Brenda in Japan

Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Brenda McKinney is an American living and working in the Kansai region of Japan. This is an account of her life and adventures among the fine people of Nihon.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

It's Raining... Minnesotans... Hallelujah!

This has been a looong week. It was my first full week of classes for the year, and I am feeling the extra load. It's not (or shouldn't be) excessive, but it's definately an adjustment. Had an awesome ESS (English club) meeting where I got my boys to sing along to the "Bye Bye Bye" music video and the new first years seem like a good bunch. The good news, though, is that it's pratically been raining Minnesotans! I was pretty homesick after Claire's visit, and while things are getting better (don't worry - still having fun), it's been nice to have a shot of the home-life. My friend Chris, who lives in Aomori, stopped by to say hi while he was in the area on Wednesday (traveling with three friends from Minneapolis) and Joe arrived this evening.
We haven't done much so far; went to Sushi Ro (conveyer belt sushi) for dinner, followed by a long walk through the neighborhood to see the water and Akashi bridge at night. With limited exposure, Joe has - however - already noted how "cute" everything is in Japan (hehe).
We're meeting my friend Briane (also from MN) tomorrow to take the boat to Korea, so I'm getting pumped for the adventures to come. This next week is 'Golden Week' (where three national holidays fall in the same week & pretty much the whole country goes on vacation). I'm not sure it's going to be the most relaxing vacation in Korea, but we have a lot of funky plans up our sleeve and it's a good group! I need to figure out where to put all the goodies Joe brought me and get to bed so that's all for now, but more stories to come... from Korea!

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

America's Worst (Teen) Jobs

I am working on a PPT presentation for an upcoming class about money. We’re going to talk about consumer spending (in more simple terms), discussing how American high school students spend money, especially compared to Japanese high school students.
I've had a surprisingly difficult time looking up statistics (any at all – forget recent), but I found some interesting information on the National Consumer League’s website that I thought I would share.
As I was surfing, I stumbled across the NCL’s list of the 5 worst jobs for American teens in 2006. I know it’s a tangent, but I clicked on the page, thinking it might be kind of interesting or at least funny. What I expected to find was something along the lines of ‘manure compost coordinator’ (I swear I’ve heard of similar posts from radio contests in the past; basically the grotesque), but I was astonished to discover the following list:

The Five Worst Teen Jobs
1. Agriculture: Fieldwork and Processing
2. Construction and Work in Heights
3. Outside Helper: Landscaping, Groundskeeping, and Lawn Service
4. Driver/Operator: Forkliefts, Tractors, and ATVs
5. Traveling Youth Crews

The site defined teens as those less than 20 years old, so you may also find it surprising that these often well-paid, good old American jobs ended up on the list.* Under ‘Traveling Youth Crews’, for example, they list door-to-door salesmen. I mean, I know you can make a lot of money... but when they listed accounts of people being held up at gunpoint (and other crazy run-ins), I guess it made a lot of sense that maybe you wouldn’t want your kid on that payroll.

I need to get back to finding those actual stats, but if you are bored and want something to look at, here is the website: http://www.nclnet.org/labor/childlabor/jobreport.htm. I might use this for a different class later on; I have a feeling the ‘least
desired job’ category looks a little different in Japan!


*I should note, however, that there is a focus on safety here (they were not just looking for the most ‘disgusting’ options)

Monday, April 23, 2007

Osaka Madness, the Weekend Review

A Quiet Friday Night

I had a good weekend, but I am already sensing things starting to get (seriously) busier during the week, so I might need to start taking advantage of the relaxation time. I was going to go to dinner with some friends in Sannomiya (central Kobe) on Friday, but decided to stay in and rest instead. It was kind of a bummer since two of the girls are leaving Japan this summer and I want to spend more time with them, but I wasn’t feeling very well. I was better after a few hours, so I ended up going for an evening run and going to Midori, the electronics store, to look for a multi-region DVD player. I dropped my player last week, and can’t watch the American movies I brought from home anymore (or the ones my friends got over Spring Break travels), so I am working on finding a new one. They basically told me multi-region players are rare here, but to go to the discount electronics district in Osaka (Den Den Town). I’ve been meaning to check it out, so at least now I have an excuse.

Saturday Night Lights

On Saturday, I was supposed to meet some of the Minnesota girls for dinner, but things sort of fell through, and I ended up meeting the usual gang (including Lena, Kelly and James) in Shinsaibashi (Osaka) for Vietnamese and then went out to a few clubs. We started at Café Absenth, a pub serving absenth (strong alcohol that's illegal in America) and hookahs (love the apple hubble bubbles), although I just stuck to my glass of beer and took a puff or two of the apple-flavored tabacco. I told my friend Chris to come meet us, not realizing he had a big group of his own, so our table kind of got a little too crowded at one point (it’s not a very big place), but it was a fun time. Afterwards, we ended up spending the night dancing away at Pure. I have sworn several times that I will never return to Pure Nightclub, yet I keep ending up there on nights out in Osaka (although usually not by choice). People mostly want to go because it’s cheap ($25 for cover and all-you-can-drink all night long vs. a $30 cover at most clubs) and has good music, but the crowd is occasionally a bit sketchyy. As it turned out, the place was packed and the crowd was actually not bad. We ran into a group of people we know from Kobe and probably stayed until 4am when we popped over the karaoke joint next door for a few songs (and a short nap) before grabbing some quick breakfast and heading home. The trip back was a bit tragic considering people were already out-and-about on Sunday morning, and we were all dragging (and probably smelled like the club) on the train, but it was a smooth trip home.

Clubbing in Japan

I would normally not describe all-nighters on the blog, but they do happen here and it’s definitely part of the foreigner lifestyle in many ways, so I might as well include it. Still big on censorship, though (can you imagine if you discovered your high school teachers writing about clubbing all night?!).
Japan is not a club culture in the way America is (Kobe had one – pubs are more popular), so Osaka is the best place to go to find nightspots, and even then, it is mostly foreigners (or either very western – or sometimes scantily clad – Japanese people that you meet out). I'm not too far from Osaka, but it’s still not exactly close, so the easiest option is to go out late, dance all night, and then take the first train home around 5am. My friends that live near Tokyo (in Chiba) do the same thing and have had similar observations (even though I am sure there are more foreigners and maybe more to do in Tokyo). It makes for a late night, but it can be really fun (even if you do practically lose a day the day after).

