Japanese Main Streets and Alleys (Lin Te Kuan)

       Japanese streets can effectively showing the characteristics of Japanese. The design of Japanese streets is usually a big main street with a lot of small alleys branching out to other directions. Though ordered and neat, the streets implicated with big conflicts because of different styles and features. Japan Tokyo is one of the most prosperous and wealthy cities in the world. This kind of identity is adequately revealed by the main streets of Tokyo. But as for traditional style of Japan, it can be also preserved by the alleys in Tokyo. After all, what kind of streets and alleys can simultaneously keep these two contrast styles?
       Main streets, is the major arteries in a city. Like the main body of human, they are important representatives. Main streets in Tokyo are ordered, hustle and bustle. And because of being an international city, the style of main streets in Tokyo merges some foreign feelings and thus these main streets are not so Japanese style. A lot of stores on the streets which all have their own features also reflect the ability of Japanese of doing well on business. The owners of the shops either wait quietly in the store or yell out loud to attract the customers. But more often I see the owners sweeping the floors outside, as if cannot even stand a second of the dirt. The plan of the main streets is also great. The tar on the streets is really flat. And there even are some facilities for the blind. This is something I feel surprise in Japan because I see that Japan does it better than other countries. The big, uneven and heavy lines are designed to show the blind where to go. And there are also branches to warn the blind that which direction they can go or there might be a car or person comes from this way. Every day I go to school, there is always a blind woman strolling on the road. I believe without these facilities the blind can’t walk on their own. The carefulness of Japanese can be seen everywhere including the main streets. Japanese main streets show that Japan is a well developed country and actually have no very Japanese style.
       The alleys are not the main but are also important for linking. Like the limbs of human body, not the most essential, but the main part cannot live without them. The small alleys in Japan are very different from other countries. They are clean, quiet and having traditional Japanese style. Trees have different kinds of colors, crooked but clean alleys with many traditional Japanese style low buildings. These alleys are so comfortable that make me feel like I am in the country side and leaving the big and noisy city. The alley’s in Japan, unlike the main streets, are dulcet and having traditional Japanese style.
       This is what I found really special of Japan: even just roads have two completely different kinds of styles. Just like Japanese, seems really conflicting characteristics but actually well mixed together.

Japanese Technology (Lin Te Kuan)

      Japan is a country which has strong economic, state-of-the-art technology and high GDP. In other words, Japan is a highly developed country. But more than that, Japan are well-known as a country has a lot of innovative inventions and technology. Before coming Japan, I’ve always looked forward to seeing Japanese technology. Now I would like share some most amazing things which totally blew my mind.
    The first thing is the machines that cook ramen. My first time eating ramen is in shop that near Shinjuku station. The shop is traditional type and not big. I sat in the middle of the counter where the customers eat ramen. I saw that the cook threw noodle in the hard iron net and pushed a button. Then the machine went down to the boiling water electronically. Then when the noodle is ready, the machines went up, and then the cook put the noodle in the bowl with soup and other things and gave it to me. I thought it was a great invention. In Taiwan we also have a lot of traditional noodle shops. One of my friend’s parents owning one noodle shop. She told me that in order to cook noodle, her parents’ wrists were both hurt. Because cooking noodle needs cook to check and shake the hard iron net. It’s just the matter of time that wrist hurts. So I hope some people can bring this invention to Taiwan too!
      The second thing is cell phone. When I was little, I had already heard that Japanese cell phones have highly developed technology which allows them to watch weather reports be cell phones. I was really eager to see Japanese cell phone because in that time the cell phones in my country were still black and white! So after I came to Japan, I bought the Japanese cell phone instead of iPhone. Japanese cell phones generally are big, elegant and have beautiful colors. I can surf the net, watching televisions, shop and even use GPS by my cell phone. But what was the most memorable is earthquake warning! When I was having my statistics class, a lot of cell phones, including mine but no iPhones, rang loudly. We were all stoned (because most of us are international students who just came to Japan for not long time.) Then we checked our cell phones and saw that there was an earthquake near Tokyo and warned us there might be a earthquake in a few minutes. I was really surprised, what a great invention it is! Taiwan is also a sea island which has a lot of earthquakes. In the recent 20 years, the most sever one is the 921 earthquake. After 921, many people were afraid to sleep and ran out of the houses as soon as possible if there is any small shake. I believe if we have this technology, we can make more people feel less worried and there might be less damage when earthquakes come. So I also love it!
      There are a lot of technologies that Japanese might not aware of at all, but as foreigners, I can find out a lot of small but useful things in Japan. I will never be tired of finding them because they are all so cool!

Japanese way of treating costumers (Lin Te Kuan)

