Hanshin Tigers was fun.

I went to the Hanshin Tigers game and it was crazy and fun. They won! I had some people tell me that a Hanshin Tigers game is fun even for people who don't care about sports. It's the fans that are the reason to go. That is true. Everyone was dressed up and knew these special cheers for each separate player. I don't have a single interest in any sports besides swimming, skiing, jogging and soccer and I still had so much fun at the Hanshin Tigers game.After work, I met my friend Chika and we went together. Chika is a wild fan. She knows all the dances and cheers. She printed a copy of the words to most of them for me. Chika's favorite player is #7 Imaoka. I like him because I can read his name and because he made a home run. I decided that my favorite player is Lin Wei-Tzu because I liked the songs people sang for him. To any baseball fans reading this, I am sorry. I wish I could tell you more about the game except just that it was really fun. I don't know anything about any team sport except for soccer.

On the train ride over, some loud Australian people got on and it turned out that one of their friends was this tall American guy who plays for the Hanshin Tigers. Everyone on the train was really excited. Some kid in front of me really wanted the guy's autograph. I could hear him asking his mother how to ask for an autograph in English and I asked him if he wanted me to ask the guy for him. I asked the guy (his name is Vogelsong) in English. He acted like the kid was a nuisance, which is ridiculous because if you're a famous sports guy and you don't want to meet kids and have to sign their hats, don't ride on the main public train on the way to one of your own team's games. Take a taxi if you don't want to greet your fans. But maybe he was just having a bad day.

Hanshin Tigers got their name from combining the kanji for Osaka and the kanji for Kobe. Here is a video of the part in the game when everyone blows up balloons. There is another part in the game where everyone sings Auld Lang Syne in Japanese and in unison. If Chika and Asami can get tickets, we're going again next week.

Swimming pools in Japan

Lately, I've been going swimming every day. I absolutely love swimming. I like going to the pool in Japan because they make everyone wear swim caps. It's so clean. There are no band-aids floating around and nobody with their dreadlocks getting the water all murky. It's totally different from the pools back home. The only thing I don't like are all the rules. You have to swim in a certain way in a certain lane. Every hour on the hour, you have to get out of the pool and do group stretching exercises even if you just got there. It's a bit weird in that way, but it's very clean.

This video is complete insanity. You've probably already seen it, but it's a video from Tokyo's Summerland wave pool. It's so crowded and costs around 4000 yen (40 dollars) to get in. I would never want to go there.

Hanshin Tigers!!

I might go to a Hanshin Tigers game this week! I am waiting to see if my friend can get us tickets. I have never seen a baseball game and baseball doesn't interest me in the slightest, but Hanshin Tigers fans are crazy! I think it will be great to be in a crowd of fun people. We are going to dress up for the game.

Studying Japanese...

If you're learning Japanese and you're far enough along that you have no problem reading katakana, hiragana and some kanji, you should check out the Koichi blog. I love learning Japanese because even when I can't read a kanji, I can often figure out what it is by the context and the hiragana that surrounds it. Even though it would likely be more practical in the long run to learn Chinese, given that I’m Canadian, I am glad I’m learning Japanese because it’s not all kanji and it’s so much easier to learn to read in Japanese than Chinese.

I know that this happens to a lot of people when they begin learning a new language, but realizing that you’re becoming able to READ is the most amazing feeling. I was really thrilled today because I read this entire article and totally understood it.

And today, on my way to work, I looked at a building and realized that I could read it. It said 三井 and I absentmindedly read Sanii before realizing that it said Mitsui. I often skim over kanji, thinking that I can't read it, but lately I've been realizing that I actually can read and understand a lot of easy kanji.

Since getting back from Canada, I have been really trying hard to watch more Japanese movies, speak with my roommates more often and try reading more in Japanese. What I do is this: I rent a movie and watch it with English subtitles. I try not to look at the subtitles, but if there’s a part I don’t understand, I read them. This teaches me new words, expressions and natural speech. Then I watch it again the next day but this time, with Japanese subtitles. This way, I already know the story and I can focus on learning the Kanji and correct spelling. I also joined Lang 8, which is awesome.

Lately, I have seen these movies. I am trying to write about them in Japanese. Please correct my Japanese if you can read it! Thanks.

