Friday, 2 May 2008
2008 New Years Resolutions (Finally!)
Yeah, I think my New Years Resolution will be 1024 x 768. Budaboom!
Sorry, bad graphic designer joke.
Seriously though I have made several New Years Resolutions but just haven't really been in the mood to write about them. Before I share though, let's reflect on my 2007 resolutions.
Get to a conversational level in Japanese. Failed though I'm getting closer!
Work out at the gym six days a week. NA I quit the gym but am kicking arse with my next resolution, Make Yoga Today a part of my daily regime. Success! Have been doing Yoga Today almost daily and my body is so different than it was when I started. Seriously I can't recommend this program enough!
Work to live. Don't live to work. 50 / 50 Had a better year. Pass-ish.
Get my sites to a point where I can make at least US$300 a month. Failed Have increased my earnings slightly, especially within the last few months but not exactly in the US$300 a month range. ;)
Relax more. SUCCESS! Just in general I feel a lot more relaxed and pleased with myself since this time last year.
Oooo... didn't do that well did I? Well let's see how I do with my New Years Resolutions for 2008!!!
Quite a few resolutions, huh? This is the year of self improvement. I wonder how I'll do?
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Labels: Capoeria in Japan, fitness, japan, Japanese, new year, Shamisen Lessons in Japan, Surfing in Japan, Swing Dance in Japan, Yoga Today
posted by Brad at
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Monday, 21 April 2008
Stitch in Okinawa!
A few weeks ago I went to the Tokyo Big Site (it's HUGE!) to see an international anime convention. Apparently it's really famous and a must see but for some reason I'd never been there before.
It's kind of funny. Most people who know me will describe me as an anime freak but in reality I only read / watch one or two series and this became very apparent when I went with Nikki and we only recognised about 5 of the 100 series on show.
Unfortunately a lot of the shows on display looked beyond clichéd and boring and we actually found the best works on display in the University / College student areas.
There were a few official highlights, one of which (and you may think this strange) for me was the announced Lilo and Stitch Japanese spin off anime series featuring Stitch as he moves from Hawaii (where all the movies and tv episodes have been set so far) to a fictional island in Okinawa!
I'm a big fan of the Lilo and Stitch series and absolutely love everything Okinawan so I personally can't wait for this series to start later this year in October.
To help promote the series to investors and fans, Disney created a huge walk through (cardboard) Okinawan style house (notice the colour of the roof tiles and how the concrete is used to hold it together) which was decorated with pictures of the new characters and those that would be returning.
What I thought was interesting was that they're ditching the Hawaiian girl, Lilo in favour of a new Okinawan girl character and instead of an older sister they're having an old grandmother figure both of which actually look Okinawan in their features.
Stitch's alien friends seem to be following him (names escape me at the moment) as well as his rarely seen in the series but insanely popular in Japan, pink girlfriend.
Stitch was also shown playing an Okinawan guitar (sanshin) instead of his Elvis inspired guitar.
I'm loving it.
So many of the children I teach watch Lilo and Stitch and want to learn the guitar and hula because of it. While this is great, if this new Stitch series inspires interest in the lesser known Okinawan culture within Japan and Internationally I feel a lot more will have been achieved.
Currently noone even knows what Okinawa is let alone it's location or history.
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Labels: Anime and Manga, japan, Okinawa
posted by Brad at
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Sunday, 13 April 2008
Half Arsed English Translations
One of the most frustrating things about being an English speaking person in Japan is encountering half arsed English translations that has been edited or adapted for "English speakers". A lot of the time in Japan instead of having an English translation available of the Japanese content (whether it be a road sign, pamphlet or newspaper) those behind the scenes seem to edit the content and actually change it depending on what they think English speakers would be interested in.
This becomes very apparent in road signs where there'll be a good 20 words in Japanese and only a 1 or 2 word "translation" in English under it.
It becomes obvious when dealing with a lot of Japanese companies who seem to think that all their customers in Japan speak and read Japanese and if they want an English version of their content they must be investors from overseas or general tourists.
Take Sumitomo Mitsui's Official Website for example. It has information on branch locations within Japan, internet banking information, contact information... basic customer service stuff. However if you look at the English Sumitomo Mitsui Page you'll find no support whatsoever for English speaking customers in Japan. While it's great that they list Sumitomo branches all around the world you have to wonder why they don't list branches within Japan where the company is based!
Today I've been after information on branches near where I work on the Denintoshi line and to get that information I had to use Google's translation tools to translate their page (a lot of which wouldn't translate due to their image use) and then call a Japanese customer support number and ask (in Japanese) for an English speaker.
All of this was completely unnecessary and has me wondering how many other non Japanese speaking bankers in Japan have been screwed over this way.
