Posted on 12月 8, 2008. Filed under: Culture & Society, LIFE IN JAPAN | タグ: Foreigner, japan, Japanese, living, relationships, society, women, yokohama |
I almost included this post in #1 don’t be you or #3 learn that Japanese. But, I’ve found #4 Just keep smiling to be such an integral part of all the accomplishments I’ve achieved here in japan that it deserved its own post. Whether it’s basic communication or finding employment or making friends or just keeping people from giving me a reason to elbow them upside the head. IT WORKS!
Now, if you live here, you’re probably thinking, though Japanese people do tend to smile often, especially the girls, I don’t think they smile all the time. And, you’re right. They don’t. But, they can do whatever the hell they want. It’s their country. They can emote til their hearts content. But, sorry, from my experience, foreigners don’t have that luxury. Not here. We (meaning especially un-Asian foreigners for we can be identified readily) scare the HELL out of them! (さらに…)
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Posted on 12月 7, 2008. Filed under: Crime & Punishment | タグ: american, club, debito, Foreigner, japan, justice, Law, murder, tokyo, victim |
This in from Debito: “The killer of Scott Tucker, choked to death by a DJ in a Tokyo bar, gets suspended sentence.
Zurui: Here is some background information on the Bul-lets DJ. — Police confirmed Wednesday that they have charged a man with killing an American man in a nightclub in Azabu on Feb 29. Atsushi Watanabe, 29, was charged with killing Richard Scott Tucker, 47, by choking him and punching him from behind at around 10:40 p.m. The victim was taken to hospital but died about one hour later.
According to police, Watanabe, who works for the Bullets club as a DJ, assaulted the victim after finding him drunk and aggressively shoving other customers. Watanabe was quoted by police as saying, “I tried to stop him shoving customers. I didn’t mean to kill him.”
I made the case some months ago, in a special DEBITO.ORG NEWSLETTER on criminal justice and policing of NJ, that NJ get special (as in negative) treatment by courts and cops. (さらに…)
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Posted on 12月 4, 2008. Filed under: LEARNING & STUDY (Gakumon), THE MILITARY IN JAPAN | タグ: culture, foreign, Foreigner, japan, Japanese, kanji, language, learning, students, study, translate, translation, yokohama |
This should go without saying but I’m gonna say it anyway: #3 Learn that Japanese!
I studied French for 2 years in JHS, 4 years in HS and 2 years in University, and if you asked me right now how to say anything in French except “Would you like to do the nasty with me tonight?” I’d be hardpressed to answer you. Btw, it’s: voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Thanks for the French lesson Patti LaBelle (-;
Demo, Go-nen ni Nihon ni sunde ite mada perapera jyanakute mo kekkou syaberemasuyo. (But, I’ve been living in Japan for five years and even though I’m not fluent yet, I’m pretty good.) Listening is still difficult, my vocabulary is still embarrassingly low and the improper pronunciation of certain sounds persists despite my efforts (? and ? are my nemeses,) but I can get by until i can get there.
And, at the risk of overstating the obvious, it’s very useful, not to mention good manners, to at least try to speak the language of the people in the country where you live. Unfortunately, there are some people in the world who don’t agree.
“Why are you studying English?” I always ask potential students when I first meet them. (さらに…)
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Posted on 12月 3, 2008. Filed under: Food & Drink | タグ: drinking, food, Foreigner, italian, wine, yokohama |
Michael and Tomomi Scott of Tomei’s California Wine Experience
Motomachi, Yokohama – Nestled on a quiet street behind the main stretch of Yokohama’s Motomachi shopping district lies a hidden jewel for wine aficionados. We visited with proprietors Michael and Tomomi Scott of Tomei’s to see what the fuss was all about.
The concept for a coop-style tasting room was born back in 1999 while Michael was still living in California. Four years later he an Tomomi moved to Japan and in May of 2005 they opened their doors and introduced a new tasting format to the general Japanese public. Michael was determined to offer locals a new way to sample and purchase wine that was a departure from the normal considerations of price and bottle design. The wine itself should be the focal point and allowing customers an opportunity to try before they buy became the lynchpin of his strategy.
