End of an Era at Meiji Shrine: Giant Torii, Sacred Sake, and Horns of Jealousy

Blossom for soon-to-be-empress Princess Masako

Here in Japan, as the sakura bloom, many are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the new era name as the current emperor prepares to abdicate (Just announced - the new name is Reiwa=令和). As well as the Western calendar, Japan also has its own calendar known as the nengō (年号) system; in modern times this has corresponded with the name of an imperial era. So the Heisei era (as the current period is known) started with the accession of the current emperor Akihito in January 1989 and will end on April 30 2019 - the 31st year of Heisei - when he abdicates in favour of Crown Prince Naruhito. Interestingly, during his reign the emperor is never called by his name but only as emperor (ten'nō=天皇); after his reign he will be referred to as Emperor Heisei (平成天皇). Thus, if you ask a Japanese the real name of a current or former emperor most will not know.

The custom of posthumously naming an Emperor after the era during which they ruled began after the death of the Emperor Meiji in 1912 (film buffs may remember the very young emperor portrayed in The Last Samurai). The Emperor Meiji is enshrined - but not buried - in Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingū=明治神宮) which boasts 100,000 trees right in the centre of Tokyo, just a stone's throw from Harajuku Station. The shrine was finished in 1920, burnt down during World War II, and rebuilt in 1958. The giant torii gate at the entrance to the shrine complex must be one of the most photographed places in Tokyo. As you walk into the shrine, there are more of these imposing gates, including the Ōtorii (大鳥居) Grand Shrine Gate which at 12m tall is the biggest wooden torii in Japan. It is made of 1500 year old Japanese cypress (hinoki) and if you look carefully, you will also see branches with sakaki leaves tied to the bottom of the gates, a species of evergreen sacred to Shinto.


Talking of things sacred to Shinto, sake (rice wine) is high on the list. Walking through the shrine precinct you will come across a giant wall of refined sake (seishu=清酒) barrels wrapped in straw which are given as offerings every year by the Sake Brewers Association. A little further on you will come to the Meiji Memorial Hall where the Meiji Constitution was signed; Shinto weddings (shinzen kekkon =神前結婚) are also performed here (if you have enough money!). (Ceremonial) sake drinking is a key part of the ceremony, specifically the drinking of three cups three times (nan-nan-san-ku-do). The evergreen mentioned earlier also features, with the priest offering some to the altar near the end of the ceremony.

These two giant 'husband and wife' camphor trees planted in 1920 at the time of the enshrinement of the emperor have become a symbol of happy marriage and harmonious life within the family

The day I visited I was lucky enough to see a wedding procession headed by the Shinto priests (note the amagutsu footwear) followed by two shrine maidens (miko) and the bride and groom. Note the bride's white paper headwear, known as a tsuno-kakushi (角隠し) or "horn hider". The meaning of this is rather unclear, but in Japan if someone is angry people often gesture with index fingers making horns on the head. Thus, the "horn hider" seems to mean that wives should suppress any anger/jealousy and be obedient to their husband! For those of you who assume this is the 'traditional' gender role, be careful: the Shinto marriage ceremony and indeed many of the social norms relating to how wives and mothers 'should' act are recent inventions, created after the beginning of the Meiji era.

Yoyogi Park: Cherry Trees, Rockabilly Dancing, and Counting Crows

There's still a slight chill in the air in the mornings and evenings - northern Japan had blizzards last week - but the cherry trees are coming into bloom right now. The next week or two will be the best time for holding a blossom viewing 'hanami' party and one of the most convenient places to have your picnic in Tokyo is Yoyogi Park which has over 600 trees plus food and drink stalls.

