About Me
I first came to Japan a decade ago and spent a night in a dismal hotel in a silent corner of Tokyo. The next day I went out for a drink and randomly met an amazingly beautiful girl who insisted I switch hotels to the Roppongi nightlife district, and that I take her out to dinner and karaoke. I was like, Wow, Japanese people are so friendly. She of course later turned out to be Filipino, and Roppongi was mostly filled with grimy gaijin bars. Anyway, I still think she was pretty hot.
The day I arrived in Japan, I began studying Japanese, which is just slightly harder than solving Fermat’s last theorem. If you want to learn a language that opens doors and helps you make friends in Japan, then Japanese is not the language for you. That language would be English.
Moving on. After my Roppongi adventure, I flew back to Japan for a couple of weeks every year, before finally settling here in 2008. I’ve had a dozen jobs at this point, some of them good, and some bad. Well, most were pretty horrible, actually. Japan isn’t known for it’s easygoing work environment. I’ve made the yen equivalent of hundreds of dollars an hour (good), and other times got paid nothing more than beer and rice (slightly less good). What can I say, it’s a pretty bipolar country. But maybe that’s why I feel so at home here.
Over the years, I’ve read everything I could get my hands on about Japan, its people, culture, and language. You’ve probably read a lot of the same stuff. Unfortunately, much of what has been written either glamorizes Japan or treats it with cartoonish Orientalism. And some is just butt wrong.
It’s certainly not easy to depict an entire nation in a few words, and I don’t pretend to do so. Well hey, Japan’s a big country. But maybe that’s the point. It’s not something that can be summed up easily. Even living here, I barely know what the hell’s going on half the time. So I’ll simply give you my perspective, for what it’s worth. As the Japanese say, Hope you enjoy.
Ken Seeroi
Hey, Ken, I like your blog. Came across a link to it on Jim Breen’s Japanese page. I’ve got a blog going, as well. It’s at http://teachyourselfjapanese.wordpress.com if you want to check it out.
Donald Cherry
January 29, 2012 at 8:32 am
Good Morning Ken-san:
Enjoyed reading your blog. Lived in Japan a long time ago, so I’m sure it is very different. We didn’t have 7-11, we had little mama-san shops. When we ask for a beer, they would wipe the dust off, and wrap your big bottle of beer very nice…your beer was cute!
Suzi Gillette
February 15, 2012 at 8:39 pm
That sounds like a golden age. It’s hard to imagine Japan without a convenience store at every intersection and 3 vending machines in between, just in case you need a can of corn soup before the next corner. I just checked with a swarm of Japanese people around me, and they say that “Seven” came here about 40 years ago, so it must have changed quite a bit. Actually, even a bottle of beer is something of a rarity these days. It’s mostly all cans now. Fortunately, it still has the positive effect of making self and others more attractive, regardless of container, so that’s a good thing. When was the last time you were here? I’d love to hear your perspective on how things have changed.
Ken Seeroi
February 16, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Ken, I read your “Japanese AIDS test” and you had me laughing out loud. You got it all down just “right.” Hats off to you. Funny, well-written, educational, all of it one fell swoop.
Thank you!
David Chester
June 16, 2012 at 11:07 am
Thanks, David. I’m always glad when someone who lives here can relate to my stories. Somehow even the simplest things turn into strange adventures. Japan’s funny like that.
Ken Seeroi
June 19, 2012 at 8:50 am
hi Ken I red your article about yakuza, and I think it will be good for you to study self defense. I am a krav maga (Israeli military self defense) instructor and we teach defense against attacks, knofes multiple opponents and other I was thinking you will be interested in it, check our web site: http://www.combat-sports-center.com
Just like you I had a counter with Yakuza guy and he amost try some numbers on me it was my knowledge in krav maga that saved me, even if you live in Japan it is not safe 1 day you may be the victim, learn how not to be the victim.
avi mazalto
August 31, 2012 at 10:33 pm
Thanks, after I’m done mastering the Japanese language, I assure you that krav maga will be the first new activity I take up. If for no other reason than it is, by name alone, the most badass-sounding form of self-defense ever.
