June / July 2012 edition of Ran Magazine

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RAN EXCLUSIVES:SEMI-ONS NEW ABUM RELEASEWhat Is OsakaA LOOK AT JAPANESE HISTORY

Saki Mizuno - Violinist

BRIDGING THE GAPSTORIES IN BOTH ENGLISH & NIHONGO

RANONLINEwww.ranmagazine.co

June/July 2012| Issue 18 |

natsu

summer


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ranmagazine.co Jun/July 2012 | Issue 18 | | RAN | 3

4 Spotlight Miho Fukada6 Create Haruna Yoshida9 Listen Semi-On

10 CutureMiho Fukada

14 Go Paul Koehler17 HistoryRicky Tjandra18 Read Saori Amano

22 Kansai Duane Levi29 Fitness Mark Cambell30 Business Kiyono Watanabe

33 Comics Adam Passion

BRIDGING THE GAPSTORIES IN BOTH ENGLISH & NIHONGO

JUNE/JULY 2012 | ISSUE 18 |THE SUMMER ISSUE

Cover Art By: Robert N. Moore

IS:

TREVOR DAVID HOUCHENCHIEF EDITOR/FOUNDER

ROBERT N. MOORECREATIVE ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION MANAGER

18 CONTENTS

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MizunoSakiWith

Love


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First impression:Good looking lady and also beautiful slim leg. Is

she really a violinist?This I thought when I rst saw her, because she iscompletely different from my image of violinists,

of course, in a good way.

Saki Mizuno, age 27, a member of 12 violinists.She was born in Obu city, Aichi prefecture, and

graduated from Toho Gakuen School of Music.She started to play the violin when she was fouryears old. What inspired Saki to take up it is hermother, because mother played it when she was achild, but she gave it up. So now, she made bothher and her mothers dream reality as a profes-sional violinist. Today, she mainly plays in 12violinists that is produced by Chisako Takashima

in Tokyo.She is usually frank and interested in fashion andcosmetics like normal girls. Recently, she drinksprotein for breakfast. Actually, I got this informa-tion from her blog. And she also has a twitter.

Look for it!!In recent days, she started her solo career and

created her original songs. The most importantthing to make songs is feeling good. So rstly,she might take a bath, eat, then take a breakplay

some. then stop then play more.Just like this, she gets relaxed and feels good.Thats her creation method. On the contrary,when playing songs, she images the song in hermind and expresses her all of passion and emo-

tion.What are your inspirations and favorite musi-cians? I asked her. Her answer was somethingI never expected. She said, Julian Rachlin, Gil

Shaham, Kyung-Wha Chung, Iwao Hurusawa whoare famous violinists,.and X JAPAN. I couldntbelieve my ears, because I have never thoughtviolinist listen to heavy metal songs. Interesting!Additionally, she likes all genres including rock,jazz, Spanish music and of course classical, andgets inspirations from it. I heard it, I know why her

songs are listener-friendly for everyone.By the way, what image do you have for classicconcert? Snoozer? Boring? For all I know, mostpeople have ideas like this. Im sorry but youwrong. But, its natural that. Since you have neverseen dancing violinist, you have that image. Imsure you can enjoy concert of 12 Violinists andthey change your image of classical music. So, I

want you to see her performance by all means!!If you like rock, jazz, R&B, and hip hop. Okay,thats cool. But why dont you like classicalmusic? How do you know if you never try it?Fortunately, she will be back to Nagoya to play her

concert on June 23rd. I mean you have a chance

to see her!Dont be stereotyped. Break it. Its time to have

fun with classical music!!

And nally she said:Even if you dont like or understand classical

music, I want you to feel and enjoy my music.And I want everyone to appreciate and know howwonderful music can beand I want to show you

with my playing.

Feel Good

X JAPAN

No Problem! Dont worry!

Why not? By Miho Fukada

Spo

tlight


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WHEN IN

ROME...Advice On Living In Nagoyatdhouchen

Whether or not you plan to stay inNagoya long term, or youre just passingthrough, if you are currently turningyour key at some residence in the Na-

goya area, face it, you live in Nagoya.

That established, we sat ourselves downand came up with a few simple ways toincrease your enjoyment of, and experi-ence of, the people places and thingsthat Nagoya, the 7 5 8, has to offer.

These are obviously subjective, but theyare intended to offer the reader somesage advice as to how to make the most/best of your stay in Nagoya.

Check out our list and if youve gotsome advice of your own, send it onover to:

[email protected]

Well post it on our website.Cheers Nagoya Fam!

Find Your Own Niche.Many people bemoan Nagoya as beingtoo boring with not so much to do,this is in the eye of the beholder. Na-goya has lively little pockets of activityrepresenting all the disciplines of thearts, music, photography, dance, theatre,etc, its just that Nagoyas scene isntquite as famous as scenes in other cities,nor quite as large. The great thing aboutNagoya is that since it isnt considereda world class city, there are myriadopportunities for anyone with a littleingenuity, energy, and a halfway decent

idea, to manifest something out of noth-ing. If youve got an idea, Nagoya is theperfect city in Japan to try your idea, itisnt too big, there isnt an overwhelm-ing number of people competing withyou, and people in Nagoya are eagerto experience something new. Havecondence in what youve got in mindand go for it, chances are really goodyoull nd an accepting group of peoplewho are into whatever youre into.

