My 45 Minutes In A Japanese Police Station

I have done no fault but nevertheless I had no other option. It was all voluntary, no one was to blame not even the person whose wallet I found in front of my apartment. Yes, I picked (not steal) someone's wallet and because I cannot personally communicate with the owner, I surrendered the item to the police.  

Police Station

A successful trip to the koban (police station) took me 3 days...sometimes it would rain, other times no one was there (which was kinda strange). And because my Japanese is barely survival level, I had to explain how I found the wallet, when I found the wallet in ways which showcased my acting and drawing skills in what seemed like the charades/guessing game.

The wallet I found

But time ticked by as the police officer examined and listed in great detail (credit card number, ID number) all the items in the wallet. He made some calls and later on he was able to obtain the owner's contact number.  He counted the cash placed it inside an enveloped, which he sealed and he had me sign some documents which I never really understood. 

But the final 20 minutes was actually spent on some Q&A which could have been quick had my Japanese been a lot better ^_^ In an attempt to solve the issue they showed me a book with many dialogues in various languages and I also had to call a friend who speaks Japanese.

Police: If nobody claims the wallet after 30 days, would you like to keep it?

Me: No

Police: If nobody claims the cash, would you take it?

Me: Thinks for a while (just kidding). of course I said no

Police: Would you like a reward for returning the wallet?

Me: (shocked for a bit) No thank you

Police: So arigatou gozaimasu is enough?

Me: Hai.

2 days after the incident, the owner called me thanking me for his wallet but actually "arigatou gozaimashita" was all I can make out of what he said over the phone. Too bad I cannot speak Japanese, it was really one of those moments when I wished I could at least say something other than "Iie, dou itashimashite" (you are welcome).

Read more »

Scooping For Your Life in a Japanese "Perya"

Goldfish Scooping (Photo Credit)

Okay I admit, the title seems to be an exaggeration but really there is a lot of scooping going on in a Japanese "Perya". For those who may not know the term, it is a shortened form of "peryahan"- a Filipino word (maybe Spanish-derived) for mini-carnivals present in town fiestas or matsuri as they call it here in Japan. When I was young, I loved going to the peryahan and playing all those color and tossing games which I found to be uncommon here.

Typical Philippine carnival game where you need to toss coins into small squares
in order to win a price (Photo credit)

Scooping games, on the other hand, will never be absent in any of their matsuri or even mini fairs. Primarily they are scooping for goldfish which they call kingyo in a traditional game they call as Kingyo-sukui (sukui means scooping). It is not easy but rather tricky because you have to catch the fish using paper nets (poi) which could easily tear if handled wrongly. The goal is to catch as many as you can and put them in a bowl until the poi completely breaks. Don't ask me for any tips though because my best record so far is catching only 2 fast swimmers. :(

Scooping for bouncy balls

Scooping for long fishes (sorry I do not know what they are called)

If you still cannot imagine how they actually do it, you can check out this video below of a previous Japan Goldfish Scooping Competition (Yes they have those too).

Read more »

Why Election Campaigns Don't Accumulate Trash

Where I come from, elections and the election campaign greet you in the FACE. What would not be more obvious than this photo below? And because posters would tend to pile up one on top of the other, or the same face would be repeatedly posted in a row, tons of paper and tons of trash will find their way on the busy streets... an eyesore really but surprisingly, things are different here in Japan. The election campaign is as subtle as the personality of a typical Japanese. 

More campaign materials More FUN (really???) Photo credit

Campaign posters are only allowed in designated areas and at least here in my city it is strictly implemented. They have boards which are scattered in various places within the community with each candidate assigned a number in the board. 

And while I don't really understand what they are campaigning for, I find some posters rather interesting. And I have some of them here below...I assume they would be representatives of different kinds of people in the local council. The last candidate is actually a housewife and she has a very interesting slogan, something about "Change in the Kitchen to Change in the Government" 

Campaign materials

While I don't really have any participation in their local election and have only voted once in my lifetime for our own government, I am sure about one thing. Whoever you write in the ballot, irregardless of whether he/she wins or not, defines you as a person. So let us write our definition wisely.

Vote wisely Mina-san

Read more »

Mama Mary and Her "Chinky" Eyes

I usually attend mass in a chapel in Suita but not on this special Sunday. We are celebrating a mass for the International Day so we traveled for an hour and a half by train to a cathedral in Morinomiya. It was the first time for me to see a big Catholic church in Japan, much more attend a Japanese mass. And upon entering the church, something or rather someone inside really caught my eye. She was surprisingly unrecognizable at first glance but after peeling away the details I soon realized that it was Mother Mary herself in a way I have ever seen her before. She had chinky eyes and she was clothed in Japanese kimono.

One of the early Japanese martyrs who supported Christianity in Japan

The church was no different than what I expected it to be. Aside from some portraits of Japanese martyrs, typical elements such as tall windows adorned with stained glass, the stations of the cross, the crucifix..they were all there.

Stained Glass Depiction of the Holy Family

Outside the Church

Song book and verses in many languages

What is most interesting is the mass itself, where songs, prayers and readings are in different languages. There were so many people from different countries- Koreans, Spaniards, Vietnamese, Japanese..it was so diverse. And while I find myself often lost in translation, the feeling of solitude and peace I feel in the Father's presence is still unmatched. 

Read more »

Japanese Fitting Room Surprises

Shoes Off Please 

OFF WITH YOUR SHOES THEN OFF WITH YOUR CLOTHES

Clothes are not the only things you take off (and well of course put on) in a typical Fitting Room in Japan. As what they would traditionally do before entering a house, customers are expected to remove their shoes as well.  I think it is very convenient because you would easily figure out whether someone is inside the room or not (avoiding bending down to peak through falsely closed doors which I would usually do back home..hahahah)

Facial Covers for Make Up Users

OFF WITH YOUR SHOES THEN COVER YOUR FACE FIRST??

