Archive for category Life in Japan
April 25, 2004 – Don’t machine wash a tie
Posted by Barniferous in Life in Japan on April 25, 2014
I learned something very valuable – don`t machine wash ties. It seems like everyone else on the planet already knew this, but I must have missed the memo.
After work I went to a big staff party which was a combination going away / welcome party. I sat in the ordering spot most of the night so it was good Japanese practice. Fun was had by all, and I managed to sprint to the last train just in time. Jem is my new drinking buddy!
April 24, 2004 – Maria’s first day
Posted by Barniferous in Kawasaki Nova, Life in Japan, Teaching English on April 24, 2014
Today was the first day for a new teacher who I will call Maria. Unlike most teachers who are in their early to mid 20’s, Maria was somewhere between mid 30’s to 40’s, but was one of those people who always appears youthful and vibrant. Like most new teachers, she was feeling stressed and overwhelmed on her first day of work, mainly due to NOVA’s minimal teacher training. One of my supervisors asked me to help, since I was only a few months removed from being a stressed out new teacher myself. I worked with Maria to help her get her files ready and plan lessons. This made my day quite a bit busier, but I was happy to help.
After work we went out for a drink at a nearby izakaya. As we talked I learned that Maria considered teaching in Japan to be the next in a series of life adventures. She was one of those rare free souls who spends time travelling from place to place and really living life. After another drink or two, she admitted that at one point in her life she was the travelling mistress for a famous Grammy award winning musician (who will remain nameless here). Usually if someone makes a claim like that after a few drinks you take it with a grain of salt and smile politely. With Maria – I completely took her at her word.
After I went home, I was still pumped up from a busy day at work and the alcohol, so I tried to relax by borrowing a a bootleg DVD copy of Kill Bill from one of the other Hello House residents. The picture quality was crap, the subtitles were hilariously wrong, and the disc was damaged so the last 20 minutes were completely unwatchable. Come on bootleggers – take pride in your work!
(2014 Update) My original post lacked a lot of detail about Maria. I usually tried to avoid writing about my coworkers experience in the office while I was still working with them.
April 21, 2004 – My alarm clock is a screaming man
Posted by Barniferous in Life in Japan on April 21, 2014
Today I woke up to the sounds of a screaming Japanese man directly outside my window. He was very distressed, screaming and crying very loudly. I could also hear another voice speaking softly and trying to calm him down. I have no idea what was going on, but it is one of the stranger ways to start my day.
At work, my classes went well and my new group kids class was fantastic. Maybe I will invite the screaming man back again tomorrow.
April 20, 2004 – 420 and Koala tennis
Posted by Barniferous in Hello House, Life in Japan, Marshall on April 20, 2014
Marshall and one or two of the other Hello House residents managed to get their hands on some weed and celebrated 4/20. This was a terrible idea because:
- Japanese drug laws are incredibly strict. Marijuana possession can get you penalties ranging from up to 5 years in jail to being deported for life.
- Stoned Marshall was not exactly good at being stealthy about being stoned. “Hey guys! It’s 420 in my room! Don’t tell anyone!”
- Apparently the weed was not very good.
The rest of us ended up hanging out in the common room watching 30 Seconds to Fame. Contestants get to show off some sort of talent, usually useless or ridiculous, for up to 30 seconds. If the audience hates it, they can vote the person off stage before the 30 seconds are up. Tonight’s performers included a contortionist, salsa dancers, singers, a human beat box, and an old lady playing songs with coke bottles.
At about 12:30am, 4 of us invented a new game that can best be described as Koala Tennis. Basically we had teams batting around a small koala toy with oven mitts and cutting boards in a common hallway. We had a lot of fun, but the game was not very well received by people trying to sleep.
(2014 Update) The entire 4/20 part of this blog entry was omitted in the original 2004 post.
April 19, 2004 – DU invasion confirmed
Posted by Barniferous in Life in Japan on April 19, 2014
My day off was incredibly lazy. Other than that, the highlight was the DU Manitoba invasion of Japan is now confirmed! Four of my friends from University will be coming to visit in May. Japan beware!
April 18, 2004 – Izu vacation day 2
Posted by Barniferous in Life in Japan, Shizuoka, The Penpal on April 18, 2014
Today was the second day of my two day Izu vacation with The Penpal. The main activity of the day was a pottery school. It was well hidden in a residential area built on the side of a hill. The school taught the traditional Japanese way to make pottery. It was really out of the way, and everything was in Japanese which didn’t make it a very common tourist spot for foreigners. Based on the reaction of the staff, I was likely the first non Japanese person they had ever taught.
