Did you do anything romantic with your sweetheart?
Were chocolates or flowers a part of your plans?
Or, If you are single, did you take the time to let a close friend know how much they mean to you? Or treat (もてなす = motenasu) yourself?
However you spent VD (Valentine's Day) I hope it was enjoyable and satisfactory.
By the way, a few of us Americans often joke when we refer to Valentine's Day as "VD" because "VD" is also a way to say 'Venereal Disease'
A Dis-ease of Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love....
"I'm so embarrassed！"
"恥ずかしい!"
"Hazukashii!"
Some tasteless American sense of humor for you.....
Anyway, I asked some of my Japanese English students about love because "love" is usually an unspoken word in Japan. Japanese people in general are too embarrassed to say "I love you", even to their own spouses and children!
"Saying "love" in Japanese can be a bit tricky. Ai (愛 or あい) is the direct translation of "love," but it's generally only for movie titles or as a joke." - from: 'More Making Out in Japanese' by Todd & Erica Geers
"AI" will always love you
In fact any open or outwards displays of affection in Japan are extremely rare. I've never seen Japanese friends or families hug each other, let alone kiss. I have seen a few people holding hands... that's about it. This is quite shocking and bewildering to an American like me. I remember my surprise when, visiting Japan years ago with my wife Mia, she did not hug her parents hello or goodbye, even though we saw them only once a year then. When I asked her about it she said Japanese families don't hug each other, even after a long time spent apart. I have hugged friends and even co-workers in the past even though I would see them again in a day or two!
"Aishiteiryo" literally "I love you" has a very heavy, serious tone to it and is (almost) never said to one's spouse and never to one's children or parents. The only time it may be appropriate is if you are about to die while engulfed in flames together with your dearest.
None of my English students, from college age to retirement age, have ever said "I love you" to their girl/boyfriends, spouses or children! Please re-read that last sentence. It is considered too embarrassing. One or two did admit to saying it to their spouse once many, many years ago before marriage. One father admitted to saying "Daisuki-daiyo" ("I REALLY like you") once to his small child to calm her crying. Some Japanese men seem to think it is not "manly" (otokorashii = 男らしい ) behavior for a man to profess his love in words. It is an unspoken sentiment in Japanese culture. Meant to be inferred rather than expressed.
Instead of saying "I love you", Japanese say suki 好き= "I like (you)", or maybe they will say "Daisuki" 大好き= "I (really) like you a lot".... but that's even rarer than suki. I often hear "Eigo suki" (= I like English), or "Choco suki" (= I like chocolate), or maybe even "Eigo daisuki" (= I really like English), but Japanese people (in general) seem to not feel comfortable expressing love, or other emotions for that matter, outwardly.
"Go easy (at first) on the sweet talk. Japanese boys don't throw around a lot of compliments or terms of endearment, so most girls are not accustomed to such attention. However, in the long run, most will definitely enjoy it." - from: 'More Making Out in Japanese' by Todd & Erica Geers
Maybe we Americans overuse the word "love". We say it so often, so easily and carelessly: "I love horror movies", "I love pizza" etc... and maybe we hug out of a desperate need for connection. Nevertheless (sore demo = それでも), I can't imagine growing up or living without hugs, kisses or hearing the word "love" from all my family and friends, can you?
What image does Japan project to the rest of the world?
How do people in other countries see Japan?
I asked my friends and my wife and myself for some ideas associated with
'The Land of the Rising Sun', and it's people. So, here's some of what came up... in no particular order (bara-bara de, ranking dewa-nai) when we ask:
WHAT DO AMERICANS THINK ABOUT WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT JAPAN???
1. SUSHI / SASHIMI
Sushi
Rice rolled in seaweed usually w/ (pickled) vegetables and/or raw fish
Different types of sushi
Sashimi
Raw Fish
Americans have developed a love for sushi in recent years. Many sushi restaurants have popped up all across the country since about the 1980's. However, sushi restaurants that are actually owned and operated by Japanese people in the U.S. are quite rare. Sushi and "Japanese" restaurants in the U.S.A. are more often run by Korean, Chinese or even Vietnamese immigrants who have the wisdom to cash-in on (make money from) the sushi craze (sushi boom).
Moreover, American sushi is often different when compared with what you find in Japan. Most commonly, American sushi restaurants roll the seaweed (nori) on the inside and have the rice on the outside of the sushi roll! !!! Like this:
This is never seen in Japan. Westerners do this because seaweed is not seen as appetizing so they try to hide it! This also causes the sticky rice to dry-out swiftly! Crazy Americans!
