What is traditional Japanese culture?

I have been a member of Shamisen group for about 5 years. The Shamisen is a traditional Japanese instrument.

Today, I want to explain about such a traditional Japanese cultural organization.

Do you know the Iemoto system? Iemoto stands for the head of such a traditional organization or sometimes it means the system itself.

There are Iemoto systems in not only the Shamisen world, but also in the Japanese art of flower arrangement, Koto, Shakuhachi, Nihon buyo(traditional Japanese dance) , Japanese tea ceremony and other traditional Japanese cultural activities.

The members of each group need to use the same family name as it’s leader.

There are clear hierarchical structure in such groups, so we generally start out at the bottom class of the group.

Some years later after joining the group, our teacher will recommend us to move into the second class level.

At that time, we are allowed to use the same family name as the leader of our group and we also get a stage name.

I got my stage name about a year ago. However I payed about 300,000 yen to the headquarters of my Shamisen group to proceed to the next class level. It included a fee to my teacher’s teacher.

To tell the truth, I had refused my teacher’s recommendation to proceed to the next class level, because I felt it was a waste to pay such money just to get the family name.

I like traditional culture, however I dislike such a traditional system, not only because of the issue of having to pay big money, but also because there are some strange rules in our group.

Therefore I had originally refused my teacher’s recommendation.

However I finally accepted it, because the next pupil in line was waiting for her turn.

It’s natural to proceed to the next class level in turn, and I was the first pupil under my teacher.

I want to explain about such a hierarchical system again.

The order that we became pupils is very important in our society.

We need to call our senior members “Ne-san” which is polite and which expresses our respect.

However my teacher is a very friendly and kind person, so I couldn’t  learn about such a strict system very thoroughly.

We have yearly joint concert with my teacher’s teacher’s group.

My teacher’s teacher is quite important in the Shamisen world, because he was one of the pupils of the head of our Shamisen organization.

So his views are very conservative and I didn’t like his views or his group.

Last weekend, our group had a joint practice, and my teacher’s teacher was invited as an instructor.

At that time, I was shocked.

His technique was marvelous and his way of teaching was also great.

He taught us not only about the way of handling a Shamisen but also the reasons why we should handle a Shamisen in such a way.

I was very surprised, because I didn’t know such reasons.

Also on that day, there was negative shock for me.

I met some new members on that day, and some members lacked courtesy.

The thing I was most shocked by was a woman who seemed to be the same age as me, stepped over my instrument, and talked to other members too casually.

She also said that she didn’t bring the fee for our teacher and also didn’t prepare money for dinner.

Why?

The fact that most members didn’t put their fee into an envelope also shocked me. It was disrespectful.

Now I’m re-thinking about what traditional Japanese culture is.

When we are learning such traditional cultural activities, we also need to learn about etiquette.

Although I was not a good pupil, I need to know the spirit of traditional culture more deeply.

Walking in Machia

My husband and I went to Machida squirrel park during the three holiday.

It took for about 1.5 hours from my nearest station, Asagaya to there. At first we went to Machida station, and transfered to a bus.

It was my first time to go to Machida, and I felt very excited.

I checked a lot of information about not only that park but also the surrounding area, and good restaurants in Machida on the Internet.

The information about restaurants is always very important for us.

I usually use “Tabe log” to search for restaurants. Tabe means to eat, and log means a list of restaurants.

I found some restaurants which looked delicious near Machida station, and I talked to my husband about lunch so we decided the restaurant which we would go to.

After 20 minutes, we got off the bus in front of the park.

Wow, I really like such a local atmosphere.

To tell the truth, my husband’s colleague recommended him to go there, and he also recommended that it’s better to go in the morning, because in the afternoon, the squirrels are not active.

The main place of the park is a square in which the Taiwanese squirrels run wild.

To my surprise, we could give them feed which we bought for only 100 yen.

They were very very cute!

But to tell the truth, they were too active. When I made eye contact with the squirrels, they jumped and climbed on me.

They were used to human beings, however their nails were too long, and my skin was scratched by them.

It was very difficult to take nice photos of them, because they were moving too fast.

It’s only his tail.

There was also a big tortoise there, and families, especially children seemed glad.

We bought some cute magnets for our souvenirs.

After Machida squirrel park, we moved to Yakushi-ike park, which is next to Machida squirrel park.

