Paris Syndrome

15  Sep  2012 - A dozen or so Japanese tourists a year have to be repatriated from the French capital, after falling prey to what's become known as "Paris syndrome". That is what some polite Japanese tourists suffer when they discover that Parisians can be rude or the city does not meet their expectations. The experience can apparently be too stressful for some and they suffer a psychiatric breakdown. Around a million Japanese travel to France every year. Many of the visitors come with a deeply romantic vision of Paris - the cobbled streets, as seen in the film Amelie, the beauty of French women or the high culture and art at the Louvre.  The reality can come as a shock. An encounter with a rude taxi driver, or a Parisian waiter who shouts at customers who cannot speak fluent French, might be laughed off by those from other Western cultures. But for the Japanese - used to a more polite and helpful society in which voices are rarely raised in anger - the experience of their dream city turning into a nightmare can simply be too much. This year alone, the Japanese embassy in Paris has had to repatriate four people with a doctor or nurse on board the plane to help them get over the shock. They are suffering from "Paris syndrome". It was a Japanese psychiatrist working In France, Hiroaki Ota, who first identified the syndrome 20 years ago. On average, up to 12 Japanese tourists a year fall victim to it, mainly women in their 30s with high expectations of what may be their first trip abroad. The Japanese embassy has a 24 hour hotline for those suffering from severe culture shock, and can help find hospital treatment for anyone in need. However, the only permanent cure is to go back to Japan - and never return to Paris.

Kanamara Matsuri Festival

26 March 2011 - The Kanamara Matsuri Fstival is an annual Shinto fertility festival held in Kawasaki, Japan in spring held in the Kanayama shrine. The exact dates vary: the main festivities fall on the first Sunday in April. The penis forms the central theme of the event that is reflected everywhere—in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations, and a mikoshi parade.The Kanamara Matsuri is centered around a local penis-venerating shrine once popular among prostituteswho wished to pray for protection against sexually transmitted diseases. It is said that there are divine protections also in business prosperity and the clan's prosperity, easy delivery, marriage, and married couple harmony. There is also a legend of a sharp-toothed demon that hid inside the vagina of a young girl and castrated two young men on their wedding nights. As a result, the young girl sought help with a blacksmith, who fashioned an iron phallus to break the demon's teeth, leading to the enshrinement of the item. Today, the festival has become somewhat of a tourist attraction and is used to raise money for HIV research

Manners and Courtesy

16 March 2011 - I liked this piece by Laura King in the Los Angeles Times:

Reporting from Tokyo -- She was elderly and alone, injured and in pain. When the massive earthquake struck, a heavy bookshelf toppled onto Hiroko Yamashita, pinning her down and shattering her ankle. When paramedics finally reached her, agonizing hours later, Yamashita did what she said any "normal" person would do, her son-in-law recounted later: She apologized to them for the inconvenience, and asked if there weren't others they should be attending to first.
The worst earthquake in Japan's recorded history left a trail of blazing buildings, inundated coastal communities, wrecked roadways and potentially unstable nuclear power plants. But it barely made a dent in the implacably Japanese trait of exhibiting concern for others even in the worst of circumstances.
In Tokyo and its suburbs, the quake knocked out much of the usually clockwork-reliable public-transportation system. Yet when trains finally appeared on a few crucial routes, the queue was as orderly as on any mundane commuting day. Once aboard, people sat quietly, gazing at their cellphones in hope of an elusive signal. “It would be uncivilized to try to push and shove, and what good would it do anyway?” said Kojo Saeseki, helping his wife onto a crowded train on the city’s outskirts.

The Japanese language is full of ritual apologies, uttered so often as to become almost meaningless: I am about to make a nuisance of myself — please excuse me! Some of this is a matter of mere formality. But at a time of crisis, such politesse can be the glue that holds the country together. Even though Friday's magnitude 8.9 quake was shocking and discombobulating, few would imagine burdening a stranger with their anxieties.

