He was my college classmate.  He was nice, hardworking and methodical....awarded at the commencement by the college president.  However, after the graduation, it seems he had hard time.  I met him somtimes, but wasn't as close as in college.  So I don't know a real reason of his mental breakdown.  Anyway, he was struggled, and committed suicide several years ago, at this season of the year.  His grave is at Kamakura, which is an old and pretty costal city in Tokyo suburb. 

I went to his grave for the first time.  It is in Catholic cemerty.  Before coming there, I thought they should look like American tombs.  Actually not.  They are made of granite, like typical Japanese buddhist or shintoist tombs.

I talked to him for a while,  I miss him and regret I couldn't help him when he was facing  adversity.  

After visiting his grave, I suddenly felt like seeing the ocean.  I had never seen it since coming back here.  So I rode on this pretty small train (Eno-den) running along the beach.

I read this article on a train to my home.

http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fl20050419zg.htm

Fortunately I didn't encounter severe adversity like those stories.  I was in world of acadmia in the States.  Although my research institute has flavors from goverment and private companies, working environment is more laid-back than them.

Still, I am puzzled with stirict hierarchical systems everywhere.  For example, in an academic conference, young faculties are not supposed to raise their hands to speak out.  Only already renowned older facuties are encouraged to speak.  This is nonsense custom.  Nevertheless, many young people just obey the rule and keep low profile.  

Yesterday I went to Tower Records near my hometown.  I was looking for some imported CDs from the States.  I basically never buy Japanese edition.  Reason (1) Imported ones were much cheaper. (2) A jacket on imported one looks cooler than the Japanese edition.  There are not as many imported ones as in Barns & Noble, but I cannot complain about it.  My dissappointment is...imported ones are now not as cheap as used to be.  While newly released labels are cheaper than Japanese edition(but still $15-18), standard lables are...now almost as pricy as Japanese editions.($20-24)   More worse, Japanese record industry successfully introduced new copyright restriction called "importing right" from this year.  (More stories at  http://www.21coe-win-cls.org/rclip/activity/e_index4.html ).

Lawmakers and the industry say imported CDs from Western countries are not targetted by this new law.  However, the future is worrysome.  Western imports are already expensive enough.  If the new right is enforced on them, joy of browsing imported CDs will be doomed.  Japanese record industry is not so weak.  That's why they circulated an copy-restricted CD and prevented improvement of music download business. 

Pronunciation: Ma-ru-no-u-chi

This is the most prestigious business district in downtown Tokyo.  This area is located between Tokyo Station (central station) and Imperial Palace (former Edo castle).  There used to be mostly offices and no fancy boutiques or restaurants at all.  It used to be so quiet in the weekend.  But thanks to several redevelopment projects in last several years, now this area has another feature as a fashonable shopping district.

I admit the area has become fancy; it's fun to hung around.  However, when I come across with signs of big and famous companies on and in front of the buildings, they give me a sort of pressure.  That makes me feel I am not supposed to hung around, but work or study.

So I end up going to my office today...  

I went down to the campus to collect some materials.  This college campus is located in south of downtown Tokyo, and top of a small hill.  There are a couple of old ginkgo trees at the center of the square.

After coming back from the States, the campus looks so smaller and prettier than used to be.  When I was an undergraduate student there, it looked larger.  In those days the majesty of campus represented authority of academia.  Now I am a challenger to the world of academia.      

I found that wide ties are now in fashon among Tokyo office workers.  I guess those fashonable ties have a narrow end which is wider than used to be.  Actually there is no visible big difference in a wide end, but a knot is apparently bigger.  Were wide ties poplar in the States?  No idea.  Most people are office casual out there, so there were not enough samples around me. 

After three years of expatriation, my all ties...10 something...are out of date.  Colors and patterns are okay.  So I tried to make the knot as big as I can...but in vain.  Guys' fashion is detail-oriented like that.  Say, a jacket has 2 front buttons, or three; shape of shirt collars; pants have one pleat, two, or none...such and such.  One woman told me she often wondered about office attire, because there is no definite standard like mens'.  I understand it.       

