Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Or as the Japanese would say:

新年明けましておめでとうごいざいます。今年も宜しくお願いします。Shinnen akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

There are at least five important things related to the Japanese New Year:

1. Oosouji. Cleaning the house thoroughly before the yearend.
2. Osechi-ryouri. A special set of dishes prepared for oshougatsu (New Year).
3. Kouhaku Utagassen. A popular TV show where guys and gals compete against each other at singing.
4. Hatsumoude. Your first visit of the year to a shrine.
5. Otoshidama. A monetary gift for children.

In the west, we're more accustomed to seeing fireworks and making New Year's resolutions. Have you already made your New Year's resolution for 2010? I've written a New Year's resolution guide for you if you're interested in successfully fulfilling your objectives this year. Good luck!

8 Tips on Chopstick Etiquette

Photo by bennylin0724

Here are 8 tips on chopstick manners every gaijin should know.

1. Learn how to hold and use chopsticks properly.
2. If you have a hashioki (chopstick stand), use it whenever you want to lay down your chopsticks.
3. Don't stick your chopsticks into your rice bowl.
4. Don't pick up food by forking it with your chopsticks.
5. Don't suck or lick your chopsticks.
6. Don't pass food from your chopsticks to someone else's chopsticks.
7. Don't spend too much time choosing what to pick up. Choose without showing it physically.
8. When using waribashi (disposable chopsticks), make your own hashioki out of the paper cover.

Bonus Tip 1: Don't leave rice in your chawan (rice bowl). Not even one grain.
Bonus Tip 2: Finish your dishes at an equal pace. Don't just finish one dish and move on to the next one.

Should Gaijins Speak Keigo (Polite Japanese)?

Polite language is a funny concept for us gaijin. If I am a polite person I would, of course, naturally choose polite language over, well, impolite. But in terms of Japanese, polite language refers to the type of Japanese you speak to someone senior to you. We gaijin, however, aren't accustomed to these kinds of customs. So are we exempted from the duty of speaking differently to people who are older than us?

If our Japanese is too elementary, surely no one will expect us to use keigo. "Namae wa nan'tte iuno?" will obviously be fine instead of "O-namae wa nan'tte iun desuka?" when asking for someone's name. But if our conversational skills are adequate enough to carry out even semi-intelligent dialogues, should we immediately switch to polite form if the other person is senior to you?

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How I'm Spending My Day Off in Japan

I have (or had) 24 hours at my disposal, but I'm not feeling very productive at the moment. Sometimes I just want to lay back and listen to the hum of my fridge or feel the breeze of the air-conditioner.

Today is one of those days when I have no plans or appointments whatsoever—just wake up whenever I want, eat when/what I want, do whatever I want (lie inert in bed). Okay, let me break that rule a bit... I'm going to make a plan right now to remain on this futon for the rest of the day. I have next to me a 2-liter bottle of Japanese mineral water, Bram Stoker's Dracula (book), and my cell phone. What else would I need to survive the remaining five hours?

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