Shoes On, Shoes Off

Shoes On, Shoes Off

Shoes On, Shoes Off

Shoes On, Shoes Off

Now, say the title again with the voice of Mr. Miyagi, the karate master to his young disciple, Daniel LaRusso, the downtrodden and bullied boy.

Wax on, wax off.

Recall, where the training started?

The first of many training session consisted of washing and waxing the cars.

Clock-wise, wax-on.

Counterclockwise, wax-off.

If one can not recall this extraordinary cinematic event in the Karate Kid, or is too young to have ever heard about this important film, the refresh is below:

The seemly disconnected start of the karate training was significantly different from the constructed reality of the young grasshopper own mind of what karate training actually is.

Things are not what they seem.

Shoes on, shoes off.

reasons_take_off_shoes_minute_walk_in_house_toxins

One will notice after arriving in the Land Of The Rising Son, that more often than not, one must remove the shoes before entering a house and often in restaurants as well.

This was not the case growing up in the countryside of British Columbia where most of the time people wore their shoes in the house.

Recalling an very unfortunate incident where as a child the outside shoes were worn onto a friend’s mothers beautiful plush white carpet, after having failed to wipe off the doggie poo before entering their house.

I am truly very sorry for this Mrs. Henderson.

ごめなさい I am sorry

Indeed removing shoes before entering a dwelling makes perfect sense, why would one carry the impurities of the outside world to pollute one’s own inner sanctuary?

Here is the shoe secret:

Loosen the laces.

Crush down and flatten the heals of your beloved shoes under the boot-heal of the incessant shoes on, shoes off reality.

Shoes With Crushed Backs

Perhaps the shoes on, shoes off protocol leads to subconscious and ingrained disciplines, like keeping one’s outside world separated from the inner sanctum of one’s private life, thus maintaining one’s sanity.

And now here.

Mask on, mask off.

In the simple reality of going about one’s regular outside life, the mask protocol is just like every other Japanese winter flu season.

Except from now on it will extended throughout the year, to include all and has become the social norm in Japan without much further ado.

Moreover, the Japanese have already been socially conditioned to wear their metaphorical mask from an early age in order to co-exist in this ridged hierarchical society.

Perhaps the mundane tasks of life such as wax on, wax off, shoes on, shoes off, and now mask on, mask off, will lead to being mindfulness of one’s own life form, order and process, as one continues to fortify one’s own constitution and resolve in this new mask on, mask off world.

Bonus 1:
Now circle around to the beginning of this post and watch the masterful outcome of the wax off wax philosophy here:

Bonus 2:
Recommended footwear

New Slip On Shoes

Recommended Footwear 04

 

 

 

Recommended Footwear 05  Recommended Footwear 01 Recommended Footwear 06

 

Bonus 3:

Not recommended footwear

Not Recommended Footwear 06

 

Not Recommended Footwear 08 Not Recommended Footwear 01 Not Recommended Footwear 05 Not Recommended Footwear 03 Not Recommended Footwear 04 Not Recommended Footwear 07 Not Recommended Footwear 02

Personalized Solar Farm

Personalized Solar Farm

Personalized Solar Farm

Personalized Solar Farm

Often one is still amazed and impressed with the efficiency of many things in Japan.

Putting in a lot of thought about a solar array after the typhoons (now known as Megaphoons), in September of 2019, knocked out a large swath of our prefectures electricity for a full 3 days in this area, and in some other cases for weeks.

Blackout in September 2019

Searching for a solution, the good witch of the house (read about her magic here), came across SymEnergy after an internet search.

Boy did Lady Fortuna ever show up!

Lady Fortuna

The personal solar farm journey started with the first visit to our residence by a very handsome, buff young gentleman.

He gave a concise presentation in layman’s terms about what we could expect if engaging their company.

This impeccable presentation also included a satellite map of the house, with the prospective solar array already mapped onto the roof.

After another couple of visits by the very handsome, buff young gentleman to finalize the contract, it was off to the races.

The installation day arrived and everything was planned to the tee.

It took 5 people a very long day, without any breaks, from morning till far into the night to install the solar system.

