Hello! from Japan

About Japan and my life

Blog: Life in Japan (and other things)

3 things all Japanese learners should know

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Japanese is a difficult language to learn. In fact, the Foreign Service Institute of the U.S Department of States categorizes Japanese as an exceptionally difficult language to learn for a native English speaker (along with Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Pashto). Why is it so difficult? One reason is that Japanese culture is a high context, meaning that it is a culture where everyone shares and understands common concepts so if you don’t know the way people see or the meaning behind words and phrases, you can easily lost during the conversation. Another reason is that there are 3 ways to write: Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana. Depending on the situation, people choose to use one of them to express their thoughts.

If you are thinking about starting learning Japanese, you might get scared to hear that it’s not easy to acquire the language. But if you know these 3 things below about Japanese, mastering it will get a lot easier!

1.Nouns (Subjects and Objects) often get omitted

As Japanese is a high context language, when speakers know what they are talking about, Nouns often get cut off during the conversation. For example, at a school when a teacher is collecting homework, he/she could just say “Did?(やった?)” instead of saying “Did you do your homework?” because it is obvious what the teacher is asking the student in the situation. When communicating in Japanese, you need to comprehend what people are talking about (what the Subject or Object is on talk) based on the circumstances you are in and expect that they get omitted.

2.The last part of a sentence is important

In English, Subject usually comes first and then Verb. If you are negative about something, you use “Not” when you use a Verb so it’s very direct and clear.
However in Japanese, you need to listen till the end of a sentence to know what the speaker is saying. For example, when you want to say “I won’t go to work tomorrow” in Japanese, you could say like “私は明日仕事に行きません (Watashi wa, ashita, shigoto ni, ikimasen: I, tomorrow, work, don’t go) “. If you say 行きます (Ikimasu: I will go) at the end (like, “私は明日仕事に行きます”), the meaning will be completely different so you need to pay attention to the last part of a sentence. In other words, it gets easier to understand if you focus on the tails of sentences.

3.People change the words they use depending on a situation/relationship

People care relationships a lot in Japan. Depending on the person you are talking to, you need to change the words you use. There are 3 ways: 尊敬語(Sonkei go:Respectful/Honorific language.),謙譲語(Kenjo go:Humble language), and 丁寧語(Teinei go: Simply polite language). We use 尊敬語 when talking to someone in higher position to show that the person is superior to you, 謙譲語 when making ourselves lower to be humble, and 丁寧語 when we want to be polite. For example, a word for “Eat”, 食べる (Taberu) becomes 召し上がる(Meshiagaru 尊敬語), 頂く(Itadaku 謙譲語), or 食べます(Tabemasu 丁寧語). So, what you should be careful when you talk in Japanese is the situation and relationship between you and the person.
Next time when you read a manga or watch a Japanese anime, you could check the different expressions characters use based on the situation/relationship. For the list of the word changes, check “敬語” (Kei go) listed here: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Japanese/Grammar/Honorifics

If you know these 3 things above, learning a Japanese will get a lot easier. If you would like to master it, it is the best to attend a language school to learn Japanese. But you could use an app/textbook to study vocabulary to take the first step. A good way to study is to learn words in context and in conversation (and also to think about the situation/relationship between the speakers). I also recommend that you write a diary in Japanese everyday. Maybe a few sentences about what happened the day or what you did. 

Learning a new language is very exciting at first but the main problem is burnout. Don’t push yourself too much or try to master it within a few months! It just takes time so study little by little, at your own pace.
I teach Japanese online and can check your work so if you are interested in taking a class, send me a message to [email protected]

See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.

Avoid using them! Japanese unlucky numbers

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There are superstitions in almost everywhere in the world and Japan is no exception. Many Japanese superstitions have been imported from different countries especially from China and they are meant to teach or advise people. Most of them are related to language or based on the animistic beliefs from Shinto. Let’s take a look at some of the most common unlucky numbers that you should avoid in Japan or when you communicate with Japanese people.

Unlucky numbers

Number 4

It is unlucky because the pronunciation of it is “Shi”, which is the same for the word for death (死). 4th floor or rooms with the number don’t exist in most hotels and hospitals to avoid bringing in bad luck to the area, and most companies avoid using consecutive number of 4 for their phone numbers. 42 and 49 are usually not used for cars and racing because they sound Shi-ni:To death (死に) and Shi-ku:To run over/To suffer death(轢く,死苦). In order to avoid the “Shi” pronunciation, the number is often read as “Yon”.

Number 6

A homophone of this number, “Mu” means Nothing/Empty. The number 6 is not popular for number plates for cars and railway platform. Number 6 is often read as “Roku” in order not to let the energy around disappear in emptiness.

Number 9

It is read as “Ku”, which means “Torture/Agony/Suffer in pain”. In order to avoid the “Ku” pronunciation, people often change the pronunciation of it to “Kyu”, which is the same sound as 休/救:Relief/Save.