Sunday
Once I finally made it up on Sunday afternoon, I went for a run along the river (near Harimacho). I can still comfortable run over an hour, but I have probably been a little too lenient since the marathon. Running is getting tougher with the weather, too. There was a noticeable difference in the humidity for the first day; the hot summer weather is close. After my run, I went to Tam and Clayton’s house for dinner and a movie. Kelly came over later on and we chatted for a bit, but it was getting late and I was tired, so I biked home. It was raining a bit, but it actually felt nice, and I love going to bed when I can hear the rain. Very peaceful:)

The VT Shootings

Outside of the staff meeting, I guess learning disabilities, and particularly mental illness, has been on my mind lately. Especially with the awful tragedy at Virginia Tech. I first heard about the shootings from a friend who attended VT and invited me to join a sort of online memorial group (on Facebook) the day it happened. I think it hit him especially hard (on a personal level), being on his hold campus. I know I would be all the more stirred if it was St. Olaf – I can hardly imagine, although, that is part of what makes the whole situation so horrifying. Noone imagines it happening to them, and these were normal, everyday students that were killed. As details and news of the shootings rolled in, reactions in our community were universally pretty much shock, grief and dismay, but the actual news we received was mixed. While CNN.com was still reluctant to release information within the first 24 hours, news broadcasts in Japan were already reporting the number of Japanese exchange students on campus at the time and that the killer was a Chinese student (a day before we learned that he was, in reality, an American who had immigrated from South Korea – irresponsible journalism?). I didn’t hear much buzz about it from the staff at school (although I know they knew about it because it came up in one 3rd-year class), but the foreign community was pretty shook up. I guess there were subsequent bomb threats throughout America in the days following the shootings, with one threat closing down the University of Minnesota campus for a day (no surprise that administrators are more fast to respond to threats in the wake of the previous tragedy). I am not in America and have not had a chance to talk about it with my friends at home, but this event definitely brings back vivid memories of the Columbine shootings. I was in high school at the time, and our classes were cancelled for a day because of a bomb at our school threat shortly after the school shootings. It’s really sad, and even sadder that these things are still a reality. My heart goes out to all the family and friends of the people that died. Those students are not much younger than me, and I cannot even imagine losing my friends at such a promising, young age. I also feel bad for the shooter’s family. I can’t even imagine the guilt and pain they are feeling, even though they were not involved. I know the family structure is very close and strong in the Korean culture, so this was probably a huge shame and blow to all of them. From the statements they gave, it seems like they were completely shocked, even though other students suspected strange behavior. I read some of the plays that the VT shooter had written for a class, for example, (that his classmate had posted on AOL) and I can understand how his peers were concerned about him; it was some pretty disturbing material. I could go on, but I guess I just wanted to mention how sad the world really is about this horrible event and that my thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families. Maybe it’s naïve, but I honestly cannot see it happening in Japan; it’s a shame issue, which is interesting considering I don’t know exactly how different the South Korean culture is. I’m heading to Korea with my friends Joe and Brianne in two weeks, so it will be interesting to see if anyone brings it up; I certainly won’t. I feel like people are nervous to mention it to me here, so I kind of doubt it will come up there.

A lesson on Learning Disabilities

Staff Meeting
I had an interesting cultural experience during our monthly staff meeting last week. I was sitting there, going through the 30 or so handouts we had been given, when suddenly I see this:

kanji kanji (kanji I know) kanji kanji LD: ADHD kanji kanji。。。

I was intrigued. LD as in “Learning Disabilities?” Given my background knowledge on the subject, I was a little surprised and my curiosity was aroused when I realized Learning Disabilities (“LD” – Japan loves acronyms) was on the agenda for a staff discussion.

LD and Japan
From the time I first started to seriously research the educational system in Japan, I have been told that Japan (yes, as a country) has a serious dearth of understanding for (or does not accommodate to) learning disabilities, at least to the extent that we do in America. This seems like a harsh description, but with the firm discipline (common across the board), I can see how some may view the system as unsympathetic to certain disabilities or special needs. We have some ‘problem students’ (as they might be labeled in America), but they are usually penalized for their behavior and kept in a straight line. If they don’t do well in class, they go to extra classes. There are seven homerooms in each grade, some divided by level or interest, but I would assume disabilities would probably classified as a qualifier a lower-ability level course.
I leaned over and asked my (bilingual) coworker what the discussion was about, and he told me there was going to be an upcoming workshop on learning disabilities. Apparently, there has been a movement in the last year or two to increase knowledge and understanding of “LD”, sparked by a few public cases involving extreme situations or examples of learning disibilities. Asbergers has been on the forefront of these discussions, and while serious cases of other disabilities are being addressed (like EBD, ADD and ADHD), I was told they are all bucketed under the ADHD umbrella (which makes me think there is still room to grow in this learning arena). Good to know my school is picking up on the trend, though!

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Salt vs. Sugar

Today has been kind of a long day. We've had some hang-ups with the Korea plans, and this morning I played a not-so-humorous practical joke... on myself.

Last night was good; just a relaxing, chill night alone. I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve just stayed home and made dinner and simply relaxed. I was going to study Japanese for a while, but I ended up just listening to music, doing laundry, posting some pictures to old blog entries and catching up on some emails. It was actually perfect for a dreary, rainy day, when I couldn’t go running anyways.
So on the way home from work, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up curry tablets (a mild apple & honey flavor!) and grab some essentials I am running low on, including sugar and flour (for my favorite, banana pancakes). Flour was not an issue, but when I got to the sugar section, I wasn’t sure which bag to grab. Ok, so there was a pink bag, which I bought last time, or the blue bag next to it. Pink or blue? They looked and felt the same, so I went with the blue. I know the kana (Japanese word) for sugar, but I didn’t look too closely (or it might have been in kanji?); I guess it didn’t matter that much. Sugar is sugar, anyways, right? Got home, put the groceries away, and poured the sugar into the almost-empty plastic container I keep it in. Groceries...check.
So I got up a little earlier this morning*, feeling a little more rested after my quiet evening, and decided to make breakfast. I made my toast and yogurt (yep, still eating American breakfasts – my apartment is like Little America) and poured myself a glass of ice coffee, with milk and sugar. I took everything into my bedroom on my little Japanese tray, where I read the news online while enjoying breakfast. I made it through most of the glass of coffee (thinking it tasted funny, but that I was just tired) before I hit the bottom of the glass, and realized it was basically pure SALT. At first I was just disgusted, but then that "just-gurgled-salt-water" nastiness kicked in, and I was actually sick. I tried to make it to the bathroom in time, but I wasn’t fast enough, and I missed my train because I was cleaning up the mess on the kitchen and bathroom floor.

Maybe this will be funny in retrospect, but it was just an extremely stupid mistake on my part. At least I have some motivation for studying more kanji now... starting with food... for whenever my appetite comes back!!!!!! Ick.

*The large, sliding door windows in my little tatami room face the east, and on most mornings, I watch the sunrise from my bed, as the sun comes up over the horizon. Lately, it has been coming up earlier (and waking me earlier if I am not already waiting for it). This morning I woke up to the warm rays covering my bed, sometime around 6:15 (before my alarm).