Go Into Nature.Nagoya, though not as large as Tokyoor Osaka, is still a highly developedfast-paced modern urban city. Subways,busy streets, trafc, bustling Sakae, Na-goya is a fast-paced city with a slower-

paced personality, but still, the concreteurban landscape can wear on your souland spirit as you make your way to andfro. However, Nagoya is blessed withnumerous large parks and open spaces.Inside Nagoya, and just beyond the cityas well, there are beautiful rivers, trails,mountains, beaches and small townswith wide open spaces. Nature providesan excellent balance for your earlymornings, train hopping, and pedestriancity life battling crowded streets. Theresprobably a park within just a few min-utes, or a few stops on the subway fromwherever you live. Carve out some timeto let yourself relax amidst Mother Na-tures blessings, thats what shes therefor. Itll give you strength and balance,

and nourish your mind soul and spirit.Go sit with the trees and grass.

Dont Take It Personal. This isJapan. Japanese in general arent as

expressive, nor as emotionally openand/or available as most westerners areused to. In fact, sometimes, Japanesecan seem overly rigid and quietlycritical, and this can have a profoundeffect on how you experience yourdaily life here. Chances are, the vastmajority of the incidents where youfeel slighted in some way are cultural,and not personal. Its not that they dontlike you, its much more likely theyre

just following the cultural program, noone means to offend you personally. Its

easy to feel offended if someone doesntreturn your smile or doesnt look youin your eyes, and these little incidentscan accumulate and lead to a denitedecrease in your enjoyment of yourexperience of Nagoya, or anywhere elsein Japan. From experience, Id say dontlet anything get too deep under yourskin, if theyre staring at you, more thanlikely theyre thinking youre coolandtheyd like to get to know you. People inNagoya, Japanese and foreign, generallyhave the best of intentions, so if some-one doesnt do what youd like themto do, or isnt exactly who you thoughttheyd be, let it go and do your best tomaintain a positive mind-state. Walkingaround with a chip on your shouldercauses a reverse reaction wherein allthat negative energy youre putting outcomes right back to you in subtle, andnot-so-subtle ways. Take a look at theman in the mirror, and adjust his visageaccordingly.

Learn the values.Nagoyans value hard work, long termconnections, honesty, positivity, andintegrity. Incorporate these same valuesinto your make-up and youll do well inNagoya. Other areas value other things,Osaka values a talkative and outgoing

jovial personality, Tokyo places valueon a certain sophistication, hustle, anda jet-setting international atmosphere,Nagoya is more of a family values kind

of town. Be who you say you are andhonor your responsibilities, friendships,and your word. Dont burn bridges anddont think too fast, get in where yout in and make your worth and abilitiesknown by doing, not talking. Nagoyais essentially a middle-class city wherepeople pride themselves on their abilityto maintain their good relationships,and their good standing in the com-munity. It isnt so much about ash asit is about diligence. In Nagoya, stayfresh and stay ahead, but not too freshand not too far ahead-youll be moreappreciated for making it to work ontime everyday than you would be forcoming up with some great new idea.People need to relate to what youredoing in Nagoya. Your great idea maybe great to you, but if people dontresonate with it, it wont y in Nagoya,no matter how interesting/new/innova-tive/etc. it may be.

Dont hold grudges.Though Nagoya is Japans 3rd, (or 4th,depending on whom you ask) largestcity, the reality is that Nagoya has theheart mind and soul of a small town.In this small town, youre going to runacross the same people over and over,and it goes without saying, the non-

japanese community in Nagoya is muchmuch smaller, and quite nepotistic, aswell it should be. The saying goes that inNagoya, people arent so much search-

ing for whats new, hot, fast, and ashy,they honor friendships and relationshipsand word gets around. With this inmind, its best to let old grudges fall bythe wayside, because theres a very high

possibility youre going to continue torun into the person with whom youvegot beef, and chances are also highthat person knows some of the samepeople you know, which makes for asix degrees of separation type scenario,only in Nagoya, its more like 2 degrees.Forgive, and more importantly maybe,forget. Why make your own life moremiserable than it has to be? The ip sideto this coin goes along with Number 4,if youve got integrity in your actions,you wont have to worry about people

holding grudges against you. Make likeThe Beatles and Let It Be.

Find A Place To Live That

Suits You.There are numerous lo-cations in and aroundNagoya where youcan choose to callhome. All thesedifferent localeshave a uniqueavor. Sakaeis Nagoyasdowntown/shopping dis-trict, etc. Itsbusy all day

and weekendspeople crowdin to get theirparty on. Mo-toyama is moresedate andupscale, quietand somewhatelite. Osu is artsyand has a certaingypsy-like avorto it, but its alsotraditional, with OSUKANNON and sur-rounding areas. Imaikehas a rep for being a bitsleazy, but it has a greatmusic scene and late

night restaurants. Tsu-rumai has that fantasticpark going for it. NearNagoya station, theresaccess to transportationthat puts you anywherewithin minutes, andthere are scores of res-taurants, izakaya, cafes,and shopping. Furtherout, there are windingroads, temples, univer-sities, picturesque old

Japanese homes, etc.Point being, nding aplace that suits yourpersonality is key to

your enjoyment ofand experience ofNagoya, or anywhereelse for that matter.Luckily, rents inNagoya are veryreasonable, almostno matter whereyou live. Make yourchoice wisely keepingin mind that though youmay not plan to stay hereforever, for the timebeing, you live in Na-goya. Find the loca-tion that allows youto relax and callyour own home

sweet home.

