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#1: Could you briefly introduce yourself to TKE readers?
Briefly: I’m a half-American, half-Swedish ball of scatterbrained craziness with a love for fashion, music and reading/writing. Yoroshiku! (^-^)/

#2: Why did you choose to come to Japan?
Hmm, well the first time I came over was for a short vacation. That time, it was mainly because I’d made a lot of Japanese friends at uni and was curious about what it was like. The second time I went was to live (Osaka, one year) and that was because I liked what I saw when I visited (plus the friend factor, still). The third time (current!) was for several reasons, the main being that I really missed life/food/friends here and it’s also a perfect base for pursuing my dreams.

#3: Lisa, you understand Japanese very well, but what made you want to study Japanese?
My main motivators have been and will always be that I love meeting and talking with people, and also I just like understanding things and learning in general; whether it’s something I’m watching, reading or experiencing. I get really frustrated when I don’t “get stuff”.

#4: Lisa, you’ve lived in Osaka, Miyazaki and now in Tokyo. How did you like/dislike each area and why?
How is it like to live in those areas?
Wow, well, they’re all quite different, that’s for sure!
Osaka is awesome. I love Osaka. It’s like my hometown in Japan, somewhere I can always go back to and really feel at ease. I still have a lot of friends in the area too. I love Osaka because it’s so lively, people are pretty open and friendly and it’s actually really convenient for sightseeing. From Osaka you can easily get to amazing places like Nara, Kyoto, Shikoku, Himeji castle etc without having to make a long or expensive trip. Of course Osaka is famous for food as well, and I love eating, so that works out quite well too, haha! ^-^
Disliking…Well, Osaka, although a huge city, somehow often seems to come off as second best next to Tokyo, even when (especially, perhaps?) considering job opportunities, which is a shame.

Miyazaki is beautiful. And entirely underrated! More people, both Japanese and foreign should go there! They’ve had a tough time with foot-and-mouth disease and bird flu breakouts, then there was the volcano… ^^; But there’s gorgeous beaches and many historical and interesting places. If you want to learn more about Shinto, Miyazaki’s the place to go. Again, the food there is fantastic. ^^)b
But, Miyazaki is definitely more rural and I was living in the countryside, so it could be quite convenient at times. I drove almost everywhere. There was a lot of freedom in that respect, but sometimes it’s nice to take a nap on the way home after a long journey. Also in terms of shops and concerts (the latter is super important for me!) there wasn’t that much on offer. If you like jazz and reggae you’ll be fine. Rock, less so. And the same as with Osaka, the lack of variety when it comes to job opportunities.

Tokyo. Well, Tokyo is also of course amazing! There’s so much to see and do, and you have virtually everything in one spot. But…it’s not “Japan”. As is the case with most capital cities, it’s not representative of the country its in. I also feel that I have fewer opportunities to use my Japanese more naturally, since people either expect me not to speak it at all, or speak English well enough themselves. For someone studying, it can be a bit frustrating sometimes. Also because Tokyoites are generally a little more reserved than say Miyazaki folk and Osakans, it can sometimes be hard to tell if I’m talking to someone new and they’re a bit quiet. Are they just shy or do they want me to go away? (lol) (See the question about “boys” for the same issue there.)
Oh, and the fact that there are so many foreigners around still kinda freaks me out. Strange, but true.

#5: What kind of Japanese food do you like/dislike most?
I love and will eat almost anything, so that could be a long list! I really love okonomiyaki though, because it’s so versatile. As for snacks, I can’t stop eating mitarashi dango these days, still.
Dislike… there’s not really anything I dislike. There’s stuff that I probably wouldn’t buy and eat myself, but nothing that I really dislike… Although I used to get a bit annoyed at finding anko (red bean paste) in unexpected places! I liked it, I just didn’t like being surprised! (^^;)

FYR, Mitarashi Dango looks like this.

*photo disclaimer: NHK Asaichi Gohan

#6: Do you have any difficulties in living in Tokyo even though you understand the language so well? What is that?
Not really. Most important information is available in English, but most of that I can get by with my scruffy Japanese anyway.
Ohh, sometimes the directional signs in the subway can be confusing. That’s not a language issue though, just a weird “these arrows are *not* pointing in the right direction” kind of way. That or they simply disappear. I usually find my way around pretty easily though.
I suppose there’s a lack of clarity in communication that I encounter here that I didn’t in Miyazaki or in Osaka. Although I realise there’s a lot of subtle cues involved and I can usually pick them up, sometimes people in Tokyo won’t say something or be very vague in situations that I’ve not experienced that before.

