Rant on Cats

I know that by writing this I’m taking another step into the all-encompassing, life-consuming world of cat-fixation, but I figure I’d risk it since it makes a good story.

Here’s the thing: I don’t like cats. And, I’ve seen how they can take over the lives of people. My grandma, Mema, started with one cat she “rescued” from a Wal-Mart parking lot and now is known as the “Feline Baroness” of southern Atlanta with the responsibility of caring for (presumed) hundreds of cats in her local area. She’s seen about 8 generations of the wild strays and while entertaining to everyone in the family, it’s also a bit disconcerting (in part because they all have names like, “mama”, “baby-mama”, “granny” “baby-sister”. etc. based on how they’re related).

Here where I live in Beppu, I’ve stumbled upon a community of cats (tame, wild, and insane) who live in, around, behind, and close to/by my house. There have been eight feline characters in play over the last few months and I’ve noticed how (despite my general apathy for cats) my life and theirs are getting rather involved.

Things started small…me saying hello to them when I returned home (something I felt obliged to due because four wild ones would greet me outside the front door) and gradually become more friendly when I started feeding them from time to time (only when my housemate asked me to). Then I got sucked into their local cat wars. For political and social reasons I don’t fully understand, only some of strays are welcome at the house while others are hated and shouted at if they turn up at feeding time. I joined the alliance of the welcomed cats (all nice folks except for the slutty female with a goofy eye) and did my part in shouting at the menacing black and grey cats who slink around sometimes.

This got a bit more complicated when I learned that the one indoor cat (and the only one in my opinion who should receive my loyalty or food) hates all the other cats and sometimes attacks me for no reason (to date, I have been clawed and bleed three times and bit on the face—with bleeding—once).

Whatever…the lives of cats are similar to the lives of teenage girls with petty hatreds and unexpected psychotic behavior…you just deal with it. BUT, despite my careful relationship with everyone, I found myself in the middle of constant problems. Inside cat and black cat fight and howl at all hours of the day and have even moved their fur-flying battles to the living room; slutty female now only glares at me because I gave her kittens away to a friend; retarded black/white cat won’t move out from under my car when I need to leave; and someone keeps trying to break into my room in the middle of the night via the window screen (which is nosily pulled open with claws!).

So here I am telling the world about my life with the cats…a sure sign that I’m on a path to become my grandma. I can only hope my creativity in naming my cat army with equal hers (love ya, Mema!).

Horror Bugs

You never know what new and exciting experience Japan is going to give you to turn an ordinary day into a great story for a blog.

The other night I was lying (laying?) in bed reading a book when I was brutally attacked (emotionally) by a horror bug. It was past midnight and my eyes had just started to flutter and close when sudden dark movement woke me up to a panic. Crawling down my wall was a fantastically evil looking centipede with one thought on its mind—“get into Justin’s bed”. See picture below for a visual:

I image that if Satan, Medusa, and my 5^th grade math teacher (she was a bit evil) got together to design a horror bug, this is what it would look like. A hundred(ish) long legs flowing around a dark, insidious body…poisonous stinger and venom-covered fangs…defensive shielding and the ability to both absorb and discharge electrical energy…some of this may be my own imaginings, but you get the point. It’s scary! And nothing with that many legs should move that silently down a person’s wall in the middle of the night.

Anyway, the creature rapidly approached me, I jumped up and thought, “oh my gosh oh my gosh of my gosh” and started looking around for something to kill it with. The centipede was so huge that I honestly had to search my room for something big enough to kill it (cause it had to be done in one shot or else I risked being shot with a poison dart or having it regenerate before I could finish it off). I finally chose an anthology of Asian mythology and readied myself for the battle.

After some maneuvering and getting it out of my bed and back on the wall, I slammed the creature with the book and squinted as legs and antenna flew everywhere and guts splattered on the wall. UNBELIEVEABLE.

Needless to say, my dreams that night were less than charming.

