They really missed a comedic opportunity at the bath control panel bit…
43 degrees! That’s cold!
2 Likes
I think the joke behind natto is that nobody actually likes it, yet people eat it anyway.
6 Likes
Who doesn’t love fermented soy beans for breakfast? Yum!
1 Like
She was doing that on purpose. She is quite lovely when not mugging.
Nicely put. I agree with pretty much everything you said. The racism comes from having an insular society and nothing is ever overt. It is an entirely different beast than what you would find in the West.
Though, one thing I want to point out is that in my town there was one family of Korean descent. More specifically, the wife is of Korean descent and was born in Korea before or during WWII and was “brought” to Japan.
I became close friends with one of the “Korean” daughters. At the time, she had never been to Korea, didn’t speak Korean. She was neither a Korean citizen, nor a Japanese one. When she left the country, she had to get a special document and a visa since she couldn’t get a passport.
The worst part is that the town I lived in basically rejected the family. Once a year, the town has a wonderful festival with food, fireworks, and dancing. This family mades a point to leave town for the festival every year.
My friend has since gotten a Japanese passport, and traveled to Korea and has gotten in touch with her Korean heritage now, but for her entire childhood and young adult life, she really had no home. I really felt sad for her.
5 Likes
It’s no worse than marmite and vegemite.
1 Like
There are precisely 1412432983471872364908236410293741263740918273418234 pleasant odors not associated with a brown semisolid foodstuff.
WHY. CHOCOLATE.
WHY?
6 Likes
43 really is too cold for me. I set mine to 46 or 48.
1 Like
I think you are mistaken. Under Japanese law she would have to be one or the other.
It’s entirely possible. The precise history of my friend’s family was not really talked about. I had to piece together the story from different sources spoken in hushed tones.
What I know for certain is that she had to travel to Himeji (the closest city with immigration officials in it) to get a re-entry permit every time she wanted to leave Japan (and this is no longer the case). And also that the small town we lived in did not treat her family well. I don’t know if it was their choice not to participate in the town’s festival each year, but regardless, they were not welcome.
2 Likes
6 Likes
In the past that applied to all resident foreigners. The system has since changed for all resident foreigners.
Good that you realize it may have been a more complex situation. I’ve had some experience with small towns in the countryside here and seen some generational drama that made no sense to me but made perfect sense to everyone there. Then again, I’ve seen that in small countryside towns in the US as well.
1 Like
At my wife’s family house in a small town we still have to deal with the honey wagon. No chocolate smell though.
Funny thing is how those walls apply even between Japanese people depending on sets of circumstances that I can’t always comprehend but my wife assures me are perfectly reasonable. She even gets it sometimes in her own hometown.
1 Like
I’ve tried it three or four times – in an onigiri ball, with egg & soy sauce, and even as sushi, and am solidly not a fan. The Japanese folks I’ve talked to tell me that it’s one of those deeply polarizing foods that people eat “for health” that you either grow up with and have a sort of nostalgia for, or think is gross and just can’t deal with it, like lutefisk or Marmite. (I love Marmite, that said)
6 Likes
Hell, be a mensch and let him be the one who stays in the hotel while you visit!
4 Likes
You take that back, vegemite is the best.
1 Like
More Japan stories please!
I was born in Yokosuka (Navy father) and lived there until I was about 2. I have never been back and I am fascinated.
1 Like
Check out Rachel and Jun’s channel. They have some very interesting stories.
1 Like
It’s a wonderful soup base
1 Like
It is for toast.
3 Likes
