This particular piece doesn’t really have a narrative thread through it. It’s more just an introduction of some things here that are just super duper Japanese.
Here in Japan karaoke is an acceptable way to pass time. I’m not talking about Youtube lyrics on a screen while you screech into a hairbrush. I’m talking about six storey buildings entirely dedicated to the art of karaoke. Usually these places boast thousands of songs – both in English and Japanese – for you to jam to. Often these places are 24 hour establishments, making them a popular place to end a night out.
Once you’ve paid the fee your group is shown to your own personal room. And let me tell you! These places spare no expense. The rooms are decked out with plenty of couches, tables and, if you’re lucky, strobe lights or a disco ball. Arguably the most exciting things in the room are the food and drinks menus strewn across the tables. You can order anything from fries to salads and all of those desperately sought after party foods like pizza and chicken nuggets. As for drinks, if you’re lucky you’ll find yourself at an all-you-can-drink karaoke bar and the name really says it all, doesn’t it?
Then it’s show time. Usually two people can sing at once and like I said before, the song choices are not lacking. Also, depending on what establishment you find yourself at you might get to try your hand at some amateur DJing. But not really. You basically get a sound board which lets you change the singer’s voice output as well as speeding up or slowing down the song speed. Basically it gives you permission to eff around with your friends’ performances. Though I’m not much of a singer, karaoke is an absolute blast and the people of Japan think so too. I’ve seen anyone from tweens to young adults to large groups of corporate business men disappear through the doors of a karaoke bar, destined to spend the night belting their lungs out.
I genuinely don’t know how I’m going to go back to Australia’s instant noodles or even noodles in general. Shopping for instant noodles is a day-long pilgrimage due to the sheer amount of options available. Or maybe that’s just for people like me who stand in the aisle like a lost puppy. I’m talking carbonara instant noodles, curry instant noodles, chilli and tomato instant noodles, noodles with dumplings, noodles with croutons, IT NEVER ENDS! Good luck to all those looking for plain ol’ chicken noodles.
My intense love for noodles, ramen in particular, does not stop at instant noodles. Just about any noodle here in Japan is a treat no matter whether it’s served by the cafeteria or by any restaurant in town. However, I think most AIU students can all agree about where the best ramen can be found.
It was my first week here at AIU and I was lying in bed awake late one night when I heard music. Actually, using the word ‘music’ is rather generous. It was more like 4 screeching, blaring musical notes just repeating themselves over and over again. All I could think was Whoever that is really needs to give up learning that instrument. But alas, dear friends, it was not some tone deaf student playing an instrument. It was the ramen truck. Picture this: a tiny two-person car – no bigger than the teeny Smart car – which a lovely old man sells ramen out the back of. It’s like a Mr Whippy ice cream truck for ramen with its musical tune and all. For the students of AIU it cannot be debated that the ramen from the ramen truck is just about the greatest ever. Back home if you’re hungry after a hard night of partying and alcohol consumption what do you do? You do a Maccas run. Here at AIU the nearest Maccas is a solid 40 minute drive away and considering we’re in the middle of a forest there’s not a whole lot of late night/early morning food options. So the ramen truck becomes our saviour. As soon as we hear that (admittedly crappy) tune cruising around outside we run.
There’s one thing about Japan that I still just can’t get my head around and that is public alcohol consumption. Before coming to Japan I heard rumours of being able to drink alcohol on the streets but I thought it was all a fat load of rubbish. It’s not. That fact became crystal clear when I saw a fellow student sitting at the bus stop chugging a bottle of wine. Just a whole bottle of wine. He wasn’t even using a bag to try and hide it.
Without further ado we were all too happy to adjust to this change. So a nice bit o’ grog in the middle of the day became kind of a normal thing for us, especially when travelling. I can remember walking into a convenience store, grabbing some Band-Aids for sore feet, some chewing gum and some snacks and oh wait! Just let me grab a beer! I’m not proud to say it but I’ve shot gunned a beer while waiting for the bus. Going for a bit of shopping? Why not toss back a Corona while you window shop? Even after four months I feel strange doing it but hey! When in Rome, right? I mean…when in Japan.
If there’s one habit from Japan that I wish I could bring back to Australia believe it or not, it wouldn’t be the public drinking (or maybe it kind of would be). It would be wearing masks. No, I do not mean people walk around wearing zombie or scream masks. I mean simple white face masks which cover the nose and mouth. Admittedly, when I first saw these masks I didn’t get it. Are they worried about breathing in pollution? Are they worried about smelling other people? Do they spit a lot when they talk? WHY ARE THEY WEARING MASKS?
If you’re not as thick as I am then no doubt you’ve figured it out. They wear the masks when they’re sick to prevent them from passing it on. Ohhhhh. Think about it: they avoid touching their nose and mouth therefore keeping their hands clean, they won’t breathe or spit on anyone and, as gross as it sounds, they can sneeze and cough without covering their mouth because the mask keeps it all in. It’s brilliant! It’s also not uncommon for students to be wearing masks prior to upcoming important events (exams, trips, etc) to reduce the possibility of getting sick.
I secretly wished for the chance to wear a mask which was stupid of me because it meant I needed to get sick. And get sick I did. Wearing masks isn’t as glamorous as I thought it would be. Mainly because I felt like I was dying from the plague and just leaking everywhere. However, it served its purpose. A word of warning to those with glasses: you’re gonna struggle. Your glasses will fog up something chronic when you’re masking it up. I know because I was desperately wishing for personal windscreen wipers.
One thing I probably won’t miss about Japan is the shoe changing. When you cross the threshold of a Japanese house you’ve got to take your shoes off. The same goes for many Japanese buildings. Just inside the door is a little entrance area where guests remove their shoes. In other people’s houses you usually just go in socks whereas schools and important buildings have a collection of slippers you can use.
But don’t get too comfortable in those shoes. You wanna go to the toilet? Cue the bathroom shoes. Just inside the bathroom door is another neat line of shoes which you’ve got to change into. And then change back into your regular inside shoes when you leave the bathroom. Leaving the bathroom wearing toilet shoes is considered to be really funny and you will be pointed at and laughed at. Surprisingly I have managed to avoid such humiliation.
I can definitely see the benefits of this system because the floors in Japan are largely not dirty. I know it’s weird to pay a lot of attention to the floors. I swear I don’t stand there gazing lovingly at floors. It’s just something I’ve noticed. And I learned something really cool about removing shoes. When Japanese people take their shoes off the shoes are always facing the door. Anyone know why? Anyone? You, sir, in the back. I joke. The whole shoes-facing-the-door thing comes from the samurai days. The reason they face the door is so that if a samurai suddenly needs to leave the house and fight, he can quickly slip his feet into his shoes and dash straight for the door in one smooth movement. Pretty cool, huh?
I'm Turning Japanese 