Monday, 27 July 2009
27/7 Claire
Clear umbrellas, a girls childhood memory from the 70’s… and the popular accessory for all young Japanese in rainy season. Ian’s folding manly black umbrella malfunctioned today in the heavy rainfall of Hakone so Ian has joined the Japanese masses (and young girls of the UK) with his new purchase. At least it cheered him up as he had a right munk on because of the rain and a recommendation from a Fuji guide that we don’t attempt it tonight. Will check the rain forecast for tomorrow.
27/7 Ian - Japanese culture watch (episode 2)
We’re on a Shinkansen again en route to the Hakone region of Japan, just west of Tokyo, hoping for a window in the weather to summit Fuji-san and witness the famous sunrise above the clouds, either overnight tonight or tomorrow night. After that, it’s back to Tokyo for a brief touchdown (and wash), then on to Narita airport. Singapore and Australia are beckoning. There’s a chance then that this will be my last instalment from Japan, so let’s continue from where we left off. If you recall, I was somewhat obsessed with young ladies legs, feet and their footwear. To be fair, I could be obsessed with far worse. Perhaps time to talk about something else though….
First up is the observation that a good proportion of the elders in the population are quite alarmingly bent double as they shuffle by, usually with the aid of a walking stick. Now this one got me thinking about both lifestyle – for example years in an uncomfortable, posture affecting job – and also diet. In the end, both Max and I both think mainly diet, leading to osteoporosis – the traditional Japanese diet, although healthy in other respects, is low in calcium. So the elders we see today demonstrate the results. The current generation take more dairy products, so will probably suffer different health problems as they age. I wonder if this observation is also polarised by actually seeing more elders out and about on the streets, linked to a safer society. You certainly see a more diverse demographic in Japan compared to the UK, unless of course you regularly frequent Gala Bingo.
Next, let’s consider sniffing and slurping. Compared to the quiet and reserved UK (in this respect at least) these are polar opposites, and a real challenge. In Japan, it’s considered more polite to sniff repeatedly (keeping your germs to yourself in public) than to blow your nose. If you have no choice you’d best do it discretely, or as Max says, a good parp will reduce younger Japanese to helpless giggles, while grandma will tsk tsks from behind. Considering slurping, bowls of noodles are noisily and appreciatively slurped down, both to show how delicious they are, and also to help cool them. This cultural behaviour is a real test of our own cultural conventions and tolerances - noodles are delicious, but being surrounded by slurping is most definitely not.
On a different note, the Japanese don’t really seem to wear shades. Once you realise this, it looks really odd on a sunny day! In a society where fashion and self-expression can be taken to real extremes, it’s weird that sunglasses are markedly absent, save for a scattering of Jackie O style goggles on a few young ladies. They’re there in the shops though, so I’m note sure what’s going on with this one. Maybe bright enough for shades for us is not yet bright enough for the Japanese? Or perhaps there’s something cultural about the politeness in being able to see people’s eyes? Either way, wearing mirrored lenses isn’t exactly uncomfortable, but does emphasise your foreignness, even more…!
Narcolepsy also appears to be ingrained, certainly amongst those who commute. We could have taken any number of photos to illustrate this point, but it seemed just a touch too cheeky. Japanese folk seem to be able to hop onto the subway or a bus, instantly fall asleep, then wake just in time to make their stop. It’s as if they have inbuilt hibernate timers. And if they’re not doing that, they’re doing whatever they do on their flip-top mobiles of preference.
Finally, a continuing source of gentle amusement is watching Japanese folk getting in each other’s way, and the subsequent results. Or more specifically, the complete lack of them. We’ve seen cyclists in cities sweeping in front of oncoming traffic without so much as a glance. We’ve also seen delivery wagons at cross roads facing off against each other. In the UK each instance seems to need to be reduced to the black and white duality of right and wrong. Someone is to blame, and this must be pointed out – often aggressively – and acknowledged. Not so in Japan. The result, in almost all occasions is a deliberately passive set of actions to negate the situation and move on. No angry gestures, no beeping of horns, and certainly no road rage. On one level it appears aloof and rude – someone in the way for example just looks in the opposite direction and continues. On another however, the situation is swiftly and easily diffused, and the parties simply move on.