Ken Seeroi
September 4, 2012 at 2:07 pm
Hi from Indonesia. I’ve just read your article about grammar-translation method and it has given me new insight about teaching English using that method….^_^
Indira Sari
September 12, 2012 at 6:37 pm
I am laughing out loud at my desk and the japanese teachers are pretending not to notice. You’ve got the gift.
Tony
September 27, 2012 at 4:10 pm
Thanks a lot. I’ve just got all these random thoughts about life here rumbling around in my skull, and sometimes they seem to come out throught the keyboard.
Ken Seeroi
September 28, 2012 at 2:52 pm
I’ve been reading some of your posts and found I rather enjoy your stories. If you still live in Tokyo I’d love to meet you and ask many questions over a beer.
Ricky
September 29, 2012 at 9:33 am
I’m taking a break from the bright lights and big city right now, but what next year brings, I never know in this country. Certainly, beer always sounds like a good idea; thanks for the offer. I’ll let you know if I’m back there with some time to hang out.
Ken Seeroi
October 2, 2012 at 8:35 am
Hi Ken!
Thanks again for the info. I’ve been a fan of yours since I stumbled onto your site a few years ago. I think it was called something else back then as this site is vaguely familiar. Anyway, I spent countless hours & months reading your blogs as I found it a year or two after you first started them and the most memorable thing to me was the balls punching by the kids article. Btw, I’m from SF too and you probably know that recently Uniqlo just opened their first store here and I hear Muji should be hear in November as well.
davidkichi
October 7, 2012 at 9:07 pm
Just read your article about the suicide of your friend. Good luck in what you do and I look forward to reading more of your writings on Japan. And, happy first birthday!
Grant
October 29, 2012 at 11:51 am
Thanks much! And thanks for reading!
Ken Seeroi
October 29, 2012 at 6:48 pm
been reading your blog for some time without commenting- but just stumbled across this article
http://www.japantoday.com/category/opinions/view/why-are-japanese-so-bad-at-english
while reading I thought: “well, there’s this japaneseruleof7-guy,- he might find it interesting, got to point it to him”… untill i finished the article and… saw the autor information. Gaan.
What did i wand to say anyways? “keep up the good work” probably describes it best. – and “thank you, i enjoy reading your stuff”
christian
October 29, 2012 at 2:16 pm
That’s funny. Yeah, I’m grateful to Japan Today for publishing my crazy stories. And I’m grateful to you for reading them. Thanks!
Ken Seeroi
October 29, 2012 at 6:55 pm
As a teacher in Canada, I appreciate your thoughts about classroom learning and how not to make classes “suck”! I should read this to my students….
Rob harrison
January 5, 2013 at 11:20 pm
Thanks, Rob. I know what you mean, because I want to say the same thing to my students all the time. The trouble is that common sense never seems to work. I mean, if it did, I guess we’d all be rich and in good shape, since it’s no great mystery how to accomplish those things. Half the battle is figuring out the right thing to do, and the other half is motivating people (or ourselves) to do it. For some bizarre reason, people seem almost hell-bent on doing that which is exactly the worst thing for them. Thank God that doesn’t apply to beer and potato chips. Actually, that sounds pretty good right about now.
Ken Seeroi
January 8, 2013 at 11:11 am
I am a strange American male, nearly 60, and I still watch cartoons… ahem, I mean Anime! America has little respect for adult themed (I’m not referring to Hentai) cartoons … ahem, anime and I was wondering why the Japanese animation/Manga industry doesn’t try harder to market its products better in the US.
I specifically mean anime series like “Chihayafuru” and “Nodame Cantabile” that teach the cultural underpinnings of Japan and exemplify cultural similarities and differences between us AND have socially uplifting messages. I know k-5th graders would love to play a game like Karuta, and have a new respect for classical music and orchestras from watching Nodame Cantabile” …gyah. There is a lot of good in the Anime industry that is being lost and should be used as a tool to bring our cultures closer together.
I really enjoy reading all of your commentary, especially the pieces about that suicide and the Yakuza. Could you do a piece on the anime industry and its effect on Japanese culture? Is possible to find out why anime isn’t marketed or should I say isn’t readily available in the US? I for one would like to see the subbed Japanese TV anime on cable! I really am looking forward to reading your opinions on this topic!
It seems that the only series that are available on Cable are the popular series and all of them are Dubbed (poorly I might add). I go to the internet daily to check on the current fan subs, but I’d like to see the best of them (those with positive uplifting messages) get a better shot at reaching the American youth of today!
