I have a question for the students of Ritsumeikan University - are you bi-cultural? Have you ever had the opportunity to live (or study) in a foreign country for long enough to become familiar with its culture? As for me, I have had the good fortune to live in England (my home country) and Japan for long periods of time. Therefore, I have become familiar with the cultures of both countries. One of the main advantages of being bi-cultural is that you are able to compare and contrast nations and cultures. Like all countries, England and Japan have attractive points as well as some less-appealing ones. I would like to discuss some of the more attractive points about living in Japan, when compared with England, as well as some of its less-appealing ones. 

First, I love travelling by train and Japan has perhaps the best railway network in the world – far better than England’s. Unlike my home country, you can usually rely on Japanese trains to arrive on time. The passengers tend to be considerate to others such as not using their mobile phones or speaking loudly while on board. Furthermore, Japanese trains are usually clean because passengers almost always dispose of their rubbish at the end of their journey. Unfortunately, the English tend to leave their rubbish on the seats and tables in the train. 

Next, there is little vandalism in Japan. Japanese people tend to respect other people’s belongings which I am afraid is not always the case in England. Did you know that a recent public cycle-sharing scheme in the northern city of Manchester was stopped because more than half of the bikes were either vandalised, stolen or thrown into the city’s canal? As an Englishman, I am not only deeply saddened by this thoughtless vandalism, but also perplexed by this behaviour. Why are the English and Japanese so different in this regard? It is a complex question, which I cannot answer with any great depth here. However, I suspect the answer is deeply rooted in the differing education systems, cultural and social norms. 

Now, I would like to discuss a few things that I dislike about Japan when compared to England. Firstly, I hate the habits of slurping and sniffing. Although I can barely tolerate the culture of slurping noodles, I loathe it when the Japanese slurp their tea and coffee. However, what is even more annoying than slurping is sniffing. I dislike it when people sniff constantly, especially in enclosed spaces such as restaurants or on public transport. When I was a child at school, if I sniffed a teacher would usually offer me a tissue. I am sorely tempted to do the same with Japanese ‘sniffers.’ Just seeing the reaction would be worth the effort!

Another thing that I dislike about Japan is the regular absence of polite ‘small talk’ in everyday situations. In England, neighbours, shop assistants, café workers and so on, often initiate friendly conversation by asking “how are you today?”, “terrible weather, isn't it?”, “are you busy at the moment?” or something similar. However, in the block of flats where I live in Kyoto, some of my Japanese neighbours do not even acknowledge me, not in the lift or in the foyer of the building. It appears that I do not exist to them. I wonder why this happens? Have I upset my neighbours in some way? I do not think so, as I pride myself on being a polite and considerate one. Nor is language a hurdle as I can speak Japanese – not perfectly, but I can communicate pretty well. In addition, although I often go to the same cafes in Kyoto and am served by the same people, there is little effort on their part to converse with me. I have often initiated ‘small talk’ but it has usually ended in failure. Although Japanese service is efficient, I consider it cold, as if being served by an android. Therefore, Japanese service often lacks the warmth of customer service that can sometimes be found in England. 

In conclusion, being bi-cultural is a blessing in many ways, not least because it enables you to compare and contrast. It allows you to appreciate the finer points of a country, but also be conscious of its less pleasant ones. Therefore, being bi-cultural helps you to manage your own expectations when travelling, so when I arrive back to my home country I am mentally prepared for disruptions and annoyances on the railway. In contrast, upon my return to Japan, I look forward to travelling by train, as it is so often a pleasant way to travel. That is unless someone is sniffing next to me during the journey! I hope that you will be able to become bi-cultural in the future and discover the many pleasures, as well as occasional annoyances, which other countries and cultures may offer.

Q1. What are the two main good points about living in Japan?

Q2. What are three main bad points about living in Japan? 

Q3. What are the reasons for the differences between England and Japan regarding vandalism? 

