Yuri : Alejandro, thank you for reading and answering.
Most Japanese people say the word “gaijin” without knowing that.
It might be causing troubles between people from foreign countries and Japanese. What can we do for that???
2010年11月7日日曜日
Comments from Alejandro in Chile
Yuri : Alejandro, thank you for reading and answering.
Most Japanese people say the word “gaijin” without knowing that.
It might be causing troubles between people from foreign countries and Japanese. What can we do for that???
2010年11月4日木曜日
My Answers to Columbine
(C=Columbine, Y=Yuri)
C : ユリさんの質問に関しては、ちょっと複雑と思います。
Y : I didn’t know the issue was controversial or complicated.
この問題が物議を醸しているとも複雑だとも知りません でした。
Thank you for answering.
答えてくださってありがとうございます。
C : 外国人は日本について学び始めると、必ず『日本人は外 国の事をよく分からない』や 『日本人に取って、外国 人が宇宙人みたいん』の意見を聞いています。それはや っぱり正しくないですが、何か普通になりました。
Y : Yes, the comments are right. Most Japanese people don’t know or understand foreign countries well. Let me say this, though, many people in foreign countries don’t understand Japan.
その通りです。ほとんどの日本人は外国のことを知らな いし、理解していません。でも言わせていただければ、 外国にいる外国人の方たちは、日本を理解していません 。
C : もちろん、その意見は大学で、日本人の友達で、直して いますが、日本の社会をよく分からないの人の中で、そ のような意見に信じている人はいっぱいんです。
Y : Those comments about Japanese people are correct, I’d say.
Most Japanese people have never met people from foreign countries. When those people first meet a person from a foreign country, the Japanese people would be so impressed and overreact.
私としては、そういうコメントは正しいと思います。
外国人の方に会ったことがない日本人はたくさんいます 。そういう人たち初めて外国の方にお会いしたら、もの すごく驚いて過剰反応するでしょう。
And I think you would say you don’t understand why those Japanese people are surprised meeting foreigners.
でも多分あなたは、どうして日本人が外国人と会ったか らといって驚くのか、わからないでしょうね。
Have you imagined that you have never met people who are not your race?
人種の違う人と会ったことがなかったらと、想像してみ たことはありますか？
C : それにも、日本の社会に着いて勉強し始めるの人でも、 他の外人から変な意見と聞いています。「日本人があな たの事を『外人』と呼ぶ、悪口だ。人種差別的な響きが ある.」だから、日本人は「外人」を付けると、外国人達、「実は、日本人さんは私の事がすきじゃないの？ばか
にするの？」と心配します。
Y : I see. I didn’t know the word was such infamous. I got it.
そうだったんですか。そんなに評判の悪い言葉だとは知 りませんでした。
C : 多分、この考え違いの理由は:
1)英語で、人を国籍で呼ぶのは人種差別的な響きがあります。たとえば『ジャップ』『パッキ (パキスタン人）』
Y : I know that “Jap” is a derogatory term, but how about “Japanese”?
If I call you English, is that a discrimination?
C : ２）ある子どもは外国人を見ると「あ、外人！外人だ！ 」道の中に呼ぶので、日本人の大人も「外人」を付ける 、何か子どもぽいです。みて、みて、僕のペット外人の 感じがあります。
Y : If there are many people from Western countries in Japan, those children wouldn’t say like that.
もし西洋の方が大勢日本にいたしたら、そういう子供た ちもそんなことは言わないと思いますよ。
However, when you are called gaijin loudly on the street, you would hate it. I understand it.
でも、道で大声で外人と呼ばれたら、嫌ですよね。わか ります。
C : ３）有名な人は「外人」は悪事と言います。たとえば、 デビト。
Y : Columbine, sorry; I don’t see what this sentence means.
Who is デビト?
(This man was ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debito_Arudou)
C : 4)自分の国にいるでも、日本語に取ってまだ『外人』です。そして、それが好きじゃないんです。
Y : I know that! I have heard it many times.
I’d like to write a bit about this issue later.
C : and various other reasons.
For me, I don't mind being called 'gaijin' by someone I don't know, unless it's people openly pointing and bawling it, or kids making a fuss, then I might tell them (in japanese) that they're being rude.
Y : In the city in Japan, I think such things would not happen, while in rural places, it’s likely.
C : I don't mind if a friend uses it now and then as a joke, or ironically, but I don't like it when people use it all the time. Even if ~you~ don't think it's got a bad meaning, the foreign community generally does, so if I let everyone call me 'gaijin' all the time, I'll have to deal with my foreign friends asking me why I allow it, don't I find it demeaning, don't I realize it's a bad thing, and so on.
Y : I see. I will never say “gaijin” anymore.
C : Also it lumps us all together, like it doesn't matter who or where we come from, the thing is we're Not-Japanese.
Y : Yes, the Japanese people like to lumps people all together.
We often lump ourselves all together. It may be difficult to understand why you don’t like to be lumped together to most Japanese people.
C : I've also had conversations like "gaijin cause a lot of crime in Japan; these days loads of drug dealers and prostitutes are gaijin....
Y : I agree with you!
I’m sure that there are more Japanese criminals than foreign criminals, but the Japanese people like to say so.
C : Oh, Hi Columbine! Everyone, this is my friend Columbine, she's gaijin." I think you can see why sometimes it's really frustrating!
Y : I must say here there are differences.
In Japan, if one of my friends come to with someone, and said “this is my friend, and she is gaijin”, other friends and I would be really interested in the person, and try to be friends with the person.
And I would say “I have a foreign friend!” to many other friends.
I believe that many Japanese people want to be friends with foreign people, but they can’t because of the language.
If I was in England and my friend said “this is my friend, and she is gaijin”, I would feel nothing, and say “Hi, I’m Japanese.”
I’m sorry; I don’t understand what you feel.
C : Also if you're white, a lot of Japanese people seem to think 'gaijin' means 'american', so it can be annoying for Europeans to be introduced as 'gaijin' and then get asked about America.
Y : OK, this is understandable.
It must be frustrating.
I am really sorry to hear that.
C : So for me, if you have to refer to me by something other than my name, please use my actual nationality, イギリス人、or I'd rather be called 外国人 than がいじん、even if it's more formal. The formality actually means that both the japanese people using it and all the foreigners KNOW for sure there's no bad meaning.
Y : I will say外国人 or イギリス人.
Your comments are really instructive and helpful. (^_^)/~~
勉強になりました。どうもありがとう。
Columbine’s Comments
Hi Yuri (^_^)
This is a really interesting topic.
If you have any questions about the changes i've made, please ask me.
ユリさんの質問に関しては、ちょっと複雑と思います。 外国人は日本について学び始めると、必ず『日本人は外 国の事をよく分からない』や 『日本人に取って、外国 人が宇宙人みたいん』の意見を聞いています。それはや っぱり正しくないですが、何か普通になりました。もち ろん、その意見は大学で、日本人の友達で、直していま すが、日本の社会をよく分からないの人の中で、そのよ うな意見に信じている人はいっぱいんです。それにも、 日本の社会に着いて勉強し始めるの人でも、他の外人か ら変な意見と聞いています。「日本人があなたの事を『 外人』と呼ぶ、悪口だ。人種差別的な響きがある.」だから、日本人は「外人」を付けると、外国人達、「実は、日本人さんは私の事がすきじゃないの？ばかにするの？」と心配します。多分、この考え違いの理由は:
1)英語で、人を国籍で呼ぶのは人種差別的な響きがあります。たとえば『ジャップ』『パッキ (パキスタン人）』
２）ある子どもは外国人を見ると「あ、外人！外人だ！ 」道の中に呼ぶので、日本人の大人も「外人」を付ける 、何か子どもぽいです。みて、みて、僕のペット外人の 感じがあります。
３）有名な人は「外人」は悪事と言います。たとえば、 デビト。
4)自分の国にいるでも、日本語に取ってまだ『外人』です。そして、それが好きじゃないんです。
and various other reasons.
