Uncomfortable Situations

Wow this last weekend in Japan had a few uncomfortable situations. The weekend started off quite normally until it was a little past 3am Saturday morning and we were going hard in the local izakaiya and eventually made it home safely around 4:30am. I had been informed previously of an occasion this Saturday that sometime during the afternoon we were going to a family gathering to commemorate my host mothers, grandmothers death, three years previous. The event was actually taking place simply inside her father's house, I only realized this once we arrived. So many language barriers make simple details like that quite frustrating at times. Anyways we arrived around three o'clock and soon after the ceremony began. Inside the house among myself and almost 15 other relatives, ranging in ages from 2-late 70's, was a local priest who was seated in front of a small shrine. This was more than interesting however, since I am still unaccustomed to sitting on the floor for an extended period of time after a while I began to become too uncomfortable to enjoy the ceremony. After the burning of incense, chants and prayers we finally got too eat. However starting to really feel the effects from my previous night at the local izakaiya I became less comfortable. So far the food in Japan has been great, although I had barely eaten sushi before I came I have really liked it since I arrived, unfortunately after a long night of drinking I found out my appetite for raw fish quickly depleted. I soon was faced with an entire sampler dish of every type of raw seafood they serve in Japan. There were maybe three things on the entire platter that were cooked. I really felt embarrassed not too finish my entire meal. Lets hope next time my family surprises me with a feast of fresh sushi, I am not hungover.

A Little More Than Ordering Chinese Take-Out

In the hodge podge of culture that has existed in the United States it is easy to feel like your getting a piece of culture by simply ordering Chinese take-out. Since I have moved to Japan, where the culture is one of the few cultures in the world that has not been ethnically mixed or influenced over time, I have had a crash course with experiencing the culture here. On the surface Japan can look very western; stylish clothes, cell phones, etc. However, so many things done throughout daily life may have been tradition passed down from hundreds of years. Either a bow, or in the life-style of the Japanese Salary-Man working long over the usual forty hour work week as in most Western societies. "The way of the Samurai" so many Japanese say. In the Japanese business culture not only working long hours is extremely common but participating in after work parties, dinners, or simply going out for a few beers is usually a must do. The term "tsukiai" is used to describe these get togethers. It's not that you are required to participate in these activities, however, to stand out among your colleagues is looked down upon quite a bit. Which is very different from traditional western thought, where standing out/above the crowd is often the goal. Hierarchy is also extremely important in Japanese culture. In everything as common as toasting to your first drink, it can be witnessed. In Japan they say "kampai!" When you raise your glass to your friend if you are younger than him it is polite to keep your glass lower than his and vice-versa. One major reason there are so many large differences between Western culture and Japanese culture is because of the individualistic vs. collectivist societies. Family (including extended family), career, community, etc. are often very tight knit societies in collectivist societies. I recently moved in with a home stay family near my college outside of Osaka. Becoming part of this tight knit society has already been an interesting experience. Only two days after moving in with my new family two of their youngest children had their "sports day". This is similar to a track and field day in most elementary schools in the U.S. However every member of the family including myself was expected to participate. Before I know it I was running around a small track behind an elementary school with 100 Japanese families watching. Rather than giving looks of judgement. They simply knew I was there to support my little brother and sister on this special day. Another funny experience that I had that made me feel as a part of the family was yesterday after school I returned home to see my younger siblings playing around the neighborhood with other kids. Quickly they greeted me with excitement. However, the local bully decided to make fun of my by calling the common term "Gaijin" and some other words which I never understood. Like a surprised foreigner I was I just simply nodded and went back to saying hi to my family. Apparently the other words I did not understand must not have been too polite because almost as soon as he finished his sentence my younger brother Kou quickly defended me by pushing the neighborhood bully away and threatening him with a few fake punches.

Baby Steps

I recently just landed for my first time in an Asian country. Landed might not be the best word since my feet haven't stopped moving since I arrived. Needless to say I am here in Japan, experiencing new things everyday trying to simply take baby steps before I lose my footing. I would like nothing more than to fall head over heals for the country but feel to distant from that now to fathom. The previous two years that I have spent studying Japanese feel like barely a foot in the door after realizing the local dialects make my journey all the more interesting. The funniest thing is that the crows don't even sound the same in Japan. You know your feeling lost in a country when you can't even recognize the sounds of nature.