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Every Woman

Someone sent me an email with this poem today, and it was exactly what I needed to hear right now. It's been years since I've read it, but I think Maya Angelou is a great poet and it was soothing to the soul; speaking volumes. Hope you enjoy:

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
Written by Maya Angelou

A woman should have...
enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her
own even if she never wants to or needs to.

A woman should have...
something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams
dreams wants to see her in an hour.

A woman should have...
a youth she's content to leave behind.

A woman should have...
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age.

A woman should have...
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black lace bra.

A woman should have...
one friend who always makes her laugh and one who lets her cry.

A woman should have...
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family.

A woman should have...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored.

A woman should have...
a feeling of control over her destiny.

Every woman should know...
how to fall in love without losing herself.

Every woman should know...
How to quit a job; break up with a lover and confront a friend without ruining
the friendship.

Every woman should know...
when to try harder and when to walk away.

Every woman should know...
that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips or the nature of her parents.

Every woman should know...
that her childhood may not have been perfect but its over.

Every woman should know...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more.

Every woman should know...
how to live alone, even if she doesn't like it.

Every woman should know...
whom she can trust, whom she can't and why she shouldn't take it personally.

Every woman should know...
where to go, be it to her best friend's kitchen table, or a charming inn in the woods, when her soul needs soothing.

Every woman should know...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day, a month and a year.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Oh, Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me?

Today was my first day with the new first years (the school year started last week). They seem really well behaved and sweet; you can tell they’re new and just getting comfortable with high school. I know many of them worked with a foreign English instructor in Junior High (my friends, actually), but they still seem intimidated by high school and were shocked to see me. There was a lot of nervous chatter when they found out they would get English names, as well. It was sweet. The first class was with Yamamoto Sensei, which is good because I like teaching with him and he's good at what he does, but of all the classes to have technical difficulties in, it sucks that it had to be his. He is really funny and nice, but I couldn’t find the worksheets we needed once last year (even though they were in the classroom) and felt really stupid when that happened (he can be serious and I doubt if he was impressed by that). Today was not as bad, but I thought I was foolproof with the PPT presentation I created for my self-intro this round (with pictures of Minnesota and experiences here in Japan). The projector was cake to set up, but – of course – the computer’s battery died before the presentation started and it took too long to start up so I couldn’t use it. I had printed off the slides for the students on their worksheets, so it didn’t hinder the lesson too much, but it was definitely a learning experience (and I am bringing my power cord from now on!).

On another note, I had an interesting experience with one of the first years today. We had a sign-up meeting for the English Speaking Society after school, and on the way back, I ran into a girl named Rachel, who’s mother is from Australia. She was with a group of her girlfriends, but it sort of threw me for a loop because she totally does not look Japanese. She is half-Australian/half-Japanese, but I swear she could be Irish. I am sure her English is pretty good, but I was with Hayashi Sensei at the time and she used him to translate what I didn’t know, rather than saying it to me directly, so I am not sure if she is completely bi-lingual (like the student her mother tutors) or not. She was speaking Japanese with her friends and did not seem very comfortable when I spoke to her in English. I don't know yet if it was because she was overwhelmed by it, because it was in front of her friends, or if she didn't really understand what I was saying. All I can say is that I feel slightly hypocritical. Maybe I have been here too long if it threw me for such a loop running into another foreign-looking girl, speaking fluent Japanese, especially considering how upset so many in the expat community get over the fact that it is hard to integrate, let along assimilate, in this culture. I know this student has spent a good deal of time in Australia (where Hayashi Sensei lived, actually!), so I am looking forward to learning more about her, even if that doesn't guarantee her English skills will prove to be at par with a native speaker (I, for one, certainly know little-to-no Greek even though I have been on multiple family visits!).
At least things there is more and more to look forward to; things are getting better as the new year is unravelling:)

Group Gardening & the rest of the Weekend

The day after the enkai (Saturday morning) I had to get up at the CRACK OF DAWN for "group gardening". Ok, so it might seem dumb, but one person from every unit in my apartment complex has to participate in "group gardening" once a month. I don't have the best track record for making it to these events, but mostly because I've been out of town. Anyways, I was heading out the door a little before 8am, and to my surprise, I met a Japanese woman on the stairwell who was on her way to come and get me (I guess my absences have been noted). I checked in and was given a mini-machete as they showed me to the back-side of my building, where it was my job to cut the grass and weeds (by hand) and put them in a bag.
So now you might be realizing why I said it sounds dumb: yes, I was cutting the grass by hand, early in the morning, with a small knife. But the reasoning behind the monthly gathering really has a lot to do with the group-mentality so prevelant in this culture. I am pretty sure lawn mowers and weed whackers aren't a scarcity here, but the point of the event is to get everyone in our community out, working together towards a common goal, and getting to know each other. Granted, in my case, it was a little ironic because there's still a huge language barrier between the other tenants and myself, and they are shy around me anyways, so it's not like I met a lot of people doing it. It did, however, get my out of bed early and I do think it makes a good impression to see people and say hello. Chigusa and Jane (my friends - both English teachers) were also out, so I had a nice little chat with them once the hour was over and got a free bottle of peach juice for participating.
After gardening, I went back to bed for a little while and then met my friends Kelly and Jen in Akashi, where Jen gave us a binder with all the information from past charity events she has coordinated and participated in so that Kel and I can start planning our own events (the hand-off for our new Coordinator chair). I walked around Akashi park for a while, and spent some time reading in the castle grounds, under the beautiful cherry trees. That evening, Kelly came over for dinner, I cut her hair (added bangs - so cute!), and then spent the rest of the night watching the new episodes of LOST that "Clam" got in the mail this week (while doing Chuhai taste testing - big fan of the raspberry... who knew?!). I spent most of Sunday just hanging out with Chris (he let me cut almost a foot off his hair now that his metal band days are on halt), writing my Hyogo Times article, and had dinner at the karaoke place while belting out some songs with Lena, Kelly and Chris, which turned out to be a surprisingly delicious meal (and no surprise a great time).
Nothing too exciting going on otherwise (the Snow Patrol concert was canceled), but it was nice to stay local and keep it kind of low-key! That's all for now... but classes starting this week, so I am sure I'll be busy soon.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Another Weekend, Another Enkai