Scroll down for answers

A1. The train network and the lack of vandalism

A2. Lack of polite small talk, slurping and sniffing

A3. The differing education systems, cultural and social norms

A sunny autumn day like today is a liminal time, an in-between state, when something is at its birthing stage. A fresh new beginning has just begun to open its tight bud into a slow blossom. Tsubaki camellia flowers strike a pose, wearing soft pink petals like a multi-layered evening gown. Fresh new leaves, a very dark matcha green, offer up the soft buds of flowers with a very distinct contrast. Deep autumn is just around the corner. Fresh new amber orange and red in their fantastic colors vie for attention. Two years ago, in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic halted the world to an almost complete stop, I discovered a secret joy. I was afraid to say it. Too many people all over the world were suffering. Many lost loved ones. Some stood at death’s door. Others battled awful symptoms. Some luckily won over the corona virus with a sniffle and a sneeze. But no doubt, countless people suffered in their own way. In the midst of all of this, I carried this secret joy. I could not share this with anyone. It didn’t feel right to voice it out loud when so many were suffering.

Like last year, I made my way to the spot where I discovered this joy. The afternoon sun was warm on my face. I couldn’t help but hum my favorite song. Can a day be as perfect as this? Everywhere I looked there were hints of autumn colors. I quickly made my way to my destination – Nanzenji temple. Last year, I had the temple to myself, a breathtaking but simple architecture – so still, ever gentle. Standing in this open space with hardly anyone around, I breathed in refreshing air, and I breathed out the stress of the frightening 24/7 news cycle of illness, death, doubt, and strife that had become a part of everyday life. What had this temple witnessed over the many centuries of its existence? Now, it became my oasis. It offered me a quiet, calming joy, almost like an extended helping hand. Since then, I have been savoring this soothing feeling of being surrounded by this breath-taking beauty and the joy of having it all to myself.

But lo and behold… What is this? Who are they? What is going on? Stop, stop, stop! Cameras clicked, loud laughter echoed in the chilly air, buzz of non-stop conversation whirling around my head, cars honking, the burned smell of rubber spewing out dark fumes from tour buses, the high-pitched voices of young tour guides mindlessly carrying high their little flag. No, this can’t be. A heavy feeling found a place in the pit of my stomach. The once high feeling slowly but surely dissipated to an increasing low. The serene Nanzenji, a place of quiet calm, the seat of Zen, was overrun once again. “Life as usual,” “Back to Normal,” “With Corona,” threatened my secret joy, this rare moment of quiet, the essence of Zen. Experiencing history, tradition, and ritual of calm in temples like Nanzenji is what I had been savoring within these two years of the pandemic. I knew that it would not last long. 

Now, on this beautiful day, I am once again one among thousands, making an autumn-foliage pilgrimage to Nanzenji. Disappointed, I weakly hold up my camera, trying to capture that perfect shot of what my eyes behold. I try my best to ignore the mass of people. Click! I frown at the shot of a passerby’s tip of his white sneaker that invades my picture. Delete! The sun shines through the dark orange leaves. Ah, beautiful. I point my camera at that perfect shot, the side view of the temple peeking through the colorful foliage. I wait to click. A person in front is taking forever to get his own perfect shot. He finally moves out of my way. I hurriedly point the camera back at the leaves and the edge of the strikingly regal wooden temple. The sunray now has shifted. I lower my camera. Irritably, I walk through the over-crowded temple ground. 

Lovers walk hand in hand. Families talk, run, pose for one another. Selfie sticks swim through the crowd. A young girl quickly readjusts her front bangs with one free hand and then smiles into her smart phone held six feet away. Taking in these images like a slow-moving picture, my secret joy slips through my fingers. I walk heavyhearted on to the side-street away from the crowd. Wait. What is this? The sun-ray beckons me ever so quietly. I follow it. I hear the whispered invitation through a rustled wind moving through the colored leaves. I look through a half open door. This moment – a re-encounter with this knowing joy, it is here. It never left. I just needed to look closer. The discovery, the joy of seeing the beauty in the very small things, ever so quiet, very subtle, but definitely present, quickened my heartbeat. This small temple, posing now so elegantly before my eyes, may not be the grand and beautiful main attraction, but it imbues a beauty of its own, waiting quietly for that moment of mutual discovery. The secret of finding joy in the small things, present everywhere, always ready to be seen and discovered, made this autumn day… well… perfect.