Enjoy your NAGOYALIFE fam!Cheers.

tdhouch

en


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June 24th 2012

Marks The Official Release OfSemi On's 2ndFull-Length CD

The Official Digital Release PartyWill Be Held At

The Plastic FactoryImaike, Nagoya

KAZUYA BRYONY JOHN

LESLEYCOLEEN

www.semion.org


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Id like to ask you before talking about Japanese owers.What do you come up when you hear the phrases Fuji andJapan?And I think anyone can guess what your answer is easily. Itsthe most famous mountain in Japan, Mt. Fuji, right?But, did you know that there is another beautiful fuji inJapan?Its English name is Japanese wisteria. As you can see, coloris light purple and a head of ower is drooping under likeladys earrings. I wish I can tell you the sweet smell of fuji.Not as popular as cherry blossom, but Japanese peoplesometimes do Fuji viewing after the season of cherry blos-som viewing, its around Golden Week. As evidence of this,Fuji festivals are held all over Japan.Of course, Aichi is no exception. If you go to parks includ-ing Meijo Park and Tenougawa Park in April and May, maybeyou can sniff its smell. Perhaps, it makes you feel like youare in a paradise or heaven.Actually, there is a thing what I wonder secretly for a longtime. The question is, why ohanami is cherry blossomviewing in English? Although, if I say I cant understand it atall, it would be a lie. So I know that cherry blossom viewingis free translation of ohanami and literal translation is Flower

viewing. The reason is because Japanese people includingme use the phrase go ohanami without question, whenthey go and see cherry blossom. In addition, people areinclined to suppose that ohanami equal Cherry blossom. Inother ward, that is how much ohanami is rmly embeddedin the Japanese culture.Of course I think it is good culture that we can be proud of.However, I also want you to notice that we pass by chanceto know many beautiful owers like Japanese wisteria otherthan cherry blossom, because of that. So on this occasion,I want more people to know the ower that have the samename as famous mountain, fuji.interestingly, in the language of owers, Japanese wisteriasignies welcome and fascinated. you know what this

means?why dont you go and fascinated with their sweet smell?

They will welcome you anytime.By Miho Fukada

cherry blossomviewing

By

FUJI...Japan

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Cul

ture

Photos: By Robert Moore


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Recently I found myself on thewrong side of the law. Despitethe fact that I believe my par-

ticular offense was harmless, the truthof the matter was I HAD broken thelaw, and nothing.NOTHING is worthyour freedom.

Here are some of the insights I hadduring my situation, that might be ben-ecial if you nd yourself in a similarpredicament.

First and foremost, if you are breakingthe law in Japan you HAVE to realize

the the law of averages says sooner orlater youll be caught. I wasnt aware Iwas being watched (for weeks, possiblymonths) until I found myself under 6or 7 undercover cops when I steppedout of my apartment. Japan investsheavily in surveillance technology andthey USE it. If youre being watchedlistened too.followedetc, YOUWONT KNOW IT. In addition, thereare cameras almost everywhere, mostof them you cant even see.. These areused extensively, in ways you couldnteven imagine. (For example, they cantriangulate your location at any timeusing these cameras. Electronic surveil-lance via GSP devices are popular as

well.)Dont Break The Law, its that simple,but if you must-here is some informa-tion you should be aware of:

Intitial Arrest: The First 72 HoursUnder Japanese law, you may be ar-rested and detained for 48 hours onsuspicion of having committed a crime.During this period the police arerequired to inform your crime, of yourright to remain silent, and your right toa lawyer. If you have 500,000 or morein the bank you will HAVE to hire one,otherwise one will be appointed. Thereare no Miranda Rights {Those rightsthat guarantee you a LAWYER be pres-

ent during your questioning, -editorsnote-}---and the police will attemptto begin questioning before you see alawyer.A couple notes here. You WILL betotally bewildered in the initial phasesof your arrest. Dont sign or say ANY-THING until you speak to your lawyer.Also, even if you can speak Japanese,its BEST to say you dont. I cant over-state that. The lawyer wont be ableto help and they may tell you it willslow the process down, but believeme, there isnt anything that is going tospeed the process up. They are nothing,if not methodical. Consequently, theyllhave to have an interpreter availablefor all meetings/questionings. This willgive you the most precious of com-modities: Time to THINK.. Just simply,and politely (ALWAYS BE POLITE) tellthem youre not saying anything until

you are advised by a lawyer.If the police believe they have enoughevidence to detain you, they mustpresent this evidence to a publicprosecutor within the initial 48-hourdetention period. Youll be there whenthis is done. Often, the jail and theprosecutors ofce are not only not inthe same building, they arent even inthe same part of the city. If the prosecu-tor agrees, he/she must obtain a war-rant of detention from a judge within24 hours. Youll be there for that, too.A case could be dropped at eitherof these stages for lack of evidence.

(By the way, forget BAIL unless youreJapanese. They wont even consideritquoting ight risk.)Your lawyer will show up in the nextfew days, be sure he is accompaniedby an interpreter. He WONT be ableto help you much LEGALLY, but maybehe can answer some basic questions.