The Penpal and I decided we would make simple cups. We paid for 1kg of clay and sat down in a room full of other students to await instructions. The pottery instructor came out and started the explanation. He started slowly and then stopped to wait for The Penpal to translate for me. I told her in English that she should just translate everything at the end to avoid holding up the lesson. She passed along the message and then the instructor went full speed ahead for the next 15 minutes. I could only understand about every 5th or 6th word, so I tried my best to remember what he was doing with the clay.
By the end I had a general idea of what I needed to do, so I decided to have a little fun with the instructor. Until this point I had not said a single word of Japanese to anyone. I put up my hand and said:
Me: Sumimasen (Excuse me)
Instructor: Hai (Yes)
Me: Moo ichido itte kudasai. (Please repeat it one more time)
Instructor: (which part)
Me: Zenbu kudasai. (Everything please)
Thinking I was serious, he looked shocked that he would have to give the entire presentation again. At this point I started laughing and told him that I was just joking. This got a good reaction from the rest of the students, and they all took turns coming over to say hi and to lie about how good my pottery wasn’t. I was especially popular with the middle aged ladies. A little of a foreign language and a smile goes a long way to make friends.
When we left I got a lot of bows and sayonaras from the students and staff. The Penpal was largely ignored by everyone else, which was a little sad. We drove back to Mishima station and said goodbye and I was on my way home.
One the train ride home, a little old man started talking to me in excellent English. He asked me for my business card (I didn’t have one) and said that next time I came to Izu, would I please stay at his hotel and help him practice English. In exchange he would serve me traditional Japanese food. The other people around us on the train all seemed to be interested and or amused by this conversation. I love Izu!
April 17, 2004 – Izu vacation day 1
Posted by Barniferous in Life in Japan, Shizuoka, The Penpal on April 17, 2014
Today I woke up extra early to start a 2 day vacation to Izu with The Penpal. I took the Odakyu line to Odawara, switched to the Tokaido line, and met The Penpal at Mishima station. We got into her tiny car and headed off to the curvy mountainous roads of Izu peninsula. Small cars and mountain roads are not friends.
Our first stop was the Cycle Sports Centre in central Izu, which is a bicycle theme park located in the middle of the mountains. There were a number of attractions and activities, but we came for the 5km bicycle circuit. We picked out bicycles and helmets, and then the nice attendant gave instructions on the brake handles. In Japan, the right brake handle operates the front wheel brake. This important piece of knowledge saved me flying over the handlebars.
The course started out with a really fun curvy downhill section. Unfortunately what followed was a miserable steep uphill section that just about killed us both. After about 3km I realized that I was terribly out of shape. We survived the rest of the course and spent a good amount of time recovering in the resting area inside.
Later we went to Ito, which is a city built on the side of the hills next to the ocean. We actually saw palm trees! There was a beautiful beach with people surfing. I couldn’t believe how different Izu was from the greater Tokyo area. It was like I had entered a different country. We ate dinner at an Italian restaurant near the beach, and then went to our hotel for the evening.
We stayed at a small hotel owned and operated by one of The Penpal’s friends. The main attraction of the hotel was a beautiful private outdoor bath. Guests could reserve the outdoor bath for 30 minute blocks. The Penpal and I enjoyed sitting in neck deep hot water looking at the Izu scenery. It was a fantastic day!
April 15, 2004 – Karaoke U-Drunk
Posted by Barniferous in Drinking, Hello House, Life in Japan on April 15, 2014
Karaoke U-Bou, better known as Karaoke U-Drunk
Tonight I went out to the Thursday version of a going away party for a long time Hello House resident, let’s call him Sean. Since conversational English teachers have different days off, the going away party was offered on both Thursday and Friday to allow more people to celebrate Sean returning to Ireland.
Like most going away parties, we started off at a nearby izakaya. One of Sean’s Japanese friends, Rex (likely not his real name) was pouring drinks Japanese style. This meant that everyone had small glasses and Rex was filling them with beer from 1 litre bottles. As soon as there was any space in a glass, Rex dutifully topped it up. This is a great way to get hammered because you have absolutely no way to know how much beer you are drinking. I realized pretty quickly that if I wanted to survive the night that I would have to take over as the official beer dispenser.
In addition to going through 1 litre bottles of beer at an alarming rate, we also ate some great Japanese bar food including deep fried cheesy rice balls and deep fried pregnant sardines. Yes, every single sardine in the order was full of eggs. The beer helped us all get more comfortable with this concept.
After the izakaya, the party moved on to nearby Karaoke U-Bou, which was affectionately known as “Karaoke U-Drunk”. For those who don’t know, karaoke rooms in Japan have a magical phone on the wall that allow you to order drinks. Most karaoke places offer an all you can drink option, and Karaoke U-Drunk was no exception. The plan was to stay for an hour, but we ended up leaving after 3. The highlight of the night was Rex singing Earth, Wind and Fire.