Robot Marathon

26 Feb 2011 - The world's first full length marathon for two-legged robots kicked off in Japan last week. The toy-sized humanoids are set to run the 42,195km over four days. The machines began the non-stop race on a 100m indoor track in the city of Osaka after doing knee bends or raising their hands to greet spectators. The race is a big hit with Osaka citizens who have flocked to the venue to watch the spectacle unfold. The bipedal robots - the tallest of which measures 44 cm - must complete 423 laps to reach their goal. The "Robo Mara Full" race is organized by Vstone Co, a robot technology firm based in Osaka, in cooperation with the Osaka prefectural Government. Vstone robots took an early lead, while the two entrants of the University of Osaka Engineering teams got off to a shaky start.

Maiden Names

22 Feb 2011 - A group of Japanese women filed a challenge in court last week to a 19th century law that compels almost all Japanese females to drop their maiden names and assume their husbands' surnames when they marry. The landmark case is eeen as a test case for the rights of women in Japan, who continue to fight against gender inequality, stereotypes and remain under-represented in corporate boardrooms. The Civil Code stipulates that married couples must share one surname, in practice almost always that of the husband. The plaintiffs, four women and the husband of one of them, argue that the Civil Code clause breaches the constitutional guarantee of equal rights for both spouses. We had a similar case in Holland some years ago, and it was decided that spouses could opt to live under their own name, or choose any of the two surnames for both of them and their children.

Toylets

19 Jan 2010 - There is great news for gadgets-lovers all over the world, because in Tokyo the Toylets.have been introduced. The Toylets have been launched by computer-game producer Sega, who transformed a number of public toilets in Toylets. Toylets have a pressure sensor in the otherwise innocuous urinals, which responds to the pressure of your urinal delivery. If you piss full strength into the right direction your delivery helps to blow up a girls' skirt, while an other application offers multiplayer competition. Your pressure is measured against the pressure of your predecessor to have used the urinoir. So hallelujah, the lives of Japanese men has now been enlightened with a measurable way to have pissing contests. The Toylets have been installed in four pubs and game halls, and are currently being tested. I guess after this news it's official: I will move to Japan. Who will join?

Shrinking Population

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2 Jan 2010 - Japan's population shrank by a record margin last year as the nation rapidly ages, said the Welfare Ministry yesterday. The number of people fell by 123,000, the biggest drop since the records began in 1947. It is an illustration of the demographic crisis the country faces as a smaller working population has to support a mass of pensioners. It is the fourth consecutive year that the country's population has declined. The fall was larger than the 72,000 registered in 2009. The Ministry estimated 1,071,000 babies were born in Japan last year, almost flat from 2009, while deaths soared by 52,000 to a record of 1.194,000. It is interesting to note this trend in one of Asia's most developed nations, and similar trends are spotted in South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. It would probably also be the same in Europe but immigration changes the picture in the old world.

Workaholic No More

28 Nov 2010 - "Workaholic" may no longer be the most appropriate label for Japanese businessmen. A survey has shown that Japanese men spend less time at work than they once did amid an economic downturn and use their leisure time surfing the internet at home rather than going for a drink with the mates. Japanese men now work eight hours and 39 minutes a day on average, around one hour less than they did in 2000. The survey covered 400 male corporate employees in their 20s to 50s. In their private time workers spend a record seven hours and 59 minutes a week on the internetor catching up with e-mail, the survey showed. The previous survey in 2000 showed they spent seven hours and 52 minutes watching TV - then the top leisure time activity. Drinking coffee at coffee shops or bars now took up just two hours and 25 minutes a week, down from a high of seven hours and 52 minutes in 1990.

Mandarin Oriental Tokyo

1 Nov 2010 - It is now possible to rent the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo hotel for a party. But the price is tag is not small, one has to pay 55 million Yen for it. From 3 pm until noon the next day, customers get use of the entire hotel, including nine restaurants and all spas and rooms, for the equivalent of HKD 5,247,300. The luxury hotel in central Tokyo began selling the plan a week ago as "something splashy" to commemorate its opening five years ago, said spokeswoman Chie Hayakawa. It would include a cocktail reception for 500 people.