Good morning sunshine

The sun is very, very bright outside the bus. My left eye won’t open because a dry contact is screaming for attention and my right eye is squinting blindly in the morning light. I’m searching through my pockets for my bus ticket…barely aware of things around me. I finally find it, hand it over to the driver, and weakly bow as the bus doors close and the bus drives away. I turn around in the parking lot and see about two dozen junior high school baseball players staring at me. My shirt is rumbled, my hair a bit askew, I feel all out of sorts. But, I try to maintain dignity and walk away towards home. Oh geeze, why did I stay out all night?

My mind begins to search through the past 24 hours…remembering the events that led to my current state.

It all began Saturday afternoon when I thought it was a good idea to hitch hike to Fukuoka. Sure I could have taken a bus or train…but then I wouldn’t have met the Tanaka family from Kitakyushu who had been attending their eldest son’s wedding that morning. I rode in their fancy car and chatted with Mrs. Tanaka about her enthusiasm for watching sports, but not playing them.

They dropped me off at the expressway entrance to the city where I hailed another ride into downtown. This time I got an English-speaking business man who owes several diners and shops in town. He asked me to hand out some flyers on the street in return for the ride…a trade I happily agreed to. I only had to pass out 6…but about 40 people walked by before I was able to give them away (I don’t think I was aggressive enough).

Then came a series of random encounters with friends and strangers, old and new, that eventually led to me staying out all night in the smoke and lights of Tenjin. I met loads of new folks and ended up joining up with them for the night. Since my hitch hiking trip last month I’ve found that I have no trouble meeting new people and becoming instant friends. By 5am we were eating McDonald’s and going through the usual lament of, “why did we stay out all night?”

The sun came up and the responsible people who had gone to bed the night before were starting to come out onto the streets. This is always a weird time when the tired/drunk/crazy people who partied all night meet the clean/genki/responsible people who are on their way to work/wherever. It really puts the “out all night” thing into perspective.

The bus arrived; I stumbled aboard and shut the curtain. Ah yes, now is the time for sleep.

Mud Volleyball!

These pictures are real. No photoshopping was used. The mud, the filth, and utter abandonment of all things clean is exactly what a day of mud volleyball is all about.

Our two teams: Freedom and No Borders. The former was well suited for a rousing battle cry (freedom!). Our teams’ motto: “We are CRAZY!” All of this was chosen by the Japanese members.

Start of the day. Sheena and I are pumped and ready (and clean).

This quickly changed when Sheena decided to tackle me. I showed her!

Utterly muddy thanks to Matt. We look like orcs from Lord of the Rings.

Hitch Hiking in Japan

Here is my masterpiece! The original was 18 minutes long...but I edited that down to 10 min. Check it out and enjoy, yo!

I'm Back

7 days, 6 prefectures, 19 car rides. My hitch hiking adventure around Kyushu was a success.

The only thing I can think to compare it to is perhaps Homer’s, The Odyssey. Over the course of the week I met lots of people, saw big cities and rural countryside, and had an experience that I’m still in shock about.

I’m in the process of compiling my pictures, video, and thoughts and will get a video up soon to share my adventures. In a nutshell, it was totally awesome and life changing.

The Undiscovered Country

First, look at the picture. Then the calendar. But make sure it’s a Japanese calendar so you see that it’s Golden Week! What do you think I’m going to be doing for the next 8 days?! That’s right, HITCH HIKING AROUND JAPAN!

Okay, I actually really need to get moving today, but wanted to put up something to let you all know that I’m about to embark on a very random and hopefully exciting journey. During my time in Japan, I’ve gone on lots of trips…most of them well planned (especially if Lisa was involved). But this time I want to go out there and do something spontaneous and unique. Japan is a good place for hitch hiking because unlike most other countries, Japan is still a safe place. PLUS, the Japanese have the reputation of taking care of foreigners on the open road.

This trip is a lot of things for me…one of those being a soul-searching, walkabout. The past four months have been marked by a great deal of change in my life in a year that has been full of ups and downs and all arounds. I need an escape, an adventure, a challenge.

