ikura desu ka?

My friend had a terrific question: "If you're at a market, point at a bunch of fish eggs, and say 'ikura desu ka', how will the salesperson know what you mean?"

For the Japanese Language-literate, I'm sure that they have aware of this pun/double meaning, as it is very (perhaps even painfully) obvious. For the Jap Lang-illiterate. The pun is off the word ikura, which as a noun refers to the delicious salmon roe commonly found in sushi bars, but as an.. adverb (?) refers to price. Basically saying 'ikura desu ka' can mean "are these fish eggs?" or "how much is this?". They sound pretty much identical.

Okay, perhaps the question wasn't that terrific, but it got me thinking about Japanese. Japanese is a very contextual language - depending on what you're doing, different meanings can be inferred from the same phrase. And since conjugation occurs mostly at the end of a verb and sentence, many things are understood before the sentence is finished. This contributes to the subtleties and indirectness of the language, which I have come to accept and appreciate. Therefore, while English and Chinese are far less subtle, native speakers of these languages are usually perceived as overly straight-forward or even crude when in Japan. This is definitely not news to anybody, since a prominent culture-shock routinely expressed by gaijin living in Japan is the frustration of having seemingly congenial Japanese people say one thing while doing another. On the flip side, "rowdy" behaviour (which in Western countries is tolerable and to a certain extent considered fun) and the straight-forwardness of language used by gaijin contributes to the high levels of prejudice doled out by natives.

Not so much on language, but relevant to my point is this article from Japan Probe detailing the storm of hate felt by some Japanese people for party-goers (many foreigners, but also some Japanese youngsters) throwing an unofficial party in a train-car of the Yamanote Line during Halloween. While holding a party on a public train poses a hindrance and nuisance for people using it as a transport system, I felt the intense reaction it gathered from Japan's digital public was far from proportional to the actual infraction; for foreigners, the torrent of unbridled hate would surely seem unwarranted and excessive. I admit that where I live (and have lived), the local reaction would definitely not be as vocal or ferocious, but it is understandable why it was. Again on the flip side, for some Japanese people this behaviour is extremely unacceptable. The party-goers audacity of "hijacking" a public transport vehicle for a party demonstrated a lack of respect for a country that is trying its best to assimilate them into its society, why shouldn't the Japanese people express their displeasure?

While this is a simplified generalization of a complex topic, under some of this mutual prejudice and dislike lies the differences in which Japanese and gaijin speak, act and react. Sometimes, perhaps straight-forward requests need to be more gentle, while subjugating opinion can be for the greater good, and maybe being a little rowdy might be fun. Everything is contextual isn't it? So, next time there is tension, maybe we can calm each other down by asking the simple question: 'ikura desu ka'?

Nomihodai Onegai!

On a much lighter note today, I went through a couple of my old photos albums, and came upon a set taken in Sapporo (capital of Hokkaido) which brought back some fond memories (again). So bear with me again while I take another trip down memory lane.

As a avid drinker of beer, my friends and I decided to go visit the Sapporo Beer Garden, using the visit as a flimsy excuse to load up on the frothy beverage. We visited the museum, tried the Sampler Set (4 small cups of different beer), then decided to have dinner at the restaurant which served Mongolian Barbeque. It turned out to be a great evening, as we ordered the Nomi/Tabe Hodai course which lets you eat and drink as much as you want for 100 minutes, all for just approximately US$40 (on then's exchange rate). To get our moneys worth, a friend (a gaijin - Mr. Hime) and I concluded we each needed to drink 10 servings of beer to get even with the restaurant (we weren't even thinking about food), and should one of us be unable to reach that amount, we would pay the other Y1,000. (stupid bet by stupid gaijin, yes I know!) Also, to document our progression from poised gentlemen to drunken (but civilized) hooligans, we would take a picture before starting every beer.

This story actually has two points. The first is that my friend and I didn't actually finish 10 beers. When we saw that they served LARGER than PINT-sized glasses of beer, we decided to decrease our quota to 8 glasses. This quota we reached (I actually managed 9, and we ended up eating three plates of grilled lamb as well!), and the pictures we snapped turned out to be a great idea, as they let me recall each glass of beer with vivid detail.