It was also very inspiring to see 2 young Vietnamese workers on the crew alongside the 3 Japanese. Seeing these young men working in this good paying job to create a better life for their families back in Vietnam leaves one hopeful.

This discussion is not only about the highly efficient and most excellent service brought by SymEnergy, but the incredible technology, which is now available to the common citizens of Japan.

First of all, electricity prices vary in Japan depending on peak electricity usage.

Also keep in mind, grid electricity cannot be retained, as it flows like the current of a river, so one must scoop up these frisky protons and electrons as they flows their precious life into our incredible modern society.

Japanese Civilization with the kamakura great buddha

The installed solar system works like this:

In the middle of the night, when electricity prices are at the very cheapest, the beloved solar system charges the battery while powering the house using grid electricity.

When the sun comes out in the morning, not only does our shared star shine her life giving rays upon all of us, she also beams…electricity.

This is when the most excellent solar system starts to power the house using one’s personal solar array, all the while selling excess electricity back to the power company when the electricity is at its most expensive.

It is during the expensive peak usage time when the solar array kicks in, and if necessary, calls upon his buddy the battery for support on the gloomier, and more drab days.

cloudy Japanese day

One of the most excellent things about the battery buddy is in times of power outages.

This is where the solar array generates the necessary electricity throughout the day, with the battery buddy lending a hand as necessary.

Solar Farm Battery

What’s not to like about this?

Even more happily, there was a government grant program to install this solar array, and a nice little healthy sum came back from the government.

I would like to sincerely thank the Japanese government for printing loads and loads of fiat currency to support programs like these.

Japanese 5000 yen 2024 Aunty Umeko Tsuda

Interestingly enough, the government often has programs like this to support the citizens of Japan as we continue to advance our civilization.

For example, we got money back from the government when we neutered and spaded our 5 cats, thanks to the government  for that.

But I digress.

Lest we lose our way, one can not ignore nor deny that in order for humanity to continue the advancement of civilization, the means of generating electricity up until this point in time are not going away any time soon.

Indeed, one must always be thankful to live in this age, as all grow in mindfulness of how we must live in harmony with humanity’s very best friend…electricity.

Personalized Solar Array

Solar Farm Converters

The Mickey Mousification of Japan

The Mickey Mousification of Japan

The Mickey Mousification of Japan

The Mickey Mousification of Japan

​When thinking about Mickey Mouse, what is the very first thing that comes to mind?

ΩNE’s image of Mickey Mouse has always been two things.

First and foremost, the joy this dearly beloved character brings young and old alike, and is so very cherished and dear to the Japanese heart.

Indeed, Mickey Mouse, along with the many other characters produced by this large American entertainment conglomerate, embodies the Japanese cult-like worship of kawaii.

MickeyMouse-01

Mickey Mouse also has a highly negative connotation encompassing slipshod workmanship on shoddy products, and a flippant attitude toward others.

ΩNE could even go further and say the mind-set and behavior of certain groups of people having been observing over the last few years, represent an extremely Mickey Mouse approach to life.

In the run up to the 2016 American election, pondering to ΩNESELF said

“We are surely to see the end of what once was the United States, beamed out on realty TV” and so it was, there for all to see.

Just to be clear, ΩNE does not have the right to vote either in country of birth, nor the country where resides permanently.

These are mere observations from the point of view of an arm-chair theorist, watching various media feeds from afar.

Let us examine some examples of what could be considered, Mickey Mouse.

Exhibit A

A major American vehicle manufacture desired to enter the Japanese market.

Seeing 126 million affluent consumers had these Americans executives with lucrative stock options, salivating over green, lots of green.

Unfortunately, while these executives’ green-shaded glasses were clouded by the promise of vast troves of treasure, they failed to notice a couple of important things.

First and foremost, the narrowness of most Japanese streets, and the fact the Japanese drive on the left-hand side of the road, with the steering wheel on the right, seemed to have slipped by the profit hungry, very large American automobile manufacture.

Narrow Japanese Street

If this wasn’t glaringly obvious enough, they also failed to take into consideration the following:

The vehicle owners of Japan must pay tax based upon the size of their vehicle’s motor.

