Plain Talk
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD APRIL 13. 2018"Do's and Don't's for the New Gaijin” by Curt Neilson
DO’s:
a. Learn Japanese! You’ll immediately feel less outside and you can practice day-by-day in different situations and writing Hiragana supposedly reduces stress.
b. Go to One-Coin Bars! Cheap and standing so it’s easier to chat with others standing next to you at the same table.
c. Accept Invitations from Students. A student of mine at Narita Airport invited me to his tea ceremony. It was painful sitting but an awesome cultural experience.
d. Visit Ueno! Zoo and several museums and lovely walk paths. Great date stuff.
e. Give the Benefit of the Doubt! Older Japanese people outside of Tokyo generally stare at you more. It can be annoying. Say, “Hi!” and smile. You’ll be surprised. They’ll usually smile in a shy way. Staring is not meant to be rude.
f. Help Women in Trains! If you see anyone treating a woman rudely, step up! Tell the man to stop his abuse. If you are not sure, then ask the woman if she is okay.
g. Tutor! It’s a good way to make some pocket change and also to learn more about Japanese people.
h. Get Discount Movie Tickets! Save 5USD by buying movie tickets at nearby stores.
i. Visit Yoyogi Park! Many different types of people and hobbies. Great cool clothes shopping and Ice Cream.
j. Join a Meet-Up Group. Find a Frisbee group or a dance group or a book-reading/writing group.
k. Be Aware of women sitting at the bar alone! Sometimes they are there for men to buy them drinks, positioned there by the bar boss: they are secret employees.
l. Be Aware of sudden friends in Ropongi who invite you to their “Friend’s bar” behind the other bars. These bars are usually empty and ask you to pay for your new friend and his friends in the bar.
m. Realize that repeated “eeeeeeh” or “muzagashi” (difficult) = “No!”
n. Fill-out forms very carefully! If you transpose your last and first name anywhere, you’ll probably have to fill-out a new form.
DON’T’s:
o. Ask for Directions at the JR! Unless you have patience ;) These employees will ask you to wait while they find maps to show you and while they draw directions for you.
p. Ask for Directions casually! Strangers will feel obligated to answer you and may run down the platform to find you an answer and come running back exhausted. If so, do act very grateful and thank them warmly.
q. Assume Women’s Stares = Romantic Interest! A adult student once told me that Japanese women looked at foreigners like looking at a new product that was interesting but didn’t mean to convey romantic interest.
r. Assume Dating is only Dating! Many Japanese women are romantic and desire marriage and kids even without a strong emotional/philosophical relationship with the husband, whom she’ll probably see one day a week on the weekend, leaving dinner on the table for him, and a bento in the refrigerator for the next day’s lunch. Notice all the statues with mothers and children but no father.
s. Get Drunk! Most of my regrets are the dumb things I did or didn’t do because I had drunk too much and was out of normal control.
f. Expect People to walk straight or look when they walk or exit stores! Imagine sidewalks like bumper car rides.
t. Be Annoyed with restaurant servers/hostesses who ignore you! They will look behind you to your Japanese friend to answer their questions and ask your friend to repeat your order after you (think) you ordered correctly in Japanese. Imagine a foreigner getting angry at a mistaken order. I think that is why servers ask a few times, just to be safe ;)
Plain Talk
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD APRIL 13. 2018Things arise and things fall away by Takehiro Hashimoto
“All things are impermanent” the Buddha said long time ago.
Then, what should we rely on?
The search for the ultimate has been around for thousands of years. But still, people feel insecure about life. The world is constantly changing; all living things are in the chain of rising and falling away. Then where is Nirvana? Is there a path to true liberation?
“There is” the Buddha said, with a smile on his face.
Understanding the impermanence of the world is as hard as believing there is no objectivity in human cognition.More often than not, we cling to this world strongly; we desire things around us to never change. However, and most importantly, this is not the way things are in the real world.
