Monday, March 19, 2012

The Spring Equinox

Today is the Spring Equinox.
A painting of a Nature Goddess by me
The Japanese call it 'Shunbun no hi' and it is a National Holiday here in Japan.
Banks, post offices, schools and many other businesses have the day off on this auspicious (saisaki ga ii) day. Some Japanese people visit the graves of loved ones on this day to observe "higan". During higan families remember those who have passed away and visit family graves bringing food and other items to give sustenance to their ancestors. Perhaps this is done because of the liminal nature of the Equinoxes. A feeling of "inbetween-ness", of standing on a threshold (shiki'i) between this world and the next. Special services are held at Buddhist temples and some Shinto shrines.

EQUINOX [Equi = equal, Nox = night] however you pronounce it means the same thing:
The time when day and night are equal. 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light. The day when we stand on the cusp (hajimari) of leaving the dark, cold phase of winter and entering (springing ?) into the season of light and warmth.

While the Autumn Equinox (mid to late September) carries a more somber (inki [na] , usugurai) feeling as it marks the entry to the winter season of darkness and death; the Spring Equinox has a brighter and more promising (yu-bo-) energy  as it is the dawn (yoake) of a new season of [re] birth. It's the birth of Spring!
Or, as we like to say, "Spring has sprung"!

In English the word "spring" has several meanings:

Jap. / Eng.
bane  (metal)
haru  (season)
izumi  (water)
tobiagaru  (jump); spring over ... o tobikoso ....; spring up = sho-jiru

Thus, the phrase "spring has sprung' carries with it an innuendo (iyami, atetsuke) of the season's passionate nature.

In the West, The Spring Equinox is also the time of the Goddess (Megami)  'Ostara' to the Pagans, from where we get the word 'Easter'.
The Goddess Ostara or Eostre is described as a beautiful young maiden (unmarried woman, or girl) as the personification of spring, the new growing season and fertility (hanshokuryoku). She is sometimes shown carrying a basket filled with eggs with a hare or rabbit as her companion. It is from the old European Pagan traditions that we get the customs of coloring eggs and bunny rabbit symbolism for the modern Easter traditions (in fact, just about every holiday is a modified Pagan one with Halloween and Christmas being obvious examples) , even though these have been adopted by Christians for centuries.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Cultural Malaise: 'Dogs and Demons; Tales from the Dark side of Japan'

 My copy of dogs and Demons

Recently, I have been re-reading 'Dogs and Demons; Tales from the Dark Side of Japan' by Alex Kerr.

This book presents (presents = teishutsu-suru; NOT presents = okurimono) a powerful and hard-hitting look at modern Japanese society from many angles. The author (the author = the book's writer) shocks the reader with facts (facts = jijitsu) that most people outside (or even inside) Japan are unaware of (unaware = kizukanai).

Alex Kerr was educated at Yale, Oxford, and Keio universities, has spent many years in Japan, is fluent in the language, and has been involved in many aspects of Japanese art, culture and business. This book is now over 10 years old but it really shows the problems underlying Japan's cultural malaise (malaise = fukai-i, an ill feeling ).
The author felt moved (kando-o saseru) to write this book out of a deep respect and love for Japan and it's people. This book is also available in Japanese as: 'Inu to Oni'.
Mia's copy of 'Inu to Oni', Dogs and Demons

Some of the issues detailed in the book's chapters include:

The Land: The Construction State
Environment: Cedar Plantations and Orange Ooze;  
Demons: The Philosophy of Monuments
Bureaucracy: Power and Privilege;                          
Manga and Massive: The Business of Monuments
Old Cities: Kyoto and Tourism;                              
Information: A Different View of Reality
New Cities: Electric Wires and Roof Boxes;          
 The Bubble: Looking Back
Education: Following the Rules                                
After School: Flowers and Cinema

I highly recommend this book (and Kerr's earlier and gentler book 'Lost Japan') as very important for foreigners interested in the REALITY of modern Japan, and for Japanese who find themselves staring at the world around them and saying: "Nan desu-ka"? = "What ?!".
If you are a foreigner who has never visited Japan but have plans to, you must read at least portions of this book, even if it hurts. Alex Kerr paints a rather bleak picture of Japan. I started reading it before moving to Japan and had to put it aside for a while (out of disgust) before picking it up again. Of course it is easy to criticize almost any country, not least my own U.S.A. but Mr.Kerr makes some very good points in his book that explain things us outsiders find so puzzling and mysterious about Japan. As an English teacher I especially like the chapter on Education: Following the Rules: 

