Navigating Japanese Culture

Zack got off of work on Friday and we all headed off base into the city...we rode to the main gate on the bus and it just happened that this was the bus the housekeepers take from the Lodge back to the city.  Almost all of the housekeepers are 30-50 year old Japanese women....and they all absolutely love Noah.  They stop and play with him..talk to him in English and Japanese...and just pick on him.  So..the bus ride to the gate was entertaining with the housekeepers playing with Noah...there is one in particular who Noah really likes and she gets down to his level and talks and plays with him.  She sat behind us on the bus and we saw her again today when she came to clean our room.  She cleaned our room and then took a few minutes to play with him in our hotel room.  That day I spent my usual blogging time(Noah's nap time) downloading handy apps for Zack's phone...a translator app, currency exchange rate app, and a dictionary app...this one also allows me to write in the Kanji(one of the three written forms for Japanese writing)...it then tells me what the Kanji means.  I programed...Does this contain peanuts, nuts, or nut-based oils...and my son is allergic to nuts into the history of the translator app.  With this we were armed and headed out to eat at our first Japanese restaurant.  We headed a little further out than before and visited More's City...this is a clothing related mall, which has dedicated floors for food.  We headed to the eighth floor and picked out a restaurant.  They were all nice restaurants and a few traditional restaurants(where you sit on a pillow and take off your shoes when you enter...we're going to do this when we have a sitter for Noah).  We entered and were greeted with the statement...No English.  This would be a test for all of us and for the apps on the iPhone.  In Japan, it is completely standard to have pictures of the food on the menu and to advertise your food outside of the store with plastic replicas.  So...we pointed on the menu and I brought up my food allergy questions on the iPhone and handed it to the waitress.  She told me ni, ni-no no.  I ordered us water in Japanese, mizo.  Our food came and Zack cooked it at the table.  Noah did really well and we were thankful.  I have heard that the Japanese population is decreasing and this seems pretty consistent to what we have seen...not many pregnant women or children around Noah's age....and these children are just not seen...a lot of children around 2-3years old are out.  We did see a few babies when we were out today, though.  Our food was done and we ate with chopsticks at the table.  Zack was a natural and I struggled a bit...but was able to eat pretty well.  Noah put down his fork and wanted to eat off of the chopstick!  The waitress however did bring us some forks just in case we couldn't do the chopsticks...and she giggled when she handed them to us.  LOL  Towards the end of our meal the restaurant became more crowded and had many couples doing supper out on a Friday night.  We saw a few women wearing kimonos and the traditional wooden sandals.  Those are two of the items on my buying list...I want to get a kimono and the wooden shoes that actually fit me.  We headed back to the base and started the bedtime routine.  Noah took almost a 2.5 times longer nap than usual and he was not ready to go to bed.  While we were struggling to get Noah to go down we experienced our first earthquake.  Zack was laying on the bed and he felt the bed shake.  I was standing and only heard the mirrors hitting the wall and the ceiling mounted AC shake...we are on the first floor.  It was over pretty quick and I looked up later that it was a 5.3...located 50ish miles north of Tokyo. 