For me, I don't mind being called 'gaijin' by someone I don't know, unless it's people openly pointing and bawling it, or kids making a fuss, then I might tell them (in japanese) that they're being rude. I don't mind if a friend uses it now and then as a joke, or ironically, but I don't like it when people use it all the time. Even if ~you~ don't think it's got a bad meaning, the foreign community generally does, so if I let everyone call me 'gaijin' all the time, I'll have to deal with my foreign friends asking me why I allow it, don't I find it demeaning, don't I realize it's a bad thing, and so on.
Also it lumps us all together, like it doesn't matter who or where we come from, the thing is we're Not-Japanese. I've also had conversations like "gaijin cause a lot of crime in Japan; these days loads of drug dealers and prostitutes are gaijin.... Oh, Hi Columbine! Everyone, this is my friend Columbine, she's gaijin." I think you can see why sometimes it's really frustrating! Also if you're white, a lot of Japanese people seem to think 'gaijin' means 'american', so it can be annoying for Europeans to be introduced as 'gaijin' and then get asked about America.
So for me, if you have to refer to me by something other than my name, please use my actual nationality, イギリス人、or I'd rather be called 外国人 than がいじん、even if it's more formal. The formality actually means that both the japanese people using it and all the foreigners KNOW for sure there's no bad meaning.
Gaijin
Wikipedia says that Gaijin (外人) is a Japanese word meaning "non-Japanese", or "alien".
I have heard foreign people hate being called “gaijin”. Is that right?
I went on a trip in Japan with an American friend a few years ago. When we took a taxi, I was talking to the driver in Japanese and I said the word “gaijin” in the conversation.
My friend wasn’t able to understand Japanese. She had started studying Japanese, but she didn’t even know how to say “mother” or “father”.
However, she seemed to catch the word “gaijin”, and got upset.
Most Japanese people believe that “gaijin” means “people from foreign countries” without any further meaning. We can say “gaikokujin（外国人）” and “gaikoku kara irasshatta kata（外国からいらっしゃった方）”, but the first one sounds too formal and the second one is too long to say.
Since I didn’t know my friend didn’t like to be called “gaijin”, that I was shocked to know she was angry.
I believe the definitions in Wiki are a bit wrong. The Japanese people don’t mean anything negative by the word.
I’d like to know why and how the word has become associated with a bad meaning or impression.
If you know any reasons, let me know, please.
And, what should I say instead of gaijin???
Thank you.
Columbine, thanks for helping.
2010年10月19日火曜日
Nightmares
This is what I have been dreaming of in the past week.
About one week ago, I bought a lot of herrings in a dream.
I bought too many herrings, so I didn't feel like cooking them.
After that the herrings appeared in my dreams every night. I knew I should hurry up, or the fish would go rotten, but I didn’t. You probably know the feeling that you should finish a difficult task before it's too late, right? For example; preparing for an examination in school or cleaning the fan in the kitchen. When you postpone tough things to do, you feel uncomfortable, don’t you?
I have been feeling uneasy over the past week without knowing why.
This morning I dreamed I finally picked up one of the herrings. It was rotten.
I put many rotten herrings into a plastic bag. Fortunately, the last one was safe!
I sliced the fish and baked it with potato in my dream.
And that's how my nightmares ended.
Thank you.
Koir, JamboP26 and Columbine, thank you!
About one week ago, I bought a lot of herrings in a dream.
I bought too many herrings, so I didn't feel like cooking them.
After that the herrings appeared in my dreams every night. I knew I should hurry up, or the fish would go rotten, but I didn’t. You probably know the feeling that you should finish a difficult task before it's too late, right? For example; preparing for an examination in school or cleaning the fan in the kitchen. When you postpone tough things to do, you feel uncomfortable, don’t you?
I have been feeling uneasy over the past week without knowing why.
This morning I dreamed I finally picked up one of the herrings. It was rotten.
I put many rotten herrings into a plastic bag. Fortunately, the last one was safe!
I sliced the fish and baked it with potato in my dream.
And that's how my nightmares ended.
Thank you.
Koir, JamboP26 and Columbine, thank you!
2010年9月26日日曜日
Japanese Honorifics
One of my American friends asked me two questions about Japan. This was one of them.
The Contract318 : My first question is: What is the meaning of calling someone _____chan vs _____san. In my Japanese class we are called by our last names with san at the end, which I think means Mr./Mrs. However, many times in manga people say "-chan" at the end. Is this something said just between friends?
Answer : Yes.
The Japanese language has five common honorifics to add at the end of names of people.
“San”, “chan”, “kun” “sama” and “dono”.
“Dono” is used scarcely. You write it when you direct letters to lower ranking people. That means that writing the honorific makes you appear bossy.
When my younger brother has wrote to me using it, I got angry and complained. He said that he writes many letters to his patients with the honorific every day, and he had used it out of pure habit. He is a doctor. I believe he is arrogant.
I think only Tennoh (the Japanese Emperor) can use that when he writes to Japanese people.
When you write letters, you must write “sama”.
“Sama” is also used to call customers. Shop assistants and clerks usually address their customers with “sama”.
By the way, we call god/gods “kamisama”. This “sama” is the honorific.
When you call your boss and fellow workmates, you should add “san” to their family names.
If you are very elderly, you can address young subordinates with “kun”. However, I don’t recommend it.
If you are a male student, you would address your male friends with “kun” or just their names without an honorific, and would address your female friends with “san”. If the person is your girlfriend, you can address her without an honorific as well.
If you are a female student, you would address your female friends with “san”. When the friends are very close, you can address them with “chan”.
When you are an adult, you must be very friendly to address friends with “chan” or to be addressed with “chan”.
Is it complicated?
Don’t worry. You can always say “san”.
Good luck!
Thank you!!
Koir, ColinHowel and Columbine, thanks for helping!
The Contract318 : My first question is: What is the meaning of calling someone _____chan vs _____san. In my Japanese class we are called by our last names with san at the end, which I think means Mr./Mrs. However, many times in manga people say "-chan" at the end. Is this something said just between friends?
Answer : Yes.
The Japanese language has five common honorifics to add at the end of names of people.
“San”, “chan”, “kun” “sama” and “dono”.
“Dono” is used scarcely. You write it when you direct letters to lower ranking people. That means that writing the honorific makes you appear bossy.
When my younger brother has wrote to me using it, I got angry and complained. He said that he writes many letters to his patients with the honorific every day, and he had used it out of pure habit. He is a doctor. I believe he is arrogant.
I think only Tennoh (the Japanese Emperor) can use that when he writes to Japanese people.
When you write letters, you must write “sama”.
“Sama” is also used to call customers. Shop assistants and clerks usually address their customers with “sama”.
By the way, we call god/gods “kamisama”. This “sama” is the honorific.
When you call your boss and fellow workmates, you should add “san” to their family names.
If you are very elderly, you can address young subordinates with “kun”. However, I don’t recommend it.
If you are a male student, you would address your male friends with “kun” or just their names without an honorific, and would address your female friends with “san”. If the person is your girlfriend, you can address her without an honorific as well.
If you are a female student, you would address your female friends with “san”. When the friends are very close, you can address them with “chan”.
When you are an adult, you must be very friendly to address friends with “chan” or to be addressed with “chan”.
Is it complicated?
Don’t worry. You can always say “san”.
Good luck!
Thank you!!
Koir, ColinHowel and Columbine, thanks for helping!
2010年9月23日木曜日
What “Freeter” Is
If you write the Japanese word フリーター in English, it would be “freeter” (both singular and plural), and that means a person or people who work(s) part-time.
Once one of my English teachers asked me what “freeter” was.