"Lesson One is the importance of moving in unison. ..."
 (a story is related here on walking in unison, group exercises with announcements from loud speakers on the playground and the consternation that arises when a child does something "different").
"Lesson Two is to learn that it is a crime to be different. Dr. Miyamoto reports that when one of his friends put her child in kindergarten, the teacher advised her to bring steamed rice for her child's lunch. "Why?" the mother asked. The teacher answered, "If children bring fried rice or sandwiches, some other child may want to have that, and it is not a good idea for children to feel they want something different. If everyone brings steamed rice, then nobody is going to wish for something they cannot have."
   "The natural corollary of Lesson Two, unfortunately, is xenophobia. The idea that foreigners are aliens and should not be allowed to mix with Japanese is an idea for which schools lay the groundwork very early. "


Dogs and Demons also mentions the issue of racism and discrimination here in Japan.
(racism = jinshusabetsu; discrimination = sabetsu)

"In the days of sakoku, "closed country" (1600-1869), when the shogunate restricted the Dutch and Chinese to the port of Nagasaki, Dutch traders lived on Dejima, a small artificial island in Nagasaki harbor connected by a causeway to the mainland. Only with special permits could the Dutch pass over the causeway... during the day. At night (they) had to return to Dejima, where ...guardsmen locked the gate behind them. Modern-day rules that restrict foreigners to certain discrete corners of Japanese society and keep them out of the mainstream can be traced to Dejima. And the dream of a physical Dejima for foreigners has never faded. ...When I worked for American real-estate developer Trammell Crow, I ran across many national and local development plans that called for getting all the foreigners to move into special apartment buildings designed just for them - often on landfill islands."

I recently read another blog where a comment mentioned the racism and discrimination against foreigners (foreigner = gaikokujin, gaijin) here in Japan, that there are places that are not open to foreigners. I would like to say something in response to this issue …

I’m a U.S. citizen living in Japan about 3 yrs (married to a Japanese national over 6 yrs) and I agree that it is an issue, but not a hopeless one.
Japan pays a lot of lip service (lip service = tatemae, NOT hone or honest opinion or intent) to the “idea” of being “International”, but in reality there is an invisible wall for us “gaijin” (foreigners). As a tall, white, blue-eyed male I don't suffer racism or discrimination as much as say a Korean, Phillipino, Chinese or somebody of African descent might. I am very fortunate and happy to live in Japan with a lovely, intelligent and supportive wife, and to be surrounded by many kind and friendly family members, students and friends. When I do hit a minor cultural obstacle that smells like racism, I deal with it by not giving anybody any power over my self, my emotions, or my spiritual inspiration.
I react by shielding  myself (ironic because the ignorant are shielding themselves... from "the alien"!);
and I don't allow ignorance (ignorance = muchi; mugaku) to affect me personally.

I choose to ignore the ignorant.

    Admittedly, this is NOT easy at times… and I wouldn't be able to do this if I was here in Japan alone.
But I look at it this way: if some certain Japanese people wish to continue to keep us aliens at arm’s length… well, that’s their loss.
("To keep at arm's length" = To keep distance between. To hold something away from oneself).

But Japan is not as completely bleak as Mr.Kerr's book makes it seem. I truly enjoy visiting temples & shrines and the experiences offered there. Perhaps having a Japanese wife and  a Mother-in-law who works as a tour conductor makes it a bit easier for me to go further into shrines or temples than some foreigners. I have a much better knowledge (if not understanding) of the spiritual and religious traditions here (Buddhism,  Shinto, etc.) than almost any native Japanese person (young or old) I have yet spoken with on the subject.
(I truly wish this was an exaggeration but, sadly, it really is so)!
I have a genuine desire to learn more about the spiritual traditions of Japan, but so far no one I have met can offer anything about it beyond common superstition (superstition = meishin). Perhaps this is because of the  language barrier and the natural tendency towards fear (which leads to secrecy).