      I believe foreigners in Japan are all pleased with the attitude of the workers in shops. The workers in shops smiles all the time, talking in the politest and sweetest voice, bowing so many times that even the foreign customers feel a little bit nervous. In fact, Japanese way of treating customers is really impressive and it even becomes one special thing in Japan.
      Smile. This is something I can never forget about Japanese. Japanese smile has a particular way that distinguishes them from other countries smile. If one says American smile is outgoing and passionate, then Japanese smile is sweet and polite. This is something I still cannot figure out. In Taiwan, every time my friends and I see someone smiling, we can immediately tell that “That person must be Japanese.” And we were almost right all the time. After I came to Japan, I am stunned that Japanese do have a special way of smiling that pleases people. And because of this Japanese style of sweet and polite smile plus some training, Japanese become the best workers for customers.
      Japanese are also known for bowing. In other countries, it’s hardly to see that so many people bowing to each other in the same time. But in Japan, even young people also bow to people who are a little bit order than them. At first, I felt uncomfortable and uneasy when other people bow to me. Because in Taiwan only when someone do something really great and people with great grateful want to thank he or she will bow in a way to show their thankfulness. But in Japan even I go into a shop without buying anything, after I come out the shop keeper still bows to me. I used to be nervous when people bow to me. But as I get used to it, I realize that bowing is actually a cultural action so I don’t have to overreact. Now I can also bow to people in daily life to show politeness!
       Japanese is a slow and soft language that makes people feel classy and elegant. Japanese has polite form and normal formal in their language. It shows that Japanese really care about politeness. In my point of view, Japanese workers in the shops always talk in Japanese in the softest and politest way to make customers feel comfortable and being respected. They talk in the voice that is not so loud, slow pace and polite. So some of my friends even say that in Japan they can get the best customer service in the world! And I personally love the way they talk and I really want to learn Japanese in that way! I
      Japan is really a country being famous for their way of treating costumers. After I come to Japan, I can really agree with that and enjoy being served in the best way all customers can get! This is something I found really cool about Japan.

New Year in Japan (Lin Te Kuan)

      This year I went to 增上寺 to count down to the new year and after then I went to 台場 to see the first sun rise in 2011. These two events were all very new to me. I found a lot of cool things about Japan in them!
      On the last day of 2010, my friends and I went to 增上寺 to count down to the new year and we wanted to see the beautiful Tokyo tower. We arrived at 9:30 at night. People were starting to gather in 增上寺. Around 10 pm, some people ran out and sang a song. Though I didn’t know the name of the song, but I liked it. After they finished singing, a girl ran out carrying a torch. Then they light up some spots. It’s quite interesting to see that because I have never seen anything like that before. What was even more fascinating was that增上寺 distributed eco-friendly balloons. But the number of the balloons is limited so I didn’t get the balloon. The purpose of the balloons was to make everyone let go of the balloon when the moment that the New Year comes. So when 2010 only had 10 seconds left, all of us in增上寺 shutting out loud to count down the time and then let go of the balloons. In a moment, all the balloons flew into the sky and the view was very beautiful and they also rang the huge bell in the增上寺. But I think the greatest of all is Tokyo Tower! It is always very gorgeous at night. When the first time I saw Tokyo tower, I couldn’t believe it can be so attractive. The beautiful orange light with night sky, the whole scenery was stunning. Everyone around me couldn’t stop looking at Tokyo tower just liked me. And when there were only few minutes in 2010, the light of Tokyo tower gone out, only a few purple lights sparkled. As the time of 2010 became less and less, those purple lights sparkled faster and faster. When 2011 came, the whole Tokyo tower was like being pasted with a lot of diamonds, sparking at night. Tokyo tower was the best part for my countdown event.
      After then, my friends and I went to 台場 to see the first sun rise in 2011. The weather was really cold, so we stayed in McDonald to wait. At first we thought there were not many people wanted to see sun rise as we do, but then as the time of sun rise became close and closer, people in McDonald became more and more. We asked the girls sat besides us what were they want to do, they told us they are going to see the sun rise! And when we get out of McDonald, there were a large crowd all going in the same direction. As we followed, we found that a lot of people were all going to see the sun rise. When the sun came out, Japanese around us were all very exciting!
    I thought these two events were very special because in Taiwan, we have concerts and fireworks so we won’t be so calm to count down to the New Year and won’t be so happy to see the sun rise! It seems that Japanese are really different from us, and that’s why I found it is cool!

Shopping (Lin Te Kuan)

      Tokyo is one of the most famous cities for shopping. Like New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo has its own fashion style that represents Japan. But Japanese style is not the only choice people can found. There are also lots of foreign brands in Tokyo and many of them are my first time seeing them. Shopping in Tokyo is a pleasure for women. I would like to share some of my experience about how good it is to shop in Tokyo. I’d like to take Shinjuku as the example.
      First, Shinjuku is big and diversified enough for people to shop. There are so many kinds of brands and department stores that people can spend all day but still can’t finish all of them. Because of its the diversification, anyone can find their tastes in Shinjuku. Japanese style, English style, American style and Korean style ……etc. There are so many kinds of styles that can satisfy everyone.
      Second, the service of Japanese is just great! One of the best things shopping in Japan is that the shopkeepers are all really kind, sweet and polite. They interpret the products and goods in a soft and slow way. They wear smiles all the time and never forget to bow. I guess it is because Japanese itself is a tender language that sounds really soft and graceful. So I enjoy shopping Japan because it comfortable to be served in a great way!
      Third, Japan has big sales during New Year times. Sales in Japan are really sales. They do great deduction in prices that makes people feel so happy to buy those things. Some people say that because the prices get so low that really make them feel like the New Year is coming and these sales are the best gifts! What’s more, a lot of people in Taiwan fly to Japan during Christmas and New Year times because the sales are really fascinating! It shows that just how great the sales are!
      Forth, there are many things target on women in Tokyo. I like the way Japanese do business. They always remember who they should target on and really put efforts in catching their customers. As a girl, there are many products aim on women which make me feel surprised and satisfied. Japanese products always have some special features for women. For example, Japanese products have girl colors that are so different from others. Laptop, cameras and other electronic things have girls features are going to catch female customers’ hearts much more easily. I even found that there are some shops have a corner sells products just “for ladies”! That is so cool and smart!
      Shopping Tokyo is like shopping in a city that is specially made for shopping. So anyone can enjoy buying things in Tokyo no matter where they come from. I think it is amazing and cool to plan a city so good for shopping! And I personally take pleasure in shopping in Tokyo!