Mayonnaise on the Road

9 Oct 2010 - Since the movie "Pulp Fiction" the world knows that the Dutch love their fries with mayonnaise. A few years ago I found out - to my big surprise - that the Japanese also enjoy their bit of mayonnaise. However, sometimes the mayonnaise distribution does not go as planned. A load of mayonnaise recently fell of the back of a lorry in japan and caused an eight-vehicle pile up, leaving three people injured. The accident, involving a motorcycle, two trucks and five cars, closed parts of a two lane highway for five hours in Hyogo prefecture, a police spokesperson said. Luckily nobody was seriously injured. The spokesperson explained  "What probably happened is that cars travellling behind the truck squashed the bottles of mayonnaise, spreading it on the road. The ingredients of eggs, vinegar and oil mean it is more slick and dangerous than snow."

Missing Elderly

13 Sep 2010 - More than 234,000 people listed as alive and at least 100 years old in Japan cannot be found at their registered address - including 884 who would be 150 years or older - according to the Justice Ministry. Japan, famed for its longevity, launched a nationwide survey after a recent string of grisly discoveries - including a mummified man in his bed and an old woman's remains in a backpack - sparked alarm about the fate of many elderly. The cases also triggered soul-searching over elderly people living in isolation, and public outrage at relatives of those missing who have kept their deaths secret in order to keep receiving their pension payments. So maybe the story of eating lots of fresh fish and sushi's for good health and long life are myths too?

Japan (30) - Whole Lotta Bowing

22 July 2010 - A few months ago President Barack Obama was criticized at home for bowing for President Hu Jintao of China. However, bowing is a formal way of greeting in some Asian countries - notably in Japan. Although at first glance it may seem simple enough, the bow - together with its implications - is actually quite complicated. The depth of the bow and the number of seconds devoted to performing it, as well as the total number of bows, depend on who you are to whom you are bowing, and how they are bowing back. In addition to bowing in greeting, the Japanese also bow upon departing and to express gratitude. The train conductor in the Shinkansen bullet train for example, bows every time when he enters and leaves the carriage. That is a lot of bowing. The proper form of a bow is to bend from the waist with a straight back and to keep your arms at your sides. However, I was told that if you are a foreigner, a simple nod of the head is enough. But as this is my last blog from Japan, I bow deep ... domo arigatoo. I am bowing out.

Japan (29) - Hakone Open-Air Museum

21 July 2010 - The last trip of this holiday was another highlight: a visit to the open-air museum in Hakone. Set in the dramatic landscape of Hakone, this museum was opened in 1969 as the first open-air museum in Japan. The museum is now the permanent home of about 120 works by well-known modern and contemporary sculptors (Giacoma, Moore, Dubuffet, Willem de Kooning, Miro, et cetera).. There are also 6 exhibition halls, including a hall dedicated to the fabulous Picasso. The dramatic mountains as backdrop of modern art work very well, and it must be even more beautiful in autumn, with the changing color of the leaves. I really l.o.v.e.d. this museum (think Kroller-Moller in Holland, or Louisiana in Copenhagen, but better) and do not understand why it is not more famous? It is a wonderful end of this great trip through Japan.

Japan (28) - Ginza

21 July 2010 - Ginza is the swankiest and most expensive shopping area in all Japan. When the country opened to foreign trade in the 1860s, following two centuries of self-imposed isolation, it was here that Western imports and adopted Western architecture were first displayed. Today, Ginza is a labyrinth of department stores, boutiques, exclusive restaurants, galleries and hotels. The funkiest shop of all is probably the only Abercrombie & Fitch shop in Asia, with countless floors of (sometimes half naked) multi-ethnic male models selling jeans, polos and t-shirts. Most of the big European high fashion brands are available in Ginza too - and it seems they are all trying to have the coolest and most spectacular building to promote the uniqueness of their brand. Unfortunately some building turn out rather ugly, but this pink building is kinda cool.

Japan (27) - Baseball Rules

20 July 2010 - I am staying close to the Tokyo Dome. One of the things that surprises me about Japan is that baseball is everywhere. The Japanese are crazy about the game, as if they invented it. Everywhere boys and young men are throwing a ball, and the railway tracks are lined with baseball field after baseball field. Actually, the game was only introduced to Japan in 1873, but now its probably sport number one (after Sumo wrestling of course, but that's a different category). Not more than four foreigners can make the team here, but there has been an exodus of top Japanese players to the American baseball league. People now watch the American games and I heard that the television ratings for Japanese games  have fallen. Baseball is perceived as the ultimate team sport, and as in other aspects of life,. it is the group, the team, that counts.