There are usually more than 30 different individual wines on offer in the tasting room from 14 different wineries. Patrons have the option of ordering by the glass or bottle which gives them the freedom to explore different varieties and allowing them to choose what suits their taste best. Given the warm reception of the local community, “support food” as Michael calls it debuted on their menu soon after opening to both enhance the wine tasting experience and fortify those that wish to stay for more than just a casual tasting. (さらに…)
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Posted on 12月 2, 2008. Filed under: Culture & Society, LIFE IN JAPAN | タグ: education, english, Foreigner, international, japan, Japanese, jobs, language, learn, reading, work, yokohama |
10 Ways Not to go Loco in Yokohama: # 2 – Props and Camouflage: As I’ve mentioned, #1: Don’t be you, is by far the most difficult step. A lot of water has to pass under the bridge before that kind of transformation can occur. So, what do you do in the meantime? My mother used to say, “fake it until you can make it!” In other words, pretend not to be you. This is much simpler.
I used to work for NOVA. Those of you who live here know of it, I’m sure. For those of you who don’t know, it used to be the biggest language school franchise here in Japan, focusing primarily on English instruction since English is in the greatest demand here. I won’t get into my life at NOVA. It’s not essential for this post (maybe I’ll tackle it in later post.) What is relevant is that the uniform for Nova instructors was at minimum slacks, shirt and tie, but they preferred you wear a suit. And so most everyday I left my house dressed very conservatively. This was not my preferred mode of dress.
Before I came to Japan, I used to work at a reputable company in New York and there, too, the expectation was for all account executives to wear suits. And, so, for the money, I did. (さらに…)
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Posted on 12月 1, 2008. Filed under: Culture & Society, LIFE IN JAPAN | タグ: american, Blacks, culture, english, ese, Foreigner, Gaijin, japan, learning, society, tokyo, yokohama |
This from Loco in Yokohama: I know it’s difficult to do anything life altering. I didn’t come here planning to alter my life. It just kind of happened and I fought it every step of the way. Which only made it more intense, and more interesting I’d like to believe…the results of which I am filling my blog with. But, for those of you who are planning to come to japan or have come here already and just want to have fun and not upset the status quo- Japan’s or your own- too much in the process I have compiled a list of ways to make the potential life altering experience of living in Japan less…life altering.
Of course, if you’ve been here 3 years or longer, and assuming you aren’t loco already, you’ve put together your own list of ways to survive life in Japan. It’s the rare foreigner, I believe, that hasn’t had to significantly adjust his thinking, behavior, lifestyle, and so on, in order to adapt to life here. And perhaps like I, you feel the better for it.
The following list I’ve been putting together in my heart and mind for several years. I’ve tested each one and they have proven to have a high success rate. They’re not 100% but they range from the high 70s to the low 90s percentile. Whether or not they’ll work for you, I really can’t say. And any feedback you have on my list is of course welcomed.
The reason I specify Yokohama is because I know Yokohama well. I also know Saitama and Tokyo well, but, though Japanese are indeed Japanese, I do believe that people have different experiences depending on their area or region. I’ve met foreigners who live in Kansai and were utterly surprised when I told them about some of my experiences here. And I’ve met Nihon-jin in the countryside whose reaction to foreigners was significantly more dramatic and intense than the usual. (さらに…)
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Posted on 11月 17, 2008. Filed under: Culture & Society, Government, Politics & Security, THE MILITARY IN JAPAN | タグ: baby, biracial, citizenship, Foreigner, Law |
The Japan Times reports that Liberal Democratic Party member Taro Kono said Thursday he has submitted a proposal to an LDP panel he heads calling for the Nationality Law to be revised to allow offspring of mixed couples, one of whom being Japanese, to have more than one nationality. The panel will scrutinize the proposal, but there is no time limit to formalize it as “this is not something that needs to be done anytime soon,” he said.
Under the current system, Japan, in principle, requires Japanese nationals who also hold citizenship in another country to choose one or the other before they turn 22.
