たばこを吸う人は

Hello,

Jon Evans here bringing you Japan news. Today's story, smoking. For lack of a better term, Japan is a smoking country. I have never seen so many people smoking cigarettes in my life - but its okay - they are Japanese, so they will still live forever. Actually, this is no joke.

Check this out

Anyway, if you walk around Osaka, you see cigarette vending machines on every corner (and its only about $3 a pack). Everywhere you look people are smoking. Many restaurants actually have more smoking seats than non-smoking seats. But this is not a bad thing by any means. Here is why...

The Japanese must be immune to lung cancer, because they live forever in spite of the fact that many people smoke from age 15. The Japanese also have plenty of receptacles for cigarette butts and a great cleaning work force, so you rarely see cigarette butts in the streets.

In Japan, you can pretty much smoke anywhere. Restaurants, hotel rooms, train station, etc. You can't smoke on the trains of course, but pretty much anywhere else. I've grown accustomed to the tobacco smoke, but the smell it leaves on my clothes after karaoke does get a little annoying.

What I'm trying to say is that Japan smokes a lot, but they will still outlive any other nationality .
Japan just knows how to do everything better I suppose.

ヤ。ク。ザ

Something got me thinking about ヤクザ(Yakuza) the other day, and I recalled a fantastic experience I had only a few weeks ago. Some of my acquaintances seem to have a very interesting opinion about the Yakuza. If their opinion is based on actual experiences, then okay, that is understandable. But if their opinion is based on stereotypes and other stuff they've heard, well I have some news for them. I have had the opportunity - No - the privilege of meeting some Yakuza members. And let me just say, they are some pretty chill guys.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but the Yakuza I have met seem pretty cool. Two friends and I were able to just hang out in a bar with them and shoot the breeze. But when my friend asked one what he does for a living, he simply replied "domesutiku baiorensu." - Awesome

The Yakuza presence in Japan is powerful, yet not so out in the open. You usually don't see the Yakuza members themselves, but their Host clubs, five hundred thousand dollars cars, and illegal pornography are seen every day (in Osaka anyways). I am actually learning (in my Justice class) how the various Yakuza groups and leaders are actually registered with the police. Go figure.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think the Yakuza get a bad reputation just because they deal drugs, pornography, pay off the police, and occasionally engage in domestic violence....its just business. But did you also know that the Yakuza reacted faster than the government did in helping citizens after the recent Kobe earthquake. They are first class citizens in my book.

Peace

日本 Kids

If anyone has been to a Japanese train station after 10pm, then they have probably seen a hundred kids (a little exaggerated - its only about 30) hanging around the station doing what kids do...no, not drugs, or drinking, or causing trouble. The kids I see every night are doing far more constructive things. Things like dancing, singing, playing guitar, etc. And with the exception of the singers, the kids are usually pretty talented.

This just seemed weird me when I first came to Japan. Usually (and I mean in America) if kids are hanging around at night around a mall after the stores are closed, they probably aren't up to anything positive. Even if they are up to something positive, someone will probably just come around and rob them anyways...okay, thats a bit cynical, but not entirely inaccurate.

And from what I've seen, many of these Japanese kids practice every single day. I have seen the same kid practicing BMX every day I have been at the Hirakata station since I have been in Japan. And wow, this kid is good (I'm talking riding on just one wheel without using hands good).

Its just really refreshing to see so many kids doing so many constructive activities. Its also nice because Japan never sleeps. When all the stores and restaurants close, there is still fun to be had.

Just a note: the break dancing kids are always happy to teach gaijin some dance moves.

着物...wow

Hey hey hey,

I'm going to shoot you straight, this is not exactly a cultural post. But the recent college graduations have made me realize something..着物(kimono) and はかま(hakama) are probably the classiest and sexiest things that anyone can wear. No joke.

Probably one of my favorite things about Kyoto is that more women wear Kimono there. Occasionally you see women wearing them out, but Kyoto never fails me. You don't need an excuse to wear them ladies!!

There is just something about it, I don't really know what it is. Just check the pictures out and tell me what you think. Its as if anyone can wear kimono and immediately become gorgeous.

Seriously though, the nature of the kimono is traditional, formal, and sophisticated. It is worn at weddings, graduations, and other very special occasions. Plus, the tight obi and wood shoes make the women look so dainty and helpless...its adorable.

I think what I'm trying to say is that I strongly suggest buying 着物 and はかま. If not for yourself, than for somebody!! Spread the word!

