Perseverance in Japan －日本での忍耐力－ ジャパンタイムズに記事が掲載されました

I wrote an article recently for the Japan Times about the importance of perseverance in Japanese culture. 

The article mentions a colleague of mine who wanted to start studying a martial art at a Japanese dojo.  When he went there to ask about lessons, he was told that he would have to wait to see the instructor.  He had to wait several hours before the sensei emerged.  The instructor told him that he deliberately made him wait so long to test his patience.  He only wanted to instruct students who were totally committed. 

I might try the same thing with my English students.  You can keep ringing my doorbell, but I won’t answer until you have proven your commitment. 

Here is the article: ジャパンタイムズ記事リンク（2021/9/27）

 

Dangerous Words －危ない言葉－

“They verbally attacked each another with Mao’s quotations, making cynical use of his guru-like elusiveness – It was easy to select a quotation of Mao to suit any situation, or even both sides of the same argument.”

From “Wild Swans,” by Jung Chang

 

I once had a friend who said that poor people should not be allowed to have children.  “In that way,” he said, “The number of poor people will slowly be reduced.” 

This friend of mine now works in a bank.  Should someone who has said such a controversial thing be allowed to keep his job?  Shouldn’t the bank fire him for his unacceptable opinions? 

No, they shouldn’t.  It would be especially harsh to fire my friend for his opinion of poor people, because he said it when he was about 13 years old.  He has probably changed his mind since then. 

The trouble is that nowadays 13 year olds’ opinions are recorded on Twitter, or other social networks.  And when they apply for a job ten years later, their most stupid childhood comments may still be visible.  The same is true not just for children, but for adults too.  Maybe in the past people could get away with saying stupid things after having a few too many alcoholic drinks.  Now if they post a stupid comment on the internet after drinking a bottle of wine, the message may haunt their life forever more. 

Even if you say something that is not very controversial, it is easy for another person to take what you have written out of context, to twist the apparent meaning into something else.  I remember reading in the book “Wild Swans,” which describes life in Mao’s China, how dangerous a time it was for writers or poets.  They could be attacked so easily for what they had written. 

A poet might write about how beautiful a sunset was.  Then one of his enemies would attack him, saying that the poet really meant that he hated communism and Mao.  The beautiful sunset actually represented the pre-communist era, and the poet was sad that this beautiful era had ended.  Soon the poet was in a prison camp, or worse. 

If we are not careful, in our own society too it will become too dangerous for anyone to share their opinions, or even to write poetry.  People must be allowed to take risks with words.

 

Vocabulary:

verbally – with words

a guru – a kind of teacher, especially a religious leader or cult leader

elusiveness – a quality of being difficult to catch or capture

to get away with something – to do something without being punished for it

for something to haunt you – for something to be an ongoing source of strong regret (eg. “The accident still haunts me after ten years.”)

 

The Curious Curiosity Shop, part 3 －不思議な骨董屋 パート3－

In parts 1 and 2, the narrator and his son enter a narrow lane, which soon becomes a dead end.  But in the lane there is a strange shop with “Curiosity Shop” written on the window outside.  The blind narrator and his five year old son go inside.  The shop clerk, a Japanese lady, shows them some curious items such as “Bruce Lee shoes” and headphones which play “The Devil’s Playlist.”  The Bruce Lee shoes seem to turn the young boy into a kung fu expert, and on the Devil’s Playlist, rock’n roll stars who have died are singing songs they recorded after their death. 

* 

I took the headphones off in shock.  That’s not a real John Lennon song!” I said.  “The correct title should be Strawberry Fields Forever!” 

The clerk said, “Oh, yes.  Lennon has a wicked sense of humour, doesn’t he?  He recorded Sulphurous Fields Forever as a kind of joke, after he died.  All of the songs on the Devil’s Playlist are versions recorded from beyond the grave.” 

* 

“The Curious Curiosity Shop,” part 3: 

I shivered as I felt a chill pass through me. 

“So you sell music from beyond the grave?” I said, trying to make my voice sound cheerful.  “That is a very curious selection of music.” 

“Thank you very much,” said the clerk.  A little movement of air suggested that she had bowed.  “We pride ourselves on providing our customers with only rare and delicate curiosities, and all for a reasonable price.” 

My heart rate quickened.  “Uh, a reasonable price?” 

“We always match the price to the customer’s ability to pay.  The delights of culture should be for the masses, not just the privileged few with the means to pay.  Wouldn’t you agree?” 

“Who are the masses, Daddy?” asked my son. 

“People,” I said.  “It means lots of people.” 