We were sat in a Starbucks in Kyoto eating yet more New York cheesecake for supper (and why not – we’re on holiday after all….) when we were briefly befriended by a young Japanese English teacher waiting for his overnight bus home. I asked him about this behaviour. He seemed both amused that we had noticed it, yet unable to explain why. It kind of just is, I guess. Culturally embedded to the point of unquestioned acceptance, beyond explanation. So in the absence of a native perspective, I’m going to be bold and suggest it’s about the Japanese need to save face, and maybe even about honour. To admit that you are wrong and to apologise, or to aggressively point this out about someone else’s actions rubs so strongly against this pervasive cultural grain as to be unacceptable. Interesting. We could learn a lot from this behaviour, I think.
So I guess it’s time for a conclusion to round off all this culture watching. I’m not sure we’ve even begun to scratch the surface, and certainly we’ve only observed the predominantly conscious, externalised cultural manifestations made available to us. But a strong feeling I get is that in many ways, the Japanese are more similar to us – at least in terms of our ‘quintessential Englishness’ – than many of our closer European and American neighbours. The people are generally polite, courteous and reserved. They don’t display much physical affection in public. They are proud of their heritage, yet they are fascinated by Americanism and everything it brings, both good and bad. Ask for help and they will bend over backwards to assist you, yet go about your business and they will discretely observe you from a safe and courteous distance. Never is anyone in your face. Never do you feel that you are being hussled as a commodity. And if you are engaged with someone who can’t speak a word of English, they do exactly what we do with foreigners, or gaijin – speak Japanese words very s-l-o-w-l-y, over and over again, because obviously then we will understand. So despite the bewildering and unintelligible Kanji symbols, in many ways Japan makes remarkable cultural sense.
First up is the observation that a good proportion of the elders in the population are quite alarmingly bent double as they shuffle by, usually with the aid of a walking stick. Now this one got me thinking about both lifestyle – for example years in an uncomfortable, posture affecting job – and also diet. In the end, both Max and I both think mainly diet, leading to osteoporosis – the traditional Japanese diet, although healthy in other respects, is low in calcium. So the elders we see today demonstrate the results. The current generation take more dairy products, so will probably suffer different health problems as they age. I wonder if this observation is also polarised by actually seeing more elders out and about on the streets, linked to a safer society. You certainly see a more diverse demographic in Japan compared to the UK, unless of course you regularly frequent Gala Bingo.
Next, let’s consider sniffing and slurping. Compared to the quiet and reserved UK (in this respect at least) these are polar opposites, and a real challenge. In Japan, it’s considered more polite to sniff repeatedly (keeping your germs to yourself in public) than to blow your nose. If you have no choice you’d best do it discretely, or as Max says, a good parp will reduce younger Japanese to helpless giggles, while grandma will tsk tsks from behind. Considering slurping, bowls of noodles are noisily and appreciatively slurped down, both to show how delicious they are, and also to help cool them. This cultural behaviour is a real test of our own cultural conventions and tolerances - noodles are delicious, but being surrounded by slurping is most definitely not.
On a different note, the Japanese don’t really seem to wear shades. Once you realise this, it looks really odd on a sunny day! In a society where fashion and self-expression can be taken to real extremes, it’s weird that sunglasses are markedly absent, save for a scattering of Jackie O style goggles on a few young ladies. They’re there in the shops though, so I’m note sure what’s going on with this one. Maybe bright enough for shades for us is not yet bright enough for the Japanese? Or perhaps there’s something cultural about the politeness in being able to see people’s eyes? Either way, wearing mirrored lenses isn’t exactly uncomfortable, but does emphasise your foreignness, even more…!
Narcolepsy also appears to be ingrained, certainly amongst those who commute. We could have taken any number of photos to illustrate this point, but it seemed just a touch too cheeky. Japanese folk seem to be able to hop onto the subway or a bus, instantly fall asleep, then wake just in time to make their stop. It’s as if they have inbuilt hibernate timers. And if they’re not doing that, they’re doing whatever they do on their flip-top mobiles of preference.
Finally, a continuing source of gentle amusement is watching Japanese folk getting in each other’s way, and the subsequent results. Or more specifically, the complete lack of them. We’ve seen cyclists in cities sweeping in front of oncoming traffic without so much as a glance. We’ve also seen delivery wagons at cross roads facing off against each other. In the UK each instance seems to need to be reduced to the black and white duality of right and wrong. Someone is to blame, and this must be pointed out – often aggressively – and acknowledged. Not so in Japan. The result, in almost all occasions is a deliberately passive set of actions to negate the situation and move on. No angry gestures, no beeping of horns, and certainly no road rage. On one level it appears aloof and rude – someone in the way for example just looks in the opposite direction and continues. On another however, the situation is swiftly and easily diffused, and the parties simply move on.