Q1 Why was the writer afraid to verbalize her secret joy? 

Q2 Where was the primary place where the writer found this secret joy?

Q3 Why did the writer feel that the secret joy was slipping away?

Scroll down for answers

A1 Too many people all over the world were suffering. 

A2 Nanzenji temple.  

A3 Because many visitors and tourists are once again overcrowding historical sites of Kyoto.

This summer, my friend and I finally started planting a food forest. We have been preparing the site for the food forest for several years. For example, with an excavator, we dug a pond at the top of the site so that we can keep the trees in the forest well-watered after they are planted.  We also dug swales on the land which will act to retain the moisture in the soil rather than allow it to run off. I live on a small island in the Pacific Northwest which gets a lot of rain during the winter months. However, many people are surprised to learn that during the summer it doesn't rain at all, so it will be necessary to water the trees for a few years so that they can establish themselves. 

You might be asking yourself, "what is a food forest"? To answer that question, we should first look at the concept of "permaculture." According to Bill Morrison, who made up the term in 1978, permaculture is: "The conscious design and maintenance of agricultural reproductive systems which have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of the landscape with people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way." In this sense, permaculture combines the sense of permanent, or sustainable, and the practice of agriculture. 

These days, as the mass effect of "consumer culture" is increasingly viewed as unsustainable, the focus has expanded to include sustainable cultures, such as indigenous cultures, which can be considered models of land stewardship. Just as a natural forest matures to a point where it becomes a self-sustaining culture of plants, a food forest is intentionally planted with edible trees, perennials, annuals and shrubs which mature and become self-sustaining. In other words, after a certain time, the plants work to support each other just like plants found in a natural forest, creating an integrated self-sustaining eco-system that, in the case of a food forest, provides sustenance. The overall idea is to work with nature, not against nature, to achieve this aim. Unlike monoculture, in which a farmer plants one crop and then intensively battles nature to protect the crop against insects and other plants, a food forest is intended to be a habitat for insects, birds and other plants and animals. The idea is to create an abundance which is shared. 

To give our food forest a fighting chance to establish itself, we put in posts, and we're going to put some screening net around the site to protect the young trees from deer. Unfortunately, deer like to rub their bodies against trees and when the trees are still small that damages the bark and the trees die. Deer also like to eat delicious young leaves, so it's necessary to keep the deer out until the trees have established themselves and grown taller. In the future, when the site has become an established forest, we will be able to take down the screen netting, so that the deer can also take part and contribute to the forest. One of the very first trees we planted was at the top of the site, where the clearing meets the natural forest that surrounds it. This area is higher and drier, so we planted an Italian pine tree there. This pine tree produces lots of pine nuts. We're looking forward to the day the Italian pine tree will be just one of many trees in a thriving food forest in which we can share in the benefits.

Q1. What is the purpose of swales?

(a) They help the land stay moist by absorbing rain

(b) They help prevent floods by allowing water to move flow freely.

Q2.  True or false: The word permaculture is a combination of two words, permanent and agriculture.

Q3.  Food forests are planted to benefit:

(a) only humans

(b) the entire eco-system? 

Scroll down for answers 

A1: a

A2: True

A3: b

The progressive rock band, Pink Floyd sang “We don’t need no education. We don’t need no thought control” and the musician, Paul Weller sang, “All I see, the more I know. The more I know, the less I understand”. What do you think these artists are saying with their words? Do they sound anti-education? And, for that matter, what is education?

University education, as you should be aware, is more than just learning facts to regurgitate at an end of year/term test. Education is a never ending process that should continue for life. That is what Paul Weller was saying – the more one learns, the more one realises how little one knows. This can be an intimidating thought for some people. For others, it’s an exciting thought – there’s always more to learn! That is how you should be as a university student. The root of the Latin-derived word university means the whole – everything. We should all be curious about everything and not just our own country or area of study, but the whole world. It’s big and there is a lot to learn about it.

