Ken-Bun-Ki "Hero"

 Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from May 8, 1997. 

"Who is your hero?"
This question is used often in American elementary school English class assignments. It's very popular. "Who do you respect? Why do you respect them?" This type of homework question was asked probably once every year for my twelve years of school.

Elementary school students write about fantastic characters or heroes from their favorite stories. Boys write about characters like Batman or Tom Sawyer; girls respect characters like Nancy Drew or Cinderella. Junior high school students usually write about famous people. For example, President Lincoln or Helen Keller, or more recent choices like professional basketball players such as Michael Jordan are all popular choices to this age group. Everyone wants to grow up to become somebody like the people they respect. High school and college students write about people they actually know or people around them. For example, they write about their grandfather fighting a disease, or a friend confined to a wheelchair, or a friend who is putting himself through college because his family is too poor to send him. At this age, the people we (Americans) respect are the people we know who are working and doing their best against terrible odds.

In Japanese there are various levels of polite and honorific speech. In English there really are no special vocabulary words that automatically show respect ("Would you...?" is better and shows more respect than "Will you...?" but that type of example is about the extent of English "honorifics.") However, this doesn't mean that we do not have respect for people. Each American has his/her own heroes.

As for my heroes, all of the names mentioned in this article are my heroes. I respect those people who overcome life's adversity and live their own lives. Who is YOUR hero?

This is the last installment of Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki, which has been published for approximately one year. Were you able to understand different cultures or different ideas? It's natural that people's opinions and ways of thinking are different. "Internal relations" means looking at others as well as yourself. It begins with knowing your own country and town.

Thank you!

Post-Script
Well, that was the last official "Russell Ken-Bun-Ki" article. I always wrote my articles a week or two before the intended published date because the editing, type-setting, and publishing efforts took so much time. I had written this sometime at the end of March, before I had gotten the word that the Mayor or whomever had decided to "cancel" me. My editor (who was my wife, Yuko) had already prepared this one, too, and knew it was a good one. So a month after the new fiscal year had started in April, my column ended on May 8.
I never got an official word as to why it was cancelled. "We are going in another direction" was all I ever got, kind of conversationally and kind of "please don't ask me..." So I let it drop. After all, writing these things was fun, but it was work. For the rest of my time in Miyazaki (I left four years later) various people would come up to me and tell me their favorite columns or the ones they disagreed with me on or what have you. So....I'm immensely proud of them, which is why I wanted to get them out there.
By the way, I hereby reject something I wrote here sixteen years ago. In my opinion athletes are not "heroes." I think it's become much more clear over the past 15 years or so that they and actors and comedians etc are not "heroes" whatsoever.
This article is the last official column. However, next week I will present for the first time anywhere the only "Russell Ken-Bun-Ki" article to ever be censored and rejected for publication by the Assistant Mayor of my town.

Ken-Bun-Ki "American Festa"

 Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from May 1, 1997. 

May 25 will see The Aya American Festa come to Aya. The site will be the open filed in front of the Health Center. The event will run from 10 AM until 3 PM.

The festival will include traditional American games and culture, interaction, and food. There will be American Football, basketball, horse-shoe tossing, and darts among the seven games of chance in the carnival corner. Also there will be special games for elementary, middle, and high school students such as sack races and a cake walk that everyone of all ages can enjoy. The prizes are great, too! All of them are "made in USA" that have been imported to japan or that we got from US companies in Japan. At lunchtime you can enjoy the flavor of a true US barbecue lunch. And by barbecue I do not mean Japanese "yaki-niku." Our menu will be a US hot dog, a drink, and potato chips for a true "in America" feeling. Please lok forward to it!

This event is a continuation of Kunitomi's Southern Festa from two year's ago and last year's USA Carnival in Amagajo in Takaoka. Kunitomi Co-Ordinator of International Relations (CIR) Ben Brown and Takaoka's CIR Michael Hatch are just two of the foreigners from all over the prefecture who are scheduled to appear. This will be a fun international experience, so be sure to bring your family and friends!

Tickets are on-sale now for five hundred yen. Ticket price includes the meal ticket, a drink ticket, game tickets, and a lottery ticket. Quantities are limited. Please talk to the Education Office for more details.

See you there!

Post-Script
This was basically an advertisement for our huge international event, The American Festa. Aya is the name of the town where I worked for 14 years; Takaoka and Kunitomi were the two towns next to Aya. We each had our own CIRs, and for these four years we were all Americans. Ben, Mike, and I worked together for various events such as speech contests and cooking classes. In his first year Ben in Kunitomi was told he had budget money for a larger event for his town, and he came up with the idea of pooling our resources to have a HUGE event. My town and Mike's town agreed to cooperate if we would agree to take the show on the road. That first year we also had Beth in Saito City (on the other side of Kunitomi) help out as well. We did Ben's town first, then Mike's, and then mine. Mine was the last, because the summer of 1997 saw Ben and Mike leave Japan (Beth had left in 1996). The group was broken up, and I went back to being a solo act, haha.

We had a large group of friends who were happy to attend, not only to hang out with each other (and speak in English) but to play football and darts and to have American hot dogs for lunch. We all spoke Japanese and had contacts to get things imported, so we did a heck of a good job planning these things. It was a success.

Here are some photos from Ben's American Festa in Kunitomi. It would have been in 1995. And there is one photo of this particular event that was printed in the Aya Newsletter a week after the event occurred.

 Vegetarian Chili and dozens of hot dog rolls (the bbq is off camera)

The lottery for US made products....in this case, a t-shirt from Atlanta.

That's Mike in the vest, Beth on the podium, and Ben on the right. 