A perfect example of this "I can't be bothered spending an extra 5 minutes to translate the rest of this into English" is Japanese ATMs. The usual ATM here will show you about 20 options on the touch screen ranging from transfers, wiring, deposits, updates, etc. Hit the English translation option and you get 2, maybe three if you're lucky: Deposit & Withdrawl.
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Labels: japan
posted by Brad at
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Monday, 31 March 2008
Starbucks Mug Japan 2008
My collection of Starbucks mugs has been growing quite a bit since I last posted about it. One of the mugs I've gotten this year has been the Japan 2008 Starbucks mug which I grabbed on Boxing Day (the day it came out). As usual it sold out days after it's release.
It has a really nice design on it featuring some Japanese influenced artwork instead of the American pop art that's normally on a Starbucks mug. The year "2008" is also written in Japanese. Nice!
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Labels: japan, Starbucks Mugs Collection
posted by Brad at
10:54 PM
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Sunday, 30 March 2008
Working in Japan
Probably the biggest downside of working in Japan for a Japanese company is that every now and then they make you work longer hours and longer weeks by throwing contract details in your face.
For almost the past 3 weeks now I've been working six day weeks (Monday - Saturday) due to the company now being in "Sales Period". Instead of teaching classes we get to perform "Demo Lessons" all day to try and enrol new students for the next semester.
While I can see why the company does it, almost zero consideration is given to the employees at the company. The Japanese say "Customer is god" but unfortunately that also means "Employees come last".
To make matters worse most people don't get overtime pay or any compensation at all for this extra work. It seems to be "expected".
If you have any interviews for a Japanese job coming up I highly recommend asking direct questions about any extra work that will be involved in your position and what compensation (if any) you will be getting.
Another great question to ask (and one that I really regret not asking) is "How do you define success in this company?". If you want to work your way up in a Japanese company never assume that you will be. Ask how it is done and if it's even a possibility.
Do you have any questions or advice about working in Japan? Comment away!
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Labels: japan, Teaching English in Japan
posted by Brad at
10:44 AM
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Wednesday, 19 March 2008
Did Japan Change YOU?
Something that I've really begun to notice lately is how much Japan changes people, though the change seems to go entirely unnoticed by the people themselves.
One such change is the evolution from "small talker" to "big talker" and visa versa. I've seen several people (friends and acquaintances) who over the first and second years of being in Japan have begun to speak increasingly louder to the point where I wonder if they're suffering from an inner ear infection.
I'm not talking about drunk loud talking, I'm talking about everyday sober conversation that now gets the reaction from myself and those around me "Why are you yelling?".
It's really kind of funny (when it's not off putting) and my theory is that because Japanese people rarely talking on trains, or anywhere else in public and when they do it's in hushed whispers some people unconsciously begin to overcompensate by raising the level of their own voice.
I've however begun to do the opposite! I've begun to realise that I'm now such a quiet speaker that people I speak to can't hear what I say! This became very apparent when I went back to Australia and spoke to "normal" people. I've also been told several times at work to speak louder during meetings and trainings. Haha.
Have you become a "small speaker" or "big talker"?
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Labels: japan
posted by Brad at
8:41 AM
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Saturday, 1 March 2008
How to Get Your Balls Grabbed in Japan
Have you ever wondered how to get a complete stranger to hold, slap or grab your genitalia in private, on a street, in a shopping centre or even on the train? Well you're in luck because I'm about to reveal exactly how to achieve this with no training required and at no cost to you!
Are you ready?
Prepare to have your testicles grabbed by Japanese strangers like never before!
The secret is...
...
...simply walk behind a Japanese man or woman! Anywhere! Any time! You see it seems that once they begin walking a lot of Japanese people seem to lose all muscle control of their arms which begin to swing in all directions at once with no thought as to what they'll hit.
Sometimes I've had my special place slapped several times within the span of 15 minutes! And just to clarify, there was no effort on my part at all. I don't go thrusting my crouch into strangers' hands. The grabbing and slapping is purely an unintentional action on the other's part.
Strange? Yes. Have you had this happen to you in Tokyo or elsewhere in Japan? Certainly I'm not the only person who's been hit in such ways or at least noticed all the flapping arms in this country.
Maybe it's just me.
Maybe it's just passive aggressive Free Hugging?
Anyone know how much a box is?
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Labels: Free Hugs, japan, Japanese Social Issues
posted by Brad at
9:11 PM
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Tuesday, 5 February 2008
Love in Japan
Something occurred to me yesterday while teaching a song who's every second lyric was "I love you!" and assigning homework to "Practice saying 'I love you' to your family, etc". ...English teachers sure can be full of crap sometimes.
Of course I always knew this, especially when I was teaching at Nova (R.I.P.) but the topic of "love" and teaching the word and it's "meaning in Western culture" is a great example of just how much language and culture a lot of teachers in Japan can pull out of their arse at the expense of the students' (adult and child) learning.
