Category: Japan

After the show it was time for some games to demonstrate how good we were as couples. For each game a number was drawn out of a box and the respective couple was brought out on stage to undergo rigorous questioning about each other, or to perform some embarrassing physical act, the peak being actually… Continue reading Night of Sevens

I didn’t want to tell her, or anyone else, what I feared – that I was on the edge of a major breakdown. Many Japanese businessmen die each year from karoushi, a disease, if I can call it that, which translates literally as ‘excessive work death.’ There’s usually no warning – like a horse that’s… Continue reading Overwork

Catching the train back to town on the second afternoon, I noticed a lone schoolgirl fixing her socks. She was probably coming back from bukatsu which ran the entire year, even through the week of public holidays. She was wearing ruusu sokusu, or ‘loose socks,’ which are long white socks with all the elastic plucked… Continue reading Fashion

“It’s the best reward a teacher can have, when one of her students comes back.” Her eyes were teary as she spoke. “And you’ve come such a long way.” “Actually, I’ve only come from Kobe.” I told her about the job and my new life. “So much has changed. Especially here, ” I said, looking… Continue reading School

“G’day mate,” said JP. “Welcome home.” Home. Really? I looked around. This unfamiliar house could have been anywhere. “Hi. It’s good to be back.” The words were a formality. I wasn’t ‘back’ at all. That night they held a barbecue and invited a few friends around. I felt strange to be sitting in conversation a… Continue reading Reverse Culture Shock

It has to do with the fact that gaijin are still a novelty in Japan. It’s normal for kids on the street to start calling out when they see a Caucasian. “gaijin da. haroo. haroo. zisu izu a pen.” It’s a gaijin. Hello. Hello. This is a pen. The last is the first full sentence… Continue reading Novelty

Once inside the temple, we followed the line of people around to cleanse ourselves at a carved stone trough. I watched my host family carefully then copied them, picking up a long handled ladle and filling it from the stream flowing into the trough. After pouring a little over each hand, I took a sip… Continue reading New Year