With Buddha’s wisdom, let’s try and open your eyes to the changing world. First, pay attention to your respiration. Observe your breathing activity as closely as you can. As you breathe in, feel that you are breathing in. As you breathe out, feel that you are breathing out. Awareness is the key.
“Is that all?” Philosophers always like arguments. They make things more complicated and fail to grasp the truth that is the simplest of all.
“That’s it” the Buddha said.
The sensation you feel is everything. The rest is nothing but the illusion you make. To understand this, simplicity is a long way to go. But I feel that this is the path I’ve been searching for, for a long long time.
「すべてのものは無常である」
遠い昔仏陀は言った。
それなら、私たちはいったい何を頼りにすればよいのか？
「究極」への探求は何千年も続いている。しかし、未だに人びとは人生に対して不安を抱えている。世界は常に変化している。生きとし生けるものは生まれ、滅してゆく。ならば、どこに涅槃があるのだろう。真の悟りへの道はあるのだろうか。
「ある」と仏陀は言った、微笑をたたえて。
世界の無常を理解することは、人間の認知力に客観性がないことを理解することと同じぐらい困難だ。私たちはしばしば、この世界に強く執着する。身の回りのものが変化しないでほしいという願いを持って。しかし、そしてこれは最も重要であるが、それは現実世界では起こりえないことなのだ。
仏陀の智 恵によって、世界の変化に目を向けてみよう。まず、呼吸に注意してみよう。できるかぎり綿密に、呼吸する身体を観察しよう。息を吸っているとき、息を吸っていると感じ、息を吐いているとき、息を吐いていると感じよう。気づいているということが肝心だ。
「それだけ？」哲学者たちはいつもおしゃべりが好きだ。彼らはものごとを複雑にし、最も単純な真理をつかみそこねる。
「それだけなんだ」仏陀は言った。
きみが感じる感覚がすべてだ。ほかの一切はきみが勝手に作り上げた幻想に過ぎない。この単純明快
さを理解するにはまだ時間がかかりそうだ。しかし、私は感じる。これこそが私が長い時間、ずっと探し求めてきたものなのだと。
Tokyo Fab
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD APRIL 13 2018
TOKYO RAINBOW PRIDE 2018
Rainbow Week: April 28th (Sat) - May 6th (Sun)
Rainbow: Parade May 6th (Sun)
Rainbow Festa: May 5th (Sat)
Spring has finally come, and for many major cities all over the world, that means LGBT communities are gearing up for their annual parades and days of colorful celebration. Tokyo is no different, and this year promises to be a huge success, with thousands of participants, large floats and even a brass band making their way through Shibuya and Harajuku in a cheerful display filled with fun and music.
As with previous years, Yoyogi Park will be at the center of these celebrations, so if you'd like to join in, simply stop by the park's parade booth between 10:00 and 12:30 on May 6th to choose which float you'd like to walk with. There are plenty of awesome floats this year, ranging from LGBT wedding-themed to transgender-focused, so you'll be spoiled for choice! Only 200 people can sign up for each float, though -- make sure to show up early if you don't want to be beaten to the punch!
The floats and participants will line up at 12:30 and the parade kicks off at 13:00 from Yoyogi Park, so whether you're part of the LGBT community or simply a supporter, put on some rainbow beads and join the fun! The parade is just the tip of the iceberg, too, so if you'd like more information about the rest of the pride festivities, check out our other article on the topic.
Also don’t forget about the Rainbow Festa on May 5th (Sat), taking over Yoyogi Park with a huge number of booths and a large stage that will host a variety of shows!
What’s App With You?
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD APRIL 13. 2018
Clips:
Apple's new Clips video app is an all-in-one package for quickly taking video clips, editing them and sharing them with friends, family, or over your social media networks. Easy video controls let you make short videos without having to mess with timelines, tracks, or more complex editing tools, for better or worse. Live Titles make it easy to insert captions or subtitles to your videos using just your voice, and users can apply a variety of filters, effects, and extras like animated speech bubbles and emoji. Smart sharing features recommend people to share your creation with based on who's in the video, or you can send the video directly to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media services.