Japan is a country in need of genuine spiritual healing and awakening. When family and friends from the U.S. ask me what religion the Japanese people have, I've usually responded: “Materialism”.
The real worship is at the shrines of Gucci, Sony, Louis Vuitton and Panasonic, and they do so because they have been told or trained to believe that these things are worthy pursuits. Most Japanese follow rigid rules, restrictions, orders and advertising very well and without question.
However, this is not entirely true. After the earthquake and tsunami last year, there was a sudden surge in attendance and offerings and magickal talismans (emma, omamori), made at shrines all across the country. The outpouring of genuine devotion and rejoicing at certain times, seasons and festivals is spectacular!
There is a very rich native spiritual heritage right here in Japan that I would encourage everybody to investigate if they find it interesting. The Shinto, Buddhist, Mikkyo and Zen traditions are a treasure house just waiting to be explored! As to Japanese who would ban foreigners from intruding into their spirituality I offer the example of the resurgence of Tibetan Buddhism despite Chinese oppression, largely due to the genuine interest, study and  devotion of  Westerners.
Allowing foreigners in to sacred studies and places would help keep these traditions from dying out !

'Dogs and Demons' reveals that the past 20 years have shown the rest of Asia bypassing the once popular “Japan model” because of Japan’s reluctance or inability to change, adapt or “let in” the world. Many of Japan’s best & brightest talents have escaped to other parts of Asia or the rest of the world to escape the rigid structure and  find REAL prosperity and freedom (of body-mind-spirit) elsewhere.

 Only the Japanese themselves can rehabilitate the cultural malaise that stifles them. They have to want to break free of the programming that has been drilled into their heads through their entire para-military educational “training” (not “teaching”). Their dissatisfaction has to overcome their fear of speaking out and being heard and making changes to long held (but not traditional) rigid rules and restrictions.

This next cultural revolution may best be achieved by approaching any shrine here in Japan which houses at it’s sacred, central position a perfectly polished, circular mirror.... and taking a long, deep look into it.

Since the earthquake and tsunami of last year much progress has been made in cleaning up the hard hit areas. Naturally the mirror will be polished once more (by the people, not the bureaucrats). I really hope that Positive Change is in the air….

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

'Strangelove' by Depeche Mode; cute video, lyrics & idioms

My friends and I used to go dancing (and drinking) a lot ...in our younger days.


As we were "coming of age" (reaching adulthood) in the late 1980's and early 1990's we were (of course!) greatly influenced by (influence = eikyo-o) the fantastic music of the time.  
Most of my friends and I were "into" (interested in) the New Wave, Punk and Gothic 'Alternative' music scene and such musicians and 'alternative bands' of that time (many from England and parts of Europe).


So, we dressed in black, wore black eyeliner, dyed our hair different colors, and did a lot of dancing (and drinking) to songs by bands like The Cure, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Bauhaus, The Sisters of Mercy, and.... Depeche Mode (DM) (pronounced "de-pesh"), a band that came out of England. 


Depeche Mode (we used to joke and call them "Depressed Mood") "became "The most popular electronic band the world has ever known" according to Q magazine and "One of the greatest British pop groups of all time" according to the Sunday Telegraph."



Anyway (= dewa), my old friend Mark, with whom I've spent many wonderful hours dancing (.....and drinking) shared this very cute video he found on Facebook.

This impressive video is of a musically talented, Spanish speaking father and his two children performing 'Strangelove' (Strange Love = fushigi no ai) by Depeche Mode, in English ! 


DM is not my favorite band, but since Valentine's Day is "just around the corner" (coming soon), well... watch it; it's adorable!


Below, I will also post the lyrics to the song (and try explaining some idioms in English with Japanese Roma-ji), and finally the original DM video from the 1980's.
Please compare and Enjoy!
The Coolest Dad Ever! Pain! Ha Ha! LOL!