Yoyogi Park is just a short walk from Harajuku Station, next to Meiji Shrine (to be featured in the next post!). It is one of the largest, most spacious parks in Tokyo (134 acres), with ponds, forested areas, fountains, gardens, statues, a dog run, a bird sanctuary, and bike paths: expect to see joggers, dog walkers, yoga circles, dance groups, cyclists, musicians, jugglers, kite flyers, frisbee throwers, tai-chi classes, and much more! Another thing you'll definitely see are crows - hundreds of them. There's seven in the picture below: according to the superstition of counting crows that means either a secret, a mystery, or a curse!

Yoyogi only officially became a park in 1967: before that it was a military parade ground (pre-war), US military barracks (post-war), and then main athletes village for the 1964 Olympics. A legacy of its military past is the marvellous 'Pine Tree of Imperial Troop Review' (えっぺいしき＝閲兵式). The sign below the 12m tree tells us that this was the spot where the emperor would stand when reviewing the troops and giving the imperial salute. There is certainly a special regality to the tree, especially when the trunk is wrapped in a rice-straw mat in winter as the Japanese do to protect trees not from the cold but from harmful insects (the practice is known as komo-maki =菰巻き). The mat is burnt - full of insects - typically at the end of February.

Finally, a post on Yoyogi Park wouldn't be complete without mentioning the rockabilly dancers (ロックンローラー族) who gather outside the Harajuku Gate on (some) Sundays to drink, dance, and listen to 50s rock 'n' roll music. Both young and old, dressed in leather and denim, wearing sunglasses, and sporting quiffs and slicked back hair (men) and pony tails (women), it's fascinating to see a thriving sub-culture in the heart of the capital. One of Australia's best known bands, 5SOS, was so inspired that they wrote a multi-platinum song, Youngblood, accompanied by a fantastic video shot in Tokyo featuring some of the Japanese twisters. Performances are unscheduled but if you're unlucky enough to miss them, check out the video below for a taste of what you missed!

A Mask Wearing Culture: Hay Fever Fashion

In England I never wore a mask, never really saw others wearing masks, and didn't notice any masks on sale. Japan is very different: masks are everywhere from commuters on the Yamanote Line to hikers in the countryside, from students to the elderly. There are multiple reasons Japanese wear masks. Among young women, it is often a sign that they got up too late to apply make-up! However, in general the reasons often depend on the season. 

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During winter they are used to prevent catching a cold or the flu or to stop it spreading to others if you have been unlucky to catch one. Coughing or sneezing on a crowded commuter train without a mask will result in a quick social death. The air is also very dry at this time of year so wearing a mask is a good way to prevent a sore throat (especially so if you keep the heater on while you sleep at night). In the spring, Asian dust or yellow sand (kōsa =黄砂) carrying pollutants and particulates like PM 2.5 blows over from China and other countries (Kyushu is especially affected), so masks are used to filter this out. At this time of the year, though, probably the most common reason for wearing a mask is hay fever (known as kafunshō=花粉症).

As the cold snap switched abruptly into unseasonably warm weather, the start of hay fever season was officially announced on February 18th (when cedar pollen started to fully diffuse into the air). The media has been full of dire warnings that this year will be especially miserable for the one in four Japanese who suffer from hay fever, with the amount of cedar pollen in the air even in Tokyo forecast to be as much as four times higher than last year. Part of the reason cedar (sugi=杉) pollen is such a problem can be traced back to after World War II which saw mass planting of the fast-growing trees to aid the post-war construction boom. Cedar pollen is expected to continue until mid-March in eastern and western Japan and that is followed by hinoki or Japanese cypress pollen: the trees produce huge amounts of of tiny, super-light pollen grains which when inhaled can cause severe allergic reactions. While cedar and cypress are the main culprits, as the chart below shows the pollen (kafun=花粉）calendar runs through to October and includes multiple kinds of allergens, even including rice plants (ine =稲). See here for a more detailed regional calendar with pictures.

Comparing with the UK, we can see a similar patten with tree pollen in the spring (red in the chart), and grass and weed from summer to autumn (green in the chart). The main culprit in the UK though is grass which peaks in June: cedar and cypress are no-where to be found.

