A typical Life

A little while ago Brad asked Did Japan Change YOU?  This got me to thinking.  My initial reaction on Japansoc was to say that “I think that I’ve become more patient and more understanding of the fact that there is not one right way to do things”. I elaborated a bit further but that response was overly simplistic - it’s more complicated than that.

I got to pondering this over a chicken sando set at my local McDonald’s.  I wish that I could say this insight came to me while meditating at the Senso-ji in Asakusa or some other spiritual place but it didn’t - inspiration comes where it comes and I’m just happy that it did.

As I’ve said before I am on my second time living in Japan and even though I have only been here a short time so far on this go-round my feelings haven’t changed much since the last time and I’ve also had some good reminders.  The bottom line is that I’m not really sure if Japan has changed me or not but I know that Japan has given me the gift of awe and wonder back. 

If the truth be told, living in Japan is not that different from living anywhere else.  We have to get around, shop, eat and entertain ourselves.  We love and miss our families, we worry about things.  Will I fit in?  Will anyone understand me?  Will I make friends?  What will people think of me?  How will I get around? Where is the grocery store, the pharmacy, the gym, etc? These questions would come up if you moved from Seattle to New York, Vancouver to Toronto or Honolulu to Japan.

The challenges that arise when moving to Japan are due to the fact that we have been taken out of our robot-like comfort zone.  When I was at home in the United States or Canada I didn’t think about a lot of things.  If I needed something I drove to the store and picked it up.  I didn’t have to think about where the store was or how it was organized because this information was imbedded in my consciousness.  Drive three blocks to the store, take a left here and a right there.  Milk is here, meat is there and dairy is against the back wall.  When you are in Japan you have to become more conscious about everything and pay attention to your surroundings just to get all of the thing done that you take for granted at home. 

In a lot of ways Japan is a healthier existence.  Instead of driving my car I hop on my bike or walk to the train station to catch a train, bus or taxi.  I’m getting exercise that I probably wouldn’t get at home and I’m not getting frustrated by other drivers and traffic jams.  I’m calmer in Japan.

Instead of watching mindless television in my living room I am taking time to think and write.  I am taking time to explore this sometimes strange to me, yet amazing place, that  the universe has chosen to place me.  In Japan I take the time to quietly be with myself - I am not as distracted by mindless activities.

In Japan things are not as easily accomplished and require a lot more thought and effort than you would need to put in of you were living in your home country.  Of course, a lot of this has to do with the language barrier and cultural differences but while the inability to speak Japanese doesn’t make things impossible in Japan often requires a lot of energy and planning to get them done.  On the whole, I find that in Japan I am more engaged and aware of what is going on around me.

In a lot of ways I feel like living in Japan has caused a reversion of sorts.  I feel like a child must feel when everything is new and exciting.  Children are not jaded by the mundane as nothing is mundane to them,  everything in new and wonderful.  A child has an innate sense of wonder and awe and if you take time to watch children you can see it in their faces.  Japan has given me back the wonder and awe that, unless we  take the time to nurture, adult-hood can take away from us all.

Living in Japan has helped me to lead a more conscious life.

I can collect engaging and entertaining stories about life in Japan, pictures of shrines, temples and geisha, post cards and other knick-knacks but if I could only take one thing home with me at the end of my Japan journey  that would stay with me for the rest of my life it would be my sense of wonder and awe.

Today I have a very special announcement to make that is the culmination of some work that has been going on behind the scenes for a couple of months now.  It is with great pride that I am announcing my debut as a paid blogger!  I have joined b5media and will be writing The Tokyo Traveler which has now been added to their Travel and Culture Chanel.  b5 Media has network of over 330 blogs covering a variety of topics and I am looking forward to being a part of the b5 team.   My b5medi bio and the launch announcement are out there as our my first few blog entries.   Here’s a look at the logo that I created to head the new blog .

As most of you who read this blog know I jumped into the blogging world with both feet in November of last year and it’s been a really interesting learning experience. 

I have met some new online friends like Nick from Longcountdown, and founder of Japansoc,  who was kind enough to review my blog in the early days and Neil Duckett who put me on his featured feeds page (you really should check out his series on the Yamanote Line in Tokyo as it’s turning out to be something special). 