I wasn’t able to explain that then because it’s really complicated.
Let me try it here.
Freeter is a shortened version of “freearbeiter”.
“Free” is from the English word “freelancing”, and “arbeit” is from the German word “arbeiten”(work).
Then, the last part “er” is the English way to make nouns from verbs. For example, play and player.
Arbeiten is pronounced arubaito in Japan, which means part time job(s). The origin is that medical students used to say they “arbeiten” when they cut corpses to study human bodies. They meant it was hard work. My father (who is a surgeon) used to say that cutting corpse heads in two is tiring activity. Japanese medical students studied German because early Japanese medical information was from Germany. This word has spread and been changed to mean 'part time work'.
Anyway, “arbeiter” means “part time worker” now.
In this word “freeter”, “free” means “without permanent position” or “freelancing”, and many young people can’t get permanent positions recently. Most of them become freeter. You might think “freelancing” implies independence and flexibility, but these people only have instability. They can earn little.
This is a big problem in Japan. I guess your country might be so, too.
Thank you.
Koir, Columbine, dogsbody70, ColinHowell and JamboP26, thanks a lot!
Once one of my English teachers asked me what “freeter” was.
I wasn’t able to explain that then because it’s really complicated.
Let me try it here.
Freeter is a shortened version of “freearbeiter”.
“Free” is from the English word “freelancing”, and “arbeit” is from the German word “arbeiten”(work).
Then, the last part “er” is the English way to make nouns from verbs. For example, play and player.
Arbeiten is pronounced arubaito in Japan, which means part time job(s). The origin is that medical students used to say they “arbeiten” when they cut corpses to study human bodies. They meant it was hard work. My father (who is a surgeon) used to say that cutting corpse heads in two is tiring activity. Japanese medical students studied German because early Japanese medical information was from Germany. This word has spread and been changed to mean 'part time work'.
Anyway, “arbeiter” means “part time worker” now.
In this word “freeter”, “free” means “without permanent position” or “freelancing”, and many young people can’t get permanent positions recently. Most of them become freeter. You might think “freelancing” implies independence and flexibility, but these people only have instability. They can earn little.
This is a big problem in Japan. I guess your country might be so, too.
Thank you.
Koir, Columbine, dogsbody70, ColinHowell and JamboP26, thanks a lot!
2010年9月13日月曜日
A Dream
This was my dream this morning.
I was desperate for the bathroom in the dream. I seemed to be on a big ship or a huge vehicle, and was about to attend a meeting. I decided to visit the bathroom before the meeting starts when the floor shook violently. I stumbled back several steps, then saw many people coming down the hall. I pushed my way through the crowd with great effort. The ground kept shaking and I went backward again. I felt as though I were a tiny boat in a hurricane.
Next I saw a stairway in front of me. My destination seemed to be on the upper floor.
I crawled up the stairs because the floor kept shaking widely. The ship must have been in a huge typhoon. After tumbling down twice, I managed to reach the top step and reached out my hand. Except now it wasn't a step but a big vaulting box I had to clear.
Since the floor was shaking so much, I had to climb over the box. Behind it was the door and I rushed at it.
Finally I opened the door and woke up.
I felt really tired.
Thank you.
Koir, JamboP26 and dogsbody70, thank you very much for your help.
I was desperate for the bathroom in the dream. I seemed to be on a big ship or a huge vehicle, and was about to attend a meeting. I decided to visit the bathroom before the meeting starts when the floor shook violently. I stumbled back several steps, then saw many people coming down the hall. I pushed my way through the crowd with great effort. The ground kept shaking and I went backward again. I felt as though I were a tiny boat in a hurricane.
Next I saw a stairway in front of me. My destination seemed to be on the upper floor.
I crawled up the stairs because the floor kept shaking widely. The ship must have been in a huge typhoon. After tumbling down twice, I managed to reach the top step and reached out my hand. Except now it wasn't a step but a big vaulting box I had to clear.
Since the floor was shaking so much, I had to climb over the box. Behind it was the door and I rushed at it.
Finally I opened the door and woke up.
I felt really tired.
Thank you.
Koir, JamboP26 and dogsbody70, thank you very much for your help.
2010年9月2日木曜日
Kakusan’s comment Ⅱ
(This is Kakusan’s response to my post titled “Why Japan prefers a monocultural society : Part 2)
Indeed, in order to maintain the very diversity that I espouse, it is sometimes necessary to follow a policy of isolationism or protectionism. When a unique variation is in danger of being crushed by overwhelming external force, for instance, something must be done to preserve it. If that is the course that the Japanese people, or any people, decide through a democratic process to follow, then that is entirely their prerogative.
We too face problems with foreign wildlife out-competing our native species, such as the red squirrel.
Yurisan, I do not mean to imply that you need to be large! That was in reference to animals and plants in general. In humans in particular high heterozygosity serves as a guard against the genetic defects that can arise through inbreeding. It results in offspring that are more resistant to all sorts of diseases. Let me be clear, I am not advocating some kind of eugenic cross-breeding programme! I was merely pointing out that diversity has it's advantages in various arenas, and so it should not surprise us to find that multiculturalism, in an analogy with genetic diversity, can also be advantageous.
I agree that studying abroad is a good thing. However, I think there are some things that you learn from living next door to someone who came from another country, or growing up in the same class at school as someone from another culture, that you cannot learn from reading or from spending a short time with people in another country.
I genuinely believe that a spirit of common understanding is fostered over the long-term by multicultural societies. I acknowledge that clashes happen, and that they can have terrible consequences, but in the long run when we are confronted every day by the reality that we are all human beings, it is very difficult to foster baseless prejudice.
As for the UK and the US, I contend that the crime rates are hardly attributable to multiculturalism. The fact is that we used to have police on the streets walking the beat, and if anyone were to shout for help a policeman would be there. Nowadays the police spend most of their time doing paperwork, eating curry and getting into car chases. Now that's a slightly simplistic take on the problem, but suffice it to say that it represents the main cause for the current climate and attitude towards crime.
...I did not mean to accuse the Japanese of bigotry! I apologise if I was unclear — I meant that human beings in general tend to find reasons to discriminate against, segregate and persecute others. These are usually false reasons, and such people would hate others even if they couldn't find a reason. The supposed reasons are just a way of rationalising baseless hatred.
I understand about Christianity in Japan in the 17th century. It was the same all over the world. The views of the Church at that time were very bigoted, albeit well-intentioned for the most part. The majority of missionaries thought they were doing God's work and making the world a better place, and in some cases they did a lot of good. However, many of the Church's doctrines were harmful and certainly overbearing. So the reaction of the Japanese, who already had their own very effective ethical code, was entirely understandable and quite natural in my opinion. I don't think there is ever a good reason for killing, but certainly some reaction to suppress the cultural invasion was inevitable.
I understand what you are saying about starting in a new workplace. In fact I usually tend to be like that myself, but I know what you mean about Western people in general. Rest assured that we're not all like that! I appreciate that some precious aspects of diversity can be lost by assimilation, and this is a great shame. As with the out-competition of native species, this is something to be avoided and I feel that protective measures are most certainly warranted in such situations. You are most certainly entitled to be yourselves, I do not deny that. All I am saying is that we can learn a lot about who we are as human beings by living alongside people who do things differently and come from a different background.
On the other hand I accept that there is a danger, in an environment of total multiculturalism, of losing one's roots and of losing the uniqueness of our own cultures. In order to prevent this some protectionism is warranted, as long as we remember that we are still a part of a greater whole.
Indeed, in order to maintain the very diversity that I espouse, it is sometimes necessary to follow a policy of isolationism or protectionism. When a unique variation is in danger of being crushed by overwhelming external force, for instance, something must be done to preserve it. If that is the course that the Japanese people, or any people, decide through a democratic process to follow, then that is entirely their prerogative.