#7: Is there any shocking cultural difference that you faced or realized?
Coming to Japan? Hmmm, nothing huge. Occasionally I’ll think “huh, that’s odd” but to be honest, since I’ve moved around so much all my life, I don’t really shock easily, or at least not for long enough to remember it. I suppose the one thing is that guys and girls don’t really hang out with each other unless it’s in groups. Even then it’s most often separate groups of guys and separate groups of girls. It’s kind of a pain for me since usually my close friends are girls, but I hang out with guys more. So sometimes I feel I have to be careful with that since I don’t want to give anyone the wrong impression (i.e. that I’m after someone’s boyfriend or whatever). Which is a bit of a shame, but then the issue’s on my side – s’not really something I can blame on anything/anyone else. It just means I’ve not adapted to it in a functional way yet. ^^
OH! And one more thing…not cultural really but…the lack of insulation. (T^T) Houses are cold inside in winter and hot in summer. This is something I feel shouldn’t happen, even now.

#8: How did you make Japanese friends? Is there any clue or tip?
To be honest, I often just randomly talk to people. I do that at home too, which, of course, will get you weird looks sometimes, but you can’t win them all. ^^
Also, being foreign, sometimes people will come up to me and talk too, especially if I’m wearing something (a designer/band merchandise/accessory/character) they’re either familiar with or think is cute. Chopper’s a good one for that! (laugh) Of course speaking Japanese helps A LOT. I really can’t stress this enough. Of course there are many people who speak English and that’s great, but if you want more chances to meet more people who are interested in whatever you like, you increase your options by being able to communicate in the same language as them. It also makes starting a conversation much easier and people often feel more at ease if they know you can understand a little bit at least.
Not to mention by learning you’re actively showing an interest in the other person’s culture and country. (This goes for any country, not just Japan.)

*photo disclaimer: Lisa’s Ichigoichie Love blog

I also meet a lot of new people at concerts lately, which is a lot of fun! It’s always great to be able to talk about stuff you like and the other person actually knows (cares!) what you’re on about.
I’ve also met some people via mixi (the Japanese social netowrking site), but again that’s been specific to bands/concerts.

#9: Which part of Japan do you want to travel? Why is that?
OKINAWA! I love the ocean, beaches, scuba diving, snorkelling – most of all I love the heat! (When I don/t have to wear suits and such!)
Actually there are plenty more places I’d love to travel: Hokkaido, Ise Shrine, Aomori… Anywhere and everywhere if possible! There are so many interesting places to visit, it doesn’t really matter. I just love travelling. ^^

#10: Any tips or comments for those who want to move to Japan?
Bring with you a half-empty suitcase (you’ll fill it up soon enough), an open mind and if you can, some language skills.

#11: Let’s say you were allowed to bring something back home from Japan. What would you choose?
Easy. A kotatsu! I loved my kotatsu in Miyazaki, but had to sell it for space reasons. It’s completely useless in the sense that once you get underneath it you lose all sense of productivity but it’s sooooooooooo comfortable. And cozy. And social!

Kirin: For more about a Kotatsu, you can read this old post.

#12: What is your favorite Japanese word or phrase and why?
Well, I guess I have to say “ichigoichie” haha! It’s hard to translate the depth of what it means, but basically the underlying meaning is that things (experiences/meeting people/encounters) only happen once, so make the most of it/treasure it. It’s along the lines of “carpe diem”, but not quite the same… ^^; It’s hard for me to explain, but basically it’s a reminder for me to a) treasure my experiences and b) try to do my best every day, because I won’t get another chance and c) live in the now, because the past can’t be changed and the future is still unknown. I feel like that’s a bit on a tangent, but… that’s the general jist of it. ^^
Otherwise I had a tendency to use “?????” a bit too much. It’s a really casual (lazy ) way of saying “Really?”. ^^;

#13: What do you think about Japanese guys? Are they…cute? too shy? childish?
Wow, this could be a whole post in itself and perhaps I’m not the best person to ask but… briefly, yes I think a lot of them are cute. They also tend to dress really well/stylishly, which helps. And since hair is a big thing for me, they also get bonus points for styling that as well. ^^)b
I do have to say that I think a lot of them are too shy though, yes. In situations where I meet several people, I can often be talking with the girl(s) easily for a long time once they realise I can speak Japanese, but with the boys, even after that they can be really hesitant. Or rather, it’s hard for me to judge if they’re shy or they’d rather just not talk because I’m annoying them.
Or they just talk about the person I’m with, who doesn’t speak Japanese, which is odd. (This has happened on quite a number of occasions now and I’m still trying to figure out why, haha!)
Buuut having said that, I’d say Japanese boys are just like boys anywhere else. There’s all different kinds, so it’s hard to say anything really specific. ^^;

===end of the interview===

Thank you Lisa! It was an amazing interview. I prepared all those questions so that she could pick out the ones she is comfortable to answer, but she answered all of them! As for #6 question, I asked her if she could give me some specific examples and here they are.

Example 1: Let’s say Lisa mentions she lives in Tokyo now but before she was in Miyazaki.
When someone hears this, he or she would say, “Miyazaki?? Why Miyazaki? I’ve never been there even though I’m Japanese! lol”
But when it comes to Tokyoites, they would say “Ohh, I see. Where do you live in Tokyo?” (Less reaction!)