Typical Tuesday

日本のおいしいレストラン

While I was having one of the greatest meals I've ever had, I began to think a lot about food. Japan has some truly amazing (and healthy) food. I could spend the next 20 posts talking about food, so instead I'm going to talk about restaurants in Japan.

One of the first things you will probably notice if you are in ANY city in Japan, is the 17,000 restaurants within a 2km area. Food is everywhere! This is probably why I haven't cooked a single thing in the past 2 months.

But anyways, Japan has quite a different approach to restaurants than America. America has far fewer restaurants, and the food is essentially all the same (and kinda gross). i.e. - the standard chicken tenders, hamburger, french fries, etc. are served in almost all restaurants. Many places in America also try to specialize in too many things, and the food quality suffers.

Japan, however, puts the variety in the restaurants, not in the food at the restaurants. For example, today I walked around for about 20 minutes deciding on a place to eat, but once I did, I sat down and had a choice of about 5 things. Moral of the story, the food was incredible.

In Osaka alone, you could visit 3 new restaurants a day and never get to all of them in a year. Just to give you an idea.

Peace Kids,

Korea vs Japan......Japan wins

Okay, I couldn't wait, I had to post something. I was in Korea for 6 days, and I saw more homeless (and crazy) people in those 6 days than I have ever seen in Japan. This even includes the time spent in Tokyo subway stations - places known for having homeless people.

Anyways, Japan cuts down on unemployment by having many (what used to seem like unimportant) jobs. Jobs like many crossing guards, street cleaners, trash men, etc. When I first arrived in Japan, there seemed to be a surplus of people with these kinds of jobs. But they must be doing something right. This country has about 127 million people living on an island roughly the size of Montana - and the unemployment is めっちゃ low.

Not only is employment low, there is the added bonus of super clean streets ( you can basically eat off of any surface in Japan), clean train stations, and safer intersections. Just to give you an idea, I encounter about 5-6 people scrubbing the ground and sweeping the streets of Japan every single day. Hows that for cleanliness???

I don't think I'm fully conveying to you how well Japan does this. Sure there are about 5 people directing traffic when their only needs to be one, but considering how narrow Japanese streets are and how populated this country is - Japan runs exceptionally smooth, and did I mention clean??



Top is Japan, Bottom is Korea

I'm still here!

Hey kids,

I have been absent for a while, but I have a good excuse. I went to Korea for the past 6 days. It was an extremely worthwhile, interesting, drunken, and educating experience. It helped me to learn about Japan as well.

I was only in Korea for 6 days, but I decided to post some of my experiences in another blog. There is a link to that under Bro's Blogs.

Anyways, Korea helped me to realize how well Japan works. It also taught me that Japan did not invent things like service, cleanliness, food, and public transportation....Japan just perfected it.

Stay tuned

セクシースーツ

Hey hey,
I (and an older friend of mine...sorry Zach) bought suits this past Monday, and I feel its necessary to share the experience. And don't worry, the next post will likely be about Hostess Clubs or Soap Land or other debaucheries.

First of all, a good buddy of mine bought a suit from this very same location about a month ago. So when we walked in, we were greeted and helped by the same employee that helped us last time. For the next 3 hours he would run (in the literal and figurative sense) to get anything we needed and to measure 2 gaijin for custom suits.

Picking out the suit was great, and every detail was decided individually. From the length of the jacket, to the lining of the jacket and pants, right down to the color of thread. But this isn't what amazed me. Having a charismatic salesman attend to your needs for 3 hours while other employees serve you tea was what amazed me. And again, this is Japan, where they don't believe in tips or commission- and we still received the best service ever.

Long story short, I bought a sexy custom suit, and we are taking our new Japanese friend out drinking after we pick the suits up.


P.S. I don't know if you've heard, but brown shoes go with anything.

Japanese Women, the Greatest Investment Since Microsoft

I know you were all worried because I have been posting about normal things lately, but I'm here to tell you that I'm still the same Jon. At the risk of letting this 'secret' out, I feel I should say something about Japanese women. In my professional opinion, they are the greatest women ever to grace the earth. And here is why...

As mentioned earlier, Japanese women (not to generalize, but I have found this to be true in most cases) care about how they look. They take the time to look good, and it definitely shows. This is true from 12 - 50 years.

This brings me to my point on 'investments' - The women I have seen in this country look absolutely amazing, well into their 40's / early 50's. Just so we're clear, I would drop whatever I'm doing and marry about half the 40 year old women in Japan. Yeah..that good.

