Posted on 18 June 2010.
I'm very excited to pass on to you two installments of posts about children's books that could help your children better understand their Okinawan experience. And for those of you leaving island soon, these might be great investments to keep the memories alive. I've divided Shannan's post and will be sharing the rest of it [...]
Posted in Books, Film, Music, Gifts & Souvenirs, Japanese Language, Just in Japan9 Comments
Posted on 19 March 2010.
CONTRIBUTED BY JOELLE YAMADA Isn’t it great how things grow on you over time? When I arrived on island, there were two specific things that I found to be… well… garish and overdone: All of the toenails of the women I seemed to meet and all of the crazily colorful obi that were proudly [...]
Posted in Gifts & Souvenirs, Home (shopping), Just in Japan7 Comments
Posted on 27 February 2010.
CONTRIBUTED BY JANNINE MYERS Last summer we moved to a new residence to get away from the irritating drone of jet-planes taking off and landing right beside our house, and while we now enjoy living in a relatively quiet and peaceful neighborhood, we aren’t entirely noise-free. Our new home happens to be situated right [...]
Posted in Just in Japan4 Comments
Posted on 20 February 2010.
CONTRIBUTED BY JANNINE MYERS I was at a Japanese community center some time ago, when a Japanese lady whom I had just been introduced to asked me what my blood type was. Now ordinarily I would think this was an odd question, but since I’ve been asked the same question once or twice before [...]
Posted in Just in Japan0 Comments
Posted on 30 January 2010.
CONTRIBUTED BY JANNINE MYERS As is typically the case, the source of many of my post ideas are often inspired by events that have transpired during the previous week or month. One such event which conjured up the idea for this post took place several weeks ago, while enjoying a catch-up conversation with a [...]
Posted in Books, Film, Music, Just in Japan5 Comments
Posted on 23 January 2010.
CONTRIBUTED BY JANNINE MYERS Dining out and/or drinking with Japanese friends and acquaintances is perhaps a regular event for many of you, but for those of you who have yet to experience this, here are some basic cultural tips: If you’re invited out to a restaurant it’s probably safe to assume that your Japanese host [...]
Posted in Japanese Language, Just in Japan0 Comments
Posted on 16 January 2010.
CONTRIBUTED BY JANNINE MYERS Whenever I pass through an airport in Japan, I am reminded by all the omiyage displays that I must not return home without bearing gifts. There are several occasions where giving a gift is customary in Japan, and one such occasion is when you return from either a personal or business trip. [...]
Posted in Just in Japan5 Comments
Posted on 23 December 2009.
CONTRIBUTED BY JEANINE CZUBIK In many Asian cultures, a name stamp or seal is often used instead of a signature. Here in Japan, name stamps are called hanko and are used in business to signify acknowledgment or ownership. As a foreigner, I have had only a few opportunities to use my name stamp for attendance paperwork at the Japanese school where [...]
Posted in Gifts & Souvenirs, Japanese Language, Just in Japan6 Comments
Posted on 05 December 2009.
CONTRIBUTED BY JANNINE MYERS Just last week, as my daughters and I were leaving the school where my youngest takes her karate lessons, I couldn’t help notice some odd-looking puppet-type dolls hanging from a tree outside the home of a nearby resident. They looked like little ghosts, but friendly-like and not at all intimidating [...]
Posted in Just in Japan3 Comments
Posted on 01 December 2009.
CONTRIBUTED BY JANAE BURGER According to a Japanese proverb, “There are formalities between the closest of friends.” I smile at this as I think about the shocking lack of formalities between myself and some of my closest friends. Many of the relaxed “normal” behaviors accepted between close friends in America would NOT be acceptable in [...]
Posted in Just in Japan6 Comments