The atmosphere was very nice, so we felt relaxed.

Unfortunately, on that day, we couldn’t see many flowers , but I found nice some photos on flicker.

On one member’s pages, you can see a lot of beautiful photos of Yakushi ike park.

In the morning, we finished walking around the park, and we went back to Machida station by bus.

We chose a Cambodian restaurant, which was called Angkor Thom, for our lunch, and quickly we noticed that our selection was good.

All dishes were very very delicious, and I was impressed by some articles about the history of that restaurant and the owner’s profile, which I read while I was waiting for the food.

She originally came to Japan to study at the expense of the Cambodia Government.

However unfortunately, the war started soon after in Cambodia, and she couldn’t contact her family in Cambodia.

With some help, she could contact some of them, but the brutality of the war shocked her.

She was determined to become a bridge between her home country and Japan.

The food was not only delicious but also reasonably price! If I have a chance to go to Machida again, I want to go that restaurant again, and order another lunch set.

After lunch, we walked around the central area near Machida station.

My husband and I talked about how that area had a mixed atmosphere, somewhere between Shibuya and Shinjuku.

Machida is one of the bigger local cities near the metropolis of Tokyo. It seems to be very convenient for shopping and living. It was very lively in that city.

After window shopping, we went to a very famous stand which is called Syouyou-senchin-manju-ya to buy soup dumplings.

My husband and I were already full, but did our best to eat them!

They were too delicious!!! I highly recommend you to try them.

At first, you need to break the skin of the soup dumplings, and second, drink the hot and delicious soup. Finally, eat the dumplings.

It was our first time to eat such delicious soup dumplings. I think I will never forget the taste.

After eating them, we walked around that area again.

Beside the narrow alley which is called “Machida Nakamise Shotengai“, there are some interesting restaurants and shops. I really like such a town in which the old and new atmosphere is mixed.

Please see this website for more photos of the area near Machida station.

I recommend you to go to Machida, which can be reached by the Odakyu-line from Shinjuku within about 40 minutes by rapid train.

Udon party at my apartment

I planned a home party at my home last weekend.

That day’s afternoon, I accompanied my colleague who was looking for a new apartment in my residential area.

After that, I invited my friends to my apartment to eat dinner together.

One of my friends’s mother came to Japan from the US, so I also invited her to my apartment.

I originally wanted to eat Tarai-udon which is one of my hometown’s popular local foods with my guests.

But my husband wanted to express his hospitality, so he cooked some very nice dishes for us.

Most of the vegetables were grown by my father in his veggies garden, and all of them were organic vegetables.

He gives me vegetables every time I go buck home. And my husband usually cooks them for us.

All members said that the dishes were very delicious and couldn’t stop eating.

The following picture is also a local food in my hometown, Tokushima.

It is called “Fish-katsu” in Japanese.

I used to eat it as a snack when I was a child. It is a bit spicy and taste like junk food.

It is usually eaten with sauce, soy sauce, mayonnaise and spices.

One guest became to like it very much, so I gave her the rest of it.

By the way, I want to tell you about one of the Japanese customs which is that most Japanese men who are married never cook.

In Japan, for a long time, it has been normal that husbands work outside and wives do housework at home.

But now the situation is changing in that the status of women is becoming higher than in the past.

Most Japanese women who graduate from university want to continue their careers even if they get married, but most Japanese husbands don’t help their wives.

As a result, most wives need to work outside and inside very hard every day.

Some of my female friends sometimes complaine that their husbands never help them since they got married.

In my case, at first, my husband could not cook very well and also could not do housework, because his mother and his ex-girl friend did everything for him.

We started to live together 2 years before our marriage, and at that time, I was very busy with my previous job, so I couldn’t cook for him very much, therefore he started to try cooking for us by himself.

He soon became to like cooking, because he really likes to eat delicious food.

Also he was lucky, since he was working for a printing company, he got some cook books free of charge.

After several years, he became a good cook. Whenever he cooked for our guests, all of the guests said his dishes were very delicious, and some of them said that my husband could open a restaurant if he wanted to.

Some of my male friends say to me that they don’t have enough time to cook themselves, but I disagree with them.

I think the most important thing is whether they like to cook or not, and if they are married, whether they want to help their wives of not.