One of the benefits of living in Japan is having easy access to delicious quality sushi at reasonable prices. Sometimes I pick up sushi at the supermarket on my way home after work. In late evening it drops to half price! In Japan a good quality large pizza is usually more expensive than a platter of sushi (which reminds me, I must write a blog about Japanese pizza and it's .....toppings.....).
2. SAKE
Japanese sake (pronounced sah-kay) is rice wine. It comes in almost as many varieties as red wine. Sake, clear sake, sweet - cloudy sake, and many local varieties, served warm or chilled, is the perfect compliment to Japanese cuisine. Drunk daily after a long, hard day's work or on special ritualistic occasions such as New Year's or weddings, sake is the ubiquitous alcoholic drink of Japan.
Gekeikan sake is a personal favorite.
Sake is a form of alcoholic beverage; a rice wine to be precise, NOT a liquor or spirit such as whisky or vodka (for Japanese spirits you will want to try shochu or imo-shochu).
The process of making sake is very interesting and even the by-products can be used in cosmetics like hand and face lotions, hair care products, baths etc...
Casks of Sake are often given as offerings at shrines and temples.
3. SAMURAI and SAMURAI MOVIES
Toshiro Mifune exemplified the samurai spirit to international movie audiences in many films.
The Term samurai originally meant "those who serve in close attendance to nobility". Fierce and noble warriors akin to the European tradition of knighthood but with a style uniquely and deeply Japanese.
Willing to lay down their lives for their master's honor. Not the least case of which is their fame for ritual suicide (seppuku, or "Hara-Kiri" literally "Belly-Cut") when honor or respect required it.
People outside and inside Japan have an image of the samurai warrior that is largely shaped by cinema in general and the films of Akira Kurosawa in particular. Brilliant samurai films such as 'Seven Samurai', 'Yojimbo', and 'Sanjuro' are enduringly popular examples of samurai cinema.
Here is a 5 min. clip from 'Yojimbo'. Mifune plays a strong, quiet 'Ronin', a masterless samurai, who wanders into a village that's been taken over by two rival gangs of bad guys. By wit and moral strength he manages to turn the tables on the baddies and free the village from tyranny. Years later Hollywood remade it as a Western with Clint Eastwood in 'A Fist Full of Dollars'; (just as 'Seven Samurai' was reincarnated as 'The Magnificent Seven').
The samurai spirit is still alive and well in modern day Japan in the ubiquitous....
4. JAPANESE SALARYMAN
Exhausted, over-worked, stressed-out, borderline suicidal, enduring the slings and arrows of a pitiless corporate world based on a militaristic code of responsibility to meet impossible demands in a short period of time within a pecking-order plagued with bullying as much as any Japanese high school student.
I think this brief anime accurately shows the daily struggle of your average Japanese salaryman
(o.k., not really. I just thought it was funny):
Speaking of samurai salaryman, that brings us to...
5. NINJA
Silent but deadly
The kanji character for 'Nin' carries the double meaning of "To walk very softly" & "To bear what is unbearable". These shadowy and mysterious assassins were as deceptive and clever as the samurai were noble and brave. They actually play a very small part in Japan's history, merely an odd footnote; but their fascinating aura and skills with exotic weapons and devices, plus their habit of working deadly magic in the dead of night, have exploded their actual historical relevance beyond all reality and insured them a place in American pop culture. Or, maybe, it was the secret nature of their art and their intention not to leave a mark in the history books! Hhmmmm....
They often lived normal lives to all outward appearances: farmers, pharmacologists, merchants; but they had a secret underground society in which they perfected martial skills, techniques of swift (or slow) death, the use of drugs and poisons, pyrotechnics, occult techniques said to give invisibility and strength. They were assassins for hire. While the samurai were bound by a code of honor (Bushido), the ninja were not above fighting dirty. In fact, they excelled at just that! Also, there were female ninja (kunoichi) while samurai was for men only.
But to really see the feminine side of Japan we must take a look at...
6. GEISHA / MAIKO and Ladies wearing KIMONOS
What can I say about Geisha that has not already been said a million times, whether true or untrue?
