama city is also pretty close to Nagoya, taking less than three hours by car.

Obama city is called Obama shi in Japanese. "Shi" translates to "city" in the Japanese language, but it is also used to formally address someone, which is equivalent to "Mr." or "Ms." in English. Thus, Obama city also literally means "Mr. Obama."

There are many Obama speciality items that we can buy when visiting Obama city. These unique goods include Obama t-shirts, chopsticks, and sweets. The right pictures shows a wrapping paper of manjyu (Japanese: red-bean cake). The cake actually tastes good, but its wrapping paper contributes more to the sale of this item. The cartoon characters on the wrapper closely resemble both President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Aso, right?

One-day trip from Nagoya

2009-02-21T15:21:00.001-08:00

There are many attractive tourist destinations near Nagoya. Thanks to the shinkansen (English: bullet train) and other express trains (e.g., Kintetsu line), we can easily make a one-day trip from Nagoya. Shinkansen and other express trains are convenient means of travel to reach Mt. Fuji and hot spring resorts in Shizuoka Prefecture (to the east of Nagoya). You can even go to Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka (to the west) within one day. When you use the express trains of the Kintetsu line, you can enjoy Ise-Shima National Park and Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture(to the south). If you want to go north to enjoy hot spring resorts and old traditional Japanese houses (e.g., the houses whose roofs are covered with a pile of rice grass) surrounded by rice fields, you will find JR express trains very useful.

A recent one-day trip to Gero onsen (English: hot spring) in Gifu Prefecture, which is one of the most popular hot spring resorts in Japan, took only one and a half hours on the Hida Express JR line. Takayama is located a little to the north. Takayama is a place where you can enjoy a traditional festival called Takayama Matsuri along with the atmosphere of old, nostalgic Japan. Gero Station (shown in the above picture) is the closest station to Gero onsen. Lunch was served at the ryokan (English: inn). Here are some pictures taken during the trip:

This is the tourist information center next to the Gero JR station. The letters on the monument are "Welcome to Gero onsen."

The ryokan, where we had onsen, is one of the best inns in Gero. The Japanese emperor stood on the red carpet when he visited this ryokan.

The ashiyu (English: public foot bath) is a place where you can sit on the stone bench and soak your feet in the onsen tub (the area surrounded by stone under the wooden roof). Only putting your feet in the tub will warm up your whole body. This is public and free of charge.

This is a gift shop on the street leading to the onsen area where lots of famous onsen inns are located. A cat figure called manekineko at its entrance welcomes you.

Home-made miso (English: fermented soybean paste) is one of the popular gift items. Miso cooked on houba, a kind of leaf, is a specialty item in Gifu Prefecture.

Akakabu no tsukemono (English: pickled radish) is another popular gift item.

Sarubobo (the red stuff in the right picture) is the most popular gift item. Sarubobo is a lucky charm. "Saru" means monkey and also pronounced "en" in Japanese. "En" means relationship. Therefore, the Sarubobo lucky charm is the one which brings you a good relationship. When you get a Sarubobo from someone, he or she wants to make good friends with you. You can get Hello Kitty Sarubobo for your special friends, especially young friends.

Convenience Culture in Japan

2009-02-18T16:59:00.000-08:00

When you want to buy something, where do you normally go? In the US, you would go to a nearby supermarket, right? In Japan, you could instead go to a convenience store for many of your grocery needs. Actually, Japanese convenience stores offer many other services. For example, as the above picture shows, you could withdraw some money from an ATM, pay bills, copy and fax documents, or even buy concert tickets. Japanese convenience stores are actually convenient in the literal sense. These days, however, they are becoming one of the hottest places in Japan. If you are interested in the latest trends, you definitely need to check out Japanese convenience stores.

Some trendy items, such as gyaku choco (which is explained in our previous post "Japanese Valentine's Customs"), are only available in convenience stores. Other limited items at convenience stores include unique noodles, snacks, drinks, and cosmetics. For example, there are some drinks, which contain hyaluronic acid (considered good for the skin) and vitamin C, targeted at health- and beauty-conscious customers. Less expensive, but effective, cosmetics (e.g., lotions) are available only there. These cosmetics are called konbini cosme (English: cosmetics only available in convenience stores), which are especially popular among young people.

Starbucks has also launched this type of konbini business with Suntory, one of the biggest beverage companies in Japan, and introduced three types of convenience-store-limited coffee this February. As you can see in the pictures (above and right), these three types (Seattle Latte, Milano Expresso, and Bruxelles Dark Chocoalte) occupy the "premium" spot on the shelf, at the height of people's eyes, where customers pinpoint these coffees. These customers, of course, include young people, who shop at more convenience stores than regular stores. They are very keen about these trendy items and create so-called "convenience culture" in Japan.

