This Time Around

The last time I visited Japan I was a teenage and my world revolved around school and friends. This time visiting Japan as an adult, I am aware of things that probably never crossed my mind on my previous visit. Things such as the recycling system, cooking, groceries and laundry, I have already highlighted through the blog. I hoped that writing about these different areas, those reading would also be provided a glimpse into this beautiful country and the people that call it home.

Unlike North America which is a society made up of mainly immigrants, a foreigner in Japan is very easy to spot. It is not unusual to hear people say “gaikoku jin” when you walk by which means foreigner. I had many people come up to me at public places wanting to practice their English with me as I was walking through public spaces such as train stations or temples. Many of the students visiting this summer had individuals want to touch their hair or skin since it was different. It is all part of being in the country while everyone can tell you are a stranger.

The families I stayed with while in Japan had a very liberate relationship from what I had previously experienced. Twenty years ago in each of the families I stayed with the husband was the head of the family followed by the children and finally the wife. If the husband was sat drinking sake (Japanese wine) in the evening and his glass was empty, he would yell for his wife to fill it for him, even if the bottle was sitting close to him on the table. The husband was served and catered to from the time he woke up until he was in bed asleep. During my previous stay, I never saw a husband assist with any of the cooking, household duties or children. In my first host family, the husband is retired and the wife is still working part-time as a Labo tutor. In this home, the husband played a large role in assisting with tasks around the home including hanging laundry, vacuuming and even cooking. There as been a number of days when we have been very busy with Labo activities, only to return home around a meal time. On theses occasion the husband has had a meal waiting for us on our return. This came as a welcomed surprise.

Having the opportunity to return to Japan as an adult is one I was grateful for. I made the most of each day, working hard on the language, taking advantage of every opportunity provided to me and ensuring I lived each day to its fullest. It was wonderful to be apart of a program that provided youth in Canada the chance to visit a country were life, language and food is so different than what they might have experienced previously. Through adventures and opportunities like this we not only learn more about ourselves but appreciate the country and world we are apart of.

Play Time!

Koma

Children in Japan seem to have a freedom that we have lost in North America. Japan is a very safe country and you see many young children walking to school by themselves (from about age 5) as well as traveling on the trains and buses. You also see lots of young children playing in the streets, school playgrounds and communities centers unsupervised by adults.

Children often leave the house early in the morning not arriving home sometimes until late. They get themselves from a very young age school to club activities, only returning home at the end of the day. Although children in Japan must work very hard at school, specially when writing their entrance exams for senior high school and university, they also make time to get together with friends whether it is at a club activity, hanging out together or playing games.

Menko

Japan has many traditional games that children still play. Most of the traditional games are simple and inexpensive allowing children to purchase them themselves. Although the toys and games may look simple, it could take years to truly master the skill needed to play the game well. Toys such as the spinning top are challenging at first. Once the basic skill has been mastered, there are many other techniques they can learn.

Some of the traditional toys include the kite (tako), spinning top (koma), bamboo helicopter-like toy (take-tombo), paper balloon (kamifusen), paper folding (origami), and Japanese stilts (takeuma).

Koma – this is a spinning top. The top comes in a variety of sizes and can be made out a different materials. Children spin can spin the top using their fingers or a string. Children can play a game using multiple tops. They start their tops spinning. When one tops flicks the other tops, the tops stop spinning and knocks them down. The top still spinning is the winner.

Kendama

Kendama – this is a cup and a ball. The Ken has three cups on it – a large one, a middle on and a small one. The dama is the ball connected to the ken. This simple toy has over 1,000 techniques children can learn and the children enjoying preforming the many different tricks. Many of the tricks has a song that they sing while preforming the technique.

Menko – Menko is a game using small circular or rectangular cards or circles. Children slap on one card at a time on the ground to turn over their opponent's card. There are many different variations to this game.

Otedama – this is a juggling game using small cloth bags that are filled with sweet-beans. It is a game that girls often enjoy very much.

Daruma-otoshi – this is a traditional game made out of wood. Several wooden thin cylinders are stacked on top of each other with daruma doll at the top. The object of the game is to hit of the thin cylinders one at a time from the side without knocking off the daruma.

Daruma-otoshi



Although Japanese children spend many hours in front of the TV or computer, it is wonderful to see them running and playing outside, often playing games that have been passed down through the centuries.

Otedama

Good Luck!

Engimono

Good luck talisman (engimono) are thought to being luck and can be purchased from shops around shines. Each talisman may signify a different thing and would be purchase for a specific reason.

Maneki-neko

Maneki-neko – is a beckoning cat that is thought to bring good business and is a decoration for shops.

Daruma doll

Daruma – when the Japanese went to make a wish come true the often buy a daruma doll and paint in one of the eyes. If the wish does end up coming true, they then paint in the other eye as a sign of gratitude. At the time of elections, many candidates will have one of these in their campaign offices.

Wara-uma – is a straw house for a good harvest

Hamaya

Hamaya – is an arrow with the power of exorcising evil spirits that is bought by people visiting shrines at New Year to pray for happiness

Inu-hariko – This is a paper-mache dog that is often given or purchased by women. It is said to help with child-birth and raising child.

Akabeko – This is a red paper-mache cow or ox. It is used to keep away misfortune.

