"What is Hip?" in Japan from Japanese frontdesk manager

Our indefatigable hero, Takahiko Saito, is in

a rare position for the average Japanese guy

in a managerial position - he's a desk manager

at Apartments 33, serviced apartments for

mainly foreign clientele. In Takahiko's diary

this month, he talks with a guest at the

apartments about religion, and how the views

that Japanese people hold about religion

differ to those held by people from other

countries.

Diary of a Japanese Front Desk Manager

"Moshi moshi!"

Mike-san, the 30-year old resident who works

at a wine trading company, greeted me smiling.

The phrase, moshi moshi, which is used when

answering the phone in Japan, was a big hit with

Mike-san, and his recent habit has been to greet

people with his hands extended out in a hip-hop pose.

"Saito-san, I've been going on too many business

trips lately. I'm all stressed out. Is there any place

around here where I can veg out and relax?"


"Actually, there's a place I've just been to that's

really interesting. My friend Shiba-chan, who's

studying journalism, introduced it to me."

This place, in Minato Ward, had already been

featured in a Japan Times article.

It has an isolation tank, invented by Dr. Lilly, the

scientist renowned for his studies on the dolphin

brain who also became famous in Japan during his

visit in the 90's.

The isolation tank was developed to study how the

human brain functions when the five senses are

reduced to a minimum. It contains water, which like

the Dead Sea has a high concentration of Epsom

salts, or magnesium sulfate.

You let your body float in the water, and, when the

tank is closed, there is complete darkness and silence,

which is supposed to relieve you of all stress.

"So how was it, Saito-san?"

"Well, I'm claustrophobic and was afraid at first,

but once they closed the tank, a really unusual feeling

swept over me. I was not asleep, and yet I could feel

my eyes opening and closing in a state of non-REM sleep.

It felt strange, like I was floating in space. In any case,

I could tell that my muscles were relaxing.

All I could hear in there was my breathing and my

heartbeat. When I got out of the tank, I noticed that

my actions were a lot slower. When I tried to talk, my

mind was working and words would form in my head,

but my muscles just wouldn't keep up when I tried to

say them. My body was so relaxed that I could only speak

very slowly."

"This place has absolutely no connection to any religion,

but ever since those incidents with the cult group, it

seems like we have to make it a point to explain these

things since the Japanese have become so sensitive

about the issue."

I saw Mike-san again today. He came and told me about

his visit to the place that I had mentioned to him the

other day and how he had experienced the same things I had.

He stood there for about an hour telling me how relaxed

it made him feel.

"Anyway, I wonder why people tend to think that the

Japanese aren't religious."

It's true that the Japanese celebrate Christmas on

Christmas Eve, and that several days later, they also go

to the shrines and temples to pray for a happy new year.

Women give chocolate on Valentine's Day, and on White

Day there's another exchange of cookies and gifts.

It does appear as if the Japanese have no fixed principles,

and I get many questions from residents about the

Japanese religion.

Well, the traditional religions are Shinto and Buddhism.

Do the cities in Japan seem international only when the

streets are lit up with Christmas lights and decorations?

Or does it just look like that to me?

There are many people who think that this phenomenon

is a result of corporate tactics.

In Japan, there used to be a popular phrase (from a song)

that said "Santa Claus is my lover". As a result Christmas

became a holiday for lovers, with romantic dinners at chic

restaurants and exchanging gifts.

There are gift fads, like the year they said that the "in"

gift was an open-heart necklace from Tiffany's in my young

age also.

These trends increase consumption, encouraging a healthy

market.

This all makes it look like the Japanese are easily swayed by

fads and take the religious significance out of religious

holidays.

On the other hand, these trends make it easier for the

Japanese to enjoy the festivities since it's difficult for

them to appreciate the real essence of the celebrations.

What also adds to the effect is that they can add some

pizzazz to their lives with a taste of a foreign culture.

I also believe that they feel comforted by a sense of

"belonging" that comes from being part of a celebration

that everybody else is participating in.

Even within the festivities that a Japanese person

enjoys, there comes one particular time when his/her

religion becomes perfectly clear. That's the funeral.

Yes, during their lifetime, they've celebrated holidays

from a variety of religions; but in funerals, the deceased

are honored with a ceremony from their own religion.

