Advantages and disadvantages of living in Japan as an American?

Living in Japan as an American can be a unique and exciting experience that can offer a variety of advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, there are many benefits to living in Japan as an American. For one, Japan is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, and so Americans can benefit from the world-class infrastructure … Read more

Family ties among elderly are breaking in Japan

Japan is losing its grip on traditional family bonds. This is because the economic reality is that many people cannot afford to live. As people in Japan live longer, this puts a serious strain on the economic and welfare system of Japan. The declining birthrate and the fact that there are more elderly people living in Japan today is causing … Read more

Tradition is more important than saving a life?

On April 5th, 2018, a mayor from Kyoto was delivering a speech on a ring at a Sumo competition.

Then without any warning, he collapsed. The man was suffering a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

As onlookers looked confused, an announcement was made asking for “anybody” with medical background to attend to the fallen man.

As some people rushed to the ring to give first aid, about 4-5 of them were women. Some of the women worked immediately to give the man first-aid. One of the woman took off the fallen mans necktie to increase circulation, airway, and breathing while another lady was administering CPR to the collapsed man. From the video at the bottom, it seems they were running the show to helping the man. Then out of nowhere, an announcement was made ordering the women to get off the “sacred” ring.

From my perspective, even when tradition dictates, if anyone is having a medical emergency and people including women have the ability and skills to save life, they should be free to do whatever is necessary to save life.

When this made the news, many people in Japan were shocked and a global debate ensued about the sternness of Japan’s attitudes toward women.  It is shocking to most because in this day in age, in a relatively free society, such hard headed thinking exists in some places in Japan. Some ponder if Japan is really progressing as a nation despite it’s cultural history. Is it?

Japan today can still be a culturally sexist country. In some special cases, I’ve seen the difference in treatment between a man and woman. I’ve seen the sexist attitudes in some families where daughters are not treated equally to their brothers and wives are not equal to their husbands. Not to digress but I want to share a time during a home stay program in which I participated in, the house where I stayed in had a room where no women were allowed to enter. The room was strictly forbidden to his wife and daughters.  One might think he had a stash of crazy porn in there but it was just a typical room with a couch, TV, and some newspapers. So why women were not allowed to enter this room I asked. He said because they were women. WTH?

On the video, you can see a lady applying chest compression to the fallen man.  Fortunately, the man was saved thanks to the early actions by the men and women who helped the man. Life for women in Japan must be harder given the circumstances.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35aIqDTYOD8

Divorce Without Consent

Japan is a bit cold when it comes to divorce. Here’s a vid on how it commonly happens. Fill out Rikon Fujyuri Moushide-sho to your city hall to prevent divorce without consent. Also, if this happens to you, consult with a lawyer or a support office.

Sexual Harassment in Japan

According to a Japanese government report, about 33% of women have been sexually harassed in the work place. Although sexual harassment in the workplace is obviously wrong, in Japan at least, it seems that there is a misconception on where to draw the line when it comes to sexual harassment. Japan is a Bit Different. Culturally and Politically… Most times, … Read more

Christmas in Japan?

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” Hearing this Christmas song playing in my car as I’m stuck in traffic on the Tomei Expressway reminds me it is a special time. It’s the time of year when billions of people mainly from the Western World or from countries with deep Christian values celebrate Christmas as a enjoyable time for family, … Read more

Why You Should Not Buy a House in Japan

Have you even been to a house in Japan? Have you ever noticed how fast home builders erect a house in Japan? Have you ever checked constructions sites that built homes? A house in Japan generally become worthless after reaching the 15~20 year mark. For any person who wants to become a home owner, it takes a lot of responsibility … Read more

Seasons in Japan

Japan experiences 4 beautiful seasons throughout the year. Even though the 4 seasons is a simple natural concept for many, for some reason, people and are not prepared. Let’s start with the basics! Japan is located in the northern hemisphere. Due to its geography, the northern areas experience subarctic weather while the south experience subtropical to tropical weather conditions. The … Read more