Now, the Lyrics to STRANGELOVE,

There'll be times
When my crimes
Will seem almost unforgivable
I give in to sin 1*
Because you have to make this life liveable
But when you think I've had enough 2*
From your sea of love
I'll take more than another riverfull
And I'll make it all worthwhile 3*
I'll make your heart smile

Strangelove
Strange highs and strange lows
Strangelove
That's how my love goes
Strangelove
Will you give it to me
Will you take the pain
I will give to you
Again and again
And will you return it

There'll be day's
When I'll stray
I may appear to be
Constantly out of reach 4*
I give in to sin
Because I like to practise what I preach 5*
I'm not trying to say
I'll have it all my way
I'm always willing to learn 6*
When you've got something to teach
And I'll make it all worthwhile
I'll make your heart smile

Pain will you return it
I'll say it again - pain
Pain will you return it
I won't say it again

I give in
Again and again
I give in
Will you give it to me
I give in
I'll say it again
I give in

I give in
Again and again
I give in
That's how my love goes
I give in
I'll say it again
I give in

1* "I give in to" = I surrender = kofuku suru 
                    I submit = shitagau        
    ..."sin"  = tsumi, tsumi o okasu

2* "...I've had enough" = "ippai desu", "mo dame"

3* "...make it all worthwhile" 
             worthwhile = kachi ga aru

4* "...constantly out of reach" 
             unapproachable = chikayorigatai

5* "I like to practice what I preach" 
       preach = sekkyo-o suru
    "I like to follow my own advice."
    "Practice what you preach."

6* "willing to learn" = yorokonde manabu suru
                       "        " narau "   "

And finally, the 1987 DM classic
What do the lyrics say to you??
What does it all mean ???

In my opinion, it seems to express the 2 sides of Love... 
the pleasure and the pain. 
The pleasurable & the painful sides to any loving 
relationship... lover, spouse (husband / wife), family, children, parents 
etc...

Whenever we open up our hearts to anybody, 
we also open up ourselves to (possibly) getting hurt. 
To welcome love is to also admit (the potential for) pain and heartache 
....or heart break.

There are highs and lows in every relationship. 
High points when we are happy and all is good and well.
Low points when we feel hurt, sad or frustrated.

This can be easily and beautifully summed up (summarized) 
as somebody once told me : 

"If you want to touch the rose, you must not be afraid of the thorns."

thorns = toge

HEY! Wait a minute!..... is this song about S & M ? ! ;-)


Sunday, January 15, 2012

Reverse Culture Shock

So much cereal, so little time....
So, after 2 years and 8 months of residing (living) in Japan, I finally went back to the U.S. for a 2 week visit.
I had a wonderful time visiting with my family and friends in Florida and wish I could have spent a little more time with everybody. 


Of course, as we often say: "Time flies when you're having fun".


We say this when time appears to pass by very quickly ("flies") while you are enjoying some activity.


The time just flew by during my stay, but I noticed something strange while I was there, I experienced a mild culture shock while in my own native land!
Japan appears much more organized and structured in many ways. Maybe this is out of necessity because Japan is so densely populated. There is a natural respect for personal space. 
America, on the other hand, felt rather wild... The Wild West!


I didn't notice it much at first. Just the very laid-back (easy-going, unhurried) way of Floridians (people who reside in Florida) as are most people and places in the Southern states. 


Service did not seem a real priority, even though Florida's economy is dependent mainly on the travel & hospitality industry
The Japanese commitment to customer service and politeness is really remarkable from this view.


For example, having just landed at Orlando International Airport and while riding the tram from the terminal to the main building (around midnight Dec. 26th, the day after xmas) the tram suddenly jerked to a stop mid-way. 
(I've been at this airport many times and this was the first time this ever happened). There was no emergency button or call box in sight.
Now, among the people on the tram there was a service attendant on board in charge of pushing TWO guests in wheelchairs (!). We sat there and waited for the tram to start moving again for at least 5 minutes before he bothered to use his phone to call and report our problem! Another 5 mins. or so till service crew arrived to make the tram crawl at a snail's pace to the building.


I became a Japanese tourist while in Florida.
Sometimes I stumbled when speaking English. (Slaps cheek, "Use your words Sonny").
I found myself bowing at times out of sheer habit. 
I also took stupid pictures of things I never thought of taking pictures of before... like the cereal aisle in Target! There is such a variety of cereals in the US! I brought 3 boxes back with me. And the stores are big and wide! In the Winter Park Publix there's enough room for 3 American sized shopping carts to pass side-by-side!


So many wines, so little time... and enough space to do the Time Warp!
I felt anxious and uneasy when driving into and around Orlando after years of no driving at all. The population has certainly increased, as has the traffic. 
The growing number of displaced and homeless people was also painfully obvious; due, I'm sure, to the wrecked economy and housing / financial crisis of recent years. Everything about the city of Orlando itself felt familiar yet somehow changed... sometimes for better, often for worse. 