This weekend was a little more under control, which was a refreshing break from the constant running around which characterized the previous several weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I had an amazing time and it was totally worth it, but I ended up pretty exhausted. I was supposed to take time off and just catch-up after Claire left, but I ended up going out to dinner or meeting up with friends every night of the week, and then had all the hanami hoopla the next weekend, so I guess I just needed to take a personal time-out this past week and “keep it on the DL." I stayed up into the wee hours of the night on Wednesday, talking to friends in America, and I think I might be finally learning my lesson on getting enough sleep. I have always been a night owl. While it has thus far failed to directly hinder my interactions or performance during the day (and has literally been a characteristic since high school), I know it cannot be healthy to be staying up so late on a regular basis. I went to a sleep specialist a few years ago to see if there was actually a clinical explanation for the fact that I seem atypically prone to staying up far past a resonable hour (I usually hit my "second wind" around 11 - it's like I am wired on the hour). They basically told me to stop drinking caffeine after 2pm, so nothing came of it, but I guess not much has changed since then either (with or without a Coca Cola fix). Anyways, after staying up on Wednesday, I basically crashed into my bed after work on Thursday. I set an alarm and was only going to take a little nap before my run, but I woke up from my 6pm nap at 2am. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I talked to one of my old roommates for a while (taking advantage of the time difference) and finally went back to bed somewhere around 4:30 (so I could get up for work at 6:30). Not good the night before an enkai, and I'm learning it's going to be almost impossible with my new work schedule (being in front of students for at least 3 or 4 classes a day). Working on that...

As mentioned, Friday night was the work party, or enkai, for all the teachers moving schools (and, technically, for the new ones), called a kansogeikai (“combined good-bye and welcome party”). Mori Sensei warned me that this party would not be as “exciting” as the last one, where the majority of teachers were drunk or tipsy, even bingo got wild (the prizes were awesome so I don't blame them, though!), and several male teachers ended up with no shirt (just the tie) by the end of the night. I was a little sad to hear this, considering the last one was such a ball. On the other hand, I was also pretty blue about all the changes at school the week before, so I was looking forward to being back in the same setting and celebrating again. I caught myself tearing up during the departing teachers' speeches at the staff meeting earlier in the week (and almost cried in the gym when our old principal gave his farewell to the other teachers – how embarrassing!), so at least I knew this was going to be more of a celebration, and that the emotional farewells had been said.

The party took place at the Castle Hotel in Himeji (vs Kobe for the last one). I took the train straight from work (about a 15 minute trip) and did some LP research for our upcoming Korea trip in a little coffee shop until it was time to meet everyone. I wore a black suit to school that day (normal teacher attire) and usually just wear my little black Pumas everywhere (since I wear slippers inside anyways), but I decided to dress it up a bit with heels and big earrings (a rare sight for people I work with). Like last time, the party was held in a typical hotel banquet room with round tables spread out around the room (we picked numbers out of a box upon arriving to determine what table we sat at), but this time, the stage was at the front of the room, with a long “table of honor” at the front (where the outgoing teachers sat). Nishigawa Sensei (the nice chemistry teacher I used to sit by) emceed the event, which opened with a welcome speech. We poured drinks (bad to pour your own!) and did the customary “konpai!” (cheers) as the outgoing teachers' farewell speeches commenced, starting with the principal. Each speaker's talk was followed by a fellow coworker, who would tell a funny story and present them with a gift; it was a touching ceremony. After two courses and about six speeches, we had some more mingling time, while people ate and talked. There weren’t any big activities (like the magic show and bingo last time), but it was nice to hang out with my coworkers (who are insanely busy these days) and it’s always interesting to see who comes out of their shell once the booze starts flowing.
At the end of the evening (which felt like it went by way too quickly), our Vice Principal took the stage and led us in three rounds of “bansai” (an congratulatory expression - made famous in the west by kamakaze pilots during WWII), as we all raised our arms straight up in the air from our sides (a lot like the “hurrah-hurrah-hurrah” at the end of the Norwegian birthday song and dance). After the party, a huge group of people took the shuttle-bus to the train station, but I was going to go out with some coworkers at a nearby pub. At the last second, I decided to jump on the bus, because the group I was with was going to walk (it was raining) and I wanted to see if I could hook up with my expat friends. The plan kind of backfired and I ended up just going to Tiger Pub, having a drink and hanging out with the bartender, Justin (who got here the same time as me) and owner, before admitting my mistake and texting my coworker again to see where they were. I am glad I went back, though... it was fun to hang out with the guys. I took the last train home with a few of them; pretty low key end to the night, but it was nice.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

More on Hanami

So I wasn’t able to write as much about it before, but the sakura (cherry blossom) parties this weekend were wild. It was supposed to be a low-key week after Claire left (especially considering we were running for 2 weeks straight and I spent a LOOOT of money), but of course, that didn't happen. Instead, I ended up meeting friends every night of the week to catch up and get back into...well, Japan. It was probably a good week for it, though, considering I was a bit gutted abut the changes at work. On Friday, I went to dinner in Kobe with my trini (Trinidadian) friends Kelly and Sharla, and then met Katie on Friday evening. We discovered this awesome Italian restaurant、Alberta Alberta, near Motomachi Station (in central Kobe) with 90-minute all-you-can-drink wine special for only $7! They put out about 12 bottles and give you a glass, so you can do pretty cheap wine-tasting with really good food (they have an actual hearth for the pizza!). I had to be in Himeji at 9am on Sunday, so it wasn’t anything crazy, and we basically headed home after that. We did make friends with some Japanese guys in line, and decided to share a table with. They met us in Himeji again on Saturday, and I think Kelly is going to meet one again, which is pretty awesome. It's a good blend of Japanese-English for everyone, and they seem cool.

Himeji
Ok, so I did make it on time for my meeting on Saturday the morning, but it turned out to be a longer day than I expected. I didn’t leave Himeji until around 4:30 pm on Saturday, and was drinking lightly the whole time, so I was pretty much drunk by the time I headed out; it wasn’t even dark yet. My friend Kelly and I recently took over as co-charity coordinators for a prefecture-level (expat) committee, so we had to come early for a meeting and I wasn’t planning to spend all day. It was cloudy in the morning, so we weren’t even sure anyone would show up. To my surprise, however, the huge tarps we put out were completely full (actually good thing we were early to set up, eh?) and people were as happy as could be after we wiped them down with towels. We had a big turnout for our group (free food might have been a factor?), but there were a zillion Japanese tourists running around the castle yard, too, with tents selling Japanese sake (bought a little box full for around $5 and re-fills were only $1), food, poems and such. I bought some sakura-flavored honey, too, which can be used with tea or is good with hot water itself. I am sure the castle was pretty busy, but I was not interested in the tour. It was fun to catch up with people, but I twisted my ankle while I was playing soccer with this little kid (once again, drinking all day), so Katie and I decided to go home and nap before heading out to Osaka for the evening (two birthdays and a going-away party!).
Well, once we finally stopped snoozing and got up from the nap, it was too late to go all the way to Osaka. We would have had about an hour in the city if we wanted to take last train back, so we decided to walk to the video store and rent a movie instead. It was a nice little stroll along the river, and we ended up walking through the McDonalds drive-through at midnight to get chocolate shakes to celebrate the end of lent (made it with no sweets or pop for over 40 days. Whew!). Only the drive-through was open so we pulled a Larry David☺