And me in my Russell Athletic sweat-shirt

In this shot you can see the Basketball Free-Throw game in the foreground

as well s one of the Football players standing around in the center. 

They were from the local university and put on an exhibition game

for us. It was a lot of fun. 

Ken-Bun-Ki "Employee Transfers"

 Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from April 10, 1997. 

As of April 1 we have started a new fiscal year. This brings various job transfers, right? School teachers have transferred in and out, and company employees have moved to different departments or branches. Everyone in Japan thinks this type of job transfers are normal, but in the United States they are virtually unheard of.

First of all, regarding school teachers moving, because there is no national Ministry of Education that controls these things, there no set job transfer policy between schools in the US. Every school in America is run independently. In each town or city the school superintendent, the school principal, and the teacher him/herself decides on transfers. Therefore if the teacher does not ask for a transfer, one almost never occurs.

It is not that company employees do not have any transfers, but not to the extent that occurs in Japan. For example, an associate good with numbers and strong in accounting doesn't get moved out of that section. And a person who has a way with words and phrases is kept in a field to take advantage of that talent. Each associate's ability and history are taken into account when considering transfers. Also, bosses tend to listen to their associates' requests. They do not move people to new jobs who have no interest in new challenges. Each transfer order is given after sounding out the intention of the associate in question. There are almost no individual postings away from your family. Working for the company away from your family is practically unheard of in America.

And if there is a transfer along with a promotion, the associate will often go home and talk it over with his/her spouse before answering. Maybe half of these types of promotions are turned down?

Post-Script

This is another one of the columns that I think I need to explain to my American audience. In Japan, the Ministry of Education (Mon-Bu-Sho) runs the entire nation of public schools, elementary to secondary (middle) to high. They control who works where and who gets promoted to be principals (and who doesn't). So every March teachers who are on "the fast track" get moved from school to school. In places like Miyazaki, where I lived for 14 years, all teachers get shuffled around from so-called "town" schools and "city" schools so that they can experience "both sides of the track." 

Likewise, in companies people who have worked in the accounting department get transferred to the agricultural section. People in the tax section get moved to the education section. In my office, which was the town hall,  it was more dramatic because everyone was hired in as non-specialists. However, the man who ended up being the Superintendent of Education was originally a farmer and spent most of his career in the agricultural department. And he had the nerve to tell ME how to better teach kids English! (sigh)

In Japan there is a term for workers (men) who are sent to a different branch office to live alone while his family stays in their hometown. Can you imagine? Even now, as I work for a Honda supplier, I find men who live here in the US as their wives and children stay in Japan. Un-be-lievable. 

Ken-Bun-Ki "Being Called 'Papa'"

 Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from March 27, 1997. 

Last week my daughter caught a cood with a bad cough and a temperature. My wife took care of her, but after I got home from my evening classes at about 10 pm she was still awake watching a video. She welcomed me home by saying to me, "Papa, watch this with me!" with a big grin on her face. My daughter knows I have to work, but she is happy whenever I get to spend time with her. Her happiness shows in not only her smile but in her whole body. Not ten minutes after I sat down with her, she fell asleep in my lap.

Do you all have similar experiences? Fathers in America work just like in Japan, as hard as they can. However, in American  the family is more important than the job. We work to support our families. When the children are young, we go home every night to have dinner together. We talk about how our days were, without the television on. I sometimes go out with my Japanese family to eat ramen, and when I do I always look at the other families. The children ware reading comic-books and the parents are watching television. There is no conversation at all. I know it is none of my business, but I always think this is a shame.

Recently there is a commercial with the tag line, "Today let's play with Dad!" There is another commercial with children saying the line, "There's a shooting star! Let's wish for Papa to come home early tonight!" When I see these commericals I think that fathers ARE important. For all you fathers out there, doesn't it feel great to be called, "Papa"?

Tonight, why don't you get home in time to read your child a bedtime story?

Post-Script
This is one of the columns that I *think* is a little bit out-dated. Even at the time I wrote this sixteen years ago there already was a movement among younger fathers to spend more time with their children. My buddies at the time, for example, were not spending endless hours at the office, especially if their children had a play or a concert or some other school event he had to get to. Fatherhood and families were two themes I liked to write about because I felt there were real differences between the US and Japan models; they made for thought-provoking columns.
Nowadays, of course, if you go into an American restaurant the children AND the adults are all busy on their devices, texting or playing. It's the same old lack of communication going on. We have all this technology in order to communicate, and then we're alone in a group of people. It's sad.

Ken-Bun-Ki "About Auld Lang Syne"

 Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from March 19, 1997. 

This is graduation season (in Japan). And when you think of graduation ceremonies, you think of "The Light of the Fireflies." (This is the Japanese title for "Auld Lang Syne.") My daughter is going to sing this song at her kindergarten's graduation ceremony, so she has been practicing it a lot recently.

In America this is not a graduation song; it is a song sung to welcome in The New Year. We all sing it together at midnight on Dec 31. So when I firt came to Japan and started hearing this "The Light of the Fireflies" every March I always wondered, "Why?" It was a mystery to me. So last week I finally did the research and found out WHY. 

The melody is an old Scottish folk song. The writer is unknown. However, the lyricist is Scotland's most famous poet, Robert Burns. He used this folk song's tune and wrote the words to make "Auld Land Syne" in 1794. These lyrics are a mixture of Scottish and English, so the average American does not know the actual meaning to the song! I asked one of my British friends. he told me that in England, this song is not just sung at New Year; it's also sung at the end of parties with friends. Everyone locks arms together and sings it as a group. 

