Ok, it was small and not even mentioned on any news programme I saw but I have experienced my first Japanese earthquake! Last Sunday while in church, just as the pastor was bringing his message to a close, the church roof started to shake, the window blinds went crazy and the floor felt like the deck of a boat for about one second. Then there was a pause followed by the whole thing repeating itself again this time slightly stronger and for about two seconds. While the people around me instantly knew what was going on, it didn’t occur to me to fully five seconds after the event what had actually happened. Even then it was only when I heard the muttered “Jishin” (Japanese for earthquake) coming from the congregation that it really hit me. ... Read More
For all you anthropologists out there, you could attend a flower arranging ceremony or get flogged by a monk somewhere but I chose the Nagisa music festival last Sunday where although I saw many locals flogged, there was not a monk to be seen. At 120 decibels though, it was hardly ‘zen’. I must say though, that after being so impressed by the technology here and having seen Jodie Foster’s movie ‘Contact’, I had rather high hopes for the Tokyo Teleport but alas, it was just a venue. It was either the beats from within, the burly gaijin security guards or Japanese efficiency that got us through a kilometre long cue in 20-30 minutes but I was happy - and limber after the long walk. The Tokyo jungle was in mating season, various species of Tokyo sub c... Read More
Last week I just finished moving house in Japan, for the third time. It seems that despite the fact I have only been living in Japan for two years, I have accumulated quite a lot of stuff. How I managed to do this is beyond me, seeing as I’ve only been living in one-bedroom, matchbox-sized apartments….
Anyway, those who are living in Japan might know a thing or two about the pains associated with renting in this country, and you would definitely be familiar with the terms key money, deposit and cleaning fees. I have also rented many houses and apartments in my home country Australia, and I can assure you the hassles associated with renting at home are no way near as major as Japan.
A majority of the population has some phobia about insects. When in a foreign land a traveler can expect to see organisms that may look strange and somewhat peculiar in comparison to that of his native town or homeland. Being an island chain, Japan is home to many indigenous species of bugs, spiders, and insects that can never be seen elsewhere. What qualities amongst insects do you fear the most? Is it their ability to jump at you? Is it their ability to move stealthily and quickly, covering large distances? Is it their sting or bites that scare you? How about their long menacing limbs that scamper and tickle you skin? Well travelers if you are looking for that absolutely menacing creature I have found it for you and it's called the Gejigeji or l... Read More
This year will be my official fourth summer in Japan. The first summer I experienced in Japan was whilst on a three week vacation, and I spent it sweating continuously and totally dehydrating cycling around temples in Kyoto, climbing endless stairs at Himeji Castle, shopping in Tokyo, and only found a little bit of relief once retreating to the mountains in Nagano. The second summer was even worse, it was spent in Ota city Gunma, my first since coming to live in Japan, and I wasted away endless hours in the furnace-like surroundings of the Junior High School I was working for at the time. Weekends were spent either gathering will all my mates at the rock-river jump an hour drive away, or just staying inside with the air-conditioner on, no doubt contributing t... Read More
When I first came to Japan as a JET, regardless of the fact that I was going to live in the mountainous, landlocked prefecture known as Gunma-ken, the surfer in me packed my trusty surfboard and wetsuit quiver, knowing that I would eventually make it down to the beach.
That first trip to the coast was indeed back in October of 2005, a three day weekend away to stay at a friend of a friend’s shack in Torami, Chiba. We got waves that weekend, and despite the reasonably dirty, black sandy beaches, I took an instant liking to Torami and the Chiba Pacific coast, and pondered upon my return to the mountains if maybe one day I would be able to move there….
I have been waiting for this day for weeks, my Father in-law named Ken decides to take a day off work which does not come lightly even though he is self employed. He is the president of a one hundred and fourteen year old "Makie" business which is Japanese Lacquerware painted with Gold, Silver and Mother of Pearl shell. So he knows his old school Japanese art, what is a bargain and a load of antique shop, recycle store and market owners.