Popular Foods in Nagoya (Part 1)

2009-02-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

Without miso, we cannot talk about Nagoya's popular foods. Miso (i.e., fermented soybean paste) is one of the necessary seasonings (along with shoyu, or soy sauce in English) for Japanese food. The term miso is figuratively used to mean the "essence" of something. Therefore, we could say that miso is an indispensible element of Nagoya's food. Although there are several nationally popular foods that originate from Nagoya, this post will provide a short introduction to three of Nagoya's most popular foods, which have miso as a major ingredient.

First, misokatsu is one of Nagoya's popular foods. Misokatsu is tonkatsu (meaning deep-fried pork) served with sweetened miso. Among different kinds of miso, Nagoyans like the very dark-color kind. Can you imagine how tonkatsu looks with that dark miso on it? You might think the food looks and tastes strange until you acquire the delicious taste. Yabaton is a famous restaurant franchise, which features tonkatsu. As you see in the picture (right), there is always a long line of people who want to taste tonkatsu or misokatsu.
Secondly, misonikomi udon, or "udon noodles in the miso soup," is one type of noodle that Nagoyans enjoy. You might think misonikomi udon is less sophisticated because noodles are just dumped in the miso soup. Actually, it is not that simple. Yamamotoyama (shown on the left picture) is one of the popular noodle restaurants and the udon served there will prove to you the delicacy of the taste.

Finally, even cookies have some miso flavour. This shop (on the right picture) is called "Glico Shop," which sells sweet products (e.g., caramel and chocolate) of Glico, a famous confectionary in Japan. The company Glico sells speciality sweet items all over Japan. In Nagoya, cookies called miso-flavoured "Pretz" are one of Nagoya's specialty items. Interestingly, as you can see from the picture, t-shirts carrying Japanese characters of Nagoya dialect ("doerya" introduced in our previous blog) are on sale as a good souvenir item, along with these cookies.

Japanese Valentine's Day Customs

2009-02-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

When you hear Valentine's Day, what would you have in mind? You might imagine flowers, chocolate, and Valentine's cards. Or, perhaps you might think of reservations for a candle-lit dinner at a romantic restaurant. Although cards are exchanged among couples, as well as close friends and family members, these gifts or romantic dinners are basically provided from men to women in the US. In Japan, it is quite the opposite. In addition, Valentine's Day 2009 has been adding some unique elements to the Japanese Valentine's Day tradition.

Traditionally in Japan, Valentine's Day is when ladies confess their love to men by giving chocolate to them. This custom includes a girlfriend giving chocolate, either ready-made or hand-made, to her boyfriend. However, it is also extended to the custom in which female workers give chocolates to their male co-workers as a token of their appreciation for the support they get at the workplace. This type of chocolate is called giri choco, literally meaning "obligatory chocolate," because this practice is done from some sort of obligation. In return, the men who received chocolate are expected to give sweets, such as cookies, back to the ladies on White Day, which is March 14th. Sometimes, instead of sweets, gift-wrapped panties are returned to their female co-workers. Oddly enough, it is actually acceptable for men to give female co-workers panties in Japan.

This year, two terms are becoming great hits in Japan. One is gyaku choco and the other is my choco. Gyaku choco, which literally means "reverse chocolate," is the chocolate men buy to confess their love to ladies. As you can see, the senders are reversed (i.e., from men to women). Interestingly, as the picture (above) shows, the letters on the chocolate package are reversed. Only when the letters are being reflected in the mirror will you be able to read the right letters in the right order.

My choco is the chocolate that women buy for themselves, not for their boyfriends or male-coworkers. Ladies buy expensive, designer-brand chocolate (as the right picture shows). Each individual small piece costs over $3. TV news reports that despite this year's economic downturn, ladies each spend around $200 on their own chocolate. Since February 14th falls on Saturday this year, ladies may not have to spend their money on giri choco and can use that money on my choco instead. This may be beneficial for men as well as ladies. Namely, ladies themselves enjoy nice chocolate while men, who do not receive chocolate, would not feel left out as makegumi (Japanese: loser) thanks to this year's calender.

Nagoya Red Light District

2009-01-31T13:18:00.000-08:00

There are famous red-light districts in Kabukicho (Tokyo) and Tobita Shinchi (Osaka). We have some red-light districts in Nagoya as well. Jyoshidai District (also referred to as "Joshidai Koji") in Sakae is one of the famous red-light districts in Nagoya ("Joshidai" means a female college). Another famous one is in Meieki (Nagoya Station). Here are some pictures of the clubs and parlors shown in our YouTube clip "Nagoya Red Light District" to help you understand some technical terms and services.

