LD's Guide to Japan

Hi everyone! I’ve had some practice now, and I’m...

Tue, 22 May 2012 10:43:00 +0900

Hi everyone! I’ve had some practice now, and I’m getting more and more comfortable talking into a mic, so I’m really psyched that I can now announce my new podcast project: BOOMcast! Japan!!! I’ve realized that I’m surrounded by a lot of really interesting people here—some of whom I know quite well, but most of whom I hardly know at all—and I wanted to do something to showcase these awesome individuals who choose to leave their home country behind and live in a land full of rice fields and pachinko parlors. The title “BOOMcast” comes from a Japanese phrase: “my boom.” ”My boom” sounds like an awkward phrase, but it’s taken to literally mean something that is “booming” with you, personally—as opposed to a national or cultural “boom.” To put it in plainer English: It’s something that you’re recently really into (a hobby, a musician, a TV show, etc.).

So for BOOMcast! Japan, I sit down with my guests to talk about ourselves, life in Japan, and what is booming with us. And the best part? It’s FREE!! Who doesn’t like free stuff?! (Free stuff is totally “my boom”)

So head on over to iTunes to give it a listen! Episode 1 is up now, and I’ll release a new episode every week! If you’re not into the whole iTunes thing, you can download the episode directly by clicking here!

After you’ve listened (or while you’re listening), please check out the facebook page, facebook.com/BOOMcastJapan, for more info/pictures/links on the things we discuss, and leave a comment while you’re there! I’m super excited about it, and I’d love to hear what you all think! Thank you so much!!

A Happy Mother’s Day message to all you mothers out there....

Sun, 13 May 2012 20:39:27 +0900

A Happy Mother’s Day message to all you mothers out there. Courtesy of a local florist here in Toyama. (Taken with Instagram at いなりもとまちアピア (アピアショッピングセンター))

Yes, I can use chopsticks: the everyday 'microaggressions' that grind us down

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:59:07 +0900

Yes, I can use chopsticks: the everyday 'microaggressions' that grind us down:

Here’s something that has been the topic of a lot of discussion today. If you want to have an idea of what it’s like living as a foreigner (more specifically, a Caucasian) in Japan, this article from The Japan Times Online addresses a MAJOR part of it: the latent racism. The author labels it as “micro-aggression,” a term apparently being used by social psychologists, but it seems to be a more polite word for what’s really going on. Don’t get me wrong, I love Japan very deeply and I have a great affection for Japanese people—there’s a lot of reasons why I’ve lived here this long and why I will continue to do so—but there is a strong undercurrent of xenophobia in their society that I am forced to shrug off on a near-daily basis. Just within the past week I’ve been told I’m good at using chopsticks by a co-worker who has known me for the past 2 years. The hundreds of unconsciously condescending remarks like these are a part of my everyday life and they can really wear at you after a while. I’m not a great writer and don’t really know how to express my thoughts on this matter too well, but to me the author really nailed it on a lot of points, so I urge you to click here to read the article.

My friend Jason also had this to say:

We’re all asked fairly innocuous questions and most are easy to shrug off or have fun with, but some are daily reminders that, effectively, you don’t belong here. (“Where are you from? When are going back?”) When a large part of your social interactions entail a personal defense of who you are or an objectification of your foreignness, that can wear on you. That many Japanese folks don’t realize any of this speaks to a fundamental cultural problem that, I believe, will never be fully addressed.

I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say they’ll never be fully addressed, but I’m quite certain that we have a long way to go.

(Thank you to Nicole for showing me this article!)

Banana and caramel mousse birthday cake!!! (Taken with...

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:23:00 +0900

Banana and caramel mousse birthday cake!!! (Taken with instagram)

I’ve started a podcast!! The Lawrence Denes Mini-Cast is...

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:06:08 +0900

I’ve started a podcast!! The Lawrence Denes Mini-Cast is something I’m really excited about, and so far it’s been a lot of fun to work on. It will feature mainly conversations with others who live in Japan, and cover a wide range of topics including life in Japan, movies, music, and much, much more. I’m just starting out, so there are some kinks to work out, and I imagine I will gain a clearer focus as I go along, but come check it out! I’ve got 3 episodes out already! You can listen to the LDMC on iTunes by clicking the above picture (or here), or if you’re not into the iTunes thing, you can listen to it streaming or download the mp3s at ldmc.posterous.com (click here). And if you like it, please support me by becoming a fan on facebook! Thank you!!

The students at one of my elementary schools took a survey of...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:02:31 +0900

The students at one of my elementary schools took a survey of things that make their fellow schoolmates happy and things that make them upset.
Clockwise from the top right:
“Things that people say that make me upset”
1. Die (39 people)
2. Idiot/stupid (31)
3. You’re annoying (22)
“Things people do that make me upset”
1. Ignore me (44)
2. Stop being my friend (39)
3. Physically hurt me (32)
“Things people do that make me happy”
1. Invite me to play (97)
2. Help me out (25)
3. Teach me (17)
“Things people say that make me happy”
1. Thank you (41)
2. Let’s play (40)
3. Good Morning (39)

The things that make them upset are far more interesting to me than what makes them happy. I mean, not that any of them are particularly surprising, but they do reveal a little about what school life is like hear. I’ve heard all of these things said around school. Part of the Japanese education philosophy is to let students work out problems and arguments amongst themselves with as minimal teacher involvement as possible, which I do think tends to result in a lot fewer selfish kids (I have no facts to back this up, it’s just my speculation). But on the other hand, bullies are rarely punished as they should be for their behavior, and as they grow into junior high and high school students, bullying becomes a rather large problem that the Japanese educational system simply has not developed a proper way to deal with yet.