We too face problems with foreign wildlife out-competing our native species, such as the red squirrel.
Yurisan, I do not mean to imply that you need to be large! That was in reference to animals and plants in general. In humans in particular high heterozygosity serves as a guard against the genetic defects that can arise through inbreeding. It results in offspring that are more resistant to all sorts of diseases. Let me be clear, I am not advocating some kind of eugenic cross-breeding programme! I was merely pointing out that diversity has it's advantages in various arenas, and so it should not surprise us to find that multiculturalism, in an analogy with genetic diversity, can also be advantageous.
I agree that studying abroad is a good thing. However, I think there are some things that you learn from living next door to someone who came from another country, or growing up in the same class at school as someone from another culture, that you cannot learn from reading or from spending a short time with people in another country.
I genuinely believe that a spirit of common understanding is fostered over the long-term by multicultural societies. I acknowledge that clashes happen, and that they can have terrible consequences, but in the long run when we are confronted every day by the reality that we are all human beings, it is very difficult to foster baseless prejudice.
As for the UK and the US, I contend that the crime rates are hardly attributable to multiculturalism. The fact is that we used to have police on the streets walking the beat, and if anyone were to shout for help a policeman would be there. Nowadays the police spend most of their time doing paperwork, eating curry and getting into car chases. Now that's a slightly simplistic take on the problem, but suffice it to say that it represents the main cause for the current climate and attitude towards crime.
...I did not mean to accuse the Japanese of bigotry! I apologise if I was unclear — I meant that human beings in general tend to find reasons to discriminate against, segregate and persecute others. These are usually false reasons, and such people would hate others even if they couldn't find a reason. The supposed reasons are just a way of rationalising baseless hatred.
I understand about Christianity in Japan in the 17th century. It was the same all over the world. The views of the Church at that time were very bigoted, albeit well-intentioned for the most part. The majority of missionaries thought they were doing God's work and making the world a better place, and in some cases they did a lot of good. However, many of the Church's doctrines were harmful and certainly overbearing. So the reaction of the Japanese, who already had their own very effective ethical code, was entirely understandable and quite natural in my opinion. I don't think there is ever a good reason for killing, but certainly some reaction to suppress the cultural invasion was inevitable.
I understand what you are saying about starting in a new workplace. In fact I usually tend to be like that myself, but I know what you mean about Western people in general. Rest assured that we're not all like that! I appreciate that some precious aspects of diversity can be lost by assimilation, and this is a great shame. As with the out-competition of native species, this is something to be avoided and I feel that protective measures are most certainly warranted in such situations. You are most certainly entitled to be yourselves, I do not deny that. All I am saying is that we can learn a lot about who we are as human beings by living alongside people who do things differently and come from a different background.
On the other hand I accept that there is a danger, in an environment of total multiculturalism, of losing one's roots and of losing the uniqueness of our own cultures. In order to prevent this some protectionism is warranted, as long as we remember that we are still a part of a greater whole.
2010年8月22日日曜日
My nephew
This is a story of my brother’s son who is three years old.
One day, his family and I went shopping together. My brother was looking for a hydroscope for his son, but the shop did not stock suitable hydroscopes for children.
During the car ride home, my nephew said to his father.
“Papa, will you buy me a hydroscope? Will you buy me a hydroscope?”
He repeated that endlessly.
Then my brother said, “I hear you. If you repeat once more, I won’t buy one for you.”
The child answered, “OK, since I won’t say that any more, then buy me a hydroscope. Since I won’t say that any more, then buy me a hydroscope, please!”
He started repeating that endlessly.
We just had to grin.
Thank you.
Koir, klint and dogsbody70, thank you!
One day, his family and I went shopping together. My brother was looking for a hydroscope for his son, but the shop did not stock suitable hydroscopes for children.
During the car ride home, my nephew said to his father.
“Papa, will you buy me a hydroscope? Will you buy me a hydroscope?”
He repeated that endlessly.
Then my brother said, “I hear you. If you repeat once more, I won’t buy one for you.”
The child answered, “OK, since I won’t say that any more, then buy me a hydroscope. Since I won’t say that any more, then buy me a hydroscope, please!”
He started repeating that endlessly.
We just had to grin.
Thank you.
Koir, klint and dogsbody70, thank you!
2010年8月16日月曜日
Why Japan prefers a monocultural society : Part 2
This is my response to Kakusa’s comments.
Kakusan: Of course in the case of the Potato Famine, there were many other historical factors that induced the dependence upon potatoes, but when one has the choice it is certainly preferable not to rely upon a single variety of crops.
Yuri: In Ogasawara Islands which is located in the south of Tokyo, there were about 350 endemic insects, but alien species are exterminating most of them. In particular, a green anole (lizard) has had a profound impact on the native insects and plants. This is only one example and alien species have been doing a lot of damage to endemic insects, plants, fish and animals throughout Japan.
Kakusan: In genetics, too, we see that if we have two specimens that are weak due to high homozygosity, but they are highly heterozygous with respect to one another, so to speak, their offspring will be much stronger, larger and healthier.
Yuri: I do not see why you need to be large. I do not fight hand-in-hand combat or hunt animals. I’m sure that I have enough muscle strength, and Japan has the world’s highest longevity rate. I think this means Japanese people are healthy.
Kakusan: However, if one society comprises many cultures rather than just one, then it is much more likely that the society as a whole will be able to find within itself those cultural resources with which to equip itself against the new difficulty. In this way, we can learn from those who are different from us how best to cope with unfamiliar situations.
Yuri: We can learn from other countries because we can study abroad when necessary. I do not see why you need to live together in one society.
Kakusan: In turn this eventually leads to a more peaceful society.
Yuri: Do you know that Japan is very safe and girls can walk outside alone in the middle of the night wearing skirts and high heels? I do not think the UK and the US are more peaceful.
Kakusan: People will always find reasons to hate one another. Whether they be religion, culture or skin colour,
Yuri: The Japanese do not hate people because of religion or skin colour. I do not see why you hate people for such reasons. Japan persecuted Christianity in the 17th century, but that was just to prevent being colonized by Western countries.
Kakusan: I understand what you are saying about "reading between the lines" and hearing what is left unsaid. However, when we have to learn how to do this with a new group of people with different mores, we leave our "comfort zone" and both exercise a new area of our brain and learn something about ourselves which could not have otherwise been revealed.
Yuri: In Japan, when you are starting out in a new workplace, after introducing yourself, you communicate that you know hardly anything and ask to be shown the ropes. This is the Japanese way to say things. We do not expect our co-workers to tell us everything, but we act like this because we find the attitude of self-confidence when you first meet people despicable. On the other hand, Western people always show their self-confidence, and if you were to act like the Japanese, your co-workers would hate or look down on you, right? I believe this way of behaving comes from the Japanese spirit. Do we need to change our culture and spirit? I do not want to.
When we go abroad, we conform to your way, but in Japan, we want to be ourselves.
Kakusan: Obviously there is the long-term history of the "Bamboo Curtain",
Yuri: My response about this topic seems to become long.
I will write next time.
Kakusan: So, to take a very broad, overall message from history, one could get the impression that Japanese interactions with the "outside" have had a tremendously unfortunate negative tendency.
Yuri: Yes. In addition, our culture and spirit is different from yours; so when you behave ordinary, sometimes we can’t help feeling you are overbearing because we do not have the culture of debate. I think Japanese people sometimes feel we have been argued down by foreign people.
Kakusan: In this sense, it seems to me, and correct me if I'm wrong, that Japan has benefited from an exclusive kind of "multiculturalism of ideas" in a way that few other nations can claim to have done.
Yuri: Yes, you are right. So, I do not see why we have to live with foreign people when we can get a lot of information about foreign countries easily.
