“Profound Truths” About The Japanese Culture

Each culture has its own peculiarities and the Japanese culture is not an exemption. I am sure that many Japanese do not see these things as peculiar. However, it is quite interesting is how people from other cultures perceive these as idiosyncrasies. I ran across a blog called The Russian Bear’s Diaries. He wrote a post called “Ten Profounds Truths About the Japanese Culture.” Let us take a look at some of those truths.

The Japanese have a thing about their toilets. First, there are a lot of them, unlike in major US or Russian cities. They are all free. Most toilets in decent places have seat wormers; some also have built-in bidets, which will wash and spray your bottom at a push of a button. Wasteful? Not at all. Like Europeans, the Japanese figure that if you wash only the certain parts of your body often and on demand, you’re less likely to take many showers a day and conserve water. However, besides the luxurious warm toilets, they also have the squat toilets, if you prefer that. The trick is to figure out in which direction to sit on those, because they are located with your side to the door.

I have tried those squat toilets and let me tell you, they provide quite an interesting experience! I’d prefer to stick with the “modern” ones. Still, the idea that there are toilets plentiful wherever you go is a comforting one, especially if you have a sensitive stomach.

(to be continued)

Maid Cafes Enter The U.S.

Remember the post we had a while back on maid cafes in Japan? I thought that the idea was novel and quirky at the same time. Well, those of you who are in the United States and who are not about to visit Japan in the near future will have the chance to visit one of these maid cafes. A firm has introduced the American version of maid cafes in California, with the aim of sharing the experience across the oceans.

Japan Times reports:

Royal/T maid cafe, shop and art space debuts the “cosplay” (costume play) restaurant idea to U.S. audiences hungry for a taste of the latest in Japanese trends.

Launched this spring, Royal/T in Culver City, Calif., offers not only the maid cafe experience made popular in Akihabara, Tokyo, but imports and introduces “Japanese cool” in the form of art, music, fashion and cuisine.

Susan Hancock, owner of Royal/T, fell in love with Japanese artists like Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara while a collector in New York and wanted to create a space to exhibit her passion for modern Japan.

There are certain differences from the original cosplays in Japan though:

While the cafe certainly caters to the anime and cosplay niche market, the venue equally emphasizes the art space and shop, thus veering from traditional genre cafes in Japan. And, unlike its Tokyo counterparts, Royal/T downplays the fetish aspect that Americans sometimes associate with cosplay restaurants.

Indeed, maids at this cafe will not blow on customers’ food or call them “master.” They will, however, eagerly chat about their favorite anime show and discuss the art collection.

Fun!

Japan C – All Things Japanese

There is some good news for people in Manhattan (and its surrounding areas) who have an affinity for Japan, its people, and its culture. Come the 16th of August, there will be a festival of contemporary Japanese culture in midtown Manhattan. Dubbed Japan C, this festival will run till the 1st of November. The specific venue will be the Felissimo Design House – a legend in itself.

So what can you expect from Japan C? Dexigner describes the event as:

Spanning home and fashion accessories to gadgets, food, beauty and pop-culture products, Japan C will be part design exhibition, part bazaar, part trade fair, highlighting over 70 diverse Japanese firms who will be presenting and demonstrating their wares.

Discover the benefits of skin creams made from fermented rice by leading sake makers, or join the Japanese fad for collectible ‘keitai’ cell phone straps.

Featuring robots of every shape, size and color, alongside all manner of zakka knickknacks, everything from kawaii anime characters, fine stationery and contemporary furniture to high-tech rice cookers promising the perfect bowl of rice, Japan C will represent all that Japan is today: Cool, Cute, Clever and Creative.

And how about the purpose of the festival? Aside from the obvious aim of introducing the culture of Japan to the residents of Manhattan, the festival specifically aims to attract buyers, manufacturers, and distributors. You can say that there is a business slant to the festival but the general public is encouraged to attend as well.

If I were anywhere near Manhattan, you bet I’d be there.

Making Music With The Koto

The Japanese culture is rife with musical influences. Indeed, one of the richest aspects of their culture is their music. Though not everyone may be familiar with the terms and technical aspects of Japanese music, I am sure that many are at least familiar with the looks and sounds of their instruments.

One of the most important of the Japanese traditional musical instruments is the koto. The koto is a traditional string instrument which actually has its roots in the Chinese zither. In fact, the koto is considered to be the national instrument of Japan.