もう少々大きな声で話してください。(Speak a little bit loudly, please.)

There were several meetings in my office.  In those meetings secretaries gave us information session about housekeeping matters, i.e. health insurance benefit, how to use in-house library, etc.  I notice that Japanese women tend to speak in small voice at this kind of occasion.  I didn't notice it before going to the States.  In fact Japanese women speak louder when they chat with their friends. (we can notice when we ride a commuter train.)  As another story, professional types of women (i.e. attorney, professor, manager, etc.) speak as loud as men.  However, secretaries at companies speak like a mosquito.  I guess this is because of traditional social expectation to women...like women shouldn't be noisy, should be more moderate than men.

Many Tokyoites are allergic to pollen.  It seems disposable 3-D paper masks are in trend.  (People here don't hesitate to use mask, just for minor cold, etc.)  There are lots of misteries about pollen allergy...at least for me.  More people are allegic now than used to be.  When I was very young, I didn't see such friends or teachers at all in school.  Urban areas are worse than rural areas, even though the latter has more pollen from nearby moutain.  So is it related to air pollution?

Fortunately I don't think I am allergic to pollen.  However, I have some uncomfortable symptoms since coming back here.  I am not sneezy, but eyes are itchy while I am in downtown...probably because of air pollution.  In addition, I am so sneezy in my bedroom which haven't been used for several years.  I guess this is because of house dust allergy or something. 

お花見: typical event at this time of the year.  Japan is tolerant to drinking in public spaces, so people can enjoy drinking and eating under cherry trees, let alone watching cherry blossoms.

Last evening I went to ohanami with my colleagues.  We didn't have a party under the trees, but walked through a famous park along old Edo castle, with grabbing a can of beer...hahaha.  Then our group went to a izakaya (居酒屋).  This is a kind of tavern, but there are many kinds of appetizers(おつまみ)　more than American taverns.  I assume we need more foods with drinking because our liver is not as strong as Americans.

Humm...many people smoke here  Their favorite topic is a golf.  They drink a lot.  I am getting overwhelmed by Japanese Oyaji cultures!!  I cannot believe I was just a student with jeans and a daypack until 10 days ago. 

I confess that was my first eat-out after I came back here.  Ramen shops are here and there in Tokyo.  I went to a very unique shop.

Ramens have lots of local flavors.  Most ramens are based on one local flavor, like Hakata, Wakayama etc.  The ramen which I had last weekend was...well, their hometown is Tokyo.  However, it is completely different from a typical Tokyo flavor.  Thier taste is too unique.  The shops are called "Jirou(次郎）."  It was not a franchise, but now there are 10 something branches in Tokyo region.  The taste is...oily, salty, lots of meat and veggie, thick noodles, and probably MSG.  These words sound nasty, but actually it is so good! (well it depends on people)  I really liked it when I was in college; you can save one or two meals thanks to huge volume.  Hahaha...  This is not an entry-leevel ramen.  It's advanced course. 

I was in one of the least sweating city in the States, but now in the city which has notoriously hot and humid summer.  It is still beginning of the spring, but I can detect humidity, especially indoor.  Sweating is such an uncomfortable act...especially I don't like stuffy air in a crowded space like a commuter train.   

In addition, here I have difficuty in controlling my curly hair.  It is miserable on a rainy day. When I was in the States, the hair looks fine by just blowing it by a hairdryer after shampoo.  That is not sufficient; I need styling liquid, foam etc.   

There was drinking social at the end of the 1st day.  I almost passed out because of severe jet lug, but attened it and talk with several people.  I saw several unique local protocols for this kind of party, such as Kanpai, San-bon Jime,  Pouring each other is an important thing.  Basically you can't refuse pouring from elder people, and youngers should do for elders.  I quickly drunken and missed foods.