The second, and more interesting point, is that some of my friends who were at the restaurant chose NOT to do it, citing cost as a reason. They sat at a table right next to us and ordered a la carte (and no, we didn't sneak them any meat). The thing that I noticed was that while we were guzzling down meat and beer with reckless abandon, we had a much funner time than they did. While they were eating and drinking slowly, doing their best to savour their measly portions of lamb, and trying to make their buck go further, it was obvious that they envied our intense orgy of food and drink. (Two of them actually confessed midway that they wished they joined us in our hodai decadence) Hime and I ended up paying twice what they did, but the fun we had that night had was exponentially greater.

Since then we have done nomihodai a couple more times, though not to the extent of drinking 10 beers per trip or doing it often (I have a strong affinity towards my liver), but each and every time was memorable as always. I think that drinking or eating without being required to keep track of your expenses is much more relaxing. In normal circumstances, whenever I'm eating out I always calculate what the final bill is going to be, especially when its at an expensive restaurant! Also, in my limited travelling experiences, I've found that nomihodai in Japan is more common to Hokkaido than Honshuu, as most izakayas in Tokyo and the Kansai Area didn't have that option. Finally, while variations of tabe/nomi hodai can be found globally, few of these places overseas ever offer draft beer like Japan!

A Little Angry...

The Anniversary for the remembrance of the Nanjing Massacre is on December 13th. I have to admit that I did not know this fact until I opened the newspaper this morning, and that I do not follow up on this issue often. I am well aware that this topic is often a source of tension for Sino-Japanese relations. I try my best to be impartial and diplomatic when writing or talking about this, since I feel China and Japan are both guilty of heavily politicizing this issue, thus making it harder to resolve and put behind.

Japan's continued resistance at admitting and accepting responsibility for WWII atrocities leaves a bitter taste on many a tongue. Its hard for people now to imagine the conditions people back then had to endure, and therefore regimes such as Nazi Germany, Cambodia's Pol Pot and Militaristic Japan should not be forgotten, as they demonstrate a disgusting side of humanity that should be forever be guarded against.

That said, China's continued anti-Japanese propaganda has stirred up levels of hate in Chinese youth that is both unfounded and worrisome. The tactic of exploiting Chinese Nationalism against Japan as a distraction to domestic deficiencies does not help the development Sino-Japanese relations, and is diplomatically unsound as it merely backs a prideful and "face" conscious Japanese government into a corner.

Therefore, until today, I took a rather neutral stance on this topic: I agree that Japan needs to accept responsibility, issue an apology and compensate more victims. On the other hand, China needs to move on with this part of its history, tone done or abaondon nationalistic rhetoric and forge a productive and congenial alliance with Japan.

That was my stance. At least until I read an article that talked about this. And this.

I cannot explain the anger and outrage that coursed through my body when I read about it, and it took me awhile to calm myself down. First of all, let me specify I do not live in China, so my media is not censored nor propaganda-filled. Today, I read an independent (paper)publication that mentioned the story as a side-note while talking about the anniversary.

A government-recognized production of a documentary that not only refutes the massacre, but glorifies the wartime leaders (and later war-criminals) as Christ-like saviours? Question: Has the German government ever entertained the idea of a documentary that denies the Holocaust? Has America ever produced media denying the devastating effects of their Nuclear Bombs? Of course not, it is simply not kosher, even 60 years after the horrible tragedy, to joke about it, let alone refute it and create a movie discussing this refusal. My disgust lies primarily with the Japanese Government; quite frankly the fact that they haven't condemned such a production is disgusting. Don't get me wrong, I don't think they should shut the production down. I believe in upholding this director's freedom of expression; it is his undeniable right to produce this tasteless piece of garbage. However, while the Japanese Government's non-action is disturbing enough, political support from conservative lawmaker's for the film leaves me angry and flabbergasted.

