O-Hanami in Takamatsu

There was a huge o-hanami (flower viewing) party at Ritsurin Park yesterday. It was great to sit under the trees with friends and chat all day, with blazing sunlight and beautiful nature all around. In America, there is a similar party in Washington DC, but it is not quite the same as in Japan. The American version is a bit toned down, and it is often cold at that time. The Japanese version is extremely festive and warm, and it is steeped in centuries-old tradition. If you find yourself in the Takamatsu area, definitely check out Ritusrin Park.

Valentine's and White Day

According to Wikipedia, "In Japan, Valentine's Day is observed by women who present chocolate gifts (either store-bought or handmade), usually to men, as an expression of love." Actually, it is also observed among friends, and even co-workers.

One month later, on White Day, men who received a chocolate on Valentine's Day are expected to return the favor by giving gifts, usually more expensive. Sometimes the term sanbai kaeshi (三倍返し, literally, "three times the return") is used to describe the generally recited rule that the return gift should be two- to three-times the cost of the Valentine's gift."

As far as I know, that's true about White Day. But notice that these days are "observed" more than they are "celebrated." In America, people make a big fuss about Valentine's Day, and White Day doesn't exist. My experience? Don't do too much -- in Japan, excessive compliments make people feel shy. So, don't go by American standards in Japan. And the reverse, don't go by Japanese standards in America. Have fun though!

Aka Yo!

I was biking home from work tonight with my colleagues, and we came to a stop signal (the red one, pictured left). As is customary in America, we looked to see if there were any cars, and since there were none, we crossed the street. On the other side of the street was someone waiting for the light to change. He was quite upset that we had skipped the light, and called out to us "aka yo!" (It's red!) I had completely forgotten that the custom in Japan is always to wait if someone else is waiting. But, if nobody is waiting, you're free to take your chances. Safest is to wait, but I'm still used to the American way of crossing the street.

Coming up: Lots of plans for the weekend! A party with co-workers and clients; hanging out in Kagawa with a new friend; and a solo trip to Dogo onsen in Matsuyama. Stay tuned!

Oishii Tabemono!

Today I was invited to a New Year's party, where lots of delicious food had been prepared and was generously served. Pictured here are very delicate sliced rolls of egg (the yellow), fish cake (the pink) and I'm not sure what the white one is but it was all so tasty! Not pictured is the wonderful mochi soup, which was actually the center of the cusine. I'm sorry but I was so busy eating I totally forgot to take more pictures. The event was at a Japanese Christian church, which was itself an interesting experience. When I think of Japanese religions, I often think of shrines, temples, Shinto, Buddhism, and so on. But the sermon at this service focused on Corinthians, from the Bible, although I couldn't understand well what was being said. The language was of course Biblical translation, so it was all the more difficult to understand. What was interesting was catching the switch in politeness levels between when Christ is speaking and when someone else is speaking. The only equivalents I can think of are thee versus thou. In any case, if you get an opportunity to experiment with either of these experiences, I would say, try it! It was very welcoming and an interesting life experience. Also worth mentioning is that New Year's was still being observed on January 6th at this event. Goes to show how important New Year's is within Japanese culture, even among Christians, while Christmas itself seems to take a back seat. Interesting...

Christmas in America and Japan

One of the interesting differences between America and Japan is the way we treat Christmas. In Japan, it is more like a dating holiday, similar to Valentine's Day in America. It's also common in Japan to get Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas, because it seems similar to turkey and that seems in the spirit of an American Christmas. At least, that how I understand it. Ok, that's a fun and interesting way of doing Christmas.

What we have done in my family is quite different. First, we light up a Christmas tree -- this is the one in my house -- and decorate it with ornaments collected over the years. I understand that in Japan some people do get a tree, but in American tradition, real trees are almost always used, not plastic ones.

The other interesting thing is that you don't have to be Christian to celebrate Christmas. As long as you feel connected with your family and friends, that's good. It's not a dating holiday in America, rather it is about family togetherness, and exchanging gifts.

But the real reason I wrote this journal entry is that it will be my last Christmas before going to Japan, where I'll be separated from my family for a long time. That means family holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas won't be the same for me. I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I feel attached to the good feelings that have come from my family, and our traditions. On the other hand, I'm very excited to try something new. Did I mention Japan's Christmas cake? More to come on that, in the food section.

Body Language

The monograph The Japanese Way (Takada and Lampkin) gives this advice: "Body language often has more impact than the spoken word [in Japan] ... and there are some sharp differences between Western and Japanese gesturing practices." Let's explore a few examples.

• Me/Myself
  Japanese: Point to your nose.
  Western: Point to your chest.


• Come Here
  Japanese: Turn your hand palm down and wave your fingers.
  Western: Palm up and curl your fingers. This is demeaning in Japan.


• Excuse Me (Please Move)
  Japanese: Open hand held vertically, hand waved back and forth, nodding the head.
  Western: Gently tap people on the shoulder and say "Excuse me, excuse me."


• Leave It to Me
  Japanese: Tap the chest lightly with an open palm.
  Western: Nod while talking, keeping a serious face or a confident smile.


• Hesitation/Embarassment/Confusion
  Japanese: Inhale air audibly through the theeth.
  Western: Tilt your head slightly sideways with lips closed and say "Mmm..."


• Power
  Japanese: Crossed legs, folded arms, when used by a junior member of a company or by a person younger than 40 can be taken as a lack of manners or as arrogance.
  Western: People in power usually keep talking if you try to interrupt them, without even the slightest hesitation or any notable change. A junior member of a company should make extra eye-contact when listening to a superior.


• Thoughtfulness
  Japanese: Silence is considered an indication of thoughtfulness, wisdom, or deep appreciation for what is happening around a person. Closing one's eyes when listening to a speaker indicates concentration on what the speaker is saying and is not considered rude.
  Western: An occassional nod or "Mm-hmm" indicates an affirmation that you are listening. Asking positive or particularly thoughtful questions to the speaker indicates that you care about the topic. Silence and closing your eyes indicates that you are bored and are not listening at all.

As for bowing versus shaking hands, I'll cover that in a future chapter. For extensive details about Japanese body language, see also Japanese Body Language: Non-Verbal Communication in the Classroom by Robert L. Seltman.

Professionalism in Japan

The emphasis is on conformity, deference and hierarchy. Doesn't mean you can't have fun in your life -- you should -- but here is what it does mean:

1. You'll probably have to wear a suit at your workplace. Best picks are conservative, meaning dark with no particular flare. Don't be a fashion designer expressing yourself, just fit in.

2. Treat superiors with tremendous respect, and basically just don't question what you're being told. Particularly when getting feedback on your work. If you're in a relatively low-ranking position, as I am, then you also will need to apologize as part of receiving feedback.

3. The customer is actually always right. It's an old saying, but actually true in Japan. Whatever the situation is, make sure that your customer or client is clearly happy with any transaction.

4. Read your company's policy book, and follow its rules. If you have a question about a rule, the best way to bring it up with your supervisor is at meeting, when it is time for open questions, at which point you could ask for advice on how to follow the rule.

5. Keep a positive frame of mind. If you've come from a place like Europe or the Americas, where things are different, just accept Japan's way as a new way for you to be a professional.

6. If you keep a blog, don't talk about the office. You can talk about working in general, but don't talk about your specific workplace, or your co-workers, or your clients in particular.

7. Don't use your real name on the internet unless you want people to know you wrote it!