However, for a Japanese, religion is not so much the

individual's personal beliefs but the beliefs of his/her

family and ancestors. It might seem peculiar to foreigners

that during the bon and higan seasons, people go pay

their respects to their ancestors at the family grave.

As everyone heads back to their hometowns at the

same time, there can be terrible traffic jams during

these periods, and it's hard to get tickets on any form

of public transportation.

Another point is that foreigners do not discuss religion

with each other until they have become close friends.

This is also true for the Japanese.

"Then what about weddings?"

Some people do have weddings with religious undertones,

but in most cases where a couple marry in a church,

they're pursuing the image and atmosphere of a

"white wedding at a Hawaiian church" for example, and

are not actually Christians.

"So that means that the Japanese are really flexible

about accepting other cultures, doesn't it?"

Several days later, when I visited Mike-san's apartment

to help him on his computer, there was a large painting

from India hanging in the entrance.

When I looked at Mike-san, he was wearing one of those

things called "samu-e" which the monks wear when

they do chores around the temple.

"Wow, it seems like you've suddenly added a lot of ethnic

clothes and furnishings to your wardrobe and apartment..."

"Well, you know, since I'm in Japan, I thought I'd go all

the way with the Asian style. I have got into the habit

of buying things that look unique.

I've got so much stuff now-even a new set of dishes."

The dishes that he showed me were from China.

His curtains had a west Asian accent.

The rug was Thai-style; and from the look of Mike-san's

room, I realized it wasn't just Japanese people who fused

different cultures together. It's obviously an individual thing.

Our indefatigable hero, Takahiko Saito, is in a

rare position for the average Japanese guy in a

managerial position - he's a desk manager at

Apartments 33, serviced apartments for mainly

foreign clientele. In Takahiko's diary this month,

he talks about some of the arts and crafts of

Japan - in particular kokeshi dolls - and

mentions some foreign residents he knows who

have a real passion for them.

Diary of a Japanese Front Desk Manager

Tony-san and Itske-san came in and gave me

their usual warm "ohayou gozaimasu, Saito-san!"

this morning, so today is definitely Sunday.

They had a bunch of bags with them - they love

the flea markets and bazaars opened around

Tokyo on Sunday mornings. Today they visited

the markets in Yoyogi Park, near Harajuku, usually

open most Sundays. I think those markets are

quite popular with a lot of the foreign residents

of Tokyo.

Tony-san and Itske-san are a lovely married couple.

Tony-san is often quite busy with work, flying all

over the world. They are really into Japanese

traditional folk specialties, particularly 'kokeshi'

dolls and Japanese prints, so much so that they

have even had essays published in books on these

subjects.

Their curiosity and willingness to learn is

really impressive; they often come down to the

Front Desk and ask us about pronunciations of

Japanese names and for explanations of Japanese

stories. They really know their stuff now - they

often can tell the region where a piece was made

by just looking at its pattern and shape.

Coming from Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, nearby

an area famous for kokeshi dolls, I was actually

able to help them out with their questions the

first time they came down and asked about the

dolls, and we have developed a nice familiarity

from there.

Knowing a little bit about the place

names on the dolls as well as the poems and

haiku that often accompany them has provided

us with a lot to talk about, meaning we chat a

fair bit.

A while back, speaking with my mother about

Tony-san and Itske-san, she said, "If they

would like them, why don't you give them the

kokeshi dolls that your grandparents brought

home from their honeymoon trip. I'm sure

your grandparents would have liked that

- knowing that the dolls and the memories they

keep will be traveling around the world."

I saw Tony-san and Itske-san again today as usual,

but this time they had some pictures to show.

Having a look, I saw their smiling faces in amongst

all the activity of the Jirocho Festival in Shimizu!

I was happily surprised to see how quickly they had

gone and got into the spirit of the festivals.

*Kokeshi
Kokeshi dolls are simple and pretty wooden dolls.

They are a specialty of the Tohoku region

(6 prefectures in the north-east of Honshu) and

Gunma Prefecture. The dolls are really toys for

children, although they are quite popular with

collectors. They are often sold to visitors of hot

springs (onsen) to take home as souvenirs, and

the dolls of each prefecture have their own

particular characteristics.


Takahiko Saito works for Apartments 33,

'a high-quality apartment building created for

your pleasant urban lifestyle'

- http://www.apartments33.co.jp/ - serviced

apartments in convenient Shinagawa, Tokyo.

These 'diary entries' come from Takahiko's

experiences on the job.