Japan (26) - Shinkansen

20 Japan 2010 - My travel through Japan is slowly coming to an end and today I will return to Tokyo. I will travel with the Shinkansen Bullet train - one of the miracles of Japan. With a front car that resembles a space rocket, the Shinkansen flies with a maximum speed of 300kmph through the countryside on its own special trackes. It is super-dooper efficient and comfortable, and the Shinkansen is always - I mean always - on time. I will make use of the Tokaido - Sanyo Shinkansen, which runs from Tokyo to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima and Fukuoka in the South. Trains run every 10 minutes or so, that it is almost like catching the local metro. Everything seems small in Japan for a big guy like me, but the best news is that there is plenty of leg room and that the seats can decline. Many passengers take a nap, as it is peaceful and quiet; mobile phones are not allowed (same on all trains in Japan). Can't we import this rule in Hong Kong?

Japan (25) - Nara

19 July 2010 - In the beginnings of Japanese history, the nation's capital was moved to a new site each time a new emperor came to the throne. In 710, however, the first permanent Japanese capital was set up at Nara. Less than a century onwards it moved to Kyoto, where it remained for more than 1,000 years. What's imported about those 74 years, is that they witnessed the birth of Japan's arts, crafts and literature, as Nara imported everything from religion to art and architecture from China. The premier attraction is the Todaji Temple and its Great Buddha. The Temple is in Nara Park, a beautiful place with grassy lawns, trees and ponds, and more than 1,000 deer, which are considered divine messengers and therefore allowed to roam freely. The deer are however not that divine anymore, because they are quite keen to snatch the "deer cookies" from your hand.

Japan (24) - Rock Garden

19 July 2010 - The Ryonji Temple in Kyoto has the most famous Japanese rock garden in the country. The garden was laid out at the end of the 15th century by the Zen monk Tokuho Zenketsu. The garden measures 25 meters from east to west and 10 meters from south to north. The rectangular Zen garden is completely different from the gorgeous gardens of the nobles constructed in the Middle Ages. No trees are to be seen: only fifteen rocks and white gravel are used in the garden. It is up to each visitor to find out to himself what this unique garden signifies. The walls are made of clay boiled in oil. As time went by, the peculiar design was made of itself by the oil that seeped out. The longer you gaze at it, the more varied your imagination becomes. The rock garden surrounded by low earthen walls may be thought of as the quintessence of Zen art.

Japan (23) - Hello Kitty

19 July 2010 - She is everywhere, and yet I have not written about her yet ... Hello Kitty. Without any doubt this is Japan's favorite character, and it seems almost every tourist shop sells Hello Kitty dolls, t-shirts, pencils, stickers and one zillion other gadgets. Kitty was developed by Yuko Shimuzo of the Japanese company Sanrio in 1975, The 'Hello Kitty' trademark now earns worldwide annually more than USD one billion, also through its two officially licensed theme-parks Harmonyland and Sanrio Puroland (both in Japan). The Dutch artist Dick Bruna (wie kent hem niet?) has claimed that 'Hello Kitty' is a copy of Miffy (Nijntje), but he never took Sanrio, Shimuzo or Kitty to court. There is also a darker side to Hello Kitty. I was told that in 1999 a brutal murder took place in Hong Kong, named the Hello Kitty Murder. The popular name of the murder derives from the fact that the murderer inserted his victims head into a Hello Kitty doll after decapitating her. You won't find it in Hollywood ...

Japan (22) - Zen

18 July 2010 - Founded in India in the 6th century B.C. Buddhism came to Japan in the 6th century A.D. via China and Korea. By the end of the 6th century Buddhism had gained such popularity that Buddhism was declared the state religion. Probably the Buddhist sect best known in the West is Zen Buddhism. Considered the most Japanese form of Buddhism, Zen is the practice of meditation and a strictly disciplined lifestyle to rid oneself of desire so that one can achieve enlightenment. There are no rites in Zen Buddhism, no dogmas, no theological conceptions of divinity; you do not analyze rationally, but are supposed to know things intuitively. The strict and simple lifestyle of Zen appealed greatly to Japan's samurai warrior class, and many Japan's arts, including the tea ceremony, arose from the practice of Zen.