July, 2011

All Posts / Culture / Food — No Comments
29
Jul 11

Japanese Comfort Dishes

Warm foods like chicken soup and vitamin-rich foods like oranges help Westerners clear up their sinuses and build their immunities. When ill in Japan, there are a few cultural comfort foods to which many people turn, much like chicken soup in the West. Whether you want to do as the Japanese do should you fall ill in Japan or your love for Japanese food will give you comfort during an illness, try Japanese comfort foods. (These foods are for colds and other mild illnesses. If something more serious is wrong, seek medical attention.)

Kayu: Also known as okayu, kayu is a warm rice porridge. Since rice is such a staple of the typical Japanese diet, it’s not surprising that rice porridge is more popular than oatmeal, although the concept behind enjoying a warm, easy-to-digest porridge is much the same. You can enjoy kayu on its own or with cooked meat, steamed vegetables, or with cooked or raw egg. Add tea and you have chakayu. Making kayu is as simple as boiling rice and water with a touch of salt until the rice is mushy.

Negi miso: Green onions called negi are another antidote for feeling under the weather in Japan. Vitamin-rich negi can be steamed or enjoyed raw. One particular dish made for the ill with negi as a main ingredient is negi miso. Miso is a Japanese flavoring often used in soup. While you can add chopped negi to a miso soup to make a version of negi miso, the most easily digestible form of the dish for the ill is a negi miso drink. Just boil water with miso flavoring and add chopped negi.

Shogayu: Another hot drink for the ill in Japan is shogayu. Shoga, Japanese ginger, is thought to provide many health benefits, including upset stomach relief and a boost in immunity. Shogayu is a simple drink to make; add a pinch of grated shoga and a dash of sugar to a mug and then add hot water.

Fruit: A common gift in Japan for an ill person is fresh fruit. You may notice in Japanese TV shows that a friend or family member attending the bedside of a person in the hospital will peel an apple for the patient to eat.

Do any of these dishes sound appetizing to you? Do you think they make good meals when you’re ill?

All Posts / Culture / Customs — 3 Comments
22
Jul 11

On the Train: What the Japanese Find Rude

Some aspects of rudeness are practically universal–calling someone a rude name, for example–but others vary by culture. If you hope to spend any time in Japan or you meet Japanese people, you may benefit from a quick lesson in a few things the Japanese find rude. You’ve read about a few ways to be polite to the Japanese. Not following these simple rules of etiquette may make you come across as rude. Today we’ll discuss what Japanese people find to be rude behavior on the train. (By the way, sleeping on a train isn’t considered that rude–but most people would do it on a bench instead!)

Don’t speak on your cell phone on a train. This may surprise you since the Japanese are perhaps more attached to their cell phones than even the rest of the world (and they’re a few years ahead of the rest of the world in cell phone technology). However, speaking on your cell phone in Japan is considered rude because it distracts other people. Trains are also notoriously crowded; sometimes there is barely any room to move. You would bother a lot of people to speak on your cell phone. If you must contact someone, text instead of speaking. The “don’t speak on your cell phone on a train” rule isn’t even an implied rule–most trains explicitly request this and post a message throughout the train. Incidentally, keep your voice very quiet if speaking to someone with you on the train. In general, people do not like to hear conversations on trains and often regard foreigners as loud people.

Don’t eat on the train. This is messy and rude. If possible, avoid drinking as well, but if you feel the need (which is not surprising if the train is hot and crowded), a sip of a bottled non-alcoholic beverage is okay. Just make sure not to bump anyone when you get your drink out. On the same note, don’t leave a mess of any kind on the train.

Keep your hands up in crowded trains. In extremely crowded trains, some Japanese men grope unsuspecting women and young girls who can’t identify who in the crowd touched them. To avoid accusation, honest men find it easier to hold onto railings with both hands or to clutch the railing with one hand and an object with another. This shows the women around them that they wouldn’t touch them. Most foreigners aren’t suspected of this behavior, but it doesn’t hurt to show your hands. Also, if you’re male, pay attention to “women-only” cars on some trains. These cars, as the name implies, are for women only and are a courtesy to make women feel there is less risk of sexual harassment.

Have you ever ridden on a Japanese train? Can you think of a few other rules of etiquette on the train? What do you think of the fact that women are sometimes groped on trains?

All Posts / Culture / Places — 2 Comments
15
Jul 11

Shinjuku: Tall Buildings and Entertainment

In a first for the “Places” entries about Tokyo, we’re looking at an entire special ward of Tokyo: Shinjuku. This ward is the home of Shinjuku Station, not only Japan’s but the world’s busiest train station. You’ll also find the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, one of the tallest buildings in Japan and the seat for the local Tokyo government.

Among the more culturally appealing attractions of the area are the Japanese Sword Museum and a number of parks. The Japanese Sword Museum, which offers English-language information about the exhibits, has over 150 swords on display. You’ll also find Japanese armor. The Shinjuku Gyoen (Park) is especially crowded during the hanami season because of the spectacular view of blossoms.

