私の未来に向けては永遠に日本で住みたいと思う。日本がこの短い７年間で俺のこころのふるさとになりました。

Never in a million years would I have believed I would be living in Japan. Blind luck seems to have brought me to this place that has made itself a home in my heart. Wait...that sounds wrong...

One of the main reasons for setting up this blog was to capture the ordinary life in Japan. The small mundane things that happen each day that make life here so extra ordinary. 

各写真は日本の生活説明のジグソーパズルピース

Early on in my stay here, this is three weeks in, I am driving to school and see all these small first graders walking to school…on their own. This was in a small village of about 3000 people so I was not so surprised. That was until I found out that this scene repeated each and every day. Across Japan. In big and small cities alike. 

It is not really the fact that they walk some distance to get to school come rain or shine that is so startling. I think it is how an entire society colludes to allow this happen. So many small things have to happen in order for each first grader to march out the front door with confidence.

子供たちが学校までに自分で歩いて来てのがビックリだった!

I think this, more than anything else, has brought me to appreciate Japan more and more each day. This sense of societal cohesion that seems to facilitate life here. Like watching an intricately choreographed ballet where everyone is in step. 

日本の社会はバレエ演奏を見てると同じくらい綺麗だ。

This is not to say that life here is not hard. There is a price to pay for everything and the price one pays here is that the self is seconded to the needs of the group. There is a “way to be” here and that makes it really difficult to belt out that rather famous Frank Sinatra number. I think also coming from a place where our own culture was destroyed by colonialism, it is all the more novel to live in a place with such a strong culture. My worry for Japan though is that as with all things, the culture gets taken for granted and is then gradually lost. 

人間は文化がどれほど大切であるか実現してない。

This notion of “The Wa” is woven tighty into the fabric of society here and everyone seems to know each delicate “demi plié” and “brise” that is required to keep this performance looking as polished as it does.

For the most part I am still very ashamed most of the time. I feel like I am that guy who walks on stage half way through wearing shiny gold hammer pants doing a poor imitation of the running man. To their credit the people in my community are very patient and let me tire myself out or flit gracefully around me.

このダンスはまだ出来ませんなのに。

So what is special about Japan? It is not one thing. It is not anything overly spectacular.  It is everything. All the small ordinary little things, which happen each day, that make up this extraordinary experience.

優雅な踊りはたくさんの小さなや些細な動作で達成されている。