Kenj If you visit Google today in Japan you’ll see they are honouring Kenji Miyazawa. He was a famous Japanese author. He wrote amazing stories for children and poetry. He was also born and raised in Iwate. The very place I live in Japan. Happy birthday Kenji.
Tag Archive for 'Japan'
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There are many signs that spring has arrived in Japan. At first, the daffodils come out, followed by crocuses and tulips. Green grasses start to slowly cover brown fields. Finally, in a burst of white and pink, cherry blossoms awaken across the country from the end of March until the end of April.
You can see many signs that spring has come in people here as well. First comes the graduation ceremonies followed by the farewell parties(sobetestukai.) Then, new job assignments and High School placements are announced. After this, comes the first day and the welcome parties(kangeikai) and finally, to experience the explosion of cherry blossoms all over the country, there is a mass of flower viewing parties(called Hanami) all over the country. People in Japan take their cues from nature. It’s so timely, you could set your watch by it. This is spring in Japan.
Photo: Cherry Blossoms at Takamatsu pond in Morioka City, Iwate Japan. HDR with three exposures around sunset. Canon 350D 50mm f/1.8 ISO 100.
It’s funny that I forgot to write about this on my blog. Considering how long I’ve had this site, you’d think I’d remember to do something as simple as letting you all know that I’ve asked the love of my life, Akira, to Marry me. Yes, we’re officially engaged.
You see, last year, I went to this really expensive work party at a local ryokan called “Saito.” A ryokan is a traditional Japanese hotel. Saito was famous for it’s multi course meals and using Maesawa Beef , one of the most expensive and delicious meats in Japan. After I came back from the party, I told Akira about the food, and she instantly wanted to go and try it. I promised her that I would take her at some point, but I wasn’t committal about it. That is, until about three weeks ago.
I asked her if she had and free time during the weekend and I made the plans. She got really exciting about going. What she didn’t know is that I was going to pop the question to her. On Saturday night, after we checked in, we went the baths to freshen up. When she came back to the room, that is what I asked her if she would marry me. I became the luckiest guy in the world when she answered, “Yes.” I think that made the Maesawa steaks just a little more delicious.
So there you have it. Marriage plans are forthcoming. Stay tuned for details, and thanks for reading this blog, depsite the lack of update. I promise you that more is on the way.
Akira at Saito
I’ve noticed an interesting trend in the last few years. It appears more and more people are coming to Japan and using an email address that has, “I think I’m lost” or “lost in Japan” embedded inside. for example: ithinkimlost2530, or lostinjapan23. I am puzzled why they are using this expression and how it came about in the first place.
My first suspicion was that it might be related to a popular Internet forum for English teachers in Japan called(amazingly enough), “I think I am lost.” I was thinking people would visit the site, then take on the title in their email as an homage to their favorite forum. However, I’m pretty sure I had seen it used even before the forum had been created. So I’m left to wonder if this might have originated in a book or something. Either way, I find the entire thing rather cliche.
I’m really not a huge fan of the expression, but I can’t say why it irritates me so when I hear it. The people that use this phrase might actually be scared and alone when they first get here, which would be the most rational explanation, but that doesn’t cover the people create the email months before they even leave their country. I like to imagine that the kind of people that are satirized on “Stuff White People like” are exactly those who would enjoy using this expression. It’s trendy and pertains to a way of thinking that I cannot grasp. As if being in Japan is a Zen experience and they are soul searching while they are here, so they declare themselves fragile or ‘lost’ to show the world how truly spiritual they are.
Japan has never really been like that for me. I enjoy the culture, the people and the everyday conveniences, but I’ve never really thought about being here in a ‘spiritual’ sense; as if it were something trendy I’m supposed to do before I return to the “real world.” For me Japan is the real world, and I treat it as such everyday I’m here in the way I interact with the people around me. Sure I’ve been scared, alone and actually lost in Japan, but I’ve never felt the need to declare myself lost.
Perhaps that is why I can say with certainty that I am “not lost” in Japan. It could also be that it’s Monday and Monday’s tend to sour my disposition.
[Update] If you use the “lost in Japan” expression in your email, perhaps you can explain why in the comments. I am truly curious.
Rainbow of Peace, originally uploaded by jasohill.
Hi everyone. I do apologize for the lack of blog updates. I’ve busy here in Japan and I realized that is has become so much like home for me that I don’t blog about it any longer. Well, I do intend to keep you updated on what is going on here a little more than I have been lately. To start off, I wanted to share with you a little milestone that occurred today.
You may remember my photo, “Rainbow of Peace.” I took it during my trip to Nagasaki in 2006. At the time I never thought it would be my most popular photo. I stood over the ground zero point at the memorial area and tried to get as many colors in the photo as I could. Once I got that photo on flickr, it took off and quickly became my most popular photo on flickr.
Well today, over two and a half years after I took it, “Rainbow of Peace” has surpassed the 15000 mark. I never though I would have a photo do that well. It’s certainly not my only successful photo on flickr, but it was the first to make me realize that I can take pictures that make people smile. It was the catalyst that lead to where I am today. On the road to a career as a pro.
I just wanted to thank everyone who helped make this photo the success it is today. I couldn’t get back to all of you, but I appreciate all the kind words you wrote for me and the photo.
If you are going to visit Japan as a tourist, or even consider living here, there are two really important Japanese characters you need to learn. In Japan, unless you collect all your urine and feces for your own personal composting projects, you will need a use a washroom as some point. Many washrooms have flushes that are not your typical flush, but rather a button on the wall. To complicate this further, many washrooms have a seperate button on the voice designed to page an attendant to help you, should you be old and unable to help yourself. Some washrooms have one, some have both.
Here is the important difference between those two buttons. The first is （流）。 It means “to flush.” The other is (呼）。 It means “to call.” God help you, should you accidentally call out the attendant.
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