As modern Japan has changed its face so much, I do miss the traditional family-run shops which were still abundant in Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu-shi in the early 90s.

Nevertheless, the real antique shop signs could only be had from antique shops. On Sundays, when I wasn’t working, we would browse the antique shops around Kokura-ku and pick up an interesting antique (骨董品) here and there.

Advertising children's medicine

This store sign measures about 50 cm (20″) in width, and is carved from wood. Today it is hanging in our living room.

Advertising tea (茶)

This one measures about 60 cm (24″) in height, made from wood, and decorates another living room wall.

What a difference to these modern store fronts in Shibuya – Omotesando!

Whether you pick up the instant noodle soup in an Asian market in Germany or enjoy the authentic one at a train station in Japan, I’d suppose its price would range from 1 to 10 euro.

But Shoichi Fujimaki, a Japanese restaurateur and chef, has taken the art of ramen to new heights. Literally, as his creation of noodle heaven will cost a hefty 110 euro. The instant ramen soup takes three minutes in boiling water, Fujimaki’s version takes three days to prepare.

Considering the life span of food items, these ingredients must be getting antique (hence the price) by the time one gets to eat this concoction of 120 different ingredients.

Too expensive for me, but yet…. いただきます

Makes me wonder what I could do with a simple Bratwurst. Barbecue it for three days, spike it with more viands, add a balloon, and give it a name, such as Hanswurst (tomfool). We should consider turning street food into gourmet food ourselves.

In 1950, six students built six sculptures in Odori Park in Sapporo, which marked the beginning of the annual Snow Festival. The festival, in its 61st year, chose the Frauenkirche in Dresden to be replicated in snow for this year’s festival.

In October 2009, a delegation of officials visited Dresden to study the church’s architecture. After having built a wooden replica, the task force got started on their chore of working in subzero temperatures and long nights. The snow festival runs from 05 Feb – 11 Feb 2010, and on 12 February it will get demolished after having been viewed by 2 million visitors.

Nothing unusual so far, but when Japan uses its military to work on civil projects, it strikes a different tone in Germany. 150 members, male and female, part of the communication unit, are rebuilding the Frauenkirche in snow, which has attracted the attention of the German media.

The Japanese military commander calls working in icy temperatures Abhärtungstraining (inurement practice).  In Japanese terms, this kind of work requiring endurance, is always greeted with がんばってね ! (Try hard!) and when we lived in Japan, we heard this on many occasions.

The German Tagesschau has a three minute video clip and photo gallery on its website about the Japanese soldiers rebuilding a 28-meter German church out of snow.

Germany’s surprise reaction is twofold; Germans have a hard time imagining using soldiers for civic art and subjecting its people to so-called inhumane working conditions.

The Japanese are very good in regards to thinking out-of-the box. Where else could you get married with three different religious ceremonies all performed in one day? Some Japanese women replace their long desired family addition with a puppy and parade it around in a stroller. Some grown women wear girly socks and braids, young women like to do cosplay, or last year’s trend of some men wearing bras for comfort. Others are shy and reserved in regular life, but a real talent on stage or a hit at the Karaoke bar.

The Japanese know how to reinvent themselves. In spite of spatial boundaries, the Japanese mind knows few limits when it comes to accepting new trends and modifying traditions in new ways.

Perception of good and bad working conditions differ greatly in both countries. This shows in the number of days and hours most Japanese are supposed to be at their workplace (work efficiency is be another story). Endurance is a valuable trait and needs to be taught early on.

When we lived in Japan, we had to get accustomed to seeing kindergartners walking around in shirts and shorts on cold winter mornings. The first time I saw this parade of half-naked little kids, the overcuddled German part of me was shocked at first. But I have come to see its benefits, especially since having returned to the land of the Strumpfhosenpolizei, which is at the opposite end of the cold endurance spectrum.

Yes, it is true. There is a new trend for Japanese men to wear bras. They are made from plastic, to be worn at work under the dress shirt, and meant for comfort.

I just learned about this unusual fad this morning as one of my students asked me whether this would be a hoax or a believable story. Based on my three years of living in Japan, I immediately found this amusing, in some ways sooo Japanese and not surprising anymore. Nevertheless, I needed to double-check it first and found more information about this on Shine.

The Japanese are in some ways very unconventional. They can hold a wedding in Shinto tradition, then in a Hindu ceremony and last the Christian way, including white wedding dress, all on one day.

They sell cold spaghetti with tomato sauce on a bread roll. At first it might not look tasty, but then – don’t some of us enjoy pasta with bread on the side? The Japanese are unrestricted when it comes to concocting plain items in new fashions.

Some men like to have their thirty-something wives wear Snoopy socks and braid their hair to satisfy their Roricon (derived from Lolita Complex), more on wiki here. At first I used to laugh about this seemingly childish way of dressing up in public. Then it dawned on me that some Japanese actually had fewer inhibitions compared to us Westerners. What some might reserve for the bedroom, some Japanese show in public.

So when Cosplay (derived from Costume Play) became popular as a way of dressing up, I figured it was just a continuation of the Roricon. Even then, some enjoyable fads do get old after a while and there is always a new generation of young Japanese minds. So now we have arrived at the stage where some men like to wear bras to work. I hope it makes them cut better deals without having to snap their bra strap. But then again, this won’t be the end of setting new fashion trends either.

So, my message is: Embrace life the Japanese way. This way your life may never get dull nor predictable.

Why take the straight tour in life? Just follow these signs.

Announcement:

FLEA MARKET at the

Deutsche Schule Tokyo Yokohama

Yokohama, Tsuzuki-ku,

Chigasaki-minami 2-4-1

on Sat 04 April 2009 from 11:00 – 16:00

(A 10-minute walk from Naka-machidai train station/blue Yokohama subway line)

Please note:

1) Parking is limited and therefore the use of public transportation is recommended (the police frequently checks for parking violators).
2) Bring a hearty appetite – cake, German style sausages and beer will also be for sale.
3) In case of rain, the flea market will be moved indoors.