In my case, I used to think, I had a opportunity to learn English overseas.

But now I’m thinking that we can make our own chances if we truly hope so.

The Wedding anniversary

July 7th was our 5th wedding anniversary.

Though I do not feel that we have spent such a long time together, the time certainly goes by quickly.

And, that day was also his 38th birthday. So I had planned to travel somewhere with him.

I remembered about hato bus tours.

Hato bus is the biggest bus tour company in Japan.

I used to go on their tours up until few years ago with my husband.

They provide a lot of kinds of tours; half day, full day and overnight. Their main customers are middle aged people.

You can find some of their tours at their English website, but at their Japanese website, there are more kinds of tours available.

One of the good points of a hato bus tour is the cheap price and the comfort the bus.

Usually if we travel some places within one day, we need to ride the train and sometimes use a taxi. In which case I guess we need to spend a lot of money and generally we feel tired after the trip.

However the reason why I chose hato bus was not only for the prices and comfort, but because I like the particular atmosphere of a hato bus tour.

I guess people who like to communicate with others join hato bus tours, so the atmosphere of a hato bus tour is always heartwarming.

I applied for a hato bus tour for him.

The tour which I applied for was a  joint project between hato bus and a small village in Gunma prefecture.

I noticed that it was an important project for the village to attract tourists who live in Tokyo.

The village’s name is Kuni, which I didn’t know.

The tour started in Shinjuku, and the time we had to assemble was at 7:10am, which was very early.

When we reached Shinjuku, some passengers were already in the bus.

I felt excited!

Soon the bus departed from Shinjuku for Kuni.

It was about a 4 hour trip to Kuni, which was a bit long…

The bus stopped at parking areas 2 times, and we bought some local foods there. It was one of our pleasures to eat the local foods.

After the 4 hour trip, we reached Kuni, and almost immediately the participants ate lunch together.

The lunch was not so interesting or delicious except for the tofu with miso paste.

While we were eating lunch, the mayor of Kuni came into the room, and started to give a welcome speech.

I was very surprised, and soon noticed that this hato bus tour was a more important project that I had originally thought.

While listening to his speech, my husband and I felt the mayor was very honest and friendly.

To my surprise, after his speech, he handed his name cards to each guest.

Moreover, he apologized that he couldn’t show us around Kuni, because he had to go somewhere for an urgent job.

Post cards and free tickets for drinking soy milk had also been prepared for us. How amazing! Their hospitality was very nice!

After lunch and a short break time, we rode the hato bus again and moved to Lake Nozori.

A local person who was working for the Kuni sightseeing association showed us the way.

Lake Nozori was an amazing place.

He suggested us to see some alpine plants.

We had only 30 minutes to stay there, so we climbed a small hill in a hurry to see them.

The guide told us that this year is a good year, so we can see a lot of alpine plants.

Time went by quickly, so all members got back on the bus and we moved to the next place.

The next place was a small area in Kuni, which is called Akaiwa area.

Akaiwa area is a famous area in which there were still some old sericulture farmers’ houses.

The eras in which those houses were built, were different.

Some of them were built in the Meiji-period, and other ones were built in the Edo-period.

Gunma prefecture had some famous areas for sericulture, and Akaiwa are was one of them.

Now, the sericulture in Japan is declining, because of cheap products which are made in China and other developing countries.

So this architecture style is becoming important in Japan.

The feature of these house is the second and sometimes third floor.

Do you notice that the balconies are protruding? And all houses are very big.

At that time, the silk was expensive and the rate of currency was good, so many farmers wanted to extend their house to breed silkworms.

An other guide who knew that area very well, took us to a small museum in which models of silkworms and some agricultural machinery and tools were on display.

Akaiwa’s location was very nice and I felt nostalgic.

We stayed in Akaiwa for about 1 hour.

To tell the truth, we were lucky, because the day before our trip, the same hato bus tour was canceled due to heavy rain.

That day was cloudy and it was good for walking.

Before we moved to Akaiwa, one of the local guides presented us with cell phone straps.

I remember that I had told him it was our wedding anniversary.

He appriciated that we had chosen Kuni village for our anniversary trip.

The straps were a pair for my husband and I, which were made from Akaiwa silk. Of course, they were handmade.

I felt very happy to selected this small village.

After the long trip from Kuni, we finally reached Shinjuku again at about 7:30pm.