Nobody Knows 誰も知らない
その映画が本当に好きでした。悲しくていいです。やぎらゆやはとても上手なはいゆうと思います。
This movie was amazing. The acting was so good. Yuya Yagira won awards for his performance at Cannes. The woman who played the mother was also pretty good.
Josee, the tiger and the fishジョゼと虎と魚たち
その映画は面白くなかった。そして、妻夫木聡が大好きです。ハンサムだから。
One thing that almost all Japanese movies have in common is that they're rarely under two hours long. Because of this fact, it helps to have extremely handsome and beautiful people in the movie. This movie is about an extremely, extremely attractive person who falls in love with a cute girl who can't walk. There is so much kissing in this movie. It's over two hours long, but I learned tons of new words.
Always 三丁目の夕日
その映画は夏貸し映画です。日本のIt’s a Wonderful Lifeｄした。多久さんなく増した。私は女の子ですから。
This is a feel-good movie. It's like the Japanese version of It's a Wonderful Life.

Please allow me to give you a present.

This is the worst story I have ever read. And it's about Japan. Written by a former JET. I won't even comment further. Once you read a few sentences, you'll understand. I will spoil it and tell you the first and last lines, though. They are so funny and gross and the writer has no idea what any of the words mean.

"I had been trying to spontaneously realize tea as if I could force satori, but my spirit wanted space for tea, for ascertaining slowly."
" The sway. The rhythm. The lull. Mamonaku, america. america desu."
Worst story ever.
It's awesome. Please read it.

All about the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test)

I am thinking about taking the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (日本語能力試験) and I want to know what you think about it. Some people have told me that level 4 is basically useless and I should jump right into level 3.Have any of you guys taken it? I know some of you have. Please tell me! Was it hard? Do you have to write? How do they measure speaking ability? Is your handwriting graded? Is your pronunciation / accent graded? What's the best way to study for the JLPT?

Where can I go to take it? How many times per year do they offer it? How much does it cost?

Please tell me everything you know about the JLPT.
Please recommend what I should be studying.
Please recommend any good websites you know.

Japan's culture shock

People always ask me what the biggest culture shock in Japan is. For me, it's not the toilet slippers or the cold masks or the usual things. Those are surprises for sure, but the real culture shock for me has been that no matter how skinny a girl is over here, guys always comment on how fat they are. Girls can be so skinny -- slimmer than anyone is back in Canada -- and their boyfriends will tell me all the time about how much they try to get their girlfriend to lose weight. Guys never used to do that to me, but since I started really learning Japanese (the last four months especially) every single one of my guy friends have told me I should lose weight or that I am fat. 

One of my friends told me that my ideal weight should be 45 kg (99 lbs). Those of you who know me know that it would be nearly impossible for me to shed 20 pounds without donating organs. 20 pounds is a lot. I'm already a size 1. What more do they want?? 

The first time I heard this, I was horribly offended, but now I realize that it's just cultural and that no matter how much I lose, they're going to say it. But really, I am not a fat person. I got  BMI index done at the gym and this is what the results were:

53.8 kg / 118.4 lbs

172 cm / 5'8 feet

That's statistically just below average. I am a Western girl, but I still fit into Japanese size small in everything except shoes and arm length. I know I am not fat. I am healthy and happy. You can look at pictures of me and see that I am not fat. I am constantly shocked about how often I am called fat in this country. THAT is the biggest culture shock for me. No matter how skinny a girl gets, guys in Japan are still going to call her fat. I have mentioned this to a few of my girl friends and all of them say, "ohh, that's just what boys say. My boyfriend tells me I'm fat all the time, too. Don't pay attention to boys." 

I can't imagine what Japanese guys say to / about actual fat people. I don't even want to imagine it. Whenever guys say this to me, I just try to roll my eyes and ignore them.

Have any of you guys had to deal with this? As I mentioned, it didn't start happening to me until I really started learning Japanese and meeting people who have never been abroad. (aka really traditional types)

...Just as a note, I am not complaining about Japanese guys. I have so many wonderful friends here and people are so wonderful and kind to me here. I can't even say enough good things about Japanese guys (and girls). This is just a post about "culture shock" and differences between my country and the country I currently live in.