What are the origins of the koto? According to one legend, this instrument was formed in the shape of a dragon, which we know is a mythical creature held in reverence in the east. On the more practical side, though, the koto was introduced to Japan by traveling Chinese and Korean musicians in the 7th century. In the beginning, the koto was only used for royal audiences but by the 15th century, it was widely used to entertain the common people as well.

The koto has 13 strings, all of which are stretched along the length of the soundboard, which is about 2 meters long. The soundboard is made of wood while the strings are made of synthetic material (these days, at least). In the old days, the strings were made of silk. The strings are tuned by bridges which can be moved, made of ivory or plastic.

Today, the koto is still used to play music and many music schools in fact offer classes on how to play the koto.

Photo courtesy of Marshall Astor

Women Getting Back Into The Rat Race

In some cultures, women are expected to quit working once they get married and start a family. Though Japan is not unique in this respect, the figures involved are probably significantly higher. According to a report in Japan Today, the estimated figure is about 70 percent. That is, this is the percentage of working women who quit their jobs when they get married.

The report states:

In Japan, about 70% of working women quit their jobs when they start a family. Though many hope to eventually return to the workplace, it is difficult for them to return to a full-time working environment afterwards. According to the government, approximately 2.45 million women aged between 25 and 65 wish to work full-time in companies.

As one of the measures to encourage women to return to the workforce, Japan Women’s University (JWU) started the so-called “Recurrent Education-Employment System” with the government’s financial support in September, 2007. In the one-year program, women who have bachelor degrees and working experience take courses to update their work skills, such as business English and introductory and advanced computer training. The program also provides career counseling so students can find new jobs which match their related experience and skills.

This is good news for the large number of women who may have been forced by the circumstances to give up what they have worked long and hard for. Aside from having the chance to continue what they started before they got married, these women would be able to help out with the family finances. With the way things are going in world economics today, this is something that a lot of people would welcome for sure.

The Life Of A Geisha Girl

I was watching cable television the other day when I saw this program about a young girl who left school to train to become a geisha. I do know that geishas still exist in modern day Japan but I haven’t really paid attention. That is, until I watched this documentary created by BBC Four.

The documentary is all about a 15-year old girl named Yukina. She left school and her family in order to train as a maiko. This is the Japanese term for an apprentice geisha. Did you know that in Japan, 15 is the minimum age required for girls in order for them to train as a maiko?

So there she was, practically a pariah in the eyes of her family and her friends. You see, Yukina has always dreamed of becoming a geisha. Her parents and friends didn’t seem to approve of her decision to drop out of school and go to Kyoto to train, though.

The documentary showcases her journey as she trains to become a maiko under the Okasan, or geisha mother. I found the whole show captivating as it showed a whole new light to what a geisha is and what a geisha does. It also highlighted some facts that I never knew about. For example, did you know that a geisha’s kimono costs thousands of pounds? More so, a geisha has to have about 7 of them in her wardrobe!

If you have not seen this documentary, visit Veoh, where I saw an online version.

Martial Arts: Koryu

I am sure we all know about karate – thanks to the Karate Kid series of movies. We know about aikido – thanks to Steven Segal. We know a lot of Eastern martial arts. Yet have you ever heard of koryu?

Koryu is the Japanese word used to refer to the ancient Japanese martial arts. Trust me, this is the real thing! Basically, if you translate koryu to English, you will get “old school.” Now that sounds good, doesn’t it?

Koryu typically refers to the Japanese martial arts schools that focus on the techniques that existed way before the Meiji Restoration. That is, before the year 1866. As you can see, koryu is a very old Japanese tradition.

This term actually covers a lot of ground and even encompasses some of the better known schools of martial arts today. This includes judo and aikido. However, the latter two are modern day versions of koryu. More so, koryu includes both armed and unarmed fighting techniques.

To give you a more comprehensive background on koryu:

Although systematic training in the use of weapons, and methods for employing them in warfare existed long before, it is generally believed that the development of martial traditions, schools, or styles (ryu-ha) did not arise until after the end of the Heian period (794-1185). Central to this training was study of the bow (yumi), the sword (tachi), and the spear (yari). Initially, these weapons were not studied in separate arts. Rather, since the need was to prepare for battlefield combat, many different weapons and strategic and tactical skills were taught as part of comprehensive systems (sogo bujutsu). From the middle of the Muromachi period (ca. 1480) to the beginning of the Tokugawa period (ca. 1605) people gradually began to specialize in a particular weapon or system, particularly the bow, spear, sword, grappling and horsemanship. Warriors gathered in family-centered groups or trained with other members of their local domains. As the techniques and methods of these groups became more and more individuated, or as teachers gained particular insights into the essential nature and principles of combat, there arose discrete martial “traditions” or “styles” or “schools” (bujutsu ryu-ha). This began happening at the beginning of the Keicho era (ca. 1600), picked up impetus throughout the Tokugawa period (1600-1868), and has continued even into the twentieth century.

