Impressions from Japan

Japan has one of the lowest crime rates. If you forget your phone in some public place, there is a good chance you will recover it. Four-year-old school children will use the public transport to go to school by themselves. Even though in public places usually no trash cans can be found, the cities are still exceptionally clean. Very rarely will pedestrians ignore a red streetlight, even at the smallest streets. Whenever you enter a restaurant, you’re given a small towel (oshibori) to wipe your hands. Their high tech toilets allow you clean your bottom with an adjustable jet. 

Japanese people value politeness. They will avoid making a fuss. Whenever people working for train companies leave a car, they bow their head as a sign of respect. The same is true of people ushering you into an elevator or greeting you when you leave an elevator (yes, at times people are employed for that). You are expected to be quiet in elevators (there are signs) and not talk on the trains (there are spoken messages reminding you). They are also extremely disciplined. Trains leave on time. If a plane arrives before the scheduled time, boarding will not start earlier. You can also not check in at a hotel before your check-in time. If a restaurant is full, you can find waiting lists outside. Eating outside of your home or a restaurant, is frowned upon. 

However, politeness and discipline does not necessarily always imply being welcoming and open. You may find signs at certain venues that only Japanese guests are welcome. The owner of the APA hotel group, Toshio Motoya, denies Japanese WWII atrocities and has stated (and after criticism retracted) that Jews control the US. On a train, the places next to people who are not Japanese are often the last to fill. At the train station you can hear: “If you find any unattended item or suspicious person, please notify station staff.“

The society is rather old. About one third of the population is older than 65 and only 12% is younger than 15. Yet, the society is surprisingly childlike. The Grindr alternative, 9monsters, uses gamification. You need to breed monsters in order to connect with others. Manga-like cartoons explain rules in public. In cities you often find garish/neon street signs.

In a survey of people ages 18-34, 70% of unmarried men and 60% of unmarried women are not in a relationship. Some surveys find that 42% of mean and 44% of women admit to being virgins. So-called sexless marriages are rather common. People do feel lonely. Many people turn to Otaku culture which encompasses anime, manga, video games or computers. There are experiments to use robots to combat loneliness. 

It is surprising how few homeless people one gets to see in the cities. If one fails in whichever way, suicide is not uncommon. Status symbols are not uncommon including Ashton Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini (more in Tokyo than Kyoto).

The western influence is also visible in Japan. When people get married, they hire an actor to dress up as a priest and perform a Christian wedding in front of themselves and their guests. You can even see “fake” Christian churches where these expensive services can be booked. 

Like other countries Japan has suppressed minorities such as the Ainu. 

Fruits are surprisingly expensive in Japan. Fruit plays a very different role in Japan. In many parts of the world, fruit is eaten as an everyday snack, but for Japan, it is regarded as a precious gift given to someone you want to impress, show your gratitude to, or wish well. 

Essen in Japan

Kaiseki (懐石) oder Kaiseki-Ryōri (懐石料理) ist ein traditionelles japanisches Abendessen in mehreren Gängen. 

Ein Izakaya (居酒屋) ist eine typische japanische Bar oder ein Restaurant. Der Name Izakaya setzt sich aus den Wörtern “i” (居) und “sakaya” (酒屋, Sake-Laden) zusammen. Rote Laternen (aka-chōchin) vor der Bar zeigen an, dass es sich um ein Izakaya handelt.

Eine Tachinomiya ist eine Steh-Bar (tachi, “stehen” + nomi, “trinken” + ya, “Laden”), in der ebenfalls Sake verkauft wird.

Sake-Brauereien kann man leicht anhand von Sugidama identifizieren. Dabei handelt es sich um einen Ball aus japanischen Zederzweigen. 

Okonomiyaki (jap. お好み焼き) ist ein japanisches Gericht. Okonomi bedeutet “Geschmack” oder “Belieben” im Sinne von “was du willst”, und yaki bedeutet “gebraten” oder “gegrillt”. Traditionell wird Okonomiyaki am Tisch auf einer heißen Eisenplatte (jap. Teppan) mit einem Spatel gebraten. Japanische Pfannkuchen.