This picture (right) shows a “fashion health club,” “cabaret club,” “telephone club,” and “comic café.”

1. “Fashion Health Club” (Japanese: “ヘルス") is equivalent to a massage parlor in English. It's a place where men can get full service. This is similar to "soapland," where a bathtub is also furnished for the service.

As the second picture (below) shows, men can pick their favorite girl from the board displaying all the available girls at the entrance of the Fashion Health Club.

2. "Cabaret Club" (Japanese: “ キャバクラ”, Romaji:"cabacla") is a place where ladies called “cabacla jyou” entertain men by sitting next to them, massaging their egos, and serving drinks. Unlike "pink salon," where sexual services including happy ending are provided, men are not supposed to touch these ladies there. However, customers can privately go out with their favorite lady outside of the club, before and/or after the club hours.

3. “Telephone Club” (Japanese: “テレクラ”, Romaji: “telecla”) is a place where men can receive phone calls from ladies in a confined, private booth of the club and then ask the ladies out to some place where they can have private moments. Example places include a room in a hotel or “love hotel”. Love hotels are hotels specifically used for sex. Looking for a companion, ladies can call the club’s toll-free number.

4. Comic Café (Japanese: “マンガ喫茶”, Romaji: “manga kissa”) is where we can read comic books, which include comic books containing sexual descriptions and illustrations. It seems that "hentai anime" (pornographic anime) is getting quite popular in the U.S. as well.

This picture (right) shows an information center where men can get free information on entertainment clubs or parlors explained above. The man standing at the entrance helps you familiarize yourself to these entertainment businesses.

Communicating with New Japanese Friends

2009-01-28T13:33:00.000-08:00

If you want to develop a close or intimate friendship with a Japanese person, then you have to be patient and cautious when communicating with him or her. Japanese people have a different style of explaining things. Also, they prefer indirect ways of expressing their thoughts and feelings while also expecting listeners (without ill intentions) to understand the implied messages. Therefore, communication with a new Japanese friend sometimes results in frustration and misunderstandings, especially if the non-Japanese listeners are not familiar with these Japanese mannerisms.

First, the Japanese style of explaining things is totally different from the style in the US. In the US, main points of your ideas or arguments should be expressed first and followed by explanations. In Japan, on the other hand, main points are normally addressed in the end. Therefore, you have to patiently listen to the end to understand what Japanese people mean. While engaged in the conversation, you should neither show your frustrations nor ask the speaker to get to the point even though you get so frustrated. This is especially important when you are initiating the close or intimate friendship. Upon the middle stage of developing your friendship, you could ask for them to change their explanation style. However, it may not be so easy for them to adjust their style, unfortunately.

Secondly, you have to be aware of some delicate nuances in Japanese expressions. For example, when you suggest something to Japanese people and hear them say "zensho shimasu," or "yoku kangaemasu" (which mean "I will try my best" or "I will sleep on it"), you should prepare yourself for negative outcomes. These expressions imply that they positively respond on the surface (i.e., "tatemae") but they do not actually mean it (i.e., "honne"). Since Japanese people are in general well-trained to present the sugarcoated "tatemae" with sound-sweet implications, you must be puzzled until you get the full sense of how things are expressed.

Nagoya Dialect

2009-01-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

It is pretty well-known that Japanese people cannot differentiate and clearly pronounce the letters of "l" and "r." Although Japanese new-born babies are said to have the ability to detect these differences, we lose such innate skills as we get exposed to Japanese pronunciation systems, which do not require that distinction.

The sound of "a" as in "apple" is also one of these letters that Japanese people find difficult to pronounce. However, Nagoyans should be able to clearly pronounce that sound because Nagoya dialect features that sound. "Yaromya" and "doerya" are commonly-used terms among Nagoyans and have the sound in the parts of "mya" and "rya." "Yaromya" means "let's do it" in English. "Doerya" means "very" in English or "cho" in colloquial but widely-accepted Japanese, especially among young people.

Nagoyans would love you when we hear you use these expressions. However, you have to get yourself mentally prepared for unfair judgment by people, especially Tokyoites. One famous TV personality repeatedly made fun of Nagoyan pronunciation saying it sounds like cats. Since then, Nagoya dialect has been unfairly labeled as less sophisticated. We should fight back to this unfair criticism because this indicates that we can pronounce English, or at least the pronunciation of the "a" sound, more clearly than people in any other part of Japan, right?

