How the Japanese Contain their Emotions?

Small floral diorama of the Clock Tower in Sapporo, Hokkaido

Yesterday was my school's Sports Day or Undokai in Japanaese. It's my fourth time to attend but I'm still amazed by how the Japanese control their chaos. 

What do I mean with controlled chaos? 

It's like this. During the games and the cheering competition, the students are full of enthusiasm and noise. They'd be cheering ever so loudly and running around in circles. Then as soon as the games finished, everyone will be quiet, behave and disciplined. There was no cooling down of emotions nor fading out of voices. It's just like a rock music that ended abruptly. 

Even in the classroom, the students would be all attentive when I'm presenting the lesson. I learned not to expect any reactions, just attentiveness. Then, when I say it's "Game Time!", the room would suddenly erupt with cheers. The students would do the games or activities with surprising energy. As soon as I say, time's up, everybody would just quietly go to their seats with very few and very rare hushes. The shift of emotions is so distinct, it's worth thinking about why.

How Much Can You Save as an ALT in Japan?

Dotonbori Street, Osaka

I've been receiving a lot of emails lately asking how much they can earn and save as a Language Teacher in Japan. A safe answer would be, it depends on a lot of things. Are you teaching in school or in language schools or in companies? Are you hired part-time or full-time? Is housing and health insurance part of your benefits or not? Will you be living in big cities, small cities or far-flung areas? If you're living in really rural places, do they have nuclear crisis or none? For transportation, are you going to use a car, the trains, a bicycle or your two feet?

I could go on and on about the many factors or how much you can earn and save as a teacher in Japan.

But let me just share with you my own experience, cause really, that's the best thing I can talk about.

I earn around 200,000 JPY monthly from my work as an ALT.  I could earn more or less depending on the number of school days in each month.

To Be a Filipina in Japan

Beer Museum in Sapporo, Hokkaido

There are numerous posts on how foreigners are treated in Japan. They're usually from the white people, you know the Americans and Europeans. The tall blue-eyed blondes with high noses. And yes, I'm stereotyping because really, that's the concept of ''gaijin'' in Japan. Actually, in this side of Asia, that's the perfect poster image of a ''gaijin.''

So anyway, I'll throw in my share on the blog-o-sphere on how foreigners are treated in Japan. Although I'm Asian and my features can pass as a Japanese, I am a foreigner. And not just a foreigner, but a FILIPINA. I can probably say that the experience of Filipinas in Japan is different from the white, yellow and black ladies outthere. (No racism intended just being literary.)

As a Filipina in Japan, here are the most common assumptions about me. Other Filipinas, I'm sure, can relate too. 

1. I was an entertainer before being a teacher. 

Before the bubble economy hit Japan, Filipinas came to Japan to work as entertainers. There was a massive industry for dancers and singers in Japan. In fact, one of my late uncles was a trainer for dancers who are bound to Japan. Then the economy slowed. Suddenly, the entertainers' wages got lower and so the women had to resort to other entertaining activities. Hence, the term ''entertainer'' got a different connotation. 

Fast forward to now. Most Filipinas in Japan have been an entertainer but now doing other things including teaching English. I was very young when the entertainment industry boomed but some people think that I used the ''entertainer ticket'' before becoming an English teacher.  

When Joining a Bus Tour in Japan

Beer Museum in Sapporo, Hokkaido

I finally get to join a Japanese day tour. I've been meaning to join a tour but didn't see a need until last weekend. There's no special reason why I wanted to join a tour. I just want to experience it. I wanted to go to Furano and Biei in Hokkaido. The only options for me are taking the train for 6 hours or taking the bus tour. So bus tour it is!

If you're considering joining a tour in Japan, consider these 5 things:

1. Don't expect English.

A Japanese tour is a JAPANESE tour. Don't expect the tour guide to be fluent in English. All announcements, reminders and description of the places during the tour are expressed in Japanese. If you're fairly new in Japan with very basic Japanese knowledge, I suggest stalling joining a tour. Some tours offer a recorded multi-lingual guide. But in our case, there was none. 

2. Refer to the tour's English page. 

If you still want to join a tour and survive the experience, save or print the tour's itinerary. Not the Japanese version but the English one. Use a translator software to help you. Be familiar with your itinerary and times of departure in each place. 

Repost: Why Japanese People Lie?

Aoi Ikke, Hokkaido (Blue Pond)

On our way to Kyoto, my husband discreetly pointed to a group of Japanese employees saying goodbyes in the station. He said they look "too polite" and their voices are "too pleasing." He said they look unnaturally cordial. Even without looking at them, I perfectly understood what he was talking about. Japanese employees are like that. He also noticed how the cashiers would say a lot of things in a polite way but they wouldn't really look at you. He compared them to robots, like everything they do and say were programmed to please the customers. 

His remarks reminded me of an insightful post, Why Japanese People Lie? on  Japanese Rule of 7. It may help explain why Japanese people act in a seemingly unnaturally polite way.   

Here's an excerpt:

Two Things All Japanese People Know

Japanese people are imparted at birth with two pieces of knowledge. The first is fanatical customer service. At school and at home, they’re drilled for years in how to walk, how to stand, how to greet people, how to bow. Year in and year out, they march in formation around school yards, in the sun, rain, and snow, responding on command in loud voices to their senseis. Visitors often remark on the polite customer service of the Japanese, and you better believe it didn’t just happen by accident. It took years of military-style training, preparing a nation of children to be the world’s best waiters, cooks, and convenience store clerks.