Magazines and TV have been full of cleaning tips for reducing pollen in the home: wipe rather than vacuum floors, dry futons and clothes inside (or outside early in the morning), brush (harai=払い) clothes after coming home, and use air purifiers. Allergies are big business in Japan. As well as masks, products on sale include anti-pollen glasses that also claim to prevent lenses from fogging up, nose plugs, nasal sprays, and portable air purifiers small enough to be worn around the neck. But it is the masks that are the big-sellers and in recent years these have become something of a fashion item too, with different styles (black or flower-printed masks anyone?) to fruit-scented ones and even masks taped directly to the cheeks. The other day I visited a "pop-up shop" in Ometesando Hills by Pitta Mask which has been promoting masks as a fashion accessory; the shop had a section offering advice on how to coordinate masks by colour and size with your clothes!

Staying Poka-Poka in the Japanese Winter: The Wonder of Hand Warmers

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Traditional hot-water bottle

Tokyo experienced its first proper snow last week, but it didn't stick and was pretty much gone by the next day. Nevertheless, it's been pretty cold though nothing  compared to Hokkaido which is experiencing a record cold spell with temperatures dropping below minus 20 (the cold front even spread to Hawaii where it was responsible for an unheard of snow fall in the low lying areas!). At least people in Hokkaido enjoy central heating though - the rest of Japan lacks this luxury. In the absence of central heating, Japanese typically heat only the living room in winter; this can make a trip to the toilet extremely chilly! For heating, as discussed before, kerosene/paraffin remains common and a kotatsu low-heated table highly recommended. At night, as in the UK, Japanese will often sleep with a hot water bottle in the winter - in Japan this is called a yutanpo (湯たんぽ) and is traditionally made from galvanised steel or hard plastic (pictured), though recently the Western style soft rubber type has become more common.

But venturing outside usually means walking: Japan, at least in the populated areas, is a public transport not a car based society and Japanese have been shown to be one of the most active people in terms of daily steps taken (something also linked to low levels of obesity). Now this means a lot of time spent in those cold spaces between home, station, and workplace - which is where the fabulous disposable hand-warmer comes in. Usually written in katakana as カイロ (kairo), these thin pocket heaters are commonly used not only during commuting and shopping but also in various outdoor activities such as skiing and hiking. Depending on the size, once in contact with the air they can last anywhere from 7 to (incredibly) over 18 hours at relatively high temperatures as the table below shows:

Table showing different types of and stats for kairo or hand warmers produced by the Co-op (生協）

As the table indicates, there are two basic kinds of kairo: sticky (haru=貼る）and non-sticky (haranai=貼らない) which are written prominently on the front of the packet (pictured). The former can be stuck over inner-clothing, like T-shirts and vests, or inside jackets while the latter are more for pockets and holding directly. As the table also shows there are special kinds of sticky kairo especially for socks (pictured). These packets will often contain the onomatopoeic word for pleasantly warm or comfortably hot, pokapoka or hokahoka, though the latter is more closely associated with steaming or piping hot food (indeed, Hokka-Hokka Tei is the name of a popular take-out bento chain).

Like the yutanpo traditional hot-water bottle above, kairo were originally metal vessels with hot stones, sand, or charcoal inside: see here for a little history and some nice pictures. Finally, this wouldn't be Japan is there wasn't a long list of chūi (warnings) about how to use kairo safely. These include not putting them directly on the skin, sleeping with them, or attaching them to pets! You have been warned...