Japanese society, with it's social welfare and clean, convenient transportation systems stands in stark contrast. Of course, Japan is much smaller in size and more densely constructed, whereas the U.S. is vast with many wide open spaces. 


I know for sure now I could never drive a car in Japan. 
The streets are way too narrow and with too many bicycles and scooters zipping around, weaving in and out and through traffic. In Kansai (the region of Japan we live in) drivers also seem very aggressive compared with most American drivers. In the USA, only combative teenage boys seem to drive like the offensive Osakans! 



Also, In the U.S.A., we drive on the right-hand side and have our steering wheels (driver's seat) on the left. It is the opposite in Japan. Luckily, Japan has an amazing public transportation system. However, their infrastructure and city planning can't compare with the U.S. In Osaka you will find pedestrians, bicycles and even scooters on sidewalks... until the sidewalk vanishes and you find yourself walking inches away from traffic. 


After I said goodbye to my friends and my family and was flying back to Kansai, I had a strange feeling and I thought.... "where is home ???"


My mother and brothers and friends are in Florida. 
My wife and our two cats are in Osaka
After I landed and was on the bus to Hotarugaike station where I would meet Mia I listened to one of my favorite bands, The Cure, on my Ipod and started to feel a little better. More comfortable.
I was home again.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Is it safe to eat the sushi?

I have been living in Japan for nearly 2 years and am impressed by so many things.
The beauty of the rural landscape as well as the ugly/tackiness of the urban city-scape.
The traditional architecture of temples and shrines and the glorious antique (ancient!) works of religious artistry housed within them.
The food; often attractive in appearance but surprising in texture and taste (I have joked that if it is cold, slimy, and dredged up from the sea bottom, it's on the menu).
The Japanese language, so complex... obscurity has never been so succinctly stated.
Statements often so indirect and non-commital as to leave one (gaijin or not) rather bewildered.

And, of course, the Japanese people themselves and their unique culture and society.
The politely infuriating tradition of hone and tatemae (not revealing what one really thinks or feels about whatever is under discussion), coupled with indirect language, can lead to confusion and frustration for many gaijin
The passion for artifice and shallow pop culture cohabitating alongside centuries-old traditions, arts and sports of such profound depth and beautiful simplicity is often stunning.
The high-fashion victims I see daily here in Osaka. The strict unbending rules of beurocracy and company procedures and the high expectations of the "salaryman".
Students educated in maximum over-drive from dawn to dusk (or later) with mandatory cram schools, English lessons and various clubs and activities.

All of this.... melange of Japanese info-culture pumped steadily into my senses for the last 2 years (more if you count previous experience)... and then the 9.0 EARTHQUAKE and the devastating TSUNAMI and the CONTINUING AFTERMATH which is ongoing as I write this.

The samurai spirit lives on inside the hearts of most Japanese people; though the youth largely (but by no means completely) appear to be losing contact with this. The indomitible momentum to persevere, despite all odds and unlikelihoods, is formidable.
The situation with the workers at the Fukushima nuclear power plant is a parade example. The willingness to sacrifice for the the greater good is readily accepted without (voiced) questions, or desire for glory, by the candidates, while the rest of the population pauses ever so briefly in their daily grind to tremulously whisper "Gambate" (Keep going, persevere) with nary a tear (but perhaps a sour lump in the throat).

I am so inspired in many ways, not all being pleasant, by the country I am living in and the overwhelming situation being dealt with. There are many fears and a general uneasiness (dare I say 'malaise'?) hanging over Japan now, especially around the Tofuku area hit by the tsunami and the radiation. But things continue as normal here in Osaka as though it were a million, and not merely hundreds, of miles away from the zone.

They are saying there is radiation in the fish in that area. Bad news for the land of sushi which is made with seaweeds and fish. Worst case scenario? Don't ask. Just google 'Chernobyl' and add ocean life to the scene.

Or maybe this is a chance for (d)evolution...?
 Maybe we would look good with green scales and fish tails ? H P Lovecraft style for the 21st century!
The fashion masters of Tokyo would be first on the runway to display fins and tentacles without batting a false eyelash-rimmed eye.

I hope to return to painting soon but am also finding expression in the written word while I explore certain areas of the native culture I find fascinating. I hope to share some of my discoveries & thoughts and revelations here and in other ways in the future.