Tokyo (Lin Te Kuan)

    Tokyo is the capital city of Japan and is the city that I am living now. There are a lot of strange things happening in Tokyo every day. I’d like to share some cool things in Tokyo which I discovered while I am living in Tokyo.
    The first thing is the buildings in Tokyo. Tokyo has a lot of earthquakes, so the average heights of buildings in Tokyo are generally low. But there are still some high skyscrapers in Tokyo and most of them are really beautiful. I started to fall in love with architecture since I came to Tokyo because they are so stylish and unique that make me cannot take my eyes off them. For example, buildings in 台場are all so great. My favorite is the building of Fuji television. It is special, pretty and full of the feeling of design. So now I like to carefully look at the buildings in Tokyo and enjoy the beauty that the architects gave us.
    The second thing is the birds on the streets of Tokyo. There are so many crows and pigeons on Tokyo. The crows are all so black and big that they are really scary to me actually. And in Taiwan, people regard a crow as a bad sign. If anyone hears the sound of a crow, it means there is going to happen some bad things in the person’s family. So I felt creepy about crows when I just arrived in Tokyo. Now though I don’t feel creepy anymore but I still don’t like crows. Furthermore, crows like to eat the garbage on the street and make the whole a mess! So I really can’t understand why Japanese don’t afraid or hate crows. As for pigeons, though they are not as scary as crows I still don’t feel comfortable seeing a lot of crows gathering on the streets. What’s most surprising is that people in Tokyo seems too used to these birds that they walk on the streets as if these birds don’t even exist. I can only say that Japanese are so strange but cool!
     The third thing is the close time of shops. I come from Taipei, the capital city in Taiwan. Taipei has another name that is “the city that never sleeps.” It shows that even at night, Taipei is still a bustling city. We even have night markets! (Night market is a kind of shopping place that only opens at night.) So as a person grew up in a city like that, surely I am not used to the early close time of Japan! Though Tokyo is the biggest city in Japan, the shops in Tokyo still close around 9 pm. That is so early to me! I often buy something to eat around 12 am at holidays. But in Tokyo I have no choice but to stay at home at night. If there is anything that open at night, is either karaoke or 居酒屋. So I am surprised to find that such a big city like Tokyo can be so not bustling at night.
    As a foreigner, though a lot of things are weird I still find pleasure in finding these different things. Weird but cool is the best thing to describe Tokyo!

Vending Machine in Japan (Lin Te Kuan)

      Japan is a country full of machines. Because of their highly developed technology and busy Japanese are lacking of time, machines are important to Japanese. Vending machine is one kind of machines, saving a lot of time and manpower. But what’s really surprising is that Japan has a lot of strange vending machines. These vending machines have so many special functions that can be far beyond my imagination.
      The first one is tobacco vending machines. A lot of Japanese are tobacco-addicted. So many Japanese are smoking that causes a great demand of tobacco. But Tokyo is a big city, many people may want tobacco anytime and anywhere. There cannot be so many stores to sell tobacco to satisfy everyone. So they invented tobacco vending machine. People can find tobacco vending machines on the streets and in the corners. So now people can buy tobacco without a lot of efforts. And these vending machines can also prevent children from buying tobacco. They create a card that can only be bought by people over twenty years old. Anyone who wants to buy tobacco through vending machines has to insert this kind of special card. So children under twenty cannot get tobacco! I think this is a great, smart and convenient invention!
      The second one is food ticket vending machines. A lot of traditional Japanese food shops have this kind of vending machine. Customers choose their food buy selecting on the vending machines and pay the bill by buying the tickets that shows what the customers want to eat. And then the customers go into the stores and give the tickets to the workers in the shops, then the food is ready! This is also a brilliant invention! There are three advantages of this food machine. First, it can save the time and manpower to order. Shops don’t have to print menu and don’t need to hire anyone to order for the customers. And shops don’t have to waste sit to wait for a long time for customers deciding what to eat. So the only time customers would spend is only waiting the food and eating. Second, shops don’t have to hire people as cashier. And sometimes the shops in order to cut down on expense, workers have to cook and be the cashier. That’s not good because money is dirty. Third, it’s also convenient for customers because then customers don’t have to worry about dividing the bills! I think it’s also disturbing to divide bills with friends. But this kind of vending can solve this problem easily because then customers can order individually and vending machines can also give the customers changes individually. So I really love this vending machine!!
      Japan has other kinds of special vending machine and I think this is so special!

100 Yen store (Jee In Chung)

 Although I've lived in New York for many years, I feel like the pricing in Japan is higher than in New York. So, let me tell you the secrets of surviving in Tokyo without going "too broke". The greatest invention in Japan is truly, the "100 YEN" (Japanese: hyaku en shop or one coin shops) stores. The concept is similar to the dollar stores in Canada and the US, except the variety is greater and everything in the store is no more than 100 yen. There's not a single product you will have trouble finding in a 100 yen store. They have everything from food to kitchenware, stationary to household goods, and even items suited for the bed and bathrooms. Due to a 5% Japanese consumption taxing, each product is actually worth 105 Yen. There's more than a thousand 100 yen stores all across Japan, and the market leader, Daiso, is planning an expansion in the market.
 The first one I've been to was the largest one in Central Tokyo, at Takeshita Dori, called Daiso Harajuku. Being the largest store of this type in Tokyo also comes the large, daily customer crowd. In the midst of shopping there, I got the feeling of being in a Costco store, just smaller. Also, if you are in need of cheap clothing, there are many clothing stores around Harajuku. Harajuku is the "teenage street" lined up with trendy clothing stores, small accessory stores and reasonable restaurants for college students. Not to mention the delicious crepes! If you happen to be on the taller side, I would also recommend Uniqlo and H&M, which provide fashionable and cheap clothing. You won't have much of a problem finding these stores, as they can be found in the well known shopping and commercial districts of Tokyo.
Every time I walk into a 100 Yen store, I feel like it's okay for me to buy more than 10 products at a time. I believe that each item is worth more than the final price of 105 yen. Because of this, I do have the tendency to sometimes overindulge in shopping at these stores, and thus, end up spending more than initially planned.

