Saturday, September 22, 2012

Welcome to Japan

My first day in Japan, after my first night in Japan in our lovely modern hotel in downtown Kawagoe, was the day I was awakened to the fact that I was, indeed "not in Kansas anymore".

We all woke early for a more traditional Japanese breakfast, it was already very warm and extremely humid, and then went back to our rooms to put on our business attire. As I left my room I hung the "Do Not Disturb" sign on my door. I don't care to have someone clean my room every day I am in a hotel. I can hang up my towels and use the same sheets for a few days ( I do at home don't I?) and since we were going to be there for two weeks I took my own toiletries so I didn't need those replaced either.

We left the hotel, walked about 10 minutes to the train station, rode the train a couple stops and walked about 15 minutes to the University. This first day was a meet and greet we'd be sitting and standing and sitting and standing and bowing and shaking hands and sitting and standing. No biggie, we expected it. As we are standing in the courtyard to go into our next meeting one of the lovely ladies who worked in the administration office comes out and is looking for...yours truly, I have a phone call. A phone call! Of course I am immediately alarmed. Those who know me will not be surprised that before I left the United States not only did I register my trip with the State Department, I also compiled a list of all the phone numbers and locations where I would be and left it for my mother in case anything should happen and she needed to get a hold of me. Naturally, if I have a phone call in a country I just arrived in I'm not thinking this is a good thing.
I followed the woman from the office in and picked up the phone..."Hello?" I said with much trepidation...and who do I hear on the other line? The HOTEL!! They were calling me because they weren't sure if they should clean my room or not. Apparently the sign I hung on the door turned sideways when I shut the door behind me and because of that they needed to check in with me about whether or not to clean it. I thanked them for calling me and told them that no they didn't need to.

I walked back out to the courtyard to join my group and of course they were all just as curious as was about why someone would be calling me at school. I relayed the story and among the slack jaws in disbelief and laughs our wonderful and fearless leader (who is Japanese) looked at me shook his head with a little laugh and said "Welcome to Japan".

Saturday, August 25, 2012

A whole new world...beginning with books.

Among the meetings with fellow faculty members, participating in seminars, writing lesson plans, anticipating, parading in front of yet another audience of people to be introduced as the "direct imports from America" (obviously still in America, date of exportation will be the end of March) there is much reading to be done.

On my coffee table at this moment there are 5 books about Japan, two of them are actual travel books because there is quite a bit of really good information in most of them and each has their own particular feature that is better than others. Currently I have the DK Eyewitness Traveler (great photos and section by section information on the country) and the Fodor's ( honestly I haven't read this one yet). The only other travel book I've looked at was the Lonely Planet guide before I left for our 2 week trip to Japan in June. That book had some great information about cultural traditions to be observed if you don't want to look like a clod. I also have two history books on Japan "Japan: A concise history" by Milton W. Meyer and "Japan: A Modern History" by James L. McClain. Why two different history books you ask? Something you should know about me, I approach history spherically. One source is never, ever enough. Believe it or not, these books are actually not dry! I know you won't really believe me if you don't know me, but for those of you who do, as a social studies teacher and fan of history and reading, you know I like a read that moves along. The day I begin to rely on one source will be the day....nope, that will never happen.  The last book I have currently is "Introducing Japan" by Donald Richie, which is more a coffee table book, but it too has some wonderful pictures and additionally has useful and interesting text to accompany them.

I knew that learning about Japan was going to complex and a process. The history of that country doesn't span a couple centuries, it expands through several millennia! I might feel it is a daunting task but I am not kidding myself, I'm not going to learn all of it, I simply want a better understanding of the long history of the country and how their culture was born.  I look forward to making it through these books, I'm moving slowly but enjoying it immensely.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Fitting in.

As a 5'9", blonde Anglo-Saxon, let's face it, I can't physically fit in living in a country where the average height of men and women are 5'7" and 5'0" respectively, and to get the same beautiful skin color I'd have to buy stock in spray tanners I'm not even going to try; however, there are many many things I can do to fit in culturally.