This morning we headed to Misawa Park located about 15 minutes by walking from the main gate.  It's located on the water...and there is a museum ship from the turn of the century...and the park also does a water show in the afternoon.  We decided not to do the ship today and wait until we could do it without Noah being along.  It makes me nervous to be on a ship where if he starts yelling and screaming(which Japanese children do not)...and then be stuck on the inside on a tour.  So...rather than making a cultural mistake we'll come back at another time.  Noah was asleep in the stroller and we headed out to find some food.  We found a great Chinese restaurant and were able to eat most of our meal before Noah woke up.  When dining out at a restaurant in Japan...the waiter or waitress will bring you a hot moist towel.  You use this towel to wipe your hands and face off before dining.  This was also done on our flight when we were close to Japan.  In smaller restaurants there is a button on the table that you push when you are ready to order or need to speak with the waitress...pretty nifty thing.  We ordered off of their English menu and ate our yummy food with chopsticks.  Noah woke up and waitress brought him a glass of orange juice, which he enjoyed...and an older Japanese couple sitting across from us enjoyed watching him.  We told them hello in Japanese(konichiwa) and they told Noah bye-bye when they left.  We actually had to say bye to everyone in the entire restaurant as they were all talking to Noah in Japanese and they telling him bye-bye(in English)!  He also gets touched a lot because it is good luck to rub a baby or small child's head.  He gets his back, head, hands, arms, legs and just about everything touched when we are out in the city.  Noah hasn't reacted negatively yet towards anyone...he enjoys the attention but often turns into shy guy.  We've noticed the Japanese love to talk to him...I am sure it's not just him...but we haven't really seen any small Japanese kids out and about.  When we were out with Dixie and her 5mth old daughter we got twice as much attention from people walking down the street...people coming up and checking out the kids...smiling...and then bowing to us.  We then headed down to More's City and checked out some clothing places.  I found two shirts that can also be used as maternity shirts.  I just love the clothes and shoes here and will enjoy shopping at that mall!  Also at this mall they were handing out small packs of tissues with their business' name and info on it...this is a way of advertising but also a necessity because not all restrooms have toilet paper!  Zack was loving the food...and he said his mouth was watering just looking into the windows!  We were melting from the heat and headed back to the base to rest.  The entire time we've been here it's been clear skies and hot.  I am thankful that the rainy season decided not to happen but I'd take a few clouds!  We paided our first bill to the Lodge...we pay in 10 day periods and then Zack turns the paperwork into the Navy...we then get paid back.  We also did the laundry and just hung out.  Noah fell asleep almost two hours earlier than usual...partly because of this short nap and because being off base and in the heat just wears him out...and wears us out!  The decision to get an iPhone was the best option...it's so nice just to be able to type in the question or statement and then hand them the phone to read in Kanji!  We've successfully navigating shopping and dining out this weekend...and it all went well considering that we didn't understand them and they didn't understand us...or they knew a few English words to give us an idea of what they were trying to tell us...it's kinda interesting to shop or dine because they still talk to you in Japanese like they would any regular customer even though they know you don't understand a bit of what they are saying!  We know a few of the major words and I am sure that we'll learn a lot more and hopefully some Kanji as well!

Here is the link to the pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.732399753333.2206263.47209158&l=d87dfa91e9

Here are a few cultural "things" that we are aware of when we are out in town..I am sure there are tons more that we'll learn along the way!  This is a culture that is full of improper behavior and rules!

It is improper to eat in public...such as eating a snack while walking down the street.  It is also improper to drink and walk down the street.  There are vending machines for drinks along the street but the items are bought and then you find a place to sit down before drinking.

It is also improper to argue or be cross in public.  This would embarrass the person in public.

It is a HUGE no no to stick your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice because this is similar to incense being burned at a funeral...as is passing food from chopstick to chopstick.  It is a cultural thing here to share the food you have ordered...however the food is put on a plate and then passed...this is because at funerals bones are passed in this manner into a urn.  It is also improper to mix the rice into the dish if it was not prepared in that manner...this is considered barbaric.  It is also improper to pick through your food dish...you don't leave certain food in the bowl and eat the rest...also better to eat everything on your plate than to leave some behind.

It is improper to look an elder man in the eye...this causes him to be uncomfortable and possible embarrass him in public.

There are TONS of rules about bowing...and the degree of bowing and what it means.  Generally non-Japanese people are not expected to know the ins and outs of this...just doing a bow is doing well.  We have seen Japanese natives bow when opening their stores, leaving the front of the storefront and going into the back area, when they are in your way and general things like that.  Zack and I just do a head bow for now...but the Japanese bend at the waist when they bow.  We do it to say thank you(arigatou), I'm sorry, excuse me type thing...or if we are around an elder man and might have stepped on his toes somehow.

It is improper to point and a big no no if someone might happened to be standing in the direction of your finger!

It is improper to count your money to stare at it too long when someone gives you change.  This is a culture that prides itself on honesty(no crime..we leave Noah's stroller outside of stores and it will be there without a doubt when we return)...or to do anything to make the other believe that you don't believe they are honest.