A deeper concept than “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine”, gaining an understanding into "amae", is to gain an understanding into the Japanese way.Very early in Japanese history the concept of "amae" became a primary principal in the cultural and one of the fundamental foundations of where bonds of mutual trust are build into long, durable relationships.
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. I prefer to use the word “veneration” as can be translated nicely into Japanese as “sonkei”, which I feel to be a little more, “down-to-earth”.
All languages are a reflection of the emotional, spiritual and intellectual characteristics of the people who created them. One could say language is embedded into the speakers DNA. In essence, all languages are social concepts.
Who would have ever thought before the Internet, one could come across a kindred spirit, via a social media platform, and discover so very much in common, based upon our experiences in Japan, now decades ago. In fact, Joe wrote a book about his experience in Japan starting from the early 80s and it was incredible to read of the profound similarities of so many of the experiences we both had back in the 80s in Japan.
I observed her massaging John in what could only be described as seeing his painful grimacing, this obviously highly skilled massage therapist was working on a man one and a half time her own size, and getting deep into his tissue. After this experience, we anointed this remarkable woman “Needle Fingers Granny“.
The concept around eating is fundamentally different between cultures and is reflected in the utensils, or lack there of, used to eat.
Perhaps the most valuable book until now for me is called: Japan and the Shackles of the Past, by Emeritus Professor R. TAGGART MURPHY.
One of the most important holidays in Japan is smack dab in the middle of sticky and humid August, and this is known as “OBON”.
Onna-bugeisha women warriors were known to be to be every bit as strong, capable, and courageous as their male counterparts.
This young women dream to become a Merceds Benz mechanic has turned into reality. Next year from April she starts out on her special journey fixing Mercedes Benz, with not only high level mechanic skills, but with the warm and tender touch that can only be brought to the job by a motivated and subtly powerful woman.
I was never consciously aware of wabi-sabi, but like many unspoken mysteries of Japan, awareness of wabi-sabi is an innate trait in the spirit of the Japanese. In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi (侘寂) is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection.
The personal seal is a piece of stone engraved with your family’s ideogram, or in my case the first three initials of my name. Company chops have elaborate engraving of the company’s name, and these designs are complex and extremely difficult to duplicate.
The server gruffly pointed to a seat at the very narrow counter where the patrons were elbow-to-elbow, snarfing skewers and quaffing drinks. This is where a cheap wet towel was then slapped in front of me and I was tersely asked “what da ya wanna drink!
One of the most important film critics of all time. Nagaharu Yodogawa devoted his life to the cinema.
Indeed, understanding ikigai will lead to ΩNE's own fulfilment, as all search for, and discover the meaning to one’s own life.
Traditionally, the Japanese women were happy to be stay-at-home mothers, running the house, taking their children to their extracurricular activities, and visiting with their friends.
A catalyst for many young aspiring baseball stars to go on to bigger things, in particular those who aspire to the ultimate goal of playing on a major league team, especially an American one.
I fondly remember the first time I was invited to an elementary school as a guest, it was my very first experience for the school lunch in Japan.
I have a relationship with a subsidiary of a large corporation since 1992. There was a gruff but kind engineer who had been with this company from its inception in 1970. He called me “anchan” all the time, which I guess was an appropriate suffix for him to use in this ridged Japanese hierarchal system.
Japan’s natural religion, Shinto (神道), consist of 2 ideograms: “God (神)” and “Way (道)”. I noticed there are many different Japanese disciplines contain “Way (道)”. The “Way (道)” to be the most important thing in ones own life, and the quest for all is to find ones own “Way (道)”.
My lovely spouse called me an alien the other day (Anata wa uchijin desu ne!). Now what she didn’t know when she called me an “alien”, is we “foreigners” used to be categorized as “aliens” on an official Japan government document.
At one of my favourite restaurants, the young man next to me confessed; “I just quit smoking on April 1”.
Bathing is truly a unique experience in Japan. I never thought about the art of bathing while growing up in Central British Columbia, when as a child, I was taking my weekly bath on Sunday evening. Jump in, scrub up, wash off the soap (yes, while in the same water one soaped up in is where one also rinsed)
I believe this to be one of the most important concepts the Japanese continue to subconsciously practice throughout their lives; it’s in their DNA.