There are more differences between the U.S and Japan than there are similarities, the first of which is forgiveness. I don't know many Americans (this isn't just an American thing, I know there are other countries with similar feelings) who will forgive a foreigner for just about anything, just for being foreign. The Japanese people don't look down on you for getting something wrong or not know the language, they just let it go because you aren't Japanese and why would you know. But, being who I am, this doesn't give me any excuse not to know. So here are some simple cultural differences that I (as well as my fellow GTFs) will be adjusting to:

#1 It's crowded, get used to it. Gone will be the days of personal space. There isn't room for personal space in a country where 128 million people fit into a country the size of Montana.  On the train, if it looks like there isn't room for one more person, I guarantee 15 more will get on, and that's just by your door. The same thing is happening at every door on the train. It's a good thing I'm 2 inches taller than most of the men, it's the only way to breathe.

#2 Unless you are driving in your own car or are on one of the bullet trains, no eating (drinking your beverage is okay) during your commute, it's considered gauche. I found this one out the hard way sitting in the lobby of our super swanky hotel and I was drinking my coffee and eating a pastry. Thank goodness a bell hop nearby didn't want to see me make a fool of myself for too long and came over to inform me. This was also made perfectly clear by the owners of the eating stalls outside Senso ji in Asakusa, Tokyo. If you buy food be prepared to be shown a sign before purchase that says "No eating on the street" and then you'll be herded into a small eating stall just around the corner.

#3 You know how you go get your coffee or you pay for your groceries and as the nice cashier is ringing up your purchase you make small talk? The weather, how are they, what's going on this weekend? In Japan don't do that. It's rude. It's pretty much a hierarchy thing. In the US (and many other places) we all love to believe and act as if we are all on the same level regardless of our job. That's not the case in Japan. There is a hierarchy, if you don't want to be awkward, you need to learn at least the basics. The first of which is don't try and small talk with the cashiers. Now the couple exceptions to this may be in international food/drink chains like Starbucks or McDonald's as well as in the Duty Free shops, but for the most part... just don't, you'll embarrass yourself.

#4 Here is one difference most people like...there is no tipping in Japan. It's not necessary, ever.  It's in their DNA to do their best job and provide you with the best service. It's standard and they don't expect to be paid extra for it....I think there are some in the industry who could learn a thing or two from this cultural norm. You will also never be rushed out of your seat, take your time. Enjoy yourself...order another biru.

#5 Another faux pas learned the hard way....When you are out to eat and you meet up with those who are already there. Buy your own food before trying the food someone else bought. It's just a sign of respect for the owner of the establishment.

#6 Don't stick your chopsticks into your food when you aren't eating!!! Place them on rim of your plate or bowl. Also don't touch food with your chop sticks if you don't  plan on taking it, don't gesture with them and don't spear your food. Slurping (loudly) is okay (this is something I'm going to have to get used to after having my mother yell at my siblings and I to "chew with our mouths closed, and stop slurping" for years...not sure I'll ever adjust, but I can try!).

#7 Being a tall white person, you probably won't be mistaken for yakuza (organized crime), but tattoos are still considered taboo so be prepared for some stares if you have extensive tattooing on your body. I have a small one on my wrist and can keep it pretty hidden, but there are a lot of onsens where I won't be allowed to go because of it and I've been told some swimming pools also won't allow anyone (ANYONE) in with a tattoo.

#8 Taking shoes off is something you will find in some homes in the U.S, but you'll find yourself taking your shoes off, more often than not in Japan. Be sure to look before entering an establishment to see what the protocol is. I went to a great many places where I never had to take my shoes off, but the more traditional restaurants I went into there were lockers to keep shoes, as well as the one temple we went to. This is a good incentive to be sure you have clean socks and feet at all times. Who wants to see your grimy, dirty socks, or dirt stained feet...not I, but I'll leave that to your discretion.

#9 Business cards are NOT just business cards in Japanese society. They are more like the calling card used by society ladies in the mid to late 1800s. If you've ever read Gone With the Wind or Scarlet, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  While you don't walk around to people's houses to leave the cards on doors and let other society ladies know you are there to receive, they are treated with a similar reverence. When you trade business cards with someone, be sure to receive it with two hands and look at it and read it, for several seconds. Do NOT put it in your back pocket or any pocket for that matter, be sure to put it in a business card holder if at all possible, if not a wallet will do in a pinch. This business card will tell you exactly who you are dealing with and what their status is. In Japanese hierarchy it's a life saver, because there is no guessing about how to talk, or not talk to them.