My year so far.

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:16:46 +0900

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

My year so far.

Recently I’ve been posting pictures of my cat, Noboru...

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:25:32 +0900

Recently I’ve been posting pictures of my cat, Noboru (“Non-chan”), over at hipstacatic.tumblr.com. I post one a day every weekday, and as of today I’m up to 50 images total. Why not go check it out? Hit the “random” button a few times, and maybe it’ll brighten your day little. And if you like it, give it a “follow!”

This past weekend I got to experience a part of Japanese culture...

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:30:22 +0900

This past weekend I got to experience a part of Japanese culture that is fairly well-known, but something I had never seen first-hand: Cosplay. The Toyama Cosplay (short for “costume play”) Fest was held on Saturday and Sunday, and I decided to check it out, not knowing what to expect at all, and was blown away by how many people there were and how passionate they were about it. I had no idea that this is much more than just a hobby for cosplayers; for a lot of people, it’s work, and it’s a whole lifestyle. They spend their time studying their characters and learn the best ways to portray them, and they go to conventions all over the country (there were people from all over at the Toyama convention).

At this convention, they had some rental costumes available for people to try for free, so I decided to throw caution to the wind and give it a shot. The costume (as seen in the pictures above) was for some anime character—I forgot the character’s name—and I had to have help putting it on because I had no idea what I was doing. But once I got it on, I had a great time. Being the only white guy there—let alone a white guy in costume—needless to say I stood out quite a bit, and many many people stopped me to ask if they could take my picture. I felt like a celebrity.

I quickly learned that cosplayers have a repertoire of poses that they use for pictures, that I can only assume they practice quite a bit at home because they go into them seamlessly whenever asked if they can have their picture taken. You can see some of the poses in the pictures above. I tried to do a pose, too, but I felt pretty awkward. hahah. It’s harder than it looks!

Anyways, it was a very strange experience, but it was a lot of fun, and I’m definitely glad I went. I was told that the biggest cosplay convention is in Tokyo in December, and I would love to see that someday—I bet it’s a madhouse! haha

"Nuclear power plants, which were supposed to be efficient, instead offer us a vision of hell. This..."

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:14:27 +0900

“Nuclear power plants, which were supposed to be efficient, instead offer us a vision of hell. This is the reality… We should have been working to develop alternative energy sources to replace nuclear power at a national level, by harvesting all existing technologies, wisdom and social capital. Even if people throughout the world had mocked us, saying, “Nuclear power is the most effective power generation system, and Japanese people are really stupid not to use it”, we should have retained the aversion to nuclear power that was triggered by our experience of nuclear weapons… It is the job of experts to rebuild broken roads and buildings, but it is the duty of each of us to restore our damaged ethics and values.”

- One of my favorite authors, Haruki Murakami, gave an impressive speech criticizing Japan’s embracing of the nuclear energy policy. The full English translation can be found on facebook, or you can watch a video of Murakami giving the speech in Japanese on YouTube.

This is the most crazily upsetting thing I have seen to come out...

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:39:42 +0900

This is the most crazily upsetting thing I have seen to come out of the Fukushima nuclear crisis. I can’t believe how the Japanese government is so shamelessly treating its own citizens this way.

This Is Important, You Should Know About It of the Day: A public meeting between members of Japan’s Nuclear Safety Commission and residents of Fukushima did not quite go as the government officials had hoped, with attendees demanding to know what is being done to protect residents from elevated radiation levels detected outside the government’s arbitrary 20km exclusion zone, and Nuclear Safety members responding that Fukushima residents don’t necessarily have the right to live a healthy life free from radiation exposure.

Residents are demanding the government do more to reduce radiation level or else provide financial support to those wishing to evacuate.

Meanwhile, Japan seems content to pass laws censoring reports reflecting negatively on their response to Fukushima’s nuclear radiation.

via thedailywhat

From camping this weekend. I’m up in the top right....

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:08:18 +0900

From camping this weekend. I’m up in the top right. Thanks to Chris for the picture!

This was made two years ago by 30 Japanese university students...

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:34:51 +0900

This was made two years ago by 30 Japanese university students upon reflection of their English language education in Junior High and High School. These are their thoughts and pieces of advice to students, teachers, and the “Monbusho” (Ministry of Education).

I know EXACTLY what they mean. I wish the whole nation could watch this.

(Thanks to Sally H. for showing me this)

These are some of the people I spent my first post-Charity-Show...