But another surprising addition to a typical fitting room ensemble would be this thin delicate facial mask usually boxed in the corner of the room. While I would often disregard it, I wondered for a while whether this was really necessary for hygienic purposes. As I read through other blogs I later on found out that these masks were designed to protect clothes from female enhancement products (read:make up). It would not take some time for you to notice that Japanese women are indeed make up lovers and as a precaution masks prevent the unwanted transfer of glitters and colors to clothes when they are pulled over the face. Makes sense I guess..^_^

Cover Up Please (Photo Credit)

Happy shopping!

Read more »

5 Things To Try For A Better Hanami Experience

This is what Hanami is all about (Photo credit)

When spring is around the corner, Japanese people have this custom of enjoying/viewing the flowers or what they call Hanami (花見 or "flower viewing"). In most cases, Hanami refers to viewing cherry blossoms ("sakura") which usually bloom at the end of March until late April. Families, couples or friends having picnics under sakura trees then become a normal sight. I also like watching cherry blossoms, especially under the bright sun. Biking to school along sakura covered pavements is my morning candy. Oh perfection and happiness!!This year is my first taste of spring ergo my first Hanami experience. We had hanami for our laboratory, hanami with friends and another hanami for my Filipino community and all of them were so delightful. And along all these firsts,  I noted down 5 things that makes/can make Hanami an even more enjoyable treat. Here goes.


1.Eating and Sharing Good Food (and good drinks??? ^_^)
Whether it is home-cooked, fast food, straight from the supermarket or from the food stalls/booths, good food can lighten up everyone's mood. Conversations over good food are always as hearty as the meal itself, and even "heartier" over a bottle of beer or better yet Japanese sake.

Food stalls around the park (yum yum)

Yummy Hanami barbecue (Photo credit)

Enjoying sake under the falling blossoms  (Photo credit)

and other drinks too!

2. Sakura Pictorials and all those photo shoots   
Who does not love pictures, either taking them or being in them????(I prefer the second actually). Enjoying hanami comes with taking hundreds of pictures or just a few beautiful ones, spiced up with a little bit of creativity and excitement.

Jumpshots will always be best for all seasons (Photo by Rafael Cabredo)

Mothers taking pictures of their babies side by side (kawaii!!) (Photo by Rafael Cabredo)

3. Playing games or sports
I saw many people playing games or sports too. I saw father and son playing badminton, and kids playing catch or soccer. Hearing a lot of laughter all around you is just so wonderful - as beautiful as sakura flowers themselves.

Cute kids playing badminton (Photo credit)

4. Wait for the Illumination The beauty of sakura extends until evening as they are accented with lights during illumination. 

Toshimaen, Tokyo Sakura Illumination  (Photo credit)

But ultimately, simply..
5.  Share it with friends and loved onesAny moment spent with loved ones will always be a sweet memory...(and suddenly I am missing...^_^)

"Two things fell for you that day, the cherry blossoms and my heart" (made this "cheesy-ness" up, sorry)

I love you Sakura tree! (Photo and model from Rafael Cabredo)
P.S. I am selling Danboards (the cute little entity hugging the tree)..Just send me a message anytime.

Read more »

How a Japanese Saved My iPhone from Destruction

I just cannot let this day pass without dedicating a blogpost for today's blessing so here goes...

While the rest of the world and most of my guy friends are having a blast destroying monsters and devouring each other in the recently released Diablo III, my iphone also had a little adventure of its own. What I thought was an ordinary dinner time with labmates turned out to be a fatal moment for us both - a possible irreversible separation was bound to occur (I just love exaggeration). As a backgrounder, I often eat dinner in the school cafeteria or shokudo as we call it. After one dines, we have a customary procedure to bring our trays onto a conveyor which then carries them directly into the wash area..and when I say directly, the trays are led into water sprays and water baths and all those other gadget-threatening experiences. And being the absent-minded person that I always am (leaving and losing things ever so constantly), I put my tray on the conveyor after putting the spoon and the glass into their respective containers, not noticing that I mistook my iphone for a plate.

Typical shokudo food and the distinct blue tray which carried my iPhone to its possible "end"

The tray conveyor looked something like this, bringing the food trays towards the washing area (Photo credit)
I dont have the picture of the real one.

shokudo/cafeteria (Photo credit)

I went back to the lab and went on with my merry ways only to realize 20 minutes later that my iphone is gone. I silently panicked and then retraced my steps until it led me to the dreaded cafeteria wash area. I never walked so fast going to shokudo until this day and it was an agonizing experience thinking about my wet, unusable phone and figuring out how to ask the staff about it in Japanese (hahahahah) But as they say, Japanese people are an honest lot and today I can really testify to that. I went inside the wash area and I just said one word, "ketai?" and allowed the rest of my sentence to drown in itself as if saying "chotto...". The Japanese staff then said, "purple?" referring to the color of my phone and I just want to hug him right there (did I actually type/say that? Anyway no erasures). "Arigatou gozaimasu!" was all I managed to say over and over again. I got my phone from the cashier, signed the Lost and Found booklet and was then happily reunited with this "purple entity". What I realized is that I should pay more attention really, so it does not happen again (btw I also lost my school ID and almost lost my wallet when I dropped it at the bus stop). Nevertheless I am happy to meet such honest people. I just can't imagine leaving my phone somewhere else.

To the Japanese cafeteria staff, honto ni arigatou gozaimasu! ^_^

Read more »