Thanks you so much for your interesting and funny blog, I really identify with your writing, so keep up the great work Ken!! I grok U!
Bud Martin
January 25, 2013 at 12:27 am
It doesn’t strike me as strange that an adult would enjoy anime, as that’s not uncommon here. There’s a lot of good anime, although I’m not well-versed in it. One of the interesting things about Japan is the dichotomy between the outward seriousness of people at large and their irrepressible need to cartoon-ify everything. Judging from cartoons and TV shows, you’d almost think this is a fun, even childlike, culture. People are quite serious at work, but once it’s over (i.e., 12 hours later) it seems almost anything goes. It’s strange.
I agree that it would be good to see more anime in the U.S., as well as in other countries. I’m not sure if it’s not popular there for a reason, or if it’s simply not being marketed in a way that would enable it to catch on. I’m not really in tune with the anime industry, since my focus in Japan has always been on language, food, and human interactions. I’m very interested in examining why people behave the way that they do, and how culture and the people around you can shape your understanding of what’s socially acceptable, and of reality itself. Although I don’t consume enough to really speak on the subject, my impression is that anime’s effect upon culture is less than culture’s effect upon anime. In other words, anime seems more of a twisted reflection of Japanese culture, rather than a driving force. A lot of anime appears to serve as an escape valve, a fantasy world that is very different from the everyday reality of riding packed trains, living in tiny apartments, and seeing your friends once a month.
On a different note, I do wonder whether the Japanese language, which is based upon a series of small pictures, doesn’t naturally lead people to respond well to pictorial representations, rather than simply words. It’s quite common to see instruction booklets, even on serious subjects, illustrated with funny cartoon characters. I’ll also note that Japanese people, in general, possess an unusually high level of artistic ability. A great number of people can draw cartoon characters quite well, far more than in the U.S. The reason for this may simply be that Japanese schools still spend a good amount of time on art classes, although it probably doesn’t hurt that the entire population is forced to spend many years carefully writing detailed kanji over an over.
Ken Seeroi
January 27, 2013 at 12:57 pm
Thank you for your response! I am also very interested in finding out more about the Japanese Culture and people (though the language seems to be beyond my capabilities), so that’s why I really appreciate your views and opinions.
That’s a very interesting premise you make about the child like nature of Japanese people and their artistic proclivity. The card game Karuta that is featured in the Anime “Chihayafuru” could be an analogy to that viewpoint since it is all about the roots of Japanese culture through the 100 poets and the history of the skills used to develop Japanese language, yet Karuta is a thousand year old card game played by children to help them to learn Kanji.
The artistic proclivity of the Japanese people is prevalent throughout the Chihayafuru anime series storyline as it explains the roots of Japanese cultural/artistic expression: through their attire (they explain the beauty and reasons for wearing Japanese traditional clothes), attitude, and way of thinking about life. I even read in the Asahi Shimbun that there has been a great resurgence of competitive Karuta across Japan because of this Anime.
As I taught Chess in school for over a decade, I am certain that children here in the US would love to learn and compete at Karuta in some Americanized form. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see Japanese and American children competing in something other than baseball?
As a Former Marine, I traveled to American bases in Japan briefly in the late 70′s, and though I was not stationed there I did technically visit Japan (I never got to know any Japanese people though as I was not allowed to leave the base). While at NASA until I retired and in all my time in Washington D.C. and traveling across the United States dealing with people from all over the world I have never personally met any Japanese people (unless you count the half Korean – half Japanese wife of a Marine I knew that was drunk most of the time). Yet, I have grown to care deeply for Japanese culture and the people of Japan through Anime (and Drama) that I have watched.
BTW, there is a great live action Drama version of the anime “Nodame Cantabile” that I would like to recommend to you… it’s won many awards:
http://www.gooddrama.net/japanese-drama/nodame-cantabile
I was in a youth orchestra in high school, but never really understood or appreciated musical artistry much till after I saw “Nodame Cantabile”. The artistry that is explored in that series, through a uniquely Japanese prospective is so amazing and compassionate. It opened up a whole new realm for me to remember and re-explore… it considerably enlightened my outlook on life.
