The Year in Review Hesei 18 (2006)

Alas, it’s March 11. 1/3 of my Walkabout is now over, and my Freshman year in this Foreign land is now behind me.

I look back over the year and think about how interesting is has been.

I have learned, for instance:

How to read the years in Japan time, which, if you didn’t know, is different than the rest of the world. This was the 18th year of Emperor Akihito, the 125th emperor of Japan. Emperor Akihito will be known after his death as Emperor Heisei (Don’t ask me, it’s a Governmental thing), and thus the years of Akihito’s reign are known as the “Heisei era” (If your interested, the previous emperor, Hirohito, is now known as “Emperor Showa”, -since he is now deceased- and his Reign, and his era, ended in 1989). The 18th year of the Heisei era ended on December 31 2006 (The Chinese are the ones with a different New Year).

I have also learned that though you folks may call Emperor Hirohito “Emperor Hirohito”, we here in Japan must call him “Emperor Showa” and calling him “Hirohito” is rather familiar and almost derogatory (It’s very much akin to calling President Bush “Dubya”)… Interesting, isn’t it?

This little digression aside, I learned that all official documents are dated “H18” instead of “2006”. And that it is very strange trying to remember when I was born (Showa 47, if you are interested) when I have to put my birth date on official documents.

I learned that Japan has earthquakes, but not 8.2’s every other week… I learned that I suffered from the exact same thing the Japanese suffered from (“Is it true that every American carries a gun and crime is so bad that it is okay to kill people any time you want?”); exaggerated media reports.

I learned that Japan is a beautiful and peaceful country with laws that are just as messed up and confusing as America.

I began to see exactly what kind of power America has over the world, and how little Americans seem to be aware of that…

I learned that police often patrol the streets with their lights on, simply to remind people to drive safely (Something that I’m sure has gotten more than one Japanese person in trouble with the law in the US…). If they want you to pull over, they will say so over their PA system (As an American, I’m completely unnerved when a police car settles in behind me, all of the lights flashing and blinking and then it turns off on a side street, ignoring me completely).

I have seen the silhouette of the great Mount Fuji. But I have yet to go there.

I have become close friends with people from all over the world and discovered that no matter where you are from, people have the same stupid problems teaching a class full of rowdy 10-year-olds.

I have learned that if it comes from the sea, the Japanese will eat it in School Lunch… They especially like things with tentacles…

I discovered that Natto really stinks, and there is nothing you can do about it.

I discovered that shrimp is cheaper here than tortillas.

People only get sick between the hours of 9AM and 6PM and no one ever has a need for any kind of hard-core medicines at any other time.

I discovered that Aspirin is a hard-core medicine.

…So is Neosporin.

I learned that I could say “Histamine Blocker” in Japanese, but I can’t say “Fish”

I discovered that in a culture which is generically reserved and quiet, there is a lot of caring, but you have to be sensitive to it.

I discovered that the absolute-largest-size clothing here is about two sizes too small for me… though there are men here who are as big as I am…

I also learned that the Japanese will eat massive amounts of food, which I (Who is in no way a slouch at eating) cannot match, then they go to the US and talk about the sizes of the servings there…

I learned that to bow was a form of handshake and I learned that it had nothing to do with surrendering your power to another person.

I learned to surrender my power to another person… but with language, not by bowing.

I learned that kids are special, and neat, and harsh, and cruel, and loving, and very, very real.

I met new people whom I will never forget, and with the graduation of my 3rd years, I say goodbye to some people whom I will hold in my hearts forever.

So, with this comes a close to the School year of Hesei 18 (because there really isn’t much left of the year after New Years, the school years here are designated by the year they start in…). I am settled in for another year at my school, and I’m looking forward to even more interesting revelations to share with you.

---Me.