Osaka
We got up early again on Sunday morning to head out early so Katie could check out Kyoto and I could go to the Norwegian Easter service on Rokko Island. The “Danish hotdog guy” in Takasago (where I work) introduced me to the Scandinavian community in Kobe a while back, and has been trying to get me to go to one of their monthly meetings. There used to be a Norwegian Sea Man’s Church/School here (my friend Morten went there as a child), but it closed down a few years ago, so the lingering Scandinavians still get together. Anyways, I was supposed to go to Easter with the Norwegians and a group of grad-students visiting from Bergen. I talked to this lady named Liv a few days prior and got all the info and directions. In the end, I got lost and the directions weren’t great, so I made it out to the island, but couldn’t find the building…and never made it to Easter service. I searched for them for over an hour, before I finally gave up and just walked around a flea market and the Kobe Fashion Museum (not so interesting exhibit on scarves right now). I was supposed to meet Jane and the Japanese Osaka crew for hanami, but after the Norwegian thing was a bust, I was in a pretty bad mood and decided to head to a gallery nearby first to check out my friend’s art show. It was his first public display, and I had a free ticket and was in the area, so it really made sense and I am glad I went because it cheered me up (and the whole show was pretty good).
After a quick visit to the gallery, I was feeling better and hopped a train to Osaka. I have never seen the city so packed, but it is also covered with sakura (I swear people would “ooh and ahh” at the sights every time the train stopped - and I was just on the Loop Line!)! It was worth the crowds. Jane met me at the Osakajokoen Station and we spent the rest of the day just chilling on our tarps near the moat, under the blowing trees and Osaka Castle. I met some pretty cool people that I have heard a lot about, but not met, and at one point, MTV Japan stopped to interview our group and gave away some prizes. I saw a British guy I know, Will, playing the bongo drums near the castle (people were skating and even camped out – a local nightclub was hosting music) and they had some pretty good food stands (had Red Stripe and curry for dinner – yum).
We were all going to pack up and head up to the castle together when it started getting dark (the whole area was strung with pink lanterns, but we wanted to be by the music), but as we were walking up the hill, this old man fell down in front of us and hit his head on a limestone corner. A bunch of us ran to help him (I just grabbed his big shopping bag), but we got a little scared when he turned his head and blood dripped down from where he hit. This American (from MN, actually), Ajen, asked him questions while my friend called an ambulance. We made sure he was ok before we felt like we could go, but at that point, it felt more like a good time to leave so Jane and I headed out for Akashi.

I’ve gotten a few texts from Ajen (the Minnesotan I met) and we might meet up next week (just to hang out since we’re both from the Twin Cities), but I was in a MUCH better mood once I made it home and have to admit I am a big fan of hanami!

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Labrynth

Ok, so I rented Labrynth this week (to watch while working on posters for class), after not having seen it for over 10 years. I just have a few small comments. First of all, David Bowie would definately fit-in in Japan. I think I have mentioned how affeminate men can appear to be, but everything - especially the hair (and maybe eyebrows?)- would look pretty stylish, if only he were in his mid-20s and Japanese. Maybe it is the 80s thing? I thought the skinny jeans and flats were cute.

Second of all, I am almost certain J.K. Rowling sampled from Labrynth when writing her first Harry Potter book. Quite genius if you think about it: take elements from some of the most popular and successful stories in history, which might not have been "normal" or "mainstream", adapt them into your story... and then mainstream it! At one point during the movie, Jennifer Connely refers to her travel companion as Hogwort(s?) and the moving stairs in the castle at the end of the movie (an adaption of the M.C.Escher drawing) are almost identical to those in Hogwarts. Too close to be a coincidence, and I have already mentioned the nordic mythology connection (Fenrir) in earlier posts.

In some ways, it's a little creepy considering the age difference between Bowie and his love interest, but this movie was way ahead of his time, and the music was pretty good. If you haven't seen it in a while - it's worth checking out. The tape I rented has Japanese subtitles (tried to read them, but too hard with the kanji), so I think I'm going to try to fit it into an ESS activity at some point...

Geisha, School and Hanami!

It’s only been about a week since my last post, but I feel months behind, so I’m going to have to stick to the big stuff.

Interview with a Geisha
Two weekends ago, Claire finally sorted out her tickets and set off for her long journey home to America, as I set off on my journey to Kyoto. It was my fourth day there in less than 2 weeks, but I went for a totally different reason; this time, a geisha show! I met the group (of IFA members and other foreigners) at Tsuchiyama station and we all took the train together. The group was pretty big (17 people), but it turned out to be a good thing. Yamada-san, a woman I met last fall and adore (but see rarely) planned the event and found an awesome Japanese restaurant for all of us. We were split into two groups, and I was in the second one, so we had some time to wander around before the show. I found some vintage postcards from Takasago and Kyoto at a little antique shop and had a nice chat with some of the other folks in the group as we walked around Gion.
The show itself was really impressive. Memiors of a Geisha is one of my favorite books and Claire and I had seen maiko (apprentice geisha) in Kyoto the week before so I thought I was somewhat prepared for our experience, but I know a lot of Japanese people were upset with the depiction of Japanese culture (at least from the movie, called “Sayuri” here), so I was not sure how much of this "prep" was misguided. I think some people would call Geisha high-class prostitutes, but I (at least) understood that it was more of an art (high-class entertainers??) and traditional part of the culture.
Booking time with a geisha (or “geiko” since we were in Kyoto – Geisha is only used in Toyko) can be really expensive and usually includes dinner and a performance, but it was actually pretty affordable and totally exceeded my expectations. The way it worked is that our group was led into a small, Japanese room with a L-shaped table for us to sit around. We had about 45 minutes to watch a traditional dance performance (the geisha are skilled in many traditional forms of art, from dance to instruments to song), participate in a Japanese tea ceremony, ask questions and then take one-on-one and group pictures. The room had tatami floors, had large windows overlooking a small Japanese garden, and was draped in red. As we walked in, the maiko-san (apprentice geisha) greeted us with low bow from her kneeling position on the floor and we found spots around the table. Our maiko-san’s name was Ayaka and she was 17. Very sweet and outgoing. She had an old-fashioned Japanese hairstyle (huge, elegant and intricate; like what you see in Samurai movies), decorated with cherry blossoms and small silver butterflies (spring attire - it was the first day). Her face was painted a stark white color, a strong contast against her black hair, with red lining her eyes and bright red lips and her silk kimono had the long-sleeves (and train) of an unmarried woman. So pretty!
So in addition to learning about geisha, I learned a bit more about tea ceremony (like to eat the candy first to adjust the taste of the matcha and then turn the cup three times to the right before drinking). Even though everything was in Japanese, the Q & A ses was not too hard to follow (with some translation help), and I found it really fun. I didn’t know that the reason the geisha have white faces was because the places they entertained were dark (candle-lit in olden times) and they needed the patrons to be able to see them, or that geisha go to special training school after middle school (instead of high school) and are apprentices (maiko) until they are 20, when they become a geisha. In the old days, children were often sold to geisha houses, but today, it is a choice (Ayaka decided she wanted to be a geisha when she was 8 – it's a respected profession with only about 1,000 total left in Japan). Maiko don’t make any money for their performances (it all goes to their “house”), but they do have some time off (they have to keep their hair up and wear kimono - no street clothes) and they can get married when they are older, as long as they retire.
After the show, we all went to Kiyomizudera, my favorite temple in Kyoto, where the cherry blossoms were in full bloom! It was stunning. Kelly and I decided to stay behind, and made friends with a (slightly lost and confused) backpacker from England who ended up going to dinner and karaoke with us before we headed home. It was a long day, but probably one of the most memorable of my time in Japan (funny how I keep saying that – probably a good sign!).

