When I was in Japan two years ago, I realized that Japanese bus drivers are real pros. They can maneuver in tight spaces and they stop really close to cars in front of them, so whenever I rode the bus, I trusted them, even though I was a bit scared, too.
But, I didn't really have many chances to ride in cars, so I didn't get to really see what drivers in Japan were like. This time, I've been driving with my friend all over the place, so I've had many chances to observe cars. After a decent amount of time observing the drivers here, I have determined that drivers in Japan are crazy.
Why do you say that, you ask? The first reason is the problem with cars parking in the rode. It seems like the road can also be used as a parking lot. For Japanese people, it's perfectly normal, but in the US, anybody that did something like that would be hated and would likely be arrested.
The second reason why I think drivers in Japan are crazy is related to traffic signals. When the light isn't red or yellow, what color is it? If you're American, you'll say green, but if you're Japanese, you'll say blue. If you ask why, I'd say it's a complex issue, but Japanese green lights are closer to blue than the lights in the US, and historically, Japanese didn't have a word for green, only blue. That means that things that are called green today used to be called blue in Japanese (along with blue things, of course). That's pretty interesting, I'd say.
The last reason I think drivers in Japan are crazy is because they are obsessed with backing in to spaces when they park. They are taught to back in when they park, and there are even signs in parking lots that tell them to back in to their space when they park.
Well, maybe drivers in Japan aren't crazy, but to an American, they do seem a little weird.
Two nights ago I went out to an izakaya with a couple of friends to eat and have a good time. (An izakaya is essentially a restaurant that Japanese go to to eat and drink alcohol, normally as a group.) My friends spoke in English, so I was able to relax. I tried many different foods for the first time, but perhaps the strangest was what is called "torisashi", otherwise known as "tori no sashimi", otherwise known as "raw chicken". Most Japanese don't eat raw chicken, so it probably seems strange even to most Japanese.
We went to an izakaya named Aburiya Koubou. It was small, but rather than a weakness, I see its size as a strength. It makes for a warm and intimate atmosphere. Most izakayas tend to be small, although there are large ones as well. I suppose there may be similar kinds of places in the US, but I've never been to any. American places tend to be bigger. In the video above, you might not notice that there is a bit more seating on a second floor, but otherwise what you see is what you get.
One of my friends enjoys drinking, so after we were done eating, he invited me and my other friend to go someplace else to drink some more. Since he is an experienced bar-hopper and my other friend didn't drink anything, I was able to go without worrying about anything. Usually I don't drink alcohol, but I wanted to test my limits, hang out with my friends, and take some good pictures and videos, so I went for it.
Kagoshima is called a rural area (inaka) by most other Japanese people, but seeing as how it is much larger than my hometown of Olympia, I can hardly call it rural. If I were to compare it to another city in the US, I'd say it's closer in size to Tacoma, Washington or San Antonio, Texas. I was surprised by the amount of office workers (otherwise known as "salarymen" in Japanese) while I walked along the street.
Before going back home, we met a couple of Swedish guys and had a short conversation. The two of them said they were traveling around Japan for eight days. One says that it was his first vacation in 15 years! It might seem strange, but we ended up talking about politics and social issues. (;^_^) Maybe that was my fault? Anyway, I hope they have a good time in Japan!
I learned a lot from this experience.
1. I realized that if friends in Kobe ask me to go out drinking with them, I can drink a little without any effects. Drinking alcohol together with others brings people together in most any country, but I think it has particular importance in Japan. If you asked why, I'd say it's because although Japanese people tend to be closely guarded most of the time, when they go out together and drink at an izakaya, they will let down their guard and open up. That's true even if they don't get drunk. You can see it as a designated setting for making friends and getting to know each other more. Of course, it's okay to refrain from alcohol, but I think people who drink tend not to trust those that don't drink so easily.
2. Going to an izakaya alone might be difficult, but it would be a good learning experience. When I looked at Aburiya's menu, I couldn't tell what kind of food they had (no pictures), so I had to have my friends order for me. If I go alone, then I'll need to take my trusty smartphone with me to look up the words.
3. Kagoshima is not a rural area.
4. I don't change much when I get drunk. I was a bit more brave, though. That's to that good old liquid courage, I was able to take some pictures and videos that I might not otherwise have taken. If you're interested in seeing me drunk, I posted a video above with me jabbering on. It's boring, but maybe some people might find it interesting.
From the 11th until now, I've had a few interesting experiences, so I thought I'd write about them.
The first experience is a "foreigner story". On the airplane going from Haneda to Kagoshima, I found my seat next to the window. The Japanese guy sitting in the neighboring seat got up to let me through. That's not strange, but what is strange is that before we took off, he asked a flight attendant if he could sit in another seat (there were a bunch of open seats on that flight), and then he moved. I realized that Japanese people do seem to avoid getting too close to foreigners. I've heard about it, but I didn't really think it was true until I had that experience. Anyway, it was nice to have some extra space!
After I arrived at Kagoshima airport, I went to some of the souvenir shops while waiting for my friend. However, something interesting happened. I noticed several times that people were staring at me. I suppose most people in Kagoshima haven't had a chance to see a white guy with skin as pale as mine!
On top of that, since I've been here, I've met eight strangers, and seven of them have asked me how old I was! Isn't that interesting? More than my name or where I'm from, they wanna know my age. I wonder why? Americans aren't really interesting in other how old other people are, so we don't really ask questions like that.
The one person that didn't ask how old I am was a girl working at an aquarium. When she took a picture of me and my friend, she told us that our pose was a bit like a stage performance pose. After that, she told us that she did some ballet in the past and taught my friend and I ballet poses. Check out the pictures.