I don’t dislike foreign people, I love foreign countries, but still I personally prefer to live in a monocultural society rather than a multicultural one.
Thank you!
Kakusan, thank you for the revision.
Kakusan: Of course in the case of the Potato Famine, there were many other historical factors that induced the dependence upon potatoes, but when one has the choice it is certainly preferable not to rely upon a single variety of crops.
Yuri: In Ogasawara Islands which is located in the south of Tokyo, there were about 350 endemic insects, but alien species are exterminating most of them. In particular, a green anole (lizard) has had a profound impact on the native insects and plants. This is only one example and alien species have been doing a lot of damage to endemic insects, plants, fish and animals throughout Japan.
Kakusan: In genetics, too, we see that if we have two specimens that are weak due to high homozygosity, but they are highly heterozygous with respect to one another, so to speak, their offspring will be much stronger, larger and healthier.
Yuri: I do not see why you need to be large. I do not fight hand-in-hand combat or hunt animals. I’m sure that I have enough muscle strength, and Japan has the world’s highest longevity rate. I think this means Japanese people are healthy.
Kakusan: However, if one society comprises many cultures rather than just one, then it is much more likely that the society as a whole will be able to find within itself those cultural resources with which to equip itself against the new difficulty. In this way, we can learn from those who are different from us how best to cope with unfamiliar situations.
Yuri: We can learn from other countries because we can study abroad when necessary. I do not see why you need to live together in one society.
Kakusan: In turn this eventually leads to a more peaceful society.
Yuri: Do you know that Japan is very safe and girls can walk outside alone in the middle of the night wearing skirts and high heels? I do not think the UK and the US are more peaceful.
Kakusan: People will always find reasons to hate one another. Whether they be religion, culture or skin colour,
Yuri: The Japanese do not hate people because of religion or skin colour. I do not see why you hate people for such reasons. Japan persecuted Christianity in the 17th century, but that was just to prevent being colonized by Western countries.
Kakusan: I understand what you are saying about "reading between the lines" and hearing what is left unsaid. However, when we have to learn how to do this with a new group of people with different mores, we leave our "comfort zone" and both exercise a new area of our brain and learn something about ourselves which could not have otherwise been revealed.
Yuri: In Japan, when you are starting out in a new workplace, after introducing yourself, you communicate that you know hardly anything and ask to be shown the ropes. This is the Japanese way to say things. We do not expect our co-workers to tell us everything, but we act like this because we find the attitude of self-confidence when you first meet people despicable. On the other hand, Western people always show their self-confidence, and if you were to act like the Japanese, your co-workers would hate or look down on you, right? I believe this way of behaving comes from the Japanese spirit. Do we need to change our culture and spirit? I do not want to.
When we go abroad, we conform to your way, but in Japan, we want to be ourselves.
Kakusan: Obviously there is the long-term history of the "Bamboo Curtain",
Yuri: My response about this topic seems to become long.
I will write next time.
Kakusan: So, to take a very broad, overall message from history, one could get the impression that Japanese interactions with the "outside" have had a tremendously unfortunate negative tendency.
Yuri: Yes. In addition, our culture and spirit is different from yours; so when you behave ordinary, sometimes we can’t help feeling you are overbearing because we do not have the culture of debate. I think Japanese people sometimes feel we have been argued down by foreign people.
Kakusan: In this sense, it seems to me, and correct me if I'm wrong, that Japan has benefited from an exclusive kind of "multiculturalism of ideas" in a way that few other nations can claim to have done.
Yuri: Yes, you are right. So, I do not see why we have to live with foreign people when we can get a lot of information about foreign countries easily.
I don’t dislike foreign people, I love foreign countries, but still I personally prefer to live in a monocultural society rather than a multicultural one.
Thank you!
Kakusan, thank you for the revision.
Jdn-san from Poland's Questions
These questions are from jdn-san concerning my previous post about Binbohgami-The God of Poverty.
How do I invite Fukunokami(the god of fortune)?
How to ward off Binbohgami(the god of poverty)?
The answer is : Don’t be lazy. The Binbohgami loves lazy people.
Keep your room warm, especially on New Year’s Eve. Binbohgami hates a warm room. On the other hand, Fukunokami loves it.
Keep your room clean through a whole year.
Then, be good and kind to everyone around you.
There is a story that the Binbohgami appeared at the house of a poor man. He showed the Binbohgami gracious hospitality. Then, the Binbohgami turned to the Fukunokami.
This story means that you should welcome everyone even if the person seems to wish you harm.
Can you do that?
Jdn-san, thanks for the questions.
Columbine, thanks for the revision!
How do I invite Fukunokami(the god of fortune)?
How to ward off Binbohgami(the god of poverty)?
The answer is : Don’t be lazy. The Binbohgami loves lazy people.
Keep your room warm, especially on New Year’s Eve. Binbohgami hates a warm room. On the other hand, Fukunokami loves it.
Keep your room clean through a whole year.
Then, be good and kind to everyone around you.
There is a story that the Binbohgami appeared at the house of a poor man. He showed the Binbohgami gracious hospitality. Then, the Binbohgami turned to the Fukunokami.
This story means that you should welcome everyone even if the person seems to wish you harm.
Can you do that?
Jdn-san, thanks for the questions.
Columbine, thanks for the revision!
2010年8月13日金曜日
How to Say Good Night in Japanese.
“Oyasuminasai（お休みなさい）” is usually translated as Good Night.
If I translate Good Night word for word into Japanese, it’s “ii yoru”. Good is ii, and Night is yoru.
If I translate “oyasuminasai” into English literally, it means “Get rest, please”. It is in imperative form.
Perhaps you would think this expression is said only to a person who is going to bed. However, you can say that both when you are going to bed and when another person is going to bed.
This might sound strange to you because we can say it when the listener isn’t going to bed. When you are going to bed, how you can say “Get rest” to other people who are not going to bed?
I’m sorry, I have no idea!
Thanks, Koir, as always!
2010年8月8日日曜日
Bon
Bon(or Obon) is one of the Japanese Buddhist customs to honor the spirits of ancestors. It takes places around August 15th in many areas all aver Japan.
During the Bon period, many people receive company holidays and visit their ancestors’ grave. We believe that the spirits of ancestors return to this world during this period.
We also believe that the bad spirits come to this world from Hell when Bon starts. It is said that the maw of hell is opening, and they stay around water and drag people into their world. So many Japanese people avoid playing around a river, a lake, or a beach around Bon.
Still, many people die in water during the Bon period. Do you believe this?
Thank you!
P.S. If you have any questions about my post or Japanese customs, don’ hesitate to ask!
Columbine, thanks!
2010年7月31日土曜日
Customs of Japan
When you come to Japan and go drinking with Japanese people, some of them will say, “Let’s start with beer!” and then you’ll all give a toast. If you want to behave like the Japanese, you'll need to pour for other people, even when you are not a host or a hostess. This is a kind of Japanese tradition, and how Japanese people communicate each other while drinking.
The legal drinking age is twenty years old here. When there are unmarried young women, you should look after their glasses carefully, because a woman can’t pour for herself. If an unmarried young woman pours for herself, it is said that she will not be able to get married. So a woman has to wait until someone notices her glass. If a woman wants to be poured, she pours for someone, and then the person will notice her empty glass and pour for her.Is this too much of a bother? Perhaps, but if you are a man, I think this could be a good excuse to speak to a young woman who you like. Good luck!
Thank you!
P.S. If you have questions about my post or Japanese customs, don't hesitate to ask.
Columbine, thanks!
2010年7月21日水曜日
Kakusan's Comment
This is Kakusan's response to my last post.
Kakusan(UK) : Hi Yurisan!
I found your observation very interesting. I grew up in the UK in a very multicultural background, and I think I can understand the reasons behind this premise that ethnic diversity is beneficial. So I have put together a few of my own thoughts on the matter below.
