A typical Life

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.

This article from the Daily Yomiuri discusses wa or social harmony in Japan. I found the following excerpt to be very interesting:

The researchers found that the Japanese were more than twice as likely as the Americans to opt for the ambiguous response … One of the question topics with the highest rate of ambiguous results among Japanese respondents involved choosing between custom and “my way.” Fifty-two percent of Japanese were undecided or said it depends, compared to 9.5 percent of U.S. respondents.

This concept is still alive today in Japan and is said to stem from the 17 article ‘constitution’ written by Prince Shotoku during the Asuka period (around 600AD). This document is the first constitution written for Japan and is more a set of guidelines that the government officials and their subjects were required to abide by than a true constitution. The first article is translated by SaruDama.com as follows and can be deemed a sort of definition of wa:

Harmony should be valued and quarrels should be avoided. Everyone has his biases, and few men are far-sighted. Therefore some disobey their lords and fathers and keep up feuds with their neighbors. But when the superiors are in harmony with each other and the inferiors are friendly, then affairs are discussed quietly and the right view of matters prevails.

Another article is translated as follows:

To subordinate private interests to the public good–that is the path of a vassal. Now if a man is influenced by private motives, he will be resentful, and if he is influenced by resentment he will fail to act harmoniously with others. If he fails to act harmoniously with others, the public interest will suffer. Resentment interferes with order and is subversive of law.

Preserving the wa, or not making waves, is all important even at the expense of the self. This is why gaijin are often frustrated with the apparent indecisiveness of the Japanese but one shouldn’t assume that the Japanese don’t have an opinion. They are just waiting to make sure that everyone else has the same opinion before they ’stick their neck out’ and risk the wa.

Take a moment to read through the other articles of the 17 article ‘constitution’ at SaruDama.com. It provides a lot of insight into the long history and cultural foundation of Japan.

2008 Preview from the Daily Yomiuri is an interesting story about events that will be happening in Japan this year. Of particular interest to me is the listing of major art exhibitions that include several exhibits of national treasures and a retrospective of Renoir.

A video via Japan Probe showing you how to make spaghetti, meatloaf or orange cake in your rice cooker. The meat loaf doesn’t look too appealing but I am tempted to try the orange cake but my husband thinks that it looks disgusting!

The Tokyo Times hints at the Japanese love for Ramen and shares the photo to the left of the winking ramen girl enticing you into the shop.

Lastly, some posts that I found via JapanSoc that I thought were interesting:

From Japan is Doomed, a post on the newly adopted law that bans cyclists from talking on cell phone, listening to music, or riding on most sidewalks. If you have ever lived in Japan you know how it feels to be accosted from behind by a cyclist who may, or may not, ring their bell to warn you. Even if they do, you still don’t have a clue as to which side they are on and panic trying to figure it out so you don’t get run over. If by chance you slow them down or they run into you they give you a look as if to say “What’s your problem?”, and those are the friendly ones!

A funny, but slightly off color, political sign from Engrish.com . If you aren’t familiar with the term, Engrish is poorly translated English. This one is from Japan and highlights their problem pronouncing our letter L in a quite amusing way - check it out if you need a laugh!

Have a great weekend everyone!

An otaku is defined as a geek, nerd or enthusiast by Freedict.com. It is a relatively new use of the world and relates primarily to those obsessed with manga (Japanese comic books) and anime (Janapese cartoons, usually derived from manga) and is often used as an insult. The Japan Times had a great article a while ago on the topic and it got me to thinking about whether being obsessed with something is necessarily a bad thing. Obsession is defined by Merriam Webster online as a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling; broadly : compelling motivation.

I know that I am an otaku in the following areas, but I like to think that I have a compelling motivation:

Blogging…so much to learn
Crochet & Knitting..so may wonderful things to create
Japan…so many things to do and see & so much to get ready before I go
Photography…I have to figure out my awesome new camera

If I am ever called an otaku I will think long and hard about it before I assume that it is an insult. One persons passion may be considered a waste of time and energy by another but that’s what makes the world great!

So, do you Otaku?

