Being raised in the occidental tradition, including sporadically attending a variety of churches, did not prepare one for the experience in Japan when fully understanding why the Japanese venerate their ancestors.
Innate curiosity and social-intelligence is a gift, although sometimes a little too much curiosity is not really such a good thing at all.
Known as the “Inbound Ambassador, the joyful and exuberant Joy Jarman-Walsh grew up in Hawaii and is a decades-long veteran of Japan.
Recently there has been somewhat of a kerfuffle in the house of Windsor. Serious allegation have been made by a new member of the house of Windsor against the royal family.
One really got an in-depth look at a specific kind of American mind-set; the mind-set of selfishness, narcissism, and greed.
One’s friend jokingly (or not), asked whether one is Jomon or Yayoi. Somewhat taken aback, one had to look into this question more deeply.
There is a significant contrast in the way the Japanese think about love as compared to the Occidental mindset.
Unsung heroes abound, but no one really hears about them and their altruistic deeds. Why is it that these noble deeds for the betterment of humanity are unreported and go unnoticed by the greater world?
The very first time one became aware of the ubiquitous Japanese public address system was sitting inside an old farmhouse. The old black phone started to chime… ding dong ding….
One was shocked and dismayed when a large display of the controversial product RoundUp, made by Monsanto is now available at the local home center. This problematic herbicide with the active ingredient glyphosate has its fair share of detractors globally, as well as famous lawsuits related to the health risks associated with glyphosate.
The Gods of Music have anointed Ueda Hiromi as one of their own, a Goddess who now travels this mortal coil spreading joy where ever she may go. Here, exuberance exudes from her heart to all, via her Goddess-like unparalleled musical skills and divine presence.
It was just the other day when one called a dear old friend in Miura Peninsula for a catch-up after a very long time, where she confided to me that her father was actually in the 特攻隊 (tokotai - kamikaze squad).
Recently there has been some controversy concerning a decrepit, past-expiration-date politician, who has historically been looked upon by the common Japanese with palpable distaste while being widely considered somewhat of a moron.
What is the window tribe? It has to do with the corporate ladder, and the dreaded desk beside the dreary window.
Shoes On, Shoes Off/ Now, say this title again with the voice of Mr. Miyagi, the karate master to his young disciple, Daniel LaRusso, the downtrodden and bullied boy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When recalling the way New Year’s Eve was celebrated so many years ago now, the images of these New Years Eve parties were very boisterous and rollicking, ringing in the Happy New Year with drink, dance, song, mirth, merriment, and gaiety.
The core principal of Japan’s kata cultural from the earliest times has been the promotion and maintenance of harmony. Personal behaviour, as well as all relationships, both private and public, was based upon strictly controlled harmony in the proper inferior-superior context of Japanese society, which continues up until this day.
One could say the most used and significant word in Japanese is shikata. In particular, and most significantly, the form and order of the process.
Having an awareness and understanding of kata is paramount to gaining comprehension of, and deal with the Japanese. The entire traditional Japanese culture, starting with personal etiquette, and then in how one learns to do all routine things in life, was, and still is based on precise kata.
Proverbs are indigenous to all cultures, and often expose the deeper roots of the philosophy and psychology of a society. Japanese culture is especially rich in kotowaza or proverbs, as Japanese culture is ancient and has been highly sophisticated for a very very long time.
