How do you know, that you have been living in Japan for some time already... You wake up in the morning before 6am to a quite a large earthquake, well at least one that you can feel, and your husband asks you "should we wake up the kids and go under the kitchen table" and you both look at each other and say no, it's not that big one... Seven months ago, I would have freaked out, as you can really feel the house shake, but I guess having experienced a few of them already, and a bit bigger one, it wasn't that scary anymore...
As my studies have progressed really quickly, our time is Japan is soon coming to an end. We have all had a great time in Japan, and if the houses here were more like the houses in Finland, I could easily see myself living here for the rest of my life. Obviously there are many things that I miss about Finland and have come to appreciate more during our time here, there are just so many things that I love about Japan.
Before we came here I had some romantic idea of living in "Zen" and meditating everyday while in Japan. You know, the way that one would picture living in Japan be like meditating by a Japanese Zen garden 😅. But after the first few weeks I soon noticed that this will not be the case, as the fact is that life is pretty much the same everywhere. We still carry on with our day to day routines, albeit in a different country. Evening routines continued the same, as dinner had to be prepared and dishes washed. Although our daily diet has changed from potatoes to rice 😅. We bought a rice cooker during the second week of being in Japan, as we heard that everyone must have one. And to be honest, it was the best thing we ever did! We love our rice cooker! The rice in Japan is also so much better than the Uncle Ben's rice that we had in Finland... Now I can have rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner and still don't get tired of it as it is so good. We would like to bring our rice cooker back to Finland but after looking into it, we soon realised that these devices are only made to be used in Japan, so they will not work in Finland...
I think Tara is really happy about going back to Finland a bit sooner than we had originally planned. Her 4th grade will be finished here soon and 5th grade would start in April, so it gives her the chance of going back to her school in Finland for at least a few weeks before the summer holidays. Ciarán, on the other hand, has thoroughly enjoyed his time at Tohoku International School. He has made some really nice friends here, so I'm sure he will miss them. Patrick will finally have normal office hours, so he will appreciate that. Due to the time difference he often goes to bed after midnight and has meetings late in the evening/past midnight, so not really the best time for the human brain to function effectively and be creative...
I am excited about going back to Finland, but at the same time a bid sad leaving Sendai. I will miss many things here. As a shopaholic living in Japan has been a quite a challenge. There are so many thousands of shops, all catering for women. And the Japanese fashion is almost like tailor made for me. These days I dress up like a local (almost middle aged) mother. Sneakers, long dress and a cardigan (at least like a local in Sendai 😅). So comfortable. I have also met so many inspiring individuals here - some are my sensei's and some locals whom I have had the privilege to meet and hear about their experiences of the 2011 disaster. Some of the parents from Tara's class have also been so friendly and welcoming and it has really helped Tara to fit in and make friends here. I've been amazed at people's attitude about life and about their ability to adjust to challenges. Japanese seem very flexible - although they like to stick to rules, these can also be bent sometimes. Sometimes I think this is lacking in the Finnish culture - as we are literally the comma fkers 😂.
Although the Japanese may seem reserved and quiet, they are curious to learn about Finland 😀 and seem to value us Finns highly. Although there are obvious cultural differences, I have observed also many similarities. For example, I don't feel awkward living here as I am not afraid of silence (whereas my husband, being London-Irish, dreads this side of both of the cultures 😂...).
Things that inspire me in Japan:
- Shintoism and the way that Japanese people view life
- How nature is appreciated
- Quietness, no talking on your mobile in the train/bus... And the fact that I can talk, when I feel like I am contributing into something in a conversation and stay quiet when I feel that I am not...
- Places to quieten down and to do some appreciation, mindfulness and mind clearing, like temples and shrines, are everywhere
- Cleanliness is an important part of the Japanese culture. No litter anywhere (on the other hand no bins either)
- Taking pride in what you do - this can be seen in the way that jobs are done, i.e. cleaning. Not that many places in the world where you can go to a public toilet in your local Familymart or 7 eleven to find it in immaculate condition!
Things that I don't like or do not agree with:
- Nattō beans 😓😅, which are traditional Japanese fermented soybeans. Apparently you either love them or hate them...