In Japan one of the traditional activities of the new year celebration is the pounding of mochi. We also pound mochi here in Hawaii to celebrate the new year and if you click on the picture to the left you can view more photos and a video on mochi pounding in action (via the Honolulu Advertiser Daily Dish blog) . While this is an accepted tradition in Japanese culture I was curious about its history. My search revealed quite a bit about the uses for mochi (soup, stew, sweet snacks and altar presentations) but not a lot about the history of the tradition. Below is an excerpt from The Cambridge World History of Food:

Pounded rice cakes (mochi), prepared by pounding steamed glutinous rice with a mortar and pestle, have been indispensable food items for Japanese ceremonial feasts. People thought that the essence — the sacred power of rice — was made purer by pounding, and mochi was believed to contain the “spirit of rice.” Naturally this was and is the most celebrated form of rice and therefore the most appropriate food for feasts. Thus, New Year’s day, the principal annual feast in Japan, sees mochi always consumed as a ceremonial food.

While this is interesting I was still left wondering how it became a new years tradition. I then found this from Neat Stuff From Japan:

The Japanese word for cooked rice is gohan which literally translates as “honorable food.” That a simple grain would be worthy of such a lofty title hints at the significance rice has played in Japanese history and culture. For centuries rice was not only a stable of the Japanese diet but also served as an important form of currency. Samurai warriors were once paid in rice and their status was, in part, associated with the number of koku (1 koku equals roughly 5 bushels) of rice they received as stipend from their lord each year.

In reviewing these two excerpts my conclusion is that the belief behind the pounding and eating of mochi is that it will purify your body while at the same time encourage wealth for the upcoming year. Both of these wishes are common at new year celebrations around the world and transcend existing cultural and physical borders.

If you want to read an interesting overview of other New Years related traditions and activities check out this article from the Japan times.

If you are in Japan, there is no official Christmas holiday and you are probably working like any other day. You probably just assumed that Christmas would be a day off and it must have come as a bit of a shock when you moved to Japan and found out that it isn’t a national holiday and that you had to work!

This reminds me of when I first moved to the United States from Canada and assumed (you know the saying, making an *** out of you and me) that Boxing Day was a holiday . When I asked what everyone was doing on Boxing Day they looked at me as if I was nuts and had no idea what I was talking about. This is not a holiday that is celebrated in the United States and I think it’s a terrible thing…..one needs a day to recover from all of the festivities - it’s just civilized!

Boxing Day is celebrated in Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and most other countries that were once or still are considered part of the commonwealth that is England. The history of the holiday dates back to the 1600’s and there are a number of different stories about it’s inception. I have read that it is derived from the tradition of giving gifts to the servants as they finished their work on Christmas day and allowing them to take the following day off. Other stories are that it is the day that the church alms boxes were opened and the contents distributed to those in need or that it was the day that people boxed up items that they no longer needed and donated them to charity.

This article from the Japan Times offers a funny editorial on how there is a big buildup to Christmas in Japan but no actual Christmas! Bummer….

So, if you have to work on Christmas day make it a point of explaining Boxing Day to your boss and tell him that you would like a gift before you leave and the next day off in honor of the holiday. Since you have invested a lot of time learning and adapting to the culture of Japan wouldn’t it only be fair if they made this one concession to you?

This has been a busy week for me but I did come across some interesting items that I wanted to share.

An article fro the Japan Times noted an exhibition that I will not be able to see in person titled Culture Filters. The artist, Osorio Zapata created the fabulous work to the right and others in which he explores “the breakdown of understanding that takes place when people with diverse backgrounds, customs and perspectives attempt to communicate with each other“. I love the interplay between the transparent and opaque bricks and feel that it captures the feeling of the foreigner in Japan well. Click on his name above to see more of his thought provoking work.

The Boroichi or rag fair in was held in Tokyo this past week was the subject of an article on Asahi.com. Boro has a duel meaning in the Japanese language and can refer to rags or a personal weakness or failing one tries to to hide. Vendors at the Boroichi primarily sell used clothing and household items, but the author uses the second meaning to allude to some of the scandals that beset Japan during the year. He quotes a writer from over 100 years ago as saying “In this world, there is not a thing that is useless. That is what you must realize when you go to Boroichi.” and concludes by stating that “One way to judge someone’s character is how he or she deals with his or her exposed weakness or failing. And in judging someone, we also become aware of our own weaknesses and failings and can reflect on past conduct. Indeed, there is not a thing in this world that is useless.” I love the sentiment that not a thing is useless and I would extend that to say not a person is useless, we all have value and a purpose - though some of us are still trying to figure it out …

Another great article from Asahi.com reminds us of the value of our time and to spend it wisely. It also shares and interesting tale of how an entire month was lost in 1872 when the Japanese switched from the lunar to a solar or twelve month calendar and how the government saved money by not having to pay one month of salaries to it’s workers.