      There is another store called Lawson 100 which is basically a 100 Yen store except it's supervised under Lawson. Lawson is the name of  one of the top leading conbini stores in Japan. The only way to differentiate Lawson conbini stores to Lawson 100 is the 100 sign. I go to Lawson 100 if I want to go to grocery shopping, looking for fresh vegetables and fruits; Whereas, 100 Yen Store focuses more on selling dry food and snacks. Lawson 100 also has a great variety of fresh food including ice cream! I hope 100 Yen store will support your economic, thrifty living in Japan!

Hanryu Wave (Jee In Chung)

Since when did Hanryu phenomenon occur in Japan? I must say, it started off  with the Korean drama, Winter Sonata in which Yon-sama was featured in. Ever since Winter Sonata was broadcasted in Japan, Japanese people become deeply interested and absorbed into Korean popular culture. In the beginning,   Drama/Soap Opera played a big role but today the trend has moved on to Korean songs. The statistics prove that the export earnings on Korean drama far surpasses when compared to other aspects of Korean Pop-culture. Today, you hear songs by Girls' Generation, Kara and 2NE1 all over Shibuya and Shinjuku. As Korean singers become more famous in Japan, they even publish  Japanese versions of the songs in Japanese lyrics with separate music videos.
      This brings up an interesting question between the relationship between Japan and Korea in regard to its history. Because Korea was colonized by the Japanese only 6 decades ago, to me, at least it doesn't seem so long ago. People are still recovering from the scars of  the loss of the loved ones from the war and others are living in the memories of the war in Korea. But as the Japanese people show more love and interest in Korean culture, regardless of its government's interests, it's interesting to see how Koreans feel about the Hanryu wave. At first, the media reported as just a one-time event but now, the attitudes have changed. Korean media seems to be much more supportive of the singers that go abroad to Japan to promote Korean culture, Korean language and Korean food. Koreans, themselves are also becoming much more open to accepting Japanese's love for Korean culture. Hopefully, this Hanryu wave will help to improve the status of the Zainichis in Japan as well.

      As a Korean student in Tokyo, it is a lie for me to say that I was nonchalant towards the Japanese in the beginning. It was rather negative and ambiguous. But as time passes, my attitudes towards Japanese people have been changing to something more productive and positive. Even today, I see increased number of Japanese tourists in Korea and many of my Japanese friends chose Korean to study as their second language. I am proud to see how much progress Korean celebrities have made in Japan and to see how well-known and popular they are in Japan. Hopefully, the Hanryu wave will create bigger waves in Japan which will result in improved relations of both countries.
      There is a place called Shinokubo which has turned into a large Korean town. The streets are full of Korean restaurants, Korean Celebrity photos and Korean grocery markets. This town used to be more of unknown, small town but it has been growing in size ever since 2 years ago. Some students told me that Shinokubo has a great potential to turn into the next Harajuku!

Once you first arrive in Japan (Jee In Chung)

Once you arrive to Japan, there is couple of things you should do as a foreigner in Japan. Because you’ve probably just arrived with the airport with big, heavy luggage, you would not be in the mood or the mind to do so but trust me. It’s better to get it out of your way as soon as possible. If you are planning to stay in Japan for a period of more than 90 days, you are required to comply with foreign resident registration procedures. An alien registration card is a small card that any foreigner must carry at all times because any officer can ask you to show your Identification card at any time and you are duty-bound to do so. Within 90 days of your arrival in Japan, you have the choice to go to either the ward or city office of your residence (if you are Waseda student living in International Waseda dorms, you will go to Shinjuku Ward) and complete the formalities. After 15 days or so, you will be asked to return to the ward or the city office you’ve filled out your forms to receive your plastic alien registration card. You should bring your passport, completed foreign resident registration form and 2 recent photographs (4.5 x 3.5).
      While staying at Waseda as a one-year Exchange student, I thought I probably wanted to work during spring break or summer break if I am able to find an internship in Japan. In order to do so, I was required to go to the Immigration Bureau which is located at Shinagawa to apply for Work-Permit permission. In Japan, applying for Work-Permit is free and it does not take long to get it as long as you have the proper forms. Once you obtain the work-permit, you are permitted to work maximum of 28 hours per week. In Japan, there are many places that look for English-speaking students who are interested working with kids age ranging from two to twelve so it wouldn’t be so difficult in finding a teaching position over the breaks. Also, the pay is reasonable. Most of the times, it’s 1500Yen per hour and they cover your transportation costs. If you love working with children, you should definitely go for it. Other part-time jobs are offered in small Cafés where you serve biscuits and coffee. I would also recommend this because at these places, you can also practice your Japanese and learn more about Japanese working culture.
      If you wish to return to your home country over the breaks or travel somewhere outside of Japan, you need to go to the Immigration Bureau, located in Shinagawa in order to receive a Re-entry Permit. If a foreigner leaves Japan without receiving the re-entry permit, the granted residence status and period of stay will become void which will make it very difficult for the foreigner to return to Japan. There are two types of Re-entry permits: single and multi. If you plan to leave Japan only once, you should purchase the 3000 Yen Single re-entry permit. If you plan to leave more than once, you are required to obtain the 6000 Yen Multi re-entry permit.
      These are the most urgent matters you should consider of tackling when you first arrive in Japan. After completing all these tasks, I would advise you to open up a bank account,  get a national health insurance and purchase a commuter pass (teiki). Transportation is extremely costy in Japan and it will save you a lot by purchasing a teiki at the closest station office. The closest station from Waseda University is the Takadanobaba Station.

