May, 2011

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27
May 11

Rounin: “Wandering Samurai” in Modern Times

The traditional rounin is a wandering samurai–a samurai who lost his master, either to death or to his master’s fall from grace. Since the samurai’s entire life revolved around devotion to the master, the samurai loses his sense of of purpose. The “honorable” path for the masterless samurai was to commit seppuku (“harakiri”): ritualized suicide. Those who opted not to kill themselves wandered freely, taking mercenary, bodyguard, and odd jobs where they could. These samurai became rounin–a title that was less than honorable.

Today, rounin still exist, but they’re not samurai. Modern rounin are young adults who failed their college entrance exams but still hope to attend college. (In Japan, most colleges require that you pass an entrance exam, similar to middle and high school entrance exams.) Rather than take a full-time job, these young people devote the next year to studying as hard as they can in order to pass the entrance exam the next year. They may live with their parents or take on part-time jobs in order to pay rent, but their primary focus over the next year is studying on their own to pass exams. They may attend cram schools or hire tutors–usually students currently attending the school they want to attend who have obviously passed the entrance exam–in order to help them, but otherwise, they’re on their own and must keep up the motivation throughout the year.

Most colleges hold their entrance exams at about the same time each year (toward the beginning of the year; the school year begins in early April). Prospective students can take exams for as many colleges as they please during the entrance exam season, but most choose a handful of colleges so they can focus on the topics they think may be on those particular exams. (Each college makes up its own exams; the more prestigious the school, the more difficult the exam.) The exams are usually only held once a year–in fact,  prospective students usually don’t get a makeup exam if they miss it, so they’ll venture out even if they’re ill. Solely missing an exam can turn a student into a rounin.

Some prospective students continue to fail the yearly exams for the colleges of their choice and they continue to be rounin for more than one year. Of course, they can always decide to go to a less prestigious school with a less difficult exam or to skip college altogether, but since better schooling affords better career opportunities, many students don’t want to give up.

Would you become a rounin or would you rather go to a second-choice school or get a job? Would your parents support your decision?

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20
May 11

Nanpa: A Special Kind of Flirting in Japan

Last week we discussed goukon, group dating, in Japan. To continue in the same vein, this week we’ll discuss “nanpa,” sometimes called “nampa.” Nanpa roughly translates to “soft school” but more accurately means “talking to girls.” That “soft school” meaning is a comparison to men who pursue the traditional “hard” studies of academics and sports as opposed to men who’d rather study the art of wooing women.

Nanpa refers to young Japanese men in their teens, twenties, and sometimes thirties who hit on young women in public, usually on the streets where a lot of pedestrians walk. The men tend to dress sleekly in what’s perhaps known as a “metrosexual” look in the West (but this look is far more common and accepted in Japan). The young men who nanpa usually take the “art form” seriously and may shadow a more experienced young man for a time, read up on nanpa techniques, and spend time preparing before he starts hitting on women.

Many women are turned off by nanpa but still others will gladly take a guy up on his offer for coffee, karaoke, or tea. Young women visiting the country should be aware, though, that if ever asked to join a fancily-dressed man on the street for tea, he’s asking you out on a date. Some men may even expect a one-night stand if the date goes well–but that’s not to say that they all do. And, while some nanpa men are enjoying their youth and playing around, still others are looking for “the one,” so a date that goes well may lead to future dates.

In a country in which seriousness is valued and individuality isn’t as important as it may be in the West, nanpa is the art of those “bad boy” rebels, which some women find appealing.

The female equivalent of nanpa–in which women try to pick up men–is gyakunan, although this is far less common in Japan, especially outside of bars and singles clubs. Nevertheless, some men in Japan may find themselves pursued on the streets by go-getter women as well.

Do nanpa and gyakunan sound appealing to you? Why or why not? Would you rather hit on others or be hit on?

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13
May 11

Goukon: Japanese Group Dating

In Japan, a country in which professional matchmaking (called “omiai“) is still a viable method of meeting your fiance(e) (although a much less often used method than in the past), goukon is a popular method of meeting potential boyfriends or girlfriends. Goukon, which roughly translates to “get together party,” is like a group blind date. A single man and a single woman–friends or potential dating partners themselves–will arrange a meeting between a handful of single friends of their gender. (The goukon organizers are of course along for the ride, looking for a match themselves.)

The average group for a goukon may include between four or five people of each gender, although you can find goukon with fewer or more people. However, a total of eight to ten people is big enough to lessen the embarrassment and awkwardness of meeting new people but also small enough to allow these people to get to know one another.

A goukon usually takes place at a public, noisy place like an izakaya (a sort of bar), a location that’s welcoming for conversation over a few drinks. No one is particularly paired with anyone else although there should be an equal number of men and women so no one’s left out. The group is often seated with a man between every woman (placed randomly) so that everyone can get to know potential partners. After a self-introduction to the entire group, the individuals may focus more on getting to know the people next to them.

The groups of men and women may take frequent breaks to pull each other aside and discuss whom they find the most attractive and personable; they may also text each other during the meeting to share their thoughts without the others knowing. The people in the goukan can ask for phone numbers or e-mail addresses of the people who sparked their interest (if polite, they may want to mask which man or woman they’re particularly interested in and ask for everyone’s phone number and e-mail) and may get to know each other better later. They can also ask each other to help arrange a new goukan with some new people swapped into the group.

Have you ever been on a group date? Would you prefer a group date to a blind date where it’s just one-on-one? Why or why not?

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6
May 11

Yakitori: Skewered Meat

During the Edo era, which lasted from 1604 to 1868, yakitori became a delicacy made with the meat of pricey wild birds, like quails, ducks, and pigeons. Over time, the dish spread to the commoners, who ate sparrow meat and eventually chicken.

Yakitori literally means “grilled bird,” but you’ll find the term referring to variety of skewered, grilled meats and vegetables–although the proper generic term for skewered meats and vegetables is kushiyaki. However, since chicken is one of the most popular yakitori ingredients, the label is often appropriate.

Yakitori make great snack and appetizer foods and they can also constitute a light meal. You’ll find them for sale at festivals, in restaurants, in pubs, and in small food carts lining the streets. You can also purchase small indoor electric grills to make the dish yourself at home, although traditionally they’re grilled with charcoal. Pieces of meat and/or vegetables are slid on a thin bamboo stick and the food is places directly on the grill and rotated a few times. Traditionally, you can choose from shio (salt) alone on the food or tare sauce (a sauce made from soy sauce, sake, and sugar).

There are many varieties of chicken yakitori. Toriniku is the basic white chicken meat variety and mune is the dark meat choice, but you’ll also find types such as nankotsu (chicken cartilage–made soft), hatsu (chicken heart), shiro (chicken intestines), rebaa (chicken liver), and sunagimo (chicken gizzard). Chicken skin is torikawa, chicken tail is bonjiri, chicken wings is tebasaki, and chicken meatballs is tsukune.

The other common varieties of yakitori/kushiyaki include garlic (ninniku), enoki mushrooms (enokimaki), pork belly (butabara), Japanese scallion (ikada), ox tongue (gyuutan), fried tofu (atsuage tofu), green pepper (piman), and aspargus and bacon (asuparabeekon). You can have a yakitori with only one meat or vegetable or you can mix it up and sample a number of what’s available.

Have you ever eaten yakitori? Would you be willing to try something like chicken cartilage? Why or why not?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Muroran_Yakitori.jpg