あいのり Ainori is an addictive Japanese drama.

Lately I have been pretty into this one Japanese TV show called ainori (あいのり). I am trying to watch more TV because Japanese TV shows are usually all subtitled in Japanese so I can learn more Kanji and natural expressions that way. But Ainori is actually really entertaining, too.

Ainori directly translated means Love / together あい Rideのりbut basically the title in English would be something more catchy like "Carpool" (Carpool of LOVE) It's a reality show (yeah...) and vaguely reminds me of that MTV show called Real World. But Ainori is far better. It's more melodramatic and the point is to travel around in a different country, find a true love and move back to Japan together. It's full of close up shots of faces full of heartbreak, fantastically melodramatic music and taped confessions of secret crushes. And it's also interesting because it's all about different places in the world. A mix of MTV-style reality TV, Lonely Planet and Japanese melodrama. Oh, and love.

The point is that 7 people have to get on this pink bus and drive around in a foreign country. Right now, the show is being shot in Laos but they've been all over the place, from Poland to South Africa. The driver of the bus is a native of whatever country they're going to. All the rest of the people are Japanese. If someone has a crush on someone else, they're forbidden to discuss it with any of the other people. They have to tape it on secret diaries that only the viewers of the shows can see. So there's a lot of drama about two people liking the same person, etc.  Girls my age in Japan like to talk about every character flaw and predict what will happen. New people are added all the time, so it's never boring. Also, unexpected things are always happening. In one season (the South Africa one), one of the player fell in love with the driver. It's more serious than most reality shows, too. There have been tons of Ainori marriages and even some babies being born from couples who met on the show.Anyway, the rules. When Person 1 decides that they're in love, they ask the driver for a ticket back to Japan. Then they have to make a confession and tell the object of their affection (Person 2) that they are in love. They ask Person 2 to come back to Japan with them. Person 2 has one day to decide. After that, they either kiss and go home together or lonely Person 1 flies back to Japan alone. When people go back home, new people are added to the show to keep all the players at 7 all the time. It's cute how the new players are introduced: you see them standing by the road with signs like hitchhikers and the pink bus stops to pick them up.

This is the kind of show I would think would be a stupid waste of time back home, but here it's not a waste of time because it's a form of studying. Ha. But I actually really like this show. It's really entertaining. 

マイミクシーの自己紹介です。

初めまして、私の名前はジュリーです。今日本に住んでいます。東京から関西に移り住んできました。

日本語を勉強しています。 楽しくて難しいです。十ヶ月ぐらい日本に住んでいて、私の日本語は子供のレベルです。日本語が上手になりたいので、友達になってください。

私はカナダ人の女の子です。 英語の教師です。音楽が好き、写真を撮るのが好き。

古い音楽が好き。グループサウンドGSが大好きです。

今... Now...
Serge Gainsbourg, Blonde Redhead, スパイダース, Wolf Parade, Black Lips, Chad VanGaalen, CSS, Belle and Sebastian, Fela Kuti, タイガース,Sonic Youth, France Gall, radwimps, Deerhoof, Radiohead, Beck...

辛い食べ物が好き。インドカレーと韓国のキムチが大好きです。いちご大福も美味しいですよ。

漢字はあまり読めないので、メッセージをする時はひらがなとカタカナでお願いします。

よろしく

ジュリー

Please correct any mistakes for me if you see any!

(For my friends and family who won't understand this, it's a self-introduction that I wrote for a website. It's basically just what my hobbies are and what kinds of food / music I like. It also talks about how I am trying to learn Japanese. Neat, right?)

I finally have a MIXI. マイミクシーがある。

Mixi is the Japanese version of Facebook. (Except there are a whole lot of differences.) Basically every person in Japan has a mixi and they're always talking about it. (Same as people back home do with Facebook) One major difference is that you have to be invited by someone else to sign up. And you need a Japanese cell phone address to use mixi. Here are a few more differences. They are taken from an article about mixi on tofugu.com which I think is the best site there is about living in Japan.

Will you remember something important? tofugu.com is the absolute best website about living in Japan. Funny, practical, interesting, intelligent, never dull, beautifully designed, really helpful. I love that website. Here's what Koichi says about Mixi.