We ate some local foods in the hato bus, which we bought at parking areas.

At home, we ate Manju which we bought as our souvenir. It was also delicious!

I’ll go to Gunma prefecture this summer with my husband and his mother. So if I have time, I want to visit Kuni again and stay there longer to feel relaxed.

Shakujii park

Shakujiii park is one of the largest and most famous parks in Tokyo which I had wanted  to go to for a long time.

One sunny day, my husband and I decided to go there by bicycle.

Shakujii park is a public park in Nerima-ku, and which contains 2 ponds; Shakujii-pond and Sanpoji-pond.

The fountain in Sanpoji-pond is one of the top 3 in the Musashino area.

Especially, Sanpoji-pond is designated as a natural treasure.

From my house to Shakuhii park, it takes about 30 minutes; it was not so far.

When we reached the park, we was very surprised to see many families there, because at that time, our knowledge about Shakujii park was not so extensive.

I remembered my childhood. I used to go fishing in rivers and ponds, and used to catch crayfish with my childhood friends, most of them being boys.

We walked through a place where many families were enjoying fishing,  and came to an interesting rest shop, which was named Oyasumidokoro in Japanese.

I felt nostalgic when I saw that shop, because that shop’s style was from Showa era.

At that shop, we ordered 2 cups of sweet cold sake, which is named Amazake. It was very delicious. I really like such style cafes.

Some local customers were enjoying having a conversation in that shop.They were of various different generations which was interested for me.

and it was interesting for me.

After drinking Amazake, we walked around Sanpoji-pond.

Beside the pond, there was a small shrine.

Shakujii park is made up of 2 areas, and the atmosphere of other area, which is on the opposite side of the road, was different.

That area seemed to be not so special except for the swan boats.

After about 2 hours walking, we felt hungry, and talked about dinner.

My husband wanted to go to the delicious Chinese restaurant which is near my house, however I insisted to eat at the nostalgic shop again.

I remembered that the menu at that shop was interesting.

This dish name is Miso-dengaku, but at that shop, it was called Miso-oden.

This dish name is Oden. It was very tasty, and I felt it had a Kansai style taste.

I

This dish name is Motsu-ni. Motsu-ni is a stew of cow’s organs with a miso flavor.

It was also very delicious. We can sometimes find Motsu-ni at cheap shops in downtown areas.

We really enjoyed the weekend. I want to go to different parks around Tokyo.

Otaguro park

Recently my husband and I visited 2 parks around my residential area.

The first one was Otaguro park in Ogikubo.

It’s near to my apartment, and about 6-7 minutes walk from Ogikubo station.

It was formerly the estate of Motoo Otaguro, a music composer and critic in the Showa Era, who was credited with introducing the music of Debussy and Stravinsky to Japan.

After his death, his estate was donated to Suginami-ku, and since then it has been kept up as a beautiful Japanese-style garden.

All people can walk around there and relax free of charge from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

And if you apply, you can use a tea house to enjoy a tea ceremony. However I guess this service is only available for Suginami-ku residents.

After Otaguro park, we walked around the Ogikubo area, and we found a traditional Showa-style apartment on the way to Ogikubo station.

I like such old style apartments, because when I see them, I feel nostalgic even if I don’t know the period.

Near Ogikubo station, we found a small bakery.

Recently, I’m addicted to eating bread, shokupan in Japanese, for breakfast everyday.

So I have been trying to buy bread at different bakeries near my office and my house.

At that bakery, I also bought bread. But…the taste was not bad, but not so impressive.

I wonder if I really want to try to eat other types of bread at that shop.

Dinner party at my friend’s new house.

One of my close friends who is also my colleague, invited me to her new apartment.

She is a Japanese-American and her parents bought the new apartment in Tokyo, however her parents still live in America.

At first we were planning to have a small dinner party with just our common close friends, but she changed our plan.

She invited many friends, 17 people, to her new apartment.

I like such dinner parties, because I can get new friends, whose backgrounds are different from mine.

I bought special bread named “Melon-pan” in Nishiogikubo, and in Kichijoji, I bought one kind of Fish-cake and also some snacks.

It was about 3pm when I reached her house.

Both my friends were in the middle of cooking.

The view was very very nice from her house!

I helped with the cooking and writing the welcome board.

