Land Of The Rising Son

There's often a debate between pet owners as to whether one is a cat person or a dog person. Having the privilege of growing up with both cats ( feline ) and dogs ( canine ), one can truly say: Domesticate companion animals are imperative in alleviating the suffering of isolation and loneliness—regardless of the species of animal one choose to keep as a pet. For certain, the binary misnomer of CAT...

Having tasted the bitter flavour of ennui and wandering for years in the proverbial desert, a consequential breakthrough was uncovered. Do not ignoring important forks in the road, whatever they may be. Over time, the stark realization one's Japanese language skills would remain in the jozu desu ne category, forever, carrying with it a feeling of hopelessness and despondency.   Cultural point 1: T...

The stark contrast between the Occidental Industrial Education system, in which one was indoctrinated in the 70s, and Japanese eduction is profound. Seeing Japanese school children dressed in school uniforms the first time was a sight to behold. Having never thought about school uniforms until seeing the Japanese students, one could see they identified with their most important group—school mates....

The Japanese government carried out a capital punishment event recently. Interestingly enough, over 80% of Japanese citizens support capital punishment. One queried two men in their late 20s, curious as to the Japanese youth view on capital punishment. The first one said he was against capital punishment. No bleeding heart here however, as he said: "I would like the perpetrator suffering mental an...

Not familiar with this important historical Japanese terminology? sakoku 1.0 is the era of isolation between 1603 and 1867. Known as Edo , it was ruled over by the razor-sharp blade of the Tokugawa Clan. In Old Japan the Tokugawa Shogunate enforced strict social order and the rigidly structured social hierarchy system of the Japanese, which has been evolving over millennia. Over the next 264 years...

It is always a joyful occasion when introducing the Japanese to the miracle of gravy 'n' rice. This remarkable meeting of two culinary culture touchstones fuses these staples into a flavour unlike any other. For certain the Japanese hold rice in the highest esteem in connection with the cultural significance of this sacred grain, and the evolution of Japanese civilization . Of equal significant me...

The ancient traditional Japanese values and behaviour differ fundamentally from those raised in Christianized cultures in the most extraordinary Ways . In 1543, a Chinese junk with several Portuguese traders was blown off course into Japan. Here the first ever recorded encounter between Westerners and Japanese occurred on Tanegashima off the coast of Kyushu. It was here the Japanese were first int...

There is nothing like the innocent life of a new born child. Alas, in most cases, this innocence ends abruptly as the indoctrination process begins in-earnest. For many unlucky boys raised in the Occidental tradition, the indoctrination start with a blade and the male genitalia in what is known as the unkindest cut of them all; circumcision. This vile edict from long dead self-appointed and regall...

The chasm between "East" and "West" has never been as volatile since the enslavement of the Chinese nation with a massive opioid addiction pandemic early in the 20th century. Western civilization evolved from the Greeks and Romans , and when considering Eastern civilization, China comes to mind as the representative of the East, as this is the birth place of Confucius . Keep in mind, the moral ten...

ボナー・フェラーズが、日本人の文化や生き方を理解し、尊敬するようになったのは、第二次世界大戦が始まボナー・フェラーズる前、1932にアメリカに留学していた島田亜矢と親しくなったことがきっかけでした。 しかも、この平然とした軍人気質は、彼が信奉していた宗教法人友愛会ファミリー（クエーカー）が定式化したものです。

Bonner Fellers was one of the few American who understood the importance of the Emperor to the Japanese people, and what it would have meant to have tried and executed Emperor Hirohito as a war criminal.

The English word " dignity " does not do justice to the full cultural connotation of "hinkaku" in this Japanese context .

Most Westerners prize practical knowledge and hands-on experience above all other kinds of learning. They are also condition to approach work and other challenge is directly, aiming for the "the shortest distance between two points".     It is therefore, inevitable that Westerns in Japan, and those working for the Japanese companies abroad, will be mystified and frustrated by a great deal of typic...

There has never been a time in history of any society when all people were treated as equals.   However,   Americans as well as others have passed laws over the centuries that now tries to impose the foreign concept of equality onto the Japanese, as they eagerly spread their version of freedom, democracy and equality all over the world.

Master Storyteller Dan Carlin entrances and engulfs battalions of spellbound adherents into incredible rides probing the nooks and crannies of Hardcore History , the most widely acclaimed podcast in, well, history . ΩNE Master Carlin's exquisite voice personifies his unparalleled style—his shows in fact, are the most listened to within the entire Hardcore History and its divine sister inside his A...

それどころか難しい日本語の書き方を無駄なことだと思っているでしょう。 その人たちは心の中で、日本語の書き方をマスターすることは、絶対に不可能だと思っています。

We can say for sure that the Japanese way of writing has indeed been a mixed blessing for the citizens of the Land Of The Rising Son, but with the passage of time we can honestly say that this highly complex system has gained many more advantages which now I believe far outweigh any of its disadvantages.

What does it actually mean to worship one's ancestors ? First of all, there are different ideas about the word " worship " and what it encompasses in a " religious " context. The preferred word veneration can be translated nicely into Japanese as sonkei (尊敬), which is more, " down-to-earth ." While thinking about the Japanese society, and the social conventions to which the Japanese adhere, one...

Coming to Japan in 1987, there was wonderment, awe, and, sometime dismay about these strange new things and customs, that having been surrounding this incidental Occxie for decades. Wabi-sabi resides in the rare "air." Like many unspoken protocols and conventions of the Japanese, awareness of wabi-sabi is an innate trait, embodied within the spirit of Yamato. In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wa...

西洋人にとって、日本という国は矛盾した国で、 良いことに関しても常に反対の不利な面を持っているように思えます。確かに世界のどこでも同じような現象があるかもしれませんが、ここ日本では、その対比がとても著しく思えるでしょう。

The Herd Instinct One can say that to the Westerner eyes that Japan is the land of contradictions, everything good or positive about Japan always seems to have a flipside that is negative or unfavourable. Indeed you could say this about all societies, but here this contrast may appear to be much more pronounced.

There are two very important words in Japanese with deep meaning but no equivalent sentiment in the English concept of language. Itadakimasu and gochiso sama are very important parts of the dining etiquette in Japan. Itadakimasu is said just before eating, it literally means "to receive" or "accept " but in this context more like a DNA infused Japanese Way in a ritualistic connotation, you could a...

日本人にとって、「いただきます」と「ごちそうさま」は深く重要な言葉ですが、英語には訳すことができません。この言葉を使うことは日本の食における大切な礼儀作法の一つです。