Killer Cars: Of Bikes and Men

Well, since you got past the corny title that makes little sense (the name of a Radiohead B-side mixed with a play on a John Steinbeck book title), you deserve a piece of quality writing. That's why I'm suggesting you go now to some place where quality writing actually exists.
If you are still reading this blog, I'll treat you to what I like to call "road wars: battle between bikes and cars." Normal people in Kyoto call it "the daily commute."
Take a look at this video and try to tell me that my night commute home does not contain some risk of injury or death.

As you can see, the cars go pretty much right next to you since there aren't any sidewalks hanging around on these lonesome streets. All the sidewalks are for the big boys like Shijo Dori (street) or Marutamachi Dori. Bikes (as in bicycles) can travel on sidewalks, but you do so at great delay since Japanese people have a knack for walking right in front of you when you try to pass from behind them. Some say they have eyes on the back of their heads; I just say a lot of people can't or don't walk straight.

Regardless, you are left with the option of great delay (sidewalks) or possible death (streets).
As a professor in college once hammered into my head, always look for the third way. In this case, the third way are the side-streets. As mentioned above and shown in the video, they do not have sidewalks; however, they usually don't have as many cars on them as the video made it appear. That street I took that video on is full of taxi cabs picking up and dropping off clientele and maiko-san (geisha) from the different teahouses and upscale dining options that street has to offer.

The third way is convenient in that I can get pretty much anywhere in Kyoto in 20 minutes, much faster and cheaper than public transportation. The downside is that I almost pee my pants when a car honks at me 20 feet away when I'm already moving to the side of the road to let them pass (I constantly look over my shoulder to see what's coming). Those unruly drivers (probably the same people that pick their nose and spit in public....OK, enough stereotyping....although most, if not all, older men in Japan do so, and they are the drivers that honk at me) get welcomed with a little American hospitality....my long middle finger.

Merry Xmas

Merry Xmas from Kintama and the rest of Kyoto. OK, so it's a little early to celebrate Christmas, but that doesn't stop anyone in America or Japan from putting up Christmas decorations. This tree is located in Kyoto Station right near the Mister Donut (with the best donut in the world...the Pon d' Ring). It is already frequented by couples and non-couples who want to "enjoy" the holiday spirit. OK, so there is no holiday spirit in Japan.

What? Who is this bigot that took over the Kintama blog? Well, it's still the same guy, grumpy over the fact that he has two classes on Christmas day. Here's hoping a presentation doesn't get thrown on top of that. That salt would feel great on the wound....

Anyway, how do Japanese celebrate Christmas? They obviously put up decorations.

In Japan, Christmas is more of a dating holiday. Most common travel destinations are not family's homes, but rather Tokyo Disneyland, fancy restaurants, and the like. I would be expected to take my girlfriend to some date joint rather than bringing her home to my family...well, since it is a long commute home...going to see her family (cue scary music).

Instead of getting together on Christmas, people get together with their families around New Year's, a much bigger holiday in Japan (and one in which I don't have classes!). That day, they celebrate by eating osechi and various local variations of dishes. Older people also give younger kids money; and companies give their employees a nice bonus of roughly one month's salary.

It is also a time to get away from Japan and to go to some place warmer. In Japan, you only have 3 designated weeks for vacations. You also have some floating holidays, but it is frowned upon when you take them. It was hard for me to get away from work here in Japan when I had the flu. The doctor told me to take a week off, but I only took four days off; two of them were my "weekend" anyway.

The rush to get away creates airfare rates 3x their norms. I spent $1,500 to go to Thailand the year of the tsunami (Thank God I don't like beaches or I wouldn't be writing this blog today). I spent a third of that with 5 nights at a hotel included in October of 2006. (For those Thai history enthusiasts, you will remember that time as the end of the last coup.)

This time, Kintama will be doing something Japanese and saving up his little cash to visit his friends in Korea in February....Although Thailand is looking ripe for another coup.....

Japan Series: When is it time to let go?

Approaching the beginning of another college basketball season, in the midst of another pitiful season by the Cincinnati Bungles, who would think that professional baseball was still going on? The Japan Series (the World Series of Japan) just wrapped up yesterday with a thrilling Game 7 win by the Seibu Lions. They defeated the evil Yankees of Japan, the Yomiuri Giants, 3-2 in a thrilling come-from-behind series victory.

So what does that have to do with "letting go?" Well, I have a small insignificant tie to the last batter the Giants threw up against the Seibu pitcher with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth of a one run game. The batter, Alex Ramirez, was one of my favorite players for my favorite Japanese baseball team, the Yakult Swallows. He left after last season for the hated Giants after contract dispute last season.