And don't even get me started on pregnant women. These women, god bless 'em, keep a great figure throughout the pregnancy. To the point where you wouldn't even know they were pregnant unless you asked. And once the baby is born - BAM, 2 weeks later they are more beautiful than ever.

So I think you can catch my drift. A gorgeous Japanese wife when you're 20 can also mean a gorgeous wife when you're 50. Sweet deal, huh?

It has to be the lifestyle/diet. Living a healthy lifestyle would most certainly contribute to the increased 'hotness lifetime'. Great diet, exercise every day, are you all taking notes??? Japanese women do not hit their peak until late 20's. And even when they are in their late 20's, they look like they are in their late teens. I honestly can't judge age here at all. I'm afraid I can't fully express the severity of beauty in words, I just have to ask you to trust me.

So far, I think the score is Japan 46, America .5
You see the picture?? That is what I see 20+ times a day living in Kansai...

um...no offense to you non-Japanese women

Parks, Temples, and Hotels, oh my!

Whats up Crackers/interested readers? Two days ago I went to Tennoji (天王寺) and it occurred to me that the scenery in Japan is quite interesting. And by interesting, I mean a little weird.

Japan has some of the most beautiful parks, temples, and scenery I have ever seen. However, the scenery is not really hidden, but placed amidst busy, bustling, cities. Tennoji park is right inside osaka, buildings and convenience stores are about 10 steps away. The most gorgeous area in the park actually has a love hotel in plain sight. Interesting...

Maybe I should let some pictures do the talking.


See what I mean?? Japan just doesn't have a lot of space - but they do have some fantastic public parks. Seriously, Japan has many amazing, clean, beautiful public parks. Just don't expect any buffer zone between city and park - Japan just doesn't have the room

I will talk more about this later... Chotto matte kids

Where am I ????

I don't know if you guessed from all my pictures, but I seem to be having entirely too much fun here. Japan just lends itself to SOOO much fun, its way to easy to get caught up in it. This isn't just because I'm a college student in a foreign country, Japan is doing this to me. Here is a list of reasons why Japan is making me forget about school and any other responsibilities I should have.


-Nomihoudai-All you can drink...what is that??
-Karaoke as cheap as 800yen for 8 hours
-Ability to easily travel to two amazing cities (Kyoto and Osaka) for about 300yen
-Drinking/being intoxicated in public is accepted (mostly) and legal.
-No designated driver necessary

-You encounter the most beautiful woman you've ever seen 5 times a day
-It is cheap to go out and eat, and eat well (as long as the food is Japanese)
-Beer vending machines...come on
-etc.

As you can see, Japan seems to be a country of entertainment. There is a lot of group oriented fun here. But this is just half of it - the other side is that Japan (and the Japanese) work entirely too hard. They have the most obscene work ethic I've ever encountered. Entertainment is just a means to sanity. But for us foreigners who lack the extreme dedication to work and work hard...this place is paradise

Just my $.02 - which is worthless right now due to the horrible conversion rate.

This is Japan!

Hey people!

I have something to share that may not make sense, but bare with me. I. Hate. Foreigners. Yeah, I went there. For some reason, the sight of other white people in Japan just upsets me. I honestly know how some Japanese people feel now - angry at the stupid whiteys that come to Japan and disturb the balance. Is that not the most hypocritical thing you've ever heard???

However, my friends and I can agree on this subject. Foreigners, in our eyes, are more or less scum until proven otherwise. I don't really know why this is. For all we know, other foreigners could be here for the same reasons, to learn about Japan and to learn about life outside what you already know. These are not the foreigners we see though. The ones we see are big, clumsy foreigners who don't speak any Japanese and walk the streets yelling and taking pictures. If you've lived in Japan you've probably seen them.

I guess the thought of people viewing Japan as just a tourist attraction or a novelty is kind of insulting. Japan has become my home over the past 5 months, and I don't think visitors really fully appreciate it. Japan is not just temples, shrines, and lights - its a complex and efficient country with a ton of history. I don't want to sound like I'm venting, I just want to share a little about how gaijin see other gaijin. And I'm pretty sure Keihan Wanderer under Bros Blogs will be writing on this subject as well.

So if you are foreign in Japan and I pass you on the street and don't say hello, try not to be offended. I just hate you because you're foreign. Just jokes....maybe

サービス

I'd like to discuss something new to me, I came to Japan and learned a new concept called 'service'. Have you heard of it?