There was a strange taste in the back of my throat.  Some of the smells of the shop seemed to be seeping into me.  I thought I could taste natto.  I cleared my throat.  “So how much would it cost for, say, an album of John Lennon’s, recorded after his death?” 

“One hour,” answered the clerk.  “Or two hours if you buy three albums.” 

My son tugged my sleeve.  “Are you going to buy the Bruce Lee shoes, Daddy?  I could kick any bad people if I had my Bruce Lee shoes.” 

“Um, no,” I said.  “We won’t be buying shoes.”  I turned towards the clerk.  “Sorry, you said the price was one hour.  What do you mean?  One hour of what?” 

“It’s a fair exchange,” said the clerk.  “One rare and delicate commodity for a rare and delicate finished product.  You may find posthumous releases by artists on Amazon Music or Spotify, but you will not find posthumous recordings.  So we ask for one hour of your allotted lifespan in exchange.  You could listen to one album 100 times, enjoying it for many hours.  And you would only need to pay one hour of life in return.” 

My son tugged again at my sleeve.  “Ask about the Bruce Lee shoes, Daddy.” 

My breathing was unnaturally quick.  I needed a little time to think.  I wondered if I could get the clerk to move away from us for a little while. 

I bent towards my son’s ear.  “Did you see anything else interesting in the shop?” I asked. 

“Um, um, um…  I like the coffee maker” he said. 

“But you don’t drink coffee,” I said. 

“I think your son means the curious drinks dispenser.  Imagine waking up every morning to a steaming mug of mammoth and crouton soup.  Or refreshing yourself during a hard day’s work with dodo consomme.  Perhaps, Sir, your son would enjoy the tyrannosaur pottage?” 

The clerk had found exactly what my son desired.  He started jumping up and down.  “I want it, Daddy, I want it!” 

“And all for only a six months down payment, with a one week rental fee every year,” said the clerk.  “Perhaps you would like to try a free sample, Sir?  I am not a gourmet, but I believe the tyrannosaur pottage is admired for its robust flavour, with just a hint of chicken.” 

“Uh, yes.  A free sample.  Yes,” I said. 

As the clerk shuffled down the aisle to prepare the soup, I called, “We’ll just take a look around the rest of the shop!” 

Switching to English, I said to my son, “Let’s go and see what curious items there are near the door.  I think I noticed something very interesting just inside the door.” 

There was a whistling, steaming noise coming from the curious drinks dispenser, and the air smelled of dinosaur, which is to say a little like chicken.  I felt the welcome mat just before the door. 

“Can I try the tyrannosaurus soup, Daddy?” asked my son. 

“Yes, well, maybe,” I said.  “But only if you read the letters of the sign outside the shop to practice your English.” 

The bell above the door tinkled as I pulled open the entrance to the outside.  I felt the ground start to shake under my feet as my son pulled me out the door. 

“Is it an earthquake, Daddy?” he asked.  The earth was really shaking beneath our feet.  I wondered how badly the ground would shake if a tyrannosaur were to start running towards us. 

“Never mind the letters,” I said.  “Can you find the way out of this dead end and back into Tokyo?” 

“Yes, Daddy,” said my son and he led me at a jog away from the shop.  We soon reached the narrow entrance to the back lane on which the curious curiosity shop was open for business.  As I stumbled through the gap, I felt that the walls on either side were shaking violently.  My son and I squeezed through to the other side.  We heard the toot of a car horn, and lots of other noises produced by a modern city containing millions of people.  The shaking stopped, the little earthquake subsided. 

“Daddy, look!” said my son.  He grasped my hand and pushed it against the wall behind us.  The wall was smooth.  The gap which had led to the dead end and the curiosity shop was gone. 

“Who wants ramen noodles?” I asked. 

“Can I get the dumplings set too, Daddy?” 

We held hands and strode down the Tokyo street.

 

Vocabulary:

to seep – to leak or flow slowly through small holes or gaps

to tug – to pull sharply

a commodity – a raw material such as copper, or simple product such as coffee

posthumous – after death (e.g. The recently deceased artist’s work was posthumously exhibited.)

allotted – given or set aside

to subside – to become less intense or severe

 

The Curious Curiosity Shop, part 2 －不思議な骨董屋 パート2－

In part 1, the narrator, who is blind, and his five year old son go looking for dead ends.  They find a dead end down a small lane in a quiet corner of Tokyo.  The lane contains a curiosity shop, and the two of them enter it. 

* 

So I had my son guide me through the front door and called, “Good day!”

*

The Curious Curiosity Shop, part 2: 

“Welcome,” answered the Japanese lady in the shop.  It’s hard to be very precise with voices, but I’d say that she was in her mid fifties.  And she probably wore spectacles.  Something in her voice suggested spectacles. 