I used to conduct a lesson on intelligence in which I asked the question “Who is the most and least intelligent between Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein and David Beckham?” For pretty much everyone the usual answer was to place Einstein first and the students would then often debate who was last between Monroe and Beckham. What do you think? If you said Einstein as first too, you might be wrong as it’s widely believed that Monroe had a higher Intelligence Quotient than Einstein. However, it misses the point. Neither Einstein nor Monroe could mentally calculate the necessary dynamics that made Beckham a world-class football player. Equally, neither Monroe nor Beckham could perform the physical calculations of Einstein, and the other two could not act, dance and sing in a way that made Monroe a cultural icon. There are different kinds of intelligence.

The key is to always have curiosity. Always ask why and never be afraid to say I don’t understand. Your teachers want this. They would rather you said “can you repeat that?” if there is something you do not understand. The mathematician, Charles Proteus Steinmetz said “There are no stupid questions and a person only becomes stupid when they stop asking questions.” So many ideas have come from that one question why…? As the American financier, Bernard Baruch, said “Millions saw the apple fall, but only Newton asked why?”

Education is a life pursuit. Enjoy it and never stop asking questions. Play to your strengths and work on your weaknesses. Einstein may have said “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”. This is true. Always learn. Always ask questions. This is the point of education. Failing that, “It’s good for an uneducated man to read books of quotations” (Winston Churchill).

Photo credit Pixabay@Pexels.com

Q1. Who sang “we don’t need no education”?

Q2. What does the word “university” mean?

Q3 When does education end?

Scroll down for answers 

A1: Pink Floyd

A2: The whole/everything

A3: Never

I hate applying for jobs. Like many countries around the world, there is a culture of changing jobs on a regular basis in my home country of the UK, but I still do not enjoy it. The whole process of selling your best features to companies does not feel particularly modest. And the judgment process of job interviews feels even worse. A panel of three or more people judging your appearance and every response to their questions is a little scary for everyone. There is also only so much preparation you can do. You can research the company and prepare yourself for the obvious questions, but there are often unexpected questions and surprises.

This is the same in Japan to some extent. Many Japanese companies will have a first interview at a job event and then a series of interviews afterwards, all within the hiring season. However, the graduate hiring season is more organized in Japan, usually being held at one time of the year as specified by the government. This is different from many other countries where hiring events are organized at a more local level. Outside Japan, companies may tour around several universities over a series of months holding many events to attract potential employees. Second and third interviews may then be held up until the time when the student graduates or afterwards. In Japan, most companies would like to secure graduates even before they enter their final year, but the labour shortages in Japan are causing this practice to change. Many companies now fail to hire as many full-time permanent workers as they would like and so are hiring graduates and other workers outside of the traditional student job-hunting season.

Another change that has happened because of Covid is the move from paper applications to online applications. Many large corporations now process all applications online. Resumes submitted online can be screened using Artificial Intelligence to save time and money. Applicants can upload their application documents without having to print out and post them. This enables the company to attract more applicants and saves applicants time and money as well. It also means it is cheaper and easier for applicants to apply to multiple companies in the search for their ideal job. This change can also be seen in Japan with some of the larger corporations. It may be a matter of time before paper applications are a thing of the past.

These changes do not make the job application process any less scary though. There will always be job interviews, even if these are done online and not face-to-face. The best advice is to just try and relax. Research the job before the interview, make some possible interview questions, and practice answering them. On the day, take your time and answer their questions slowly and carefully. Finally, remember that there are always more chances out there. Your job should fit you well.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki @Pexels.com

Q1 What does the author think about interviews?

Q2 How is the hiring period in Japan changing?

Q3 How are companies using Artificial Intelligence with Job applications?

Scroll down for answers

A1 The author finds job interviews scary.

A2 More companies are hiring outside of the official “hiring season”.

A3 Companies are using AI to filter job applications.

Polyglots are people who have learned many languages. The most famous polyglots can speak over 10 languages. Some of the current famous polyglots are Richard Simcott, Steve Kaufmann, and Luca Lampariello. You can look them up on the internet to find out in detail how they study. They might study a little differently than your teachers have told you, but it is hard to argue with their success. This article will summarize what I found out from researching polyglot language learners.

The first thing to know is there isn’t one way to learn a language. Polyglots used a lot of different methods. Some of the methods they recommended were the opposite of what other polyglots recommended. The lesson here is to research what others recommend, try many different methods, and when you find one that works for you personally, use that method. Despite there being many opinions on the best way to learn languages, there were some main themes that emerged.