These are just a few I've experienced already. While not cultural I'll also be adjusting to the toilets (so many buttons and functions!) and the size of my apartment and the lack shoes I can buy without traveling to Hokkaido. Apparently, the Japanese have bigger feet up north which is where I'll be heading to buy shoes for my snow shoe size feet (at least I'll sort of fit in somewhere).


Monday, July 9, 2012

...and on the subject of baseball


Since I've mentioned baseball I figure I should elaborate. This will probably offend some die hard American baseball fans out there and I'm sorry (sort of) but Japanese baseball is so much more fun then American baseball!! Number one, there is a band...for each side!!! Trumpets (and those who know me, know how I feel about trumpets) and drums!! Second there are Cheer Leaders (the home team we saw play, Lions, has actual cheerleaders) and there are cheers and chants for each of the players. There is coordination and flags and the fans actually get involved! Third the beer comes to you on the back of a "beer girl" (for lack of a better term) in a tiny keg!! No flat beer at these games, it's poured (with exactly an inch and a half of foam) right in front of you! On the flip side they don't do hot dogs well at all....but the french fries are 1000x better than American french fries. Sorry guys, told you I'd offend some people.  As far as action goes, we got to see 2 home runs and a triple play! In one game!! Now I'm not a baseball expert and I admit I haven't been to dozens (or hundreds) of games, but I do know how rare a triple play is, and heck, a home run is the icing on the baseball cake.

 The only other experience I can equate Japanese baseball to is soccer. I actually felt like I was at a Portland Timbers game. The home team fans kept up a steady stream of cheers and elation throughout the ENTIRE game. It was awesome! I wasn't even disappointed when the game ended in a tie in the 10th inning....and as the entire male populations yells "Why would they do that?! There has to be a winner!!!" keep in mind that Japanese public transportation will not deviate from it's schedule.

All in all, I suppose flexible transportation along with the hot dogs, could be two things they work on, but all in all, my BEST baseball experience. I might even get season tickets. Go Seibu Lions!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Foreigners in a foreign land...


Nine gaijin (non-Japanese) walk into a bar, and oh how the chaos ensues. Never mind the language barrier it's a whole new ball game and don't tell me "oh but I've been to a Japanese restaurant." It's a whole new ball game (and I'm not even talking about the baseball games yet!)

First question is where will you sit? Will it be at a counter on a stool, a table with chairs, a table with sunken chairs, a table with no chairs, will there be a smoking section, no smoking at all or smoke all around you? Will the waiters know some English, broken English, no English? Will the menus be in all Japanese with no pictures, some pictures, only pictures? Will there be a machine at the door where you will buy tickets, a menu at the table where you will be asked, a menu at the table where you will then press a button for service, or ring a bell when you need something or will the waiters just appear when you need them like magic (as so often happens)? Will you wear your shoes in, leave your shoes at the door, or put your shoes in a locker?

Then the food! Oh the food! Will you go to a soba, udon or ramen restaurant (all noodles by the way)? Sushi restaurant, okonomiyaki (pancake-like) restaurant? How about Shabu Shabu (hot pot), or a teppanyaki (grilling on your own)?

The chopsticks will be your best friends, but you should be aware that spoons are also your best friend because you use them when eating saucy dishes as well as anything soupy.

Mostly it doesn't matter what happens when you step in the door...when you sit down and that magical waiter appears say "Nama biiru kudasai (draft beer please)" and go from there, all will be good. This blog will not be all about food, although there will be a lot of that. It's a working piece that will log all 9 GTFs best and worst stories. Some of them involve dropping chopsticks (everyone does it) as well as misuse or mispronunciation of a word (the Japanese use many words in several capacities that sound VERY similar, i.e. the words for prisoner and husband sound almost exactly alike, I don't think that's an accident).

 Enjoy reading about our adventures and misadventures!

 Lee Ann Erickson