It almost makes me ashamed that I'm so interested and involved in their country, and makes it difficult to justify my neutral stance to my peers. Granted, China's provocative production "The Rape of Nanking" based on Iris Chang's book regarding the massacre, isn't done in good taste either. But I hope the Japanese people - people who did not have to suffer the indignity of an unprovoked invasion or the humiliation of having woman and children raped then killed, people who did not have to witness the effects of a generation of men indiscriminately massacred, and people who have shared the trauma of having an entire city burned to the ground by an invading army - I hope these people don't blindly accept their government's perspective, and can appreciate the degree of disgust that us Chinese feel right now.

James

I'm preparing to return to Japan for a vacation, and have been reading Lonely Planet: Japan to figure out where I want to go. The book in itself is lacking. To be fair, the book would be useful for someone with little travel savvy, or on a trip with very limited time and money. For us who with more experience in international culture, are familiar with travelling abroad, or have a little more money to spend - the internet is a far more exciting way to save money and research.

But a book I can bring on the train. So while I don't really use the Lonely Planet guidebook for references on what to do in a place, its nice to read about exotic places while monotonously travelling to a mundane job, and its even greater to know that the excitement of anticipation felt from reading about various places will hardly compare with our actual feelings when we get to Japan. My neck is all tingly from my soon-to-be-taken vacation!

It is also nice because reading about places I've been brings back such fond memories; and nearly every fond memory of Japan I have involves their new national drink: biru (Beer). So please be patient while I take a stroll down memory lane...

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I have to admit I haven't been to many Japanese matsuri (festival), partly because it means planning my vacation around a specific time frame (since they only happen annually), and partly because it makes the trip way more expensive (the hike in costs during the matsuri period means it will be extra difficult to find reasonably priced accommodation).

But the few matsuri I have attended were unforgettable. Especially the one which I attended while I was an exchange student in the beautiful town of hakodate. Every mid-August, there is a week-long extravaganza dubbed the ika-matsuri (literally Squid Festival). Pure awesomeness. After sundown, the streets are not only dotted with stalls of greasy Japanese food, mini-kegs of Sapporo beer, pointless souvenirs and carnival games; the main attraction is even more surreal: trucks brandishing commercial logos, shining huge fluorescent lights and blasting the same catchy song over and over while the masses enthusiastically hop along in unison to the ika-odori (a choreographed "squid dance") wearing traditional kimonos and yukatas! While most of the impromptu troupes are companies using the festival and their employees for some fun-filled (definitely not cheap) marketing, towards the end of the procession there are "open sections" for members of the public to dance, and thats exactly where I went to get my freak on! While the dance itself wasn't difficult, it took me a little while to get the dance moves down. But by the end of the parade (since we were nearing the end of the festivities we only danced for about 20 minutes) we were rocking the song and having a huge blast.

This is one of my best memories of Japan, and I often start to get nostalgic when I start thinking of it. Then I also start pondering why Japan matsuri are so fun. My conclusion is this: the free flow of beer. While my personal preference for this social lubricant might cloud my judgement, please hear me out. Festivals typically don't start till evening, while stalls shameless hawking overpriced (but in no way bad) knick-knacks, food and drinks start in the late afternoon, a good 2-3 hours before festivities truly begin. So while tourists and locals peruse through the myriad of stalls, sampling their greasy delicacies and washing it down with beer, they are effectively creating the endearing atmosphere that is prevalent at most festivals.

Anyhow. I don't want this blog to be a tribute to beer (Japanese or otherwise), but please don't be surprised if a few posts are dedicated to the wheaty deliciousness that is biru. I hardly consider myself a connoisseur of Beer, and I don't enjoy just any glass of frosty cold ale. For me, Japanese beer is a steady choice because of its relative dryness and solid flavour, and when drunk in an izakaya, matsuri or after a dip in the steaming onzen is usually accompanied by unbeatable atmosphere.

Delayed Entry

There has been much recent debate on Japan's new immigration system for foreigners, requiring us to provide photographs and fingerprints upon entry. Its principle lies in the belief that this system will aid in catching terrorists who gain entry, and at least provide another layer of defence for denying entry to terrorists. Despite the robust amount of protest and opposition towards this issue, I doubt the Japanese government is going to change anything, unless there is a universal effort to boycott the entire country (both economically and physically - which obviously is not going to happen) or the government decides to postpone its implementation in order to ensure a smoother transition.

