Umbrella

Japan totally has a lot of rain. Rainy season begun yesterday around Kanto area. If you live in Japan, it is essential to have umbrella in rainy day. From June to the end of July is usually rainy season in Japan. We call it “Tsuyu”. Tsuyu is very humid. I think almost Japanese don’t like rainy season. It is especially horrible in commuter trains or buses during rainy season.
And a lot of typhoons hit Japan end of July. They bring big disasters every year. I have heard that Japanese consumption of umbrellas is No.1 in the world. We often have folding umbrella. They are very light and small. It is convenient to put it in our bag. And we can buy simple and cheap vinyl umbrella at convenience stores or pharmacies now. These vinyl umbrellas have been broken by strong wind and thrown away after storm. A lot of vinyl umbrellas have changed to wastes on the streets. And umbrellas are one of things that people frequently leave in the bus or train after rain.
When we look down the street from the heights at the building, colorful umbrellas look like beautiful flowers.

Mito Komon - Jidaigeki

Elder people like to watch Jidaigeki in TV. Jidaigeki is a period play and a kind of entertainment.
The title "Mito Komon " is the most famous and popular Jidaigeki and character in Japan. Mito Komon is an actual person in Edo period. He is a member of Tokugawa family. Tokugawa family is the sovereign in Edo period. This program is series drama and periodically has been on air every Monday night about for forty years.
This drama is like road movie. The story is fiction and so simple. Mito Komon is an old man and has some followers. He travels with them around Japan masquerading as merchant party. Main followers are two strong bodyguards, Suke-san Kaku-san, beautiful ninja, Ogin, male ninja, Kazaguruma(pinwheel) no Yashichi and funny guy, Hachibei. Almost Japanese will know these characters.
They stay a town for a while and there is definitely a trouble there. He investigates it and the party heat bad guys. They are almost powers or officers (Daikan) in the town or village. They torment with the commoners or poor people.
The biggest highlight in this drama is a scene in last 10 minutes. Kaku-san put out "inrou" after battling with the villains. Inrou is a kind of small case with a crest. Mito Komon's inrou is "Aoi" (geranium) crest for Tokugawa Shogun Family. Kaku-san shouts showing this inrou to everyone, "Look at this crest. He is Mito Komon " Everyone has thought he was just a normal retired, however, the people including villains are surprised with confession and know that he is a Mito Kokon. After the confession, everyone grovels before Mito-Komon.
This climax of drama is always same but dramatic for the audience. They wait for the scene. That is to say, they want to see that justice always wins and villains are beaten.
One season of this drama is for half a month. If you stay in Japan for one year, you will definitely be able to see Mito Komon in TV.
This is the title song. (It is well known song for us.)

Green Tea - Ryokucha

We frequently drink tea, English tea, Chinese tea, other leaf tea, etc. We customarily drink green tea, Ryokucha, every day.
A lot of kinds of green tea in vinyl bottle or can are sold in supermarket or convenience store. You will be surprised at the variation in Japan. We can drink easily outside now. It is a remarkable item of Japanese food culture. And it is essential for our life.
The taste is a little bitter but pleasant. Green tea is suitable for whatever foods, I think. I feel relief when I drink green tea. There are a lot of kinds of green tea, sencha, matcha, houjicha, genmaicha, etc. It is different for the use and how to enjoy. You can know this.
How to draw hot basic green tea.

1. Put the hot water into the teacup. (This is to measure proper quantity for drink.)
2. Put about green tea leaves of 3 grams per one person into the pot for green tea, Kyusu.
3. Put the hot water in the each teacups into the pot. (This is to cool hot water.)
4. Wait for a few minutes until the leaves are opened. Don’t shake the pot.
5. Put tea in each teacups little by little.You can drink twice or three times by same leaves. If you draw tea at the second time, you should put into hot water. (You may not cool it.)

Normal Japanese teacup, Yunomi chawan, don’t have a handle. Because it is for feeling moderate heat to drink. Green tea oxidizes easily for shot time. So you had better drink soon.
We realize the good effects on green tea for our health again. It is very healthy drink. These are deodorized and antibacterial effects. If you have a chance, I recommend that you try it.