There was a strange atmosphere in the curiosity shop.  It was the odd mixture of sounds and smells.  One moment I was reminded of a museum, noticing a curious scent that I have only smelled in an exhibition of dinosaur bones – perhaps it was some kind of preserving fluid?  In the next moment I was reminded of an organic food shop or delicatessen, with a hint of truffles or fungus in the air.  Then I smelled coffee. 

“What can you see?” I asked my son.  My voice echoed back to me from several angles, as if we were in a tight space, or down a deep hole. 

“I don’t know, Daddy,” he answered.  “Is it a toy shop?  I can see headphones, and books, and shoes.  I think I can see a coffee grinder!” 

The shop clerk walked over to us and spoke.  “Can I speak to you in Japanese?” she asked. 

I said that was fine. 

“Oh, that’s a relief,” she said.  “We have a lot of different curiosities here.  Perhaps you would like me to introduce a few items to you?” 

“I’m not sure if we will buy anything,” I said.  I was a little worried about what the price might be.  If this shop sold antiques, then they would probably be very expensive. 

“Not at all, Sir.  It does no harm to take a look.  Is there anything that catches your fancy?  Perhaps your son has seen something he is interested in.” 

I bent down to my son’s head height to see if he would answer. 

“Um, um, um,” he hesitated.  “Can I see the shoes?” 

“Certainly,” said the shop clerk, and she walked off to fetch the shoes.  I didn’t think my son had made a good choice.  Who ever heard of someone buying antique shoes? 

But the shop clerk came over carrying the shoes.  “I think these will fit your son, Sir.  Perhaps he would like to try these Bruce Lee shoes on?” 

“Bruce Lee shoes?” said my son and I together. 

The clerk put the shoes in my hands, and I felt their shape and material.  They were tiny little things, perhaps small enough for my son to wear.  They were a little like slippers, with a soft, silky material on the outside, and hard, flat soles.  I thought I had better be polite, so I thanked the clerk, and helped my son take off his trainers and put the “Bruce Lee shoes” on. 

My son was very happy.  “Am I like Bruce Lee now, Daddy?” he asked. 

“Yes, they’re very cute,” I said. 

I was about to ask the clerk why they were called Bruce Lee shoes when she asked if my son would like to try them out. 

“Yes, yes, yes!” he shouted.  And so the clerk led us down a narrow aisle to an exercise mat.  She led my son onto the mat and said, “Why don’t you try a few kicks?” 

He shouted “Hiyaa!” and started kicking imaginary opponents.  Strangely, he seemed to be kicking the air with incredible speed.  I could feel a little gust of wind coming from the air above the mat.  I held my hand out and invited my son to give my hand a little kick. 

“Hiyaa!”  My hand was kicked sharply backward, and my palm was stinging with pain. 

I gave a little cry of shock, and the clerk apologised and asked if I was okay. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I said.  “But I don’t think we’ll buy those Bruce Lee shoes.  They seem a little dangerous.” 

“Sorry, Daddy.  Sorry, Daddy!” said my son, as he took off the shoes. 

The clerk was very apologetic, and kept asking if my hand was okay.  She was very keen to find a curiosity that I could enjoy to take my mind off my hand, which was still stinging.  I told her that I liked music and audio books, and wondered if she had anything I could listen to. 

“What kind of music do you like?” she asked. 

“Um, all sorts of music,” I said.  “I like folk music, rock’n roll, jazz…” 

The clerk brightened up.  “I think I have something you will like,” she said. 

Once my son had put his trainers back on, the clerk led us down another aisle to a different area of the shop.  Then she pulled out some headphones.  “Through these headphones you can listen to the Devil’s playlist,” she said. 

“What’s the Devil, Daddy?” asked my son. 

“He’s sort of like a demon,” I said.  “When bad people die, they go to Hell, and the Devil is kind of like the king of Hell.” 

“Excuse me,” said the clerk, and she slipped the headphones over my head and ears. 

I reached out and grasped my son’s hand.  “Some people say that the Devil has the best music.”  My voice was muffled by the thick headphones. 

I didn’t catch my son’s answer, as I was distracted by a familiar voice, which began to speak into my ears.  Elvis Presley was introducing a song from his comeback-comeback album, which he said was called, “Elvis Has Left the Graveyard”.  He started singing something like, “Don’t step on my Bruce Lee shoes!”  I stretched out the headphones so that my son could listen with one ear.  I held my thumb up to the clerk to show that I was enjoying the song. 