Yakiniku Grilled Meat - The Second Most Popular Washoku

When you mention Japan one of the first things most people think of is the food; indeed, washoku (Japanese food) is one of the top draws for the skyrocketing numbers of foreign tourists visiting Japan, something which was given a boost by its addition to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013. The latest Michelin Guide sees Tokyo as the city with the most - 230 - Michelin-starred restaurants (Paris, in contrast has only 113). In a nod to its popularity, this blog has covered a broad range of Japanese foods, from expensive wagyu (Japanese beef) - by far the most popular post to date with over 3,500 hits - to the humble rice-ball (onigiri) which rather amazingly gets its first mention in this year's Michelin Guide! Other foods covered include sweet potatoes, instant noodles, donburi, takoyaki (octopus balls), seven-herb rice-porridge, oden, sashimi, curry rice, grilled eel, bentō lunchboxes, sushi (twice!), gyūdon beef bowls - and too many others to mention. I hadn't realised that food has come to be such a dominant feature of "everyday life in Japan"!

While sushi remains the most popular food for Japanese, non-Japanese might be surprised that the second most popular food for natives - at least according to one NHK poll - is yakiniku (焼肉) or grilled meat (see here for the top 50 in mouth-watering pictures!). Yakiniku restaurants typically have a grill built into the table and you order thinly-sliced bite-sized pieces of unmarinated raw meat and vegetables and then cook it yourself. Menus contain a huge variety of different cuts and kinds of meat, offal, and various different vegetables (such as onions, green peppers, pumpkin, and shiitake mushrooms) which you can order little by little as you cook and eat. Although it is a fun communal eating experience, it is interesting to note that despite the image of Japan as groupist, the yakiniku experience is a very individual personalised one where you can cook the meat as you like and then choose from various sauces (tare) and condiments.

Although the term yakiniku was initially used to describe Western style barbecue, since the Showa period it has been heavily associated with and inspired by Korean cuisine such as bulgogi and indeed many yakiniku restaurants in Japan are Korean run (for a post explaining the history of Japan's Korean community see here). Recently we headed to our local yakiniku restaurant - with the Korean name Kochikaru (pictured) - to celebrate a birthday. Being a Korean restaurant, we were also able to order delicious kimchi (spicy cabbage) as well as bibimba (a Korean rice dish).

Yakiniku can be eaten at home, but is more commonly eaten out (known as gaishoku=外食), perhaps because of the smell and mess. Yakiniku restaurants are on the casual end of the restaurant spectrum but, unless you go for one of the "all-you-can-eat" time-limited places, they are not cheap - hence yakinuku is often reserved for a special occasion or celebration. One of the interesting features about yakiniku is that despite the cost you cook it yourself! This is actually fairly common in Japan, particularly for sukiyaki and other hotpot (nabe) style dishes but also (sometimes) for okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes). Te-maki (hand-rolled) sushi is another do-it-yourself example of Japanese cuisine, though this is usually eaten at home especially on Girl's Day (March 3rd). There is even a cook-it-yourself ramen place in Osaka! For some Westerners, the cook it yourself set-up can seem a little odd: this was captured nicely in the film Lost in Translation when the two main characters visit this shabu-shabu restaurant and Bill Murray humourously asks Scarlett Johansson, "What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food?"

Overflowing with Plastic Waste: Recycling, Landfill, and Incineration in Japan

Local Garbage Incineration Plant

The World Economic Forum (WEF=世界経済フォーラム) is currently holding its annual meeting as I write and Abe gave a speech on Wednesday pushing for an international agreement on the reduction of plastic waste following up on his November 15th ASEAN+3 Marine Plastics Debris Cooperative Action Initiative. The government's sudden enthusiasm to do something about plastic waste is less down to a new found environmental awareness and more due to China's ban on importing plastic waste from January 2018. This left Japan in a bind since China has previously accepted most of the 1.5 million tons of plastic waste exported in previous years. The situation is even more urgent since Japan ranks second internationally after America in terms of the colume of single-use plastic containers discarded.