When I return, I promise to put all my stories and pictures into an entertaining montage. Until then, safe journey.

Oh! Sorry! Er, uh…wait…

So the other day I was shopping for a black jacket at a department store downtown (realized I didn’t have an appropriate light weight nice jacket and hoping to take advantage of any spring sales) when I had the urge to pee. Naturally my shopping experience was disrupted by this urge, so I decided to seek out the restroom. Have you ever noticed how the bathrooms at department stores are always WAY in the back corner and you have to follow all these signs around before finally finding it? Anyway, after a 5 mile trek through camping supplies, casual wear, and suits, I finally rounded the corner to the bathrooms. And what should jump out and scare me but… (look at picture below)

A naked family!

WHOA! was my first thought followed by me mumbling, “Oh! Sorry! Er, uh…wait…” Yes, for a moment I actually thought these out of work mannequins were a real family having a private moment in the back of the store (hey it’s Japan…a lot of weird things have happened here).

Their pose was so natural and lifelike. The man turning to his wife and asking her thoughts on dinner while she stares off thinking about the upcoming PTA meeting…all the while their little son giggling about being naked in public. The lighting, their composition, and the whole scene was just beautiful…and gave me a good chuckle. Whoever put them there must have thought, “This is going to rock! All those patrons coming to bathroom are going to appreciate my mannequin family. Matsumoto san may not want you out on the floor, but I will give you new life here.” Well department store employee, I do appreciate it. Arigatou.

Muddy Consequences

So I live Beppu, Japan’s onsen capital and have the pleasure of enjoying any number of the many diverse hot springs around the city. Some are big, some are scorching hot, some are outdoor, all are naked, and a few have mud. I’d never experienced the mud onsen until two weeks ago when a couple friends were visiting and we opted to try it out.

The mud onsen is an old establishment up in the hills of Beppu near some authentic steam vents that bellow hot steam out all the time. The scene of white hissing clouds spewing out of the earth is impressive and makes you think, “Will Beppu blow up one day?”

Our party of four arrived and followed a long covered wooden outdoor walkway (that’s a lot of adjectives) to the changing room and mud pools. The facilities were rather Spartan with only stone floors and utilitarian water facets. But we weren’t here for the shower; we were here for the mud!

The prime pool was outdoor and was pretty warm with dirty water on top, and squishy, make you go, “Oh ewww, gross!” mud on the bottom. We waded in and floated around and read the sign about “not putting mud on the head”. The water was fun, but I was imagining more mud—covering me from head to toe—sucking out toxins and enriching my skin. I reached down to the bottom of the pool and scooped up a handful of the earth slim. It oozed in my hand…daring me to smear it on. I laughed and did so…and was soon a monstrous swamp thing (except for my hair/head because of the sign).

After a repeated process of smearing, washing off, and smearing some more, we decided we’d had enough mud and headed out. There were only two showers to wash off with…and no soap was allowed (these place was serious about their mud)…so I was a bit concerned about my level of cleanliness upon leaving the onsen. Oh how this thought would come to haunt me…

Natural onsens often have a sulfur smell associated with them and the mud I was so excitedly covering myself with was full of the rotten egg odor. I had been warned that the mud-sulfur smell would linger…but I didn’t expect it to be too bad.

Several days passed…and I still smelled a bit odd. I had showered, but there was still a smell. All the clothes I wore took on the smell…as well as bed sheets and even my car. It was like a minor, kind of boring nightmare.

Finally, after about four days, the smell was gone. I was free. And I highly recommend the mud onsen to all visitors of Beppu.

Julie and Paul?! You guys coming to visit??

Mt. Tsurumi Adventure

Here's what I did on Thursday.