However, my connection to Mr. Ramirez goes one step beyond the team connection.

In Summer 2006, I went to Yokohama to watch a baseball game with a couple of friends. The day started off rather poorly with my vomiting in the bathroom of the train on the way down to Tokyo; the ill after-effects of those evil nomikai. I remember the day vividly because it turned out to be the last day I would ever see the friend I went and met.

Now that I have set you all up for big disappointment, I will tell you the end of these stories.

It was a rainy day, but the rain was light enough to get in this afternoon game. Right when people were giving up on the game (my Swallows were pounding the home team) and going home, I walked up to the outfield wall and started yelling all the clean spanish I knew at the Venezuelan born Ramirez. He responded by throwing the practice ball toward me (not because he was mad, but because he was giving it to me). It slipped in the rain, but he ran back to the wall (shaking his head in disgust at my butterfingers) and threw it back up to me. It was the first and only ball I've ever caught at a baseball game.

Now that you know my connection and his bitter contract dispute ending with him leaving his team of 7 years for the evil Giants, the question is when is it time to let go? When should I give up my anger/disappointment with his bitter departure? Should I have been happy or sad when he hit that grounder straight to the shortstop ending his first chance for a professional championsip?

(For those who don't think that Japanese baseball is professional, the Japanese won the World Baseball Classic, so they can't be that bad. I try to keep out of the debate enjoying the differences in the American/Japanese games instead of analyzing which is best.)

If you are still wondering why that day was the last day I saw that friend, it is because he divorced from his wife, and I am a friend of his wife's family effectively ending our relationship.

I Saw A Japanese Flag

And that may not mean anything to you. Speaking more on a serious topic this time, I promise to bring a lighter topic next time, such as my unending battle with Japanese cars on small windy streets, or perhaps the changing leaves including pictures of them.

However, this time, allow me to discuss Japanese nationalism.

An article appeared in the BBC today as a comment on the current firing of a Japanese Air Force (officially, the Air Defense Force since a bona fide army is outlawed by the Constitution under Article 9) for his "revisionist" comments on Japanese history.

Revisionism is a brand of social conservatism that at its core thinks Japan is the best thing since sliced bread. If you think that is natural for patriots, it may unsettle you to think that they also believe that Japan was the victim in WWII. They believe that the Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking (spelling differs depending on which writing style you prefer in Chinese) in which upwards of 250,000 people were raped and killed over a 6 week period in 1937. It is reported that the Japanese embassy was right next door to an all girls school. The ambassadors inside pleaded with the Japanese government to put an end to the rape and slaughter while hearing the screams of Chinese students being raped and killed on a daily basis.

The General in charge of those forces retired after the incident calling it a national disgrace, shaved his head and chose to live out his days in a Buddhist Monastary. Those days were short as he was hung after the war while the true perpetrators of the crime, the battalion leaders etc., were allowed to live out their days.

When you consider incidents like these and the general neglect of acceptance by influential people in the Japanese government, it's easy to see why there are problems in Sino (Chinese)-Japanese relations. It's note even that these are the majority, but they are what one author called, a megaphone minority due to their high positions in the Japanese government. I'm willing to put Koizumi, Abe, Fukuda, and the newest PM Taro Aso in that group although Koizumi remains popular an people don't want to accept that aspect of him. These people are also the same leaders who want to change Article 9 to allow Japan to have an official army, one that would allow them to accrue military power equal to their economic power.

However, they are a minority. Most people in Japan follow the Pacifist crede, as the BBC article says, almost to naiveté. The displaying of flags is said to remind people of the days of the war and the nightmares it brought to people, not just in China, Korea, and SE Asia, but in Japan as well. Displaying of flags is largely limited to holidays, and since today is Culture day, they are being displayed in shopping areas and the like.

Japanese as a whole are pacificists, however, the megaphone minority acts as a reminder that the hawks are still around. The Chinese government uses these hawks to remind its people of the humiliation brought on to its people by the evil Japanese staking its legitimacy on a policy of hate.

In order for Sino-Japanese relations to warm in the future, this issue needs to be resolved. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as Japan issueing official apologies (as it has on numerous occasions). The Chinese government needs to introduce new ways to legitimize itself as the government of the people (possibly through democratic reforms at the local level so that the people don't feel like they are being ignored).

Japan also needs to come to terms with itself and act in a way that is more representative of its people (as it largely does). Competititon brought on by outside parties are working in that direction, but not necessarily in a constructive direction.

It's an exciting time to be in Asia.