Other members came there around 5-6pm, and the dishes which they brought were interesting.

Some dishes were very special, so I was ashamed that I didn’t bring a homemade dish.

One person at the party was my friend’s friend’s friend, and he was a lawyer.

His background was very impressive.

He became a lawyer after working as a office worker for 7 years. Before passing the lawyer exam, he’d tried 6 times.

And after passing it, he traveled around Asia and the Middle East for 1 and half year.

Not only this story impressed me, but also the fact that he selected “Saga prefecture” as the place where he has been working.

He told me that he was not interested in working in big cities, and  he likes to connect with local people deeply and do everything by himself which he couldn’t do when he was working as “a office worker”.

I can understand his thinking, because I had been studying law at University, and gave up my dream to become a lawyer.

I thought about my future in a new light, because I want to continue working even if I have a baby.

Unfortunately it’s difficult for woman to have a full time job, if we have children in Japan.

So our skills are very important. umm, I need to think more..

Wonderful people who I met via CS

I met some people via CS(Couch Surfing.com) recently.

I’m keen on meeting foreign travelers via CS.haha.

Most of them have nice personalities, as I’ve written in my previous articles.

But the most interesting thing for me is to get to know their points of view about Japan and Japanese culture.

So I think I want to meet CSers one-on-one at first, not in a group.

Recently I’ve met a French woman who is a writer on town planning issues.

Her age is in her fifties, and she has a daughter whose age is similar to me.

At the first time, we met at her hotel in Aoyama-icchome after my work, and then moved to a Japanese restaurant which had a very nice atmosphere.

We talked about many topics, and had a very good time. Her experiences in her life impressed me very much.

The second, we met at her hotel again on the weekend, and I guided her around Omotesando, Harajuku and Kagurazaka.

She is very fashionable, and we enjoyed window-shopping in Omotesando.

I seldom go window-shopping these days, so it was a lot of fun for me too.

In Harajuku, we ate Crepes. It was typical Harajuku style.(Many Harajuku girls love to eat Crepes, while enjoying shopping and talking with their friends)

After Harajuku, we moved to Kagurazaka.

Kagurazaka is the one of popular places amoung people who love traditonal Japanese culture.

It wasn’t me who chose those areas.  My new French friend was interested in there. haha(Sure, me too.)

The other day, I met an Italian girl who is studying in Tokyo.

It was funny that the first person who contacted me via CS was her brother. Incidentally he introduced me to his sister.

We met at Hiroshimayaki restaurant in Kanda, which is not so far from my office.

A well-known food in Japan is Okonomiyaki, local Osakan cuisine, but  Hiroshimayaki is also a well-known local Hiroshima food.(The shape of Okonomiyaki and Hiroshimayaki is similar.)

Her Japanese was good, so I could understand everything that she said. But that day, my condition was not good, so we said good-bye early.

After I met the French woman on the weekend, I met the Italian sister and her brother in Mitsukoshi- mae, the nearest station of my office.

We moved to an Oden restaurant near Nihonbashi, Mitsukoshi-mae and Nihonbashi are very near.

At the Oden restaurant we really enjoyed talking about many topics. And after the Oden restaurant, we moved to Shiodome to see the night view.

The Italian sister and I enjoyed the night view at Caretta Shiodome, but her brother was very tired after his long trip.

So we said good-bye before getting late.

I met a Rusian woman who is also studying Japanese in Tokyo.

I set our first meeting near my office after work. I introduced her to the same Oden restaurant.(I really like that Oden restaurant, because their style is traditional and the price is nice.)

We enjoyed conversation there and  talked in Japanese sometimes.

On an other day, I met a Madagascan woman who is from the UK.

We exchanged emails several times before her trip to Japan, so I could get to know her personality a bit before we met.

We went to a Monjayaki restaurant in Kanda.

Monjayaki, a local Tokyo food, belongs to the same type of cuisine as Okonomiyaki and Hiroshimayaki.

She was interested in modern Japanese culture, especially J-pop music and Manga.

We really enjoyed our conversation at the Monjayaki restaurant.

All meetings were very very exciting, so I decided to invite all members to my house at the same time.(The first person who I was planning to invite to my house was the Madagascan woman, but I changed my plan.)

And the final person I invited to my house was a Swiss guy who also contacted me via CS. I thought  his personality was nice, so I imagined all members could become good friends.

