In this episode John and I answer some listener questions like:
What does Guzen mean?
What do we do when we come across other gaijins?
Can you be happy in Japan?
If you have any questions please ask and we'll do our best to answer them.
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The mountains around my school got a lite dusting of snow this morning. 
The weather in Japan is very similar to that of the East Coast of North America. Most Japanese letters and conversations will start with a reference to the weather. If you spend any length of time in Japan you would think there were only two types of weather, very hot and very cold, because you will hear people saying あつい！あつい！(hot! hot!) or さむい！さむい！(cold! cold!) every 5 seconds. Shizuoka, where I live, is known for it mild temperatures and nice weather.
Japanese also are very proud of Japan having four distinct (well five if you include tsuyu) seasons. The change of seasons has been the inspiration and main focus of much of the art, literature, and many other things in Japan. The best time to visit Japan is during the Spring or Fall.
Read more about Japan's Climate.
500 Essential Japanese Season Words
Today is a national holiday in Japan called Seijin no hi 成人の日 which translates to Coming of Age Day in English.
All young people who turn twenty years old in the current year are celebrated on this day. Ceremonies are held in every town in the first two weeks of the new year. Many young women dress in kimono with long sleeves called furisode if they are unmarried and the young men usually wear suits or kimomo with hakama.
Twenty is the age considered as the beginning of adulthood. It is also the legal age for voting, drinking, and smoking, but I read recently that the Japanese government was thinking about lowering the voting age to 18 in the future.
Reports show that there are around 1.35 million 20 year olds now, which is the lowest number on record.
This is a video of the Thunder Dolphin roller coaster that wraps around the LaQua shopping center at Tokyo Dome City. This is a great spot to visit if you want to have dinner, do some shopping, get a spa treatment, and enjoy an amusement park. Just take the train to Korakuen Station in Tokyo.
I took the audio out so don't worry about your viewing device being broken. I think it makes the video a little more interesting. It's kind of like the feeling you get it when you step on on escalator that isn't working. Your mind is expecting one thing, but the body experience something different.
What do you think?
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I found Kids Web Japan the other day by guzen. Take some time and explore the site because it has a lot of good information about Japan presented in a fun way.
Check it out and let me know what you think.
My good friend Chris (teacher, writer, runner, and original co-host) was kind enough to share a short story he wrote. It's a very good read and very true. Enjoy!
An Unlikely Supporter
by Chris
Running allows me the opportunity to see things I might otherwise miss by leading a sedentary lifestyle. Running in Japan, I’ve seen some amazing things. I’ve run past ornate temples and shrines, verdurous tea fields and rice paddies, and around the local castle with the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
My regular running route takes me across several bridges going back and forth over the river near my apartment. Earlier this fall, a homeless man took up residence under one of the bridges.
His campsite looked like something out of a Stienbeck novel. A large, blue tarp hung from the underside of the bridge to provide shelter from the cold and wind. There were several blankets piled on a worn out mattress, a table made from an old shopping cart and a large piece of plywood, a few crates for storage and a couple of ratty lawnchairs. Near the table were seven or eight different sized rocks arranged to form a semi-circular fireplace. A thin rope, strung between two uneven poles, served as a makeshift clothesline. Countless items, including empty cigarette cartons, discarded food containers and plastic bags of crushed cans, were strewn about the camp.
Wafting from the campsite was a miasma of wet blankets and rotting food. An odor of urine and feces, most likely due to the scores of feral cats that romped around the camp, assaulted my nostrils, causing me to gag when I hurried past. There was also a smell of anguish and hopelessness that permeated the air around the camp. I held my breath as I sprinted past, not just to avoid the unpleasant odor, but also in an attempt to keep the redolence of despair from reaching me.
He was a small, scraggy man, his weather-beaten face cadaverous and partially obscured by a thick beard. His unruly hair was often hidden under a brown wool hat. He usually wore a few faded T-shirts under a dark, tattered windbreaker and a baggy pair of khaki pants covered with numerous mud-colored stains. The black, oversized shoes on his feet were old and held together with duct tape.
While I wasn’t happy about the man under the bridge, I didn’t want to alter my route. I figured since I only ran by there a few days a week, I could live with it. I decided to be like most people and just ignore him. Until he did something that shocked and outraged me.
Early one morning, I ran up the embankment and started across the bridge. I glanced to my left and saw him with his trousers around his ankles, squatting on a rock and using the river as his own personal outhouse. I gasped at the sight and accidentally swallowed my gum. I ran the rest of the way home in a state of nauseated shock and growing anger.
After returning home and showering, twice, I decided to do something about the man under the bridge. Many people, including children, swim further down the river during the summer and I often see people fishing, too. I got dressed and went to the local police sub-station.
The portly officer at the desk, clearly annoyed at being interrupted put down his newspaper and stubbed out his cigarette. He listened with growing impatience to my story and then told me dismissively there was nothing he could do. I reiterated how unsanitary it was and that the possible spread of disease shouldn’t be taken lightly. He sighed audibly and suggested I take my complaints to City Hall. They’re the ones in charge of bridges and tunnels, he told me.
The next morning I was standing at City Hall when they opened for business. I had to explain why I was there to three different people before I was finally directed to the Division of Bridges and Tunnels, a cramped, brightly lit room at the end of the corridor on the second floor. A large man with severely crooked teeth and a combover listened politely while I told my story for what seemed like the umpteenth time. When I finished, he shook his head and said I should contact the local police sub-station. Defeated, I had no choice other to put up with the man under the bridge. That, however, proved difficult to do.
The next time I ran past his camp, he stood up, cupped his grubby hands together and shouted, “Gambare!” Loosely translated, this means “Give it your best!” For the next few weeks, he became my biggest supporter, exhorting me to run faster and not to give up. I was annoyed at first, since he was making it hard for me to ignore him. After I while, I started to wave each time I passed by. He’d smile, wave back and yell louder. This went on for a while. I began to look forward to these short exchanges. I found myself trying harder as I ran past him, wanting to make a good impression. I wondered if he noticed I was getting faster.
I went out running a few days ago, and he was gone. He, along with all of his possessions, has disappeared. Every thing in the camp has been removed, the ground swept clean and cleared of any debris. Even the cats are nowhere to be found. The only evidence of his ever having existed are the charred rocks of his fireplace.
Funny, but I miss him. He was the only consistency in an otherwise unpredictable training schedule. The weather, time and my mood often changed, but he was always there with an encouraging word. His raspy voice, calling for me to run faster, still echoes in my head as I run past his empty camp.
It is Heisei (平成)20 and the Year of the Rat here in Japan. Thanks again to all of you that have supported and contributed to this site, forum, and show. I wish everyone a Healthy and Happy New Year!
Here is some Japanese you can use during this holiday.
Happy New Year!
あけましておめでとうございます (akemashite omedeto gozaimasu)
I hope to receive your favor again this year.
今年もよろしくお願いします (kotoshimo yoroshiku onegaishimasu)
A shorter more casual greeting you can use for friends is
あけおめことよろ (akeome kotoyoro)
