Politics in Japan

“Mottainai” Have you ever heard this word? This is a Japanese word which means waste, (specifically, it is the word that shows people's lamenting feeling when they can't use the most of worth of something) and this word is becoming worldwide now. One Kenyan person whose name is Wangari Maathai actively work by spreading this word to the world. Just putting some rubbish into the dust box is “Mottainai”! Japanese government, specifically, Ministry of the Environment works hard about our environment. I’d like to focus on recycling in Japan today.

In Japan, we have to separate rubbish according to the type of rubbish. For example, we separate rubbish into combustible, not combustible, bulky refuse, and can and bottle. The rule of throwing away something depends on the region, and some area has a strict rule such as Kyoto prefecture.

Recycling Box
The rubbish are divided into can, carton packs, plastic bottles, and other plastic materials.

Recycling becomes popular today. Most supermarkets have recycling boxes like this picture. My family often brings cartons of milk and plastic bottles when we go to supermarkets and also give newspapers to our local community. When we bring cartons of milk, we often cut and open the carton.

We also separate plastic bottles into cap and bottle when we put them into the recycling box. After we put plastic bottles into the recycling box, autonomy collect them, and they reborn into fabric, sheet such as files, new bottles and pens. According to the statistics done by the council for PET bottle recycling, the rate of collecting plastic bottles is 69% in 2007. If we recycle plastic bottles or cans, we can save the energy to burn them and prevent to emit CO2. If we save 1.5 litters plastic bottle, you can prevent to emit 87 gram of CO2!
Cartons of milk will also reborn into toilet papers, tissues and uchiwa( a Japanese fan). If we recycle 6 piece of cartons of milk, we can make 1 toilet paper from them. Today, about 65600 tons of carton of milk are collected in a year.

If we recycle these rubbish and reuse them, we can save a lot of energy and resources. Today, we live in the mass production and mass consumption society, so I think our tiny effort to the environment in daily life is very important.


Mottainai
http://www.mottainai.info/english/

The council for recycling PET bottle
http://www.petbottle-rec.gr.jp/english/index.html


(This site incldes statistics I mentioned on this post)

Japanese manner

For this week’s blog, I would like to write about Japanese manner. There are lots of manners in Japan from daily life to business manner, but I hope this post will be efficient for you.
First, I would like to tell you about manners for eating. One of the manners while we are having meal is the way of using chopsticks. One example of taboo of using chopsticks is called “Sashi-bashi” (Stabbing).

This is regarded as a rude because it’s not only inappropriate but also rude to a cook because it seems that you check whether it’s boiled properly or not. Moreover, you spoil the arrangement of the food.

Another example is called “Watashi-bashi” (Laying down).
Please don’t lay your chopsticks across the top of a bowl. This is also taboo because laying down chopsticks across the bowl means the sign that you finish eating the dish, and it will be interpreted that you don’t like the dish and don’t want to eat it any more.

There is a manner when we use disposable chopsticks. When you use disposable chopsticks, please do not pull them left and right above the table like this picture because it will be regarded as childish.

The proper way is pull them up and down slowly like this picture.

In addition, when you finish having meal and don’t use chopsticks any more, you should put them back into the wrapper, and fold down the tip of the wrapper because it is a sign that the chopsticks have been used. If the wrapper is already folded down, you can just put the chopsticks into the wrapper.

In western countries, it is not good to pick dishes up, but in Japan, it is OK to hold dishes with the hand which is not hold chopsticks. For example, we hold bowls while we are eating rice or soup. If you don’t pick the bowl up, it will be regarded as a bad manner. We also pick up small dishes and “Donburi” (rice dishes with various toppings). When we eat sashimi (raw fish), we usually eat it with soy sauce and wasabi. Most Japanese people put wasabi in the soy sauce, but it is also bad manner because it will destroy the nice fragrance of wasabi. The proper way is that taking wasabi on the raw fish, and then, dip it into the soy sauce and eat it. It is also good to hold soy sauce dish with a hand.

Next, I’d like to introduce the manner when we visit someone’s house. There are some rules what to wear. For example, it is not good to visit someone’s house with bear feet, so you should wear socks or stockings even in summer.
In Japan, we have to take our shoes off when we enter a house. When you enter someone’s home, it is the manner to straighten your shoes by yourself. Some Japanese people tend to enter the house with back to the host because they try to straight their shoes, but it is impolite. We should step out of the entrance at first, and then, turn around, stood down and straighten your shoes.
If you are invited in a Japanese style room (Tatami room), you should take off slipper before you enter the room. It is good manner to avoid stepping on the cloth edges the tatami because the edge will become loose. If you are served “Zabuton” which is a Japanese cushion, it is rude to step on the cushion because it means you step the host’s hospitality. Moreover, it is also rude to change the position of the cushion because it means you refuse or don’t like your host’s hospitality.

Lastly, I will introduce the manner when we take elevator. When we take an elevator, we should not only push the button for open but also put one of hands on the door until everyone finishes getting on the elevator not to close and attack someone. We had better do so when we getting off an elevator too.

I think you will think that there are so many manners in Japan, and they are troublesome but I hope you will find them useful in the life in Japan. If you have an opportunity to use these manners, please try it!
This book about Japanese manners and has lots of useful manners. If you are interested in the Japanese manners, you can borrow the book in the library at Kansai Gaidai.