The Big Shake-Up
The morning after the show, was “moving day” at school, where everyone moves desks. The moving was supposed to begin at 9, but half of the room was packed up and people were already moving when I arrived at 8! I was a little overwhelmed and weirded out (I am one of the rare souls who did NOT move - the dynamics of my area are completely different), so I hid out in my classroom and studied while the chaos simmered down. I have a new boss now, there is a new head of the English department, and a new principal (who reminds me of a mob boss right out of the Sopranos, but is supposed to be very kind), so - needless to say - it’s been a big adjustment. There are a lot of changes in offices everywhere in Japan (not just in schools) during the spring (beginning of the fiscal calendar), so while the weather is exciting, it can also be a sad season. Yes, there are new classes, students and teachers to look forward to, but I have been a little sad and am lamenting my old situation that I had grown so accustomed to (even my frenemy!)...
The week is packed with ceremonies, new teachers have arrived, and we are gearing up for the second term to start, so I think I will be able to focus less on the differences and more on my work agenda soon. I have a much fuller schedule this term and want to take on more with the English Speaking Society (including speech contests), so I should be (a lot?) busier.

HANAMI
Who knew flower-watching could be so much fun?! This weekend was packed with hamami, or flower-viewing parties, with friends at Himeji Castle on Saturday and Osaka Castle Park on Sunday. Hanami is basically an excuse to get together with friends for a picnic and a few drinks, while enjoying nature – I LOVE IT!
My friend Katie stayed at my place for the weekend and I saw a lot of people I haven’t seen in a while. The party on Saturday had a good turnout (about 60 expats?) and I met Jane and some Japanese friends in Osaka on Sunday. The formula for both events was about the same; a group of people, sitting on a tarp, drinking, having fun and just chatting! MTV Japan stopped to tape our tarp in Osaka, but I doubt I'll catch it - cool to know it was the real deal, though.
The flowers are breathtaking. I know we have “sakura” in America, but they are literally everywhere here (not just the castles)…. the fact that the blossoms only bloom for several weeks each spring and are barren, horrific-looking branches (again, pretty much everywhere) for the rest of the year really explains luster and drama of it all. No complaints here, though! I have to admit, despite being away from family, it WAS a really nice way to spend easter, as well.


Alright, lots more going on (the weather is beautiful, I am doing well, had my first dream (at least partially) in Japanese (and I have tickets to Snow Patrol this weekend!), but I'll try to be better and post more soon! For now - Off to bed! Hope you all had a Happy Easter!

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Sayonara Claire

Claire's visit to Japan has drawn to a close, but we have had such an amazing whirlwind adventure just hanging out, exploring and traveling. I am so grateful to have such fun friends who are willing to come visit, and I am sad the time flew by so fast (both with Claire and Kristin!). While I have been a little more homesick than usual these days (especially for people back home since Claire arrived), the visit really made me realize how much I have already learned and grown since I got here. It was also a good reminder of how many wonderful things I have here. In the beginning of the trip, we were in some situation where I was frustrated by a language barrier or I felt discriminated against (as a foreigner) or something, and I think Claire was really shocked by my reaction and asked me if I really did like it here and was sure I really wanted to stay. It gave me an opportunity to really express all the things I do like (and give me some reflection time). Of course, since then, Claire’s opinion has changed, but it sort of made me step back and think about my motives, motivation and desires. I realized that while there are hardships that come with living abroad (like the one Claire witnessed), I really, truly am trying to realize of all of the opportunities and advantages of it in contrast. I do miss my family and friends, but that would happen if I moved anywhere (even in the same time zone), so I would say I think the experience of coming to Japan is going well, and I am honestly looking forward to the rest of my tenure here.

Claire and I enjoyed a few low-key days at the end of the week, although it ended with a somewhat stressful situation (leaving her with an unexpected, extra day in Japan). On Thursday, I met Claire in Kobe and we spent the evening in Kobe’s famous hot spring town, Arima Onsen. The town was absolutely darling, and resembled some little mountain town in Europe somewhere (the mountains were like the Swiss Alps). The vision was shattered by the groups of Japanese tourists walking around in robes as they walked from bath-to-bath, but the differences made it better in a lot of ways. Claire tried Kobe beef for the first time, with rave reviews, and we chose an onsen (hot spring) with an outdoor bath and spent several hours soaking under the moon with some Japanese women and their children before catching a late train home. It’s a little strange how accustomed you can get to just being nude around people you know; even if you would not do it at home (onsens = no clothes).
On Friday we went to my coworkers house to see her Hina Ningyo (doll) display from Girl's Day, or the doll festival on March 3. The display was seven-stories tall (with lamps and offerings for the dolls), and almost as large as an entire room. We had dinner at the teacher's mother's house, although it seemed like either Claire and I had some strange dietary restriction or issue with pretty much everything they gave us - so embarrassing (especially when we had already ordered pizza to make sure Claire’s stomach was safe for the flight home)! We have now had three meals with my coworkers, but I was really glad that Claire got to see an entire Japanese home, where the family sleeps in one room on thick pads (known as Japanese futon), on tatami (bamboo mat) floors. After dinner, my teacher drove us home and we watched Zoolander while Claire packed.

And that’s pretty much where the drama started….

