[13]健康：Health

In Japan, an orientation about health is very high. “Health Boom” absolutely symbolizes it. Many people start to exercise like yoga in those years and Billy’s Bootcamp became prevalent more recently. Additionally, the interest in food is growing. For instance, people who habitually drink vegetable juice and eat yogurt increases remarkably. Also, there is a variety of dietary supplement; much nourishment is obtainable from them.

By the way, who sparked this boom? It is a media, I believe. Nowadays, you can watch “the health program” on TV, but if you do all things introduced by such programs, can you get healthier? This boom is so crazy! Actually, I think those who care much about the health tend to become sick rather than people who don’t care about it. They think “we should grow strong in health” as if they are hypnotized by someone and mentally become anxious and finally it might cause the weakening immunity. Worry is often the cause of illness…Now, many Japanese people suffer from a disease called “health”.

[12]朝食：Breakfast

What kind of food do you think of Japanese breakfast first? Traditionally, it consists of rice and “miso” soup with several side dishes. Side dishes are generally rolled egg, grilled fish, and pickles, etc. The menu varies from home to home. However, the breakfast style is changing from the past these days.

Nowadays, a number of Japanese eat often bread for breakfast and, I actually eat bread and serial and drink coffee every morning. Why does the change of culture food like this happen? Firstly, I think the main factor is that “we have no time”. Japanese are always in a hurry and 1 minute in the morning is worth 10 minutes in the evening for busy Japanese. In addition, I think recent Japanese tend not to cherish time to eat. For these reasons, the meal which requires long time is gradually decreasing and we prefer bread to “和食”(Japanese Food), I believe. I wonder how the diversity of Japan will last?

[11]漢字：Kanji

I know it is hard for learners of Japanese to learn Kanji.
However, Kanji is also difficult for even Japanese, particularly in the case of place-name!

For example, “東仲間町” in the above bus stop sign is capable of reading some different patterns, HIGASHI NAKAMA CHO, HIGASHI NAKAMA MACHI, HIGASHI CHUKAN MACHI, TOH CHUKAN CHO, etc., but HIGASHI CHUGEN MACHI is correct reading.

As you know, one Kanji has one or more different “readings” and children in Japan study them at school. Nevertheless, there are many place-names of Kanji which have special readings and Japanese can’t read without “hiragana” because Kanji readings of place-names sometimes turn to be unique. This kind of thing won’t happen except Japan (probably Chinese, too), for other countries basically have only one kind of character like alphabet unlike Japan. By the way, these bus stop sign also include alphabet. This town is not urban like Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya, but the wave of globalization is gradually spreading without a doubt.

Kanji Tatoos

This posting is a response to this comment in the previous posting...

Here are some funny Kanji Tattoos.
I don’t know why they got such a tattoo…

馬鹿外人　=　"I’m a stupid foreigner".　Why does he damn himself? Was he bilked?
子　=　"child"
私　=　"It's me"
寿　=　"something happy or happy event". But this tattoo is a mirror-writing...

[10]BlogEssay Two

I comment about this posting of "Willy's Visual Blog".

As this posting says, English itself, pronunciation, alpha character and rhythm, etc., is fascinating to a lot of Japanese people. I’m also one of them. Certainly, there are many funny or wrong English text, but it also applies to Kanji, which people except for native Japanese use.　For example, I have seen “便所” tattoo on a forearm in a station.(便所 means a rest room in English) Here are many strange tattoo.

First of all, non-native Japanese seem to feel the style of Kanji artistic. That’s why they like Kanji, I think. However, you shouldn’t forget that it has meanings as a word before getting it…Still, it is partly understandable that they mistake because there are few countries which stipulate Japanese as compulsory education unlike English education in Japan.

On the other hand, as many people think, even I wonder why many Japanese, who must study English for at least 6 years, make a mistake. During the period, we have actually studied the grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, but mainly translated into Japanese in a text book. I don’t think the translation was wasteful, yet we didn’t learn much “Living English” to use in actual life. That is gradually changing recently, but the generation who didn’t practice enough active English, conversation and writing, seem to use word-for-word English without question. So, funny English scatters in Japan.

[9]橋：Bridge

According to this article on Japan Times, 47% of bridges in Japan need to replace in 2026. This bridge of above picture also has to replace in a few years because it gets older, but this railway company and Wakayama prefecture can’t budget for the replace. So, Wakayamashi station which links to this bridge may be eliminated in near future.

If that is the case, the area around the station is to start to stagnate…Why does the government nothing? Nowadays, Japan sees the gap issue in each region as a problem. However, as a result, this is to discard local region, rather than reduce the gap.

[8]注意・テロップ：Warning Telop

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Have you seen this telop in Japanese anime?

