Living in Japan

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I have been living in Japan for 22 months now – I know, funny way to say it, but it works for me I guess.

I live just on the edge of Nara Prefecture, in Kansai, but spend most of my time in Osaka.

I love Osaka. In fact, I love Japan.

People are often interested in what life is like in Japan. There is something strangely alluring about Japan for heaps of Westerners, with it’s Asian-ness, yet safe and materialstic society so close to home for many of us. I thought I would try and comment on a few things that Japanese people take for granted (as do I now), that most people outside of Japan would (I hope) find interesting.

Let’s see.

1. Cultural Homogeneity

Unlike many other developed countries these days, Japan is a culture where “foreigners” are very easily noticed. If in Melbourne, someone who was not “white” walked down the street, and people stopped, stared, pointed, or said “Look at the foreigner” – I can’t even begin to imagine that happening. But in Japan, as a white female, it is expected. A few times kids have randomly shouted out “Look at the American!” and I am always very tempted to say “I’m AUSTRALIAN!!!!” but I generally refrain. A Japanese friend said in the midst of a chat about Indigenous Australians, “I am an Indigenous Japanese”, and I almost told him not to be silly, when I realised, it’s true! Japanese people have always been like the Japanese people we see today!

2. Japanese Tea = Water

Japanese people, from infants to adults, drink tea. Not ‘English Tea’ as we know it, but Japanese Tea. Kids drink it at school, parents drink it at work, at most restaurants you get free tea-refills, as well as water. Often friends laugh at my requests for a drink of water, because they just about always drink tea.

3. Body Comments

It’s OK to say to someone “You look fat today, have you put on weight?” or “Are you eating properly? You look thin.” A Japanese friend of mine explained to me that after saying “Hi, how are you? The weather’s nice today”, then inevitably the next comment could very well be one of the afore mentioned comments.

4. Umbrellas

Everyone uses Umbrellas ALL the time when it rains. And it rains a lot, especially in the rainy season (obviously). But even if it just a little shower, and you are only a few metres out in the open, out comes the Umbrella! I find now that I too, can’t handle getting by without one. Very useful things. And when I try to explain that in Australia we just don’t use Umbrella’s to the same frequency as they do in Japan, my friends ask me “Well what do you do when it rains?”, I can never think of an answer. What do we do when it rains?

5. Onomatopeia

In Japanese, there are so many words that describe sounds, but that are used in everyday speech, a lot! I guess the English equivalent (as few as there are) might be something like “Bang!” or “creak”, but the usage is very different. For example; If I am talking about rain, I would of course use the words “Za, za”, because that is the sound of rain. Or, if I go to the Onsen, and I want to describe the smooth, lovely, bubbling for a Hot Spring water, I would naturally use the words “Tsuru Tsuru”, because that is what the water sounds like. I love these words, and the music and animation they bring to an otherwise normal conversation.

Maybe 5 points will be enough for today. If anyone has questions about life in Japan, just let me know!

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Tags: Japan Australia life lifestyle culture Osaka Nara Melbo