Fantastic Day

It’s 9:30 in the morning and I’m waiting outside the central post office in Beppu with a lunchbox cooler filled with beer and chips. I’m waiting for my friend to pick me up and take me to a barbeque. The only thing is, it’s 9:30am…the bbq couldn’t possible start this early…so why did he ask me to be ready so early…

After 2.5 years in Japan, this type of situation isn’t that unusual. I know that before I get to the bbq, there will be a series of misadventures and unexpected twists. As this thought goes through me mind, my friend arrives with a HUGE smile. “Jasuten! Let’s go!” And off we go.

First stop, another parking lot where we meet another guy with a big truck. He buys tea for everyone and then we follow him down the road. We turn off the main road and begin a long, difficult, dangerous climb into the mountains. Up and up we go along narrow roads where cars have to dance around each other just to get by. Finally we reach what appears to be an archeological site with lots of old stone pieces and statues scattered around. I’m given a pair of gloves and told, “Today will be a hard day.”

Ah, okay…so it’s manual labor to start the morning off with. We wait while the guy with the truck prays at a gravestone set into a cliff. Two other guys arrive with gloves and crowbars and rope. I ask, “What are we doing today?” to my friend and he says, “We are making a garden for my friend,” and then points to the large stone columns on the ground. Shortly after we begin loading the large and heavy stone pieces into the truck….each one use to be part of an old Japanese house dating back about 100 years. The final stone is about 4 feet long and weighs 10,000lbs. (about). We use ropes and pulleys and long pieces of wood to load it onto the truck…reminded me of ancient Egyptians building the Pyramids.

Next, we head to the truck guy’s house in back in the city where we unload the stones, prepare the ground, and begin making an interesting stone garden. Long story short, I got some good exercise, sunburn, free beer and fried chicken, and laughs with my new friends.

But the day isn’t over! The bbq hasn’t even started yet! It’s now 3:30pm and I’m at my friend’s house where we all decide to take a nap (glorious thing to do after hard work!). I sleep and dream about Egyptians. About 2 hours later I wake up feeling cold. “Jasten, here is a coat,” says my friend as he gives me a warm coat to wear. Within minutes voices are heard outside…many voices…those of women and children…the bbq is about to begin!

I head outside to the little Japanese grill where a table full of meat waits to be cooked. Beef, chicken, pork, unknown meats all get flamed covered and served up. My plate is constantly refilled…I consume more meat in one hour than I have in the past month. I also get a fresh beer in my hand every time one of my friends gets up to get another beer. The stars come out, the children run around asking to play, I feel good.

Saturday was a fantastic day.

Top Ten of Tokyo!

Tokyo was awesome! It’s such an amazing city filled with life and lights and random characters around every corner. Thanks to my dear friends, Sheena, Selena, and Zach for making it an especially special birthday weekend.

Here is a TOP TEN of the weekend:

10. Having Starbucks coffee overlooking the Shibuya Crossing—the busiest cross walk in the world.

9. Napping in Yoyogi Park near Harajuku where loads of musicians come to play their guitars.

8. Riding the subways and trains all over the city and having Sheena and Zach do all the navigating (cause the train lines are complicated).

7. Smoking strawberry sheesha in Roppongi at 4am.

6. Eating Zach’s perfect chocolate chip cookies.

5. Following Nigerians to the clubs they work for and using their cheap drink coupons.

4. Dancing all night long for two nights in a row.

3. Dancing with a hot half-Japanese, half-Columbian.

2. Watching Selena defend Sheena from a group of punk guys who were hitting on her in the middle of the sidewalk by the kebab stand.

1. Laughing and hanging with some dear friends for 3 awesome days.

It was a great weekend filled with fun…and about 6 hours of sleep total. Tokyo never disappoints.

誕生日おめでとう！ Happy Birthday!

Yip yip yeah! I’m 26, fools! I am solidly in my twenties now with the years refining my dreams, looks, and dance moves (at least 2 of those). I’m taking this opportunity to reflect on some of my past, memorable birthday experiences…

1. February 2006: Heroes, Demons, and Deities Costume Birthday Party Extravaganza! This is the night I dressed as Baldur from Nordic Mythology and 50 drunken friends invaded my rural apartment in Ajimu. Twas truly epic (and took me days to recover in body and home).