That means “When you watch TV, please stand back and watch it in well-lit rooms in English. This direction has been displayed at the front of Japanese anime since “Pockemon Panic of 1997” happened. See the detail here. In the simplest terms, blinking red and blue color violently caused a spasm of more than 700 people, especially children, who watch this episode.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Nowadays, most of anime have this telop but TV programs except for anime don’t have it. Do they intend to deal with it after happening something again? I think this is a bad Japanese custom which falls behind the curve.

[7]トイレ：A Rest Room in Japan

What is a rest room for Japanese? It is a private space for relaxation. A rest room is completely separated from other rooms. Because of it, Japanese who are easy to stress in human relationship can relax in the room because they can be alone for a while.

Nowadays, many toilets in Japan are equipped with Japanese-style-bidets, called in Japan “washlet”, and have a function to warm a toilet seat, etc. In fact, 20 million washlets was sold as of June 2005. See the first graph in this cite.（I’m sorry for not finding English cite, but I think you can see what the first graph displays.）

I reckon one of the reasons that Japanese toilet developed is Japanese orientation toward purity. However, it would be also connected that Japanese try to make the room more comfortable. A rest room for Japanese is not just a rest room.

[6]防犯：Security

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

I lock the front door while I am away but I don’t lock it while I am at home except my sleep.
Is it natural for you? Probably it is natural for many Japanese unless one lives alone or in a city. Actually, many friends, grandparents, relatives and cousins also do the same thing, I have heard it.

Needless to say, the safety awareness varies by region but basically Japanese regard Japan as a safety country. By comparison with other countries, a crime rate in Japan surely is lower. However, I wonder if more people in Japan start to lock the front door all the day years or decades later …

[5]Blog Essay One

Watching and New Student Blog Watching

I write about above posting written by Professor. Steven Fedorowicz.

Before taking this class, I had hardly used a digital camera, so I was worrying about working it well. The greatest anxiety, however, is taking a picture in public as you feel. Is there the image right? Where is the privacy? If I am watched by people when I take pictures of the people, I think that I get funny looks from them or can be mistaken for a spy photo as a crime at worst. So, I am surprised at your photos, especially on the train.

In fact, however, some students who take this class also take photos in public space.
Judging from that, don’t people care about being photographed than I think? Can’t they merely complain about it because of Japanese shyness character? Actually, I would say nothing as well if I was taken a picture in public.

Now, one question occurs to me. I wonder if people in other countries but Japan care about being photographed. I’d like to know of it.

[4]カレンダー：Calendar

先勝(Sensho-)・友引(Tomobiki)・先負(Senbu)・仏滅(Butumetsu)・赤口(Shakkou)・大安(Taian)　

They are called 六曜(Rokuyou) written in most calendars, even normal calendars.

Nowadays, it is included in Japanese custom. For instance, Japanese people want to get married on 大安 because its day is greatest one. Also, they avoid performing funeral ceremony on 仏滅 because its day is worst one.

In fact, 六曜 is derived from Chine but some people don’t know the fact. People who believe 六曜 are found frequently in older person.

[3]日本の家：Japanese House

Here are houses which have been building since I was born. In our class, we learned “Japanese house are very private space”. We can guess it from Japanese making concrete fences.

However, what about the picture mentioned below? These houses are about 4-year-old buildings. As you see, there are no fences in front of the gate. It might be that Japanese attitude is gradually changing.

[2]公園：Park

What do you think about this picture? As you see, one park is so weedy or the other playground equipment rusts. That means there are seldom children who play in this park.

In fact, if I remember correctly, I have never seen children playing there for a few years.
When I was an elementary student, there was hardly day when no children were there and I used to enjoy something with my friends there.

This situation that the number of kids playing there is decreasing year by year is probably caused by many things, such as the repletion of video games or higher temperatures by global warming, but I think the principal factor is declining birth rate. Is this park going to come to life like the past someday?

[1]床の間：Tokonoma

I took a picture of this in my house. This space is called “Tokonoma”, where is adorned with “Kakejiku” (hanging scroll), “Okimono” (ornament), “Kabin” (vase) and so on. “Tokonoma” is usually set in Japanese-style room and one step higher up.
This space isn’t needed to live, but even now it is built in Tatami room, especially in detached house. I think this symbolizes Japanese mind which cherishes traditions and flavor.
I’m interested in whether there are spaces like this in others countries or not.



This is called “Takasago Ningyo(doll) ”, which hopes well-rounded husband and wife and long life.
There are many things like this in Japan, but actually I didn’t know that meaning until the day when I heard it from my mother. In other word, until the day I made this blog.
It may be too much to say with only my case, but the fact I didn’t know it could be due to multicultural Japanese society because I think there are any cultural things in Japan and those things deadens interest about home country.