Claire's flight was changed on the way here (bumped up a few hours without notification) and had already been changed once on her flight home, so she was careful about confirming the flight schedule the night before her flight. For some reason, her itinerary wasn’t posted online (as it should have been), however, so – having been assured everything was in order – she decided to just write everything down right before we left. And suddenly there is panic as Claire realizes they have cancelled her flight (at the last minute with no notification) and she is leaving the next day! To make a long story short, three hours (of talking to rude Cust. Service Reps in America) later, Claire realized she was stranded in Nihon – with NO compensation for the inconveniences – for one more day. I appreciated the extra time, and we had a low-key night and check out the yakitori place on my street, but I felt so bad for Claire. I guess she finally made it in over 29 hours after she was originally supposed to be home, in the wee hours of the night on Sunday (before work on Monday), after even further complications. I was astonished by the poor service she received (attitude is everything) and seeming lack of efficiency on the part of the airlines. I know the airline industry has been a tough place to work over the last few years, but in my opinion, they should be compensating for the lost benefits rather than further lowering their standard. I am not sure if it was an issue with United, or possibly just bad luck all around, but I am definitely weary to fly the airline in the future. Thankfully Claire is home, safe and sound, and I am now resting, recuperating and catching up on my everyday life in Japan.

Bushido

Let me preface this post with a note: I am not so bored at school this week that I have resorted to writing book reports. OK, maybe that is a lie. I am not sure. I basically just had a few thoughts about an intriguing book, and decided to make my comments public in the event that someone would be interested in reading it, rather than keeping it to myself. The content is not at all about what Claire and I have been up to, though, so feel free to skip over it if you are short on time. That being said, here you go…

Bushido - Comments and Thoughts

I just finished reading Bushido: The Soul of Japan, by Inazou Nitobe. One of my coworkers saw what I was reading yesterday when I took the book out of it’s brown paper jacket (very Japanese), and was astonished that a young lady would be interested in the subject (very not Japanese). The International Understanding club read the book this fall, so I asked to borrow a copy out of curiosity. I have had it for a while, but the teacher that lent me his copy is transferring schools at the end of the week, so I realized I needed to get reading so I could give it back. In hindsight, I am glad I waited to read it, because I think I got more out of it with some foundation in Japanese and slightly more grounded knowledge of Japanese history and exposure to the culture. There is without doubt quite a lot that I would not have fully comprehended without the time here, and surely exists even more that I don’t even realize I don’t know. Bushido is also only 150 pages long, so it’s possible to finish in a day. Like Sun Tao’s Art of War, however, the length does not indicate the impact. To illustrate this point, you need only to check out its affect on modern Japanese culture. If you go to the profile for Tom Cruise’s The Last Samurai (2003) on http://www.imdb.com, you will find that Bushido is part of the film’s official title. Bushido, this book and the word for the Samurai code is, in a sense, a keystone in Japanese history; it is synonymous with the spirit of Japan. I have heard that the actors in Last Samurai, including Ken Watanbe (who plays the Samurai, Katsumoto) studied Bushido to prepare for their roles and I will give further examples of less direct influences all over the spectrum in modern Japanese society.

Before I get too far, I will offer some background information. Bushido is basically an account of Samurai (Japanese feudal Knights, or bushi) culture and values, and a perspective on how they influenced the Japanese society through the end of the 19th century. The book written in English the late 1890s (not long after the abolition of the Samurai class), by a Christian, Japanese-born economist. The copy I borrowed was the tenth edition, revised and completed in the early 20th century, but there were two forewords and an introduction, which offered much help and explanation in the form of background information and placing the author’s motives and the information presented in context. The book has been translated to many languages, but I was utterly astonished by the competency of the author to eloquently relay such a delicate subject (describing the subtleties of morals and social rules in Japan to a Western audience) in this ‘borrowed tongue’ (Japanese was his first) and by what an accomplished scholar Nitobe seemed to be (especially well read). Over a century after it was first published, I think Bushido is still effective in helping to explain many of the delicate components of society that can be harder to understand, even with a lot of exposure to the culture.
Among the topics addressed that I found to best represent this idea, was the concept of “face,” which actually ties into other essential traits (like honor) and presumably has roots in Bushido. The attitude toward “losing face”, for example, seems to be less extreme today, but it is undoubtedly present. It helps explain why the concept of “face” (or losing it) is still so important, and why honor (and loyalty) strongly dictate things in daily life. Why don’t people show their emotions or reactions in emotional situations in public (again, a shame issue), and why can certain practices (or society in general?) seem so inclusive. What I took away from this reading is that repressing feelings, emotions and showing a strong demeanor in public was essential to the samurai culture. The books offers an example of how different the mindset was by western standards, stating that “in the West, men will kiss their wives in public and beat them in private, while in Japan [or in the Samurai culture], men will beat their wives in public and kiss them in private,” as to not show their affection to anyone. Furthermore, the author describes how these values were taught: children born into Samurai families had to go through excruciating tests of will and strength as part of their training in this school of thought. They would often be forced to stay up all night to build endurance. The book talks about how in the days when public executions were still legal in Japan, they would make young boys go to the place where the convicted had been beheaded, alone and in the middle of the night, and place their mark (probably stamp or seal) on the decapitated head to prove they had completed the task. Even when performing seppuku (suicide by disembowelment), they did not show emotion or signs of pain, and were careful to tuck the sleeves of their kimono under their knees so that they fell forward, in a clean, respectable manor, and did not appear to have experienced great pain.
While addressing the topic of shame and personal fiber, I should also mention that while a strong will was obviously important to the samurai culture, these practices or skills should not be confused with morals. Morals and religion also tie in closely, with Nitobe saying in a preface he would have written an additional chapter on piety, which would have further aided him in communicating this difficult concept. He never completed the addition, but it is important to understand that the religion practiced in Japan and in this culture was not Christianity, and thus the notion of (Christian) morality that we accept in the West differed greatly. I guess I would consider the topic of morals a paradoxical impact; a characteristic I feel is very present today. Consider, for example, my recent post about Lock Up. How crazy is it to go to such a wacky, modern eatery, only to step outside to see multiple ancient temples. Another example is why is there so much (accepted) pornography in this culture (including graphic manga – cartoon – porn that is deemed appropriate to be sold and read in public), or why does it seem accepted that the majority engages in sexual acts at what I would consider too young an age, yet it is still inappropriate to have a male, platonic friend from out-of-town stay at my apartment. What we consider morals in the West can be confused with values, but in Bushido, things like honor, loyalty and strength (of character or physical) might have overcome the concept.

