This Is Japan
Explore everyday life in Japan
Novelty.
Novelty can lead to the enjoyment of some pretty amusing things and, in some cases, things that are not so enjoyable. Take raking leaves for example, a task that is dreaded by many people who live in houses with sizable yards that are surrounded by trees in parts of the world which experience autumn. Generally speaking, raking leaves is looked at as an annual chore, something that must be done, not something that you volunteer to do because you think it will be fun.
This past week, however , I looked out the windows of the school where I was working and saw students raking (and trying to sweep) leaves. It was the first time in over eight years that I had seen, or noticed, anyone raking leaves, and I suddenly felt overwhelmingly compelled to join them.
Since moving to Japan in 2009, I have become accustomed to seeing people bent over half-sized brooms, sweeping the sand, pebbles, and other small debris (which sometimes includes leaves) from the curbs in front of their houses and from their front steps. I have also become accustomed to seeing groups of volunteers pulling weeds from the sides of roads and the walkways that line rivers and cut through parks. In addition, I have become quite used to seeing groups of volunteers walking around with tongs and plastic bags picking up garbage. But people raking leaves, that is something that I can't recall seeing even one time.
Perhaps, this is because I live in a city and the majority of houses near where I live either don’t have a yard, or the yards that they do have are so small that, for all practical purposes, they don’t exist. Perhaps, it is because I just haven't been paying attention. Whatever the case may be, last week, when I saw students outside raking leaves, I found myself running out the door to help and absolutely loving the activity.
Maybe next summer it will be time to finally take a trip to Nagano Prefecture to try the soft-serve ice cream there that is famous for coming sprinkled with soy flavored grasshoppers. If novelty can make raking leaves a refreshing and totally fulfilling experience, just think what it could do to the taste of salty grasshoppers on rich, creamy ice cream.
This is an ongoing series that will explore various aspects of daily life in Japan. My hope is that this series will not only reveal to its followers, image by image, what Japan looks like, but that it will also inform its followers about unique Japanese items and various cultural and societal practices. If you are interested in getting regular updates about life in Japan, please consider following me at @boxcarblue. If you have any questions about life in Japan, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer all of your questions.
You shared a nice description and superb photos.Japan is one of my favorite countries.
Thanks for sharing @boxcarblue
Thanks for reading hamzayousaf. I'm glad you enjoyed my descriptions and pictures.
please add me
Add you to what?
you are japanes
No. I'm American.
I know exactly what you are taking about.
Sometimes I just want to do gardening, just for the pure joy of it. I just need to see some people doing it and my way to work and I would love to change for the day.
And I'm sure I can enjoy raking and sweeping wholehearty as well....
Yeah, break your routine and enjoy the weather. I like having any excuse to be outside and active.
X
I'm a resident. I'm not a citizen.
X
Well, achieving permanent residency really only requires time and maintaining a job while paying your taxes. Acquiring citizenship, as I understand it, requires that you drop your original citizenship. You can't be a dual citizen here, which is asking a lot of people, in my opinion anyway.
It's all good. No self respecting nation state allows dual citizenship . Much less Japan ... Banzaaaiiiii
Strange. I see no reason why any self respecting nation should NOT allow dual citizenship.
After all, we are not in the times where our country is at war with one of the neighboring countries every few years.
Oh bro,yes war is less now but it is always around the corner. .Internationalist approach does not work .It is a bit utopian. Can't have split loyalty can we? What happens when those two nations are at war. Raises a few dilemmas for those holding dual citizenship. And it would be a bit unfair for the country that allowed dual citizenship and still had the 'citizen' pledge allegiance to another country. Some issues that make it a bit flimsy concept.
Well, its a strange concept of pledging allegiance to a country anyway...
Same with loyality. Huh? Why the fuck should anyone have loyalty to an imaginary thing like a country?
Maybe I am just too un-nationalistic to understand such outdated concepts.
I only care how people behave, not what passport they have.
Holy spam city, Batman. Jeeze. This is a wonderful post. The way you described that ice cream makes me want to try it, too. And I also really want to rake some leaves now. Come to think of it, I don't really think I've ever seen it here, either.
Strange, isn't it? And yet not, now that we're used to being here. A lot of places like yards and parks and side lots tend to be left, surprisingly, untouched and not so maintained in the sense of American yards. I was wondering if you had come across that ice cream in Nagano.
Have time for a drink Thursday night after nine?
I hadn't come across it, which surprised me as I go there semi-regularly. Yeah, I would love to man. Lemme check with the missus.
Let me know. It'll have to be a cheap joint though. I just checked my wallet. Payday is on the horizon.
Yeah, I'm scrapin' pennies too, at present.
volunteer work is something very pure..this behavior affects society for a positive way. thanks for sharing.
It definitely does. Volunteering is good for both the doers and the receivers. Cheers!
The art of raking leaves so much better than leaf blowers!
That's for sure. All that noise and the smell of gas. Yuck!
As a person who heve been for 2 days in Japan, I noticed that the city is super clean and the people are very friendly.. I must say that japanese people touched to my heart. They helped me without my demand when they saw a victim tried to find her way in underground :)
People are definitely very helpful here. They often tend to direct you or stay with you until they are sure you have gotten where you need to be or have completed what it is you are doing. I'm glad to hear they have touched your heart.
Wonderfulll...
Thanks. What do you think, would you try grasshopper covered ice cream?
Love their colture :)
It does have a lot of interesting customs.