- On a more serious note though, that there is just too much hierarchy (in the society etc.)
- Too much hidden meaning - no one says what they mean. As a foreigner (or Gaijin) I am obviously forgiven a lot, and have most likely insulted many by being too direct...
- That washing machine only uses cold water! I mean come on... I haven't been able to get any stains of children clothes...
- I feel like people are judged by their cover, i.e. the way that they dress and especially when you are a Gaijin. I choose not to dress up or use make up as I feel some degree of freedom in doing so. I haven't for example worn high heel shoes for 7 months already, now that is very abnormal as my shoe collection back at home in Finland only consists of high heel shoes 😅. My husband has also experienced a lot of negative behaviour directed at him as he likes to dress down here also, only using tracksuit bottoms and trainers. He has been wearing suits ever since he was 4 years old, so this is quite liberating for him as well. "Suit people" in Japan therefore treat us as if we are lower class citizens, you can see it in the way that such individuals look at you, treat you in queues etc. Purely based on the way that we look. I don't like this attitude of "judging a book by its cover". I feel that too much emphasis in the Japanese culture is put on the outside/physical appearance and think that they should open their hearts to maybe try to see the individuals inside these "shells"
- That tattoos are a taboo.. Having a tattoo and living in Japan is interesting... I have no problem in admitting to anyone that I have a tattoo. As I am quite proud of it. After all, it is part of me. I had it done when I was 17 years old, so it has been a part of me for 20 years already. Here, you will be treated differently for having one. You may be refused entrance into an onsen or other public areas (in hotels etc.) for having your tattoo visible. I can't believe that in this day and age, such attitudes still exist. I have heard the stories of why this is the case, but I am not buying them. No one should be treated any different just because they have a tattoo. We have been lucky as we haven't been refused entry anywhere yet, but we haven't really used clothing that shows our tattoos either, to be respectful...
I will miss the mornings or afternoons that I've spent at Starbucks or other coffee houses studying Japanese. Obviously it is something that I could continue to do in Finland, but I would feel weird for just ordering my morning latte from the counter and then sitting down for several hours... It's just maybe not considered as normal in Finland, but in Japan that's what everyone does.
As my studies have progressed really quickly, our time is Japan is soon coming to an end. We have all had a great time in Japan, and if the houses here were more like the houses in Finland, I could easily see myself living here for the rest of my life. Obviously there are many things that I miss about Finland and have come to appreciate more during our time here, there are just so many things that I love about Japan.
Before we came here I had some romantic idea of living in "Zen" and meditating everyday while in Japan. You know, the way that one would picture living in Japan be like meditating by a Japanese Zen garden 😅. But after the first few weeks I soon noticed that this will not be the case, as the fact is that life is pretty much the same everywhere. We still carry on with our day to day routines, albeit in a different country. Evening routines continued the same, as dinner had to be prepared and dishes washed. Although our daily diet has changed from potatoes to rice 😅. We bought a rice cooker during the second week of being in Japan, as we heard that everyone must have one. And to be honest, it was the best thing we ever did! We love our rice cooker! The rice in Japan is also so much better than the Uncle Ben's rice that we had in Finland... Now I can have rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner and still don't get tired of it as it is so good. We would like to bring our rice cooker back to Finland but after looking into it, we soon realised that these devices are only made to be used in Japan, so they will not work in Finland...
 |
| Our rice cooker |
I think Tara is really happy about going back to Finland a bit sooner than we had originally planned. Her 4th grade will be finished here soon and 5th grade would start in April, so it gives her the chance of going back to her school in Finland for at least a few weeks before the summer holidays. Ciarán, on the other hand, has thoroughly enjoyed his time at Tohoku International School. He has made some really nice friends here, so I'm sure he will miss them. Patrick will finally have normal office hours, so he will appreciate that. Due to the time difference he often goes to bed after midnight and has meetings late in the evening/past midnight, so not really the best time for the human brain to function effectively and be creative...