We were sat in a Starbucks in Kyoto eating yet more New York cheesecake for supper (and why not – we’re on holiday after all….) when we were briefly befriended by a young Japanese English teacher waiting for his overnight bus home. I asked him about this behaviour. He seemed both amused that we had noticed it, yet unable to explain why. It kind of just is, I guess. Culturally embedded to the point of unquestioned acceptance, beyond explanation. So in the absence of a native perspective, I’m going to be bold and suggest it’s about the Japanese need to save face, and maybe even about honour. To admit that you are wrong and to apologise, or to aggressively point this out about someone else’s actions rubs so strongly against this pervasive cultural grain as to be unacceptable. Interesting. We could learn a lot from this behaviour, I think.
So I guess it’s time for a conclusion to round off all this culture watching. I’m not sure we’ve even begun to scratch the surface, and certainly we’ve only observed the predominantly conscious, externalised cultural manifestations made available to us. But a strong feeling I get is that in many ways, the Japanese are more similar to us – at least in terms of our ‘quintessential Englishness’ – than many of our closer European and American neighbours. The people are generally polite, courteous and reserved. They don’t display much physical affection in public. They are proud of their heritage, yet they are fascinated by Americanism and everything it brings, both good and bad. Ask for help and they will bend over backwards to assist you, yet go about your business and they will discretely observe you from a safe and courteous distance. Never is anyone in your face. Never do you feel that you are being hussled as a commodity. And if you are engaged with someone who can’t speak a word of English, they do exactly what we do with foreigners, or gaijin – speak Japanese words very s-l-o-w-l-y, over and over again, because obviously then we will understand. So despite the bewildering and unintelligible Kanji symbols, in many ways Japan makes remarkable cultural sense.
26/7 Claire
For our last night in Kyoto we popped out to a local restaurant for Yakatori and other grilled delights. Yakatori are items grilled on skewers and you buy each in a set of 3. This allows you to try many things and to share in the same way you do in a tapas style restaurant I guess. This place was, again, traditional in it’s style with shoes off at the door and a few low tables with cushions for sitting on. There was also a bar that you could sit at facing the food cooking area, not a high bar though… you still sit at floor level with a gap below for your legs to dangle. We sat at this bar directly in front of the owner/chef guy so we could see what was going on. The place was very, shall we say, “rustic” and was, as we later described, “lifting” but the food was really delicious. We ate chicken and spring onion, pork, peppers, Japanese mushroom wrapped in bacon and finally mini eggs (perhaps quail we couldn’t decide) that were repeatedly dipped in some kind of sauce before being replaced on the griddle yet still managed to get to us with slightly soft yolks. I think the flavour was enhanced by the years worth of burned on food on the griddle and probably wouldn’t have been half as good if there had been daily scrubbing or disinfecting of the cookware. I may revert to this technique on my BBQ as it’s clearly done us no harm.
Sunday, 26 July 2009
26/7 Ian - Claz gets played....
Right. You're gonna love this. When you buy the bags of apple to feed the already papmpered and well-fed monkeys with (see, told you locals always know how to play tourists), the sign specifically says 'don't let the bag get near the monkeys'. Easy, yes?
Apparently not. Watch the one on the left set up a classic diversion with the two midgets on the right. They all want you to think they're up against each other. Not quite. Bottom left is where the action happens, as Claz gets well and truly suckered.
Sorry about the framing towards the end - couldn't stop laughing....!
Apparently not. Watch the one on the left set up a classic diversion with the two midgets on the right. They all want you to think they're up against each other. Not quite. Bottom left is where the action happens, as Claz gets well and truly suckered.
Sorry about the framing towards the end - couldn't stop laughing....!
26/7 Ian - This one's for you, Judy....
Judy, knowing how much you do like to worry, I thought you might like to see your daughter hessing down some rapids at the hands of four Japanese chaps. The signs on the boat said lifejackets were required, but no one seemed that bothered....
This last video shows the snack boat leaving our side. Hilarious. Wherever you are in the world, the locals have always sussed every which way to squeeze yet more money out of their pray, sorry tourists.
This last video shows the snack boat leaving our side. Hilarious. Wherever you are in the world, the locals have always sussed every which way to squeeze yet more money out of their pray, sorry tourists.
26/7 Claire
Needless to say, I didn`t abide by the rules. I had my big lens with me today so managed a few close ups. Ian got some really, really great video which he can put up later.
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