Example 2: At 2 offices she works for in Tokyo, Tokyoites do not speak enough. Instead they *points to copy machine or paper* or “Could you do this please? (no
reason given)” Back in Miyazaki, in such case, people said “Could you please make a copy of this/write here (for this purpose)?” When she is asked to do
something, Tokyoites would just point or vaguely indicate with a wave what they wanted her to do/where they wanted her to go. (Less explanation!)

Example 3: Lisa: “Even with some friends from here, I feel often I just can’t tell whether they’re being polite about a subject or actually really interested in it, you know?”

Basically Tokyo (east Japan) and Osaka (west Japan) are very different in many ways. If you come to Tokyo from Osaka, you’ll feel this difference and vice versa. Many Tokyoites dislike Osakans because they find them too noisy, pushy and the mental distance between people is too close. On the other hand, many Osakans will find Tokyoites too posh, unfunny, unfriendly and the mental distance between people is too far. I like Osaka but for example my husband and some of my friends dislike it.

Now please leave your comments or ask Lisa for more if you have a question!

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Also, our society is very strict to those who failed and to those who have blank period of work. Thus, workers who once leave their job cannot easily come back again. Being afraid of this, many Japanese working women tend to get married later and give birth to a baby even later, which should be one of the reasons that accelerates low birthrate.　　

Unlike most of the other developed countries, Japanese society is not helpful to those who raise kids, nevertheless we are suffering from low birth rate. It’s actually chicken and egg. One of the reasons that boosted low birth rate was the environment of the society that made it difficult for women to raise kids. Child care centers are always full, because the number of it is way smaller than the number of kids that need it. Many mothers cannot get back to work when the local child care is full. There should be mothers who give up her carrier “career” only because of this.

Many young women want to develop her carrier “career” in their 20s and 30s so that she should not be replaced by a young employee who may work for less compensation. But when she really enjoys working, she would wonder if it’s worth leaving it. She is not even sure if she can come back a few years later after parenting leave is over. What if child care is not available? What if the company wants someone else for a replacement?

Even if they are lucky at a child care problem, mothers have to take a day off to take care of their kids when they are sick. (Child care does not take care of sick kids.) But such happens repeatedly, the mothers will have troubles with their companies and colleagues. Being unable to do over-time work is considered a minus. Plus, they have to take several days off every time their kids get high fever. Such mom workers will be asked to change positions after all and when they want to come back later, their positions would be replaced by someone else and that person will be too strong and authorized already.

There are even small companies such as editing firms that do not even allow maternity leave or parenting leave. They even limit employees “under 27 single only”. Yes, it’s still OK in Japan to ask age, gender, single or married, with kids or no, at job interviews. We have a certain resume format that is used as a standard, sold at any stationery store and Daiso (100yen shop), and this has a section of all things above mentioned. (See below.)

Japanese CV (standard format)

Above 2 pages are usually connected in 1 pape in a row and job seekers in Japan will buy this sheet, fill it out with no cover letter added and submit it. This is the very first step to apply for a job in Japan. If you pass the filter, you will be asked to come to the 1st job interview, followed by 2nd and 3rd…Those who can reach job interviews are those who passed the resumes. Let me tell you, I had to tell an interviewer at work that I would not get married and so I should not have kids in the future at one of the job interviews 10-15 years ago. Things should be better today, but that’s the story behind this, why women should choose way A: to raise kids and give up her carrier “career” or B: to work fully and develop her carrier “career” without kids or even husband.

In Amsterdam I saw a Dutch couple with 2 small kids leaving home at 8:50 am to go to work/child care. They came back before 6pm altogether. (My hotel was next to their house and I happened to witness when they left home and came back home in the same day!) Such a small thing has become something very difficult (almost impossible) in Japan. First of all, overtime work is something very difficult to be avoided at most of companies in Japan. Also hiring a maid or nanny is not popular at all in Japan. It’s only for the rich, not for the average household.

I think it’s our society and companies that made it difficult for women to have both professional work and kids at the same time. Many mothers end up with a full-time mother or a mother with part-time job that has nothing to do with their profession or carrier “career” and usually requires no special skills that they had before they had kids. Because Japanese companies do not like to hire people who have blank period of work, these mothers will hardly have a chance to come back to their professional job years later, unless they were nurse or something.

You see how inflexible and unfair Japanese working situation is. Unless our society becomes generous to working women and mothers, we will keep suffering from low birthrate and unmarried couples, which will eventually deteriorate the whole country in many ways.

What do you think about this problem? How is the situation in your country? How are working women and mothers in your country?

p.s Sorry for my mis-spelling as “carrier” which I meant “career”! (-_-) I do this all the time and spell check doesn’t work in this case…

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