My grandmother came from Ireland. You may have heard of the Irish Potato Famine. This was a terrible time of starvation and poverty in Irish history, during which around a million people died and a similar number left the country in order to survive. What caused this was, in part, what we call a monoculture. This is when a farmer, or a whole agricultural sector, becomes dependent upon one variety of crop for survival. It is typified by enormous plantations of one type of crop, stretching as far as the eye can see. The problem is that, if there is one parasite or pest to which this crop is susceptible and this pest happens upon one of these plantations, then the entire sector will fall at once. This will result in mass poverty and starvation, precisely as in the Irish Potato Famine where Irish farmers became overly dependent upon the potato. One way to avoid this is to grow different strains of a crop, or different crops entirely, such that one avoids "putting all one's eggs in one basket". In this way, when a parasite comes along, it will only destroy those sectors of the crops that are susceptible, and the farmers will still have a proportion of their produce left to rely upon. Thus famine will be prevented. Of course in the case of the Potato Famine, there were many other historical factors that induced the dependence upon potatoes, but when one has the choice it is certainly preferable not to rely upon a single variety of crops.
In genetics, too, we see that if we have two specimens that are weak due to high homozygosity, but they are highly heterozygous with respect to one another, so to speak, their offspring will be much stronger, larger and healthier. This has been confirmed by observations in both plants and animals, and even in humans, for example in Sickle-Cell Anaemia. (Heterozygot Advantage) This is commonly called hybrid vigour or heterosis. The simplest examples of the converse of this are things like the health problems found in historically in-bred families of the European aristocracy. Here, it is clear that there is strength in diversity.
The proposal is that a parallel can be drawn with human culture. There is strength in ethnic diversity.
In a society, when a new difficulty arises, there may not be an effective launching-point into dealing with that difficulty contained within all cultures. In other words, some groups may be culturally better equipped to deal with, say, social revolution, war or poverty, than others. However, if one society comprises many cultures rather than just one, then it is much more likely that the society as a whole will be able to find within itself those cultural resources with which to equip itself against the new difficulty. In this way, we can learn from those who are different from us how best to cope with unfamiliar situations. Thus, we can pool the experience of millennia of life on this planet, rather than excluding ourselves from one sector or another of that information, and so be better equipped to deal with life.
In my personal experience, I grew up around other children, particularly at secondary school, who came from different backgrounds or were second or even first generation immigrants. It was fascinating for me to discover different perspectives in my peers, and most importantly this experience enabled me to be objectively critical of my own pre-conceived notions. This stimulus was already around me as I grew up and began to formulate my own way of thinking. One can read about other cultures ad infinitum, but there is no replacement for this personal experience. Moreover, one finds that, when children are exposed to variety in this way, even if there is bigotry in the parents, very often the children will be much more tolerant of different cultures, backgrounds and points of view. In turn this eventually leads to a more peaceful society.
People will always find reasons to hate one another. Whether they be religion, culture or skin colour, we must not allow this to contaminate those purported reasons themselves. I believe that there is strength in cultural diversity, and great potential both for personal growth by exposure to it and for development of society by implementing it.
I understand what you are saying about "reading between the lines" and hearing what is left unsaid. However, when we have to learn how to do this with a new group of people with different mores, we leave our "comfort zone" and both exercise a new area of our brain and learn something about ourselves which could not have otherwise been revealed.
I also think I have some idea as to why the Japanese may be cautious about multiculturalism. Obviously there is the long-term history of the "Bamboo Curtain", but also in more recent history Japanese people were not always welcome in western cultures such as North America, despite the U.S. cultural bombardment of Japan in the post-war relationship. I understand also that in the late 19th and early 20th century Japan was keen to demonstrate her ability to maintain an empire to rival any European colonial power, and that sentiments like this led to Japan's involvement in WWI on the side of the Allies, but ultimately in WWII on the side of the Axis powers, which obviously led to the final conclusion. So, to take a very broad, overall message from history, one could get the impression that Japanese interactions with the "outside" have had a tremendously unfortunate negative tendency. Having said that, of course, the post-war period has seen unimaginable growth and prosperity through international trade and very selective adoption of certain features of foreign cultures. This really is a dramatic reversal in my eyes (although I do not wish at all to downplay the effect of the admirable Japanese work ethic and many other excellent native cultural features), and in some sense suggests that Japan is much more multicultural on the level of ideas, although clearly not on the level of individuals actually living in Japan, than one might think. In this sense, it seems to me, and correct me if I'm wrong, that Japan has benefited from an exclusive kind of "multiculturalism of ideas" in a way that few other nations can claim to have done.
So, what do you think Yurisan? I hope I have been able to explain a little where this position is coming from and how I think it relates to "the Japanese way" of looking at multiculturalism, so to speak, without rambling on too much!
Kakusan(UK) : Hi Yurisan!
I found your observation very interesting. I grew up in the UK in a very multicultural background, and I think I can understand the reasons behind this premise that ethnic diversity is beneficial. So I have put together a few of my own thoughts on the matter below.
My grandmother came from Ireland. You may have heard of the Irish Potato Famine. This was a terrible time of starvation and poverty in Irish history, during which around a million people died and a similar number left the country in order to survive. What caused this was, in part, what we call a monoculture. This is when a farmer, or a whole agricultural sector, becomes dependent upon one variety of crop for survival. It is typified by enormous plantations of one type of crop, stretching as far as the eye can see. The problem is that, if there is one parasite or pest to which this crop is susceptible and this pest happens upon one of these plantations, then the entire sector will fall at once. This will result in mass poverty and starvation, precisely as in the Irish Potato Famine where Irish farmers became overly dependent upon the potato. One way to avoid this is to grow different strains of a crop, or different crops entirely, such that one avoids "putting all one's eggs in one basket". In this way, when a parasite comes along, it will only destroy those sectors of the crops that are susceptible, and the farmers will still have a proportion of their produce left to rely upon. Thus famine will be prevented. Of course in the case of the Potato Famine, there were many other historical factors that induced the dependence upon potatoes, but when one has the choice it is certainly preferable not to rely upon a single variety of crops.
In genetics, too, we see that if we have two specimens that are weak due to high homozygosity, but they are highly heterozygous with respect to one another, so to speak, their offspring will be much stronger, larger and healthier. This has been confirmed by observations in both plants and animals, and even in humans, for example in Sickle-Cell Anaemia. (Heterozygot Advantage) This is commonly called hybrid vigour or heterosis. The simplest examples of the converse of this are things like the health problems found in historically in-bred families of the European aristocracy. Here, it is clear that there is strength in diversity.
The proposal is that a parallel can be drawn with human culture. There is strength in ethnic diversity.
In a society, when a new difficulty arises, there may not be an effective launching-point into dealing with that difficulty contained within all cultures. In other words, some groups may be culturally better equipped to deal with, say, social revolution, war or poverty, than others. However, if one society comprises many cultures rather than just one, then it is much more likely that the society as a whole will be able to find within itself those cultural resources with which to equip itself against the new difficulty. In this way, we can learn from those who are different from us how best to cope with unfamiliar situations. Thus, we can pool the experience of millennia of life on this planet, rather than excluding ourselves from one sector or another of that information, and so be better equipped to deal with life.
In my personal experience, I grew up around other children, particularly at secondary school, who came from different backgrounds or were second or even first generation immigrants. It was fascinating for me to discover different perspectives in my peers, and most importantly this experience enabled me to be objectively critical of my own pre-conceived notions. This stimulus was already around me as I grew up and began to formulate my own way of thinking. One can read about other cultures ad infinitum, but there is no replacement for this personal experience. Moreover, one finds that, when children are exposed to variety in this way, even if there is bigotry in the parents, very often the children will be much more tolerant of different cultures, backgrounds and points of view. In turn this eventually leads to a more peaceful society.