Maximize Comprehensible Input

Most polyglots were big fans of the American Linguistics Professor Stephen Krashen. Krashen recommends learners expose themselves to as much of the target language as possible. This input should ideally be just above your level and interesting to you. This includes reading easy books, watching videos, and listening to music. The key is to listen and read as much as you can in your target language. Some people call this the immersion approach. Use the time you have such as when you are traveling to school, doing housework, or winding down at the end of the day.

Review Words, Phrases, and Sentences from the Input

Most polyglots advised reviewing what was learned from the input using a Spaced Repetition System (SRS). This is similar to studying from flashcards, but the software tells you when to study the information again just before you forget it. There are many computer applications you can use but the most famous one is called “Anki”. When a word or phrase repeatedly catches your attention, make a study card, and review it until you can recall it easily.

Practice Speaking and Writing

Although most polyglots advise to focus on listening and reading at the beginning stages of learning a language, speaking and writing can help to reinforce and solidify language already learned. To practice writing, the most obvious example given is to write a diary. For speaking, the most obvious thing to do is to speak to others in the target language. If this is not possible, recording yourself can also be good practice.

Learning a language should be fun if you follow the polyglot language learners’ advice. Immerse yourself in as much interesting content in your target language as you can. Pick out bits you want to learn and review them with a spaced repetition system like Anki. When you have progressed beyond the beginner level, use speaking and writing to reinforce what you have learned through listening and reading.

But most of all, make sure to have fun!

Photo Credit: Skylar Kang@ Pexels.com

Blog Quiz

Q1. What is a "polyglot"?

Q2. What is the first piece of advice from polyglots?

Q3: According to the article, what is the name of the most famous SRS flashcard application?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

A1. A person who speaks many languages well.

A2. Maximize comprehensible input.

A3. Anki.

There are many varieties of the English language. There are the established varieties such as British-English and American-English. In addition, there are numerous new varieties including Indian-English, Malaysian-English, Singaporean-English and so on. In fact, in this age of globalisation, new English varieties are developing all over the world, and even in countries without an historical connection to the language. 

Why are these new varieties developing? The answer is complex, but a key reason is concerned with the functions of language. Language has three main functions: for communication, to express identity and to convey culture. For example, American-English developed primarily so that Americans could express their identity and culture, in contrast to England's. 

This need for people around the world to express identity and culture is a primary driving force for all new varieties of the language. As a further example, research has demonstrated that Indian people tend to prefer speaking English like Indians, and not like Americans or British people. Therefore, Indian-English has developed to express the identity and culture of Indians. 

This brings me to the main point: what variety of English should the Japanese speak? In my opinion, in an ideal situation, the Japanese should speak Japanese-English. This is because it best reflects Japanese identity and culture. However, Japanese-English is a long way from being an established variety, and has a low prestige in the minds of many people. Despite this, I believe it is becoming an identifiable variety with unique characteristics. For example, there are hundreds of words of Japanese origin (reflecting Japanese culture and identity) that have become English, not just in Japanese-English, but all varieties. Some examples include tsunami, anime, sudoku, miso and bonsai. There are also words such as kawaii and shinkansen that may soon become English. 

In addition, there are lots of acronyms and abbreviations, which identity Japanese-English. These include NEET, CA, OL, JAL, JR and GW. Furthermore, there are shortened words such as sando (sandwich), konbini (convenience store), depato (department store) and live house (concert hall) that characterise it. These shortened words are no different than when British or Australian people say footie (football), barbie (barbecue) and uni (university). 

There are also words in Japanese-English that have had a change in meaning, such as handle (steering wheel), mansion (flat/apartment), furonto (hotel reception desk), circle (club/society) and baikingu (all-you-can-eat buffet). 

Finally, another characteristic, which is cultural in origin, is that surnames come before Christian names in Japanese-English. Who says that a Japanese person must state their name in the Anglo-American style when communicating globally to, say, Chinese or Brazilians? Therefore, I believe Japanese students should be encouraged to express their identity and culture through Japanese-English, especially to people who have at least some familiarity with Japan and its culture. 