First off, there is the yearly prefectural (state/province) vehicle tax, and just to make sure all residents of our fair nation pay dearly for the privilege of driving in Japan, every two years the vehicle must receive the federal government inspection, which is not only based upon the size of the motor, but also upon the weight of the vehicle.

When ponders the expense entailed in owning and operating a 6,700 cc motor, with a tank-like weight profile, let us also all remember gasoline is approximately double the price of the U$A.

You too can own a cadillac

Herein lies the recipe for a failed attempt to enter the Japanese automotive market by these corporate executives with large stock options, who were also wearing very thick green-tinted glasses.

This is also why there are countless small vehicles with yellow license plates roaming the nooks and crannies of Japan.

These popular vehicles boast an engine size of 660 cc, fully 10 times smaller than the above mention American tank.

軽自動車ナンバー

ΩNE would have to say the lackadaisical attitude of this very large American automobile manufacture concerning their desired entry into the Japanese market was really quite…Mickey Mouse.

MickeyMouse-02

Exhibit B

Often in the role of interpreter, and in this particular case, between a medium sized American health supplement company and their prospective Japanese partner.

The president of the American company gave a PowerPoint presentation, which was known to have been originally produced in Spanish for their Mexican market.

The presentation was overlaid with Japanese text, but the original graphics remained the same.

After the presentation, the Japanese members keeping their stoic faces and low-key tone said, “this approach will never work in the Japanese market.”

To which this president of this Mickey Mouse corporation replied “If it worked in Mexico, it’ll work in Japan”.

It did not.

ΩNE would not only claim the atrocious attitude and narrow-mindedness of this abjectly clueless simpleton of a so-called executive was not only extremely Mickey Mouse, but also somewhat of a clown as well.

Stupid Looking Clown

The definition of a clownExhibit C

As mentioned above, paying attention to the reality show going on over yonder on the great North American continent over the last few years.

The images of the recent pandemonium and chaos live-streaming from one of the most sacred chambers of the last remaining superpower being defiled, left the author of this article not only aghast, but dismayed at the degradation of American society.

capital hill insurrection-01capital hill insurrection-03

ΩNE would even dare say, this grand melee looked somewhat like a Worldwide Wrestling Federation event, although this particular event involved a tragic loss of life, which makes it even all the more deeply shameful for the Americans.

Frankly, this event goes far beyond the pale of the Mickey Mouse stories being discussed here, and can be seen as the American society coming to a brand new level.

viking wrestling costume-01

Regrettably, it is now plain to see the American’s own democratic house in dire turmoil, as they continue to preach the the gospel of “freedom and democracy” throughout the world.

Now “freedumd and demagoguery” has certainly worked to a certain degree for Japan.

After the Japanese went through the ugly process of a nation re-birth in the aftermath of the Second World War, there was a new found mission and purpose to unite the Japanese nation around the battle cry of economic growth.

Japan is now several decades into the colony experience, and the desires is for the Japanese to do what they do best; take imported ideas, and merge and improve them into something different and better, all the while being infused with the Japanese Way.

Let’s continue to build strong communities, based upon mutual respect of differences, and even more so, acknowledge and embrace our commonality, as all strive to create a better future filled with hope and aspiration for our children and those to come after.

Gloabl Peace and Harmony

Kata – Way Forward – Part 6

Kata – Way Forward – Part 6

Kata – Way Forward – Part 6

Kata – Way Forward – Part 6

What does the future hold for Japan?

Seeing the Japanese as katified throughout the evolution of this ancient civilization, one would have to say there are some bright spots, not only for the future of Japan, but for the shared future of an advancing civilization based upon ancient moral codes.

These codes bind members of a society through accountability, a shared purpose, and a common vision, along with obligations to one another based upon the desire for a peaceful, harmonious, and healthy society.

Japanese Cultural Code Words

Even though the Japanese are looked upon as insular people, one could honestly say, based upon over 3 decades of living in the countryside of Japan, the Japanese are understanding and accepting people. 

kimono clad girl covering mouth while laughing-01

It is the mask which one must wear here which perhaps leaves those in the outside world with no exposure to the Japanese in any meaningful way as them being somewhat “mysterious”.

