Japanese People Are...

Fabulous!

One of our friends is living in a Japanese home and his "house parents" invited my sister and I over for dinner. We were told we were going to have "left-overs" but the kitchen table was overflowing with dishes filled with exotic and delicious looking Japanese food. At the end of the evening we took this photo:

As we were leaving, Okaasan gave us a memo pad “so we can record all of our notes” and some fruit and sweets.
I think we have new Japanese Grandma and Grandpa!

Last weekend some of the Japanese girls living in our dorms invited Leah and I to a flea market in Osaka. It was so much fun! Most people selling stuff were very congenial. They allowed us to practice our Japanese, gave us free stuff and wanted to get their photos with us!

In general, I have found Japanese people to be very friendly, hospitable and happy!

Neighborhood Hirakata

This week, I have been observing the town I live in, Hirakata City. This is a photo of a dog who was lounging in a courtyard off the main drag. The breed is a Shiba Inu, a hunting dog and native to Japan. Shiba has two meanings, brushwood and small while Inu is the Japanese word for dog. Shibas are very good guard dogs and are currently the most popular dog in the Land of the Rising Sun.


Speaking of guardians...
Today, I was exploring my "back yard" after school and I ran across a tranquil shrine that was nestled in a grove of trees. I noticed that the entrance to each temple is protected by two menacing figures known as Shishi. The Kyoto National Museum states that the animal with the open mouth is a lion while the one whose mouth is closed is a cross between a lion and a dog. The open mouth signifies birth and is instrumental in scaring away demons. On the other hand, the closed jaw represents death and is also said to shelter the benevolent spirits.

First Impressions of Japan

One thing I have noticed these first few weeks in Japan are that the trends here are much different than of those in the States. For example, this man is carrying a handbag that would normally (in America) resemble a woman's purse! Ah, Fashion Week in Tokyo; here is an interesting article about where you can read more about these so called "Center Guys".












I have also observed that cities are very carefully and thoughtfully planned, especially with the disabled in mind. Here we see yellow pathways that have been built for the blind and also a chirping traffic sign in the distance which lets one know when it is safe to cross the street. Apparently, they also have them in Bejing.