Extra-curricular (Jee In Chung)

       Ever since coming to Japan, I tried to think of many ways in which I could make interactions with the Japanese students outside of classes. Then I found out that Waseda University provides hundreds of “circles”  -- club activities -- in which any one can join out of his or her own interest. However, some circles may be more difficult to join due to the language barrier. Here I will list a few where international students will be more than welcomed to join. The main two clubs are Waseda International Club and Niji No Kai (Rainbow Club). Both groups strive toward the mutual exchange of experiences through holding exchange events with international students from around the world. Both clubs organize four to five events per month which involve sport events, Christmas parties, Cherry Blossom viewing parties, and ski trips.
       I was amazed to see how the members of the clubs had very tight bonding with each other. Each group has a group lounge where any member is welcome to go and spend time chatting, doing homework or eating throughout the day. Most members come to the lounge on daily basis to have lunch with their circle friends. Also, the members spend an enormous time organizing parties for their circles which is a big difference from the US extra-curriculars groups. The Executive board of the student groups in the States is usually composed of very small numbers where each student holds a position. The group meets on a weekly basis to discuss and arrange any up-coming events and the general body meets once a month on the event day. But in Japan, each member has a larger participation  in idea-making for the events.

      In November, Waseda holds Waseda-sai, which is the once-a-year, largest festival of school. Students from all over the country come over and enjoy the festival. There are dancing, singing, food-selling, and guest speakers who are invited during the event and this is all organized by the hundreds of student clubs. Students spend more than 8 months preparing and practicing for this event at the gakuseikaikan (Student Center) and because Waseda University understands the intensity of the event, students are given 2 days off prior to the event. When I was helping WIC with making beautiful, large posters for food-selling, I saw other students in the building playing their instruments, practicing B-boy steps and accapella singing until midnight.  This event is truly full of laughs, joys and cries. I envious of all Waseda students who are in such high school-spirited because I don’t think this is common to see in such a large university. I was proud to be a student here, even if it was such for a year.

Japanese etiquette (Jee In Chung)

      Every culture has its own unspoken rules of etiquette, but somehow they seem more noticeable in Japan then in other countries. As a Korean who has lived in North America, I found some of the rules very surprising.
  Take, for example, the atmosphere in the denshya (subway), which I ride every day to school. Although it depends on which line you take, people are generally very quiet in the denshya. In other countries, students pile into subway cars chatting noisily about their school lives, their plans for the weekend, and so on. But in Japan, such behavior is considered very rude. Most people read books on the train and refrain from talking.
      In fact, any behavior that might disturb or inconvenience others is frowned on. On rainy days, I have noticed that most Japanese people carry full-size clear plastic umbrellas. But when they bring their umbrella onto the subway, they tie them up carefully so that no one else gets wet.
      In addition, it is forbidden to use cell phones in the trains. Announcements remind you of this rule over and over again. On one occasion I was surprised to see a junior high school student removed from the train for talking on his smartphone. In my hometown, Seoul, people are on the phone all the time in the subway, and they would be very indignant if anyone tried to stop them.
      It’s the same way with music. In the New York subway, you always hear music blasting from the earplugs of the person sitting next to you. Here in Japan, if your music can be heard by others, someone will invariably ask you to turn the volume down.
      In social gatherings, etiquette is even more carefully observed. When I received a Christmas dinner invitation from a friend, my Japanese teacher told me that it would be nice to  bring anomiyage (small gift) to show my appreciation. Before entering into the house, I took my shoes off and said o-jama shimasu (sorry for disturbing) while entering my friend’s house. As we began eating, we said ittadakimasu (thank you for the delicious meal) to our host.

  The formalities of Japanese etiquette extend even to the way bowls and chopsticks are used. Japanese people hold their rice bowls up near their mouths while eating, whereas we Koreans keep the bowl on the table and bend down over it. Chopsticks in Japan are never used to point at things, and they are never stuck vertically into a bowl of rice because this is a sign of death. It was comforting to find at least one similarity in Japanese manners: noodles may be slurped, just like they are in Korea. It seems that only Westerners are disgusted by the delicious sound made by a noodle as you suck it into your mouth.
      Before coming to Japan, I had naïvely assumed that my Korean manners were “Asian.” I was surprised to learn how different Japanese etiquette is. Although some of its rules may seem a little too elaborate, it is based on scrupulous concern and respect for others. By paying attention to its etiquette, I have gained a greater appreciation for the culture of my host country and enhanced my experience here.

Onigiri (Jee In Chung)

      Have you ever wondered why there is a convenience store on every corner in Tokyo?

The main secret of their success is their inexpensive “bento” lunchboxes and other delicious food‐to‐go. As a student on a budget, I have found that one of the cheapest convenience‐store offerings, the humble onigiri, makes a very satisfying lunch. 