The first publication of the Japanese version was in the November, 1881 first edition of the Ministry of Education Musical Selections for Elementary Schools' Choirs book. The title was "Fireflies." The lyrics at the time symbolized young men leaving their country, going off to battle to help protect it. Nowadays, of course, it is sung at graduation ceremonies by the underclassmen, bidding the graduating class good-bye. Scotland's "Auld Lang Syne" is simply about friends saying good-bye to each other. 

Post-Script 
If you research this song on the internet you will find that there are reports that the Japanese lyrics were written by lyricist Chikai Inagaki, whose pseudonym was "Shinjiro."

Here are the actual lyrics by Robert Burns:
Should old acquaintance be forgot 
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne my dear
For auld lang syne
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For days of auld lang syne

Here are the Japanese lyrics:
(first verse only)

Hotaru no hikari 
Mado no yuki
Fumiyomu tuki hi kasanetsutsu
Itsu shika toshi mo sugi no to wo
Aketezo kesa wa wakare yuku 

The light of the fireflies
The snow on the windows 
Days and months of reading books 
Went on and on 
Hours in to years
Open the door of Japanese cedar
This morning we're parting 

Ken-Bun-Ki "Graduation"

 Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from March 6, 1997. 

March is the graduation season in Japan. So today I want to write about graduation ceremonies in America.

First of all, in America elementary, junior high, and high schools are all one system, with only one graduation ceremony. In America's system each town has its own elementary, junior high, and high schools. We do not say 'Junior High First Graders" or "High School First Graders." We have "7th graders" or "sophomores." Also, elementary schools and junior highs do not have their own graduation ceremonies. There are "good-bye ceremonies" but that is it. There is only one graduation diploma given out after the twelve years. 

Also, the ceremonies in Japan and America are totally different. In America, graduation season is in May. Therefore, most ceremonies are held outside instead of inside. The graduates all wear gowns. When the graduation ceremony is over, the graduates will throw their caps into the air. Many of you have probably seen this scene in movies.

The order of who graduates is also different. In America, the graduates are not usually divided by gender. The graduates receive their diplomas in alphabetical order. Historically boys and girls were divided, and blacks and whites were also separate. Several decades ago, however, in order to be a more equal society, American standardized all ceremonies. In America it is considered discrimination to treat anyone differently.  We have various minorities  in America, so it is very important that everyone be treated the same. The first time I attended a Japanese graduation ceremony I was a little bit surprised when the students did not graduate in AIUEO (Japanese alphabetical) order but were presented traditionally, boys before girls, (in birth order). 

Anyway, for those graduating this month: Congratulations! Do your best on your new life path! 

Post-Script
This is another one of those articles that tells the Japanese audience about the US culture, so I have to tell you about the Japanese version now.
In Japan the elementary, junior high, and high school experiences are all totally separate. You get a graduation certificate at each location, and there is a graduation ceremony at each school. There's also a "graduation" ceremony at kindergarten/nursery school, but that is not considered in the same way as the others.
Each school hands out a "diploma" in the American sense, which boggled my mind. Mandatory education in Japan is similar to the US, as you have to by law go to school until you're 13 or 14 years old. So in that sense, I guess a junior high school diploma makes sense. In my farming community there were several kids who simply did NOT go on to high school. Still, the idea that your formal education is twelve years long was very strong in my head, so the Japanese system seemed odd to me.
Also, the graduation ceremony itself reminded this sentimental American of some regimented German or British system (Japan took many of their educational cues from Europe). The children stand up as one row of seats, march to the stage as one, march across the stage when their name is called, and then march off. There was absolutely NO spontaneity or emotion in 99% of the ceremonies I ever saw. Plus, the boys all got their diplomas in the birth order before any of the girls got theirs. So the youngest boy was graduated before the oldest girl, which to me seemed odd.
I am not sure if the traditions have changed, but when I asked/called the principals and superintendents out on this, they told me "this is the traditional way" and did not make any moves to change it.

Ken-Bun-Ki "Let's Go To The Library!"

 Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from February 27, 1997. 

Last week I wrote about my hobbies. This week I want to continue on that theme; about a happy discovery I have made.
A few years ago the Miyazaki Prefectural Library was built. It's a beautiful building, but this past November was the first time I had ever visited it. This is because from the time it opened I just assumed that there would be no English books. However, last November my wife went there to find a specific novel, so we went as a family and walked around inside. That is when I realized with surprise the high number of English books that they did have! I got a library card immediately and borrowed two books that day.
I have loved books since I was a child. I remember well my father reading me bedtime stories. In elementary school I can remember reading famous books like Tom Sawyer and The Three Musketeers. I remember in junior high school one of our punishments when we misbehaved as a class was to have to copy over the dictionary into our notebooks. To me, this wasn't a punishment at all.
Why do I love books so much? I think it's because books open doors to other worlds. What type of world was 1963 America? Read a book about the Kennedy assassination and you can get a small idea of the answer. What kind of trouble would people have trying to live in space? Read an SF novel and you can get a small imagination of what it might be like. Books are my interesting friends. So when I found out that the Prefectural Library had English books, I was very very happy.
Please, visit the Aya Town Library. If you can't find the book you are looking for, ask one of the staff members for help. They can communicate with the Prefectural Library and if that Library has the book you want, they can get it to you and you can borrow it for free! I'll see you at the library!

