Category Archives: Culture Lessons

“You…you…you…. Oni!” The Setsubun Festival

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Emily Cannell

According to a high-ranking Japanese authority on cultural issues to whom I have close ties, hurling an insult might include calling someone an “Oni” in Japan- or demon. Spouse might claim that I’ve been inhabited by an Oni the past … Continue reading →

Rate this:

Posted in Culture Lessons, Moving to Japan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Asking “No” Questions- How Could it be so Hard? Culture Lesson #10

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Emily Cannell

It is easier to draw blood from a turnip or shake millions from the money tree than to gain a negative answer to a question from a Japanese person. When faced with unusual, off-putting and uncomfortable Ouiser questions, many of … Continue reading →

Rate this:

Posted in Culture Lessons, Moving to Japan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Ladies Start Your Engines- Culture Lesson #9

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Emily Cannell

13 million people live in Tokyo, roughly half are women. Every week day morning, millions of these women put on a suit, make up, high heels, wrap a scarf around the neck, walk outside, and tear off to work riding … Continue reading →

Rate this:

Posted in Culture Lessons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Happy New Year Japan Style- Culture Lesson #8

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Emily Cannell

Monks herald the New Year at Midnight in every shrine throughout Japan with the tolling of a bell 108 times. This Buddhist tradition symbolizes the 108 human sins and banishes each as the new year begins. So begins the biggest … Continue reading →

Rate this:

Posted in Culture Lessons, Moving to Japan | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Culture Lesson #7: Yet Another Culture Lesson Learned the Hard Way

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Emily Cannell

For the most part, Japan is a cash culture. One must be prepared to pay cash at all junctions where money exchanges take place. Finding an English-speaking ATM to give me cash was an all-encompassing quest and a source of … Continue reading →

Rate this:

Posted in Culture Lessons, Moving to Japan | Tagged , , , , , , | 162 Comments

Bad Pictures of the Meiji Shrine- One of the most Important in Japan- A Blurry Culture Lesson #6

Posted on October 10, 2010 by Emily Cannell

Someone throw in a new camera with those TIGI Foxy Curls… It’s hard to show off all that Japan has to offer when your camera can’t take action shots. Anyway, one of the most important shrines in  Japan is the … Continue reading →

Rate this:

Posted in Culture Lessons, Moving to Japan, Places | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Shintoism or Recycling- You Decide- Culture Lesson #5

Posted on October 5, 2010 by Emily Cannell

There is a saying in Japan, “You are born Shinto, married a Christian, and die a Buddhist.” Shinto is one of the religions practiced in Japan. The basic belief is that Kami- spiritual deities are present in everything. These benign … Continue reading →

Rate this:

Posted in Culture Lessons, Moving to Japan | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I’m Sorry for Spitting on Your Floor and Other Foot Related Faux Pas-Culture Lesson # 4

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Emily Cannell

In one of our many domestic moves we lived in the US Pacific Northwest. There are two unique characteristics of the Pacific Northwest relative to the rest of the US. One is the high percentage of Asians and second the … Continue reading →

Rate this:

Posted in Culture Lessons, Moving to Japan | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

I like BIG B- – -TS and I can not Lie- You other Sumos can’t deny…

Posted on September 25, 2010 by Emily Cannell

In keeping with my recent theme, I of course had to write about the family outing to see one of Japan’s most important cultural forms of entertainment-Sumo wrestling. Sumo is the national sport of Japan in spite of what you … Continue reading →

Rate this:

Posted in Culture Lessons, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Moving #4/Culture Lesson #3- School Choice and Face

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Emily Cannell

School choice is one of the most stressful decisions of the move. When we learned of our potential move and made plans to visit Japan for our “look see” I immediately Googled schools. My choices were limited to English speaking, … Continue reading →

Rate this:

Posted in Culture Lessons, Moving Lesson | Tagged , , | 8 Comments