My favourite things in Japan

Happy New Year readers! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are holding fast to your resolutions as we begin February.

This post will focus on some of my favourite things I brought home to Canada from Japan. I figure if Oprah could boast about her favourite things, then why can't I?

I can't compete with the Big O's Organic Grow Kit, Scented Fire Starters or a Poinsettia Flower Pot Cake, but hopefully you will be interested in some of the items I've chosen.



1) HANKO (Seal)
A hanko is a personal stamp used in lieu of a signature. This stamp is used for personal documents, work contracts, art, bank statements, among other things. Since my name is lengthy (10 letters in my first name alone), I liked the concept of stamping my name instead of writing it. Japanese have their surname on the stamp but considering my name isn't Japanese and doesn't have any Kanji characters, they used  Katakana letters for MARI  マリ. I very rarely signed for things in Japan with the exception of my cell phone contract. I'm sure there is a risk of Hanko fraud as a stamp would be easier to duplicate than a signature.

マ MA is the top character and RIリ is the bottom.

2) MIMI KAKI (Ear pick)

I'm a fanatic for cleaning my ears and love Q-Tips. We even had a dog named Q-Tip growing up; a fluffy, white American Eskimo. In Japan, cotton swabs are replaced with a MIMI KAKI (mimi means ear, kaki means to pick or scratch). Made out of bamboo, metals or plastic, they help clean wax from ears. I loved mine so much, I brought it back to Canada and still use it. I also continue to use Q-Tips and never buy the cheaper cotton swab brands. They aren't as good and some things you shouldn't scrimp on (I feel the same way about ketchup, mustard, vanilla extract, toilet paper, Bran Flakes, pop/soda and vodka).

If you look closely, you will notice E.T.
on the end. Japanese never miss an 
opportunity to add a character 
to something. 

3) JIKA-TABI (split toe shoes)

I'm a sucker for shoes, but my first glimpse of jika-tabi had me feeling dubious. They didn't look very sturdy or sensible. After doing some digging, I discovered they not only have rubber soles, but are extremely comfortable. Instead of Wellies, the Japanese wear knee-high tabi which are useful in the muddy rice fields. Tabi are often worn by construction workers, farmers and other workmen.

Just do it!

I had to get in on this fashion trend so found a pair better suited to me. To this day, my Nike tabi are probably one of the most comfortable pair of shoes I own.

4) GAIJIN CARD (ARC-Alien Registration Card)

Foreigners staying in Japan for longer than 90 days are required to register. This entails filling out an application form, showing your passport and some I.D. and getting fingerprinted. It's mandatory for foreigners to carry their passport or Gaijin Card with them at all times. The card is necessary to open a bank account, get a cellphone or a driver's licence. The card provides pertinent information such as name, DOB, passport information, address, length of stay, status and occupation. The card was much easier to carry around than my passport. In recent years, the system has changed and foreigners are now given a Residence card.

5) HON (Books)
As a young girl, I'd walk to the Book-Mobile every Tuesday after dinner with my older sister and check out 8-10 books to get me through the week. I've been escaping in books since I can remember. Although purchasing books in Japan was ridiculously expensive and the local library's English section was a mere few shelves, my love for books never waned. There were some memorable authors I came across or was introduced to by fellow teachers and travelers. I can't list them all here, so have chosen the most memorable.  I've reread some of them, picked one or two for my Book Clubs, and have held on to these gems for years.

These books (with the exception of the  study books at the  bottom of the pile) are all  entertaining and worth the read.  Marian Keyes, a best  selling  Irish author  does chick lit like no  other. "Sushi for Beginners"  is an amusing work of fiction which also glimpses the dark  side of reality.  Wally  Lamb's "She's  Come  Undone" tells a  story  of Dolores Price,  a 13 year old sarcastic,  wounded girl and her journey into adulthood. Banana Yoshimoto became one of my favourite Japanese authors and I quickly devoured all of her books after reading "Kitchen", her novel about mothers and the power of the kitchen and the home. John Kennedy Toole's "A Confederacy of Dunces" was published in 1980, 11 years after his suicide. I took a sick day from work to read this book. The eclectic character of Ignatius J. Reilly, a 30 year old living in his mother's basement in New Orleans is a character you won't soon forget. Christopher Moore's "Lamb" is an amusing story told by Christ's childhood pal, Biff. While some may be offended by the topic, it's a funny and touching story of the life of Jesus. John Irving's "A Prayer for Owen Meany" is a spectacular story of friendship between the narrator John Wheelwright and Owen Meany. Owen is a remarkable boy and believes he is an instrument of God. Irving writes in caps when Owen is speaking, as he has a weird voice that sounds like he's shouting through his nose. The most memorable quote from Owen is READING IS A GIFT.

Finally my favourite book that I brought home, was one I was personally involved with. Along with five other English teachers, we created "Fried Sushi", a collection of short stories. It was an enormous amount of work but I enjoyed every step of the process. Published in 2002, this book contains stories of romance, tragedy, adventure and a few laughs.

Japan offered many things that made my favourite list. I had to stop at 5 or this post would have gone on too long. Although I doubt your reaction will be like Oprah's fans, I hope you found this interesting.



~MT