I even had a few exciting moments like when my post on how to Map an Address in Japan got picked up by Japan Probe and News on Japan and got a whopping 176 hits in one day (it’s up to 329 hits now).  I shouldn’t admit it but I was kind of glued to my stats page as I couldn’t believe my eyes. I know it’s a small number to most but to me it is awesome.

I’ve also had some disappointments too, like when I realized that the folks over at Japansoc don’t love baseball as much as I do and continue to let my posts on the subject languish on the upcoming page.  I still like them though and look forward to my daily visit to see what’s new in the Japan blogoshpere.

With the launch of  The Tokyo Traveler the focus of this blog will be changing slightly.  If you want to see what I’ve been up to in terms of sightseeing in Tokyo you should head on over to The Tokyo Traveler (I have added a link to the blogroll on the left to make it easy for you). However, I’ll still be here with my personal ramblings about life in general and specifically my life in Japan so stay tuned!

Today Sports Illustrated announced the retirement of Masumi Kuwata, one of the top pitchers in Japanese baseball history and a major leaguer for the first time last season at age 39.  As a baseball fan living in Japan the story caught my eye but as I read through the article what touched me the most was the ceremony that takes place when a pitcher retires.

According to the article when a pitcher decides to retire it is a Japanese tradition for the pitcher to respectfully approach the pitchers mound and, being careful not to touch the pitching rubber, place a ball atop it.

I was touched by the solitary nature of the ceremony and the symbolism surrounding the image of a solitary ball sitting on the pitching rubber on a baseball field devoid of players in a stadium devoid of fans.

In Japan it’s spring break right now and the parks are full of kids playing and families having picnics under the Hanami (Cherry Blossom) trees that are just starting to bloom.

Today I had to run some errands so I hopped on my bike for the ride to the Mihama Ward Office (city hall) to pick up our Alien cards.  Then I posted a letter, took a spin through the 100 Yen store and picked up a couple of items from the grocery store  including a sushi bento and an orange for my lunch.

On my way home I decided that the day was just too nice to eat my bento inside so I stopped at my local park and sat down on a bench to eat under the cherry blossoms.

The trees aren’t in full bloom yet but they are still very pretty and I found what looked like a nice one to sit under and ponder life.  As a family strolled by looking for a spot to have their picnic one of the kids excitedly pointed up so I looked too and the picture below is what I saw.  I felt a bit guilty as I think that I found the best bench in the park to eat my bento!

Yesterday was the opening day for the Eastern League (one of two minor leagues in Japan). The Chiba Lotte Marines faced the Nippon Ham Fighters in Kamagaya and the Marines got off to a good start only to be beaten by a final score of 11-7. The game was good but the Marines were sunk by an eight run inning early on after their starting pitcher was hit in the shin by a come-backer and couldn’t regain his rhythm. Both teams had thirteen hits and one error so it was a fun game to watch.

The Fighters facility in Kamagaya is the best facility in the Eastern league and I almost felt like I was watching a minor league game in the States. Here are some shots of the field and stands.

Here is the line-up card that I was given along with my press pass for the game. The Marines line up is on the left and the Fighters are on the right. As I said in my post on my first major league game in Japan this line-up card makes it a bit difficult to follow the game at times but with the position and uniform numbers it wasn’t too bad. I just can’t read the names in Kanji.

The game started with a presentation of flowers to the managers (my hubby is right center in the shot below) followed by some children singing the national anthem of Japan. After signing the anthem the children turned to face the Chiba Lotte Marines bench and said in unison “Gambate Marines” (Good Luck Marines) and then bowed in respect. They then turned to the Nippon Ham Fighters bench and did the same. It was something that you definitely would not see in the states and a great show of sportsmanship.

Benny Agbayani, formerly with the New York Mets, started his season with the Marines in the minor leagues and was the first base runner of the season. Later in the game he hit the first home run of he season for the Marines. Here he is taking a warm up swing.

Hosaya, our third baseman, had the honor of scoring the first run of the season for the Marines.

The Japanese fans are very dedicated and are definitely not a quiet bunch! These guys clap, cheer, beat drums and put their noisemakers to good use throughout the whole game. They must be exhausted by the end of nine innings. Here is a shot of the the Nippon Ham Fighters cheering section. This is a small group by major league standards in Japan but more on that in a future post.

I had a great day at the yard and am looking forward to doing it all again today!