I am excited about going back to Finland, but at the same time a bid sad leaving Sendai. I will miss many things here. As a shopaholic living in Japan has been a quite a challenge. There are so many thousands of shops, all catering for women. And the Japanese fashion is almost like tailor made for me. These days I dress up like a local (almost middle aged) mother. Sneakers, long dress and a cardigan (at least like a local in Sendai 😅). So comfortable. I have also met so many inspiring individuals here - some are my sensei's and some locals whom I have had the privilege to meet and hear about their experiences of the 2011 disaster. Some of the parents from Tara's class have also been so friendly and welcoming and it has really helped Tara to fit in and make friends here. I've been amazed at people's attitude about life and about their ability to adjust to challenges. Japanese seem very flexible - although they like to stick to rules, these can also be bent sometimes. Sometimes I think this is lacking in the Finnish culture - as we are literally the comma fkers 😂.
Although the Japanese may seem reserved and quiet, they are curious to learn about Finland 😀 and seem to value us Finns highly. Although there are obvious cultural differences, I have observed also many similarities. For example, I don't feel awkward living here as I am not afraid of silence (whereas my husband, being London-Irish, dreads this side of both of the cultures 😂...).
 |
| Osaki Hachimangu shrine in Kunimi, Sendai |
Things that inspire me in Japan:
- Shintoism and the way that Japanese people view life
- How nature is appreciated
- Quietness, no talking on your mobile in the train/bus... And the fact that I can talk, when I feel like I am contributing into something in a conversation and stay quiet when I feel that I am not...
- Places to quieten down and to do some appreciation, mindfulness and mind clearing, like temples and shrines, are everywhere
- Cleanliness is an important part of the Japanese culture. No litter anywhere (on the other hand no bins either)
- Taking pride in what you do - this can be seen in the way that jobs are done, i.e. cleaning. Not that many places in the world where you can go to a public toilet in your local Familymart or 7 eleven to find it in immaculate condition!
Things that I don't like or do not agree with:
- Nattō beans 😓😅, which are traditional Japanese fermented soybeans. Apparently you either love them or hate them...
- On a more serious note though, that there is just too much hierarchy (in the society etc.)
- Too much hidden meaning - no one says what they mean. As a foreigner (or Gaijin) I am obviously forgiven a lot, and have most likely insulted many by being too direct...
- That washing machine only uses cold water! I mean come on... I haven't been able to get any stains of children clothes...
- I feel like people are judged by their cover, i.e. the way that they dress and especially when you are a Gaijin. I choose not to dress up or use make up as I feel some degree of freedom in doing so. I haven't for example worn high heel shoes for 7 months already, now that is very abnormal as my shoe collection back at home in Finland only consists of high heel shoes 😅. My husband has also experienced a lot of negative behaviour directed at him as he likes to dress down here also, only using tracksuit bottoms and trainers. He has been wearing suits ever since he was 4 years old, so this is quite liberating for him as well. "Suit people" in Japan therefore treat us as if we are lower class citizens, you can see it in the way that such individuals look at you, treat you in queues etc. Purely based on the way that we look. I don't like this attitude of "judging a book by its cover". I feel that too much emphasis in the Japanese culture is put on the outside/physical appearance and think that they should open their hearts to maybe try to see the individuals inside these "shells"
- That tattoos are a taboo.. Having a tattoo and living in Japan is interesting... I have no problem in admitting to anyone that I have a tattoo. As I am quite proud of it. After all, it is part of me. I had it done when I was 17 years old, so it has been a part of me for 20 years already. Here, you will be treated differently for having one. You may be refused entrance into an onsen or other public areas (in hotels etc.) for having your tattoo visible. I can't believe that in this day and age, such attitudes still exist. I have heard the stories of why this is the case, but I am not buying them. No one should be treated any different just because they have a tattoo. We have been lucky as we haven't been refused entry anywhere yet, but we haven't really used clothing that shows our tattoos either, to be respectful...
 |
| Nattō beans |
I will miss the mornings or afternoons that I've spent at Starbucks or other coffee houses studying Japanese. Obviously it is something that I could continue to do in Finland, but I would feel weird for just ordering my morning latte from the counter and then sitting down for several hours... It's just maybe not considered as normal in Finland, but in Japan that's what everyone does.
 |
| Studying at Starbucks |
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