Japan is all about service. The moment you walk into a store, you are greeted and attention is on you. This includes fast food restaurants, clothing stores, convenience stores, etc. In my experience, if you need help with anything, there is someone available to assist you. And usually they assist you before you ask!

Recently, I went into a department store to buy a suit. The moment my foot hit the floor, someone (a gorgeous someone) was there to ask me what kind of suit I was interested in, what I needed it for, and so on. She immediately ran (quite literally) to find appropriate sizes, colors, anything I asked for. She even went so far as to put on my belt when I was trying the suit on...I'll admit, that was a little awkward. Upon leaving the store, that gorgeous person followed me outside and continued to bow as I walked away. Thats just a taste of the service in Japan.

More service: Most people in Japan don't have cars, so when you buy something at Yodobashi camera for example (like Best Buy but 7x the size, selection, and service) you can opt to have it shipped to your house-Free of charge I'm told. That might not be so much service as convenience, but its pretty awesome.

Even little things surprise me. For instance, when you buy ice cream or cake (which there is a WHOLE LOT OF in Japan) it is typically packed quite carefully with dry ice in a cardboard box. That way the fancy cake design stays intact and the sweets stay cold. Typically free of charge by the way.

I will be heading to Osaka soon to buy a custom suit, so I'm sure I'll have heaps to report on service.

Sweet Ride

Jon Evans here, reporting on the awesome transportation system in Japan. Shall we begin??

Well, for starters, the second best investment I have made in Japan (#1 being my Phone) is my bicycle. You can get anywhere of importance by bicycle. A close train station, grocery store, a million restaurants, karaoke, and convenience store are all within a 15 minute bike ride. My bike came with a lock on it, basket, and its a comfortable ride- and I got it for about 5000yen. (In hindsight I should have bought one with a back seat, the ladies love it)

Anyway, bikes aside, buses are extremely convenient. Buses run many many places and its usually around 220yen per ride, not too shabby. There are buses running to and from neighborhoods, stations, airports, malls, you name it. And the best part is, they are typically not late by more than 10 or 15 seconds. Yeah, seconds. The cherry on top is the bus driver telling us stupid foreigners when we are at our destination when we don't pay attention. Isn't that nice???

Trains. What can I say except they are quick, punctual (more so than the buses), and cheap. The system is pretty easy and you can essentially get to any major (and minor for that matter) city by train. Nobody needs a car here. Why bother with driving when you can sit back and relax while you travel for WAY cheaper than driving? I have not been on the Shinkansen yet, but I will be sure to share that story asap.

My only complaint is that the trains stop running around 12:30am. This makes night life a little troublesome but clubs and bars are typically open until 5am;when the trains start up again- So no worries. Kudos Japan!

Japan Nights - and some days

2 hours of awesome

Well, its been a month since my last haircut, and I gotta tell you, I think I'm going through withdrawal. In all seriousness, getting a haircut in Japan is like a day at the Spa in America. But for only 30 dollars or so. Interested???? Read on! And by all means check out SLL Promise Land under Bro's Blogs for another fantastic haircut experience.

Let me just take you step by step though the typical haircut en devour. First, you walk in to be greeted by friendly, and gorgeous, faces who immediately take your bags and coat. If this is not your first time, they will immediately tell you if your stylist is in that day (not because they ask for your name, but because they remember you from your first visit -Awesome). Typically, they will ask you exactly what you want before you even sit in a chair-and what you want is written down. Next, you go to get your hair washed. But not just washed; washed, conditioned, treated, and then followed up with a head massage....yes, massage.

Then, to the chair, where you are given a shoulder massage until your stylist is ready...yep, another massage. When your stylist arrives, the real fun begins. This is probably 45 minutes after you've walked in the door. Be forewarned, haircuts are a 2+hour adventure.

Anyways, after you've picked your jaw off the floor, your stylist will cut your hair and make excellent conversation. And again, the language barrier has not been a problem. Now that I think about it, the stylists aren't so much stylists as they are hostesses who cut hair. They are probably TOO good at talking/taking care of you.

Haircut finished - its time to style. With the blow drying, hair wax, hair spray, and more talking, stying probably takes as long as the haircut. It is most certainly worth it. And did I mention that this costs only 3500yen? And there is also no tipping in Japan (except on very specific occasions), so 3500yen is it.

The worst part is having to say goodbye to your future wife/stylist. Yeah, I said it.

