life in japan

There are two signs of fall where changing colors let you know you are entering into the colder seasons in Japan. One is Ko–yo (pronounced ko-u yo-u,紅葉), the glorious changing colors of the fall leaves; and the other is the changing of the colors on the Ji-do-han-bai-ki...

The faith that blood type is an indicator of personality and a predictor of behavior suitability for jobs and even of romantic compatibility, puzzled me. My obvious curiosity was 'how this whole idea came up?'...

I spend my days alone going through the motions with my Japanese friends and colleagues; watching them. Everything appears to be on the surface. Hon’ne and Tatemae aside, there’s an artlessness about them that I’ve only experienced with real friends and yet these are people I don’t really even know. They offer me an openness and a vulnerability that I feel totally undeserving of.

"Atsui desu, ne?" (It's hot today, isn't it?), and you agree with "So desu ne." (Yes, it is). To the Japanese, it's just a statement of how things are, not necessarily a complaint. And the Japanese, not being the hairy beasts that we Westerners are, are perhaps more comfortable being hot.

I just finished reading a little book called Anata no Shiranai Nedan Jiten (Dictionary of Costs You Didn’t Know). It’s one of those little 500 yen books people buy to kill time while they’re commuting, and as the title suggests, is about how much things cost. Here are some of the surprising prices (in yen) from the book.

As business confidence in Japan sinks to a record low, residents describe how the economic downturn has affected their lives, their jobs and their local area.

Where do we stand...How about some statics to get our numbers straight…

There comes a time in an ex-pat's life when he undergoes a transition. Something like an epiphany, a moment of clarity, or if he or she is lucky, a deeper understanding of himself-and thus the humanity of those around him- occurs. This may be one of those times.

If people of african descent are now associated with a man famous for his inspirational message of hope and tolerance in a world filled with despair and intolerance, and who also happens to be the most powerful man in the free world, it should have an effect on people whose minds are filled with negative stereotypes, right? One can only hope so.

The more I travel around Japan, the more I realize I don't live in Japan. Nor have I for the past decade. I guess I've gotten so used to my safe, comfortable island life, that when I go to some other places in Japan, I am astounded to find it is not the same warm 'n' fuzzy place I'm used to.