NagaZasshi

A Reasonable Rhyme: Shining a Little Light on a Japanese Custom

So many times in our daily lives here in Japan we may find our selves wondering, “Now come on, why would you do that? That just doesn’t make any sense…” One such instance as pointed out by Ms. Marika Galadza in her list of “5 Humbling Gaijin Moments” is the fact that you are, generally speaking, expected to pay an equal share for your own welcome/farewell party. For many of us foreign types that seems a little out of place when it is common that your bill will be covered by the rest of the group any time that you are the center of attention (i.e. birthdays). Well, it turns out that it’s not just an over-stinginess on Japan’s part and actually has a genuine basis in Japanese cultural history. This was kindly pointed out to us by a reader of ours, Mr. Shigeto Miyazaaki, an English teacher at Isahaya Commercial High School.

As he explains, “Have you ever heard of “お樽”, which literally means, “O(an honorific article) + Taru (a barrel of sake)? A long time ago, (Read more)

Stop Looking At Me!

Physical insecurities are something that most of us have dealt with at one point or another in our lives (glasses and braces in junior high school, anyone?). However, these insecurities are sometimes exacerbated in Japan due to the fact that we look completely different from everyone around us, not to mention we’re stared at all the time!

I asked some foreigners about thoughts they’ve had regarding their physical appearance since living in Japan. Here are some of the things they had to say:

“It’s ridiculously frustrating to go shopping! Sometimes I’m afraid to try things on, even though I start with the largest size because I don’t want to be disappointed.”

“I feel like Pam Anderson because I have a bust!”

“Big nose. Big ears. No hair. I’ve been told that I look (Read more)