While Japan is well known for its mottainai ("what a waste!") green mindset, in reality environmental awareness is weak and recycling of household garbage is low (around 20% in 2016, less than half that in the UK). In terms of plastic, while 84% of all plastic waster is ostensibly recycled, the majority of this is actually burned in a process that is rather dishonestly called "thermal recycling." On the ground, some supermarkets do now give a discount for bringing your own shopping bag (my local gives ¥2 off!) this is still not widespread and the ubiquitous convenience stores, which are hugely popular, churn out a mountain of plastic packaging seemingly without any attempt to deal with the waste. Moreover, the movement to reduce one-use items like plastic straws which has swept many Western countries has not really gained traction in Japan, with restaurant operator Skylark the first (and only?) Japanese business to officially announce it will stop using them (unless customer's request them!). The government did announce in a draft strategy at the end of last year a proposal to introduce a mandatory charge for plastic bags (レジ袋有料義務化) but like much else in Japan it remains under discussion.

In everyday life, Japan has long been known for its meticulous garbage separation rules. Certainly it started this a lot earlier then the UK; I remember my wife being shocked that almost all rubbish was throw in the same bin when visiting England in the 1990s! In my local area rubbish is collected every weekday: Monday is recycle day (cans, bottles, clean plastic, batteries etc), Tuesday and Friday are for burnables (moeru gomi =燃えるごみ), Wednesday is for non-burnable (moenai gomi=燃えないごみ including dirty plastic containers), and Thursday is for paper and cardboard (as well as fabric). For over-sized rubbish (known as sodai gomi =粗大ごみ）it is necessary to buy a special sticker and then ring to arrange a pick up date. Kodaira City has a detailed website explaining how to throw out rubbish correctly (gomi no dashikata =ごみの出し方). Interestingly, non-Japanese struggling to throw out garbage in the correct way has become a source of cultural friction in some neighbourhoods and is even sometimes cited as a reason against more migration! As a result most municipalities now have brochures in various languages (English here and here).

What of the future? Many local authorities, especially in Tokyo, are beginning to take the issue more seriously. My locality will make it compulsory to throw out rubbish in designated coloured bags, costing from ¥100 for 10, from April as a way to reduce household waste (pictured). Nevertheless, space for landfill, especially in the growing Tokyo metropolis, is becoming increasingly scarce; it is said, it will run out altogether in another 50 years. This article describes the artificial island facing central Tokyo packed with citizens' waste in a long standing tradition of "filling in the sea with trash." However, only about one-eighth of rubbish ends up in such landfills; much of the rest is burned at extremely high temperatures (the board outside the incineration plant pictured above gives a temperature of 958℃ in the shot below). Such high temperatures supposedly limit the amount of dangerous dioxins being released into the atmosphere via the smokestack. Unfortunately, it is still not uncommon to see (and smell) householders and small-lot farmers burning rubbish on their property, seemingly oblivious of the noxious fumes that are being released.

Umami, Dashi, and the Hardest Food in the World

Visit any Japanese supermarket and you'll find a whole section selling ready made dashi, Japanese soup/broth stock that brings out the best flavours of Japanese food (washoku =和食). The stock is basically hot water infused with the savoury "umami" flavour of ingredients such as fish (especially dried bonito known as katsuobushi) and seaweed (especially kombu or kelp). Umami itself is a distinct fifth basic taste (after sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) identified and named by a Japanese chemist over a hundred years ago (umai in Japanese means delicious). Although umami was not universally recognised until 1985, the taste is by no means limited to Japanese palates, and explains the popularity of anything from ketchup on burgers to Parmesan cheese on tomato sauce with mushrooms!

Katsuobushi itself is a Japanese staple, and is often first encountered by non-Japanese sprinkled over the top of the Japanese savoury pancake known as okonomiyaki (お好み焼き). The way the wafer thin bonito -actually skipjack tuna- flakes dance and writhe around on top of the hot okonomiyaki is quite enchanting (see video at bottom). Katsuobushi flakes are also a common topping on rice and tofu. Dashi is for the most part invisible though and the vegetarian assuming a bowl of Japanese miso soup or noodles is safe should most definitely think again! Certainly, being a vegetarian today in Japan (let alone a vegan) is incredibly difficult, rather surprising given that Buddhist culture made eating meat largely a social taboo that was enforced by a long ban or prohibition on the killing and eating of meat up until Westernisation in the second half of the 19th century (see here).