PhonoPaper:
PhonoPaper is a deeply weird app. It records sounds and plays them back, but it is to Voice Memos what bonkers abstract art is to a traditional watercolor of a tree. The app starts by having you record a sound, which it converts into a kind of audio barcode. You then print this out on to paper and ‘scan’ it with the app, which plays back your sound. More or less. What you get is often akin to science fiction sounds － metallic echoes and strange noises － but with care, you can indeed hear what was recorded and start experimenting with ‘playing’ hand-drawn scribbles, or whatever else you fancy. In truth, PhonoPaper is the definition of a niche app, but it deserves a place on this list because there’s nothing else quite like it.
Tokyo Voice Column
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD APRIL 13. 2018
The Distinct Beauty of SAKURA by Jacqueline C. Sarmiento
Once a year, during spring season in Japan, the sakura flower, generally known as "Japanese Cherry Blossom" blooms beautifully with white or pink flowers. Sakura trees bloom in parks, some along the river side, on the mountains and even on street roads at once. Undoubtedly, they can be seen in various places. Henceforth, people across the world highly respect, honor and admire the distinct beauty of the sakura.
During this time, thousands of tourists immediately travel to Japan to glimpse the blossoming of cherry blossom because of its relatively short blooming period. Full bloom of sakura flower is usually about one week depending on the weather. Rain and strong wind can shorten the blooming season.
People throughout Japan gather to enjoy the flowering of sakura trees. They go to city parks to celebrate the season and have fun with family, friends and even colleagues. They prepare and arrange a picnic party under the cherry blossom tree and brought along with them folding tables and chairs and a large mat for everyone to sit on.
Some parks are building small booths, lamps and lanterns for the occasion. They sell different kinds of food and drinks at the booths. Some booths offer several drinks such as shochu (a Japanese alcohol), sake, beer, wine, martini and champagne. Cold and hot beverage is being offered as well. Other sellers offer kebabs from Middle East, takoyaki (grilled octopus balls), yakitori (skewered and grilled chicken), yakisoba (fried buckwheat), okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake), karaage (boneless bite-sized fried chicken), ebi-fry (breaded fried shrimp), gyoza (dumplings), onigiri (rice ball), tamagoyaki (Japanese-style omelette) and other local food.
日本では、１年に一度、春の時期に、「日本の桜」で知られる桜がピンク色の花をつけて見事に咲き誇る。公園、川沿い、山や道ばたに植えられた桜の木が一斉に開花する。確実にさまざまな場所で目にする光景だ。世界中の人たちが、桜の美しさに感動する。
この時期になると、短期間のみ開花す桜を鑑賞しようとたくさんの観光客が日本へとやってくる。満開の桜か鑑賞できるのは、気候にもよるが１週間ほどしかない。雨や強い風により開花期間は短くなる。
日本全国、みんなが桜の開花を楽しむ。家族、友人、同僚で集まり公園でみんなで春を祝い、花見を楽しむ。桜の木の下で花見をするため、折りたたみのテーブルやいす、マットを持ち込み準備をする。
メジャーな公園では、屋台が設けられ、ランプやランタンで花見を盛り上げる。屋台ではさまざまな食べ物や飲み物を売られる。飲み物は、焼酎、酒、ビール、ワイン、マルティーニ、シャンパン、ジュースやホットドリンクも買える。食べ物は、中東のケバブ、たこ焼き、焼き鳥、焼きそば、お好み焼き、唐揚げ、海老フライ、餃子、おにぎり、卵焼き等日本的な食べ物が買える。
Strange but True
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD APRIL 13. 2018
Suspicious enough!
Police were called to an airport after panicked passengers noticed a bizarre note on the side of a suitcase. The black case was on the luggage carousel when people spotted the handwritten message and alerted security. The note, which was written below the passenger's name, said: 'Bomb to Brisbane'. Police were called to the scene and cordoned off the part of Brisbane Airport before asking people to leave the area. It is believed the owner of the bag, Venkata Lakshmi, 65, meant to write Bombay which is the old name of the Mumbai airport she was travelling from. She was pulled into a room and interviewed. "They asked her to open the bag and asked her why it says bomb and she said ― It's for Bombay." Police examined the bag before ruling it wasn't suspicious.