A lot of teachers seem to present the word "love" as having a lot more meaning and emotion attached to it than the Japanese equivalent, "Ai". They'll say how "Ai" just means to "really like something" because it's used all the time and "Japanese people don't really tell each other how they feel".
But wait a sec! Are you saying you've never "loved" a movie? Never said "I love that tv show LOST"? Saying the word "love" is only reserved for when we mean it is a load of bull. As is the assumption that "in Western countries" everyone tells everyone how much they love them.
Now I'm not saying I don't love my family. I do. But I can't remember the last time I said so in person. Quite simply, it's embarrassing and I'm as "metro" as they come. Of course it's a lot easier to write here or sign a letter "Love Brad" instead of "From Brad" but it's still not the same.
Now I do remember getting a LOT of adult students who would laugh and tell me that they haven't told their husband/wife that they love them in years and visa versa but these same people seemed to be contemplating an affair or have already had several (some with English teachers) and not ashamed to tell a complete stranger about the fact or just don't see their husband or wife due to their insane working hours.
Japan does have a lower than average divorce rate compared to other countries which is mostly due to lack of legal and financial support for divorcees and a massive cultural and peer related pressure. This means more people trapped in unhappy marriages and of course unwilling to tell their spouses how much they "love" them simply because they don't.
Making a generalisation without taking into account the variables is just ignorant.
On a whole you'll really find the same amount of love in Japan compared to other countries and saying otherwise does nothing more than support an aged stereotype that Japanese people are emotionless which is completely untrue and slightly racist.
If a Japanese person loves you, they'll tell you.
Let's try and put a stop to generalisations.
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Labels: japan, Japanese Social Issues, Teaching English in Japan
posted by Brad at
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Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Australia / Japan Apologies
Something really amazing has been announced this past week that really surprised me. I truly thought that it was something that just wasn't going to happen: Australia will apologise for the Stolen Generation!
This is something I think the majority of Australians had been wanting to happen for a while with a lot of us wondering why it hadn't been done already. One major theory was that if the government admitted fault for the Stolen Generation they would be liable to lawsuits and expectations of funds for compensation.
Now, finally I can have conversations about apologies concerning Japan without feeling like a hypocrite, though to be fair, while Australia just refused to apologise, Japan has a history of simply refusing that events took place and even editing school text books content.
Such massive yet little known incidents include;
Note: Interestingly enough the Kanto Massacre is the reason a lot of Japanese businesses including my current place of occupation include small radios in their earthquake evacuation emergency kits to prevent spreading of rumours and rely on fact reported by the media.
Thoughts?
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Labels: Australia, japan, Japanese Social Issues, Rape of Nanking
posted by Brad at
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Friday, 25 January 2008
Strawberry Japanese Kit Kat
Something that's always surprised me is the popularity of strawberries in Japan... in Winter. They're out of season and I'm pretty sure they're not from Japan (or elsewhere in Asia for that matter).
I asked several Japanese people and was told that they're popular because they're almost always on top of the Japanese Christmas cake (which is normally a sponge cake or vanilla and covered in cream and strawberries). But why are strawberries on the Christmas cakes? Because they're red and white... the same colours as seen on Santa Clause!
That's the theory going around, though this wouldn't be the first time a Japanese person has told me a "fact" about Japan that was incorrect.
Anyway, to celebrate the season of Winter, I present to you the Strawberry Kit Kat and it's "little" offspring! Be afraid, be very afraid.
I actually felt sick after eating these things. It tasted like fake strawberry but there must be something in it that's trying to make it taste as milky as possible because I felt like I was eating solidified whipped cream.
Avoid this one (as if you were going to buy it anyway).
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Labels: japan, Kit Kat Spotlight
posted by Brad at
9:40 AM
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Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Sakura Kit Kat 2008
Those crazy Japanese Kit Kat flavours keep on coming with yet another release of the popular sakura (cherry blossom) flavour that I saw just a few days before New Years and bought a bag load for pressies for peeps back in Australia.
While it tastes the same, the box design is different than last year's sakura Kit Kat. They're also releasing a little bite size pack of Kit Kat balls that taste the same as the regular one but... well, in ball shape.
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Labels: japan, Kit Kat Spotlight
posted by Brad at
9:57 PM
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Snow in Tokyo
It's snowing this morning! First Tokyo snow of this season! (As far as I know!)
I'm kind of scared of the thought of once more dodging umbrella wielding Japanese pedestrians this morning. Lack of spacial awareness is normally bad enough but a few hundred people carrying umbrellas.... I'm surprised my eyes have lasted this long.
On a plus side, I get to watch a lot of women slip and slide all over the place. That's always good for a laugh.