The funny thing about profile pictures, though, is that most people don’t put up their real faces. Usually there will be some kind of animal, an actor/actress’ photo, or some inanimate object. Like I said above, though, everyone is paranoid. I would say one in every thirty people put their real images up, and that’s it. You will often see non-Japanese using Mixi with their real pictures, but that is rare as well.

(Julie: This is my profile picture, in case you were curious.)

Friends List: You can find your list of friends here. I always get confused because real names are not displayed (just nicknames) and the images above them are of kittens and ferris wheels. Even if it is someone I know really well in real life, most of the time I’ll have no idea who they are on Mixi, even though we are Mixi friends.

Everyone is Paranoid: The most important thing to know about Mixi is that nobody wants to be your friend. That is, the folks who use Mixi listened to their parents, and will often refuse to talk to strangers. I feel like this is quite different from Myspace, and even Facebook.

Friend Introductions of YOU: This section is my favorite. In Mixi, you don’t write on people’s walls like in Facebook or Myspace. That space is for people to write introductions about you. Most introductions explain how the person knows you and then a little bit about your personality. Occasionally you’ll see a non-Japanese person writing on it as if it were a wall, but this is incorrect. A typical translation of an introduction post would be: “I know this person from high school. He was in my Soccer Club, and he is the type of person who gets along well with everyone,” or something like that.

If you're Japanese (or if I know you in real life) tell me your ID number and I'll add you. I really want to learn to read. That's why I joined mixi. Lately, I feel like I've been learning so much. I want to start writing more in Japanese. My computer is a real impediment because it's only got roman letters. It's Canadian. Luckily I have another computer (at work) that I can use for writing emails and things in Japanese.

So far, the main thing I noticed is that on MIXI, people love making things like this:

☆ミ（　＾　o　＾　）／　★ミ

People who live in Japan and don't speak Japanese.

Can someone please explain the notion of moving to a foreign country, marrying a person from that country and making a life for yourself in that country without ever bothering to learn how to speak the language? I have met too many people who have done that here. Why?

Kansai Scene isn't a bad magazine. Except for this one section called Gourmet Girl, which is the most annoying column I have ever read anywhere, ever. It's a food column, but most of it isn't about food. The woman who writes the thing is called Tracy Slater and she has a blog. In every single article, she must mention two things without fail:

1. She can't speak Japanese at all
2. She has a Japanese husband

More often than not, these two facts she's really, really proud of are put together in one sentence like, "Despite having a Japanese husband, I have no idea how to make reservations or order anything at a restaurant in Japanese."

Japan isn't a country that you can participate or really live well in without being able to speak Japanese. Compared to any other country (I've been to wealthy countries and developing countries) Japan has the lowest level of English ability I've ever seen. (I'm not criticizing Japan because I'm in Japan right now and I feel like when I'm living in a country, I should try to learn that language rather than complain about how nobody understands mine.) How can a person live here and especially get married here without making effort to learn the language? How can they willingly keep that door closed when they have the perfect opportunity to speak and learn every day? I can't help thinking that those people are morons.

--------------------------------

Really, this just distracts us from the fact that J struggles through life in Kansai speaking virtually no Japanese, her MO being to talk English more loudly; and I--as I mentioned in last month’s column--can be consistently counted on to fail my language classes, my Japanese husband notwithstanding.

It’s the night before my end-of-semester test in Japanese class, and I’m panicking. Despite my Japanese husband, I find the language in this land impossible.

Needing the kind of commiseration I know only my best friend J--an American in Osaka who doesn’t speak a word of Japanese--can offer, I do the next best thing to studying: I meet J for dinner and drinks. (Who but another American will feel totally comfortable with my completely un-PC need to complain about how the entire world doesn’t follow my lexicographical patterns?)

So when I suggest that we celebrate her latest career coup by eating at Wakkoqu, which my Japanese husband and I think serves the best Kobe beef on the planet, she responds, “Let’s go tonight.”