Me being a fanatic collector of all things old like katana, yoroi, ukiyoe and old school Japanese art things, he had promised to take me on a tour on the next day he took off. The plan was to take me to all the secret antique and recycle shops as well as a Sunday market that was on only held once a month... Read More
A fellow teacher asked me why I decided to come to live in Japan of all places, and I gave her my usual answer: I was suckered in by trashy manga and badly dubbed anime in high school and eventually discovered a hidden interest in more legitimate (i.e., respectable) Japanese culture. But thinking again about it now, I wonder if there isn't a less aesthetic, more psychological reason I find Japan so attractive.
It isn't exactly that living in Japan is more exciting than the life I'm accustomed to in America so much as it's the shiatsu massage my ego receives from what would otherwise be meaningless accomplishments. In this country where I'm about as literate as a first-grader and as capable of self-expression as a well-trained parakeet, learning... Read More
For those of you who’ve actually managed the marathon at some stage of living here, you will be well aware of the length and depth of variety in retail spaces that, it seems in places, link endlessly around major city centres. In my experience, they have things here for problems that I didn’t even know I had ? tetra pack handle in a variety of colours anyone? They have whole shops for people who hate shopping or just look (Tokyu Hands, Loft) and even cheapskates (100\shop). Think of something you might want, whimsical, nonsensical even. Ok, I’m channelling you with my new G15, Pentium 48, PDA with telekinesis in two tone burgundy ? what, you don’t have one of those yet? So I’m channelling you and you want…..a pair of sneakers in purple sha... Read More
Are you a Hapa (half Japanese) artist who feels out of place no matter which country you are in? Are you an art lover stuck between western and eastern cultures? Do you have an interest in connecting with people from all walks of life who are interested in art? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be a perfect candidate for the group called HArts.
Originally started on Mixi (the Japanese version of My Space) in April of 2006, HArts is a combination of Hapa and arts. Founder Jamie Belton is a full time painter and graphic designer who felt that his work was always seen as foreign, whether in Japan or in England. With a mother who is Japanese and a father who is English, Jamie has flittered back and forth between two cultu... Read More
Spring is the season during which Japan's famous Sakura (Cherry) trees blossom. By far the most beautiful time of the year in Japan, as would tell you nearly all residents, both foreign and native, who happen to live there. During the few weeks in which the Sakura flaunts it's magnificence to the world, all the streets are packed with sightseers, be them tourists who are witnessing these sights for the first time, or Japanese who lived with those sights their whole lives.
But this is as far as I'll go describing the Sakura in this article, as I have something else I would like to talk about, for which the Sakura phenomena is only a required background knowledge.
What I would like to talk about is a rather ... Read More
On my way from Narita Airport I could see many ads written in some mysterious signs, which looked like hieroglyphs. They looked like pictures more than letters and I was sure that they are something different than two Japanese systems I have learned at Japanese embassy back home. When I asked my guide what they were she smiled at my ignorance and explained that they were kanji. Since then to learn kanji became my obsession and I devoted my time and energy to memorize as much as I could of them.
As I started living in Japan I understood that Japanese writing system has three alphabets which are usually used interchangeably in writing. Hiragana and katakana alphabets are Japanese and they are both easy to learn and remember. The big... Read More
Japan, being very long, has a large variety of climate. Main island and the south are hot and humid and north is cold. Having lived for half of my life in hot and humid Beirut I wasn’t excited about spending some years in the same climate of Tokyo, so I searched for something different and came upon Hokkaido.
Hokkaido is the north island of Japan, which has dry, cool summer and long cold winter. Dry, cool summer was all I cared about at that time and while people in Japanese embassy were convincing me to stay off Hokkaido and its cold winters, I was determined that North was exactly what I wanted.
First snow was a fairy tale, with snowflakes dancing all around me in a calm evening. I would walk and walk on the streets of my un... Read More