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Labels: japan
posted by Brad at
9:37 AM
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Monday, 14 January 2008
10 Things: Australia and Japan
Well I just had the best last few weeks! Caught a flight from Narita to Sydney a few days after Christmas where Pam and Greg picked me up and rove me all the way to Orange to stay with my sister, Heather who was getting married on New Years Eve!
The wedding went really well and I found myself realising just how much I had not only missed Australia, but Orange as well!
A few days after New Years, Heather and her new husband, Jamie drove me to Wentworth Falls where my grandparents live to be passed over to Pam and Greg once more who drove me to Mosman, Sydney to stay for several days so I could catch up with all my friends from Sydney and also a friend of mine I had met while working in Tokyo, Christie who had just moved to Sydney with her Japanese fiance several months before.
It was a breath of fresh air to be able to actually talk about life in Japan with someone without coming across as an arrogant tosser. For some reason it's fairly hard to talk about living in another country with people back home. The slightest "In Tokyo..." sentence can seem like bragging depending on who you're talking to. While several people were generally interested I did find myself stopping myself from talking about the last four years of my life.
Ironically enough it was also great to talk to Christie and Kosuke (fiance) about how much Sydney and Australia as a whole had changed.
After a few days in Sydney I caught a flight to Melbourne which I had never been to before, to attend the wedding of Chris (who I used to work with but still hang out with in Tokyo) and Takayo.
Melbourne was great (though Sydney's still better!) and the wedding was really nice with both sides of the family being some of the friendliest people I've ever met.
After a few days in Melbourne I got on a flight from Melbourne to Cairns and then another to Narita.
Now that I've been back in Tokyo for a few days, I thought it'd be interesting to list 10 things that surprised me, shocked me or just stood out during my stay in Australia after being in Japan for 2 years and 10 things that surprised me, shocked me or just stood out about Japan after being in Australia again for a few weeks.
Australia
Japan
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posted by Brad at
4:49 PM
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Monday, 24 December 2007
Merry Christmas 2007!
Sorry I'm too busy to post a longer post! Am getting my place ready for the big day tomorrow! Hopefully this strange video makes up for the length of this post.
During my Christmas shopping the other day in Shibuya, Tokyo I came across a hoard of Santas congregating outside Donquiote. Bizzare, but fun.
Have a great Christmas everyone whether in Japan or elsewhere!
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Labels: christmas, home movies, japan
posted by Brad at
11:14 PM
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Friday, 21 December 2007
A Hello Kitty Christmas
A few weeks ago Katie invited me down to to Chiba to a shopping mall near Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea to watch a special Hello Kitty Christmas stage show.
Normally Japanese Christmas shows are weird to say the least, normally hosted by a patronising female bimbo with a voice that could give the Chipmunks a run for their money in the voice department. This show didn't let me down there plus we got two large mascots dancing on stage while singing familiar Christmas songs in nail-on-chalkboard-Japanese.
As the show drew to a close (actually even Katie had had enough) the three crazies on stage decided to do a flag dance to Jingle Bells.... how appropriate. Huh.
Unfortunately I didn't get to take a video of the bizarre Bingo game before the show where the crazy girl screamed out "BINGO...STARTO!!!" before "BINGO...STARTO!!!" drawing "BINGO...STARTO!!!" every "BINGO...STARTO!!!" damn "BINGO...STARTO!!!" number "BINGO...STARTO!!!" for "BINGO...STARTO!!!" half "BINGO...STARTO!!!" an "BINGO...STARTO!!!" hour "BINGO...STARTO!!!". Only in Japan.
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Labels: christmas, home movies, japan
posted by Brad at
11:25 PM
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Thursday, 13 December 2007
Tears For You / Nada SouSou by Hayley Westenra
Next up in my Nada SouSou themed posts is the English version sung by Hayley Westenra called "Tears For You".
As I've said before, I first became aware of this version while shopping in the Shibuya Body Shop and heard it on the shop's sound system. I was so hyped to hear and English version but was in a rush and didn't have time to ask who the singer was. I eventually tracked it down on YouTube while doing a random search.
Apparently the song was released as a bonus track on a cd here in Japan and is not available internationally. If you have a Japanese credit card though, you can buy it on the Japanese iTunes store.
Luckily someone was kind enough to rip the song and play it over a photo of Hayley Westenra.