In the Japanese blogosphere there is a discussion that comes up fairly often about discrimination against foreigners in Japan.  Today I ran across an article on CNN about English Only Signs at a cheese steak store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The sign in question reads “This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING ‘PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH.’” and the city’s Commission on Human Relations has deemed that the sign is not discriminatory and I agree.

I don’t have a problem with this sign nor any sign in Japan that reads “Japanese Speaking Only”.  I consider myself a guest of Japan and feel that it is my responsibility to make myself understood in Japanese.  I never expect to be understood in Japan when I am speaking in English or even poor Japanese and I am always very appreciative if and when someone tries to help me out.

I have know foreigners who feel discriminated against simply because someone doesn’t understand them and they don’t get things their way.  This is the attitude of a spoiled brat and should not be considered acceptable anywhere. 

I am lucky as I have never been blatantly discriminated against in Japan but I understand that it does happen.   I don’t think that foreigners should be denied entry anywhere but also feel that foreigners should treat living in Japan like the privilege it is.  With privilege comes responsibility and whether you live in the United States or Japan I think an effort should be made to learn and respect the local language and customs.

What do you think?

This weeks quote evokes a feeling of tranquility and mystery that I have been experiencing lately and is very appropriate given the misty/hazy mornings that we have been having in Tokyo. This morning I awoke and stepped outside only to be reminded of camping trips where you wake up in the morning and step outside into the peaceful cool of a misty morning.

The quote is by calligraphy artist Toko Shinoda from the spring edition of Kateigaho International Edition (KIE), an English language magazine that I would recommend to anyone interested in Japanese culture.

When the mist rises, we envision the dream-like springtime that must be there, somewhere beyond it. So the mist whispers. The mist makes reality feel lonely, and nurtures the dream. In the moments when evening mist shrouds the edges of the western hills, we we glimpse for an instant another world.

On Monday a new statue of Colonel Sanders was unveiled at the Koshien Stadium branch of Kentucky Fried Chicken and the Hanshin Tigers are hoping that this will eradicate a curse that started back in 1985. “What!”, you say. How does Colonel Sanders have anything to do with baseball and how could erecting a new statue of him eradicate the supposed curse?

When the Hanshin Tigers won the Japan series in 1985 the fans went crazy and in celebration they started yelling out the names of the players on the roster. Someone who resembled each player would then jump into a river in downtown Osaka. All went well until they got to Randy Bass who was an American with a beard and the MVP that year. Needless to say no-one looked like him so some overly enthusiastic fans decided that a nearby statue of Colonel Sanders bore a close enough resemblance so they tossed it into the river. The statue has never been found despite several searches and the Tigers have never been able to win the Japan Series since.

So that’s how the “Curse of Colonel Sanders” was born and the Hanshin Tigers and their fans hope that by erecting a new statue of Colonel Sanders that they will be able to shake off this curse of 23 years and will again be able to win the Japan Series. Take a moment to check out this photo of the Colonel Sanders statue and the real live Japanese Colonel at Sponichi Annex (the story is in Japanese but you need to click the photo to see a larger version).

Japan is supposed to be the land of the rising sun but the other day this was the view of the sun setting from our apartment in Chiba. We are looking towards Tokyo and I believe that the body of water in the photo is the Tokyo Bay. We have had this same view almost every night this week and it’s amazing!

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending my first baseball game of the year in Japan (or anywhere for that matter).  The Chiba Lotte Marines beat the Orix Kintetsu Buffaloes by a score of 4-1.   All of the scoring was the result of three home runs.  Koichi Hori, and Naotaka Takehara each hit  solo blasts, and Julio Zuleta cracked a two-run shot.

This was only the second game at home for the Chiba Lotte Marines this year and was a spring training game.  The regular season starts next week. Game time was 1PM and it was a brisk 25 minute walk to the stadium from our apartment but we got to watch the game from a sky box which was a treat.

The stadium is located near the Kaihin Makuhari Station on the Keiyo Line which is a direct shot from Tokyo that takes about 30 minutes. 

While the players all have their names on their back in romanized English the lineup on the scoreboard it written in Kanji and Katakana (for the foreigners names).  This makes following the action and strategic moves of the game a bit difficult at times.

In this case the Marines line up is on the right side.  I can’t tell you who was up to bat (the left fielder) but I can tell you that Benny Agbayani was batting third and playing right filed while Julio Zuletta was batting fourth and playing first base.

We had a great day at the yard and I can’t wait to go back!