Under Investigation: The Next 20 DaysIf the judge agrees there is a probabilitya crime may have been committed,the court will issue an initial 10 daydetention order to permit the policeto continue their investigation. Youwill be questionedand questionedand questioned again. They WILL

ask the same questions OVER ANDOVER again, especially if they dontcompletely understand, or believe,your answer. Again, have an interpreterpresent, its nothing but benecial.This is your LIFE and its important youCOMPLETELY understand whats beingasked of you. Be careful is all Im goingto say about answering. If they catchyou in a lie it will be MUCH worsefor you. Its NOT OK just to answerNo comment or I have nothing tosay. That will just fast track you to aguilty sentence (a severe one) in thecourt. It IS OK to say, judiciously, Idont remember or Id like to talk tomy lawyer before I comment on that.

(Dont expect too much from yourlawyer, though, unless youve brought/bought your own. They arent evenALLOWED to see the evidence untilyouve been indicted).At the end of this rst 10 day period,the prosecutor can request a second10 day detention to continue theinvestigation further. He will. Did Imention they were thorough? This isJapan ladies and gentlemen, if youvegotten yourself involved with any armof the bureaucracy expect them to dotALL their is, cross all their ts. Youregoing to be here for a while. It willseem like the longest time in your life.My advice? Start meditating and keepexercising. The meditation will keepyou calm, the exercise will give youa bit of endorphin rush to keep yourspirits up.At the end of this 20-23 day deten-

tion period, theprosecutor musteither indict you orrelease you. In ad-dition, if their case isweak but they are consid-ering a new charge, theyll re-lease you, then immediately re-arrestyou. Then the whole process starts ALLOVER AGAIN. Its a nice little trick theprosecutors like to use, the legality ofwhich seems very suspect to me.

IndictmentIf the prosecutor believes there is suf-

cient evidence, the suspect will beformally indicted. Prosecutors in Japando not take a case to trial unless theyare convinced they can win, and abouta quarter of all cases are dropped priorto indictment. HOWEVER, after indict-ment, the conviction rate in Japan isOVER 99%.After indictment, you MAYstill be questioned, albeit with lessfrequency. All questioning is directedby the prosecutors ofce. It usuallytakes one of two forms. The soon to befamiliar process at the jailhouselongand arduous, but not wholly disagree-able. Or, the everything youre sayingis a lie process IN the prosecutorsofce. Not in the least bit fun, made

worse by the hours you are usuallymade to wait in a cell before he deemsto see you.. Stay cool, use the chanceto meditate.

TrialThe time from indictment to trial canbe lengthy. Anywhere from 2 to 3months. During this time the defenseand prosecutor formulate their cases.There is no trial by jury in Japan. Youllappear before 1 to 3 judges who willdeem your penalty. The BEST you canhope for is a light sentence.

General ObservationsOK, thats the meat of the process. Its

not fast, by ANY means, and I thinkthats done on purpose. The rst fewweeks are the hardest, and they arecounting on that. Youll go a bi t stircrazy adjusting to your loss of freedom.Perhaps youll do or say anything inhopes of getting out, we all wouldand thats what theyre counting on.Take my word for it, the process is go-ing to run it s course, nothing you do orsay is going to speed it up.Youll be in a 6 tatami cell with up to 3people. There may be anywhere from5-10 cells in your block. Nofurniture, you sit on the ground all day(with a jailhouse blanket, which youllbe happy to have.) It may or may notbe the same people the whole time,they come and go.

You wake up a 7, eat breakfast at 7:30,12:00 lunch, 6:00 dinner, 7:30-9Reection Time (no books/magazines/letters.ugh) 9:00 Bed. (Good lucksleeping, always seems to be someonesnoring.)You can shave (electric razors only

dull and almost useless) and showerTWICE a week. If you brought anymoney with you (I RECOMMEND youDO) you can order snacks on Sunday.Youll come to live for these smallpleasures.Youll be available for questioning from9-6 M-F. Or thats how it worked in mycase. I beneted from always having tohave a interpreter available. (They haveto be scheduled and such.)I did seeother inmates questioned outside thistime period, but only Japanese.

The jails are TOTALLY safe, andeveryone (in my case) couldnt havebeen nicer. Not TOO bad, besides the

fact youll be watched EVERY momentof EVERY day. While youre underinvestigation you wont be allowed anyoutside contact (ie.the rst 20-23 days).That means, no books, letters, or visits.They MAY relax those rules after youvebeen indicted. It helps to ALWAYS berespectful and polite. All youll haveto look at is jailhouse manga. If yourelike me, this will be the toughest time.To get an idea what jail is like, takeeverything out of your room and just siton the oor. 3 times a day have some-one slide food (only bentos) under yourdoor. Oh yeah, you can have UP TO 3manga books to last the whole day.

Of course there was a lot more to it,but I hope this gives you some ideawhat to expect. The beginning was thetoughest. After that, Im rather embar-rassed to say how quickly I adapted toinstitutionalization (once I was allowedbooks, visitors, and letters.) Of course,and I cant stress this point enough-

NOTHING

IS

WORTH

YOUR

FREEDOM.Roger

You can never FULLY realize just how precious it is until youve had it taken away.


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HistoryofJapan

Part II

Real things in the dark-ness seem no realer than

dreams.

