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Archive for the ‘Japanese Culture’ Category
I would have called this event Open House Carnival. It’s basically a time for all the clubs to show off their talents; soooo many clubs. Every building had rooms and rooms of them: from Kanji to flower arranging, kimono to tea ceremony. There were performances in the big halls and small halls, outside and in the forum halls. Good bands and even popular entertainers. I saw a rendition of Phantom of the Opera performed in Japanese in the music building’s underground recital hall (nice place). The hall was perfectly acoustically designed for sound recording (not so for a musical performance, actually horrible). The performance was what is to be expected from second year Japanese university students. A couple of the most interesting things were them using fans during the masquerade sequence and the fact that nobody applauded at the end of the songs. Silence. It was torture for me. Speaking of applauding, I spent most of the time in the main hall watching the performance because I didn’t want to walk around outside; the clubs had booths everywhere barking and selling food for 100 yen (microwaved hash browns with partially melted cheese and ketchup was one of the most interesting ones). But I digress. Their were a few great performances from the mandolin club, a singer, and the band but all of them had the same annoying problem–nobody clapped between songs. I couldn’t believe it. I thought maybe they thought the songs were part of an overture in which you don’t clap between pieces. Why didn’t they clap? What was really funny was when I started to clap suddenly 500 people started clapping. hmmm. All in all a very interesting experience. I’ll be hading back next year to continue my “research ABOVE IMAGE from the Fashion Show
I ask this question to my students along with, “What do you REALLY want?” and, “Do you have a dream?” Most of the time the girls answer the question without telling me their real feelings because it is either embarrassing or they don’t want to upstage their classmates. Maybe they don’t know what passion feels like. Maybe they don’t know how bad it feels when you fail at something you love soooooo much. What is passion? My student writes, “My parents don’t care about me. My father is never home and my mother only cares about if I am studying or going to club activities. When I come home I go to my room . My friends live far away so I can’t see them. I talk to them on my cell phone as much as possible. The only time I can have fun is when I play basketball. I play basketball everyday. This Summer I practiced everyday for 5 hours. My team is not good but we have a lot of fun. We laugh a lot. I forget all my worries when I am with them. This is my third year in high school. I can not play basketball next year. I don’t want to stop. I want to leave my house and run away. I have a friend in Hokkaido. I want to stay with her to play basketball. What should I do?” I edited the article just a little. The point is that she, as well as many Japanese, have passion but don’t realize how strong it is because the seriousness of it is not discussed. Hiding these feelings of passion and love just means that recognizing them is that much more difficult. Are you willing to give up your life for someone? Passion? Love?
—————– Best HIPS? This is a new one. Anyone have an idea why they choose to do hips instead of …ahem…glutious maximus? REPRINTED FROM JAPAN TIMES By HIDESATO SAKAKIBARA We often hear the use of the word “gaijin” when referring to foreigners. But where does this word come from? It is a broken-down, easier way of saying “gaikokujin” or “gaikoku kara no kata.” In the same sense, “Jap” is an easier way of saying “Japanese,” but I wouldn’t appreciate it if someone referred to me as “Jap” even though they may not have meant it in a bad way. Therefore the word “gaijin” should be purged. We must stop using it in the media, correct people when they use it, teach our students in the schools that it is a bad word, and simply divorce ourselves from using it. It is derogatory, and no less worse than using words such as Jap, gook, kraut, Yid, etc. Let us all reject it, and campaign against it the same way that that a Turkish scholar in Japan in the 1980s asked that the word “Turko” be removed from all heterosexual massage parlors (which were ultimately renamed “soaplands”). If you have lived for any amount of time in Japan you will have undoubtedly come across the situation of how you should be addressed: by first or last name. As a teacher you would be addressed as sensei preceded by your first or last name depending usually on how easy it is to remember or pronounce your name. But should a gaijin call a Japanese by their first or last name. I find it always frustrating having to call people by their last name. Maybe it is time to make some changes in Japan. Before the World Wars it was most common for whole towns and cities in Japan to be related by blood or marriage. The name of the family was a sort of badge to be worn when leaving the city that would distinguish you from “them.” I’m editing a paper for one of the professors at my university and came across this sentence: “[In America] I did not get used to always being called by my first name, since we address others by their family names all of the time in Japan. I felt as if I had had my name cut off from my family registration and had lost my identity.” Isn’t it time to “strip” this old identity and begin a new one. It is no longer the days of clans. Belonging to a group and the idea of haji (shame) have died. I think it’s time we go by first names.
I finally decided to make a posting about this after reading paragraphs written by my students about their summer vacation. Many of them belong to a sports team and had to attend camps. Billy’s Bootcamp was mentioned over and over again. My junior high and high school students said the same. Everyday these kids are working out with this big black buff stud and his white daughter (”half” as they would say here). Interesting to say the least. I guess it’s better than doing those typical PE exercises and running…just a hell of a lot harder. Do you think you could do two hours of Billy and a full day of training, then go to school in the evening? That’s what some of my students did this Summer. |
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Do you know what love and passion is?
Kaho Watanabe poses after winning the “best hips” competition sponsored by lingerie maker Triumph International in Tokyo on Tuesday. Watanabe, 18, beat 112 rivals for the title and will represent Japan at Triumph International’s world finals. - 
Unbelievable! This guy is taking Japan. It’s EVERYWHERE. BILLY BILLY. He has caused an exercise revolution in comparison to Jane Fonda’s exercise videos back in the 80’s. Here we see Billy taking over with not only the housewife group but also with sports teams and school clubs.
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