      Wedge‐shaped and wrapped in plastic, onigiri may not look too appetizing at first. The “outside” ingredients – cold boiled rice covered with a sheet of nori (dried seaweed) – don’t exactly make your mouth water either. But when you bite into the wedge, the savory, salty filling ‐‐ salmon, tuna, fish roe, fermented egg, pickled plums, fermented soybeans, or one of a score of similar ingredients – gives your taste buds a blast. And there are so many varieties that it will take you a month to try them all.

      You need to be careful of the plastic wrapper, though. If you don’t remove it properly, the nori will come off with it and you will be left holding a wedge of sticky rice. The trick is to grasp the tape at the top of the triangle and pull it all the way down and up the other side. This will separate the wrapper neatly into two halves, which you can then slide off. The plastic wrapper lets you safely carry the onigiri in a bag or backpack. To complete your meal, most convenience stores can sell you a bowl of a warming soup called oden. Ingredients such as boiled egg, daikon, and fish cake swim in a fishy broth to make oden the perfect winter comfort food. I find that its liquid warmth dilutes the starchiness of onigiri.

      Convenience‐store food is a great social leveler in Japan. Businessmen and students rush

in and out of their corner stores at lunch and dinner time to grab their bento boxes, onigiri and
oden. Line‐ups are rarely longer than two or three minutes and the food is not only cheap but
well‐preserved and easy to carry.

Of course, if you don’t eat seafood, your choices will be very limited, since the Japanese

love seafood and almost everything is based on ingredients from the sea. And unless you read Kanji you might not be able to figure out what’s inside your onigiri. But go ahead and take a chance; it’s certain to be delicious.

Drinking culture in Japan (Jee In Chung)

      I used to think it was strange that the dialogues in my Japanese language textbooks showed businessmen in suits going out for a beer after work. But studying in Japan, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing groups of briefcase-toting men heading off to bars as I rush home from my classes.
       More socially respectable than in the West, beer culture in Japan is mostly about social bonding among colleagues. After a day of hard work and stress, businessmen and white-collar workers unwind by drinking beer and talking about sports, politics, or their private lives. At such gatherings, it is unusual for anyone to get drunk. There is no pressure to down enormous quantities of alcohol. Instead, beer is consumed at a relaxed pace, usually accompanied by substantial quantities of food.
      The most popular places to drink beer are the izakaya (居酒屋), bars where the food far outclasses typical Western bar or pub grub. Platters of yakitori, kushiyaki, sashimi, karaage and edamame are inexpensive, plentiful, and almost always delicious. Japanese drinking culture perhaps explains why it is unusual to see men with beer bellies here. Although Japan leads Asian countries in per-capita beer consumption, the average Japanese drinks less than half as much beer as the average German or Australian. Still, beer accounts for two thirds of all the alcohol consumed in Japan.
      Four major brewers – Kirin, Suntory, Sapporo, and Asahi – dominate the Japanese market. In recent years their brands have become familiar around the world, alongside the iconic European labels. However, over 200 microbreweries have sprung up across Japan in recent years  to give beer-drinkers a wider range of choices. In addition to the informal, small-group beer culture of the izakaya, many Japanese participate in the more formal drinking culture of the company-organized “after-work party.” Because managers are present at such parties, employees are not free to speak or behave as they wish. There is often social pressure to get drunk and entertain others. However, the monthly after-work party does not represent everyday Japanese drinking culture.

      For a student on a budget like myself, Japanese drinking culture been a great discovery. You do not have to be a heavy drinker to follow the suits into the izakaya for a glass of beer and plenty of great inexpensive food.

NOT ONLY SUSHI Chapter 6 (Pietro)

We have been in Japan for a long time and still haven’t had any sushi. It’s true: there are many other good things to eat. It’s true: from many sides comes the warning that the sushi fashion –becoming more and more popular all over the world- is endangering the survival of many marine species. It’s true: the rising pollution of the oceans casts not just a few doubts on whether this food is really healthy. True. But, since we are in Japan, we still might want to eat sushi once in a while.

Sushi can be rarely found in normal restaurants. It is also difficult to find in izakayas. We will have to go to restaurants specialized in sushi – the sushi-ya. And here we face two options. We can opt for the normal sushi-ya, probably a rather refined place with an upper-middle class to business clientele. A simple but elegant place with a relaxed atmosphere. Opening the menu might make your heart beat faster in these times of strong yen, as you will see that every single piece of sushi can cost 1 to 3 euro and sometimes even more, like the rare high quality fatty tuna ootoro. If your budget is adequate you can have fun trying the infinite variety of sushi that the place offers. You will hardly find predefined sets of sushi like it is normal to find abroad: Japanese customers know perfectly well the different species of fish and decide on their own which kind and how many pieces they want to order. If you are given an English menu that will not be very helpful to you. It is never easy to understand the differences between the various species of tuna, eel or swordfish and you will have to try them to understand.

If you do not want to spend a fortune but still do not want to renounce to the pleasure of sushi the kaitenzushi is the way for you to go –and it can also be a lot of fun. Kaitenzushi can be barbarically translated as sushi on the conveyer belt. In a kaitenzushi you will find an oval counter. On the inner side of the oval a couple of cooks making sushi, on the outer side the customers sitting. Between the two there is a conveyer belt, slowly moving and exposing many plates carrying two pieces of sushi each. When you enter you will be warmly welcomed by the staff, who will assign you a seat. You will find a small plate that you are supposed to fill with soy sauce. You can also add wasabi –the funnily green sauce made of horseradish that must be used very carefully as it might make you cry for days. You will also find chopsticks –or hashi in Japanese- and a glass that you can fill with water or tea using one of the many taps that go around the counter. If this is one of your first times just look at the plates marching in front of you and take those that inspire you the most. Unlike in normal sushi-yas, here you can see what you can eat and you will not find yourself in the difficult situation of having to know the Japanese names of what you want to order. Nor you will find yourself ordering something because it has an intriguing name, only to find some weird sea creature in your plate. If you are a kaitenzushi experts you can audaciously talk directly to the cook to order what you want to eat or just asking for suggestions.