Murasaki ShikibuThe Tales of Genji

Ise shrine and its environsexemplify the core of Japan

and its culture. First of allthe shrine itself: rebuiltevery 20 years since around theseventh century to exactly the samespecication each time. Continuity,Conformity, Community, the threeCs of Japanese culture are clearlyevident in this enterprise: the mate-rials, the method of construction,and the associated rituals passeddown from generation to genera-tion without change or question. Thesurroundings: woodlands, river, sea

the natural environment, createdand ruled by the gods and goddess-

es from whom Jimmu, the legendaryrst emperor was descended.

The current emperor is the latestin a long line stretching back wellover 1500 years. Is the emperor god?The simple answer is no. However,the Japanese people, until rela-tively recently believed that he wasdescended from the gods and there-fore his will had to be obeyed asthe ultimate leader of the nation.

From the early days the Buddhist

monasteries, powerful regionalfamilies and war lords tried toingratiate themselves and surroundthe emperor in order to bask in hisglory and seek privileges and fa-vours from him. The Bushi,(samurai)comprised the warrior class, thestrongest of whom could gain thestatus of Shogun and become thenominal national leader. The em-peror although performing largelyceremonial duties, as the countrysleadership was fought over by therival warlords and clans, was theultimate gure of adulation, honour

and worship. The countrys capitalchanged location a number of times,according to which clan or warlorddominated. Nara was the capitalfrom 710 to 784 .

The Heian period lasting around 400years from 794, with the capital nowin Kyoto, is regarded as the goldenage of Japans art and literature.In the early years of the eleventhcentury appeared The Tales of Genji,one of the worlds rst survivingnovels, an epic love story written

by Lady Shikibu Murasaki. Anotherlady to make her mark was Ono no Ko-

machi, whose beauty and erotic lovepoetry became legendary.

Although I come to you constant-ly over the roads of dreams, thosenights of love are not worth onewaking touch of you.

Ono No Komachi

During the following centuriesfeudal Japan was dominated by civilwar between the loyalists with theirsupporters and the warrior classescomprising coalitions of warlordsand their followers, each intent ontaking over the leadership of theland. Various shogunates ruled inturn. At this time there were twoinvasion attempts by the Mongols whounder Gengis Khan had establisheda huge empire that included Chinaand Korea. Both these attempts werefoiled by what was referred to askami-kaze (the wind of the gods)

- presumably typhoons or tsunamisthat swept away the invading troopsand forced their ships to retreat.

By the mid fourteenth century Japanwas in turmoil with no less thanthree emperors being promoted byrival armies, before a period ofstability arose under the Ashigakashogunate.

As we have seen, the rst foreigninfluences were from China, bring-ing across Buddhism and earlyforms of government. It is possiblethat a few stray Europeans may haveaccompanied the Chinese missions

but the rst documented Europeanincursions into Japan occurred in

the sixteenth century, when gunsand Christianity were introducedinto the country. Next time we willexamine how Japan responded andchanged direction as a result ofthese innovations. In the mean time,if you get the chance why not visitIse and enjoy the sacred and in-vigorating atmosphere of its natu-ral beauty. Incidentally, the newrebuilding will open in 2013. Youcan get there in around 90 minutes

by JR from Nagoya.

Ricky Tjandra


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The area of Finland located in the

northern part of Europe is slightly

smaller than Japan, population

5,200,000 people. They havebeautiful forests and lakes. Many

stone buildings in Europe, but

they have many wooden build-

ings, for example, Old Rauma and

Petjvesi Old Church.

I went to Finland this year Febru-

ary to March. Finlands tempera-

ture was always below freezing.

Forests and lakes were frozen

and all covered with snow. It was

fantastic. And there was a differ-

ent charm from summer season.

Santa Claus, a reindeer, northern

lights and Kamome-shokudo(Japanese movie) remind me of

Finland. Actually, many Japanese

tourists go to Finland for these.

If you visit Finland, you should

try the sauna. In Finland there

is a saying about sauna A man

was born in sauna and he died

in sauna. This phrase originates

from people born in sauna in old

Finland, and after people died,

their body was puried and was

laid till burial in the sauna. Nowa-

days, houses, hotels, public spaces

like city hole and universities havesauna. And Finns can buy many

sauna goods in department store.

It is like bath goods in Japan.

The village Livia is 200-

km northwest from Helsinki. I

enjoyed great nature and sauna.

I was excited but very surprised

at sight of there. Because, the

temperature of the day was -5

degrees but some Finnish people

were wearing swimsuits and

walking outside! Unbelievable!!Their bodies were covered with

steam. I think that maybe they

were warmed by sauna. But they

jumped into iced water of a lake

and they swam. Unbelievable

My friends face who took me

here went to grin. Then we wore

swimsuit and we went to a. It was

midweek, but many Finnish peo-

ple were in sauna. They all lookeda bit surprised to see me there..

I knew the reason. Most tourists

go to Helsinki and Lapland. So

tourists are rare for Finnish people

who live in other areas of Finland.

Their attitude of the rst meeting

resembles Japanese people. They

are very shy. But I spoke to them,

they smiled sweetly and talked.

Hmm, this behavior resembles

Japanese too. For Finnish people

traditionally the sauna is the place

of communication. Sometimes

they have conference or meetingsin the sauna. This is like Hadaka

no Tsukiai(=relationship with be-

ing naked. This means that being

naked shows they have close and

deep relationship.)Many Japa-

nese people cant speak English

because they are ashamed about

it. Why dont you try sauna com-

munity with little courage?