Temples and shrines sell many different kinds of engimono – for good health, good luck, for a boyfriend or girlfriend, happy marriage, goof fortune, even for talisman for your dogs and cats.

Akabeko



Inu-hariko



Which Bin?

Garbage bins - each for different items

Throwing garbage away in Japan is not as simple as just lifting the lid on a garage can and throwing it away. Japan has complex method of handling garbage due to many people living in such a small area. The house I stayed in close to Tokyo had a large book 72 pages in length explaining how to sort the garbage as well as the packaging and pick up days.

Garbage in Japan is divided into three categories – combustible garbage (moeru gomi), non-combustible garbage (moenai gomi) and recyclable garbage (shigen gomen). Approximately 80% of Japan's garbage is incinerated. These categories are further broken down into sub-categories. The definition of the different categories can change from region to region as well as the collection days.

Sorting garbage is not easy, it is no wonder there is a guide – lipstick itself can go in the combustible pile but the container and tube once it is empty needs to go in the plastic or small metal bin. If a metal items is smaller, it can go in the small metals but if it is larger they are classified a bulky refuse. Plastics must to be washed and cleaned prior to disposal. If you are throwing away one sock, it would go in the burnable bin but if there are two socks, matching, with no holes and they are clean, they can go in the used cloth bag.

Due to the complex nature of handling garbage in Japan, you do not see many public garbage cans available on the street or in public places. Most garbage is carried and disposed of at home.

Ice Cream

Ice Cream Please!

I know a number of my blogs have been about food but I felt that my blog would not be complete without one last one about Japanese ice cream. Like many imported foods in Japan, the Japanese has taken ice cream and truly made it their own. You will find flavours here that you will probably not find in many other places. Here are some of the interesting ones:

• Cactus Ice Cream
• Chicken Wing Ice Cream
• Crab Ice Cream
• Eel Ice Cream Ice Cream
• Fish Ice Cream Ice Cream
• Octopus Ice Cream Ice Cream
• Shrimp Ice Cream – contains shrimps bodies in the ice cream
• Wasabi Ice Cream (Japanese horseradish)
• Ox Tongue Ice Cream
• Squid Ink Ice Cream
• 

  

  Squid Ink Ice Cream

  Garlic Ice Cream
• Horse Flesh Ice Cream – made with raw horse meat (sorry to all the horse lovers reading this!)

There are also many other flavours of ice cream including salt but thought if I listed them all, it might put you off ice cream for a while.

Don't worry, if you are visiting Japanese most of these flavours are only available in the grocery story and not for sale from the the road since vendors in the tourist areas. These road side stands however, do still sell some interesting ones. You can get sweet potato, green tea as well as apple and mango. I am adventurous at times but think this time around I will stick to vanilla!!

Vending Machines

Wherever you go in Japan you will encounter vending machines. They seem to sell almost everything under the sun including hot and cold canned drinks, alcohol, cigarettes, food items and even small clothing items. Vending machines grace almost every corner as you are walking or driving around.

The Japanese people seem to enjoy their snacks and although they are many traditional snacks and foods available, many North American stores and chains have made it to Japan. You will often come across MacDonalds, Starbucks and 7-11. Although at those locations you might find foods similar to what you would order in North America like french fries, each chain has added Japanese style foods and snacks to their menus.

I walked into a 7-11 the other day after visiting a tourist area near the Pacific Ocean. Not only does 7-11 here sell many of the items we would expect to see in a convenience store (drinks, chips, chocolate etc) they also sell many traditional foods. This includes dried quid and fish, alcohol, Japanese candy and sweets, and raw fish.

Probably the strangest items the Japanese have seen in a vending machine would be a car. In 2008, a Smart Car vender put a Smart Car in a vending machine at the Shibuya Station (a station in Tokyo). The vending machine held a full-sized car with two choices, coupe or cabrio. It was not a true vending machine in the sense that you could purchase a car from it on the spot but was used as a marketing tool to promote the car. Pushing the button on the machine provided you with a tube containing information and pamphlets on the models, available features and colours as well as purchasing information such as dealers.

I am not sure if purchasing a car from an venting machine will become become an option in Japan but with the number of other items you can already purchase through this method, I would not be surprised if it will be seen in the future!

Nice to Meet You! Douzo Yoroshiiku!

Greetings and Expressions....

When meeting someone in Japan, shaking hands is very unusual instead people bow. It is called ojigi and is a way of showing respect and affection. The degree of the bow, from just a little nod of the head to deep and low, depends on the relationship between the two people and the situation. People bow all the time from coming in and out of stores to while driving as well as to thank someone for stopping.

Banzai is a form of celebration in Japan. It is similar to us saying “hip-hip-hurry” three times. Banzai literally means “ten thousand years:. It is done by raising both your arms straight above your head and shouting “BANZAI”. It is generally done three times.

Kashiwade is done when visiting a shrine. It is clapping your hands clapping your hands together prior to entering or at the main area of the shine. It is done to get the gods' attention as well as to focus your own mind.

In North America if we are taking about ourselves, we might place our hand or finger on our chest. In Japan, when people are talking about themselves, they place their finger on the tip of their nose. Also, in North America when we are calling for someone to come to us, we place our palm up and bringing our fingers up and towards us, motioning them to come here. When the Japanese are calling for someone to come, the place their hand out but place the palm of the hand down and then bring the fingers down towards the feet and to the body to tell someone to come.