Post-Script
One of the first books I borrowed was CASE CLOSED by Gerald Posner about the Kennedy assassination, which is why I referenced that in this column.
I lucked out when I moved back to the States where libraries are concerned; in Portland, Indiana Jay County's Library is *awesome.* When I first moved there my then-boss said that the library had just been rebuilt but that he had never been inside. Needless to say, I went often. Now that I live in Columbus, I'm even happier. Columbus Metropolitan Library has been called the best in the nation. Similar to the Miyazaki network, I can request a book that exists anywhere in the state of Ohio and then pick it up at my neighborhood library a few days later. I love it!
If you are not using your neighborhood library, you are missing out on a lot of free resources. Not only do they have books (duh!) but most libraries now have CDs, DVDs, and Graphic Novels. Stop by your local library; I promise you, you won't be disappointed.

Ken-Bun-Ki "My hobby is..."

 Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from February 20, 1997. 

Whenever I am asked, "What is your hobby?" I answer, "Reading." However, that isn't the only hobby I have. I enjoy listening to music, watching movies and television, I write, and I draw pictures. Also, whenever I am asked, "What kind of music do you like?" I don't know how to answer. This is because I like all types of music, including pop, rock, rap, instrumentals, jazz, and country. For movies, if there is a good story I will watch any type of film. Books are the same way. I don't just read science fiction, suspense, or romance novels; I also have an interest in biographies and historical dramas.

These hobbies help me relieve stress. I also like to do jigsaw puzzles. It's like a game, to look at the little pieces and put them together to form a larger image. I can lose myself in doing this for hours. It's a great stress relief.

I also have many things I would love to try. For example, I want to travel the world, I want to study another language besides Japanese, I want to write a picture book, and so many other things. however, life is short and I'm sure I won't be able to do everything I would like to. In this world there are some people who know all about their specific area of expertise but have no common sense. Instead of that, I'd like to look at everything with a sense of wonder. I think it's better to live my life with an interest in everything. I want to challenge myself as much as I can.

Post-Script

Well, since I wrote this 16 years ago I *have* studied another language (Korean) and given it up because it was too difficult/close to Japanese for me to remember. I can still read some hangul, though. I haven't traveled the world yet, but I have seen a lot more of the United States and Japan. I started a book but haven't finished; it wasn't a picture book, though. 

Let's all "live like we were dying." It's more fun. 

Ken-Bun-Ki "Black History"

Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from February 13, 1997. 

In America, February is "Black American History Month." "Black History Week" was started on February 7, 1926 and from the Seventies it became a national and a monthly event. In many cities there are special events such as parades, displays of the works of black artists, and speeches by black authors. In schools famous black people come to speak or there are special seminars about Black American history.
My home-town in St. Louis was approximately 50% Black, so every year there was something fun going on in February. I like history, so I really enjoyed studying about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and the Civil Rights movement or Black politicians or scientists. Also, because all of the Presidents and politicians used to be White men, I liked studying average Americans more than studying them. For example, I first learned during Black History Month that the first victim of an American war was a Black man and about the bravery of the Abolitionists. Also, Black American inventors have created quite a lot of stuff! The fire extinguisher, the traffic signal, the fountain pen, and the golf tee were all invented by Black Americans.
I think a lot of Japanese have a misunderstanding about Black people. I sometimes hear prejudicial things like "Black people are fast" or "They're good dancers." Sometimes the idea of "Black people = Bad people" still exists. I think people are people. It would be wonderful if people could judge others without considering the color of their skin.
Everyone, won't you please use "Black History Month" as a chance to study more and more deeply about American history?

Ken-Bun-Ki "St. Valentine's Day"

Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from February 6, 1997. 

Next week is Valentine's Day. The men will enjoy thinking about how much chocolate they are going to get, and the women are going to think about who they have to give chocolate to, along with the one person they want to give it to.
In the West, Valentine's Day is for friends and lovers. It is not just that girls give to boys and boys don't give anything back to girls. In Elementary School class-mates and friends give each other valentines. Everyone gets one. I like comics, so I always gave away Batman (Super Friends) cards. In the classroom there is usually a mini-party. In Junior High School, students only give cards or chocolates to their friends, mostly on the low-down. There aren't any class parties in Junior High School. Then in High School and College it is all about couples. For those with crushes, the notes usually say, "From a person who loves you." For couples they usually go out for a romantic dinner. Men don't buy chocolates; they buy flowers. This is a very romantic time, so a lot of people stage their marriage proposals around this date. That is why there are so many June Brides.
In the West there is no such thing a White Day. I think it is only Japan. I have heard that it was only created to help sell chocolate. Every year (in Japan) I would make hand-made chocolate chip cookies and hand them out to my women friends on Valentine's Day. Of course, there is no such thing as "required chocolate." Men, screw up your courage and give the person you love some chocolate. I guarantee the person will be touched by the gesture.
Hope you have a fun Valentine's Day!

Post-Script
So this is another article that needs something of an explanation.
In Japan, Valentine's Day is just for women to give chocolate to men. I don't know how it started, but the women buy all the chocolate and the men don't have to do anything. Not only do the women buy chocolate for the boy(s) she likes, she is expected to buy chocolate for *all* the men she knows. So in offices, for example, she has to buy chocolates for all her co-workers. It's pretty stupid, really. And if she has a man she actually has her eye on, she has to somehow get the point to him that she likes him while hiding in plain sight.
Then, in theory, the men are supposed to reciprocate on March 14, one month later, in what Japan calls "White Day." Of course, most men don't play along. So the women end up with nothing, haha.
And *that* is why I wrote that I make cookies and give them out on Feb 14. I didn't do anything to celebrate White Day, ever. Oh, except at home, because March 14 just happens to be my wife's birthday. :-) 

Ken-Bun-Ki "Disciplining Childen"

Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from January 23, 1997. 