I really am quite jealous of you Ken, being able to experience Japan like you have. It’s almost like I can see and feel what you write about and would love to be in your shoes for one night in Tokyo! Thanks again so much for your wonderfully entertaining and thought provoking pieces!! Honestly Ken, your style and ability to see things from a different (often humorous) viewpoint reminds me very much of Will Rogers!
Bud Martin
January 28, 2013 at 4:44 am
Thanks very much. I think highly of Will Rogers, so that’s great praise indeed. I actually taught myself how to spin a lasso when I was a kid. It’s like, if there’s a skill that has virtually no practical use and will never earn me any money, then hey, that’s the thing I really want to learn. I have a wealth of marginally useful abilities.
I checked out some of Nodame Cantabile, and it looks good. I really enjoy Japanese dramas, so thanks for the link. There’s a video shop near my apartment that rents movies for 80 yen a week, which is ridiculously cheap, so I might also rent the series there just to watch it with Japanese subtitles. If you want a skill that really doesn’t deliver return-on-investment, let me suggest learning Japanese for a decade or two.
Yeah, if you can, you should make a trip to Japan. It’s not as expensive as people make it out to be, if you get the right airfare and are willing to stay in low-budget hotels. It’s an amazing place.
Ken Seeroi
January 28, 2013 at 1:30 pm
You have undoubtedly aquired the rank of Human Being with all your combined marginally useful abilities, but I hope and believe that your search for happiness will end in a great success because you seem like such a worthy Soul!
Just as an uplifting story for you to watch, I’d like to recommend a new Japanese Drama called “Tonbi”. It has already touched my heart and given me another reason to appreciate the Japanese people. Its only on its second episode, so I don’t know if it will always be as good as the first two episodes, but I already consider it one of the best Dramas I’ve ever watched.
http://www.gooddrama.net/japanese-drama/tonbi-episode-1
Bud Martin
January 31, 2013 at 5:34 am
Excellent! Thanks!
Ken Seeroi
January 31, 2013 at 1:52 pm
Tonbi (the link I gave you above this) just ended this last week and I heard it was the highest rated TV show in Japan. It made me cry a lot and I’m not ashamed to admit it! I liked the Dad character – Yasu the baka the best! I hope you watch this, I’d like to see what you think of the story and it’s relevance to Japan today. I loved the way it jumped around in time and how the families kept moving forward.
Bud martin
March 26, 2013 at 11:37 am
Yes, there’s something indescribably sad about Japanese dramas, which reflects a deep sadness at the core of Japanese thinking. I’ve only watched the first episode, but it seems to follow the pattern of many Japanese dramas. The indirect communication, the feeling that life involves commitment, suffering, and loss—it’s all unspeakably tragic. I also see this in the people I know. It’s easy to describe Japan as just a fun place with charming folks, but that’s really a mask. Japan is not such a light place.
And yet, while a drama can reflect reality, you know, we shouldn’t let it define reality. Which is to say, you get what you go looking for. People in this society are particularly fond of believing that life is supposed to be hard, and then when something bad happens, they say, See, told you. Japanese dramas really play into that. Thanks for the link—I’ll keep watching and see how it turns out.
Ken Seeroi
March 28, 2013 at 9:45 pm
Hey Ken, I first found you on GaijinPot and after reading all the articles you had on there, I moved to your website & am slowly making my way through all your posts (hope that doesn’t come across too stalkerish). It’s certainly making my work day much more interesting
Just wanted to say a quick thank you for your interesting and insightful articles! I’m from Australia & I’m hoping to move to Japan and live there for a year in the next year or so, even though my Japanese is abysmal.
Out of curiosity, have you heard of the conversation school, Gaba? I’m thinking (like so many others) of getting a teaching job in Japan, and since Gaba offers year-round recruitment, I was thinking of going with them. I’ve been to an info session they held here and they went through their policy and structure, but I was just wondering how they’re perceived from a “Japanese” perspective.
Also, being an Australian-born Chinese (I’m 80% Australian, 20% Chinese..I think the only things I’ve absorbed from the Chinese culture is the food), have you found that Asian-Western-gaijin (if you know of any) are treated somewhat “differently” to Caucasian-gaijin?
OK, back to reading..thanks again for sharing your stories!!