No more toilet tissue!
Parents are flushed with anger over a primary school’s decision to remove loo roll from -the children’s toilets. Pupils now have to put their hands up and request toilet tissue to take with them. One boy was allegedly reduced to tears after his teacher asked if he was “going for a poo or wee” before counting off a number of sheets for him. The new rule was brought in at Oldwinsford Primary School in Dudley, West Mids, after loos were flooded. Teachers blamed the spate of incident on toilet paper being stuffed down the pan by unruly youngsters. Parents branded the new rule “ridiculous” and said children were being humiliated in front of their friends. Acting head Jo Seker said there had been “disappointing behaviour in the bathrooms” which has caused flooding. She said the new policy is temporary until lockable dispensers are installed over Easter.
Tokyo Fab
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD APRIL 13 2018TOKYO RAINBOW PRIDE 2018
Rainbow Week: April 28th (Sat) - May 6th (Sun)
Rainbow: Parade May 6th (Sun)
Rainbow Festa: May 5th (Sat)
Spring has finally come, and for many major cities all over the world, that means LGBT communities are gearing up for their annual parades and days of colorful celebration. Tokyo is no different, and this year promises to be a huge success, with thousands of participants, large floats and even a brass band making their way through Shibuya and Harajuku in a cheerful display filled with fun and music.
As with previous years, Yoyogi Park will be at the center of these celebrations, so if you'd like to join in, simply stop by the park's parade booth between 10:00 and 12:30 on May 6th to choose which float you'd like to walk with. There are plenty of awesome floats this year, ranging from LGBT wedding-themed to transgender-focused, so you'll be spoiled for choice! Only 200 people can sign up for each float, though -- make sure to show up early if you don't want to be beaten to the punch!
The floats and participants will line up at 12:30 and the parade kicks off at 13:00 from Yoyogi Park, so whether you're part of the LGBT community or simply a supporter, put on some rainbow beads and join the fun! The parade is just the tip of the iceberg, too, so if you'd like more information about the rest of the pride festivities, check out our other article on the topic.
Also don’t forget about the Rainbow Festa on May 5th (Sat), taking over Yoyogi Park with a huge number of booths and a large stage that will host a variety of shows!
What’s App With You?
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD APRIL 13. 2018Clips:
Apple's new Clips video app is an all-in-one package for quickly taking video clips, editing them and sharing them with friends, family, or over your social media networks. Easy video controls let you make short videos without having to mess with timelines, tracks, or more complex editing tools, for better or worse. Live Titles make it easy to insert captions or subtitles to your videos using just your voice, and users can apply a variety of filters, effects, and extras like animated speech bubbles and emoji. Smart sharing features recommend people to share your creation with based on who's in the video, or you can send the video directly to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media services.
PhonoPaper:
PhonoPaper is a deeply weird app. It records sounds and plays them back, but it is to Voice Memos what bonkers abstract art is to a traditional watercolor of a tree. The app starts by having you record a sound, which it converts into a kind of audio barcode. You then print this out on to paper and ‘scan’ it with the app, which plays back your sound. More or less. What you get is often akin to science fiction sounds － metallic echoes and strange noises － but with care, you can indeed hear what was recorded and start experimenting with ‘playing’ hand-drawn scribbles, or whatever else you fancy. In truth, PhonoPaper is the definition of a niche app, but it deserves a place on this list because there’s nothing else quite like it.
Tokyo Voice Column
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD APRIL 13. 2018The Distinct Beauty of SAKURA by Jacqueline C. Sarmiento
Once a year, during spring season in Japan, the sakura flower, generally known as "Japanese Cherry Blossom" blooms beautifully with white or pink flowers. Sakura trees bloom in parks, some along the river side, on the mountains and even on street roads at once. Undoubtedly, they can be seen in various places. Henceforth, people across the world highly respect, honor and admire the distinct beauty of the sakura.