Japanese religion

Japanese religion system is different from other countries as we learned in class. In Japan, we can worship both Buddhism and Shinto at the same time. Most people go to Shrine 1 month after their babies are born to pray their babies will grow up wholesomely. However, most people go to temple when their relatives die. Actually, my family has both Buddhist home alter and Shinto home alter in my house. I live with my paternal grandmother, and we have a Buddhist home alter for grandmother’s ancestors and her husband. We watched a film about Shinto in class, so I’d like to introduce how is the habits of people who worship Buddhism.

Buddhist home alter

My grandmother worships “Jodo Sinshu” (True Pure Land Buddhism) which is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. The patriarch of True Pure Land Buddhism is called “Shinran”. He inherited the wisdom of his master, “Hounen” (法然) in Kamakura period (later 12c~ 14c), and disciples of Shinran found a religious community.

The main temple of True Pure Land Buddhism is “Hongan-ji”(本願寺) which is in Kyoto. (This site also introduces about True Pure Land Buddhism, so if you are interested in it, please check it out.)

This picture shows one of the rooms in this temple. It is named "Gan no ma"(The room of Goose), and it is Japanese national treasure. You can see flying geese on the slinding door.

So, what people who worship Buddhism do in daily life?
My grandmother always preys in front of the home alter twice a day. She preys before she has a breakfast and dinner. I think it means people respect deceased so they should precede deceased. When she opens the home alter in every morning, she puts 4 cups and flower. One of 4 cups is big and others are small. In the big cup and one of small cup, we pour Japanese tea, and in other small cups, we pour water. After she put those things, she burns a candle and incense stick. Then, she preys to deceased. She does the same thing before she eats dinner every day. Moreover, every time we boil rice, we put it on the home alter at first. (We also put it on the Shinto home alter too.)
I asked my grandmother what she preys every day. It depends on person what they prey, but in my grandmother’s case, she thank to and deceased at first. Then, she asks them to protect her children and all of relatives. Finally, she reads part of sutra. She told me that she thought it was better to read whole sutra, but she didn’t do so because she wasn’t strong believer of Busshism. Therefore, she just thank and prey to deceased.

We have the custom called “Meinichi”(命日) which is the anniversary of one’s death. Japanese people often visit a grave on the day. In addition, the chief priest at a Buddhist temple comes to my house to prey on the day every month. For example, my grandfather died 23rd, so the chief priest comes to my house 23rd every month. People always put their hands together when they prey. I heard the meaning from the priest. In Buddhism, right hand is holy, and left hand is dirty. (I think it also includes the meaning that Buddha and deceased are holy, and human beings are dirty.) By putting hands together, we can meet deceased, the priest told me. Therefore, priests always use their right hands when they put something on the alter and they don’t show their left side to alter.

We have a big event, Bon festival, from 13th to 15th in August to hold a memorial service for the spirits of deceased. It is said that the spirits of dead persons come back to home in this period so we clean up alter and set out fruits, vegetables and alcohol as offerings. We usually go to the grave on 13th to pick up the spirit of ancestor, and visit grave again on 15th to send the spirit. It is common that relatives gather and have lunch together.

Gender in Japan

I would like to write this week’s blog focusing on the difference of the power between men and women in Japan. In Japan, there is an idea that men are superior to women. For example, in former days, there is discrimination between men and women. Women did not have suffrage until 1880 because women were regarded that they only had to support men. In addition, women couldn’t have high status.
According to my grandmother who is 92 years old now, women had to obey men in former days. Men always order women to do something like housework. If women did not follow them, some men used violence on women. Moreover, people believed that it was bad for women to drink. There were some women who drunk, but they were laughed by others if they drunk.

Today, those discrimination becomes less than before. There is some laws that show equality among gender. For example, there is a law that aim is to secure equality of employment among men and women. In fact, there are many women who have job and become active in each field. However, the idea that men are superior to women does not completely disappear. I found an investigation conducted by labor department of Gifu prefecture office. They asked if office worker felt gender difference in an office, and 35% of women and 25% of men answered yes. About 28% of women and 34% of men answered they felt some difference between gender. According to this survey, we can see more than 60% of women and about 60% of men felt gender difference while they were working.

Survey conducted by the labor department of Gifu prefecture
(It was written in Japanese)

It also can be seen in our dairy life. In Japan, wives usually do housework such as washing dishes and laundry, and cleaning house. Actually, in my house, my mother always does housework though both of my parents have job. While my mother does housework, my father is watching TV. Recently, my father helps her with housework like washing laundry, but she still does housework mostly. When I went to Australia 4 years ago, I was surprised at their idea about housework that is different from Japanese idea. I stayed with my host family for 2weeks. They didn’t have the idea that women have to do housework like Japan, and they always cooperate with each other. My host parents did housework in turn. My host father often goes shopping, and takes care of their pet. I think the number of Japanese husbands who help their wives with housework is increasing compared to before. Moreover, in some families, husbands stay at their house, and do housework and take care of their children while wives are working outside. I think those families are also increasing compared to before. However, we still have the idea that men are stronger than women, and women should support men.