Here are the English for Nada SouSou / Tears for You:
Turning the pages of old photographs
I whisper thanks to each and every one
Deep in my heart you have come, come to live
Sure as the sun to see me through
Come rain or shine however the day may be
You shelter me with your smile
However far your memories may fade
Traces of you I hope to find
Then you appear and I drown in my own tears
I wish on a star, the first star of the night
You'll find me here every evening of the year
As twilight approaches I look to the sky
Seaching for you with all of my heart
In grief and joy I long for you and your smile
Hoping you feel the way I do
If only you could find me from where you are
I do believe somewhere in time
I do believe I will see you once again
Come rain or shine however the day may be
You shelter me with your smile
But as each memory of you fades away
I'm so alone longing for you
You're on my mind as I drown in my own tears
Missing you so I'm missing you so
You're on my mind as I drown in my own tears
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Labels: japan, Nada SouSou
posted by Brad at
11:32 AM
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Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Kateigaho International Edition
Last week during my lunch break in Yoyogi, I decided to head on over to Kinokuniya to see if the latest edition of Kateigaho had been released. I love this magazine! It's just such good quality!
Without a doubt every other Japanese magazine aimed at the non-Japanese reader focuses on either dating, clubbing and drinking or inane observation such as how Japanese people take off their shoes before entering a house (people do that outside Japan too you know!), Japanese cleanliness (still no soap in the public toilets here!) or how "Tokyo is the best city in the world!".
This is what sets Kateigaho apart. It's not written by old English teachers who are either here trapped by their Japanese wife/husband or job or by guys fresh off the boat looking for a way to score some hot arse. It's written, edited and published by professionals who actually have experience in the journalism field!
The magazine comes out every four months and covers aspects of Japan that you'd thought you'd see here every day once you got here... but don't, such as the religion(s), fashion, culture, sub cultures, art, etc. It actually renews my faith in the country when it's cons get me down and always reminds me why I came here in the first place.
If, like a lot of people, find yourself wondering why you're still here. Grab yourself a copy of Kateigaho. It'll open up a new aspect of Japan to you that you were never aware existed.
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Labels: japan
posted by Brad at
9:47 PM
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Thursday, 29 November 2007
Japanese Service
Have just posted a reply to this post on Kirainet concerning no tipping in Japan (which actually isn't always the case) and ended up going on a bit of the rant that I might as well post here:
I remember working At Starbucks in Sydney and all the American tourists would be giving me AU$20 tips! One man gave me AU$50! I couldn’t really believe it!
Aussies in general though are tipping more and more. That’s why there are tip jars.
Concerning Japan’s service… I don’t know. The things you listed above equally annoy me. The habit of checking every bit of information with you? ANNOYING!
Me: 1 latte please.
Barista: Okay, 1 latte. Is that 1 latte?
Me: Yes, 1 latte.
Barista: 1 latte.
Me: Yes…. 1 latte!!!
It takes forever but they still do it even when there’s a line of 20 people. People always rave about the fast service in Japan but I find it about three times slower than service in Australia.
The polite Japanese also annoys me as even when I make it understood that I don’t understand keigo (polite Japanese) they refuse to speak natural common Japanese! The keigo also takes twice as long to say as regular Japanese and thus also makes the service slower than what I’d like.
Yeah, they treat you like a king… but’s it’s REALLY fake. Wherein Australia if a waiter treats you well it’s because he’s really wants to treat you well. It’s genuine. In Japan only about 30% of the time will you get genuine friendly service.
There are lots of stereotypes in Japan and the "good service" one like most of the others (most polite people in the world, everything's so clean, etc) are completely not true though appear to be so for those people who only visit Japan for a short period of time.
I remember when my Mum and brother came and visited a few years back and my Mum was raving on a daily basis how polite everyone was. I kind of thought so too but after the first 3 months or so I came to realise one big cultural difference:
In Western cultures we're raise to be polite. In Japanese culture they're raised to act polite.
What do you think?
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Labels: japan
posted by Brad at
10:29 PM
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Sunday, 25 November 2007
Smoke Free Cafe in Shibuya
Have just enjoyed a rather nice day in Harajuku and Shibuya and am now just writing a new entry on a smoke free cafe in Shibuya for my other Japan blog, SmokeFreeJapan.com.
It's been ages since I did a review for that blog and I was honestly thinking of giving it up because I wasn't sure how long I'd be in Japan for but since I've decided I've still got some Japan loving to do I think I'll begin reviewing smoke free restaurants, cafes and clubs (anyone know any good ones?) once more.
I've also been getting a few emails from people who really love the idea of a smoke free guide to Tokyo so I guess I better give the fans what they want, right? ;)
Anyway, in Yoyogi Park today, a wonderful friend of mine Koky, was doing another fundraiser for his charity, BabyTreeProjects. Shizuko from work brought her son and several of his friends to help and their sales techniques were amazing, especially considering their age! Here's a video I just had to take!
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Labels: Cambodia, home movies, japan
posted by Brad at
9:39 PM
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Sunday, 18 November 2007
Your Friendly Japanese Taxi Driver
After waking up on the other side of Tokyo near the Imperial Palace yesterday morning and realising that I was WAY too hungover to attempt the 3 transfer train trip home I decided to treat myself to a taxi ride.
