Tokyo-Yokohama Information Source

After a long day of travelling around Tokyo showing relatives the beautiful sights of Tokyo, my husband decided to sit down on a vacant seat next to a middle-aged woman on the subway. To his horror, the woman stood up and went and sat down on the opposite side. Why did this woman take that action?
My husband couldn't have been smelling as he washes himself everyday (and he doesn't smell of the horrible green tea which so many Japanese smell of). He wasn't wearing anything "reveling" which could have made the woman uncomfortable. No he isn't "big" either and didn't require the extra seat space. Was this racism or was the woman trying to "make the journey of the foreigner more comfortable" by making more space for him (this reason was given in a Newspaper article recently)? This has never openly happened to us so far (in the past 2 years we have been here) and it was quite a shock. Answers are welcome.

Did you know:
- after removing your shoes in a Japanese home you have to turn them around so that they face the door?
- that moving plates and bowls by chopsticks, sticking them into your food, or waving them around is considered bad manners?
- the most popular gift items in Japan are detergents, liquor, seasonings, flowers and confectionery?
- that you cannot give a sick person potted plants, flowers with vivid colours or ones with a strong fragrance?
- the quantity of 4, 9 or 13 are considered to bring bad luck?
- that wearing accessories (apart from pearls) at funerals is inappropriate?
- that kimonos should always be worn with the right side over the left?
- that one does not sleep with the head to the north or with socks on?

Greetings from London! Apart from many other things, the first thing which shocks you when you arrive in UK is how over-weight people here are, compared to the skinny Japanese (ladies). It really is shocking! How can people not care about their bodies? What is even worse is that they seem to find reveling clothes - in 20 degree summer temperatures - to show all their fat! People don't seem to be shy about it. What is surprising is that there seems to be "education" about "healthy" food - in ads, on food packages, on TV, etc. - and yet people don't seem to care. Almost all food packaging has details about the fat, sugar, salt, preservative, etc. content printed in very obvious ways and yet people appear to be ignoring them.

The Japanese are so advanced in many ways and yet they don't seem to get their act together when it comes to computer use for instance. During upgrade of computer systems thousands of pensioners accounts were "lost" and once again the not-so-famous file-sharing software Winny has "leaked" thousands of police investigation files related to sex-crimes and suicides. It is shocking that the Japanese are so perfectionist and yet they don't seem to have managed to perfect the art of computerisation!

Isn't it amazing that despite data of thousands of pensioners being somehow "lost" in government computers there is little uproar or protest from the Japanese oldies? They may have bombarded the hotlines set up by the government (which apparently also gave in to the demand, ie. couldn't cope) but no one has demanded that "heads roll" or have taken to the streets to demand their rightful yens or complained about data protection. This country is amazing.

I began my trip to Hiroo this morning by, for the first time, swearing at an elderly Japanese lady who was riding her bike at "top speed" and nearly crashed into me from behind. I try not to be rude to senior citizens but I had no choice today. She nearly ran me down and didn't even bother to say sorry! One thing I really hate in Tokyo is all the bikes parked on the pavements and people riding on the sidewalks; I refuse to ride my bike here. Sure it is too dangerous for people to ride on the road with their bikes, and surely we wouldn't be doing the environment any good by having that many more cars on the road (for those who can afford to own one), but I can't figure out why one needs eyes all around the head to make way for the hell-riders. In a country like Japan, where there is so much order and discipline, there must be a better solution for all this. Why should pedestrians feel like they are at fault for walking on the pavements?
After nearly jumping out of my skin, I had the privilage of riding on a cramped train with a woman, who had a bad cold, next to me. The Japanese find it rude and disgusting when we gaijins blow our nose in public and then stuff the tissue (into which we had just blowed our nose) into our pockets but I find it equally disgusting when the Japanese keep on forcing "it" all back into their nose. One doesn't need to blow hard but one can always wipe something away with all the free tissues one gets at train stations. But then one can argue that it is very difficult for one to find rubbish bins in Japan. One wouldn't want to carry it home would they? It is okay to wipe away the doggy poo from the road and take it home.
My trip to the Chinese Embassy wasn't that exciting except that I found it strange that there were no security checks and I could have walked in with anything. The other odd thing was that documents that were required - according to the website - weren't really necessary and things I didn't have with were asked for. But at the end there weren't necessary either.
On the way home I stopped over at National Azabu Supermarket (Tel. 03-3442 3181 for the Navi) where one can buy all the comforts from home (products which we are used to) if you have a fat wallet. There is a small bakery outside where one can buy freshly baked bretzels and a wonderful shop upstairs where you can buy, amongst other things, many imported books and magazines in English and a few other languages. They also have many study guides and a section on natural products for the face, hair, etc. The staff all speak English and the bill is in a language known to us! One sees many gaijin faces in Hiroo and with its outdoor cafes one always feels at home. Till tomorrow!

A wonderful way of presenting a simple a daikon salad.

Women getting ready for one of the many Japanese Matsuri's