It is the best not to use these numbers in Japan or when you are talking to a Japanese. In addition to 4,6,and 9 numbers, even numbers are considered bad for weddings because they can be divided in half. To wish the couple won’t be divorced and separated, odd numbers are preferred at the occasion. For the same kind of reason, people use odd numbers at a funeral to wish the relationship between the deceased and the rest of the family will not be cut.

Lucky numbers are 7, 8, and 10. 7 is pronounced “Shichi” ,and it is traditionally believed as a lucky number. 8 is read as “Hachi”, which sounds similar to the word Han-ei(繁栄):Prosperity. The sound for 10 is “Ju”, which is a homophone for the word Enough/Replete/Ample.

Thank you for reading today’s post. 
See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]

Uber and Uber eats : Are they popular in Japan?

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Uber in Japan

Currently, you can use Uber only in big city areas like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Nagoya. The service started in May 2018, and it is still kind of new. But it is not a convenient option for travelling around in Japan so most people use it for airport pickups and dropoffs only. People choose to use better ways to travel like trains, buses, and taxis because transportation services in Japan are excellent in keeping time and they are not too expensive. What’s more, there are strict regulations on ride-sharing in Japan so the Uber service is not gaining popularity.

However, from this month, Uber started a new service called Uber Taxi in Tokyo. Uber is partnering with local taxi operators in the central business district and areas of Shinagawa, Akihabara, and Asakusa. Users can find and pick up a taxi using Uber app, and they can share information like the arrival time and real time tracking with friends and family. 

The number of travellers is getting significantly lower after the coronavirus hit Japan, and taxi industry here has been struggling. Some started to deliver food and drinks ,and by working together with Uber, they are hoping to bring in new revenue. Uber is looking the goal of bringing the number of cities in Japan (where Uber Taxi service is available) to 12. More about Uber Taxi service in Japan, check the link here: https://www.uber.com/jp/ja/ride/ubertaxi

Uber eats in Japan

Now that using food delivery service is a common thing in Japan, Uber eats is becoming more and more popular. Uber eats service started running in Japan in 2016 and became big after many influencers like YouTubers started using the service. After the spread of coronavirus, more and more people began to stay indoors and work from home and Uber eats service is on the rise now. During Feb to March of this year, Uber eats saw 20 % increase in the number of restaurant contracts in Japan. In addition, many people lost jobs because of the pandemic and becoming a Uber eats delivery driver is one of the most popular options for a side business in Japan now. Depending on the performance, a delivery driver can get about 700 to 1,800 yen per hour and it is easy to start plus it will be a good exercise for him/her. More about Uber eats service in Japan, check the link here: https://www.ubereats.com/jp/category/tokyo/japanese

It always takes time for a new business to flourish in Japan because of strict regulations and laws, but a lot of people like trying new services and once it gets popular, the market just grows continuously.
I hope the current situation of pandemic will be over soon and until then, we need to change the way we work and live to survive.
Please stay safe and well!

Thank you for reading today’s post. 
See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]

eSports:Why is it underdeveloped in Japan?

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Nowadays, we hear a lot of news about bursting popularity of eSports over the last two decades. Japan makes and sells a lot of video games every year but surprisingly, eSports is not so popular compared to other countries. Why?

eSports: What’s been going on in the world and Japan

eSports is a kind of sport competition using video games. It is often held online between players individually or as teams. Now that the network technologies have been improved and services like Live streaming and 5G appeared, eSports is growing popularity internationally. In fact, 106 million people viewed the 2017 Worlds eSports competition and global revenue is growing to more than $1 billion over the past few years. The number of eSports players and fans are getting bigger and bigger each year. Many game developers provide funding for tournaments and everyone in the world can enjoy watching the games online from anywhere now, and even the International Olympic Committee is thinking about including eSports for future Olympic events: In 2017, Olympic committee concluded that eSports could be considered as a sporting activity which involves preparation and intense training that can be comparable to athletes in sports.

Nonetheless, eSports is still underdeveloped in Japan because of anti-gambling laws which prohibit paid professional gaming tournaments. For example, under a law called “Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations”, organizers of an event can not give a monetary prize over 100,000 yen (About $930) to a winner of a competition. Viewers can not bet for competitions and tournaments can not be held at a venue that has no permission for holding such events.

Japan is on the way to join the trend

Seeing the rapid growth of eSports all over the world, the Japanese government started to look it as a new way to boost its economy. In 2019, eSports revenue in Japan was over $56 million and the market is just getting bigger and bigger. The Ministry of Japan hopes to make $2.6 billion a year by 2025 and now legal experts together with game industry are trying to create guidelines to promote and organize eSports tournaments and events.
Some events to use eSports to help rehabilitate people with disabilities and also to promote their engagement with society were held several times and most people in Japan are positive about the growth of eSports. Tokyo alone have over 9 eSports cafes where customers can play games and brush up their skills to win for a tournaments with high spec PC and gadgets. 

