Memories of a boring golden week in Japan

‘Students walk to school and rush to home’ is an advertisement caption I read somewhere in the newspaper. The reverse was the case for me till April 10 of this year in Japan. Virtually I cursed the week-ends for almost past one year and wanted to attend office to the maximum possible extent. Personal life in Japan was not very exciting as the whole family was miles apart.

For some initial weeks I had nothing to do in Japan on Saturdays and Sundays and that was one of the reasons for this blog too. Last Golden week was a silver week for me as for most part of the holidays I was found myself alone except in occasions together with Mustain-san. When one of my colleagues asked about the golden week holidays, I replied as if I celebrated a bronze week, not even silver!

During last Golden week holidays I was involved in internet browsing and Yahoo answers. Life in Japan with friends is thrilling, but never a lonely life. Coming out of the initial adjustment troubles with Japan after Golden week holidays, I could mingle with friends from other countries and some Japanese too.

This golden week is really more than golden for me as my whole family is here with me to make the holidays happier. Holidays in Japan now are not boring as I have kids to play with. My elder daughter is my companion now to accompany wherever I go. She will play football with me on the ground near to our building. She insists me to go the park and have fun outside.

Life with kids even if we are in hell will be cheerful! Children are natural in their behavior which almost all of the adults lack. The life in Japan with many adult Japanese having the attitude of children are thus more blissful!

When we go together outside especially in trains many Japanese people look at us as we have different face and skin color. I never felt this before as Japanese people have not stared at me as if I am an alien. Now while going with my daughter, some of them look with curious face at my daughter and say “Kawaii ne”. I learned a new Japanese word Kawaii, which means ‘Cute’. I don’t think Japanese people are staring at us, but they just wanted to show their curiosity in seeing a foreign child with big eyes. Many of them show in gestures that she has got big eyes with their fingers folded in circles around their eyes.

That is interesting and we never felt exhausted or embarrassed as we have taken those experiences in the positive manner. No Japanese have shown any kind of antagonistic attitude till now.

Coming back to the golden week holidays, I have good play times with my daughter. In Japan, Golden Week is a group of holidays together in one week. There are four national holidays within this week. During Golden week, Japanese people plan for long outing with their family. If there is a working day in between national holidays, many of the Japanese apply for a holiday to avail long holidays. As per information from friends, Golden Week is one of Japan's three important holiday season apart from New Year holidays and Obon week. The Constitution Day (Called in Japanese as Kenpo kinenbi), Greenery Day (Called in Japanese as Midori no hi) and Children's Day (Called in Japanese as Kodomo no hi) comes on 3rd, 4th and 5th of May.

Even during long holidays, after going out, I rush to return home. ‘Students walk to school and rush to home’ becomes a meaningful caption in my life in Japan too.

When the castles of good images of Japan falls down in the mind…..

Some of my preconceived notions were getting jolts when encountered with an incident of discrimination though not directed at me. I saw it happened at Morishita Toei Shinjuku station while waiting for train towards Higashi Ojima. Though I tried to convince myself that the acts of racism were not due to the skin color of the victim, I could hardly succeed in convincing myself. There were no other reasons to believe it was not due to skin color. If I could guess correctly, probably it was due to the hate towards a particular race.

And Japan is known for it as many of the personal bloggers declare with their own experiences. I defended many of the negative opinions expressed about Japanese people through this blog.

In acts of discrimination there are always three parties involved. The one who shows the hate feelings, the victim of discrimination towards whom the acts of the racists are expressed publicly and the third one are the witnesses. I was at the third position of witness and was watching the discriminator’s actions as he walked through the plat-form from where the victim was standing in the queue.

At first I thought of not writing about this incident as it may project Japan and its majority good and kind people in a detrimental manner. The discriminator here may be an exception from the vast majority of friendly Japanese people. Though an odd event, I could observe contrary to what I have been telling to my friends that I have never seen any kind of discrimination in Japan. This one of course was pure racist comments he spat on the plat-form with his antagonistic foul mouth.