Gourmet Girl

--------------------------------

Here's something very important to remember. While it's true that having friends (or a love) who speak(s) the language you want to speak can help you improve, you cannot learn a language by osmosis. It bothers me so much when people here always try to skirt the fact that they've been here for 5 years and are still totally illiterate by saying "but my girlfriend is Japanese" as though that is a good excuse. If I were here for years and didn't speak Japanese, I wouldn't be proud. I'd be embarrassed.

What do you think of this? Especially if you're one of the people who has gotten married / lived in Japan for a decade and can't say anything at all. Here you go. watch this girl. She probably younger than you and she's fluent.

あなたとは違うんです Anata to chigaundesu !!

Well, this is my new favorite thing. Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's prime minister just resigned last week. In his last press conference, a reporter asked him a question and he got visibly annoyed. He blurted out the most awesome and self-righteous phrase ever and promptly ended the press conference.

“You said I sounded detached, but I am able to see myself objectively. I am different from you.(あなたとは違うんです)”

"Anata to chigau n desu" has become this big, funny internet meme and people have made tons of art (like the picture at the top), youtube videos (like the wonderful MC Hammer "Anata to chigaundesu" remix at the bottom) and t-shirts. Who could have predicted this sassy side of Yasuo Fukuda? Yasuo Fukuda's あなたとは違うんです makes him officially the sassiest PM in Japanese history.

I want a あなたとは違うんです t-shirt.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

It was so nice to be back home for two weeks this Summer. It was so nice to be with you! I really enjoyed going to the hot springs with you and walking around the lake. I also enjoyed the talks we had, especially in the car on the way to Vancouver and in the hot tub. The engagement party was wonderful, too.

I'm so happy that you're my dad. I am so lucky that you support my decisions and care so much about my life. I'm so lucky that I have a father who treats my aspirations and dreams seriously and sees so much potential in me. It's really encouraging to have someone you respect so much treat you with respect, as well. I look up to you so much and think about you all the time. I love getting emails from you that show you've been reading about Japan and thinking about me while I'm over here. You should really learn how to eat with chopsticks, though. There's no excuse for that sushi-with-a-fork business besides sheer stubbornness anymore. Ha.

I love you so much!! I hope that I'll be able to someday help you when you're older as much as you've helped me. Your kindness really motivates me to make decisions I think you'd approve of in my life, and I love how your words are almost always the same as your actions. I hope to learn from you more and more every year.

I love my parents more than anyone in the world and I hope this year will be an excellent one for you.
Happy Birthday to the most important man in the world (to me!)
I wish I could be at your birthday party, but you know I'm thinking about you!!

xox
Julie

Support some fantastic Japan-based artists

The Oranges

The Oranges, from Tokyo, Japan, formed in 1997. A few years earlier, lead vocalist/guitarist Jeff Orange had decided to name his next band after the Anthony Burgess novel Clockwork Orange... The irony of the moniker, of course, is that instead of being a dark, violent-themed hard rock act... the Oranges play glam and bubblegum pop music that is a direct throwback to bands and artists of the '70s; the Bay City Rollers, Suzi Quatro, and The Ramones are just a few of their biggest influences, not to mention the Beatles, the Monkees, and Japanese GS (a blend of traditional Japanese pop tunes and Western standards from the 1960s). By the time they'd formed, the members -- Jeff Orange, bassist Robin Orange, guitarist/vocalist Nelo Orange, and drummer Pea Orange -- were all seasoned veterans.
— Bryan Thomas, All Music Guide

Superficial Love

大島 敦 is the poet, lyricist and musician behind the Japanese band Superficial Love. He is one of the best people I have met in Japan and currently lives in Shinjuku. Superficial Love is a band with a versatile range of style. Lyrics are poetic and romantic, dealing with themes of loss and love. He's really into ethics and politics, so write songs about a variety of topics. I think his best songs are ballad-style, but his small label wants him to make more poppy music, so the new record will be a mix of both styles. He likes Daft Punk and Lou reed and LCD Soundsystem and Roxy Music but you can't really tell from listening to his recordings. His old band was called Escargot 蝸牛エスカルゴ and he put out two CDs under that name. If you check Tower Records, you can find them there. Please buy them and support a truly wonderful person.