Mez
February 27, 2013 at 1:02 pm
Hi Rez,
Yes, Gaba is a well-known eikaiwa. As a way of getting to Japan, going with a large company like them isn’t a bad idea. They should help you get an apartment and smooth your transition into the country. I came over in a similar fashion.
If I had to do it all over again, I would request a school that was not in Tokyo, and not too big. For some reason, I didn’t want to teach kids, but in retrospect that was a bonehead idea. On balance, kids are probably easier than adults, at least once they reach about 7 or so. As for Tokyo, it’s a blast, but it greatly increases your stress level while simultaneously decreasing your free time. I wouldn’t go way out in the countryside, but a little smaller city might be a good choice. But that’s just me.
You might also consider working as a JET or ALT in the public schools. That’s a pretty chill job that may pay as well as an eikaiwa. There may also be occasional opportunities for business English instructors, and those are usually good gigs. A pretty common path for people coming to Japan is to get a 3-year visa, do a year of hell at an eikaiwa, and then spend the next two years free-lancing, picking up work in schools and companies. If you go the eikaiwa route, well, you might be one in a thousand and love the job, but otherwise you’re gonna want an exit plan. Keep that in mind.
As for Asian-looking gaijin friends, yes, I have several. And yes, they are treated completely differently than I am. It’s not even close. If you look even approximately Japanese, then should you and I go to a restaurant, all the staff will speak to you instead of me, despite the fact that I’m fluent in Japanese. And I will hate that. That happens all the time. On the downside, people will babble at you with words you don’t understand, and then stare at you like an imbecile when you don’t respond appropriately. At least that’s what my friends tell me. All the same, I’d prefer to be in your shoes, in this country.
Thanks for reading all my crazy stories. I really appreciate it!
Ken Seeroi
February 27, 2013 at 3:22 pm
Wow, thanks for the speedy reply & for answering my questions so throughly – really appreciated!!
I have considered the JET program, ECC and Interac, but JET and Interac seem to often place in rural settings (while this would definitely improve my Japanese, I’m definitely keen for experiencing the city lifestyle). I’ve found they’re also more fixed in terms of recruitment times as most of them are aligned with the school year. Gaba’s main advantage, from what I’ve determined, is that they seem to be more flexible with starting times, as they primarily teach adults one-on-one, and they also give flexible schedules, so you can actually plan to have a life outside of teaching. But the downside of that is that there’s not always stability in how many classes you might get compared to other eikaiwa, where the class hours and working days are reasonable fixed. I guess since my main reason for coming to Japan is to experience the culture (more of a working holiday than a career job), it’ll probably be OK if I make sure I have back-up funds saved before I come.
Thanks for the heads up about Tokyo – I was considering it in addition to Kyoto or Osaka. I think I’ll let the winds of chances decide where I end up!
I can definitely see how the novelty of “being the gaijin” wears off pretty quickly, especially if you’ve been there for such a long time and are fully fluent. I just hope that students accept that people who appear Asian /can/ actually be fluent in English (though from the continual shock they seem to express of your reversed experience, of being Caucasian but fluent in Japanese, I’m not sure?!). I’ll just have to make sure the first words out of my mouth are “すみません、私は日本語をわかりません” until my Japanese gets better.
Thanks again for your help! Looking forward to reading more of your adventures..they’re really reminding me of how much I want to experience Japan firsthand as a local
Mez
February 28, 2013 at 7:21 am
I think it’s safe to say you’ll have a great time. From my perspective, well, between commuting, teaching, partying, and just trying to interpret the cyclone of written and spoken information, it took about a year and a half before I could settle down and even begin to make sense of what was happening around me. Which is to say, a lot of my early impressions of Japan were colored by preconceptions, the off-base stuff I’d read (much written by people who weren’t here very long when they wrote it), and the fact that I was enveloped in a gaijin-eikaiwa world. It’s only once you speak Japanese and live among people unconnected to the English-education industry that you really see what the country is like. There’s a lot going on under the surface that foreign people are unaware of. So don’t believe anything you hear about tatemae-honne, politeness, friendliness, or women. None of it. Unless I said it, that is, and then of course it’s true.