Katsuobushi can also be bought in block form which is like a brick; indeed, katsuobushi is known as the world's hardest food (see here for a great video on how it's made). If you do buy it in block form you will need to shave it yourself which requires a specialised grater. As the picture shows, these can cost anything from ¥10,000 to ¥30,000 (£70~£210!).

Japan is experiencing something of a dashi boom at the moment, with soup bars and other specialist shops such as Dashiplus in Akasaka gaining a lot of attention as healthy eating choices. One place I personally would recommend is the Nihonbashi Dashi Bar (日本橋だし場) where you can choose to eat in or take out from a menu that includes everything from cheap and simple dashi broth, miso soup, and katsubushi meshi (cooked rice) to crispy dashi (だしおこげ), oden, and the baked snack-like nureokake (ぬれおかけ) - not to mention some wonderful soups and broths on the lunch menu. Perfect for a rather chilly Tokyo which enjoyed its first flurry of snow (hatsu-yuki =初雪) at the weekend!

Omikuji Fortune Papers and Ema Wooden Wish Plaques

2019 is here and, as I wrote this time last year, for most Japanese that means a visit to a shrine (or temple) to make prayers and wishes for the new year, a practice known as hatsumōde (初詣). Made up of the characters for "first" and "make a pilgrimage", this "first visit" can be anytime from the evening of December 31st up until January 7th (a period known as matsu-no-uchi =松の内). Matsu means pine and pine decorations are ubiquitous on gates and doors at this time of year (pine, like bamboo, is said to symbolise longevity and strength/hardiness). The most popular shrines, such as Meiji Jingu in Shibuya, are packed for the first three days of the year when most Japanese are off work.

Prayers and wishes for the new year can be made spiritually after bowing and clapping at the shrine but they can also be made in more material fashion by purchasing a cheap fortune paper known as an omikuji or a more expensive ema (絵馬=horse picture) wooden plaque. The latter cost around 500 to 700 yen and your wish or message is written on it directly before being hung (in public!) at the shrine (as seen in the picture). Eventually they are ritually burned at special events symbolising one's "liberation" from the wish. In contrast, the omikuji folded fortune paper might set you back 100 or 200 yen and, as the name suggests (kuji literally means lottery), you can get any of (up to) twelve ranging from great blessing (dai-kichi =大吉) to great curse (dai-kyō =大凶). The message on the omikuji resembles a horoscope and usually refers to love, money, health, study, or travel.

There seems to be two camps about what to do precisely with your omikuji after unfolding the paper itself. Some people say that if it is one of the (up to seven) blessings you should hold on to it but if you are unlucky enough to get one of the (up to five) curses you should tie it to a designated place or even tree branch at the shrine (a pine branch is supposed to be auspicious because bad luck is said to "wait" - also matsu in Japanese - at the shrine rather than follow you home). Others people, however, always leave their omikuji tied at the shrine regardless of whether it is good or bad. Those who take home their lucky paper see it as a message from god and therefore consider it important to keep the paper in one's wallet or purse as a  guiding principle (shishin =指針)  or "compass needle of fate" in daily life. In contrast, those who tie their paper at the shrine, whether it is good or bad, do this because they believe it brings a stronger connection to the kami. Advice can differ from shrine to shrine: see here for a good explanation (in Japanese) entitled "Should I tie the omikuji?" (おみくじを結んだ方がいいですか）from the famous Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine (太宰府天満宮) in Fukuoka. For a detailed explanation of how to buy an omikuji see here - or check out the video below!