2. February 2005: Anything Asian Costume Birthday Party! Looking back on it, the theme seems kind of racist, but at the time it was totally appropriate as my departure for Japan was neigh! It was the first night I ever had Japanese sake…and also the first time I ever wielded a samurai sword.

3. February 2004: Superhero Costume Birthday Party! Thanks to my dear friend, Caroline, I was able to have my first costume party ever. This was a night everyone became heroes and a cat jumped into a batch of radioactive punch. I also danced with a crazy woman who lived in the apartment downstairs.

4. February 2001: Chucky Cheese Birthday Party! Yes, I was 19 years old for this one…but my friends were the ones treating me. Plus ball pits are awesome!

5. February 1999: Surprise Party! My parents totally fooled me and invited all my friends over for a grand surprise party. It was just like you see on TV…I tried to plan something fun with all my friends, they were all busy, I got depressed, lonely, and then BOOM! I find all my chums in the kitchen with Pepsi and cake. My friend Ben Howell managed to spill an entire 3-liter on himself and the floor…and my best friend Baker couldn’t make it because of a cello concert (yes, Baker, I still remember!). Still a good time.

6. February at some point in the 1980’s: McDonald’s Birthday Party! A must-have event for kids in the 80’s. I most remember the cake covered in McDonald’s characters made entirely of sugar. I wanted to eat The Hamburgerler, but my mom said it was too much sugar (yes, mom, I still remember!)

And now we come to February 2008…muhahahahahaha! This year I’ll be celebrating in Tokyo with some friends…and I expect to have a good time. I’ll be sure to put up some pictures and tales when I get back.

Valentine’s Day, A recap

Cheery cheery cupids, tis our most beloved holiday, Balentine’s Day (the Japanese pronounce it with more of a ‘b’ than a ‘v’ sound). This greeting card/chocolate truffle company-spawned celebration of affection has made its way all the way over to Japan where, in typical Japanesey fashion, the western traditions have been altered a bit to the amusement of everyone.

In Japan, Valentine’s Day is all about giving chocolate. No cards, no flowers or diamond rings, just chocolate. Not so unusual, you westerns might say…well just wait…cause here in Japan it’s only the girls who have the responsibility/obligation to give the chocolate. Boys get a completely free day where they wait for friends, admirers, and co-workers to shower them with sweets. This practice is so well inscribed into the holiday tradition that the Japanese have terms both “friend” chocolate (for when you willingly, happily give it) and “obligation” chocolate (for when you buy large amounts to give out to all your male coworkers down at the Sony office so you will maintain good standing with everyone).

Of course I’m a boy, so I love this holiday ;)

This year I did get some lovely treats including beer from my friend, Kate, who decided to branch out from the typical chocolate. While back home in the South, beer for Valentine’s Day would be trashy/completely appropriate, here in Japan it’s just cute (look at the pink box!).


I also scored a little cake from a Japanese friend, Kaba-chan (see cake photo above), and some other assorted sweets from my students. All in all, I feel assured and loved and will continue to think fondly of all who complied with the Balentine’s tradition.

Transient Living

I just said good bye to a group of close friends…again…for the third time since I arrived in Japan. It sucks.

Living aboard has innumerable wonders that inspire, enlighten, and entertain on a daily basis…but there are also some really hard, heart-breaking trials to deal with too. Saying good bye to close friends is one the toughest.

Being a foreigner in a foreign land usually means you get to meet all kinds of other foreigners around you. And living in Beppu—the city with highest number of foreigners per capita after Tokyo—I’ve met a lot of people from all around the world. It’s not unusual to be in a group of a dozen or so folks and have a dozen or so countries represented…our house parties are like mini UN socials with accents, slang, and laughter roaring together in an international mix. BUT, these people you meet…these friends you make…are almost always destined to leave Japan after a finite amount of time. Whether it’s weeks, months of even blessed years, the bounds you form must be made to stretch across the oceans of the world because so many people have to leave and go back home.