Then the next one started and I recognised John Lennon’s voice.  I am a big fan of Lennon’s work, and I wondered whether this was going to be a Beatles song, or one from his solo years.  Then he started singing something called, “Sulphurous Fields Forever.” 

I took the headphones off in shock.  That’s not a real John Lennon song!” I said.  “The correct title should be Strawberry Fields Forever!” 

The clerk said, “Oh, yes.  Lennon has a wicked sense of humour, doesn’t he?  He recorded Sulphurous Fields Forever as a kind of joke, after he died.  All of the songs on the Devil’s Playlist are versions recorded from beyond the grave.” 

* 

Oh, dear.  This really is a curious shop.  Will the narrator and his son be okay?  How did this shop clerk get hold of songs recorded by singers after they had died?  Will this be a dead end for the customers?  Find out in part 3 next week!

 

Vocabulary:

preserving fluid – a liquid which is used to prevent dead bodies from decaying

a delicatessen – a food shop that sells a variety of luxury food items, such as cheeses, salami, ham, etc.

an antique – a rare or valuable old item, such as a 200 year old clock

to catch one’s fancy – to attract one’s interest

to be muffled – of a sound, to be unclear or partly blocked

a comeback – of a singer, a tour, album etc. which is intended to recapture lost popularity

sulphurous – containing or being similar to sulphur, a smelly yellow chemical which can often be smelled around volcanoes

 

The Curious Curiosity Shop, part 1 －不思議な骨董屋 パート1－

“There’s another dead end, Daddy!” 

For some reason, my five year old likes to find dead ends.  He pulls me down side streets, squeezes into narrow passages, forces me to duck under washing lines, and so on.  And all in the hopes of finding a road that leads nowhere, forcing us to retrace our steps. 

So the other day, my son and I took a right turn at a spot where we normally go straight ahead.  And then we took a left partway up this unfamiliar street at my son’s suggestion.  I actually had to twist my body sideways in order to squeeze inot a little lane between two buildings.  I figured that we would soon reach a wall and have to go back.  But oddly, the narrow lane began to widen somewhat, enabling us to walk side by side.  And sure enough, after a minute or so of progress, we hit a dead end.  A brick wall blocked the path forwards, although I could hear traffic not far off on the other side. 

“Yeyy!  We reached a dead end!” exclaimed my son happily.  “Let’s go back to the shop, Daddy!” 

“What shop do you mean?” 

“Over there!  On this street, Daddy.” 

“Don’t be silly,” I said.  “There couldn’t be a shop down this little lane.  There wouldn’t be any customers.  How could anybody find the place?  Come on, let’s go back home,” I said. 

“No, Daddy, you’re wrong!” insisted my son.  “It is a shop.  It has letters on the window.” 

Well, I thought there would be no harm in having my son lead us to the place he thought was a shop, and having him read the letters on the window.  I fully expected them to spell a message such as, “Neighborhood watch,” or “CCTV” 

He started to read the letters aloud.  “C, U, R, I..” 

Eventually he spelled “CURIOSITY SHOP”. 

It was just as well the letters were upper case, since he still has issues with lower case.  And it was also handy that the letters were English, since he would have struggled with most Japanese characters too. 

I wondered if the message was in fact supposed to be “Curious shop” rather than “curiosity shop,” since the shop itself was an oddity.  I thought perhaps this was a shop which mostly operated online.  Or maybe it was some sort of pop up business, seeking to lure a particular clientele, which wanted to be in on the secret.  Such customers probably spent more than window shoppers. 

Just then there was a tinkling of a bell at the door.  A female Japanese voice called out, “Welcome.  We’re open.” 

I could hardly pass on without entering when we had squeezed through the opening to a narrow lane to get here.  It would be embarrassing to hang around the front door and then just leave. 

So I had my son guide me through the front door and called, “Good day!” 

* 

What is this curious little shop which is hiding down a side street in Tokyo?  Who would put a shop in such a difficult to find place?  What kind of curious things does it sell?  Find out in the second part of the story next week!

 

Vocabulary:

a dead end – a street which reaches a wall or obstacle, so that you cannot progress further along it

to squeeze into something – to force (yourself) into a tight space

to duck under something – to lower your body to avoid hitting your head or upper body against a low object, such as a tree branch

a lane – a very narrow back street or side street

neighbourhood watch – an organisation of local residents who help to protect the area by watching for criminals or people behaving suspiciously

CCTV – security cameras

upper case letters – capital letters: A, B, C, etc.

lower case letters – letters which are not capitals, such as a, b, c, etc.

a pop up (business) – a (business) which starts suddenly and lasts for only a short time