The Tokyo Modernistas

1. I thought The Tokyo Modernistas was the best Japan Street Fashion website out there. Hoa should give it to someone else with a good eye who can continue it... though part of what made The Tokyo Modernistas so rad is that Hoa Ly has a great eye for fashion and is a very nice person, too. He is also extremely good at dressing and is amazing on either side of the camera.

Watanabe Hair Salon

2. I don't have to tell you again that the best foreign hairdresser in Tokyo is Chie from Watanabe Hair Salon. Talented, sweet, lived in England and has loads of experience with all types of hair... the salon is lovely, the music is unobtrusive, you get a complimentary massage, there are English magazines and tea and coffee. Watanabe Hair Salon is the only hair salon in Japan.

Panella Restaurant

3. Panella is a newly opened restaurant in Tokyo that is elegant, quiet and located in a really convenient and beautiful neighborhood only 5 minutes from a subway station. The best thing about the place is that the food is totally delicious and organic. Another one of my best friends here, Haru Fujii, just got a job at Panella as the head chef. Haru works there every day and he speaks perfect English as well as knowing about vegetarian / vegan / rawfood / wholefood / non-GMO / allergies and every other possible diet. If you visit Japan and you want to be able to ask questions about what you're eating or modify anything on the menu, this is a great place to go. The picture above was part of my meal last weekend. Panella isn't a vegetarian restaurant, it's just a vegetarian-friendly restaurant. Meat eaters will love Panella, too. Phone for directions. 03-3822-3557

Tokyomade

4. Tokyomade is an online store that sells a bunch of homemade things by independent Japan-based artists. It's run by the cutest couple, Deanne and Masao, who live in Tokyo together and like to hula hoop a lot. They got the name Tokyomade from "Mashing together the first two letters of each of their names" (MA + DE = MADE) and I think you should check the website and see what they have to show you.

Who do you love?? If you can think of any other artist / musician / restaurant / designer / 何でも you'd like to tell me about, leave a comment so that people can find out about it.

安室 奈美恵 Namie Amuro's Jpop song "New Look"

安室 奈美恵 Namie Amuro is a Japanese pop singer. Usually I don't notice Jpop, but I think this song (and the video that goes with it) is really cute. It's kitschy and sweet and light. Just cute pop music. This song is super catchy.

可愛いいこどもだね!! 外国人ですけど日本語を話します。

Here is a video for my roommates.
If you can read my Japanese, あってる？ すごくがんばりますよ。



可愛いいこどもだよ!! かのじょはお父さんの友達のむすめです。 アレクサンドラです。五歳です。 むかし、アレクサンドラのお母さんは神戸市にすんで いました。可愛いいね。

日本語をまちがってる？

Tokyo likes Nu-Rave a lot.

So many of you guys are always writing to me asking me to take more pictures of Japanese fashion and write more about what people are wearing here in this part of the world. I am not good at writing about that for two reasons. One is because I don't like to take pictures of people I don't know. Another is because most people don't actually dress altogether more zany in Japan than anywhere else. Usually, people are really stylish, but it's not the kinds of stylish people you stare at or want to take a picture of. It's more along the lines of being able to walk down the street and think, "I love her shoes... I wish I knew where she got her necklace... there is a basically perfect-looking boy... his haircut is nice." I cannot do that back home at all, so it's nice. But the truth is that most Japanese people dress pretty conservatively and in layers. They just look good. It's not as exciting as Fruits magazine makes it out to be. But this weekend I noticed something for you, so here you go.This weekend we went to Tokyo and I really noticed, especially at night, that NEON is even more popular than it was a few months ago. It seemed like every other person in Shibuya was dressed up in those oversized colored glasses with no lenses and neon pink Palestine scarves and those AA shiny neon footless tights with yellow and purple zebra striped long t shirts underneath.  Walking around this weekend, I noticed people who could make M.I.A. look like your 11th grade math teacher if they were standing side by side. Nu-Rave is really, really popular in Japan.  I didn't take any pictures of these people, but for the record, I think the nu-rave look is kind of gross. Sorry. And I also have a question for you guys about Agyness Deyn (a neon-clad British supermodel who is always making "zany" and "wild" poses and is extremely popular in Japan and in foreign websites I read)  Why is she famous? I didn't take any of these pictures. Just imagine all of these people walking around Tokyo times a million.