Recently, the issue of disciplining children has become a topic of conversation. Last week by coincidence I received two separate questionnaires on the topic of discipline. What do you think is the most importatnt thing about scolding? In America thera are two important pionts: Do not cause inconveniences to others, and Do your own thing by yourself.
When I am in Miyazaki City I often scold children I see playing in front of escalators at department stores. I tell them, "This is not a playground. You're in the way, please move." When I say this, the children are very surprised and move out of the way immediately. Japanese almost never scold other people's children, but Americans often say, "Behave yourself!" to their children as well as to others'. When I see children behaving badly I don't think, "They're children, so they don't know any better." I think, "They're children, so we have to teach them what's correct." Also, scolding is done according to the other person's point of view. "Doing what you're doing is causing me a lot of trouble" is said very clearly. When spoken to in this way children can understand themselves that what they are doing is wrong. Thinking to yourself, "He should be ashamed of himself!" or "I'd like to see his parents" doesn't do anybody any good. Most Americans would say that when children are running up and down the aisles at the movies or playing at the entrances at a concert that these children need to be told to behave in public. Most would also say that it is our responsibility as adults to make sure that those children know that their behavior is wrong. What do you think?
 

Ken-Bun-Ki "What Sports Do You Like To Watch?"

Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from January 30, 1997. 

What sports do you enjoy watching? At this time of year in Japan marathons and relay races are held and televised almost weekly. This surprises me. Why do Japanese people enjoy watching these sports events? Is it to watch the young people's legs and backsides while they're running? Is it to watch the runners doing their best during the competition? I have never seen these types of sports broadcasted on mainstream American television. Even the very famous Boston Marathon is not broadcast on US network television.

What sports do you think Americans like to watch? American Football, baseball, and basketball games are the most popular. Every year the highest ratings for a televised sports event is the American Football champion game, The Super Bowl. Every year even the best family man will get together with friends, with a beer in one hand and some pizza or potato chips in the other, cheering on his favorite team. Wives are called 'Super Bowl Widows." This is the same as the Japanese term "Golf Widow" or "Abandoned Wives."

Speaking of golf, this is a sport that Japanese and Americans both like. You can watch several professional golf tournaments. However, I think golf is one of the most boring sports to watch. And when I watch golf broadcasts I'm confused by something. The golfers cannot hear them, but the announcers insist on whispering during their broadcasts. Do I think this is odd because I don't like golf?

Post-Script
This is one of my favorite articles, for a few reasons. First of all, it does what I always liked doing: comparing our two cultures, finding shared ground in-between the differences. I have yet to find many Americans who admit to watching marathons or relays except maybe during the Olympics, but we do have millions of golf fanatics. And Japanese simply do not understand the appeal of American Football (so-called to differentiate it from the other Football game that we Americans call "soccer.")

The other reason I like this article is because it basically got me in trouble. In great Jonathan Swift style, some people did not see the humor in this and complained that I was calling the entire country a bunch of letches for watching young people in skimpy running outfits. :-)  I remind my audience that this article was written by me, edited by the newsletter editor, and checked by her staff. So it's not something that "got by" anybody. It was humor, and obviously misunderstood by certain people.

On the other hand, this is one of those articles that I got a huge amount of feedback on. ALL the adults in my English Conversation Class tried to explain to me why they watched what they did, or why golf announcers whispered, or how American Football reminded them of rugby (another popular Japanese sport). Basically, the people who liked me or liked to think about international things liked this article.  So that made me feel good.

However, because of the "controversy" of this article, I was eventually told to stop writing this feature. Now, full disclosure: I was never told directly that this article or some of my other more controversial topics played a part in my column being "re-assigned." However, when I asked why I was being let go my boss in the education department told me directly that the town was hoping to invite more and more marathon and relay racers to our track facilities for training, and it would "look bad" if we were making fun of them. ?!? Makes me laugh every time I think about it.

So....this is my long-winded way of saying that Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki is almost done. We have another month or so to go until my sudden finish. I was not "renewed" at the end of the 1996-97 fiscal year (April-March) so my last article will be in late March.   

Ken-Bun-Ki "Adult Day"

Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from January 16, 1997. 

Yesterday (Jan 15) was Adult Day (also translated as "Coming of Age Day."). There was a ceremony at our Aya Town Cultural Hall for all of the people who had turned 20 in the past year. For all of those people who were officially recognized, congratulations for becoming bright and healthy adults.
In America we do not have any holiday similar to "Adult Day." When people legally become adults in the USA, those people celebrate with a birthday party with their family or go out with friends for their first legal beer. It is a totally private celebration. At restaurants and bars all young people have to show identification when they want to order alcohol. Adults who look younger than 21 absolutely have to show their drivers' license to prove their age or shops will not sell them alcohol. Also, in the US there are no vending machines that sell cigarettes or beer, so under-aged people cannot purchase these items on their own. It is against the law to do so. When I first came to Japan and first saw beer and cigarette vending machines I was very surprised. 
In America the legal age to become an adult is 21 (not 20 like it is in Japan). In the 1980s several states had separate ages for purchasing alcohol, but in order to combat drunk driving on the national level the legal age was made 21 in every state.

How do you suppose I spent my "adult" birthday? In the fall of 1985, I was an exchange student at Miyagi University of Education. I was living in the boys' dorm. We had weekly cleaning duties for all the boys, with hallways and toilet duties etc switching between blocks every week. The cafeteria and bath (tub) rooms were huge efforts, and they were switched out monthly. Well, on my 21st birthday I ended up cleaning tubs in my boys' dormitory. As an American I couldn't imagine a more bizarre way to spend my special day. It made such an impression on me that I still remember it to this day.

