Random Japan #1

I figure that I have enough random information to write a random Japanese blog. The family has heard some of this but not everyone else has!

Let's begin!!

The storm sewer drains are beautifully made (see above). They are all stamped with a relief of a traditional feudal palace or something with some trees and flowers and other things around. Some of them are even painted. It's very Japanese :)

Everything in Japan is "cute." All of the illustrations are cute; all of the girls want to be cute - not pretty, not hot, not sexy, but cute; cartoons clothing, even the way things like food are advertised or safety instructions are displayed are "cute."

The above picture is the warning sign in the elevators at work to watch your fingers so they don't get caught in the door.

The picture below explains the appropriate gargling etiquette - the Japanese have 2 pedals on most of their water fountains: one for plain water and then one for a somewhat minty gargling solution that they use to help disease prevention (how effective it is, I don't know). After using the fountain, there is another spout that faces downward and washes all of the backwash/spit-out-gargle-fluid down the drain to help keep the fountain clean.

They have Danone "Bio" yogurt here - like Activia and they have a grapefruit flavor! Yum :)

The Japanese are suppressed when it comes to sexuality. It's a very private thing. Morally I suppose you can argue that using sex to sell things or in movies and television shows the way we do in America and the west in general is immoral or that the thoughts that it could cause others to have are immoral. As I don't see an anti-sex revolution in the media happening anytime soon and even if you did take sex completely out of the media, it wouldn't stop people from having thoughts or having sex (not that all sex is immoral anyway)…I'm getting away from the point. The point is that a lot of Japanese are "hentai" or pervs. They are very uptight and polite in public (personal life is private to most of the world), and yet in the train you might see a man staring at an ad in the newspaper that is a picture or drawing of a naked girl (haven't seen it yet as I have no reason to read the Japanese paper, but I've been told it is true). Or maybe you'll see someone flipping through a comic book - except it's a graphic or rather pornographic manga comic….and it's completely acceptable in public. So weird. Because of the men being secret hentai, there is a "ladies only" car on most trains and during the rush hours, that goes into effect to protect women from the unwanted advances or butt pinches and inappropriate grazes of men. Now I haven't personally seen any of this (except I know how goofy and vulgar some of those Japanese boys are from working with them) but people who have lived here longer than I say that they sure have seen it!

I've been to a restaurant that serves horse…which, as a Kentuckian, I won't eat on principle. I've also eaten raw chicken - which may or may not be the reason I landed myself in the hospital…something had to make it begin.

The picture below was taken in the park near the ferry that I take to work. Apparently, this hill with steps is the smallest/shortest "mountain" in Japan. I was told the name of the "mountain" but I don't remember it. On the other hand, on a clear day, you can see for miles and miles. All of Osaka is surrounded by mountains in the distance - it's beautiful!

The next 4 pictures are painted tiles in that same park that I just mentioned above near the ferry. They are inlaid on the walls of the Tsunami protection gates (for lack of a better term) right near the water.

This is how I get to work most mornings - I take the ferry across the water. It takes about 5 minutes to ride my bike from the house to the ferry, 2-3 minutes to cross the little channel, and another 3-5 minutes to get to USJ and park my bike somewhere. Such a fun way to get to work!
On other days that are rainy or for some reason it's not practical for me to ride my bike (meaning I get off work later than the last ferry back), I can take the subway - which USJ pays for - and that takes anywhere from 20-40 minutes depending on how you hit the trains.

Below, you can see USJ and Universal City Walk off in the distance. The front of the ferry is in the bottom right of the picture. The tall buildings are all of the hotels that they have there, and you can just make out the roller coaster underneath that bottom rope.

People use cash here for almost EVERYTHING! It's great because it encourages you to not overspend. If you don't have the money for something, you can't buy it (in a lot of places - especially restaurants and little shops). Take note Americans…this is how we should live!

I'm amazed that a nation so in love with sweet things is so skinny (in general) - and not only are there many sugary things, but they also love fried things and mayonnaise…so unless I eat salads, sushi, and cook my own food, it could conceivably be easy to gain weight here as opposed to losing it.

At the movie theaters, you have assigned seats. It's like going to a concert or play or something!

Why can't I find wheat bread?!

Two words that I didn't learn before I came, but use everyday almost more than any other words - onegaishimasu (oh-neh-guy-she-mawss) which among many uses means "please" and otsukare sama desu (oh-tsu-ka-rey sah-mah dess) which people say to each other at the end of their work day basically saying to each other "thank you for your work today." Another work thing that people say when they greet each other is "ohayou gozaimasu" which is literally good morning, but at work it doesn't matter what time of day it is…you say good morning!

As my friend, Charity, put it, the Japanese come out of the womb break-dancing. They love it and so many of them do it! Even doing our show and watching the little kids do the dance that we teach them each show, it seems like dance in general and movement is much more a part of the Japanese culture as a whole than the American culture.


A sticker on a trashcan at USJ said this:

" This expresses our life-vision
LET'S
supreme can"

But what does it mean?!
Also, lots of clothing articles and such have random English words on them that don't make any sense.

Oh and the other day, some Aussies came up to me and asked me if I could tell them where their hotel was! I guess since I had a cell phone and no baggage they assumed I was from here and knew my way around. I am not too familiar with my Osaka directions and mental map yet, but I think I at least pointed then in the right direction!

That's all I have for now! I'm sure I'll have more from being here a whole year :)

Our Tempozan Ferris wheel at night...apparently predicting a cloudy day.