Archive for the 'Becoming Japanese' Category

Seeing a medical professional in a foreign country is always a challenge. First you have got to have the right paperwork. Then find out how they “do it” over here. With a bruised foot refusing to heal from a tournament a month ago and pain in the rib and right hand from the last tournament I thought I would let a doctor check on me before doing any more full contact. Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: medical, professional, doctor

The public baths that used to be found on every block in Japan is getting more and more scarce. Instead of these small and simple places to wash and soak in a tub there is now more larger “spa” style of baths being built. These larger places offer a wider range of services like massage, ten different style baths, restaurant, video games and more. But they lack the old fashioned style and intimacy that the old school places have, and more there is no Yakuza Mafia there.

Unlike the “onsen” the local “sento” is just a place to get yourself clean. Dates back to the day before people had bathrooms at home. The sento is also a place to hang out and make small talk. Maybe this is why they are popular with the yakuza. Another reason could be that this is an ideal place for the yakuza to flash their tattoos. Many places let the customers know that they don’t allow people with tattoos to enter. A not so subtle way of saying “no yakuza please”. Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: public, baths, spa, Yakuza, Mafia, onsen, sento, tattoos

There are three ways to get your hair cut in Japan. No surprise these are: expensive, mid-range and rock bottom. I started in the middle and worked my way down. Read the rest of this entry »

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Shooting in Japan can be difficult, but also extremely easy. Learned a few things in my latest project about making a video production in Japan.

In my work as a cameraman here I usually have producers and location managers that take care of the details. Sometimes my job involves some directing, but that’s usually it. This time everything was on me. Directing, shooting, planning locations and editing. Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: Shooting, video, production, cameraman, directing

In Japan many people still live together in large families. Never met someone to ask about this until now. Had a little small talk the other day with a man from my day job. Let’s call him Tanaka. Read the rest of this entry »

There are many books on this subject. Some claim to help you understand Japan by using strange archaic language and others by taking you deep inside the bushido warrior culture. Non of this helps very much. Here is an author with a different approach. Read the rest of this entry »

The claim: “Japanese service is good, but too automated. It’s all “irrashaimase” and no listening to the customer. Service workers are afraid to break the rules if you ask them for something out of their routine”. Buying a used scooter I found this to be wrong.
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Technorati Tags: Japanese, Buying, used, scooter