Foreign Tourists in Japan

  Japanese tour industries are trying to increase the
number of tourists from abroad.
  Chinese tourists buy tons of Japanese goods
when they come to Japan. Now, Japanese people
do not consume like Chinese. Therefore,  home
electric appliance shop and other stores rely on
their buying power.
  The number of foreing tourists have increased
tremendously because Japanese government
has shifted the plicy.
  On the other hand, some troubles have happend
between Japanese resident and foreign tourists.
  This is because of the difference of common sense
between cultures. I watched the news about the problem.
I saw Japanese who are complaining about the garbage
foreign tourists throw away.
  And in my impression, foreing people tend to speak loudly
in public compared to Japanese people.
  I think such difference of consciousness cause the problem
between Japanese and foreign tourists.
  I think this kind of problem often happen everywhere
in the world.
  


 

Japanese democracy

  This year is 70th anniversary since WW2 ended in 1945.
8th August was the day of end of the war. (I heard that
the anniversary of the end of the war is different in each country)
  The idea of "democracy" came from Europe more than 100 years ago.
  However, as the voting rate at the election is always low(less than 50%),
many Japanese people do not take an action politically.
  Probably, because Japanese people is disappointed with
most of the politicians, they think no one can change the situation.

  However, the circumstances are changing little by little.
The biggest issue we are facing now is "Security-related bills".
This law is under discussion at the House of Councilors.
  If this bill is passed, the Self-Defense Forces of  Japan
gains the legal grounds of dispatching the troops in abroad
as the collective right to self-defense".
  "The collective right to self-defense" is the right to attack
the army because the allied nation is attacked by the country.
  If the Japanese army did that, Japan may be involved with
the battle in other country.
  Japanese people who say "No!" are increasing.
  People are showing the rejection of the bills
through demo.
As Japanexperienced the terrible situation after
the war, the  persistence to the peace is
veeeeeeeery strong.
In my opinion, Japan must assist other countries
not through military assistance but through building infrastructures,
educational aid, or technical aid. That assistance would
prevent from involving the war.
 
  I have the legal background. So, this time, I tried to write an essay
 on my field in English. After I learn English words related on
my field, I try to write about social problem in Japan.
 


  I have
 

Japanese lifestyle It has been very hot in Japan now.

  It has been very hot in Japan now.
The temperature is often more then 38 degree.
The plants in the garden may die if you water them.
However, as the outside temperature becomes very high,
you have to do such work early in the morning.
Today, I watered plants in the garden at 5:30 a.m.
 
  From 13th August to 16th August, it is the special period
in Japan. It is called Obon. People in urban area like Tokyo,
go back to their hometown and spend hours with their parents.
Children spend their grandfather and grandmother during this
period. It is said that the soul of the ancestor come back
to the family only in this period. This custom comes from the
idea of Buddhism.
  I think I have already introduced this Obon before on this blog.

  I go to the Tochigi prefecture where my wife's parents and
relatives live. It is about 2.5 hours by car from my hometown.

Japanese lifestyle ~A report card~

The long summer vacation has started in school.

They get the school report from their teacher at the end of the

term.

I talk about the way to evaluate students in Japanese school.

I don't know well about the other schools.　

In my school case(elementary school), the kinds of subject were,

Japanese, Math, Science, Social study, Physical Education(P.E.), Music

Drawing and manual arts, Moral education.

Nowadays, elementary students start to learn English.

There was no English class when I was in elementary school.

Generally, we do not  learn  anything about religion.

If the school was private and  related certain religion, students

may have the class of religion. Japanese public school keep the

rule of the separation of religion and public service.

I  guess, the summer vacation of children are not longer than the

other countries'.  It starts from about 18th July and end 31st August.

So, it is one and a half month. I have heard that students have

more than 2 month in abroad. And they don't have assignments.

As you can guess, Japanese school assign students a lot of

homework during summer vacation.

  However, most of students play freely until the end of the

summer vacation. And they have a hard time, noticing the

tons of task are still remained.

  I used to be one of such students when I was in school.
  

Japanese food(drink) ~Mugi cha ( wheat tea)~

 Japanese green tea may be famous in the world.
But mugi cha (wheat tea) is also popular in the summer.
I think people drink more often when they have lunch or dinner.
  In our house, we always keep wheat tea in a bottle in the
refrigerator. It's more reasonable in cost.

  I  have an examination on 11,12th July. So, I stop posting articles
until that time.
  Sorry.

The short trip in Gunma

  Now, Japan is in the long vacation, called "Gorden week".
I have a holiday from on 2nd May, to 6th May.
  Many people go abroad or go to a tourist resort.
I went to a Miyogi shrine in my prefecture, Gunma.
This shrine was constructed around 537.
Usually, there are some very big and old trees at shrine.
The stairs were so steep. So it was hard to go to the main building.
  The visit at this shrine made me relax.
  Maybe, it is very important to be relax in order to
do good performance at your job and your study.
  As you see, Japanese people have worshiped not only God(Kami)
but nature since old ages.
(I used the word Kami on purpose. In Japan, the concept of "God" is different
from other religion, such as Christian.)

This is a barrier in Edo period.

In 400 years ago, people could not move from one prefecture to the other prefecture

freely. The government banned people from bringing in the Edo area(Around Tokyo).

The government officials checked at this checkpoint. 

Don't cut your nail at night !! ~Japanese superstition~

Some people say, "Don't cut your nail at night !!''


This is a superstition in Japan.


"Or you will not be present at your parent's death."
"Or you will die at an early age."


Every superstition does not have a ground.


However, I sometimes hear this superstition.


Anyway, in Japanese, there is a saying "A skilled hawk hides its talons."


Do you have this kind of saying in your culture???