J-Word Play: January/February ’11
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As an ALT or CIR living in Japan, you should study Japanese. I know, crazy, right? Sounds like a reasonable assertion for some of us. The first time I wrote this article on my blog, I received some pretty strong reactions from the other side, so let me be clear about something first: though I…
There are many ways to study geisha. Middle-aged American women have Memoirs of a Geisha and Oprah. Tourists can dress like geisha in Kyoto for an in-their-shoes experience. The rich and connected can attend legitimate geisha performances. Academics turn to scholarship and classical literature on the topic. Me? I learned everything I need to know about geisha from a film released in 2009 by director Iguchi Noboru (who also makes porn). His film taught me the four tenets of geisha:
It all started when I got a phone call in June from my younger brother Len, who lives in Okinawa. He said he was signing up for a big triathlon in Okinawa, and if I didn’t sign up too he’d call me a loser for the rest of my life. So I agreed. My older brother, on the other hand, declined, saying he didn’t have a good bike. What a loser!
The owner of Basin Street, Mr. Tachihiko Kawasaki, once said during a concert that he didn’t really like the song after which he named his bar. “It’s too downbeat,†he said. “I wanted to name the bar after ‘Satin Doll,’ but there’s already a Satin Doll in Kobe.†He may be dissatisfied with the name, but he’s very satisfied with his job. He gets to own the bar, play guitar and drums, and hang out with jazz musicians all the time. If this is what a mid-life crisis gets you, sign me up.
Beppu is located on the coast of Beppu Bay. This is the place for onsens – natural water and steam comes out of the ground all over the city, and the water is full of natural minerals.
Japan’s arch nemesis, North Korea, was very busy in 2010. Two major engagements with South Korea produced numerous deaths and raised regional and world tensions to levels not seen in many years. Japan has a long and complicated history with both Koreas that affects everyone living here, so it is worthwhile to examine the “North Korea problem†closer.