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 09:31:51 +0900

These are some of the people I spent my first post-Charity-Show weekend with. They are awesome, and my weekend was FANTASTICally relaxing, including (chronologically): my first gig of 2011 (and my first ukulele-only gig), bowling, poker, meeting with a guitarist, a drummer, and a bassist to talk about forming a band (looks like it’s gonna happen), going to the beach and swimming in the ocean TWO DAYS IN A ROW!, a BBQ with tons of friends, and discovering a great restaurant that I had no idea was no more than a 5-minute walk from my apartment!

I feel so refreshed and rejuvenated for this work week! Bring it on!

Next weekend is a 3 day weekend, and for me it’s going to be all about our neighboring prefectures. On Saturday I’ll head over to Ishikawa, to the West, where I’ll spend the night on what I’ve heard is the best beach in our area of Japan. Then on Sunday I’ll head all the way back in the other direction to Niigata—our neighbor to the East—to camp out in Geo Park, which is supposedly huge and has beaches, volcanoes, hiking, abandoned mines, rivers, etc. I can’t WAIT!

(picture via behealthyeatcleanliveright)

Happy 2nd birthday, buddy. (Taken with instagram)

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 11:08:11 +0900

Happy 2nd birthday, buddy. (Taken with instagram)

Hanabi Season

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 09:06:52 +0900

Well, after an intense few days in the theater, the Charity Show is finally a wrap, and it’s back to my regularly-scheduled programming! I got up early and went for a run today for the first time in a couple weeks, and I’m getting ready to play my first music gig in several months!!

Summer is here and it is hot and humid as hell. We’re still in the midst of the rainy season in Japan, so the weather is shit most days, but we’ve actually managed to get pretty lucky with weekend weather so far.

And although they (obviously) do not celebrate the 4th of July here in Japan, summer here brings with it a great many festivals with hanabi (fireworks) shows, and the first one of the season in our area is this Wednesday in Nyuzen (the town next to mine). After that one kicks it off, there will be an average of one big fireworks display per week at various festivals throughout the prefecture!

For various reasons including travelling outside the country for a month, I managed to not see a single fireworks show last summer. To make up for that—and since I have no travel plans this summer—I’ve made it a goal to see as many fireworks as I can (weather permitting) before September. More specifically, I’ve got a schedule worked out and if I stick to it, then I should be able to catch at least 10 big fireworks shows over the next 8 weeks—maybe 12 if I feel up to some longer drives. It’s gonna be a great season!

Happy July 4th to all my American friends and family! Have a great holiday!

Calvin and Hobbes played such a humongous role in my childhood....

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:09:36 +0900

Calvin and Hobbes played such a humongous role in my childhood. I was obsessed. I owned every collection and read them cover to cover, over and over again. I would read them in bed every night until I fell asleep with my nose buried in the pages. Embarrassing story: I even ruined one of the books because I fell asleep reading it and ended up wetting the bed that night (yup, I was a bed-wetter).
I knew the comics so well I could look at the first panel of one and tell you every scene and every bit of dialog that would follow. And yet somehow I still managed to read them over and over and never got sick of it. Even now, I have the entire collection loaded onto my iPad, and reading it brings me the kind of warmth and comfort that you get from your mom’s home cooking. Reading it feels like home.
This (and the above picture) is a link to a nice article, written by someone who shares my love for Calvin and Hobbes, that focuses on Bill Watterson’s attitudes and feelings about nostalgia as they come through in the comic.

This past weekend was “Leavers’ Weekend” here, in which JETs and...

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:56:00 +0900

This past weekend was “Leavers’ Weekend” here, in which JETs and friends from all over Toyama go to a campground in the mountains for a night to celebrate our friends who are finishing their contracts and departing from Japan this year. It’s a bittersweet event, but it is marked by some absolutely gorgeous scenery. As I drove through the valley above, the fog lifted for a moment just long enough for me to pull over and snap a picture. I love seeing these areas of the country, and I love the fact that they are only a short drive away from where I live. My resolution this year is to see much more areas like this before winter comes.

I’ve hardly posted anything in the past few months because...

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:02:55 +0900

I’ve hardly posted anything in the past few months because I’ve kept myself quite busy. First and foremost, I’m taking part in the Toyama International Charity Show again this year, and have been very busy with rehearsals. We are now less than a week away from opening night, and the show is finally coming together just in time. I’m excited for the show, and I’m also excited to get it done and get back to my normal schedule and normal social life. I feel like I’ve missed out on a lot of fun events and trips because of my commitment to this, which is a little sad, but it’s for a good cause, and it has been a largely positive experience, so I’m happy to be a part of it.

I’ve also been taking hip-hop dance classes one to two times a week, and still LOVING it. We’ll have a studio showcase in October, so we’ve already started working on the choreography for the big show, and I’m really, really nervous, but excited.

So between those two things, plus various other events and commitments, I usually end up with only one night a week for myself to just relax at home and I usually spend those nights catching up on episodes of So You Think You Can Dance and The Daily Show. I’ll post more in the upcoming weeks, when I get back on a normal schedule, but for now I just wanted to give a short update. See you soon!

360-degree view from near one of my schools

Thu, 19 May 2011 18:10:35 +0900

360-degree view from near one of my schools:

It was such a beautiful day today!