Tatami

Now almost Japanese houses are western style, the room with carpet or flooring, sit down sofa, eat foods sitting down chairs, sleep on the bed, etc. However, there is one Tatami room in almost houses. I think that it is special for Japanese people.
We can relax better in Tatami room. In case of general Tatami room, there is a low table there. We sit on the Tatami mat and eat something or talk with family. When someone visits and stay in the Tatami mat, there is a special thin cushion, Zabuton and we arrange it.
You can see the life on Tatami room in old Japanese movies, for example Yasujiro Ozu film. It is comfortable to nap without Futon on Tatami mat on holiday. The hardness of it is suitable for a nap. The line of Tatami is sometimes marked on our face at a nap. It is very funny. However, Tatami mat is a token of calm Japanese daily life.Tatami is made from rush. New tatami is especially unique and good smell. When I walk on the Tatami mat, I feel calm. There is a proverb. New Tatami and wife is better.
When you would stay in Japanese style hotel, Ryokan, you would spend the comfortable time on Tatami room.

Kotodama - Otsukare-sama and Okage-sama

We often say that a soul (Tamashii) inhabits in the words and phrases. We call it "Kotodama"in Japanese.
There are some words of phrases that express thanks and appreciation. I show you two words, Otsukare-sama and Okage-sama.
"Otukare-sama" is used when co-workers go away from work or co-worker goes back to the office. We can say only “Otsukare-sama” to co-worker. Japanese “Tsukare” means tiredness. So we imagine the co-worker’s job will be so hard and he (she) probably must be tired after work. And we say “Otsukare-sama to the co-worker in order to express our thanks for their work. The word is very short. But it has the meaning of compassion or appreciation. It is used frequently and one of colloquial formula.
About another word, “Okage-sama” , we haven’t heard it recently in Japan. It is a greeting word and very Japanese like. I like this word. Okage in Japanese basically means the grace or help of all of things, Buddha or someone. We can say as good and bad meanings. When we have some troubles or disease and we could solve these troubles or the disease cures, we say it to someone as beginning words. Okage-sama expresses appreciation for all of things that bring the solution. I heard “Okage-sama” the other day in TV. An old farmer used this word for his abundant harvest in his interview. I have forgotten the word. I keep my mind that I live safely and happily now by the grace of all of things. It is by Okage-sama.
I want to say good "Kotodama" every day.

Southern All Stars

Now a lot of fans are sad to hear the news now. Southern All Stars is a very popular and super Japanese band. They declared the pause to play as a band recently.
The lead vocal, Keisuke Kuwata composed every songs and almost of them have been in the charts. We always call the band “Southern” (Japanese pronunciation is "sazan".) as abbreviated name.
“Southern” has played for 30 years and people especially love his love songs. The fans or not will have sung his songs once at Karaoke. I am one of them. He has husky voice. I like his voice. We are touched with the melody and his lyrics and our experiences overlap. His songs remind Shonan Kaigan (shore) and their various (sweet) memories for his fans. Shonan shore is one of surfing spot in Kanagawa prefecture near Tokyo . Some songs are based on this place. The fans used to go to the sea with boyfriends or girlfrend listening to sazan's songs in the car.
“Katte-ni Sindbad“ was a debut song and very sensational thirty years ago.
“ Itoshi-no Ellie” is one of the most famous song in Japan and was covered as English version by Ray Charles , “Ellie my love”.
“Tsunami” was super hit song in 2000. We are sad to not be able to hear Southern’s performance for a while, however, the songs are alive in our mind.

Taking off shoes

When we enter our house or stay in Japanese style hotel, we definitely take off our shoes.We distinguish outside from inside.
We think that the shoes are dirty. This means the ground outside is not clean. Therefore, we think entering the house putting on the shoes is dirty. I hesitate that I sit down the street or ground directly and putting on my bags or food on the ground. You might think that it is too nervous. Recent some young Japanese people do these actions without hesitating. I think it is not good manner. Almost Japanese will agree with my opinion.
Our houses have a space to take off and put on shoes in front of the door, is called Genkan and shoes box aside.
Japanese feel relief at first after taking off our shoes when we arrive at home and we can relax in our house. Taking off shoes is as if to release our tension or tiredness in daily life. I can't relax putting on shows in the house or room from a sanitary standpoint. We don't get used to put on shoes in the house or room .
Good manner for shoes is to arrange them to be able to put on the shoes soon and easily when you go out . If someone visits our house, we will arrange the guest’s shoes. Also, if you visit other people’s house, you had better arrange your own shoes.
I think taking off shoes in the house is good custom. Would you try to feel at home without shoes in your house ?