Leaving parties are awesome!
April 12, 2004 – Drinking in Japan
Posted by Barniferous in Drinking, Life in Japan on April 12, 2014
Yes, yes I do
Today’s long delayed topic is drinking. I wanted to write about this earlier, but found that I needed to do some important field research first. Drinking is a popular leisure activity in Japan, and one that people are fairly open and excited about. The attitudes are completely different from western countries in some ways.
Work is very busy in Japan. Salarymen, as they are known, are regularly expected to work beyond the standard 8 hour day. Some Japanese take a samurai like pride in the fact that they work 12 or 14 hours a day. Leaving the office after 8 hours is simply not the Japanese way. Working insane hours is naturally stressful, and the preferred stress relief is usually heading out for a few drinks.
Where to get your drink on
In Canada you can only buy alcohol in liquor stores, bars, beer vendors or restaurants, but you can’t drink in public. In Japan you can buy and drink alcohol almost everywhere. Alcohol can be purchased at convenience stores, supermarkets, and my personal favourite – from alcohol vending machines. Japan has a huge selection of drinking establishments to suit every taste. The best option for visitors is the izakaya, which is a Japanese style pub. Izakayas serve a variety of different drinks and have a good selection of small orders of pub food. You really haven’t truly experienced a trip to Japan without a visit to an izakaya. Big chains like Wara Wara and Watami are pretty foreigner friendly with bilingual menus and pictures of all the food.
Drinking etiquette
In my limited time in Japan, I have learned the following about drinking etiquette. First, you should never fill your own glass, and you should never let your drinking companion’s glass sit empty if there is something that can be poured into it. Cheers is “kanpai” which means “empty glass”. Telling someone to chug their drink is “ikki ikki”, which should not be confused under any circumstances with “iku iku”.
Being drunk
One of the main differences I have observed with drinking in Japan is the frequency and vigor that it is done. It is not uncommon at all to see drunk businessmen, arms linked, stumbling to the train in the evening. Every evening. In every train station. When it is time for drinking, one or two just aren’t enough. You have to approach it with the same enthusiasm that you take to your 14 hour work day. Over serving and over consumption are concepts that don’t exist. Heading to work with a hangover is common for many people. Missing the last train because of drinking is a rite of passage for new English teachers. Even the karaoke room that you will inevitably end up in after the bar serves drinks. Students frequently boast about how much they love to drink, and how much they drank the night before. It is a badge of honour with almost no shame attached. Beware – outdrinking a foreigner is a point of pride.
The Benefits
Some readers may be thinking that the description above sounds a bit excessive. However, in addition to being fun, drinking serves two very important purposes. The first is stress relief after too much work. Working insane hours without an outlet is a recipe for karoshi (death from overwork). The second is “nominication”, a word formed from “nomi”, the Japanese verb to drink, and “nication” from communication. Strict standards of etiquette prevent employees from speaking their mind to their superiors. Harmony must be maintained at all costs. If you have a great idea that could save the company, you need to bring it through the proper channels and get consensus at all stages. The only place you can truly and openly speak your mind to superiors is while you are drinking. Some of the most important business conversations in the country happen over drinks at the izakaya.
Drunk Driving
Despite the liberal attitudes towards drinking in Japan, drinking and driving is taken very seriously. I thought that Canada’s drunk driving laws were strict. In most places, a blood alcohol level above .05 will get your car impounded, and over .08 will cause you to lose your license for a period of time. In Japan, the penalties start when your blood alcohol level is above zero. That’s right, ANY alcohol in your blood means losing your license for a nice long time. It may make the trains a little unpleasant at times, but keeps the roads safe. (Well, as safe as Japanese roads get…)
Peer review
The information above is based entirely on my personal experience and conversations with students and teachers. I strongly suggest doing your own personal research. If seeing is believing, seeing double must be believing twice as hard, right?
Kanpai!
April 6, 2004 – Too much walking hurts
Posted by Barniferous in Life in Japan on April 6, 2014
Yesterday I took a random 3 hour walk through Kawasaki into Yokohama. It was great. Today my ass really hurts from all the walking! I am seriously sore. Stairs are just evil today. This either means that I should continue to take more long sightseeing walks to get into better shape, or that I should enjoy my new couch and PS2 more often. I haven’t decided which one yet.
Work was easy today, and I am enjoying my 2 free hours at the internet cafe (thanks to filling up my stamp card). There have been a bunch of small earthquakes lately. Earthquakes, however small, suck.
Drinking in Japan 
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