Tim Patrick's Blog, page 6

The Crime of Carrying Scissors in Japan

Weekly reports of mass shootings out of America are worrying. But the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzō in Nara a few weeks ago reminded everyone that such things aren’t limited to the United States. It is for that reason that Japan has laws against carrying scissors.(6 more paragraphs)

Banking Woes for Foreigners in Japan

A core requirement of many grown-up activities in Japan is having a savings account. But there are some adults—law-abiding, financially stable Japanophiles—who not only don’t have a Japanese bank account, they are forbidden from getting one. These aren’t hardened ex-cons or members of the criminal underworld. Rather, they are ordinary immigrants approved by the Japanese government to reside in this country.(14 more paragraphs)

Overcome your Fear of Speaking in Japan

So, you want to overcome your fear of speaking. I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I’m not referring that kind of speaking, the kind of victory that Japanese language learners crave. I myself have been hovering around the intermediate level of Japanese for more than a decade, and even after living in Japan for a few years, I still approach every shop clerk with fear and trembling, wondering what fresh mistake I am going to make this time. So, no help there. However, ...(5 more paragraphs)

Renew Your Driver’s License in Japan

When I first arrived in Japan, getting a driver’s license was a piece of cake. I moved from a place that had a full reciprocal agreement with Japan concerning such licenses. Once I provided the basics like my name and address, showed them my ID, took a quick vision test, and paid the fees, I became the owner of a shiny new Japanese license. I didn’t even have to take the behind-the-wheel test or the written exam. Jealous?(21 more paragraphs)

The Kinds of Doctors You Find in Japan

Japan has the highest life expectancy of any country in the world, averaging 84.62 years (according to 2020 data from the World Bank). It also has a reasonably priced healthcare system, with insurance picking up seventy percent of most doctor bills, bills that are already surprisingly affordable. And yet, medical care in Japan is complicated, mostly because all of the doctor signs are written in Japanese. How do you find the right clinic?(13 more paragraphs)

Visiting the Little Museums of Japan

Japan is famous for its rich and enduring culture. And hey, you can’t just keep all that culture bottled up. You need to put it on display. What better way than to put some of it in a museum for people to enjoy. About three years ago, I visited the oldest and largest museum in Japan, the Tokyo National Museum (東京国立博物館). It was massive and chock full of amazing artifacts. The part I remember the most was a special exhibit in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of Emperor Heisei’s enthronement.(10 more paragraphs)

World History is Different in Japan

This past Sunday, I visited an English-language church in Tokyo. After the main service, they had an adult Sunday school class where the teacher spoke in part about the First Jewish-Roman War. Starting in 66AD, near the end of Emperor Nero’s reign, the conflict saw the destruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem by the Roman army. I remember as a youth watching the television miniseries Masada, which depicted one of the final battles in this seven-year war.(6 more paragraphs)

Which Week Is It Here in Japan?

When you move to Japan, especially from the West, you quickly learn that whatever you used to call “normal” is more correctly named “normal for my culture.” The default for many things—actually, for basically everything—is entirely different from what I assumed to be standard in the United States. The side of the road you drive on, the number of volts coming out of the electrical socket, the number of holes in that socket, the availability of gallon-sized containers of milk—in almost any area of life, “normal” is different here.(6 more paragraphs)

When the Honeymoon with Japan is Over

When foreigners first move to Japan, they typically enter the “honeymoon” phase. During those first months or years, “God’s in his heaven—all’s right with the world!” The food, the culture, the anime and manga, castles, bullet trains, Mount Fuji—the particulars of what is lovely and moving about Japan vary by person, but the impact during that initial stay is profound. And then, invariably, it ends abruptly.(7 more paragraphs)

What’s with Japan’s Secretive Train Conductors?

On the train line I ride most often, most of the stations are above ground. But there are a handful of underground stops with a tunnel on each end. I have noticed that at the stop just before the tunnel, the conductor will get off his perch, turn around to face the passengers through the cabin window, then suddenly lower the window blinds, completely cutting off rider visibility into both the driver’s cab and the oncoming tunnel. It makes you wonder: What sort of nefarious things are going on in that tunnel?(5 more paragraphs)