Lastly, I will share one of my daily routines with you….I play the Sudoku puzzle from the Mainichi Daily News every morning. Most times I am successful but the other day they offered a difficult one that I went back to two or three times before finally admitting defeat.

Have a great weekend!

This week I read a really cool article from the Daily Yomiuri on yokai or supernatural beings. Yokai stem from the Shinto belief system in which all things, living or inanimate, have a spirit and can turn into a supernatural being with mystical powers. Some yokai are simply mischievous and some are downright evil but most are incarnated into a grotesque or strange form and tend to be the product of pent-up emotions or unfulfilled desires or lives ended prematurely. The article highlighted the link between the upturn of interest in yokai and the downturn or lack of confidence that the Japanese people have in their economy which started back in the 1990’s.

The author, Sawa Kurotani, states in the article that:

“When a society fails to provide a clear vision and assure its citizens of positive outlooks for their future, people become disillusioned and lose their sense of connection to the collective to which they belong. One of the symptoms of this state of alienation, which Emile Durkheim famously called anomie, is increased suicide, which Japan has experienced since the late 1990s.

A surge of interest in the supernatural is yet another symptom of anomie. When social reality no longer makes sense, people turn to an alternative explanation for their predicament. As yokai represent an alternative reality that transcends the logic of modern society, the world of yokai may provide a kind of escape from the “real” world that is not so hopeful.”

This same effect has been documented in the United States post 9-11 and currently while the debate rages over military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is very interesting that during times of crisis people around the world turn to religion and spirituality for comfort.

So what does a yokai look like?

To the left is Zashiki-warashi, a child-like spirit that is said to inhabit the inner rooms of old houses and other buildings. Sometimes it plays with the children of the house, but it never lets the adults see it. Houses inhabited by zashiki-warashi have have extremely good fortune but that can change if the ghost child ever leaves.

You can see more pictures of yokai at The Obakemono Project and an overview of Japanese supernatural beings can be found at Mangajin.

I am a big fan of arts & crafts in general and I have a special admiration for the Japanese approach of making an art form out of things that they use in daily life. The furoshiki is a great example - it is basically a square of fabric that can range in size from as small as your hand to as large as a bed sheet depending upon what will be wrapped. It can be made out of virtually any fabric, elaborately patterned or simply decorated, and can be used to wrap almost anything. You can wrap boxed or square items, bottled items, and even round items. In Japan cotton furoshiki are commonly used to wrap bento lunches and silk furoshiki would be common for the presentation of gifts at a wedding or funeral. But the best part about the furoshiki is that it can be used over and over again. On top of their beauty as fabric, I recently read a great article that talks about the furoshiki and how it could combat climate change.

The history of the furoshiki, literally translated as bath (furo) shiki (spread), dates back to the Nara period (710-794 AD) and was traditionally used to wrap and transport clothes and toiletries to and from public bath houses. Over the time, it became common to carry almost anything in furoshiki. After WWII plastic bags were introduced to Japan and the the use of furoshiki dropped off dramatically.

In order to encourage its use, the Ministry of the Environment in Japan has put up graphic instructions on the many ways to fold furoshiki here. The images below are just a few examples that may come in handy but you never know what you might have to wrap so go and check out all of your options.

I can imagine many other potential uses for furoshiki such as livening up your decor by wrapping your old throw pillows with colorful furoshiki, permanently tacking the folded furoshiki together to create a unique handbag, creating a unique window covering, or joining a number of furoshiki together to create a one of a kind lap blanket or quilt. Or, you could simply frame a beautiful example and treat is as artwork.

Wrapping an ugly old pillow…

Here is the back…

And the front…

As you can tell this is very easy to do, it took me less than 5 minutes, and if you had a smaller furoshiki you could leave the corners of your pillow peaking out for contrast.

With Christmas right around the corner this is an easy way to make your decor seasonal with ease and wouldn’t it be great if part of our gift to our friends and family was the wrapping itself!