Kaitenzushi is relatively cheap: the bill is calculated  by counting the small plates that remain on your table. Normally each plate costs around one euro and contains at least two pieces of sushi. It is also a very relaxed place with a varied clientele. A very Japanese experience that will delight those Westerners who come to Japan looking for Japanese crazy stuff.

NOT ONLY SUSHI Chapter 5 (Pietro)

Just like all other big cities, Tokyo has an infinite variety of bars and restaurants offering an International cuisine. Chinese and Korean cuisine are particularly well-known, but Indian and South-East Asian restaurants are also very easy to find. Of course you can also easily find European, American and African cuisine. In the West many people say that Japanese like to copy. It is partially true: in fact, not only do they copy foreign cuisine, technology, fashion, music and so on, but they also rethink them and make something new out of them

The first example that comes to my mind is the burger. In Japan, as all over the world, the main fast food chains can be found in almost every street and they offer burgers, hot dogs and similar food (the Americans in Japan, though, can find particularly shocking to see “small” and “mini” portions in Japan’s McDonald’s). But there is also another kind of shops that sell burgers and cheeseburgers in Japan: fast food restaurants with a Disneyan furnishing and flowers on the tables. They belong to the “kawaii”, cute, ideal –so dominant in Japan. In this kind of places you can find customers that you would not expect to find in a place that sells three layer burgers: middle-aged women, couples, grandfathers and grandchildren. Places like these, but also their counterparts for coffee, donuts and so on, are always crowded of a very broad clientele, looking for a break: in a city where living spaces are small, flats are narrow and streets overcrowded it is not surprising that having a burger actually means taking a break from your day and finding some time to relax by reading, studying, sleeping (a universally tolerated activity in Japan), listening to music, chatting.

Europe –and Italy in particular- is very much loved by Japanese people and the European cuisine means elegance e refined taste to Japanese people. Japanese do things with care: bread is no traditional food in Japan and it is still seen as somewhat exotic. But bakeries are a lot on the streets of Japan, for the clientele who likes this food from overseas. In many bakeries you can find the baker’s diploma earned in Paris hanging on the wall. I have been to many bakeries in Japan and what I found was always of high quality. Excellent bread and sweets in a surprising variety: if you are looking for a pain-au-chocolat or a laugenbrezel you will definitely find some good ones.

The same cannot be said for many European restaurants. Pizza is a continuous disappointment. Very high prices for a ridiculously small (and sometimes deep-frozen!) pizza. There are a few places that make an exception and can actually make a rather good pizza, but more like the American way than the Italian one –which means bizarre ingredients like ananas, corn, mayonese, marshmallow. If you are looking for something more refined than pizza you might also be disappointed and the bill might make you feel dizzy. I worked in an Italian restaurant and saw chefs who learned how to cook in Italy make extremely overcooked spaghetti with a meat sauce that looked more like a ramen soup. I saw them garnishing a carbonara with dried seaweeds or accompanying a bollito with a cappuccino. Just like almost every Japanese restaurant abroad knows that it cannot serve real Japanese food to their foreign customers who would not have the time to get used and appreciate the very different tastes, Italian restaurants in Japan tend to adapt their dishes to the local taste, with some rather odd results for us –sometimes bordering madness.

Better go for Japanese cuisine: you will need some time to get to know it but, once you get used to it, you will find out how good and healthy it can be.

NOT ONLY SUSHI Chapter 4 (Pietro0

Tabehoudai and nomihoudai are two words that might be useful and you will surely learn if you go out with friends in Japan.

In Japan there is, of course, a huge variety of bars. But one of the most popular places to go is the izakaya, a very Japanese compromise between a bar and a restaurant. When you enter an izakaya you will be assigned a room just for you and your friends, the bigger your group the bigger the room will be. Every room is separated by the others, soetimes by just paper walls and often you can see parts of other rooms from yours. The idea, though, is that in an izakaya every group of friends finds a place to talk, laugh, joke and have fun while eating and drinking. At the entrance of many izakayas you will be asked to take off your shoes as rooms often do not have chairs but low tables and cushions where you can sit. You will also find special slippers to wear in case you want to go to the bathroom.

There are many kinds of izakaya. Some are very simple, other extremely refined. But if many bars aim only at a certain type of customers –young students or businessmen- izakayas, with their private rooms, can aim at a much broader clientele.

In places like Shibuya or Ikebukuro you will find very special izakayas, sometimes more similar to theme parks. For example, you can dine in a prison/war scene style izakaya, where the waitress who welcomes you will have you handcuffed and will scan your friends looking for nuclear radiations on their clothes. Or where some other waiters are dressed like zombies and go around the place trying to scare people for the delight of the customers who take pictures while screaming excited.