After we enjoyed our conversation

in the sauna, somebody said to me

You should try the lake! so I

tried! But even after I was warmed

up in the sauna until I sweat,outside was still so cold. The lake

was really really cold-so cold it

hurt! I couldnt move my body as

I wanted. I guess I looked like I

was drowning rather than swim-

ming...maybe. Finnish people are

amazing!

By the way in Finland there are

enough saunas that all Finnish

people can be in saunas at the

same time, so maybe you can nd

your favorite sauna too.

Got A Swim Suit?A Nihonjin InFinland...

520

200

By Saori Amano


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052-221-6761

Email: [email protected]

Online

OK

i Pad apple TV


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Soiukimarinandesu.


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OSAKA?

WHATISKA

NSAI

Q: Whats the difference between

Osaka and the rest of Japan?

A: A culture that is unique andpeople who are one of a kind.

Among Japanese people, Osaka iswell known for its dialect, food, andgeneral out loud & proud imageamong other things, but there areseveral things that many people stilldont know about.Osaka, The City of Rivers, as itis known, has a rich culture thatdeveloped as a result of many busyriver and sea routes. It naturallybecame a ourishing economic

center and became the gateway toJapan for travelers and traders fromall over Asia.Many things were introduced to

Japanese people through trade andcommerce using Osaka ports. Forexample, the shamisen, a tradi-tional Japanese musical instrumentis said to have been introduced tomainland culture through the portsof Osaka in the 16th century.Many visitors to Japan want toexperience traditional culture, soif youre musically inclined howabout trying out a shamisen lesson.There are regular opportunities to

watch and try your hand at playinga shamisen at Wakanagi ShamisenCircle. Go to http://www.wakanagi.com for information in Japanese orleave a simple phone message inEnglish requesting information. (Tel.050-3735-9390).

Comedy is another well-known

aspect of Osakas culture, with thepopularity of Manzai (2 personcomedy act) and Rakugo (comedicstorytelling). These two forms ofcomedy can be seen at the famousYoshimoto NGK theatre in Japanese,but if youre looking for a real downhome experience, why not try Eng-lish rakugo.English rakugo is the same tradi-tional storytelling art-form, but thestories are translated into English fora wider audience. There are regularopportunities to sit in on Englishrakugo practice sessions and eventry a short story for yourself. Weekly

practices are held every Wednesdayin the Tanimachi area at Nigiwaido(http://eigorakugo.blog106.fc2.com/)and monthly sessions are held onthe 3rd Sunday in the Umeda areaby Ofuku Yose (http://ofukuyose.blog9.fc2.com/). See below forcontact information.To learn more about the history ofOsaka, the Osaka Museum of His-tory is an informative and nicely de-signed place where you can see andexperience the traditions of Osaka.The museum is located across thestreet from Osaka Castle and is openfrom 9:30am to 5:00pm (8:00pm on

Fridays)and closed on Tuesdays.Of course Osaka has its share ofshopping malls, plazas and arcades.You can experience the longestshopping arcade in Japan in theTenjinbashi area with 600 storesstretching for 2.6 km or if youre

looking for souvenirs you can either

go to a shopping center in Umeda,Tennoji or Shinsaibashi amongother places and get typical stuff, oryou can try a ea market and ndall sorts of things from music andvideo games to traditional Japanesefans and kimonos all at basementprices! A weekly, easily accessibleea market that you can count on(rain or shine) is at the east exit of JRShin Osaka Station. It happens everySaturday until about 2:00pm andreally brings out the down homefeeling of Osaka people.But, Osaka isnt just about Japaneseculture. Its an international city

with restaurants, events, and peoplefrom all over the world. For ex-ample, if you like Indian food, youcan head to Indian Restaurant Binduin the Kitahorie area of downtownOsaka for good food at a reasonableprice. Also, on July 7th, 2,000 yenwill get you in to experience a mealand a multicultural event featuring asinger songwriter, Julia rose, on tourfrom Australia, a traditional Indiandance performance and a live band.Go to http://www.kansaimusiccon-ference.com/events for more details.If youre a music fan and want agood musical experience, there are

many live venues to choose from,but an evening at Swissotel NankaiOsakas Italian Restaurant & SkybarTavola 36, gives you an amazingexperience to remember overlook-ing Osaka from all directions fromthe 36th oor. Featuring live jazz

and pop every Saturday night its a

luxury restaurant like no other. Callfor reservations: 06-6646-5125Also, Hard Rock Caf Osaka hasrecently put in a stage and now hasregular live music, so if you wantto experience rock n roll, classicvideos and dinner go to one of thefew places in Japan that serves a bigplate of food.(http://www.hardrockjapan.com/cafes/osaka.asp)Osaka is similar to other cities in

Japan with the typical tourist andentertainment spots, but when itcomes to feeling the real vibeof a city, Osaka stands out as a

place where youll recognize thatsomething is different as soon asyou arrive.From the middle aged ladies withtheir hair dyed purple to the OsakaBoystalkin loud on the train..,that vibe is what Osaka culture isall about.

English Rakugo practice:Nigiwaido (weekly) [email protected] Yose (monthly) [email protected] Museum of History website:http://www.mus-his.city.osaka.jp/

(click English button)

Duane Levi


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Beat your wife on the wedding day, and yourmarried life will be happy.