Having already thrown up twice I figured it was all out of my system, but within minutes of getting into the taxi I began to feel a bit woozy again and was soon ripping out my comics and Metropolis magazine out of their plastic bag (a little shopping the day before) so I could throw up in something.
I quickly informed the driver in Japanese what I was about to do and apologised and then continued to burp, dry heave and hurl for the next few minutes.
The driver was such a nice guy that he constantly asked me if I was okay and when we had to stop at traffic lights he surprisingly ran out of the taxi to a nearby vending machine to buy me some water. Funnily enough he ended up not having the correct change on him and had to run back to the taxi for his wallet. This is when I told him I was okay as I'd already drank water and it obviously wasn't staying down.
Much to my surprise I realised that I knew the Japanese to get me through this entire conversation! I could tell him where my apartment was, that I was going to be sick, that he was a very nice and thoughtful person and that yes I'd drunk a lot the night before but it was really fun and worth it. ;)
He was such a nice guy and made the ride home all the more pleasant.
P.S. On a side note the trees on the street near the palace looked really beautiful with their golden yellow leaves.
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Labels: japan
posted by Brad at
12:41 PM
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Friday, 26 October 2007
Anti-groping phone tool a big hit in Japan
As you're probably aware, sexual harassment is a massive problem in Japan. Personally I've had my arse grabbed 3 times (by middle aged women!) and the length of my arm licked once (in one traumatic experience by one elderly man).
1,853 were arrested for groping on trains in 2005 though in reality due to Japanese men and women's paranoia of causing a scene and victim mentality the actual number of assaults could very realistically be 10 times (of not more) than that number.
While of course the perpetrators are at fault, a lot of blame should also be placed on Japanese society and it's people who almost encourage people to act this way. In almost any situation a Japanese person won't defend themselves when being harassed and even worse, noone will come to their aid.
A friend of mine unfortunately fell between the train and the platform early last year and as he held on to the platform and asked for people to help him up before the train pulled out (noone was stopping the train) not one person of the 30 or so who were standing within feet of him did a thing to pull him to safety. A woman standing right above him simply pulled out her mobile phone and muttered to herself in Japanese "Oh, what a bad situation! What should I do?"
Luckily he managed to pull himself up onto the platform.
The scary thing is this kind of thing happens a lot and it scares the Hell out of me as I know that if I'm ever attacked or in trouble in this country I'll be most likely be on my own. It really is scary!
But what's even scarier is that Japanese society isn't growing out of this but instead are becoming more removed and isolated from each other.
Because Japanese women don't like to defend themselves when they're being groped the put up with it and when they get off the train they go and complain to the station master at the next station.
Now instead of campaigns to promote self confidence and standing up for yourself and those around you, what do several train companies do? Why create women only train carriages that run certain times of the day so they can feel safe away from those nasty men (all of whom are apparently perverts). Not only does this not solve the problem but it's offensive and really just helps the gropers improve their time management.
This plan is also PR bullshit as it makes the train companies look like they're doing something but in reality they're not.
There are no video cameras on most Japanese trains.
Instead of installing security cameras they just decorate several carriages with pink flowers and kick all the men out of them for about 4 hours every afternoon.
And Japanese women actually think this is helping.
Now as if they couldn't get more retarded instead of just defending themselves Japanese women are now using a phone application that flashes text messages at the person who is groping them.
This must be a joke, right?
Basically, if your being touched by someone, instead of telling them to fuck off you load up your mobile phone application and secretly show the screen to the man (or woman!) which says "Are you groping me?" or "Shall we go to the police?".
That'll teach him a lesson! In all seriousness, if he's not drunk or mentally unstable, he may stop but if he does he will just go and grope someone else! Moving a fox to a different side of the paddock won't stop him from eating sheep. You have to get rid of the fox!
"I first downloaded this as a joke," said Spicy Soft official Michika Izumi. "But I think it could be a lifesaver if I get groped."
Riiiiiight... I can't think of any female or male friend back home in Sydney who has been groped or grabbed on a train. Why? Because most non Japanese women would raise Hell if anyone grabbed them!
If only people would defend themselves and each other.
Me and some friends of mine used to joke that we could get away with murder on the Japanese trains here. Of course we never would but last year a woman was raped on one of the famous bullet trains here in Japan. She was dragged from her seat into the toilet at the rear of the carriage where she was raped. What's just horrifying is the fact that the whole train was full of passengers and not one person tried to save her, call for help or even press the emergency button!!! Not one person! What's sad is that I'm honestly not surprised. Here's a woman's perspective on this same issue.
And now to end on a positive not, though still relevant, here's a hillarious video of another Aussie in Japan showing you how much you can get away with on the trains here. Just look at that mother defend her children and that other woman defend her dignity!