Post-Script
"Adult Day" is the one Japanese holiday that I never really understood. Every year I asked the City Hall employees I worked with (I was in the Educational Department, the group that organized the event) to try to explain it to me; nobody ever could. It was just another milestone for the average Japanese person: there was a Childrens' Day (May 5) and a Respect For the Aged Day (Sept 15) so I guess it made sense to have something in the  middle, too.
The ceremony itself was basically the same no matter where you were in Japan. Our Mayor and other dignitaries would make speeches, he would hand each "adult" a certificate (similar to a high school or college diploma), one of the "adults" would make an answer-speech, and then there would be a group photo. That was basically it, and I participated for 15 times; it never varied. The "adults" would dress up in kimono or suits, and it was true that they would all "clean up real good." Then they would mostly go out and get drunk. And because most of them were in college or spread out away from their hometowns, it was a defacto "reunion" paid for by the state.
My daughter participated in her ceremony last year. Since I didn't ever give it any emotional value, it was even more bizarre for me to be in the audience as she was "recognized" by the Mayor.
As an added bonus, here is the group photo from my daughter's Adult Day Ceremony, January 2012. That is the Mayor in the middle of the five old men. The banner says, "Congratulations, New Adults!"

Ken-Bun-Ki "Holidays"

Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from January 9, 1997. 

 

Among the holidays in the United States and Japan, there are only two that are on the same dates. And they both are in the month of January. One of them is, of course, January 1, New Years Day. The other is January 15. In Japan this is "Adult Day" (sometimes translated as "Coming of Age Day.") In America, this is Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday. 

In America the representative holidays are Independence Day (July 4) and Labor Day (first Monday in September). In Japan you have such holidays as Vernal Equinox (March 20), Constitution Day (May 3), and new from last year, "Ocean Day" (July 20). Also, both countries have holidays to honor those people we  respect. For example, President Washington's birthday and President Lincoln's birthday are both in February, so America has a joint celebration called Presidents' Day (the third Monday in February). In Japan there is the Emperor's Birthday (December 23) and also Emperor Showa's birthday (April 29) became "Green Day"  and Emperor Meiji's birthday (November 3) became "Cultural Day." 

In America Rev. King's birthday became a holiday several years ago. Dr. King worked for the US Civil Rights movement, seeking equality for Black Americans using non-violent means. In 1964 the federal Civil Rights Law was passed, and after that Black Americans joined US society in a more obvious and fair way; many more Black mayors, for example, were voted in after the law was passed. Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his efforts. Dr. King had many White supporters, but in 1968 he was felled by a radical's bullet. 

Every year on Dr. King's birthday there are speeches and parades organized to raise peoples' consciousness about working to protect peoples' basic civil rights. The movement is to stop discrimination on the basis of what color your skin is. It is similar to Japan's "Human Rights Day" activities, I think. When I was in college I would participate every year in the parades. 

  

Post-Script

In the sixteen years since I wrote this, there have been a few changes on the Japanese side. Japan as a country finally adapted the idea of moving most holidays to Mondays so that people could have three day weekends. (They called the movement "Happy Monday.") So that was a step forward. However, the Emperor Showa (known internationally as Emperor Hirohito) is being celebrated now that he has been dead long enough; the first few years after his death his birthday was celebrated as "Ocean Day" but now it has been re-named Showa Day. The Japanese government seems intent on wanting people honor the dead man,  even though he personally hated the cult of personality that sprung up around him and his family before him. Showa, by the way, is the name of his reign. The current Emperor is called "Heisei."  

Here is a list of the current Japanese holidays: 

New Years' Day (Jan 1)

Adult Day (2nd Monday in January; used to be Jan 15)

Foundation Day (Feb 11; the day the god-emperor Jimmu acceded to the throne of Japan, thereby creating the country) 

Vernal Equinox Day (March 20 or 21)

Showa Day (April 29; previous Emperor's birthday) 

Constitution Day (May 3; the day in 1948 when the Japanese Constitution took effect)

Green Day (May 4)

Childrens' Day (Boys' Day) (May 5) 

Ocean Day (third Monday in July; used to be July 20)

Respect For the Aged Day (3rd Monday in September; used to be Sept 15)

Autumnal Equinox (Sept 22 or 23)

Physical Education Day (2nd Monday in October; used to be Oct 10, which commemorated the Opening Ceremony of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics)

Culture Day (Nov 3) 

Labor Thanksgiving Day (Nov 23)

Emperor's Birthday (Dec 23)

 

 

 

For more information, please read the wikipedia article Public Holidays in Japan. 

Ken-Bun-Ki "US Christmas = Japan's New Year"

Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from December 19, 1996. 

 Here's a quiz for you. What holiday is it where your family gets together to eat a special dinner, you visit relatives, you give presents to people who have helped you out in the past year, you watch special TV programs and movies, and it's the kids' favorite time of the year?

I'm sure everyone (in Japan) said, "New Years," of course. However, in the United States the answer is, "Christmas."

In America Christmas is a family holiday. There are no "Christmas Parties" or "Office Parties" on Christmas day. There are office parties with your co-workers where you drink, dance, and date, but usually these are New Year's Eve parties.

In America we don't have drinking parties for "Forget the Last Year" or "Welcome the New Year." When work is done many offices hold Christmas parties at the offices. Many companies finish work before Christmas or New Years and take a few days off. Most companies are off approximately four days. On the last working day, many offices have either an office Christmas party or New Years party. At most of these the spouses are also invited. Have you seen the movie Die Hard? the beginning of that movie is an office Christmas party. The star, Bruce Willis, is the husband of one of the employees. In this type of situation, attendance as a couple is normal.