This type of service is not just found in salons, but in almost all Japanese businesses-department stores, restaurants, you name it. That plane ticket to Japan is sounding pretty reasonable now, isn't it??

外国人: The love-hate relationship

I think Mr. Baseball most appropriately described being a foreigner (Gaijin) in Japan. "It's like being a black guy back at home. Only there are less of us." To a large extent this is true. Foreigners are foreigners, it doesn't really matter too much which country you came from. Being in Japan opened my eyes to many new experiences. Before Japan, I had no idea what it was like to be unfamiliar with a country's customs and I had never experienced racism.

Bad racism does not happen too often, but when it does it is eye opening. You can go a month without seeing/experiencing it, but then one day you are sitting on the train and someone starts bad mouthing foreigners/Americans right in front of you. This happens in every country, Japan is just my first place to experience it. And typically it is the old generation that is 'distributing' the racism. The younger generation in Japan seems to be quite accepting and very much open to talking to foreigners. I have found it extremely easy to make friends in Japan, even outside of the University setting. The younger generation is more open and not as likely to move away from you on the train...

In contrast to the racism, many (and I do mean MANY) Japanese people are more than happy to assist a foreigner who looks lost. In many instances, Japanese people have gone 5+ minutes out of their way to help me. One man in particular, in my first month here, walked with me and my friends to a shrine 10 minutes out of his way. The level of kindness I have experienced here is unbelievable. I've seen more kindness from strangers here in 5 months than my whole life in America. I think its a fair trade for the racism - seeing as the racism is pretty minor. Not being allowed into bars/clubs because you're foreign is a little annoying though.

Oh, as for the picture, some buddies and I went bowling last Friday and managed to make friends with 7 Japanese kids. Language barriers are not even a problem. I love this country.

Chikan ha hanzai desu!

Greetings Again,

To get back on track with this blog, let me briefly discuss pornography and sexual advertisements.

Simply put, in Japan, porn is EVERYWHERE. You can find it in convenience stores (which in Japan are every 30 meters), and every Tsutaya (popular video rental store). Not to mention every city has a porn shop and various sex businesses (i.e. 電車でゴーゴー in Hirakatashi). The quantity can be overwhelming. And the shear variety borders on nauseating...correction, is nauseating. I won’t go into too many details, but there are definitely 6 floor porn shops throughout Tokyo and Osaka.

There are definitely some inconsistencies here though. Everywhere and anywhere, pornographic images are placed in front of you. However, the porn itself is required to be censored in Japan, and hardly anyone is comfortable with openly talking about sex. The enormous amount of sexual content accompanied with the Japanese ‘keep it to yourself’ attitude is a sexual incident waiting to happen. Things like groping on trains are all too common (many of my female friends have been groped on more than one occasion). There are even all women train cars to help prevent this kind of thing. The all too famous Densha de Go Go provides an opportunity to pay to grope women on a fake train (so I hear). Japan must be an extremely sexually frustrated country. I guess in a country full of perfect 10 super-models it’s to be expected.

But seriously, groping women on a crowded train should not be commonplace. What’s the deal?

One Word....for now

Hey everyone,

Time for some more words of wisdom. I know I have been posting quite a bit recently, but I NEED to write this stuff down before I get too used to it. There is so much greatness going on here, I couldn’t possibly describe it all in 100 years. Hopefully I can at least provide a description to every item on the “Running list of things Japan does better.”

Let’s see...I could easily write about the Japanese construction workers and their EXTREME efficiency (Like repaving entire roads in about 12 hours), but that just wouldn’t fit the theme of this blog. Okay, here is the deal, I will post about normal stuff this time, but next time I will cover more pressing matters, like the porn/sex availability/advertising in Japan.

Let’s just discuss convenience shall we. Here is a small list of super convenient things that America needs to adopt:

Buttons at restaurants to call the waiter, hooks next to urinals to hang your bags, receptacles for cigarettes outside almost every building, beer in vending machines, upon buying jeans they will tailor them for you free of charge, you can pay for things and receive important info with your cell phone, you can essentially get anywhere without a car, etc.

These are such simple things (okay, maybe public transportation isn’t simple) that just make enormous sense. If Japan finds something to be convenient, they implement it. Life here just makes sense. I got a little sick in America when I went back there in between semesters. Japan has found a way to make half the population of the U.S. able to live in harmony and convenience in a country the size of California.

If you take one word from this post, it’s ‘Convenience’.

Now that I’ve bored you, be ready for some questionable content next time.