Driving Tips in Japan

2009-01-17T06:46:00.000-08:00

When you first drive in Japan, you may feel awkward driving on "the wrong side (i.e., left side)" of the street. Even after getting used to it, you have to improve your driving skills because the streets in Japan are narrower than those in the US. Moreover, traffic congestion is probably beyond your imagination. You have to cross a lot of bridges, which slow the flow of traffic, and stop at intersections after every few miles of driving.

There is a good way to avoid traffic congestion. You could drive on much narrower streets, which are called "uramichi" literally meaning back streets in Japanese. These streets are not one-way but too narrow for two cars (heading in opposite directions) to barely pass each other. However, if you are familiar with these “uramichi,” you can keep driving without being disturbed by traffic lights. You might say that driving is dangerous and requires aggressive attitudes on such streets. Don’t worry! Japanese drivers are generally well-mannered. They will let you in when you have to merge into another street. Or, at the intersections without a traffic light, they will yield to you.

However, you have to learn a small but important tip to successfully maneuver your car on "uramichi." You have to acknowledge the kindness of these drivers by putting your palm up, nodding, and sometimes lightly honking. You should also blink the hazard lamp for a second to show your gratitude for being let in. Once you automatically follow these “unwritten” rules, you have become an expert driver in Japan.

Around Nagoya Station

2009-01-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures taken around Nagoya station.

This is a picture of JR Central Towers, which house business offices, restaurants, a famous department store (i.e., JR Nagoya Takashimaya) and a prestigious hotel (i.e., the Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel), with Shinkansen (Bullet Train) tracks on its front. This is taken from the backyard of Nagoya Station, where you can find reasonably-priced business hotels and entertainment businesses like the one in the next picture.

At this place, you can view “Adult Video” DVDs. It advertises that viewers can enjoy the whole selection of these available DVDs and that the shower facility is furnished in the store. Interestingly, it is located next to Yoshinoya, a famous franchised beef-bowl restaurant. In Japan, these places are not secluded in a shady area on the street.

This picture (left) shows one of the popular meeting places in Nagoya. The large statue called "Nana Chan" (her name is Nana), which stands upright supporting the roof of the shopping arcade, now wears a banner of the clearance sale in January. She changes her outfits as season changes. For instance, around Christmas time, she wears Santa Claus’s costume. You can walk under her spread legs. Interesting, huh?

Navigating Japan

2009-01-06T16:07:00.000-08:00

Did you know that you need a map to get from point A to point B in Japan? Some people would say that we do not need it as long as we can speak Japanese. If you get lost, simply ask someone on the street for directions in Japanese! However, navigating Japan is not so simple, especially if you can't speak Japanese.

For instance, consider the case when you plan to meet up with your friends in the US, you might say "let's meet at the corner of street A and street B," right? In Japan, you would have to say "near the traffic intersection called such and such" and further elaborate on the meeting place by describing significant landmarks, such as schools, parks, and office buildings. Although big Japanese cities, especially in their downtown areas, have street names for their "boulevards," even medium-sized suburban towns do not have street signs. Once you get lost in those no-street-sign areas, you would have to keep looking for the traffic intersection feeling very frustrated. You have no idea which way, either north or south, you should keep going until you find a small sign of the traffic intersection. Without being fluent in Japanese, you cannot make sense of what people say to help you out without having a map in your hand. Even when you want to go back to the place where you have been before, you still need a map. Until you fully develop a precise mental map of the place and its surroundings (e.g., what the name of the traffic intersection is and tall, conspicuous landmarks), you could easily get lost.

As more and more posts are added to this blog, we hope that we can provide useful tips on some of the nuances of Japanese life to help readers navigate Japan without getting lost!

Short Introduction

2009-01-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

We feel obligated to start off our blog with a short introduction. Having split much of our time over the past few years between Nagoya and the Midwest (United States), my friend and I thought it would be useful to provide yet another Japanese and American perspective on differences between the two countries. Due to our experiences, many of our opinions have been shaped by comparing and contrasting the Nagoya area with the Midwest.

Nagoya is often relegated to "third city" status (similar to Chicago) due to its location midway between Japan's two larger metropolitan areas of Kanto (i.e., Tokyo and Yokohama) and Kansai (i.e., Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe). Due to its industrial base with the nearby Toyota headquarters, Nagoya is often unfairly labelled as less sophisticated and less glamorous than its more well-known neighbors to the east and west. However, similar to Chicago's growing share of the world's attention due to the next American president, Nagoya is also receiving more attention.

We hope that this blog will shed more light on one of Japan's overshadowed cities by sharing our unique perspectives on Japan and its culture. Although this blog contains some opinions from an American contributor, most of the content will be written from the perspective of a Nagoyan.