I have had the pleasure of observing a public traditional dance and musical performance by Maiko (young apprentice Geisha) in Kyoto a few New Years ago. The elegance, grace, beauty, style and severe professionalism of these women is remarkable. They are rare even in Japan, but to catch a glimpse is to make your heart beat a little faster and take your breath away. Consummate entertainers and hostesses trained for years to the the highest possible degree in various arts and traditions, these beautiful and skilled women are for many Americans the "face of Japan".
However, seeing women wearing kimonos is a normal everyday occurrence here in Japan. Usually older women (or sometimes younger women) on their way to flower arranging or tea ceremony lessons. I always marvel at how they manage to get around and look so good in a kimono. I used to think the obi (sash) had some kind of backpack in back but no, that's just how it's worn, she's not packing a tea set back there! But she may be stashing something in those sleeves!
7. ANIME / MANGA
'My Neighbor Totorro' is one of Hayao Miyazaki's exceptional anime films produced by Ghibli studios.
Typical anime girl
IT IS EVERYWHERE!!!! You can't escape it ! Anime is here to stay! I really have only a mild, occasional interest in certain anime films so I'm not really familiar with it. It's a huge industry here in Japan! Massive manga magazines (and smaller ones too) are overflowing in the bookshops here. Big-eyed, androgynous, colorfully dressed, cute characters with cat ears stare at you from pachinko parlors, train stations, restaurants, the supermarket... EVERYWHERE! In recent years the boom has spread abroad and Pokemon, Dragonball and Deathnote are now household words in the U.S.. The best films are those directed by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. They are artistically stunning, and the stories carry deep, universal, human messages.
8. GODZILLA
One of my favorite things in childhood was watching monster movies. O.k., actually it still is one of my favorite things. My first exposure to Japanese culture was through big monster movies, especially Godzilla. Or, Godzilla vs. King Kong, or Godzilla vs. Mothra, or Godzilla vs. Rodan etc... I was hooked immediately! The monsters were cool, the Japanese actors and the settings seemed exotic to me.
Did you know that the original Godzilla film appeared in 1954? Only 9 years after the end of WWII? The original Godzilla is a cathartic image of radioactive destruction on a massive scale... a giant, moving, radioactive fire-breathing, city-stomping nightmare which inevitably brings us to the hardest associations we Americans have of Japan....
9. WWII
I am at a loss for words on this subject. I will let a few pictures speak for themselves. All I want to say is that this happened within living memory. People are still alive today who lived through these experiences and saw these images as they happened.
Atomic bomb mushroom clouds over Hiroshima (left) and Nagasaki (right)
Surprise Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japanese-American Internment
Japanese American Internment Camp
Japanese-American family being sent to internment camp
Hiroshima
They died saying "Water, Water! I thirst!"
Japanese soldier executing a POW (Prisoner of War)
I'll just say one more thing on this topic:
War is as empty, ugly and cold as a 2 day old corpse.
But let's not dwell on the sad, sad past. Many of my friends have remarked on how well behaved, how civilized, Japanese people are in the midst of mass destruction and devastation. When the Earthquake & Tsunami hit Japan in March 2011, the planet sat stunned watching the images, not only of the incredible devastation, but of how people would stand waiting in line for hours for water or supplies and didn't start running around looting or doing harm or committing crimes as we've seen happen so often in the U.S.A. after major hurricanes. This is because of
10. RESPECT & TRADITION
Yes, Japan has a rather militaristic flavor which I sense has something to do with Bushido, the way of the samurai from ancient times. For example, people are called by their family (last) names, from school age on up to work, and even among old friends. "Military time" is standard here (1600 instead of 4pm). While this culture may be stiff and rigid and with unbending rules that will bend your mind (as compared with America) there is a sense of respect and tradition, and a sense of "we" being bigger than "I". This is a tough pill to swallow for an individualistic American such as myself. This also has a terrible side which is obvious in the stress on conformity and "Harmony" (read: don't complain, and don't voice your truth) resulting in a high ratio of bullying and suicide.
Ideally Americans could get a little more restraint and discipline from the Japanese. And in return, Japanese could learn how to take it easy, to not work quite so hard and slavishly and to spend more quality time with their families (however, this would require an entire overhaul of the massive coiling tentacles of bureaucracy - see a previous blog of mine for that particular subject).
There is a joke in Japan about 7-11. You know, 7-11? That's standard working hours for Japanese. Or how about starting a loving relationship with a real person instead of a virtual relationship with an anime character on their iPhone (but hey, whatever makes you happy).
If only they can get the time off from work to have a relationship.