Indeed, the Japanese will take what has been brought, and make it better, much much better, as this is the Way of the Japanese.

So why are the Japanese able to take such good ideas and process them into something anew along with the special Japanese touch?

This is because the Japanese are still, and will always be, instilled with order, process, and form, throughout one’s life as a matter of being Japanese.

Indeed, the true wonders of our advanced civilizations has been a collaborative effort, and all must continue to strive toward to deeper understanding of others, and a deeper understanding of one’s own-self, as all reach in unity to create a harmonious future, for children, grandchildren, and those who are to come after this chapter is long dead and gone.

Here, one submits.

Known by many different names since the dawn of civilization, Amaterasu Oomikami is the Japanese Sun Goddess.

Amterasu Oomikami-01

Let us all be thankful for our shared Mother Earth’s Star illuminating our common existence each day, and beaming life to all of our shared earth.

While one gives thanks every day to the Sun for her life giving rays of warmth and hope, let us also give thanks to one’s Ancestors for the hardship and perseverance they endured as they walked a treacherous journey bringing us to this extraordinary point in civilization.

We are all citizens under the Sun, and products of our Ancestors. Now is the time to look toward the future and create a new paradigm in unity for the sake of our shared earth and the future of life on our planet.

Mother Earth

Thank you so very much for stopping by the Land Of The Rising Son. If one finds this blog interesting and informative, please share it with your friends and anyone who may be interested in Japan, and as one does so, our beloved sun Goddess Amaterasu Oomikami Sama, will continue to shine her brilliant rays of life on you, as she does on everyone of our shared earth.

Amterasu Oomikami-02

Kata – Way Of Writing – Part 5

Kata – Way Of Writing – Part 5

Kata – Way Of Writing – Part 5

Kata – Way Of Writing – Part 5

The deep influence of a writing system and language on a society can not be overstated. 

Language is a concept, and the Japanese society is built upon the constructs rooted in complex ideograms imported from China around 700 CE. 

There’s an incredible effort put into learn these complex characters and is definitely something that undoubtably forges the Japanese spirit of perseverance, forbearance, and patience. 

The Japanese writing system is made up of 3 different syllabaries.

Primarily the Japanese use Chinese ideograms, along with 2 indigenous Japanese syllabaries; hiragana and katakana. 

Evolution Kanji

These pictographs, otherwise known as kanji are complex ideograms and each kanji is made up of one to a dozen or more joining strokes.

Here is an example for the uninitiated, of a more complex kanji to ponder as one continue the story. 

Complex ideogram

To write Japanese properly, the stroke order is crucial, and to be executed in a carefully prescribe, no deviation allowed manner. 

Sometimes a sympathetic Japanese will say “stroke order is not important”, but one always disagrees.

Learning how to draw these kanji also instills the Japanese with a highly developed sense of harmony, form, and style. 

As a matter of course, the Japanese are instilled with a deep appreciation of aesthetics via the ridged training it takes in order to write in such a complex fashion (famous American talk show host flustered by Japanese schoolgirl’s gift of the kanji name). 

One could even go so far as to say the Japanese are all highly skilled artists.

Since these ideographs depicted actual things and concepts they communicates much more than just the mere sounds of a familiar alphabet. 

The Japanese system of communication and recording information and concepts embodies a much more personal experience, accompanied by deep and strong psychological content, as well as evoking emotions. 

The mental concentration in the complex and mechanical effort required to memorize and write kanji correctly has a fundamental effect on the psychology and physical development of all educated Japanese. 

It has instilled them with patience and diligence, enhanced manual dexterity well beyond the norm, and this has prepare them for a life which form, order, and process are paramount.

器用

In times gone by, the Japanese must have had to learn kanji by the thousands, however, the Ministry of Education thankfully reduced the official number of mandatory kanji one must learn in school at 2136 kanji, known as joyo. 

