Why Japan?

As I’ve been asked so many times recently, “Why Japan?” Well, the most basic reasons are spelled out by the title of this blog and give a good idea about why Japan has always been so high on my list of places to visit.

First: Nihon Ryōri, or traditional Japanese food. Simply put, I love food. I love to cook. I love to watch chefs cook. I love to read about food. Most importantly, I’m fascinated by international culinary culture. (And yes, I do love Anthony Bourdain and his style of travel food writing). I’ve been to the great culinary capitals of Europe (Paris, Rome, Vienna – though sadly not yet Tuscany), but never to Tokyo or Osaka. How can I say I love to travel and love world cuisine without visiting one of the greatest food cultures in the world? I would argue that the only country which respects its national culinary tradition to the same obsessive level would be France (and believe me, I never had a bad meal in France, even when just getting a quick snack in Paris). So, of course I would need to get to Japan as soon as possible. And, yes, eating Fugu is pretty high on my list of things to do in Japan!

Next: Yakyū, or baseball. I can be pretty picky about which sports I can sit through without getting distracted (I still can’t sit through a whole Celtics or Bruins game), but I love baseball. And baseball in Japan is a whole other world. I’ve seen many games in at a few different MLB stadiums, but I want to see how different the baseball culture is in Japan. I’ve read that the fans are even more obsessed than Red Sox fans or even British soccer fans, so I’m going to have to see that for myself. But what I’m really interested in is the idea of baseball, America’s pastime, viewed, instead, as Japan’s pastime and how that makes it different.

Last: “Tokyo Story,” a 1953 film, and arguably the best work by my favorite Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu, who was famous for portraying everyday life of Japanese middle- and working-class families. If possible, I’m even more obsessed with film than with food. I love world cinema, particular getting to watch a new film in its native country (I will never forget watching “Der Untergang” while in Berlin back in 2004). And, like with food, Japanese cinema is considered an integral part of its culture, though I will be interested to hear if anyone around my age would have the same love of classical Japanese directors like Ozu or Akira Kurosawa.

So that’s it. My interest in Japan boiled down to the three basic – and fairly trivial – elements: Nihon Ryōri, Yakyū, and “Tokyo Story.”

That’s why Japan.

2 Months to Japan

So, I've been accepted to teach English in Japan with the JET Program. I know I will be in the Fujui Prefecture (a largely rural area in central Honshu, the main island). And that's about all I know. I still haven't been told where I will be within the prefecture or in which grades I will be teaching, but hopefully I'll find something out before I arrive in Tokyo!

As of right now, I have almost no knowledge of Japanese -- My (mostly useless) vocabulary includes: the basics (Konnichiwa, Dōmo arigatō, sushi/nigiri/sashimi), Watashi wa Amerikajin desu ("I am American," which will be pretty redundant coming from me), and various words learned by watching far too much Travel Channel: Fugu (the infamous dish of potentially fatal pufferfish), Kuidaore (excessively eating to financial ruin), and Getemono (bizarre, adventurous foods). Oh, and of course Gaijin, or foreigner. I'm guessing I'll hear that a lot due to all the stupid cultural mistakes I will be making.

I'll update again when I'm a little less clueless about next year!