But let’s go back to tabehoudai and nomihoudai. When Japanese people go to an izakaya –and generally to restaurants- they will probably order many dishes that are placed at the centre of the table with everybody free to take from them. As it is very likely that you will drink a lot in an izakaya –and Japanese people in particolar- you probably do not want to keep looking at the menu and keep count of the prices. If you choose tabehoudai and nomihoudai (which can be translated “All you can eat” and “All you can drink”) you will be able to pay for the time you stay in the izakaya, instead of for what you eat and drink. Thus, you will be free to just order food and drinks without thinking at your bill becoming huge as in the end you will pay the fixed price, which for a couple of hours in a normal izakaya is around 30-35 euro –but the price can vary quite a lot with the quality of the place and the food. The only problem is that the “free food” bonanza that will result from this will make you eat and drink way beyond your limit!

NOT ONLY SUSHI Chapter 3 (Pietro)

In Japan there is a kind of restaurant that is half-way between fast food and a normal restaurant. Normally rather small, these restaurants are often specialised in just one dish: tempura,udon, soba, ramen, curry or much more.

They are characterized by a long counter where customers who are alone and want to be served quickly –maybe before taking the train home- normally sit. Some of these restaurants are popular because of their particularly fast service –and to make things faster you might have to make your order at an automatic machine at the entrance of the shop instead of to the waiter. This can be hell for the average Westerner who has no knowledge of Japanese. Other restaurants offer a more relaxed environment with also table service for those customers who are in groups or want to be more comfortable. 

In Japan it is very common to wear the uniform of your workplace. Restaurants are no different, with all waiters wearing the restaurant’s uniform. As soon as you enter you they will all welcome you by shouting “Irasshaimase”, in choir and sometimes even the cooks join in. It’s the Japanese way to greet the customer, who is treated almost like a living god in Japan. Don’t let the ritual between waiter and customer frighten you: the customer is always right and can simply remain silent while the waiter cares for everything and makes everything go the right way. The majority of restaurants in Japan have a menu in English and often you will not even need asking for it: your Western face speaks loudly enough. The English menu, though, might not help you out that much, as it rarely can really give you an idea of what you’ll find in the plate you are going to order. So, if you are no experts of Japanese cuisine, luck plays a rather important role. It is not necessarily a bad thing: trying out many restaurants and dishes is the best way to get acquainted with the cuisine of this country. Once you find something you like, write it down and talk about it with the Japanese people you know. They will be pleasantly impressed by your interest for local food. Japanese people love talking about food –both Japanese and foreign-, food is by all means a big part of Japanese culture.

More than from the English menu, you will find some help by looking at the entrance of many restaurants. In many cases you will find some plastic models of the dishes that are offered, something very surreal but also very useful.

A part from the quick service, another nice thing of these small specialized restaurants is the price. Drinks like water and tea are free (water, actually, is considered a free service almost everywhere in Japan) and with 300-800 yen (that is 2,50-7,50 euro) you can eat a big portion of your favourite dish, tempura, udon, soba and much more. If you like beer you will find some of high quality in Japan, but be ready to pay much more. Japanese love drinking beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks, but prices are rather high: accompanying your meal with a couple of beers can easily double your check.

Once your meal is over you can pay the check and let the waiters submerge you once again with their “arigato gozaimasu”.

NOT ONLY SUSHI Chapter 2 (Pietro)

In Japan there is a kind of restaurant that is half-way between a fast food and a regular restaurant. Often rather small, these restaurants are normally specialized in just one dish, that can be tempura, udon, soba, ramen, curry rice and much more.

Let’s see what these dishes are:

tempura is made of deep fried vegetables or seafood. Forget the way we fry things in Europe: although deep fried, tempura, is rather light and will not make you feel that full. It is often accompanied by white rice and miso soup, which has a very delicate and typically Japanese taste. In order to make the taste stronger you can add the omnipresent soy sauce, the solution for all foods that don’t really meet your taste: if someone offers you something you don’t like in Japan and you cannot refuse just add soy sauce. With its strong taste it will magically cover every other taste. It appears that the name tempura came from the latin tempora, by which the Portuguese missionaries who arrived in Japan in the  16th Century defined periods of penitence during which they abstained from meat –thus only eating vegetables and seafood, which they often fried. One among the most typical of Japanese dishes would thus be the result of a Japanese reinterpretation of a Western receipt.

Udon and soba are, roughly speaking, big spaghetti made of wheat flour –the former- and of buckwheat flour –the latter. They can be served in an infinite variety of versions and the way they are cooked also varies with the regions. They are often served in a soup in which other ingredients like eggs or tofu, the light cheese derived from soy, can be added. They can also be eaten cold (the family that hosted me for some time during a very hot Summer in the Japanese Southern island of Kyushu liked to put ice cubes on them). In that case, instead of in a bowl, they are put on the zaru, a grid made of bamboo. Soba can also be stir-fried and in this case it is called yakisoba. Yakisoba can be put into a sandwich –a carbohydrate bomb- which is very much loved by highschool students as a quick lunch or can be taken to pic-nics.

Ramen, just like agriculture, Buddhism, the writing system and many other things, was born in China and then migrated to Japan, where the most famous ramen is the one made in Fukuoka (among the Japanese cities the nearest to China). Every Japanese region elaborated its own very way to cook ramen. We are talking about very thin noodles served in a pork meat based broth, accompanied by boiled meat, fish, corn, onion or many other ingredients

Curry rice is a relatively young dish in Japan, it being introduced to the country only at the end of the 19th Century following the opening of Japan to trade with Great Britain. The Japanese changed it quite a bit, creating a different kind of curry rice, very far from the Indian one. It is served on a big plate: on one side white rice, on the other a dark curry sauce with meat, potatoes and onion. People eat it with a spoon and not with chopsticks. In restaurants you will be asked to specify the spiciness level you prefer and do not exaggerate: quite a few Westerners can be seen crying on their plate of curry rice.