However, there is no punishment for violators, and the Justice Ministry does not search for or even request people who publicly proclaim possession of multiple citizenship to choose one. (さらに…)
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Posted on 11月 1, 2008. Filed under: Culture & Society, Government, Politics & Security, Law, THE MILITARY IN JAPAN | タグ: abduction, advise, Blacks, children, custody, divorce, family, Foreigner, husband, international, japan, Japanese, justice, Law, marriage, rights, tokyo, welfare, wife, women |
Japanese women from collapsed international marriages who bring their children to Japan without their partner’s consent are facing charges of abduction — an issue that has highlighted a convention covering international child abduction.
The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction has been signed by about 80 countries, including in Europe and the United States. Under the convention, it is illegal for one parent to take a child away from his or her country or residence without first settling issues such as custody and visitation rights.
Signatory countries have a responsibility to return children who have unilaterally been taken out of the country by one of their parents. (There are some exceptions, such as when the child refuses to go back.) Japan, however, has not signed the convention, so this rule of returning the child does not apply. This has raised strong dissatisfaction among foreigners who cannot see their children because they have been taken to Japan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice are giving favorable consideration to signing the convention, but the opinions of experts are split.
Kensuke Onuki, a lawyer familiar with the issue, is opposed to Japan signing the convention, based on the viewpoint of Japan protecting its own citizens. (さらに…)
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Posted on 11月 1, 2008. Filed under: BLACK TOKYO NEWS, Food & Drink, Music & entertainment | タグ: american, black, female, Foreigner, japan, networking, roppongi, tokyo, women |
This in from Sista in Tokyo (SIT): For well over two years now, a group of black professionals in Tokyo has been getting together to connect, chill, and catchup on the first Friday of every month. I’ve posted a few times about some of the more interesting discussions from our little shindig, but have not yet posted on the actual group. So today, I figured it was about time I did so.
Tomorrow, our cocktail hour will be held at 57 restaurant in Ropppongi(located behind Tokyo Midtown). Usually, our group includes around 7-12 attendees from various industries here in Tokyo. It’s almost always predominately male, hence my reason for posting this announcement today :).
I am extending a personal invitation to all SIT readers currently living in Tokyo (or visiting) to come out, kick back and enjoy a laugh or two and have a drink! I have included details below. Also, if you’re interested in keeping up with the goings on and other events happening, you are welcome to join our Black Professionals in Tokyo Group located an Ning. You don’t have to currently reside in Tokyo to be a member– and you don’t even have to be black, just like being around black people :). (さらに…)
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Posted on 10月 29, 2008. Filed under: Culture & Society, LIFE IN JAPAN | タグ: Blacks, culture, discrimination, Foreigner, identity, Japanese, language, psychology, shibuya, society, trains, xenophobia, yokohama |
Some of the older heads here at BT have previously shared their various encounters and experiences on “riding the train in Japan” on the BT Forum. Here is an interesting post by Loco in Yokohama:
“Imagination without action is dreaming. But, my imagination is my life and sanity preserver. Without it, I’d drown for sure. For example, take this morning. When I got on the train it wasn’t very crowded, so I was able to find a seat easily. There are about 10 stops between mine and Shibuya, my destination, and at each stop the train gets more and more crowded. And, as each passenger enters through the door nearest me they are presented with the option of sitting beside me and sitting elsewhere. The latter is taken. Even if the other available seat is at the far end of the car, and the choice is a sure bet next to me and a low percentage chance of capturing another seat, you better believe they go against the odds. But, actually, the people with options are not much fun. They don’t stop and think…it’s a no-brainer, and so it’s clear that the only thing that occurred to them was to find a seat elsewhere. It’s when all the other seats are filled that it becomes interesting, and that’s when I really begin my daily game and my imagination gets its daily workout.
I don’t know exactly why Japanese people are afraid of me, but I have some ideas. And that’s how I entertain myself these days, which is a vast improvement over the anger I felt everyday last year. Based on my observations, the limited knowledge I’ve accumulated through teaching and getting to know students over the past three years, various conversations I’ve had over that time, and, admittedly, my utter frustration at not being able to affect change, I can imagine the conversation some people are having with themselves upon seeing me seated beside the coveted seat: (さらに…)
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