Culture at Work
Cross-Cultural / Japan
Culture at Work
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November 12-13, 2008Crossing the dateline on the full moonBehind us the moon
The clouds lifted when we crossed Siberia -- spectacular mono-color brown and white: snow-covered sharp edged mountains, ice sheets, twisty river/glacier deltas, and NO visible signs of human incursion. Coming down over Japan, we flew right over the rugged mountain coastline of the district I lived in 30 years ago and I could pick out all the little villages and towns and mountain roads! It's the first time I ever saw it from the air. Google Map of the Iwate coast. Omoto is just south of my village Tanohata, and north of the main harbor town to the south, Mikayo. Flikr has many photographs of the spectacular Kitayamazaki cliffs (part of Tanohata).
The women's toilet stall has an infant seat. 
This man's job is to say to each passenger "You must be tired" (= goodbye) and help get their luggage onto the escalator for the train platforms. Notice the white gloves, labels, arm bands, and other uniform accoutrements! 
November 14, 2008A low-key day
November 15, 2008Dance Workshop day oneWell cats and kittens, I left my camera at the dance hall tonight so no pictures for a day or two.(We'll be back there tomorrow morning but I may not have an internet connection after I leave this hotel.). We had about 75 attendees in a large, sunny carpeted (concrete floor) room 14 stories up. About 8 men, and no one under 45. What's amazing is that 8 years ago there was only one small group of English Country Dancers in Tokyo. Now they're turning people away. 80 year old Ikema-sensei is a persuasive organizing force! Most of the women who participated in the 2007 San Francisco trip were there, and many had brought me photos and "a little something" including a handwoven shawl and handmade carrying bag, some dance books, origami, hand-embroidered pocket towels, fresh strawberries, and I'm not sure what all else. I taught in a comic mixture of Japanese and English and for the most part they understood. Demonstrate, demonstrate, demonstrate! The level of dancing is quite high -- they learn patterns and adjust to the music and space quickly. And were quite willing to dance the more vigorous tunes. Dinner was a pleasant restaurant meal with 6 participants -- chrysanthemum leaf salad, savory custard, and ikura (orange fish eggs) & salmon over rice. Afterward, I gave a 30 minute talk about Culture & Country Dance, more particularly "Why do Japanese and Americans like to dance 'other' people's dances?" A many-faceted topic, it turns out -- fun to think about. Maybe someday I'll post my thoughts. Not tonight though. We've all returned to the hotel and after the Japanese bath (ahhhhhh....) it's party time! Japan: articles & information
The author, Jenny Beer, has taught about Japan / US relations and intercultural communication in both academic and corporate settings, learning about Japanese organizations from the inside during while working in rural Iwate province and a decade later in Osaka . |
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It's an ancient tradition to write haiku at the full moon. One came to me as we were crossing hours and hours of cloud cover over the Artic, brilliant sun flooding in the plane window. Later we circled a while over Tokyo,and while the other side of the plane saw an orange sunset behind Mount Fuji, our side got a glimpse of the full moon that had followed us across the pacific.
The trains were full of people dressed in somber colors, all neatly groomed, many sleeping. A gift-laden and tired honeymoon couple returns.
This woman across from me crimped her eye lashes and applied make-up -- a bit out of line for Japan too.
The sad urban creek which flows next to the business hotel where I'm staying.
Here's another picture of service -- the information desk at the department store. Employees often work in pairs.
Below, on the ground floor, two women in work aprons greet each customer entering the department store's supermarket. Across from them a woman bows to customers as they exit.
The university where we'll have our dance workshop tomorrow has it's own nursery school. Mothers are picking the girls up after lunch. Note the British-style school uniforms. The women in smocks are student teachers.