Note: This is NOT me.
Labels: japan, Japanese Social Issues
posted by Brad at
9:56 AM
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Thursday, 25 October 2007
Continuing My Japanese
Since deciding to aim for the Level 2 Japanese Fluency Test, I've kicked my Japanese studying into overdrive and am finally about to finish my Teach Yourself Beginner's Japanese book which has been a godsend. If you're thinking of starting Japanese this book is brilliant. It teaches you the basics but still challenges you at the same time and by the end of the book you can get by in most basic situations using the Japanese you have learnt.
I've already purchased the follow-up book in the series, Teach Yourself Japanese book which has been sitting in my bookcase unused for over a year now and I'll finally be ripping that open the week after next as I finish Beginner's! I can't wait to get started on this one as it covers speculation and making longer, more natural sentences.
I also have the Teach Yourself Beginner's Japanese Script book and used that to teach myself the Katakana and Hiragana (only about thirty letters or so in each alphabet) but since deciding to take the Level 2 test which requires knowledge 2000 kanji I've been looking for a faster and more comprehensive approach and luckily came across this post in a blog that I just subscribed to last week!
The author is starting to study the kanji herself and has recommended James W. Heisig's Remembering the Kanji I which looked so amazing that I ordered my copy last night! The whole book will teach me the meanings and stroke order of about 2000 kanji... and that's it. It doesn't teach the sounds (Onyomi & Kunyomi) at all! Ah, but that's the charm! You see once those 2000 kanji actually mean something to me in English (after I've learnt their meanings) then I use the second book, James W. Heisig's Remembering the Kanji II to teach me the Chinese and Japanese readings and how to really use them.
This process is apparently controversial but said by a lot of people to be incredibly fast and completely possible to do within a year (or maybe less!). I'm very excited about this and can't wait to get started!
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posted by Brad at
9:43 PM
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Sunday, 14 October 2007
The Japanese Language Proficiency Test
Well that's a shock. One of my aims for the rest of this year was to take the annual Japanese Language Proficiency Test which is held every December. I knew the application deadline for the test was a few months before the actual text so I did a Google search to see if I could find out when it was. Imagine my frustration when I found out on the official site that this year the deadline was on the 11th of September! I've missed it! So now if I want to do it again I have to wait until December 2008!!!
Bugger.
On the plus side, this gives me more time to study and perhaps challenge a higher level. This year I was going to take the Level 3 test as I knew there was no way I was up to the Level 2 but now with an extra year and a half to study I might as well start studying for the Level 2. Why not, hey?
If you don't know what the test is, Wikipedia has all the basic info. It's pretty much a test to measure non-native speakers' Japanese language level.
The lowest Level is 4 (pretty basic) and the highest is 1 (higher than a native speaker).
It pretty much covers vocab, grammar, listening, and kanji. In contrast to pass Level 4 you need to know about 100 kanji but to pass Level 1 you need a whopping 2000 or so memorised.
Missing out this year is kind of a load off. Just one less thing to think about in December with my Birthday, Christmas, trip to Australia, Heather's wedding, Chris's wedding and other things I'm kind of looking on the bright side right now.
Those reading this right now that are taking the test this year, good luck!
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posted by Brad at
2:13 PM
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Thursday, 27 September 2007
Strange Busker in Harajuku
Of the things you'll see and the places you'll go when you come to Tokyo, Japan. Have a look at one of the locals I saw a few weeks ago! [Feeders & Email Readers]
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Labels: home movies, japan
posted by Brad at
7:54 PM
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Sunday, 23 September 2007
Fingerprinted at Japanese Immigration
Go watch this: http://nettv.gov-online.go.jp/prg/prg1203.html
RANT TIME: Seriously, what the fuck was that?!? I've known about this for over a year now but not only does that video not explain with any logic why these new measures have been implemented but it insults our intelligence as well!!! How exactly does having our fingerprints reordered protect us more than Japanese people?
I know Japanese tv likes to treat it's viewers like children with ridiculously dated approaches to educating adults but this just takes the cake.
This just reeks of racism. Why? Because it's only non-Japanese who will be fingerprinted. If they were really concerned about national security everyone would be fingerprinted as the only major terrorist attack in Japanese history was conducted by Japanese citizens!
Statistically, Japanese people commit more crimes than non-Japanese yet the right wing propaganda continues to convince Japanese people otherwise.
Demanding non-Japanese to be fingerprinted and photographed upon entry into Japan is a slap in the face and just reflects badly on the country as a whole.
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posted by Brad at
12:50 AM
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Monday, 17 September 2007
Girl's Toilet Expose!