Shinjuku is also known for an expansive array of shopping opportunities. A number of department stores have an anchor store in Shinjuku and you’ll find mini malls as well — stores and malls such as Iseten, Odakyu, Takashimaya, Mylord and Lumine. Popular electronic stores include Yamada Denki and Yodobashi Camera.

If you’re looking for food, you’ll find a plethora of cheap, tiny restaurants in Omoide Yokocho. (It’s sometimes called “Piss Alley,” but the food isn’t all horribly cheap!) The mini malls and anchor stores have slightly higher-class restaurants so you can grab a bite while you’re shopping.

Kabukichou is in Shinjuku as well. Kabukichou is Tokyo’s “red light district” with adults-only entertainment. That’s where you’ll find a large share of love hotels and host and hostess clubs. Unofficially, you’ll find over 1000 members of the yakuza, the Japanese mafia, as well! Shinjuku Ni-chome is Tokyo’s best known gay district, with gay bars and gay host clubs and love hotels.  You’ll find plenty to do during the day and during the night in Shinjuku!

Have you ever been to Shinjuku? Are you more interested in shopping there or spending time at nightclubs?

All Posts / Language — No Comments
8
Jul 11

~Hou Ga Ii Desu: It Is Better…

How would you give advice when speaking Japanese? Depending on the context, you could tell someone that “it is better to… [do this.]” The Japanese equivalent of “It is better to…” is “hou ga ii desu,” which you place at the end of the sentence. However, there is a connotation to the phrase in Japanese that may not exist in the direct English equivalent. “Hou ga ii desu” implies that you really recommend doing something and that any other option may be problematic, rude, or even dangerous. The phrase isn’t a simple indication of your personal preference or recommendation, so think about the context before you make a recommendation with the phrase.

Depending on the context, “hou ga ii desu” can translate to “It is better to…” or even “You had better…” The latter translation applies when you’re recommending a course of action directly to a person. The first translation is a more general recommendation or a less forceful translation of the phrase. Nonetheless, the second translation may better capture the idea that any alternative to your recommendation is dangerous or problematic.

Properly using the phrase “hou ga ii desu” involves an irregular rule that you should make note of. When you want to recommend something in the positive sense, such as “It is better to come early,” you use the past tense positive casual form of the verb before the “hou ga ii desu” phrase. When you want to recommend something in a negative sense, such as “It is better not to come late,” you use the present tense negative casual form of the verb before the phrase.

It is better to come early. = Hayai kita hou ga ii desu.

It is better not to come late. = Osoi konai hou ga ii desu.

Read here to review a few more verbs. How would you say “It is better to…” do any of these verbs?

All Posts / Culture / Entertainment — No Comments
1
Jul 11

Jankenpon: Rock, Paper, Scissors

Since what we know in the West as “Rock, Paper, Scissors” (or “Stone, Paper, Scissors”) was developed in China, it shouldn’t be a surprise to discover that the game exists in many countries around the world. The sheer amount you see the game played in Japan, though, particularly on Japanese TV shows, may surprise you. It helps if you’re familiar with the Japanese take on the game in case you’re ever asked to play. You will see the game played to determine who wins something, like a flip of a coin, or just to pass the time.

In Japan, the game is called “jankenpon” or “janken” for short. The game is usually played for the best of three. The rules are similar to “Rock, Paper, Scissors” in that you make the same fist for “rock,” peace sign for “scissors,” and flat palm for “paper.” Paper still beats rock, rock still beats scissors, and scissors still beats paper. The players begin the game by shaking their fists up and down in tandem three times, revealing their choice of rock, paper, or scissors on the third beat. In Japan, you say “jan” on the first beat, “ken” on the second beat, and “pon” on the third beat.

If the players both throw the same choice and the round is a tie, they say, “Aikou deshou” in three beats (“ai-kou-deshou“) and play again, shaking their fists up and down on each beat and throwing their new choices on the third beat. This means “one more time!” However, you can keep saying it and keep playing again and again no matter how many times you tie thereafter.

Some, but not all, games of “jankenpon” are more complex, particularly when played on Japanese game shows. During this version of the game, the players are seated at a table. On the table is one toy hammer (a plastic collapsible squeaky hammer) and one hardhat. The two players play a round of “jankenpon” but the person who throws the winning choice of rock, paper, or scissors doesn’t necessarily win. Instead, the loser must scramble to grab the hardhat and put it on his head. The winner must grab the toy hammer at the same time. The winner is trying to hit the loser on the head with the toy hammer before he successfully puts on the hardhat. If she does hit him, she wins the round. If the loser puts the hardhat on before the hammer hits the top of his head, no one scores the point and the players go back to playing jankenpon.

Have you ever seen Japanese people play jankenpon, with or without the hammer addition? Would you rather play jankenpon or flip a coin to settle a debate?