Takoyaki (たこ焼き oder 蛸焼, gebratener Krake) ist ein japanisches Gericht aus Weizenmehl und Oktopus. Es wird in Form einer Kugel (etwa so groß wie ein Tischtennisball) hergestellt. Es ist typisch für die Kansai-Region.

Teriyaki (Kanji: 照り焼き) ist eine Kochtechnik in der japanischen Küche, bei der Lebensmittel mit einer Glasur aus Sojasauce, Mirin und Zucker gegrillt oder gebraten werden. Das Wort “teriyaki” leitet sich von dem Substantiv “teri” (照り) ab, was auf den Glanz oder Schimmer durch den Zuckergehalt in der “tare” (タレ, Soße) hinweist, und “yaki” (焼き), was auf die Kochmethode des Grillens oder Bratens hinweist.

Tempura ist eine beliebte japanische Kochtechnik und ein Gericht, bei dem verschiedene Lebensmittel in einem leichten Teig frittiert werden. 

Sashimi ist eine japanische Delikatesse, die aus dünn geschnittenen rohen Fisch- oder Meeresfrüchtestücken besteht. Diese Stücke werden normalerweise auf eine ansprechende Art und Weise auf einem Teller angeordnet und oft mit Sojasauce, Wasabi und eingelegtem Ingwer serviert.

Ein Bento (弁当, bentō) ist eine abgepackte Mahlzeit (oft das Mittagessen) in einer Box.

Noren-Vorhänge vor einem Geschäft zeigen an, dass dieses geöffnet ist.

Osmosis

Osmosis is the diffusion of water (the solvent) through a semi-permeable membrane down its concentration gradient. If a membrane is permeable to water, though not to a solute, water will equalize its own concentration by diffusing to the side of lower water concentration (and thus the side of higher solute concentration).

For two different solutions concentrations separates by a semi-permeable membrane, osmosis equalizes the water concentration. OpenStax, CC 4.0, no changes

Instrumentos

Membranófono: Instrumento musical cuya vibración se produce en una membrana tensa (también parche) hecha de piel o de materiales sintéticos (e.g. tambor).

Idiófono: Instrumento musical que tiene sonido propio porque usa su cuerpo como materia resonadora (e.g. triángulo).

Aerófono: Los instrumentos de viento o aerófonos son una familia de instrumentos musicales los cuales producen el sonido por la vibración del contenido de aire en su interior, sin necesidad de cuerdas o membranas porque solo requiere de la vibración del aire (e.g. saxofón o trompeta).

Cordófono: Instrumentos musicales que producen sonidos por medio de las vibraciones de una o más cuerdas, usualmente amplificadas por medio de una caja de resonancia (e.g. violín).

How to love in a relationship

  • Self confidence to become happy without another person. The less you rely/need your partner, the better the relationship. 
  • Don’t demand from your partner to give you comfort, support, warmth. Find it in yourself. 
  • Don’t try to change your partner instead ask: Could you coach me and let me know when I fall back into unhealthy patterns?
  • It’s better to love than needing to be loved back. 
  • To love someone is a gift. To be in love is a decision. 

A London holiday

The best way to stay out of people’s business is to know what this business is.

Where would I put a finger?

Gemma is really a bit second tier.

You can’t do cocaine with a broken nose. So I asked my maid to give me a booty bump and she quit.

– I didn’t want Adam dead.
– Then why mention him in my presence?

Seven Principles of the United Nations Treaty on outer Space

1. The exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries.

2. Outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all states without discrimination of any kind, on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law.

3. Outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.

4. The celestial bodies shall be used by all States Parties to the Treaty exclusively for peaceful purposes.

5. The establishment of military bases, installations and fortifications, the testing of any type of weapons and the conduct of military manoeuvres on celestial bodies shall be forbidden.

6. States Parties to the Treaty shall pursue studies of outer space and conduct exploration of them so as to avoid their harmful contamination and also adverse changes in the environment.

7. All stations, installations, equipment and space vehicles on the celestial bodies shall be open to representatives of other States Parties to the Treaty on a basis of reciprocity.