Japan - myths and reality

While you are sitting in your cozy house, Japan seems to be so far, existing only on map and almost unreachable. We not think of it much, but when we do, our mind finds somewhere in the remote place of our brain the information about Sony computers, geishas, and tea-break ceremonies.

I bet that someone who hasn’t been to Japan would describe this country like the one where women wears kimono, serve to men, who rule the country, that the Japanese learn much, know about the computers well, eat uncooked fish and live long. That’s a mixture of true and myths.

It might take time before you get domesticated with this country. The first shock might be when you land for the first time, when you look around and feel like a newborn child: with many little, dark haired people around, who are toing and froing around, twittering in the language you don’t grasp, where are strange hieroglyphs all around, everything is written with peculiar sticks, prices are colossal (it might seem for you so from the beginning, because yens are counted in hundreds and thousands).

The start for me was really difficult. I didn’t know how to shop, because I didn’t understand what products are in those bags and if they are eatable overall. I also didn’t know how to order in restaurants, where the menu is written in hieroglyphs and I didn’t orient in city, because traffic is backwards, I didn’t know how to pay the bus for the ride and even how to eat with the sticks.

Everything developed little by little. After a while I started interesting in country’s culture, history, traditions, began traveling. I have gradually fallen in love with shop sellers always shouting irashaimase (en. welcome ), „talking“ escalators, and with always bowing, but not flexibly thinking company workers. The myths about this country dissipated also that quickly.

Japan is a country of wonderful nature. It is spread from north to south for more than five thousand kilometers. The country fascinates its visitors with ice sculptures in the north island of Hokkaido and with evergreen palms and aqua beaches in the south island of Okinawa.

The most beautiful periods: hanami and momijigari

Hanami – the blossom of sakura trees in the main part of the country. It appears in the first two weeks of April, but in Okinawa they effloresce in February. The blossom slowly travels over the whole country.

Another journey of the nature begins in autumn. This time from north to south and is called momijigari , when the leafs of the trees change their colors in September. At this time even the most zealous company workers remember that it is not needed to work in weekends and instead of early breakfast, struggling in the crowded morning trains, or a short nap on the office couch, they calmly pack their lunch boxes and prepare to enjoy nature with their family or friends.

Japanese work much

They really work much and even boast how many overtime they spend at work. Officially you can work even 900 hundred of overtime hours in this country! Because of the long working hours people come to pubs in the evenings to ease the tension a little. ‘Enks’ (en. drinking parties) are organized from time to time, where to participate and to drink is essential and allowed. There are many things forgiven for the drunk people, but with the exception for driving. Huge fine is charged not only for the driver, but also for the passengers, because they know that the driver isn’t sober.

Japanese - the nation of regulations

At first it was irritating, but later I realized how much advantages does it provide and makes the living easier. Foremost – the country is safe. You could call a plumber or any other repairer and leave him alone at your home. You will find the job done and a bill on the table saying what has been repaired and you won’t notice any interference with your personal items. Secondly, there is no need to worry about being tricked and lastly, the Japanese are the men of their word, if they promised something they will definitely do that.

It may sometimes seem that the Japanese overleap too much while following the rules. The 2005 November in Japan happened to be very cold. The temperature dropped to zero Celsius at night. But houses are still not heated. My Japanese friend had contacted the institution responsible for heating; they said that heating will only be turned on in December, as it is the rule. Japan teaches the people to follow the rules.

Japan - the self-contained nation?

I think it is only a myth. Of course it depends on the person. The Japanese whom I met stated that they really want to get acquainted with the foreigners, there is just a little barrier of language.

Firstly, about the language. I have met many Japanese speaking English fluently and that much of those who can’t say a word, but really want to interact. It seems that we just sometimes are too impatient for the odd Japanese pronunciation and for distorted English words. I had a friend. She was learning at school and whom I could ask what she had for lunch or how many lesson she had yesterday. However, she was excellent manga – the painter of Japanese comics. She spoke with me in her drawings.

Now about the fear. That is a fear coming from the respect related with the history of the country. The Japanese lost the Second World War and the Americans won it. Consequently, as the Japanese understand, Americans are better then they and should be respected, followed and learned from. Every white man foreigner in this country is still greeted with respectful fear.

The people of the rising sun’s country are very obliged. They will do their best for the foreigner. If he interests in Japan’s culture and traditions sincerely, he will be shown of all country’s treasure.

The Japanese care for themselves and for the others

The Japan will never say ‘no’. You would more likely hear tabun (en. perhaps) or they would angle their heads and with the expression of the sad face say: Chotto... Eeee....Tabun....

That probably means ‘no’, but the Japanese won’t answer strictly avoiding the insult.

You can find a big tub almost near every shop packed with umbrellas. But whom are they? Somebody’s but still nobody’s. Or everybody’s. Umbrellas here are cheap. People leave them when entering the shop as they don’t want to cause any trouble like floor or carpet cleaning and eventually for their own convenience. When exiting the shop, if the sun shines, they leave the umbrella. Somebody might need it later, which will come out of the shop when it is raining.

Drat it! I haven’t umbrella... There is no need to regret. Choose which you like and go! You left your umbrella somewhere, but somebody had left his umbrella for you.

The feeling of the great freedom

Here nobody cares how you dress, where you spend your holidays and what diagonal is your TV. While you are young and unemployed you can dress whatever you like, but when you become a company worker you know that you will be bounded to the boring, mostly black classic suits.

Girls in Japan like to wear summer skirts stretched on frazzled to loose, or too tight jeans in the middle of winter, or they put on blouses on sweaters, adorned with ruffles, or variegated with little cats, dogs or bears. And one more cloth is added somewhat of one third of the sweater, lapelled jacket or coat, long, ground sweeping scarf and a cap with a bobble and rickety shoes. All of that is like a mixture of colors and styles. You can see the real parade in Tokyo Shibuya or Harajuku districts, where local people and foreigners come to see the fashion of the young. These youngsters let themselves become barbies, Christmas deers, servants, rockers, Elvis or any other desired characters.

In Japan it is everything interlaced - modernism with history and traditions, Japanese modesty with screaming teenagers, obedience with total inflexibility on some occasions, temperance with effrontery. It is fun to see a woman dressed in traditional kimono, having a special haircut and make-up, wearing zori (en. the Japanese slippers), pattering with somebody on the cell phone and rushing in small steps towards the newest Honda or Toyota.

And it is fun to wander in Odaibo district in Tokyo, where the American Statue of Liberty swanks, Rainbow Bridge crosses the river and the twin towers of Manhattan rise. After a few minutes with Tokyo metro you can disembark near the Japanese garden, admire the temples of antiquity and enjoy the silence.

It seems that only in Japan it is possible to mix everything so much, to let in everything and somehow all the things eventually fit.

The time spent in the country of Rising Sun taught me how to follow the rules without mumbling, to look forgivingly into all curiosities and enjoy every moment of life. It taught to stand, not to flee.