Japan has been a leader in making video games and there are a lot of skilled video game players. I’m sure there will be a lot more professional players from here once the environment for eSports is set!

Thank you for reading today’s post.
See you next time,
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.
Multicolors
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]

No more free plastic bags: Japan started charging a fee

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Mandatory charging for plastic shopping bags

From July 1, all retail stores including convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan started to charge shoppers for plastic bags as a measure to save the environment. Under the guidelines set by the government, stores are now asked to charge customers at least 1 yen for each bag, hoping that more people will bring their own bags when going shopping.

Although the percentage of plastic that is recycled is 84% in Japan, about 9 million tons of plastic waste are produced and there have been domestic and international pressure to reduce the amount of it (precisely speaking, among 56% of so-called recycled plastics in Japan is not “Reuse” of the material but they are burned to create thermal energy… hmm is it really recycling?). Single-use plastic bag garbage takes about 200,000 tons a year in Japan so the percentage of plastic waste that can be reduced by this policy is not huge but taking the possible environmental damage into consideration, the government decided to work on plastic bags first.

The introduction of this system came from the global issue of marine plastic waste. Many areas in the world have seen birds and fish consume plastic waste by mistake and wasted plastic bags have been a cause of destroying the coastal landscape. In fact, plastic waste flowing into the world’s oceans is estimated to at least 8 million metric tons every year.

By charging all shoppers for plastic bags, the government is hoping to raise awareness about the global issue and planning to increase the number of shoppers who do not seek plastic bags to 60% by the end of 2020 (the proportion was 30% in March this year). 

Over 90 countries have bans or restrictions on single-use plastic items and people there are more aware of the damage that they could cause to the environment. In addition to the use of plastic bags, Japan’s excessive plastic wrapping for food and sweets is often pointed out by many environmentalists. We have a lot to work on about plastic materials.

How to say “I don’t need a bag” when shopping in Japan

If you are in Japan (or have chance to come in the future) and asked if you would like a plastic bag at a store/shop, you can say these phrases below to tell that you don’t need.

・大丈夫です（Daijobu desu)

大丈夫(Daijobu) is a casual way of saying “I’m OK (I don’t need it).”

・袋はいりません（Fukuro ha irimasen)

袋(Fukuro) means a bag. いりません(Irimasen) means “I don’t need it”. 

We all need to work more on saving the environment. I do hope this new policy will be a step to raise a concern about environmental issues nationwide.

See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.You can listen/download my music below.

Multicolors
Free Somebody
Skyhigh

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: [email protected]

Karoshi: Why do many Japanese die from working too much?

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People work really hard in Japan. When I was working as a teacher at a major language institute in Japan, I taught 8 lessons, had a meeting for an hour, checked homework for students between classes, and prepared for next day. That was my typical day and I kept that for a few years. When I was working for a marketing company, I worked from noon to 1:00 am almost everyday. I’m one of a guy who puts a lot of time for work but workstyle like this is pretty common in Japan. You need to work a lot to advance and as you get promoted, your responsibility gets heavier and you will have to work even more. I guess this sounds a little awkward for people in western countries where workers in higher positions can have more time and power to ask subordinates to work for you. And it’s sad to say but many people die from working too much. Here’s all about Karoshi and what’s been happening in Japan.

What is Karoshi?

Karoshi (過労死) can be translated as “Overwork death” in Japanese. The major medical causes of it are heart attack and stroke due to stress and a starvation diet. The first case of it was reported in 1969 with the stroke-related death of a man (29 years old worker in the shipping department of a major newspaper company). There had been many cases like this until late 1980s and the Japan Ministry of Labour finally began to publish statistics on Karoshi in 1987. Next year the Labor Force Survey reported that about quarter of male employees worked over 60 hours per week (typical time for work is 40 hours a week). Since then, Japan has been trying to reduce the work hours but 3,970,000 people (6.7% of the population) are still overworking as of 2019 BuzzFeed News .

What is causing it?

Japan’s rise from WW2 and the huge war reparations we paid in the post-war decades are regarded as the trigger for Karoshi. We had no choice but to work really hard to get to the point where we could surpass companies overseas to evolve. As a result, it got more and more competitive within a company as well. Advancement is earned through back-breaking effort so people seldom leave their jobs until late to get the best result and show loyalty to the company.

Is the situation getting better?

Being competitive and productive is important, but now that Japan takes the 3rd largest economy in the world, we have been trying to curb cases of Karoshi through policies. In 2016, the federal government announced its Premium Friday plan with that workers would get the chance to leave at 3pm on the last Friday of each month. And nowadays more young people claim to leave their office without working overtime based on their contracts, so the work environment in Japan is getting better each year. Also, after the spread of coronavirus, more and more people started using hours efficiently working remotely. I hope this will be a way to stop this intense work culture. After all, we only live once and enjoying it is much more important than suffering from it, isn’t it?

What is important to you in life? Send me a comment to [email protected]

See you next time!
Taka

*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.
Multicolors
Free Somebody
Skyhigh