Since I’ve been in Japan for 2 years, 4 months, and 2 days, I’ve seen a lot of people go. And it’s hard to keep going through this process. I’m writing today as a way to deal with the sadness in me…funnel it out and make use of the emotion…turning tears into rivers that will serve to carry my creativity in little ships of memories to the ocean that’s the Web.

Haha, I hope Baker reads that and groans ;)

See, I’m feeling better already.

I heard someone once call Beppu a transient town…a port so many people travel through on their journey. The rhythm of life here is constantly in a state of renewal and change…which means things can’t ever get dull as long as I’m living too. I guess I just have to learn to flow with the cycle of new arrivals and tearful departures…and then hold on to the friendships that are stable around me.

To those who have left, I wish you a safe journey home…may we meet again one day. And to those who will arrive soon, welcome to Beppu…I hope you brought your party hat.

じゃ　またね！

Ding Dong! (or "ping pong" in Japanese)

Living in big apartment building in Beppu has many advantages such as smelling other people’s dinners cooking, hearing other people’s children screaming, and having random folks ring your doorbell with all kinds of exciting things to tell you.

Just this morning a girl came by asking if I had any kids who would like to join her English conversation class. Her question was funny on a couple levels: 1.) I don’t have any kids…I don’t even have a spouse…so the thought of having a kid old enough to speak is crazy! 2.) I already speak English…and I speak it rather well, if I do say so myself…so if I did have any kids, I think I would be their English conversation teacher.

I’ve also answered the door to the familiar Jehovah’s Witnesses (who always speak advanced English!) with their many pamphlets and endless attempts to get me to join their Bible study. I’ve learned how to respectfully listen and then firmly tell them I’m not interested so they don’t keep sending delegations to save me.

Of course the most unique group who has came a’knocking was what I call, “the happy sunshine people” who meet every morning at the city park at 5am. They are on a mission to make the world a better place through early morning meetings and group breakfasts (or something like that…I didn’t catch it all). They were very nice ladies.

Ah yes, the many 5 minute visitors who patron my doorbell with smiles and offers. I never know who is going to stop by next. Perhaps it will be a CoCo curry deliveryman with the wrong address—one can only hope!

New Year's in Kansai

Pictures of my trip to Kansai!

I stole from Paris Hilton

Recently I asked my dear friend, Sheena, if she, given the option, would give up the need to sleep (just think of how much more productive one could be!). She said she wouldn’t because she wants to be able to dream and have a break from reality. I pondered this thought and quickly came to agree with her. Dreams are amazing little side quests to our lives and provide outlets for our thoughts and emotions…and sometimes give us the opportunity to be superheroes or see Mars or go on dates with Deanna Troi from Star Trek.

In a dream I had the other night I stole from Paris Hilton and got to eat some very tasty carrot cake. I don’t remember every part of the dream, but I do remember vacationing in Paris Hilton’s mountain mansion and having the chance to rifle through her shoe closet while she was out. I wasn’t stealing shoes for myself…but rather for Sheena and Selena who were waiting for me in the Burger King a few miles away. No, I didn’t care about the shoes…I instead went after Paris’ cell phone so I could have contact info for half of Hollywood (albeit perhaps the skankier half). While in the process of choosing between sparkles or leather heels (again, not for me, but for my friends…), I also found a hoard of carrot cake (one of my favorite desserts!). I was very practical about taking the cake and was sure to wrap it up neatly in plastic wrap before wiping my finger prints off all surfaces.

As I was leaving the Hilton mansion with cake, shoes, and phone, a massive Bigfoot creature appeared just outside the front door. Everyone started screaming and I knew I only had seconds before the monster broke into the house. This is the point the dream became something extra special! In the dream I was thinking, “oh dear, I’m getting scared…don’t like this…going to have to run and hide and blablabla…I just want to enjoy this bit of petty theft without the hassle of defending myself against a tired urban myth…” And while thinking this I realized, “hey wait, I’m dreaming…this is in my head…my imagination…so that means I can anything!” A second later Bigfoot was breaking through the wall and instead of being scared, I was getting stronger. I had enough realization in my dream to give myself superpowers and quickly repelled the beast with one big energy shockwave from my hands.