People will always find reasons to hate one another. Whether they be religion, culture or skin colour, we must not allow this to contaminate those purported reasons themselves. I believe that there is strength in cultural diversity, and great potential both for personal growth by exposure to it and for development of society by implementing it.
I understand what you are saying about "reading between the lines" and hearing what is left unsaid. However, when we have to learn how to do this with a new group of people with different mores, we leave our "comfort zone" and both exercise a new area of our brain and learn something about ourselves which could not have otherwise been revealed.
I also think I have some idea as to why the Japanese may be cautious about multiculturalism. Obviously there is the long-term history of the "Bamboo Curtain", but also in more recent history Japanese people were not always welcome in western cultures such as North America, despite the U.S. cultural bombardment of Japan in the post-war relationship. I understand also that in the late 19th and early 20th century Japan was keen to demonstrate her ability to maintain an empire to rival any European colonial power, and that sentiments like this led to Japan's involvement in WWI on the side of the Allies, but ultimately in WWII on the side of the Axis powers, which obviously led to the final conclusion. So, to take a very broad, overall message from history, one could get the impression that Japanese interactions with the "outside" have had a tremendously unfortunate negative tendency. Having said that, of course, the post-war period has seen unimaginable growth and prosperity through international trade and very selective adoption of certain features of foreign cultures. This really is a dramatic reversal in my eyes (although I do not wish at all to downplay the effect of the admirable Japanese work ethic and many other excellent native cultural features), and in some sense suggests that Japan is much more multicultural on the level of ideas, although clearly not on the level of individuals actually living in Japan, than one might think. In this sense, it seems to me, and correct me if I'm wrong, that Japan has benefited from an exclusive kind of "multiculturalism of ideas" in a way that few other nations can claim to have done.
So, what do you think Yurisan? I hope I have been able to explain a little where this position is coming from and how I think it relates to "the Japanese way" of looking at multiculturalism, so to speak, without rambling on too much!
2010年7月15日木曜日
How I was astonished recently.
One of the Japanese TV stations broadcasted a Harvard University course in philosophy from April to June. The title was Justice with Michael Sandel (a heated class in Harvard).They talked about how to determine what is morally correct behaviour, and this program was very interesting.
However, what astonished me most in the lecture was when the professor spoke as follows, (This was said when they were talking who should enter Harvard. )；The common good is served, is advanced, if there is a racially and ethnically diverse student body. Everyone benefits.
He said this as if it was common sense. This was the premise upon which their discussion was based. I was really shocked.
Is this global standard?
I’m sure that most Japanese people would not understand or agree with the Idea.
I don’t know about any great professors, but common Japanese prefer a non-diverse society; so Japan absorbs few immigrants.
Japanese people generally prefer not to say every word that comes into their head, and those listening are supposed to understand what the speaker has left unsaid. Many Japanese people aren’t used to spelling everthing out in detail. This is possible only when people have the same values and cultures.
I know that other countries have many immigrants and I have thought that you just like it. I didn’t imagine anyone thought that a diverse culture benefited everyone.
I think Japanese people can’t speak English fluently without overcoming this cultural difference.
On the other hand, learners of Japanese should also know that Japanese culture is quite different from what you might expect.
Thank you!
Koir, Kakusan, thanks a lot!
2010年7月4日日曜日
Binbohgami - The God of Poverty
Binboh means poverty and kami(gami is from kami) means god. It is considered that people who are possessed by binbohgami fall into poverty. There used to be some events held for the god, but most of them are fading away.
When I was a kid, I was told that sharpening both sides of a pencil attracts binbohgami.
Nowadays, if a company which you just joined went bankrupt suddenly (not from your actions), and this situation was repeated on several occasions, you would be called binbohgami as a joke.
There is a twin god of binbohgami which is called fukunokami. This god is considered to bring good luck.
And there is another god called yakubyohgami. This god brings plague.
Frankly speaking, I don’t understand why monotheistic religion can have only one god because Japan has many gods here. The Japanese word kami is usually translated as god, but kami might be somehow different in concept from your god.
Thank you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binb%C5%8Dgami
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRhKULxyQ5o
2010年5月7日金曜日
Golden Week
Golden Week refers to the period from April 29th to May 5th when there are four national holidays. Many people go out for a trip during this time. You may have noticed that many Japanese tourists appear in your country during this week every year.
I went to a beach and gathered clams. Have you ever dug for clams with a small rake?
I got a bucket of clams, and made a rice dish with them. I really enjoyed it.
Thank you!
Columbine, manganimefan and Koir, thank you!
2010年4月28日水曜日
When speaking in English, why Japanese people get embarrassed?
-This is only my opinion. I’m so sorry, in advance!!!
I have been asked why some Japanese people get embarrassed when speaking English. If you have talked with some Japanese people who are not very good at speaking English, you would agree with the question and say that you don’t expect Japanese people to speak English fluently. The answer is that “we are not embarrassed, but intimidated by you”. They dare to say “I’m embarrassed” because they are too scared to say “You scare me.”
There are three major reasons.
1. When talking with people from foreign countries, many Japanese people get frustrated by rudimentary Japanese. So, most of us can’t help believing that we have to speak fluently when speaking in English.
2. Faces seem to be very fierce when you say “What?”
3. People from foreign countries don’t seem to even try to understand what I mean.
The first reason:
Most Japanese people haven’t seen adults who speak in rudimentary Japanese. Since we don’t know how to speak in rudimentary language, we can’t help feeling we have to speak fluently, even in English.
Can you imagine this? If you haven’t had neighbors who are not native or haven’t heard rudimentary English, you may still have some acquaintances that are not native speakers. Their English might be kind of strange and sometimes sound rude, but you are used to their way of talking. You don’t think they are strange or rude, do you? However, Japanese people can’t help feeling apprehensive, thinking that we may say something rude and you may get angry.
Here's an example:
One of my aunts went abroad for the first time and met a woman there. My aunt doesn’t speak any foreign languages and the woman spoke rudimentary Japanese. The woman said my aunt looked a lot like her mother, and called my aunt “Mama-san”. “Mama” is from the English word, and “san” is kind of Mr. and Mrs. The woman obviously said it with affection, but my aunt became very angry. Japanese people say “Mama-san” when referring to a barkeeper, and my aunt is biased against that kind of woman.
The problem is that we are not used to talking with people from foreign countries.
The second reason:
Would you say “What?”, if I say your face is very fierce when you say it?
Frankly speaking, your face is sometimes frightening to me.
I often hear that Japanese people are expressionless, while your face is too expressive. Your smile is great, but some other expressions are a little bit terrifying sometimes. The problem is that we are not used to talking with people from foreign countries.
The third reason:
Since Japanese language is so different from English, learning English is very difficult for Japanese. Schools tell students that “yes” = “hai”, and “no” = “iie”, but in particular situations these words often exchange meanings with each other. This means that English words “yes” and “no” (and other words in English) may be very complicated to understand for Japanese people. Also, English has many sounds that Japanese people can’t catch. The coup de grace is that you speak too fast to follow! When speaking in English, I feel like I’m an idiot and you are becoming angry.
Among Japanese people, it is the listener’s responsibility to understand what the speaker means; while in English, it is the speaker’s responsibility to make what you say understood. When Japanese people speak English, they are trying to overcome a lot of great difficulties but you don’t seem to even try to understand what we mean at all. Even in English conversation schools located in Japan, I have heard this problem from friends many times. They commented that teachers who were native English speakers didn’t try to understand what they meant at all. They were not be able to communicate these difficulties to the teacher because they didn’t know what to say in English.
I know that my problem is that I’m not used to talking with people from foreign countries, but I’m still, to be honest, very nervous.
Thank you!
Koir, thank you!