So are you interested in learning koryu? Are you thinking of training for koryu? I found a very informative and comprehensive site about koryu. Head on over there to find out more.

Photo courtesy of Meguro-jin

Strange Japanese Soft Drinks

There has always been a lot of hype surrounding the eccentricities of the Japanese people but I believe that eccentric is as eccentric does. In the differences between the West and the East, we can learn a lot of things – even in the most mundane of things. Take for example how different Japanese soft drinks can be. I found this list on Inventor Spot and picked out some of the most interesting items.

Cucumber-flavored Pepsi, anyone?
I am a Coke person but Pepsi will do if the restaurant does not serve Coke. Yet I always stick to the regular kind. How about Pepsi Ice Cucumber, then? I do not know – I like cucumber in salads but in my drink? Uh, I am not so sure about that.

How about Mother’s Milk?
What? Yes, you read that right, they are marketing a drink called Mother’s Milk. Now I am not so sure if it is really milk from a (human) mother but the packaging of the drink is frightening – it has a suckling baby. Who would want to drink mother’s milk aside from babies?

Salad and water in one
If you are in a hurry and you don’t have time to eat even a quick salad, then you should go for Water Salad. I can’t believe that Coca-Cola even dreamt up this drink. Was this a reaction to Pepsi’s cucumber drink?

My kid should learn how to drink early…
…give him Kidsbeer! It’s non-alcoholic but your kids will feel like they are adults as they drink their own version of beer. Bizarre, to say the least. I think I’ll give my kid root beer instead.

Craving For Sushi

What can I say? I love sushi and tonight, I am craving for some. Unfortunately, it is a bit too late to go out as the restaurants are already probably closed. This prompted me to go online and take a closer look at sushi and its origins instead. I know, reading about sushi is a very poor substitute to actually enjoying it as a meal but oh well, there is always tomorrow.

So where did sushi come from?

It seems that the art of sushi goes a long way back - all the way to the 7th century. According to Eatsushi.com, the Japanese adopted this form of pickling from the Southeast Asians. They put their own twist to it by wrapping raw fish in rice. The fermenting fish would then induce lactic acid production in the rice, which would then pickle the wrapped fish. Clever, isn’t it?

This practice, however, took too long. That is perhaps why, in the 17th century, vinegar became part of the recipe for sushi. This addition is attributed to Matsumoto Yoshiichi. Still, this version of sushi is not what we are used to today.

Perhaps the closest version of sushi that is quite popular around the world today is the one that emerged in the 1820s. This sushi version is attributed to Hanaya Yohei, who made use of sashimi and other seafood combined with vinegar rice. He served his delectable morsels straight from his sushi stall – much like what we order in Japanese restaurants today.

This hasn’t really helped my craving but I hope that the post was as informative for you as it was for me.

Discover Enka

Eastern music is something quite different from what the west has to offer. With the constant exposure to each other’s cultures, however, the juxtaposition of musical elements is inevitable. Still, it is inevitable that indigenous music remain the same. This holds true to a genre in Japan called enka.

The truth is that enka is used to refer to two kinds of music. The first one hails from way back in the Meiji and Taisho period when speeches were made into music. The idea was to avoid the disapproval of the government towards political speeches by masking the words in music. The second genre refers to music that emerged after the war, during the Showa period. This type of enka is quite popular and has been compared to American country music (not because of the musical style but because of the theme and audience).

Though you might find varying descriptions and definition of enka, I like the one presented in Okada:

Enka is usually singing sad aspects of life, irrecoverable destiny, desertion by the lover. It is an expression of love, but love will never be successful and sorrow and tear follow happy memories. It can also be a song of a woman who is resentful to her destiny as her lover is gone to another woman. Anyhow Enka is song of resignation. Resignation must be sweet so that it is endurable.

Indeed, with that definition, it makes you think of country songs. Want to hear some enka? Visit Barbara’s Enka Site. I learned a lot from it.