Everything is Better in Japan

...except for the bathrooms. I am sure they are much more relaxed, but i would not enjoy having to bathe in an ofuro, and walking to the next room to brush my teeth or use the bathroom. Aside from that, i enforce my previous statement (the title)! I would gladly remove my shoes in any Japanese house; I do this in my own house, but I'm sure it's not as significant. But since the Japanese are people of simplicity and order, they remove their shoes before entering the actual rooms. But they wear slippers, and I can identify with that! Americans love slippers!

I am definitely a fan of tatami over boring carpet too. Carpet is warm, and my pampered American feet are used to it, but i would love to walk around on springy rugs all day.

Tea ceremonies? Are you kidding me? I respect that, but Sam is not digging the whole "we-must-first-walk-through-many-rooms-and-perform-many-SILENT-ceremonies-before-we-drink-our-tea" deal. I like to have my tea in a heartbeat, or "kettle boil" thank you very much. Plus I can add las cantidades grande de azúcar. The ceremony is done to appreciate individual interactions with everyday people, and the significance of that meeting, but over here tea is tea. Plain and simple.

I am, however, digging Japanese gardens. In America it just seems as if people throw flowers in a bed outside their house, making sure to make them multicolored for effect. There are, of course, extravagant gardeners who are paid to create beautiful gardens, but it seems as if everyone has some sort of simple but nice shrubbery. In Japan, special care is taken to place these plants in proper order. Plus, if all I had was a Japanese maple, I'd be good!

In the area of doors, I will stick to the standard American style. If I ever visit Japan, I will be running into a lot of doors because I tried to push them open on the go instead of sliding them quietly. And I would break those doors. Again, simplicity rules, and the rice paper and grid pattern does look a TON better than just a wooden door, but I am used to those plain wooden doors, and prefer them.

Many things are different in Japan! Rooms are simpler, houses more open, and things seem quieter. There's lots of noise and cluttered houses in America. Sam wishes to visit Japan.

Hikikomori

My biggest surprise about this cultural phenomenon was that, according to one psychiatrist, one million Japanese are shutting themselves in and becoming recluses, or hikikomori. "As a hikikmori ages, the odds that he'll reenter the world decline."

What causes this? Social pressure to fulfill their sex roles in school? Pressure from parents who won't let go? Mainstream media? In any case, Hikikomori cases have become widespread, leading programs like New Start to intervene.

I can't imagine shutting myself in for months or years!

I do not know anyone who has symptoms of this...
I think that many suicidal teens in America could benefit from this. They go through miserable times, like the Hikikomori, but sometimes do not do the extreme and shut themselves in. While indigenous to Japan now, i could see something like this spreading into the United States, especially with our economy.

Los Impresiónes de Saúl

Konnichi wa!

Sameulsan desu.

I am liking this class so far, as I love learning new languages. Japanese seems very complicated but also sweet and useful language to learn. I would like to know more about.....housing and traditions. It seems like Japan is rooted in tradition while pumping out the latest and greatest technology in the world. So how do they keep these contrasts?

I would like to see Hokkaido, and downtown Tokyo, as well as some of the smaller islands in Nihon.

And this blog is now coming to a close! Itterasshai! Later.