Magical Sweet Potatoes: From Stone Roasted Spuds to Limited Edition Ice-Cream

If I had to choose one sound that encapsulates winter in Japan it would probably be the whistle and recorded yaki-imo chant of the stone roasted (ishi-yaki) sweet potato truck crawling through the neighbourhood at night (see video below). Ishi (石) means stone, yaki (焼き) means cook or heat, while imo (芋) means potato. This refers not to the Western style spud but the yellow-fleshed Japanese sweet potato or satsuma-imo (さつま芋) as well as the purple-fleshed Okinawan sweet yam (beni-imo or murasaki-imo).

There is a whole vocabulary to describe the different types and tastes of these stone roasted potatoes. The menu of the stall pictured below lists four main types:  tomitsu-red from Fukui (top left), milk-sweet-silk (top right), murasaki-imo as described earlier (bottom right), and another type of tomitsu from Fukui (which is obscured by a note saying "now roasting/curing - please wait!). The taste/texture of each potato is also given:hokkori (from hokuhoku describing the fibrous fluffy soft potato texture); shittori (moist?); nettori (creamy, sticky); mitsu (honey); and kaori (fragrant). Note the halal mark to the left of the menu and the English sign saying (I quote), "No add any sugar, only baking. Magical sweetness in here." Couldn't have said it better myself.

Sweet potatoes find their way into a huge variety of products that Japanese love. One example is shōchū; although usually made from the fermentation of rice this Japanese spirit also has a sweet potato version (known as imo-jōchū). Moreover, the natural sweetness of the satsuma-imo naturally lends itself to sweets and confectionery. One best seller is purple sweet potato ice-cream: Häagen Daz' limited edition (kikan gentei =期間限定) murasaki-imo (紫いも) ice-cream was unbelievably popular (for a recipe see here). And it doesn't end there. This site lists a variety of interesting ways Japanese use sweet potatoes as a key ingredient in sweets, including kit-kats, tarts, milk-shakes, cookies, chocolates, and various other snacks. Magical sweetness indeed!

Japan's New Migration Law: A Visit to the NHK Broadcasting Center

It seems an age since I last put up a new post - my apologies! Rest assured I have not been run over by a truck but was simply ridiculously busy, as are many Japanese during the end of year period (nen-matsu =年末). I do have a stock of new stories lined up - including sweet potatoes, plastic rubbish, and dashi (soup stock). Today though I am going to stick to something topical: the recent passage of the revisions to the immigration law which have raised quite a bit of attention both in Japan and and worldwide (see my interview on BBC World News at the bottom!).

I have written previously here about Japan's lack of an immigration policy and its rather unfriendly and unwelcoming system of control over foreign residents. As I have explained elsewhere, Japan has long followed a de facto ‘no immigration principle’ — an institutionalisation of the ‘homogeneous people’ ideology of the Japanese nation — and this continues to play a key role in structuring national identity. However, faced with acute labour shortages that threaten to undermine the steady economic growth seen under Abenomics the government has taken radical action: for the first time in the post-war period it is to officially allow blue-collar workers (tanjun rōdōsha =単純労働者) into the country by setting up two new visa categories (for a short explanatory article see here).

As I mentioned above, the interest from outside Japan has been intense. A number of journalists have contacted me to ask what it all means, and to find out whether Japan will finally adopt a proper immigration policy (short answer: no). The BBC even asked me to appear for a short 3 minute interview on World News last Monday. Though I could have done it through Skype from my office I was quite interested to see what the BBC studio in Tokyo actually looked like so decided to head to the NHK Broadcasting Centre (hōsō-sentā =放送センター) where the BBC has an office. The Centre itself is located in Shibuya and is actually a huge complex of offices and shops which includes NHK Hall, where classical concerts are held, and NHK Studio Park, a hands-on interactive museum (PDF here).