In America we do not send out New Year's greetings cards; we send Christmas cards. Christmas has a religious connection as Christ's birthday, but because there are many different religions in America I prefer the greeting, "Happy Holidays!" to "Merry Christmas!"

Have a great new year!

(I'm sorry if this is hard to read!)

PS

This is another one of those articles that was written for the Japanese about US customs. So let me tell you more about what the Japanese customs are so *you* can compare.... 

Christmas in Japan is an excuse for young adults to have sex. If you are in a relationship it's a huge date night. (Think US New Year's Eve!) You will most likely have a dinner date with your significant other and you will get a hotel room for the night because you both still live with your parents (or in a college or company dorm).

Another Japanese Christmas tradition is Christmas Cake. I think this treat came from Europe, because I had never heard of it. I'll never forget the first time my Japanese friends showed up at my house with a Christmas Cake and were terribly disappointed that I didn't know what it was! By the way, young women over the age of 25 are often derogatorily called "Christmas Cakes" because, similar to the confection after Christmas day, after they are 25 nobody wants them. 

The other odd Christmas tradition in Japan involves Kentucky Fried Chicken. I don't know how this tradition started, either, but at the end of December *everybody* gets a family pack of chicken from KFC. I think it has something to do with Colonel Sanders' resemblance to Santa Claus.

Likewise, in Japan New Years is a waaaay low-key affair. You stay home with your family and watch the Japanese equivalent of "Dick Clark's Rocking' Eve," called "The Red-White Song Battle." It's a show where teams of male and female singers alternate live concerts for the three or so hours preceding the New Year. On New Years' Day you watch live marathon/relay races while eating a special brunch, then at about 11 am you look over all the New Years' cards you get, delivered en masse by the Post Office *on* January 1. Then you may get dressed up and visit the Shrine to pray for prosperity in the new year. Finally you spend the rest of the day with relatives eating special foods and getting drunk. At least, that was the way people celebrated the New Year in my Japanese home-town. :-)

Ken-Bun-Ki "Christmas"

Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American. This one is from December 12, 1996. 

 

 I get the most home-sick for America at this time of the year. After we enter December every day counts down to Christmas and I want to return to America. This time I would like to talk about my favorite nostalgic Christmas memories.

The celebration begins on Christmas Eve, December 24. We go out to listen to Christmas church choirs or concerts, we watch Christmas programs on television, we prepare for the Christmas Day dinner, or we wrap the last-minute Christmas presents. Basically it was family time.

In every home the parents get ready for Santa to visit after the children are asleep. I hate getting up in the morning, but at Christmas even I would get up at 5 am or so and sneak downstairs to look at the presents under the Christmas tree. I have two sisters and one brother so Santa brought enough presents for all four of us. It was a lot of fun to look through all of the presents to search for those marked "To Russell." Later we would open our presents as a family. First we would look at what was inside the stockings hung on the mantelpiece. Usually they were colored pencils or school supplies. They weren't usually expensive or "good" presents. However, one year when I was in high school my mother opened one of her stocking presents and was very surprised. My father had put in a diamond ring to catch her off-guard. My mother was very happy.

After our stockings were finished we would each get to open one present under the tree in order. This was so that everyone could share the happiness and so that each of us could see what the others got.

Just thinking about it warms my heart. Christmas truly was a fun time. I want to make similar memories for our daughter, too.

(Sorry if this is hard to read!) 

Ken-Bun-Ki "Human Rights Week"

Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American.
This one is from December 5, 1996. 

Everyone in the world wants to be happy. They want to be healthy and well-off. However, bullying, sexual discrimination, and prejudice against foreigners or the handicapped or the burakumin (Japanese underclass) is still occurring in Japanese society, even if we do not realize it.

Human Rights  Week is December 4-10 (1996). Discrimination is not a problem of the past, or a problem that has been solved. If we look at the issue from a "let sleeping dogs lie" perspective, the problems will never be solved. Every single person must look in their own heart and rid themselves of prejudice.

The other day I attended the "Internationalization Forum in Miyazaki." The guest-speaker was the actress and essayist Keiko Kishi. Her speech's theme was "Country Borders Move." She moved to France and married a French man, and now travels with their daughter. I thought her life reminded me of mine. Her way of thinking is also similar to mine. Although we have borders between countries, people are free to come and go. And when they move they bring fashion, music, movies, and culture. All those things are moving freely from country to country. This year (1996) approximately 4 million Japanese have left and entered Japan. In this type of international age, we have to stop looking at people and treating them as foreigners. We have to treat them as individuals. I believe there is less discrimination against foreigners than there used to be, but there is still more that can be done.

In America we say, "if my friend has a problem then I have a problem." It's very important to look at a problem from the other person's point of view. We must all have the courage to make the effort to rid the world of discrimination.
 

Post-Script 
I wrote this article after going to a Human Rights Week event at the state capitol in Miyazaki City the year before. Some social department had invited me and two other foreigners to attend some event; I don't remember the details, but we were the Guests of Honor and had to talk about Human Rights in our countries. At the end one of us asked about Human Rights for foreigners, such as those native-born "Koreans" living in Japan. We were told that they were not a Human Rights issue but a State Department issue.
What I wrote here is, I believe, still true. Discrimination is not a thing of the past. We are living in a Golden Age where it is hard to imagine The Holocaust happening again; then we turn on the news and see murder in Somalia or Bosnia. We turn our heads or plug our ear-buds back in.
As I say, "We must all have the courage to make the effort to rid the world of discrimination."

By the way, "burakumin" are those "untouchables" in Japanese society like butchers or leather-workers who touched blood or did otherwise "dirty" work. They are still discriminated against, similarly I would guess to the lower castes in India.