What I do in intermission at a Tokyo opera house (email & feeders)
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Labels: home movies, japan
posted by Brad at
8:54 AM
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Sunday, 9 September 2007
A Good Teaching Experience
Teaching English in Japan it's very common to get completely anal negative "feedback" from your students ranging from "The lessons are too hard" to "The teacher is too friendly". Of course to avoid the utterly embarrassing situation of actually telling you in person, the students go straight to the management or Japanese staff and complain which gets the situation on your permanent record and really achieves nothing more than making you frustrated with the student.
Very rarely, if ever, do the students tell your school that they're happy with your work. This can really get you down.
Imagine my surprise then when during my last 30 minutes of a special holiday "Summer School" 14 day program one of the mothers began to cry out of pride as I was showing her and the other mother and father watching what I had been teaching their three sons during the school period.
At the end of the class both mothers and the one father genuinely thanked me and asked if I would be teaching at the school again. Japanese people are famous for lying when it comes to situations like this. For example, they'll thank you after the lesson but then go and file a complaint about the air conditioner not being at the government approved temp of 28 degrees celcius.
These parents were actually really thanking me though and telling me that all three boys had started using English at home now and have been having so much fun in my classes.
The next day at the office a staff member came up to me and told me that one of the mothers (the one that had been crying actually) had called the office to once more thank me for doing such a wonderful job. Just a few days ago I also got a letter which had been sent to the office from one of the other boys in the class thanking me for being such a good teacher and also a photo of the three boys and me which they had taken on the last day.
A lot of customers seem to forget how appreciated positive feedback is with workers in any industry. When I was at Starbucks in Sydney it really made my day when customers would take 10 seconds out of their schedule to come and tell me in person that the coffee I had just made was the best or that they love coming in to see my smiling face. On a hard day and especially on one where you have to deal with anal retentive customers it makes all the difference in the world and in turn gives customers a better experience as we pass the positive attitude back into our jobs.
So today, take the time to thank your language or music teacher, the guy or girl who made your coffee and sympathise with the peeps stuck behind the reg at the convenience store. It'll make their day and they'll go out of their way to make sure you get the best service possible on your next visit.
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Labels: japan, Teaching English in Japan
posted by Brad at
12:28 PM
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Monday, 13 August 2007
Tokyo People Watching
Man Tokyo people are so interesting aren't they? You never know what they could do next. They could walk forwards, backwards, maybe even turn their head (I'm waiting for the day!).
Sometimes I'm amazed at the vibrant use of the colours white and black. It's like a moving rainbow but in classic black and white. Maybe this has to do with Charlie Chaplin's popularity here.
Walking, walking, walking. This whole post is starting to sound like a first year art student's poetry but I was just going for sarcasm.
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Labels: home movies, japan
posted by Brad at
4:47 PM
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Tuesday, 31 July 2007
Hikawa Jinga Near My House
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Notice the cicadas in the background and the chime at the end which is my town's own little 6pm alarm clock. Every town has a different tune.
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Labels: home movies, japan
posted by Brad at
10:54 PM
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Sunday, 29 July 2007
Australia, Cambodia and Okinawa, oh my!
While the Obon holidays will be pretty boring with me having next to no money (thank YOU city tax and health insurance!) my end of year holidays will be packed!
As of now I'll be staying in Tokyo for another "should be white but won't be" Christmas then off to Australia for my sister's wedding in Orange on New Years Eve, then after New Years up to Cambodia to help Koky with his orphanage/ school project and then working once more in Tokyo until about June 2008 when I will hopefully move down south the the beautiful Okinawa!
That's the plan anyway.
Tokyo's grown on me but I just don't want to spend a 5th year here. It's not a terrible city but well, recently in the news there was a woman who had defected from North Korea and after a few years in Tokyo decided to return to North Korea.
Kind of says it all really.
And now enjoy this great Jpop song: Feed and Email Readers Click Here
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Labels: Australia, Cambodia, christmas, japan, new year, Okinawa
posted by Brad at
7:04 PM
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Thursday, 5 July 2007
Japanese Ricky Martin Kimono Dance
Went on my second boat trip around Tokyo Bay for a friend's bday party and saw this on deck.
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Labels: home movies, japan
posted by Brad at
11:14 PM
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Saturday, 2 June 2007
Three Ways NOT to Watch TV in Japan
After the novelty of crazy Japanese game shows, 10 year old girls being portrayed as sex symbols and mindless shows about tv personalities telling you how "oishi" or "sugoi" everything is, most people come to the realisation that there really is nothing interesting on Japanese tv and that they want to get back into watching the shows they miss from back home.Luckily, being stuck in a country which seems to be in "Hey Hey it's Saturday" mode 24/7 the internet offers several ways to save your sanity.
Hope people find this post useful. Just because you don't watch tv, doesn't mean you have to be bored!
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