The BBC "studio" actually turned out to a tiny (and unmanned when I was there) space a little bigger than a broom cupboard on the 7th floor of the Centre! There was little but a desk in front of a Tokyo backdrop and a camera (see picture). The lady who met me in front of the building and let me in popped an earpiece in my ear and sat me down in the hot seat where I waited until Singapore was ready to do the live interview segment. Needless to say, my romantic image of crazily busy international newsrooms with staff rushing about to meet deadlines was somewhat shattered!

National Dog Day and Pet Care and Protection in Japan

Japanese love giving each day a special moniker. Today (November 11th) alone, for example, has 62 separate titles (listed here) which include cheese day, sock day, noodle day, and solo travel day. November has a particularly large number because the numbers 11 (ichi and ichi) resemble the word "good" (ii =いい) in Japanese; most of the days have been created by companies as a marketing gimmick to promote their particular product. In this post, I want to introduce National Dog Day or inu no hi (犬の日）on November 1st. This was created by a group of pet food companies in 1987; three "ones" in a row resemble the sound Japanese perceive dogs make when they bark: namely wan wan wan (see here for a full table of onomatopoeic animal sounds). For Japanese, the notion that dogs go "woof" (as English speakers believe) is clearly preposterous and they usually find this highly amusing!

In Japan, dog lovers have traditionally outnumbered cat lovers with the most popular breed being the native shiba (柴犬). However, in recent years, smaller "cuter" dogs that require less space and minimal walking (and who shed less hair) have become more popular: in 2015 the top three most popular breeds were (1) toy poodles, (2) chihuahuas, and (3) miniature dachshunds (shiba dropping to number five). More significantly, the number of cats (9.53 million) over took the number of dogs (8.92 million) for the first time last year. Interestingly, although cats have always been more popular than dogs in the UK, the numbers are very similar to Japan, with an estimated population of 8.9 million dogs and 11.1 million cats (though the percentage of pet owners is obviously much higher because the UK population is smaller).

As the graph shows, the number of dogs have dropped quite dramatically over the last ten years or so. A big reason for this is that the 1973 Animal Care and Protection Law (dōbutsu aigo hō ＝動物愛護法) has undergone a series of revisions in recent years, specifically in 2005 and 2012, which introduced tough regulations for unscrupulous breeders and stricter rules for dog sales. As I have written before, the concept of animal welfare and rights have been woefully under-developed in Japan in the past, but recently this has been changing. Indeed, in the past dogs were often kept outside in a kennel as guard dogs and training was minimal; food would typically be human leftovers such as miso soup poured over rice (known as neko-mam'ma). Today dogs are more likely to be treated like children, dressed up in fancy clothes and spoiled with expensive food and treats (there were actually more cats and dogs - 18.5 million - than kids - 15.7m - in 2017). Indeed, pet products, including insurance have become big business in Japan.

The legal and social changes described above have contributed to a dramatic fall in the number of dogs and cats euthanised (gassed) at public health centres (hokenjo =保健所), from almost 300,000 (mainly cats) in 2008 to a record low 43,227 in 2017. More and more abandoned dogs (hogoken =保護犬) are being adopted by new owners, mostly thanks to the work of NPOs and other organisations that provide refuges and re-homing programmes. One well-known organisation is ARK (Animal Refuge Kansai), which was founded in 1990 by a British woman, Elizabeth Oliver, and came into its own after the 1995 Kobe earthquake when many pets were abandoned. We have tried to do our bit, and our dog Jaz (Jasmin) was one such abandoned pet; when found she was severely mal-nourished and her ears were ragged and torn. Now, when I take her for walks she gets admiring glances and calls of kawaii ("how cute!") and gets particular praise for being slim, white, and long-legged. Not infrequently, fellow walkers will follow-up by saying "just like her owner" which brings gails of laughter. Making comments about another person's body parts - "high" nose, long legs/fingers, "small" face - is very much socially acceptable in Japan, since it is categorised as "praise" (whether the recipient regards it as such or not). But such social mores are a topic for another day - for now I'll leave you with one more picture of Jaz looking rather content.