As for what the hell "Human Rights Week" is, it's evidently a real thing. I had never heard of it before the Miyazaki State office told me about it. Check out the whole story here:   United Nations Human Rights Week homepage

Ken-Bun-Ki "World AIDS Day 1996"

Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American.
This one is from November 28, 1996.

According to the World Health Organization, as of the end of 1994 the number of people throughout the world who are infected with AIDS has reached 17 million. In order to increase knowledge about AIDS, December 1 has been established as World AIDS Day.

The  virus that causes AIDS is called HIV. The transmission of HIV is limited to blood or other bodily fluids. There have also been cases where the infection was transmitted through unheated blood or plasma that had been tainted. Usually if razors, needles, and hypodermics are not shared between people the virus cannot be transferred. Mosquitoes who have bitten an AIDS patient, coughs, sneezes, public bathes, toilets, and kisses and hand-shakes are safe. During your normal day-to-day life at home, at the office, or at school there is no way for you to be accidentally infected.

However, unfortunately the correct information about AIDS was not always known, so there have been  cases of discrimination and prejudice against infected people, patients, homosexuals, and foreigners. The newest trend is that among those Japanese people who have reported being infected with HIV, 70% of them are 20-30 year olds who were infected via heterosexual activity.

Let's all learn the facts about AIDS so we can end the discrimination as quickly as possible. While working on a cure for AIDS, let's also build a society where the patients and infected people can co-exist with us.

Post-Script
This is probably the Ken-Bun-Ki article I am most proud of. When I was writing innocent little articles about Christmas and Thanksgiving I was working at the Aya Town City Hall and Cultural Center. The Health & Welfare section of the Japanese government had distributed posters to each city hall within each prefecture (state). I saw these every day I went to work, and I quickly decided to write about this then-new "World AIDS Day" activity. This article was met with some resistance, and it was edited somewhat, but my overall message remained. I respected my office very much for allowing this to be printed.
Sixteen years later there have been countless millions of deaths due to AIDS. But on the bright side, there are drugs that halt the virus, so millions more have learned that being diagnosed as having HIV is not necessarily an instant death sentence.
And more to the point of this article, the anxiety about and out-right hatred towards people like Ryan White and other AIDS sufferers has mostly disappeared.  And for that, we can all be proud.

Ken-Bun-Ki "Thanksgiving"

Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American.
This one is from November 21, 1996. 
 

In America, the fourth Thursday of November is "Thanksgiving" (in Japanese, literally "Festival of Thanks"). It began in 1621. English religious immigrants called Pilgrims survived a terrible winter, and with the help of Native Americans they had been blessed with a healthy crop. In a town called Plymouth, close to Boston, they held a 3-day banquet. The main foods at Thanksgiving is turkey or ham, corn, potatoes, vegetables, and cranberry jelly. Dessert is pumpkin pie, apple pie, or pecan pie.

While I was a student I didn't ever really feel any gratitude for anything. I looked on Thanksgiving as an All You Can Eat holiday. Recently, however, I have a lot of things to be thankful for. For example, all of my family is healthy. I have many friends. I'm busy everyday at a job I like. And not just personally; I'm very thankful that the world is a much more peaceful place than it used to be.

November 23 is Workers' Thanksgiving Day in Japan. How are you spending your holiday? I will be hosting a House Party for five foreign families to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Post-Script

Sorry the original Japanese is hard to read. This article took up the whole bottom of the page (two columns) when it was printed in the newsletter. Now it takes up too much space here. I thought that if I put it on the bottom of the page it would enlarge enough to be able to read, but the icons on the right column block it off no matter how I try to arrange this. 

So as an added bonus, this is my daughter Anna and I at a Thanksgiving party in 1994, two years before I wrote the above article. All of us were ex-patriot Americans or Japanese. And yes, we played Trivial Pursuit. ;-) 

Ken-Bun-Ki: "The US Dollar"

Note: "Russell's Ken-Bun-Ki" is a series of articles I wrote for my Japanese City Hall newsletter back in 1996-97. They were articles about life in America or life in Japan as experienced by an American.
This one is from November 7, 1996. 

The other day a friend asked me, "Why is the currency of the US called the dollar?"

I will explain that today. Approximately 220 years ago when the United States of America won its independence from Great Britain, we wanted to cut all relations between our two countries. The British flag, laws, fashion, and of course the British Pound Sterling were abolished. Our allies in our War of Independence were the Prussians, so we took the German word "Daler" and created our own currency system based on it. The word "Daler" means "silver coin," so the original Dollar was a coin. It had our new National Bird, the Bald Eagle, engraved on it. Currently we have famous political leaders on our money, but we still have the Bald Eagle printed on the $1 bill. The free market of the Land of the Free, the currency known throughout the world, had this humble beginning.

Now I have a question for you. Why does the Japanese pronounce the word "dollar" as "do-ru"? I hear it on Japanese TV news shows all the time. "Today's yen-dollar rate is one do-ru to so-many yen." The word "do-ru" should be for dolls. To write "dollar" in Japanese is pronounced "dara-," which is easy enough. How did the word "dollar" turn out to be pronounced "do-ru" in Japan? I would love to know this. If you travel to the United States, make sure you pronounce the currency as "dollar."

 

Post-Script

Japanese is full of "borrowed" terms whose pronunciation is tweaked to fit into their syllabary, but none are butchered quite the way "dollar" is. I have absolutely no idea why it is pronounced "do-ru" instead of something closer to the actual word. 

Oddly enough, we call the Japanese currency the "yen," when the true term is "en." There is no "y" in the  Japanese word. Weird, right?