Adding family names, places, and specialty language vocabulary, the Japanese are in all likelihood able to recognize closer to 3,000 kanji, as a matter of course. 

The long-term practice and usage of kanji shaped and defined the Japanese physically, emotionally and intellectually, while harmonizing them and binding them to their culture.

Again reaching into the past, during Japan’s long feudal ages the pupils did not only have to mastering pronunciation, meaning, an intricate stroke order, but they were also required to become adept at drawing the characters in a stylized matter known as shodo, “the way of the brush” or calligraphy in English. 

Engaging in calligraphy is still very popular to this day, and an important part of the New Year tradition, where the Japanese engage in kakizomei, or the first calligraphy of the New Year.

書初

For an excellent place to view high level calligraphy check out Shinei’s social media feed here.

Come again next week as we present the last part of kata, where one ponders the continuing role of kata in the evolving Japanese society, and the implications on the future of the Japanese and our shared humanity.

Learn Kanji

Kata – Part 4 – Katafication

Kata – Part 4 – Katafication

Kata – Part 4 – Katafication

Kata – Part 4 – Katafication

Keep in mind the social harmony one see in Japan is based upon following proper kata etiquette in daily behaviour, and remains the guiding constitution in all Japanese relationships.

To understand this further one must look back into the indigenous belief system of the Japanese, known as Shintoism, and then one can see from whence this all came. 

Shintoism is an animistic believe system based upon cosmic oneness among god’s, spirits, people in the physical world, and nature. 

Small Shinto Shrine

Indirect, but culturally permeative, it is the genesis for the attitudes and customs that distinguish the Japanese from all other people.

It was under the influence of Shintoism that led the Japanese to refer to themselves as the people of Wa (harmony), substantiating the very early commitment by the Japanese to the principles of Wa as the foundation of Japanese society.

Early in Japan’s history the function of religious and secular leaders were combined, and these combined entities were equally concerned with both form and essence, with the overriding principle adopted from Confucianism, which is harmony between heaven and earth, and between those who ruled and the ruled.

heaven earth harmony

From this there evolved a highly controlled behaviour system prescribing subservience and respect towards superior beings, with stylized ceremonies associated with worship infused into the conduct of daily affairs of Japanese life.

From the dawn of Japanese history, stylized rituals were preformed dozens of times throughout each year, and made up an intricate part of routine Japanese life, even so now now unto this very day.

Even if one is simply but a casual observer of Japan, one can see the Japanese have a deep affinity for formalizing and institutionalizing procedure and processes. 

Perhaps one cannot say this stylized behaviour originated in Shintoism wholly, but surely these characteristic Japanese behaviours have been infused with these pervasive ceremonial practices, which were indeed prevalent from early on in Japanese life as related to the evolution of Shintoism.

香取祭山車

In order to have a deeper understanding of Japanese society and the foundation of Wa, one can always consider Wa to be the central pillar of Japanese cultural, influencing Japan in its texture, essence, spirit, and in the continuing evolution of the Japanese Way.

An important point to note when examining kata is when wet rice farming was introduced to Japan from China sometimes between 1000 and 300 BCE. This lead to a profound effect on the country social system and subsequent character and behaviour of the Japanese.

rice fields in japan

The process of rice farming was prescribed down to the last detail, and the lifestyle accompanying wet rice farming instilled the Japanese with an extraordinary degree of patience, perseverance, diligence, cooperativeness, and group dependence.

The whole economy became based upon the way of rice and made group behaviour, cooperation, self-sacrifice and harmony obligatory.

Along with the introduction of wet rice farming and also having a profound influence on the evolution of the Japanese was the introductions of the kochikomin system. 

This means the land and the people belong to the emperor, with no right to private property, or to be independent. 

This was the catalyst for virtually absolute control over the people by the state and the evolution of many of the cultural traits that make up Japanese society.

With Wa firmly established as the essence of the Japanese social system, the ruling class of Japan fashion all of their social rules and institution as well as their language to contribute to the cultural goals of Wa.

See you again next week for Part 5 of Kata as we peel away the mystery of kata and the continuing influence on the Japanese.

Shintoism, the way of the Japanese