Life as it is... living in Japan

Fukushima became a household name after the nuclear reactor meltdown caused by the Great East Japan earthquake in 2011. Of all the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami, from an economic standpoint, Fukushima was perhaps the most devastated, having to contend with being branded as ‘contaminated’. Even as some of the affected areas begin to reopen, many of the displaced residents are choosing not to return to their homes, and tourism is at an all time low. This month I had the opportunity to visit Kawamata Town which is a small town in Fukushima that was partially evacuated for almost 7 years after the disaster. The evacuation order was finally lifted last year, with the local school reopening this April. However, only 15 students have returned to the school so far. Yamakiya Unified School is a joint elementary and junior high school. The school building is almost brand new, featuring some of the best building design I have ever seen in a public school in Japan. What’s mo...

Sometimes when I am feeling particularly stressed out, I plan a trip to get out of Tokyo. Often times just having something to look forward to is enough to get me through a slump, but just in case it isn’t, I also have a trip! I had one such trip planned for the end of September to Ishigaki Island in Okinawa. To be honest, I had never even considered visiting Ishigaki Island. I had already been to mainland Okinawa once, and felt satisfied that I had experienced what Okinawa has to offer. What I really wanted to do was join a yoga retreat. I am really into yoga these days and wanted to join a retreat to focus on my practice and improve my skills. I randomly searched yoga retreats on google and found one on a small island off of Ishigaki that was the right timing and price for me. It was only a 3 day retreat, but I decided to go for the week. Lazing on a beach, snorkeling and scuba diving after the retreat seemed like just what I needed! Two days before I was due to fly to I...

I feel incredibly blessed to have been raised by parents who tell me that I can be anything I want to be. Since moving to Japan, they have supported me, visited me multiple times, liked every social media post, and listened to my constant ramblings about life in Japan. Did they even have an interest in Japan before I came here? The problem is, I don’t know what I want to be. I have lots of ideas but nothing that really jumps out at me with ‘I am your passion, pick me.’ I am spoiled for choice. I have always been jealous of people who seem to have it figured out. From a young age they know exactly what they want to do and charge towards it with a kind of confidence that makes me wonder if they know something that I don’t. I have read so many blogs, listened to so many TED talks, and spoken with so many people about how to find your passion. Some people tell you to try a variety of jobs to get a better feel for who you are. Others recommend taking a personality test so...

It's a fine line between challenging yourself and torturing yourself. Since moving to Tokyo, this is something that I have contemplated often. I have a friend who said he would never live somewhere he doesn't want to live. Life is too short to waste doing things you don't wanna do in places you don't wanna be. He makes a fair point. Who knows when your last breath will be? No one could say that a life spent doing what you love every day is a wasted life. On the other hand, you could also prescribe to the idea that life begins outside of your comfort zone. If we put ourselves out there, try something that we don’t necessarily like, we learn, we grow, we discover that we love things we never knew we could love. We change. We adapt. We overcome obstacles, becoming stronger with each day that passes. It is following this second train of thought, let's call it the ambition train, that lead me to live in Tokyo. Challenging myself to live in a city that I wasn...

Do you come from a land down under? Where women glow and men plunder. Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover… from keigo . 地球の裏側の国から来たの？そこは女たちは輝き、男たちは略奪している所でしょ？聞こえない？あの雷の音が聞こえないの？逃げた方がいいわ。避難した方がいいわよ。 ケイゴから。 No, keigo is not a person. Although it is actually a popular guys name in Japan, the keigo I am referring to is the super polite form of the Japanese language, also known as honorific language, used commonly in customer service and business. ケイゴは人ではない。人気のある男の名前でもあるけど、言及したいことはビジネスや接客によく使われている敬語だ。 From a linguistic and sociological standpoint, keigo is a fascinating insight into the Japanese social hierarchy. From a Japanese learner’s point of view, it is one more thing that you have to memorise, which sometimes leaves you questioning, ‘Do I really need this?’ 言語学と社会学の立場からみると敬語は日本社会に関する洞察である。日本語学者にとってもう一つ勉強しなければならないこと。時々、これは本当に必要なのかと疑問に思う。 I am going to play devil’s advocate for a moment and say no. Let’s look at the f...