But this tradition of respect manifests in a very low overall crime rate so they must be doing something right. I mean, I can leave by bag with my stuff in it sitting on a seat in a cafe or on a subway platform bench and go to the bathroom and expect to find it sitting just as I left it when I return. That's respect. That's being civilized.
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark on her red velvet settee.
Halloween is almost upon us and I am reminded of my first love.
When I was a teenager in the 80's I would stay up very, very, very late on Friday or Saturday nights to watch 'Movie Macabre' hosted by Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark.
Mistress = aijin 愛人 {Lover} on'nashujin 女主人 {Female head or owner. Feminine of 'Master'}
'Movie Macabre' (macabre = 死 shi (no) {of death}; kimi ga warui 気味が悪い{gruesome})
was a TV show that showed old, B grade horror movies. B grade as in BAD! So bad! Very cheaply made, bad, old horror movies with monsters in rubber masks and, even worse, very bad acting. These movies were so bad that nobody would ever want to watch them, except.... they were hosted by the one and only Elvira! !
Oh my God Bless the USA! I would even watch old men playing golf if only Elvira hosted the event!
I had a few pictures of her ripped from horror movie magazines posted in my school locker.
She set my hormone - saturated teenage heart beating like nothing else! She would make any guy, young or old, single or engaged, gay or straight stay up late just to listen to her mischievous (いたずらな itazura na) bad jokes, laugh at how bad the movie was, and just to get a look at her beautiful.... uhmm, ... legs!
Elvira! What big... eyes you have!
The show always started with the same introductory "macabre" music and an image of Elvira standing in the doorway, beckoning you to enter...
(beckon = temaneki suru 手招きする).
Sometimes, where I lived, they even showed a double feature with two episodes of 'Movie Macabre' back-to-back! I never got enough sleep on those nights! I tried so very hard to stay up late and watch every minute because I didn't want to miss any of her silly shenanigans (mischief = 茶目 chame - harmless teasing). I would stay up 'til dawn (yoake よあけ) sometimes. Even when I got drowsy and started falling asleep I would pinch (tsuneru つねる) myself to wake up to watch Elvira come on between commercial breaks and at the end of the film to make jokes and play seductively to the camera. I was completely mesmerized (mesmerize = miwaku 魅惑)! I would try to hold out until the end of the show when she always looked right into the camera, waved her long slender fingers and said those two sweet words that meant I could finally turn off the TV and fall completely asleep; those two words that still echo softly in my mind.... "Unpleasant dreams....."
Later in life, around 1998-9 or so, I actually got to meet Cassandra Peterson (a.k.a. Elvira) briefly at 'Terror on Church Street' the haunted attraction where I worked. She was not in costume but was still very pretty and so sweet and kind. I was a little star-struck but managed to say "I'm a really big fan" as I shook her hand. Somewhere in a box I have a photo of my co-workers and I with her. If I find it I'll post it up here.
Actress Cassandra Peterson
Every year during Halloween season Elvira is still very busy. She has become so completely associated with Halloween that she is almost like an icon of the holiday itself. But recently she has accepted the fact that she isn't getting any younger and has done some talent scouting and recruiting for fresh young Elviras to take her place for events and public appearances. Just as Santa Claus shows up everywhere at X-mas time, so does Elvira (or a younger version of her) get around at Halloween time.
But as for me, NOBODY can ever replace the ultimate funny femme fatale.... Elvira.
Below you can watch some clips of Elvira doing what she does best...
In this clip she introduces and concludes the film 'She-Demons' for a vhs video tape release:
Striking a pose... very striking!
In this clip she introduces the cult B movie 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes' on Movie Macabre...
This next clip is more recent...
If you enjoy Elvira you can find many postings of her on Youtube or discover more at her official website:
VII (7) The Chariot = Victory, my 'Soul Card' from the Tarot. This Italian deck includes the key word (meaning) of each card written along the left border in 4 European languages
My collection of 48 Tarot decks.
What is your hobby? Anata-no shumi-wa nan desuka?
What do you like to do? Anata-wa nani o surukoto-ga suki desuka?
What excites you?
What is your passion (jonetsu)?
Do you enjoy sports? Supotsu-wa suki desuka?
Do you like watching movies? Eiga-wo-miru kotoga suki desuka?
Do you love art ? Reading ? Nature hiking?
Are you a collector? Anatawa shushuka desuka?
Do you have a collection? Korekushon-o motte-masuka?
If so, what do you collect?
