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
Fashion
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
Customer – Supplier Relations
It must be five months since I wrote now. I’ve been through a lot of stress at work and have had an early mid-life crisis. I figured it would be better to spread my mid-life crisis out into a few minor crises and get one of them over with now. The stress was caused by… Continue reading Customer – Supplier Relations
School
“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
Reverse Culture Shock
“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
Novelty
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
New Year
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
Working Holidays
Happy New Year to all!! What a fizzer. Still I expected as much… well, maybe not quite so globally. We actually had someone here dragging out a PC they’d saved for the occasion, and running it in DOS mode just to have something to shout ‘it FAILED’ about. I checked out of the hotel this… Continue reading Working Holidays
Food
“A kilogram of beef in one piece? I’m very sorry. I don’t know where you’d find that. Let me check with the other staff.” She exchanged giggles, hidden politely behind hands, with the other staff and returned. “I’m sorry. You might try the shoutengai.” These shopping streets traditionally have a roof spanning between the buildings… Continue reading Food
Language
I could read books meant for a twelve-year-old, but had only minor success with newspapers and textbooks. Mind you, I wasn’t particularly interested any more. I began to realise that the Proficiency Test wasn’t important to me. I had nothing to prove. I knew my Japanese was good. I knew because I did all my… Continue reading Language