The dream petered out after that…I remember the house filling with water and something about a cat and my cousin Miranda…and then I woke up.

Anyway, I wanted to report this to everyone to give you something interesting to read as you start your week (for many people after a holiday). The next time you find yourself in a dream—which should be the next time you fall soundly asleep—try to take control and see what you can do. For surly the limits of what you can do/be in a dream are only bound by the limits of your imagination.

Happy New Year!

It’s 2008—the Year of the Rat—the Summer Olympics in China—and the year I’m finally getting serious about my future. Yes, that’s right, after adventuring around in Japan for the past 2.5 years, I think it’s time for me to get my goals and dreams together and get on a path to greater things. I’m posting this on my blog so it’s out there and I can’t procrastinate and push it aside anymore.

Resolutions anyone? Come on, tis the best time of year to make some positive changes in your life. Here are mine!

1.) Improve my Japanese! I have a good textbook and a cool sensei…so I just need to get my butt in gear and learn that Nihongo.

2.) Produce more creative works…aka WRITE MORE…and then get it published. I want to find a writing contest and make a submission in the next 3 months. I feel like I have a creative hurricane inside me just blowing around in a chaotic roar and I’d like to funnel that storm into a brilliant story or paper. Creating things makes me happy…and I haven’t been writing enough over the last few months.

3.) Figure out the next step of my life’s journey. This is the tough one…and one I’d reckon a lot of people are stuck on. What’s next? Where should I go? What should I do? Who am I?! Factors like job/career, relationship, dreams, opportunities, and destiny all intertwine here…and it can be hard to find the right direction to go in. BUT, the most important part is having a vision of where you want to go. I need to first figure that out.

So there you go! What do you think?

In other news, I just got back from a New Year’s trip to Kansai with some really awesome folks. I’ll have an update with pictures from that trip soon.

Happy going everyone.

Merii Kurisumasu

Holy nativity scenes! Tis almost Christmas!

Hey everyone, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I’ve had a lot of folks back home asking me if Japan celebrates Christmas so I thought I’d do some internationalization and lay out the exciting details about how Santa, Baby Jesus, and Rudolph are recognized here.

First, YES, Christmas is celebrated in Japan. BUT like all western things importer here, Christmas doesn’t look/feel like it does back home. Right now all over Japan there are Christmas decorations like illumination, Santa and Frosty posters, and precariously placed reindeer on rooftops. Many stores and businesses have Christmas trees, but as far as I can tell they’re all artificial (which makes sense since trees are precious in Japan and used only for making chopsticks).

Second, some people so exchange gifts…but this is mostly with parents giving a few things to children or couples exchanging gifts. I don’t think there is any concept of Santa being the one to deliver the gifts since Japanese homes don’t have chimneys (so how on earth would the fat man get inside?!).

Third, the food…omg, this is the best part. Back home, the food at Christmas time is some of the best all year. The turkey, pies, casseroles…all so wonderful. But here in Japan, people eat KFC and cake.

Yes, some how KFC pulled off a “Christmas Chicken Bucket Ruse” and the cake companies added to this by creating the “Christmas Cake Myth”…so many people order up a special holiday KFC bucket (must order in advance) and finish the finger-licking meal off with a lovely cake. When I tell Japanese people that Americans don’t eat these things at Christmas, they always give me they shocked “really?!” face.

So Christmas is a bit different here in Japan…but as we all know, the Christmas spirit isn’t something around us, but rather it’s something inside us (cue cheesy “awwwe”).

I’ll be here in Beppu for the big day, and then taking a trip up to Kansai for New Year’s…which is the big holiday in Japan. I’ll let you guys know how it all goes.