Japanese proverb.A good husband is healthy and absent.Japanese proverb

Sometimes, we call ourselves bananas shesaid. I asked, Whats a banana? A banana isyellow on the outside and white on the inside.She then added, It is difcult to balancebetween yellow and white, between beingJapanese and not Japanese. We were sittingtogether, 4 men and 3 women, just talking. As itoften does, the topic of relationships had cameup, and she had offered that pearl of wisdom,based Im sure on her personal experiences.

Id never heard it expressed this way before,but her comment seemed to succinctly sumup the challenges faced by Japanese woman intheir mixed marriages. My curiosity piqued, Idecided to seek out other kernels of insight andwisdom regarding the challenged of inter-cultur-al relationships.

I began asking around. I talked to friends and

friends of friends to get their take on three basicquestions: First, what attracted you to him? Sec-ond, what happened? Why do you think yourrelationship failed? And third, what did youlearn? I was quite surprised at how eager andopen some women were, and also enlightenedas to how painful and difcult some relation-ships had become. What follows is a selectionof comments gleaned from those conversations,organized in a before, during and afterwardsequence.

THE BEGINNING (Romance, the adventure):

Women admire western culture-blue eyedbabies, maybe its their dream. They want anEnglish experience.His qualities dont matter-hes not Japanese.They think they (gaijin) are gentle, sweet,polite.Woman can only see his life in Japan. Shedoesnt know his family-its not equal.I wanted to possess him. I was possessive,emotionally dependent. I wanted him to bemine.Easy dating, how much do they really under-stand about each other?I was concerned about my feelings and I feltgood when I was with him.I felt insecure in a foreign country and foundsecurity in his presence.

I liked him. He was respectful, yasashii, kind,quiet.They have a good relationship, then have ababy so they now have to stay together for thechild. They want a stable life here, they want an

easy match.He thinks the woman will make him happy.

The general theory about marriages is thatwestern couples get married because oflove whereas in Japan, the purpose of mar-riage is to have and raise children. None ofthe women I spoke to went through an omiaior kompa to meet their partner. They were allyoung (in their 20s). Their relationships seemedto have started based on some type of chemis-try, that vague sense that this man somehowsatised their personal criteria for an ideal mate;their fantasy knight; their need for security;or made them feel good. Many of them mettheir partner while living overseas, or went andlived overseas after they got together. They, inthe beginning, thought they were open-minded,adventurous and adaptable.

THE MIDDLE (from the dream to reality):

The (Japanese) women doesnt understandforeign culture because she has never had anylong-term exposure.Japanese women have a cultural attitude

toward sex-they are not sexy/sexual.To Japanese men, being a good mother is moreimportant than being a good wife. MatureJapanese couples express their love differently-not like a man and woman. They still have love,its just not physical. Japanese use the termjoo, which means human feelings. Its likeChristian love, love for all people. Japanesecouples use the term joo ga aru to describetheir loving relationship. (Note: the dictionarymeaning of joo is affection)When I felt lonely, he wasnt there.We argued about the effects, symptoms, notthe causes.He couldnt speak Japanese. We had commu-nication problems.I was always thinking about money. I began tofeel insecure.The closer we got to marriage, the more Ibegan to worry about his past-his previousdivorce. I kept asking him What is love? Whatis your denition of love? Maybe, when he gottired of me, he would divorce me. Suddenly, hebecame a high risk.Sometimes, I had a closed heart-not tellingexactly how I feel, dont want to share my feel-ings.Women expect the man to show leadership.People are happy to stay in warm water, dontwant to take any risks or any responsibility.It was difcult to live in his country. I hated it!

Japan is an island so has an island culture-wedont mix well with other cultures.Japanese women have little experience withforeigners so have very inexible thinking.

The failures of their relationships, from myperspective, seemed to fall into two broadcategories: rst, some females have very activeimaginations. Some seem to have been pre-occupied with what would happen in the future.They felt insecure about the strength of theirrelationship as it moved forward, and in somecases, even before it started. The second set ofissues was real and current. They included dif-culties living in a foreign country, dealing withextended family and different cultural attitudestoward work and responsibilities. The expecta-tions within the marriage/relationship were verydifferent.

Finally, we have the post-relationship observa-tions.

AFTERWARD (the consequences, conclu-sions):I have since regretted that (the break-up) andhe still lives in my heart.He regrets that the relationship ended, but Idont want a reconciliation.Women cant see who he is.Japanese women dont usually take responsi-

bility. They have very little real work experienceso only take responsibility when they have ababy.They need to understand and compromise(between cultures): Whats good for me? Whatsgood for you? Whats good for us?I saw him at an activity recently, and hewouldnt even acknowledge me. I feel sorry forhim.Were still friendly, for our childrens sake. Theylove their father, so they spend time with him.They are very happy to see him.

None of the women I spoke to are currentlyin a relationship, although some are look-ing. Others, it appears, have either sworn offmen or given up, at least for the time being.They all spoke of being much wiser, and beingin a different stage of their lives. Some werepreoccupied with parenting responsibilities, sogetting into a relationship was secondary, and/or complicated. Obviously they represent twogrowing sectors of the Japanese population:single mothers and divorcees without children.All in all, a very fascinating and enjoyable seriesof conversations, and Im sure some will ndthese comments worthy of debate.

Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer tothe problem of human existence.

Eric Fromm

Love is a dirty trick played on us to achievecontinuation of the species.

W. Somerset Maugham.

Im A

Banana


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Fitness

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30 | RAN |

How to start yourown business in

Japan:

Starting a business is always difcultbut starting a business in a foreigncountry can be daunting. Fortunate-ly, Japan offers lots of help to com-panies who want to start a businesshere. Government and all levels offer

support, industry organizations helpwith creating a network of associatesand private rms can help with staff-ing and ofce space.

The Japanese government has estab-lished a framework for investmentsupport for foreign businesses withthe use of the Invest Japan BusinessSupport Center (IBSC) at the JapanExternal Trade Organization (JETRO).Here are some tips for how to takeadvantage of services provided bynational and local governments andprivate companies in Japan to getyou started with your own businessin Japan

[Gather Information] Visit the JETRO Website can bea great way to start making yourbusiness plan. Become an expert atusing information from the JETROwebsite, it has lots of content relatingto the region, industry and changingregulations in the Japanese businessenvironment.

[The First Door to Open]JETRO offers information in Englishat its website, including the webpageon Regional Information,. Advisorsand counselors who are experienced

in international business environ-ments are available. Your questionson tax and labor affairs or import/ export elds can be answered bythese experts. When you nd outwhich ofce is closest, introduceyourself to an English-speakingcounselor.

[Find Your Cozy Ofce]Incubation ofces are availablefrom local governments or privatecompanies. Japan has a number ofincubation facilities to support inter-national business entrepreneurs. TheRegus Group Japan K.K and ServcorpJapan K.K are examples of bilingual

incubation ofce providers for globalprivate companies.

[Public Organizations]The JETRO IBSC (Invest JapanBusiness Support Center) is a busi-ness facility that provides the mostconvenient and cost-effective way tointroduce or expand your businessin Japan.Most foreign companies who wantto start a business in Japan canapply for the incubation ofce freeof charge up to 50 business days.IBSC temporary ofces are locatednear major government ofces and

have convenient access to importantbusiness centers across Japan. Suchproximity enables you to complete

applications, registrations, businessnegotiations and other preparationsto smoothly establish your business.Temporary ofces include desks,chairs, telephones, fax machines andbroadband connections and commonfacilities such as microwave, waterand a shared refrigerator, as well asconference rooms, a multipurposehall and a business library.JETRO IBSC will support you de-pending on your business needs by

providing consultation and facilitiesfor establishing a business base-of-operations and starting your businessin Japan.http://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/ibsc/

facilities/

[Network with Your EconomicDevelopment Agency and OtherOrganizations]There may be other foreign invest-ment-promoting organizations inyour region besides JETRO that cangive newly arrived companies morearea-friendly information and advice,such as information on local businessmatching partners, industrial clusters,associations, and prefectural andmunicipality ofces that offer sup-porting services and incentives. Lookfor the person in charge of foreigninvestment in your district.Here are three organizations that cansupport your start-up business plan inmajor regions in Japan.

Tokyo district:Tokyo Business Entry Pointhttp://www.tokyo-business.jp/eng/index.

html

Nagoya region:Greater Nagoya Initiative Center:

Services: http://greaternagoya.org/en/agni/agni_02.html

Oosaka district: Osaka Business andInvestment Center: http://o-bic.net/

Their services vary. Some haveincentives for start-ups while othersprovide you with start-up seminarsto increase your knowledge. Even ifyou do not have a direct need to visitthem, making friends with them canprove very useful. Japanese peoplelike doing business in English anywayand if you make friends, useful infor-mation can follow.

[Support By Municipalities AndPrefectural Entities]Knowing the appropriate organiza-tion to visit, depending on yourrequirements, can ease your entranceinto Japanese business society. Forexample, to nd potential clients, astrong network with people in gov-ernment and industry network will bevery advantageous.Knowing your local governmentscoordinator will be helpful becausewhen you ask about potential clients,they may be able to introduce youto and match you with good localcompanies.

Kiyono Watanabe

(JETRO)((IBSC)

[](JETRO)JETRO

JETRO

[]JETRO/

[]

[]:JETRO IBSC()

50IBSChttp://www.jetro.go.jp/jetro/japan/list/

http://www.jetro.go.jp/invest/ibsc/facilities/

JETRO IBSC

[]

URL

:http://www.tokyo-business.jp/jpn/about.html

http://tokyo-ritti.jp/english/index.html

:http://greaternagoya.org/ja/agni/agni_02.html:

O-BIChttp://o-bic.net/j/setup/

[]

Kiyono Watanabe


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Nihongo:Kanji/Hiragana:Katakana: Romaji: Oai dekite kouei desu.

JapaneseEnglish BasicsFun Phrases

English: Lets go see the freworks!Romaji: Hanabi wo mini ikou yo!

English: Did you fnd any lightning bugs?Romaji: Hotaru mitsukatta?

English: Its so hot and muggy out side! I could die!

Romaji: Mecha mecha mushi atsui! Shini sou da!

Casual Conversations

English:Its been a long time! How are you lately?

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Kanji/Hiragana:

Katakana:Romaji: Hisashiburi! Saikin dou?

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Documents

June / July 2012 edition of Ran Magazine