Podcast

Download this episode (right click and save)

Today I would like to share what I saw and liked in America.

I have traveled mid-west, east and west in the U.S.

Each state was different impression.  For example, people, their fashion, and ambience.

I felt like came different country.  Also each state have different rule. For instance, Colorado allows smoke marijuana, but not Kansas.  I think it’s very interesting.  That’s why I like travel in U.S.

But I think it’s kind of problem.  I live in Kansas State and so many people haven’t gone other country.  The 308 million-plus citizens in the United States, only 30% have passports.  I know if they live south part in America, they can go east or west. They can see different view and easy to go.  But I can tell that if you go other country, you can see more different view and it’s very important.

I found this article while researching this topic.

Hello! 

Christmas is almost here!!!

Last year I spent time with my host family.

They thought me a lot of American Christmas culture.

In Japan also have Christmas but it kind of different.  

Japanese haven't religion but they have Christmas.　　For us, Christmas is couple event.

We don’t spend with family, spend with boyfriend or girlfriend and see Christmas illumination and go to restaurant.  If they haven’t boyfriend or girlfriend, we spend family or friend.

Then, we eat Kentucky Fried Chicken. Before this season, we book a chiken.

When I talk our Christmas time foods, American surprised!

Why Japanese eat Kentucky in Christmas and we have Christmas?! 

Long time ago, many American (army) lived in Japan, there is no turkey in Japan and they ate Chicken reluctantly. And Japanese saw it and learned Christmas culture and we thought they eat Chicken in this event.

So still Japanese eat chicken and have Christmas.  

Moreover many Japanese home haven’t big Christmas tree.  I think Japanese house is not big, so we cannot have Christmas tree.

Another different thing is present.  American children get 2 or 3 presents. But Japanese children get normally just one.. 

Well, I should have grown up in U.S…

However, we can see very beautiful illumination in Tokyo!!

Hi, there!  How was your Halloween?!

Halloween originally came from the US, and in Japan we also celebrate Halloween, especially in Tokyo!
What is different between Halloween in the US and Japan?

In the US, children go around the neighborhood, knock on the door, and say "Trick or treat!" to get some candies.
Americans also decorate their houses extensively and make Jack-O'-Lanterns out of pumpkin.

Some college students go to bars or clubs and party like there is no tomorrow, but my impression is that generally speaking, Halloween in the US is for children.

On the other hand, Halloween in Japan is mainly for adults.
When I was little, some department stores and shops gave me candies, but I did not go around the neighborhood to ask for candies, nor did I make or see any Jack-O'-Lanterns.
So Halloween in Japan is not a fun day for children.

But adults are a different story -- grown-ups dress in costumes, go out to drinking places, and many of them party all night.
The central Tokyo areas of Shibuya and Roppongi become massive party towns -- a fun-filled event for adults!

Even Disneyland caters towards adults, and Disney Sea allows alcoholic beverages, so many Japanese girls go there to enjoy the Disney rides and Halloween celebration at the same time.
I feel like Halloween today has become an international phenomenon -- it is not a holiday to commemorate something special or honorable, but rather a day to give everyone an "excuse" to dress up and have fun!


   

Hi there! I hope you had a great weekend.

10/24 in Washington state near Seattle,  happened a school shooting again.

In Japan, we haven't guns and our international students are afraid of guns.　So I don't want to go outside especially at night alone.  Some people open carry and many people also concealed carry. It is such discomfort.

American always says we can protect you. But perhaps they can kill me easily. I think GUN is most different about our cultures.

Today, I will tell you how many people are killed each year by guns.

There were more than 30,000 gun deaths in the US in 2010 – about 1/3 of them murders and 2/3 suicides.  Out of the 30,000 deaths, about 6,200 of them were young people between the ages of 15 and 24. In fact, by next year, they project that annual gun deaths for young people will surpass that of annual motor vehicle deaths, which has been on a decline for the last decade.

Many people mention the need for “self-defense” when discussing the necessity for gun ownership. But guns in home INCREASE risk of gun deaths – rather than for self-defense, guns in homes are 22 TIMES more likely to be used in suicides and accidental shootings. Breaking down the number 22, for every self-defense use, there were 4 accidental shootings, 7 murders, and 11 suicides.

I want to wrap up my blog by saying that guns themselves are not evil, nor are they a pure mass-murder weapon. But in the 21^st century, I believe guns have no place in homes – most likely, it would result in accidental deaths, rather than self-defense.

Unless you are a HIGHLY trained military personnel who can remain calm, assess the situation, and take aim at the assaulter precisely in a highly volatile environment, a gun owner has almost no chance of actually defending himself or his family in such a situation.

If you care about your family's well-being and safety, I believe the best thing to do is NOT keep guns at home, but rather install home security systems and have a family emergency plan for any contingencies.

 

That wraps up this weeks post, I hope you found it interesting and compelling.

Hello again.

I would like to talk about Japanese and American school systems and students fashion.
when I come in Washburn, I thought students fashion are very casual.

This is Japanese students

We wear nice dress and big heal.

You know why?  We don't study in college. College is just fun place for us.

Japanese studies hard before going to college, then they stop studying once there.  Those going to a third-tier school don't study at all before or after getting into college.

Until we go to University, we attended a cram school five days a week,taking classes on English, literature, and history, in preparation for college entrance exam.

The cram school isn't open on weekends, but there was a room available during that time, so we all there on weekends to study there.

There were other people who studied even harder!!  Those who failed to get into university preciously attended the cram school as if attending a university, staying there from 8-10pm.

For Japanese people, getting into a top-ranked  university is very important, and one must do so to get a good job after graduation.

I was never found of such a college system in Japan, and because i believe one should play while growing up but study hard after growing up, I came to the U.S for my studies.

HI,there!!  

Japan has incorporated many components of American life since the end of World War II.  We eat American food on a regular basis, use English words in daily conversation, and appreciate all things American.  When I was in Japan, I thought I had a decent understanding of what American life is like.  However, after coming to Kansas, I have realized that my “understanding” was completely off the mark.  Now, I understand that Japanese culture is indeed totally different from American culture.  I hope that as I spend more time here in Kansas, I will be able to understand American culture more thoroughly, and perhaps even form a “cultural bridge” between Japan and the U.S.