What an amazing home party!

We ate Nabe(hotpot) and I showed them a Shamisen performance.

We exchanged our cultural differences and the experiences of traveling in Japan. All members really enjoyed the party.

The Swiss guy had been living near my house for 7 years, so I was very surprised at his deep knowledge of Ogikubo and Asagaya.(my residential area)

There were 6 different nationalities at the party.

2 days after the home party, I went to the Swiss guy’s farewell party in Yomiuriland-mae.

There I met 2 people who were friends of the Swiss guy. One of them was an Israelite, and the other was Canadian.

All members had a good humor sense, so we had a very nice time together.

I experienced very interesting gatherings within one month.

But I know for me, someone who is studying English, it’s dangerous to become addicted to such gatherings.

I need to spend my time to read grammar text books and memorize English words, because my goal is not only daily conversation but also to master business English.

The meaning of work

Many foreigners who I guided told me that Japanese people work very hard. (compared to foreigners)

I agree them.

I think that most Japanese don’t think about the in reason for working, because they are too busy every day. They just think that they need to work to make a living or get more salary or achieve status.

Some people are very confused when thinking about the in reasons for working.

In my case, I was very worried about my career until recently.

Because most of my friends are starting to give birth around in their thirties.(I’m 31 years old)

Some of them gave up their dream of a career, and decided to become a housewife.

In my case, I want to have a baby, however I can’t decide when is the best time.

I also want to get a better salary and title, and enjoy my life.

But I failed to find a new job recently.

So I changed my mind about my situation.

I do my best in my job everyday, and never get angry at my managers and colleagues.

All things which happened to me have a reason.

For example, if my manager orders me to do something which I disagree about, it’s the best chance to develop my persuasion skills.

When I joined my company 2 and half years ago, there were some colleagues I didn’t like.

But I’ve changed my attitude to try to understand their thinking and position, so I’ve become closer to them.

It’s only me that can have an influence on other people and situations.

Returning to the first topic, I want to give some advice to people who work hard and are worried about their future.

It’s only you who can change your situation.

Please think about your motivation working, not only your salary and title.

I usually have some trouble in my projects. But I think it’s a chance to heighten my skills of negotiation.

By the way, thanks to my husband, friends and parents, I could change my attitude.

Although I might quit my job someday, I don’t want to regret everything. So I do my best for everything(not only my job, but also everything in my life)

The trip to my parent’s house – Part.2

To tell the truth, on the next day of our trip to Kochi, we were planning to go to Kagawa, which is located in the north of Tokushima.

But all members were very tired, so we changed our schedule.

In the morning, we stayed at home and just relaxed, and in the afternoon, we went to 2 temples, which are not so far from my parent’s house.

Before write about these temples, I want to write about “Ohenro“.

In Shikoku, there is a peculiar Buddhism custom which is called “Shikoku-henro” or “Ohenro” or “Ohenro-san”.

There are 88 temples in Shikoku, and some people go on a pilgrimage to visit 88 temples from no.1 to no.88 or in reverse order.

To visit these temples is one way of fulffiling their wishes, or overcoming their physical or mental problems.

Nowadays, it is a popular tour to visit these temples, so tourists go there by bus or car or bike.

However some people visit all temples on foot. It’s very hard physical and mental training.

In Shikoku, if we come across”Ohenro-san”(people who visit temples wearing white costumes), we should treat them kindly.

For example, we give them rice balls, some fresh fruit, and of course, give them directions, if they are lost.

Someday, I want to be a “Ohenro-san” to train my spirit.

My parent’s, my husband and I went to the no.1 temple which is called “Ryōzenji“.

After visiting Ryōzenji(the no.1 temple) and Gokurakuji(the no.2 temple, which is near from Ryōzenji), we went back to my parent’s house before going to a steak restaurant to eat dinner.

My favorite aunt reserved the restaurant, but unfortunately she couldn’t come with us, because her relative died suddenly, so she needed to go to the funeral.

We had a nice dinner together and talked about many topics.

The next day, my husband and I left Tokushima early in the morning.

This time, I didn’t have enough time to talk with my grand mother and aunt, so I checked the schedule of future cheap flights to Tokushima.

I want to talk with my family more, so I’ll go back there on July 4.