Reading many articles and blogs about this issue, including http://reentryjapan.blogspot.com, I want to try and put everything into perspective.

Points of Agreement:

First of all, a sovereign country like Japan has the right to choose its immigration security. If they have the capability and funds to implement it, they are allowed to do whatever they want. They can easily look at America's system (which is exactly the same for foreigners - but not foreign residents) and justify their own by pointing to the successes that America has had in deterring acts of terrorism. Therefore, it would be pointless to talk about principles, because the Japanese government 1) has the freedom to choose its policies and 2) is doing it for the "greater good" of the Japanese people.

Points of Disagreement:

Wow that was short. Now for the bad stuff.

We have heard all the arguments regarding human rights and privacy, emphasis on the increasing discrimination of foreigners in Japan, and potential loss of business and tourism just to name a few. So the real question I must ask is, is this extra security layer worth it?

In a few short days of implementation, it has been conceded systems cannot handle the capacity that Japan's airports and seaports receive. This has led to long waiting times and pissed-off tourists, businessman and residents (I know I certainly would be angry if I had to wait 1.5 hours to get through immigration). Japan is certainly not ingratiating itself with the global public with these travel horror-stories running on international news channels. Furthermore, it is doubtful whether this system actually uses the fingerprint and photo data, rather than just storing it in a database. How is airport security synchronizing its collected intelligence with national security to make sure that the data serves the public? Perhaps making these points transparent will clear up some misunderstanding.

America is having enough trouble dealing with using its similar data. Terrorists arrested at immigration haven't been done so with the help of the finger-print or photographic data, but instead they are arrested due to a minor crime, and then through lucky coincidence found out to be terrorists and indicted. This is little point in denying people privacy and putting the country's economic recovery and reputation on the world's chopping block unless the system you're using is really going to be helpful, or unless there is an imminent threat, right?

America implemented similar security measures amid intense post-9/11 sympathy, which is why little was heard from protest groups even with the system's ineffectiveness and invasion of privacy. Japan does not have that advantage. It has a pacifist constitution, and its worse terrorist attack has been carried out by locals, not foreigners. Every government, including Japan, should remain vigilant in the face of terrorism, but sacrificing so much for the facade of keeping Japan safe is too much too swallow.

Conclusion:

Like I said, Japan has every right to employ whatever measures they feel will keep their country safe, but the opportunity cost of the latest security measures, which were hurriedly planned, poorly executed and in need of dire improvement, is proving to be hardly worth the trouble, judging by the beating they are taking from the world's press.

Indecent Infatuation?

I am simply infatuated with Japan. I visit often and have been there for an exchange program, but every visit, instead of quenching any thirst, merely feeds the frenzy of my infatuation of a culture and society that I feel is both spectacularly progressive yet inherently flawed.

For example, what other country (aside from what China is attempting now) has been able to successfully carry out economic, military and political progression on a scale that Japan had done during the 19th - 21st century. For a very closed off society, they have been displayed a freakishly chameleon-like ability to smoothly adapt and cohere with an everchanging global situation. This, of course, does not discount the fact that they have encountered countless hiccups along the way; but for a country not dictating the rules (unlike the USA), Japan's rapid rise possibly stems from the culture's unique ability to simultaneously (yet logically) reject and accept contradicting values, building a democracy on the base of a traditional and autocratic society.

I guess this blog will deal with everything I love and hate about Japan. Believe me, despite every thing I find fascinating with their culture and society, dislikes are churned out at an equally fast rate. Perhaps that is what is so infatuating about Japan, I can't get enough of its imperfectness.

A little background on me. I am a young graduate of East-Asian descent (not Japanese) and am western educated. I w0uld not say I travel to Japan extensively, but I make it a point to at least visit once or twice a year. I have learnt the Japanese language, but am far from fluent, though I am able to carry out simple conversation and get through daily life. Well, till next time then.