If you are a Japanese learner of English, please say with confidence that you are a circle member or work at a konbini. You may have to explain what you mean at times, but that is the same for all English speakers to a greater or lesser extent, especially when discussing one's identity and culture. I argue that all people with an active interest in the teaching/learning of English in Japan should enthusiastically promote Japanese English development and use. Remember: just because your English may be different than British or American English, does not necessarily mean it is wrong.  

Photo Credit: Sincerely Media @unsplash.com

Blog Quiz

Q1. Is Japanese-English a well-established variety of the language?

Q2. How many main functions of language are there?

Q3. Is the word 'tsunami' Japanese, English or both?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

Q1. No, (not yet).

Q2. 3 main functions.

Q3. Both.

Most people are guilty of procrastinating at some point. It is quite common among teenagers as well as university students and the occasional university teacher. Procrastinating is the act of deferring action or to put things off until a later day. Why do things now when you can do them later? It isn’t a new thing, with some people tracing the existence of procrastination back more than two thousand years to Socrates’s investigations into Akrasia or deficient personal control. Modern psychology takes a different perspective on procrastination suggesting that it is often associated with a very different problem - perfectionism.

Perfectionists are people who have a psychological tendency to only set themselves and others extremely high expectations or goals. Viewed as a healthy form of behaviour, this can be highly motivating with some perfectionists achieving high levels of success. Such healthy perfectionists, known as adaptive perfectionists or positive perfectionists, can live highly successful and happy lives. The problem is that many perfectionists will not recognize that success when they achieve it. This is where it can become unhealthy as such maladaptive perfectionists drive themselves towards ever higher goals or put themselves firmly in reverse. One example of maladaptive perfectionism is procrastination.

Procrastination is a maladaptive behaviour because it prevents the perfectionist from ever achieving their goals. However, it serves a psychological need because it reduces the impact of failure. Maladaptive perfectionists are driven by a fear of failure and low self-esteem. By putting off the pursuit of a goal, ultimate failure to achieve the desired perfection can be assigned to a lack of effort or action on the part of the individual. The perfectionist has not invested their time and effort into the activity, so it is not their fault. They have chosen to delay action, so they have avoided feeling bad about themselves. The problem is that such procrastination becomes a regular feature of life and is associated with lack of success and increased anxiety. 

Procrastination does not really solve any problems because it diminishes the person’s sense of self-worth. They know they delayed taking action to avoid failing. Better to avoid comparison with others and revel in the little everyday successes. Do things today so you have more time to make corrections. Start the homework now, so you can spend more time on getting a better score rather than guaranteeing failure 5 minutes before the deadline. Getting into a routine and keeping to it will bring much more success and fewer failures.

Photo Credit: Brett Jordan @pexels.com

Blog Quiz

Q1. What word in the text means 'delaying action'?

Q2. In this context, if 'adaptive' means 'positive', what does 'maladaptive' mean?

Q3. According to the writer when should perfectionists not do homework?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

Q1. Procrastinating

Q2. Negative

Q3. Five minutes before the deadline

For centuries human beings have noticed unusual phenomena in the skies such as comets and shooting stars. In ancient times people called them 'signs' which could predict the future. In modern times we call them ‘UFOs’ or 'Unidentified Flying Objects.' Many people believe they are spaceships piloted by aliens who are visiting our planet from distant galaxies. However, UFOs have a natural explanation: belief in alien visitors is caused by the influence of popular culture and mass psychology. In addition, there is no reliable evidence for alien visitation.

The study of popular culture shows that science fiction entertainment is a major cause of belief in UFOs. In the early 20th century, ‘aliens’ were originally thought to be from the Moon or Mars. But after those planets were visited by spacecraft and no ‘little green men’ were found, we started to look at more distant galaxies. As technology improved, the 1930s saw an explosion in science fiction writing and movies about space travel and alien visitations. As paranormal investigator Joe Nickell explains, when people reported seeing aliens, their descriptions were similar to those portrayed in the movies - small creatures with large heads and big eyes - the "official alien." For example, UFO reports increased dramatically after the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), especially reports of alien abductions.