Let me come out openly with what happened. I was coming down to the plat-form in the escalator at Morishita Toei Shinjuku station. The time was around 6:40 in the evening. The pink car is no more reserved for women. I used to board into the first compartment/car since it will reach first at the Komatsugawa exit by the time the train reaches Higashi Ojima.

There was standing a person who might be from one of the many countries of African continent. The physical characteristics of people including the skin color gives sufficient clue to guess the region and race of them. The person in black was gentle in his position, dress and looks. The moment he entered in a queue, I could see the Japanese young man who was already standing in the front looked at the guy in black and uttered some words in Japanese. The J-man walked away with an angry face and he showed as if he spit on the plat-form. This was to show his unlikeness to the person in black.

We, the witnesses could not see any reason for the J-man’s anger except the one that the B-man stood in his back of queue. They had to travel together once they enter inside the train. The J-man might have dislike towards the B-man’s race. There were no other reason I could guess in mind.

The witnesses of the J-man’s venomous words were just witnessing and did not show any surprise at his action. That is the great thing with Japanese people I have observed. Japanese people have an expressionless face towards many of the events in public.

What was the reaction of the B-man? He was engaged in eating chewing gum as if nothing new has happened. Some of the people walking were looking at his reaction, but he was not looking at anybody. He was gentle in his stand and the J-man was the ugly one showed up his foul mouth at the public place. Who is the winner here!

This one event looks different and dirty among other pages of life in Japan so far. Though not a victim of Japanese racism and discrimination towards foreigners, it hurts my feelings. At many incidents, some witnesses bear deep wounds than the victims. Still I bear the wounds and remember the moment I get down to the plat-form. That plat-form was the place where the castles of flatter on Japan built from the images of beautiful and kind people fell down in my mind. Still I like to believe this is an odd incident.

Walking with style on roads – Life is never boring in Japan

The climate here is getting hotter. Yesterday there was a rain in Tokyo. I was told to check out the weather forecast in the morning before going to the office. Initially I used to surprise why Japanese people carries umbrella though it is not raining in the morning. Later in the evening I realized the reason for it. It will be heavily raining and many of the days I travelled back home wet in rain.

Now, I used to check the weather forecast in the morning and if the rain is predicted, will carry umbrella. Umbrella is called Kasa in Japanese language. Rain is called Ame. ‘Ame ga futhemasu’ is ‘It is raining’.

One thing I surprised with the umbrella fashion in Japan is the old fashioned umbrellas are still a fashion in Japan. It is no more a favorable fashion in my country, but still in Japan, it is the fashion. The long walking length umbrellas and golf size umbrellas are more popular in Japan. Both men and women carry long umbrellas, sometimes hanging stylishly on their arms. It is a beautiful scene to observe a pretty J-girl walking with a colorful long umbrella.

Japan is known to its foreigner residents for the crazy style of J-girls walking in the midnight also with an umbrella though no rain predicted in the coming two days! Many times I have found myself stunningly watching J-girls walking with fashionable umbrella at late night in Ginza area with out rain. I asked my friends the reason for it and they told it is simply fashion!

The image of Japan and China before coming to Japan was obviously people with umbrella. The first Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsung to India carried an umbrella on his back in our History books. The image of Hiuen Tsung carrying an umbrella on his back triggered many doubts like why and how they carry an umbrella always. Though the question and answer remained mysterious to this date for many of us, it is interesting to recollect those images of Chinese travelers with umbrella while watching J-girls walking with an open umbrella on the busy roads of Tokyo in the midnight too without rain.

It is just for the style and Japan may be the biggest consumer for fashion items in the world. Japanese women like to be fashionable and wish to dress all the modern stylish cloths. If the fashion needs a dog in hand, they will go out in the fashion dress with a dog in hand. It is amazing to see them walk outside.

This is not a disparagement, but just a few observations, which I really liked about Japan. Japanese people are adventurous and dare to go for a different taste in life always. Even the older generation people in Japan are adventurous and really enjoy in experimenting with different style of looks.

The best part of an intelligent society is to constantly evolve with new extra ordinary things that the life is not bored with usual things. I think, Japan has got many things to make the life exciting each day and the people here of-course are enthusiastic about experimenting with new things in life.