During this time, thousands of tourists immediately travel to Japan to glimpse the blossoming of cherry blossom because of its relatively short blooming period. Full bloom of sakura flower is usually about one week depending on the weather. Rain and strong wind can shorten the blooming season.
People throughout Japan gather to enjoy the flowering of sakura trees. They go to city parks to celebrate the season and have fun with family, friends and even colleagues. They prepare and arrange a picnic party under the cherry blossom tree and brought along with them folding tables and chairs and a large mat for everyone to sit on.
Some parks are building small booths, lamps and lanterns for the occasion. They sell different kinds of food and drinks at the booths. Some booths offer several drinks such as shochu (a Japanese alcohol), sake, beer, wine, martini and champagne. Cold and hot beverage is being offered as well. Other sellers offer kebabs from Middle East, takoyaki (grilled octopus balls), yakitori (skewered and grilled chicken), yakisoba (fried buckwheat), okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake), karaage (boneless bite-sized fried chicken), ebi-fry (breaded fried shrimp), gyoza (dumplings), onigiri (rice ball), tamagoyaki (Japanese-style omelette) and other local food.
日本では、１年に一度、春の時期に、「日本の桜」で知られる桜がピンク色の花をつけて見事に咲き誇る。公園、川沿い、山や道ばたに植えられた桜の木が一斉に開花する。確実にさまざまな場所で目にする光景だ。世界中の人たちが、桜の美しさに感動する。
この時期になると、短期間のみ開花す桜を鑑賞しようとたくさんの観光客が日本へとやってくる。満開の桜か鑑賞できるのは、気候にもよるが１週間ほどしかない。雨や強い風により開花期間は短くなる。
日本全国、みんなが桜の開花を楽しむ。家族、友人、同僚で集まり公園でみんなで春を祝い、花見を楽しむ。桜の木の下で花見をするため、折りたたみのテーブルやいす、マットを持ち込み準備をする。
メジャーな公園では、屋台が設けられ、ランプやランタンで花見を盛り上げる。屋台ではさまざまな食べ物や飲み物を売られる。飲み物は、焼酎、酒、ビール、ワイン、マルティーニ、シャンパン、ジュースやホットドリンクも買える。食べ物は、中東のケバブ、たこ焼き、焼き鳥、焼きそば、お好み焼き、唐揚げ、海老フライ、餃子、おにぎり、卵焼き等日本的な食べ物が買える。
Strange but True
TOKYO NOTICE BOARD APRIL 13. 2018Suspicious enough!
Police were called to an airport after panicked passengers noticed a bizarre note on the side of a suitcase. The black case was on the luggage carousel when people spotted the handwritten message and alerted security. The note, which was written below the passenger's name, said: 'Bomb to Brisbane'. Police were called to the scene and cordoned off the part of Brisbane Airport before asking people to leave the area. It is believed the owner of the bag, Venkata Lakshmi, 65, meant to write Bombay which is the old name of the Mumbai airport she was travelling from. She was pulled into a room and interviewed. "They asked her to open the bag and asked her why it says bomb and she said ― It's for Bombay." Police examined the bag before ruling it wasn't suspicious.
No more toilet tissue!
Parents are flushed with anger over a primary school’s decision to remove loo roll from -the children’s toilets. Pupils now have to put their hands up and request toilet tissue to take with them. One boy was allegedly reduced to tears after his teacher asked if he was “going for a poo or wee” before counting off a number of sheets for him. The new rule was brought in at Oldwinsford Primary School in Dudley, West Mids, after loos were flooded. Teachers blamed the spate of incident on toilet paper being stuffed down the pan by unruly youngsters. Parents branded the new rule “ridiculous” and said children were being humiliated in front of their friends. Acting head Jo Seker said there had been “disappointing behaviour in the bathrooms” which has caused flooding. She said the new policy is temporary until lockable dispensers are installed over Easter.