Other lingering influences of Bushido in the present are the existence of a group-mentality (as a race), versus placing value on individualism, and the role of women. The book went beyond simply furthering the reader’s education on the social system in Feudal Japan (“Kuge –> Daimyo –> Samurai” class structure), actually offering explanations to reactions familiar to me from my interactions with coworkers during the short time I have been here (even uchiawase and enkai).
It is intriguing to me that Nitobe devotes an entire chapter to the position of women and their influence on (or how they are influenced by) Bushido. It is especially significant considering this book was written long before the suffrage or women’s liberation movement brought this topics to the forefront. I have written several times about the structure of society and status of women from my own observations and experiences, but the class system described in Bushido was actually much different. The Samurai were the warrior class at the top of the food chain, while the merchants (business, or even educated, people) were on the bottom of any societal ladder. They were found below farmers and metal workers, people considered to make real contributions to the daily workings of society. In the lower classes of society, including among the merchants, women held high – sometimes almost equal - positions to men. Conversely, it was the women in upper classes – the samurai class – that had a lower status, resembling what I would have expected from all levels of society. What rights the women of the upper echelon lacked, however, were in a way balanced by their responsibilities within the home and when the men left for battle. It was the women who were responsible for training their children, future Knights, in fighting and battle (especially how to use a sword) and it was the same women who were sometimes held accountable for defending their home if there were an attack while the men were away.

The book cites numerous references to historical events, literary works, and even linguistic comparisons (comparing Samurai mantra to those of he Knight class in certain European countries, for example) that added color to its purpose. It even goes so far – perhaps not surprisingly considering the author’s background – as to draw parallels to philosophy and economics (including citations to Nietzsche, Marx, Hegel, and Smith). The historical references also proved appealing for entertainment purposes as well. One of the men who authored an introduction to an early edition of the book mentions his witness to the launching of Perry’s (“black”) ships (for Japan) in Philadelphia, something that might make a Japanese history buff awe and drool over. Nitobe often refers to experts on the culture of Japan and then-modern references on Japanese culture, which opens more doors to further references on Japan and an introduction to how our judgments of pre-war Japan have changed.

In addition, the author specifically addresses the viewpoints and criticisms of many foreigners from the time (surprisingly similar to today). I know it might seem like I often pose a lot of (possibly negative) rhetorical questions when sharing thoughts or accounts of my life in Japan via my blog or emails, but these curiosities and inquiries (and/or lack of answers) do not always have a simple answer. This is a factor that many foreigners here form a common-bond over. Or maybe there are answers, but often not found on the surface, possibly buried so deep as within the historical concept of Bushido. Why else would a work written over 100 years ago remain so poignant and relevant today? It is history; perspectives might change, but facts and the imprints left in time do not. It’s like Shakespeare, in a sense (whose works are coincidentally frequently quoted in the book), who was able to so eloquently identify and relay the raw components of human nature and interactions that his works are virtually timeless.

Indeed, the book in some ways scatters more seeds than it does plant flowers. It left me pondering other aspects of my life here, and contemplating other potential powerful historical influences. Possibly in accord with my reactions, the author closes by conjuring up numerous questions about the future of Bushido, or the Samurai spirit, and its influence over the Japan of the future, rather than presenting hypothesis. Ironically, I think many of the author’s questions are answered in the mere fact that I, a foreigner to this culture and these ideals, can distinctly relate to the concepts of these theories and explanations over 100 years later. As Nitobe put it, Bushido “is a dead system, but it is alive as a virtue: it’s energy and vitality are still felt through the many channels of life” (153). I agree with Nitobe, that the Bushido spirit is still very much alive in the Japan of today, even if it is only in traces.
I had to give the book back to my coworker, but I think I am going to buy a copy for myself and read it again, possibly after I have been here a bit longer and learn a little more about the culture and language. I would definitely recommend it to any of my (foreign) counterparts and am a little more motivated to delve into more work on the culture of the Samurai (maybe starting with finally getting to the big, fat, bound beast that is Shogun, by James Clavell).

QUOTATIONS

Page 144
Our [Japanese] sense of honour is responsible for our exaggerated sensitiveness and touchiness; and if there is conceit in us with which some foreigners charge us, that, too, is a pathological outcome of honour.

Page 150
If history can teach us anything, the state built on martial values – be it a city like Sparta or an Empire like Rome – can never make on earth a “continuing city.” Universal and natural as is the fighting instinct in man, fruitful as it has proved to be of noble sentiments and manly virtues, it does not comprehend the whole man. Beneath the instinct to fight there lurks a diviner instinct – to love.

Page 152
Scratch a Japanese of the most advances ideas, and he will show a samurai.

Page 153
Like his Hebrew precursors, the prophets – notably Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and Habakkuk – Bushido laid particular stress on the moral conduct of rulers and public men and of nations, whereas the ethics of Christ, which deal almost solely with individuals and His personal followers, will find more and more practical application as individualism, in its capacity of a moral factor, grows in potency.

Page 48
If love does not rush to deeds of virtue, recourse must be had to man’s intellect, and his reason must be quickened to convince him of the necessity of acting aright.

Page 27
Without losing the best in her own history and civilization, Japan, following her noble precedents, first adopted and then adapted the choicest the world had to offer.

Page 117 (footnote on the game of GO)
The game of GO is sometimes called Japanese checkers, but is much more intricate than the English game. The go-board contains 361 squares and is supposed to represent a battlefield – the object of the game being to occupy as much space as possible.

Page 129
But the question is: Is there a correct standard in comparing the relative social position of the sexes? Is it right, is it enough, to compare women’s status to man’s, as the value of silver is compared with that of gold, and give the ratio numerically? Such a method of calculation excludes from consideration the most important kind of value with a human being possesses, namely, the intrinsic. In view of the manifold variety if requisites for making each sex fulfill its earthly mission, the standard to be adopted in measuring its relative position must be of a composite character; or to borrow from economic language, it must be a multiple standard.

Page 142
No, as yet Christian missions have effected but little visible in molding the character of New Japan. No, it was Bushido, pure and simple, that urged us on for weal or woe. Open the biographies of the makers of Modern Japan – of Sakuma, of Saigo, of Okuto, of Kido not to mention the reminiscence of living men such as Ito, Okuma, Itagaki, etc., - and you will find that it was under the impetus of samuraihood that they thought and wrought.

Page 134
What Japan was she owed to the samurai. They were not only the flower of the nation, but its root as well. All the gracious gifts of heaven flowed through them. Though they kept themselves socially aloof from the populace, they set a moral standard for them and guided them by their example. I admit Bushido had its esoteric and exoteric teachings; these were eudemonic, looking after the welfare and happiness of the commonalty; those were aretaic, emphasizing the practice of virtues for their own sake.

Page 135
The samurai grew to be the beau ideal of the whole race. “As among flowers the cherry is queen, so among men the samurai is lord,” so sang the populace. Debarred from commercial pursuits, the military class itself did not aid commerce; but there was no channel of human activity, no avenue of thought, which did not receive in some measure an impetus from Bushido. Intellectual and moral Japan was directly oe indirectly the work of Knighthood.