2010年4月22日木曜日
Odawara Castle
Around the Warring States and Azuchi-Momoyama periods (1467-1600), there were a lot of chatelaines called “daimyoh” in Japan. They were fighting for supremacy. This sounds similar to the U.K.’s history, the one difference being Japan had Tennoh(Emperor) since the 7th century. You might know of the word “Shohgun”; this title was given to “the leader of a samurai clan” (the winner among chatelaines) by the Emperor. Even so, Tennoh’s authority has been artificial.
Anyway, Japan has a lot of beautiful castles. Come and take a look at these cool donjons!
Thank you!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odawara_Castle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_castle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sengoku_period
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azuchi%E2%80%93Momoyama_period
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_of_Japan
(Koir, thaks!)
2010年3月9日火曜日
Tea?
As you may know, when flying in a plane, the flight attendants will ask you several times what you would like to drink.I used to say, “Tea, please”. They used to give me a cup of green tea.
I always wondered why they gave me green tea despite my asking for tea.However, this mystery has finally been cleared up. One day, I said “Tea, please “ as always, the flight attendant replied, “green or English?” At last, I realized that I should have said “English tea, please.”
If you are a native English speaker, this sounds very odd. But I’m sure that most Japanese people believe when you say “tea”, you mean English tea. It must be a uniquely Japanese notion, but when Japanese people want green tea they say green tea, not just tea.
This is a trivial matter. But now I’m a little bit afraid to speak in English because I might have a lot of perceived notions causing confusion. Learning English is still very hard.
Thank you!
Koir (Canada) : Very interesting post, Yuri. It definitely illustrates how the Japanese culture has different preconceptions compared to Western countries. I do admit to being confused about the central concept in the first few read-throughs however. This showed me that I also have preconceptions about the basic meaning of "tea", a very useful thing I should be aware of.
Even in Western countries such as Canada and the United States there are preconceptions. Years ago, I was in the U.S. and was surprised at the confusion between "chips" and "French Fries". I was at a restaurant and ordered a sandwich with chips. I said that expecting to get French fries, but when my order came, on the plate with the sandwich was a small bag of potato chips.
This happened once or twice afterwards until I started saying "French fries" when I ordered a meal. No wonder the server looked at me oddly...I was ordering something she wasn't familiar hearing in that context.
Columbine (UK) : Thats interesting. Maybe it depends on where you are flying from or to. When I was flying to Japan before, I had to go from London to Bangkok first. When the air hostess asked me "tea or coffee?" I was given black english tea. But when I flew from Bangkok on the same air-line just a few hours later, I was given green tea and when I flew back it was the same. Even when I started in Bangkok, when I was flying to England, I was given black tea again.
Now that I think about it, it's quite confusing!
atheistwithfaith（UK）： When I was flying with JAL, they automatically assumed I meant english tea (I am English). I think most people realize not to make assumptions about language when speaking to a non-native speaker.
2010年2月20日土曜日
Congratulations!
My friend, Naomi, gave birth on 5th of February.
Her son’s name is Manato.Noami, congratulations!
2010年2月19日金曜日
Is this peculiar to Japan?
One of my Japanese friends (whose husband is American) once said that when American people go to visit the home of an acquaintance, they don’t bring a calling present.
If you are American, tell me if this is true.
If you are not American, do you bring a hospitality gift? I want to know if this is a custom peculiar to Japan.
I usually bring sweets or fruits which costs about 2000 or 3000 yen. This depends on our relationships.
When you have guests in your house, you need to provide some sweets to serve your guests. If you haven’t had time to buy anything, you can serve the gift the guests offered, saying “I’m sorry; this is what you have brought.” (“Omotase de sumimasen.)
Do you have any customs when you visit an acquaintance?
Thank you!
Koir(Canada) : Being from Canada, I can say bringing a gift is dependent on the situation. If it's a party with other guests, most of the time bringing something like food or dessert is preferable to ensure everyone has enough to eat. Other times, bringing gifts when you visit an acquaintance isn't a common practice.
I don't visit acquaintance that much in their homes...mostly because my acquaintances are quite far away. Perhaps another person who does have acquaintances closer to them can provide more insight.
Klint(The US) : Well, like Koir said, most of the time when people here meet up for things like cookouts, football games, and even movies, it's better to bring food and drinks with you. I guess this is often seen as a way to relieve the host from having to supply everyone with food on their own. It's really just a social convention that most people will choose to follow though. Therefore, it's not entirely necessary to bring anything at all, especially if you're going by yourself or don't plan on staying too long.
In my experience, the only real gift giving is done around the more obvious, major events (Christmas, Birthdays, Valentines Day...) although it's typical for one to receive gifts during other important stages of their life as well (graduation, buying their first home, getting married, having kids, getting promoted, retiring, etc...).
I hope this has been helpful.
Columbine(UK) : For me, it depends on the circumstances. If I had never been to their house before, I might take something, especially if I was invited for a sit-down dinner. A bottle of wine or flowers, or some chocolates. It's not compulsory though.
If it were just a casual visit with a friend, I might take some DVD's with me we could watch or if i'd done some baking, some of that in a tupperware box. Often I don't bring anything, but then it's more normal to return an invitation with an invitation. So I might not bring anything, but then they would visit my house another day instead.
If it's a party, I would offer to bring something when I accepted the invitation. Obviously if it were a birthday party, i'd bring a card and a gift relative to how well I knew them.
If I have a guest visiting, it's generally polite to offer them a drink, and if they stay longer, something to eat. Like if a friend of relative pops around, i'll always offer tea and a biscuit. If it's later in the evening, I'll offer other things.
Koir, Klint and Columbine, thank you!
And, Koir, thanks for the revision as always.
2010年1月12日火曜日
Evidence of Poverty?
Several days ago, a Japanese TV news program said that some American people were proposing hanging out laundry to dry in the sun. At first I didn’t understand the point because most Japanese people hang out their clothes, except those who don’t have a balcony or a yard in which to hang things.
The news reader continued that hanging laundry is seen as evidence of poverty in the US, so some people protested against hanging the washing out to dry. They don’t like their town appearing to be poor.
I was shocked to hear this. We’ve always hung laundry outside, as we believe that using a dryer is a waste of electricity. Nobody here protests against what we do. We have a drying tumbler, and we use it when the weather is bad.
So then, when American people come to Japan, do most of us appear poor to you? Do I appear very poor?
Thank you.
http://www.alachuacounty.us/documents/bocc/agendas/2009-04-28/d229954f-7b85-4b9d-afbf-0498ee48fd2c.pdf
Klint(in Massachusetts ) : No, I don't see hanging laundry outside to dry as any sort of sign of poverty. My family and most other people where I live also hang our laundry out to dry, whether they're rich, poor, or somewhere in the middle.
Koir : Although being Canadian, I do have trouble imagining people preferring to hang their clothes out to dry in the sun when a dryer usually is fairly affordable for most people. But by no means does that mean I think all countries must believe the same thing. Again referring to past anime series I have watched (specifically To Aru Majutsu no Index and Toradora), it appears both practical and "exotic" (for lack of a better word) to hang laundry out to dry in the sun or using a tumbler to dry clothes.
Klint and Koir, thank you!
2010年1月1日金曜日
A Happy New Year!
A Happy New Year!
It was very nice this morning.
We call New Year’s morning “gantan”. During gantan, we eat food called “osechi”.
Pictured above is osechi that I made.
This is not for just one person, but for a family.
Usually osechi has three boxes. We start with the food in the first box drinking “toso" (a sort of sake). The second box mainly has vinegared food and grilled fish. The third box has boiled food.
We don’t finish all the osechi at one time. Osechi includes a lot of food that can be kept for a long time, and we eat it until about the third day. However, eating osechi at each meal is tiring, so after gantan we often eat something else with osechi.
Thank you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osechi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toso
Koir, thanks!
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