My brother Chris collects coins. He started collecting them when he was just a boy. He has a very nice coin collection. He taught me a lot about being a collector and taking good care of your collectibles. I used to have a pretty big comic book collection. I started collecting comic books when I was a boy... mostly Batman, House of Mystery, Archie, and anything featuring vampires, werewolves, witches and monsters.
I sold my comic books on ebay a few years ago to help earn money before we moved to Japan. Can you believe I made about $2,000.00 from selling my old comic books?
I have a confession (kokuhaku) to make...
I am such a geek! Cho Otaku-desu!
I have also collected Tarot cards over the years. I started actually collecting Tarot cards when I was in high school, but I bought my first deck of Tarot cards when I was about 12 or 13 years old and in Junior high school.
My first deck of Tarot cards ! The classic 'Rider - Waite - Smith Tarot'.
While I was a high school student I discovered that there were many different types of Tarot decks being published. Some of them were reprints of old European classics with traditional (dento-teki) symbolism (shochoshugi). Some were new and featured contemporary (dojidai) art or unique themes; like: 'The Ukiyoe Tarot' with Japanese art, 'The Native American Tarot' based on American Indian tribal themes and legends, the circular (maru) shaped 'Motherpeace Tarot' with circle shaped cards.... and the list goes on and on.
At first, I was just interested in using the Tarot for Divination (uranai) or "Fortune-telling". Then, I became deeply interested in it's use in meditation and learning about occult philosophy and psychology (shinrigaku). Soon, I discovered that there were many beautiful and original decks with a wide range of art and symbolism. I now have 48 Tarot decks, Oracle cards or divination packs. There are so many now available that can suit any taste.
I have loved art and the occult all my life. Tarot is where these two passions meet and where my obsession (toritsuki, kyohakukan'nen) has grown! I usually buy them for myself but I also have decks that were given to me as gifts. I get some decks just for their artwork. Sometimes I just shuffle through a deck to get inspiration or to find a model for one of my own drawings or paintings. Sometimes I read the Little White Book (LWB) that comes with each pack of Tarot cards to get the meaning (imi) of a card, but I also like to trust my own intuition (chokkan) for a card's interpretation (kaishaku). Tarot is a way of training your intuition.
A new Japanese Tarot deck and book set I recently found. Most of the decks produced in Japan are not so attractive or they contain only the 22 Major Arcana cards (not the complete 78). This set has all 78 cards but every character is kind of artificial anime looking and THEY ARE ALL BLOND! But it's still pretty nice.
Tarot is a very old system of symbols (shocho, kigo) and it has direct connections to other Esoteric (nankai, himitsu) Arts like Astrology (hoshi uranai), Numerology and Cabbala. The deeper you look, the more you see... and learn!
Tarot of the Master. Reprint of an old Italian deck.
VI (6) LOVE card from 'Tarot of the Master'. The key meaning: 'Love' is written in 5 Western languages along the left edge of the green border.
Tarot encouraged me (susumeru shimashta) to read and study when I was in school, as it still does today. Studying the Tarot taught me the meanings of many words like 'Temperance', 'Justice', 'Judgement', and 'Hierophant' (!), as well as about Archetypes (genkei), Consciousness (ishiki), the Unconscious (muishiki), Subconscious (senzai'ishiki), and the deeper meanings of many words and symbols. I would recommend to English students to get a pack of 78 Tarot cards to play with just to pick a card they like and read the suggested meanings in the LWB. Studying the image and symbols of each card and reading it's key words one can greatly increase one's knowledge of English vocabulary. Tarot can also act as a record of European history.
Recommended for starters...
The popular Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot and the Morgan-Greer Tarot. Bright colors and classic images. Easy to read.
Rare decks: I Tarocchi Dell'Alba Dorata has only the 22 Major Arcana The weird H.P.Lovecraft Tarot based on horror-fantasy.
The Druid Craft Tarot & the new Mary-El Tarot. Two new favorites.
This deck contains vivid contemporary artwork with Cabbalistic and elemental symbols. Each of the 5 suits (the Major + 4 Minor Arcana) feature a different ancient world culture. Egyptian, African, Meso-American, Viking and Indian.
Rohrig Tarot Psychology & Mysticism
The Goddess Tarot, a gift from a dear friend.
The Rider Waite Smith, The Grand Etteilla, and Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarots.
How can you deepen and expand your English vocabulary and comprehension?
Why be shy? Give Tarot a try! Hazukashii-garanai !