As for The City . . . you know, it’s funny . . . I came from a big city and I really loved the urban lifestyle with its restaurants, clubs, parks, and entertainment . . . but Tokyo was like a shock cure for that. If you don’t have to work, and happen to be fabulously wealthy, then Tokyo’s an awesome city. But going to work every day and just trying to survive in the maelstrom, whew, that’s another matter. But everyone’s situation is different, so hopefully you’ll have good luck. Keep us posted.
Ken Seeroi
February 28, 2013 at 11:52 am
Hey Ken,
Not sure you remember, but a few months back I asked you some questions about living in Japan, as I was applying for a teaching job there. Well, here I am a few months later to report that I got the job!! I’ll be coming to Japan mid-July, if all that visa-processing works out..super excited, but it’s definitely a short amount of time to cram a lot of crazy organising into.
It seems like I’ll be placed in East Tokyo, so hopefully I won’t go too insane from the busy-ness. I’ve just started to look at apartments..and am crying a little at the monthly rent (though I can of course understand why it’s so high). I was just wondering if you knew of a good/safe neighbourhood around that area? (preferably yazuka-free places, so I can avoid a situation like in that story you wrote about
)
Gaba’s given me a checklist of things I need to prepare before coming, but do you personally have anything you wish you should’ve brought/should’ve known before going to Japan?
Thanks again for your writing and help!
Mez
April 29, 2013 at 8:33 am
Hey, congratulations! That’s great that you’re going to make it over here. Yeah, getting an apartment is a bit of a hassle. As for where, well, “East Tokyo” is still a huge area; any idea exactly where you’ll be working? I’d try to get a place reasonably close to where you work. No reason to spend an hour every day on the train if you don’t have to. As for safety, I really wouldn’t worry—Japan is ridiculously safe compared to most countries. I’d be more concerned with being in close proximity to a Starbucks, but then we all have our own priorities.
I have to thank you for the inspiration, since your question got me to write up a checklist of things to bring and not bring to Japan. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Best,
Ken
Ken Seeroi
April 29, 2013 at 11:22 am
Thanks!!
Well, so far they’ve told me that I’ll be placed somewhere in East Tokyo, most probably round Ginza, Otemachi, Shimbashi or Tameikesanno? I’ve still got a month+ before I can get an apartment anyway since the visa takes a while to process, but I’m trying to weigh up whether it’s better to pay more and live closer to my studio, or if I should live a little further away where it’s cheaper, but then have to get the train everyday. I’m not too worried about train catching (getting around Sydney via public transport has taught me patience with public transport), especially since Japan’s known for their amazing transport. I’m guessing the subway is the cheapest way to get round transport-wise?
And actually, it’ll be really interesting going back to Japan and noticing Starbucks everywhere – they’ve pretty much all closed up in Australia. I think my top priority is to make sure I get a place near a well-stock konbini so I can run out in my pjs to get late-night snacks.
Mez
April 30, 2013 at 9:44 am
I’ve worked in Ginza, and it’s a great part of the city, with lots of cool things to see and do. However, living close by could be super expensive. You can probably cut your rent in half by adding a commute.
One thing to consider about your commute is the additional walking time. If you’ve got a 30-minute commute, that seems pretty short, but if you have to walk 10 minutes from home to the station, and another 10 minutes from, say, Ginza station to your workplace, then with waiting on platforms and riding escalators and whatnot, it could add up to almost 2 hours a day commute time. That’s what happened to me when I first got here, and it contributed to my less-than-wonderful first experience.
In terms of money, the cost for either the subway or the train isn’t significantly different. You can check prices and times on the Jorudan Train Route site. Also, it’s not uncommon for an employer to reimburse your for the money you spend commuting, so see it that’s available.
As for konbiniance stores, It’s pretty hard to live in Tokyo and not be within sight of one, so I’d say you’re likely to be set there. Congratulations again on your success. You’re gonna have a great time.
Ken Seeroi
April 30, 2013 at 1:11 pm
I just watched a new Japanese comedy that you have got to see. I laughed so hard that I woke up the neighborhood. Its called “Last Cinderella” and its only on the first episode, so enjoy:
http://www.gooddrama.net/japanese-drama/last-cinderella-episode-1
Bud Martin
April 14, 2013 at 5:52 pm
That sounds good. I could use a bit of comedy about now, since I either have to renew my visa in the next week or leave the country. Ah, the joys of being a foreign worker.
Ken Seeroi
April 18, 2013 at 6:36 pm