I re-realized Japanese offices are full of "Oyajis" (more politely, Ojisans).  Oyaji means Dad, and Ojisan means an uncle, but can be used to call middle-aged (like 40-60) men in general.  We have equality law, but still actual hiring practice allows kind of segregation by distinguishing secretarial and managerial jobs.  Former women, latter men.  Back in the States, majority of my supervisos were women.  Such situation is quite rare in this country.

Finally I am back.  I didn't expect many "counter-culture shocks". but maybe it was wrong.  At Narita Airport, I embarassed trying to close a door of a taxi.  I forgot almost all Japanese taxis have an automatic door.  When I got off, I was confused because I tried to calculate a tip, which is not necessary here.  Hahaha...but they are just manners.  I may encounter real culture shocks for the time being.

In my room I found an old book which is like "Japanese business manners 101."  I read it and was shocked.  I had remembered them, but I felt some local business manners were now kind of new to me!  I am not a brand-new freshman who just graduated..  They will expect me as an experienced businessperson who is supposed to know all.  Tomorrow will be a showdown!  Ahhh...I am nervous!!    

I will leave tomorrow.  Both sweet things and bitter ones happened here...but all-in-all, I do love this country.  I will miss every little thing and my good friends in the States.  I regret I don't have enough vocabulary to express my feeling.

I was hunging around the town to get several things done.  Every scene recalls some memories...what a wonderful world, and beautiful life here!  I am not a Christian, but can understand why they thank God in this sort of situation.    

I am a bit wondring how to manage this blog after leaving, but I will keep it on somehow.  In the middle of flood of Japanese, it is tough to keep my English proficiency.  I need some obligation to use it...the blog is a relly good opportunity for that purpose.  And of course, it's good to communicate with you...wherever you are!    

One couple, my best friends held a farewell party for me.  To my embarassment, I had done a terrible mess-up to them.  Nevertheless, they treated me a nice dinner and gave me a lot of gifts.  I am so blessed to have such a generous and thoughtful friends like them.  This occasion reminded me of the story of a priest who gave up his silverware to Jean ValJean.  I must live a life with the same mercy given by the friends. 　

Literally I am just like him (Luke 15:31-32)  I messed up many things, but some peolple in my country are waiting for me.  I am so blessed.  Lots of gratitudes for them.

He is a Korean guy who is as old as me.  Now he is one of very few freinds who are in town and know me since my arrival at this town.  I had a dinner with him last night.  We enjoyed authentic Korean foods and chatting at his apartment.  His cooking was awesome!   We don't have amy special bond other than the fact we are in the same program.  However, he is really a nice buddy whom I can be frank and share lots of thoughts with.

He will also go back to his country soon, and keep working on the project like me.  Nowadays it seems there is a sort of bad mood between Korea and Japan on a territorial dispute, but I believe our friendship will never change.  

Yesterday I saw many people were in green.  I went down to a pub with my Japanese friends.  A pub waitress asked us why we were not in green.  Sorry, we don't have any green clothes in our closets.  Green is a difficult color for us.  Concasians have some green elements in their blond, brunet or black hair.  Ours have more red elements than greens.  I have various colors of ties, but not green one.  Dark green is still OK, but light green is really tricky.      

One good thing in the States is we can pay most of businesses without cash.  I don't like to bring a lot of cash.  But if I live in Japan, sometimes I need to do so.  It's a really cash-based society out there.  The first thing which Japanese bank tellers and bankers learn is how to count a pile of bills correctly and quickly.  We hardly use peronal checks.  Wire-transfer is pretty popular, though.  I sometimes delivered piles of bills as a part of my job.  In this country it probably seems like a drug dealer!  My employer used to pay my salary by cash.  This is not so rare in Japan.  I felt interesting when somebody told that an employer paying salary by cash is unreliable, because that may be a sign of s/he is doing illegal business or tax evasion.  That really makes sense here.  Again I was never employed by an illegal business in Japan! 

Actual ones have already begun to fall...