2009年5月30日土曜日

Class Number 6 Greetings

Sunday, May 24, 2009

After today's discussions and presentations, answer these questions on your blog:
1. How do you greet members of your family? (mother, father, older brother, younger brother, grandparents, etc.)
2. How do you greet people that are important in society?
3. Do you greet people from the opposite sex in a different way?
4. Do you hug anyone? If yes, who and when. If no, why not?


1. I just say “Good-morning” when I get up in the morning.
2. As for important people in our society, I just bow.
3. I do not change my way of greeting according to the sex, and I do not want to.
4. I do no hug anyone because touching is a really exclusive matter in Japanese society.

Class Number 4 World Religions

Monday, May 11, 2009

answer the following questions in your blog:
How do you greet people in your life?
Is it different for different people? How so and why?
Do you touch people when you talk to them? Why? Or Why not?


Almost all of the time, I bow when I greet someone without regarding of higher or lower position of people. However, to classmates, the people of the same age or grade, it seems to give unfriendly impression to bow to them. I do not want to make such a unfriendly mood, so when I see them, I just raise my right or left hand a little bit toward them.
Finally, I keep in mind not to touch people, even close classmates, when we are communicating because touching is a very sensitive matter for Japanese. One touches to show their friendliness, but the other feels uncomfortable. It depends on their personality, situation, etc.

2009年5月29日金曜日

Class #3 Buddhism

How is your daily life affected by Buddhism? What do you do and why do you do it? Please give 5 examples and make sure you explain why you think you do them!

I think Buddhism influence myself not only physically but also phychologically. Exactly, Buddhism involves in Shinto, Japanese oldest religion, which worship thousands gods, and plays an important role in Japanese people. Below is the five examples of our customs relating to Buddhism.

1. Obon (お盆) or just Bon (盆)
Obon means the the interval in August, when we honor the spirits of our ancestors. Many families and their relatives reunite at their hometown.

2. Butsudan (仏壇)
Many Japanese houses are equipped with at least one butsudan, which looks like a small box. Inside of it, there are one or three Budda, which represent the ancestors.
In Japan, there is a kind of thought that people will be Budda after they die. Every day, my father joins his hands in player in front of the statues to appreciate his health.

3. Joya no Kane (除夜の鐘)
On New Year’s Eve at midnight, Japanese have the custom of listening to the sound of gongs as many as 108 times. Japanese await the New Year listening to the sound.

4. Bon-Odori, Bon-dancing (盆踊り)
Bon-Odori, or Bon-dancing is held during summer. This was originally performed to go to the heaven in the next world, but now just for fun. All of us come together in the evening and dance ranging from the younger and the elder. Some of them enjoy wearing yukata, Japanese traditional summer cloth, in particular younger women.

5. When I eat traditional Japanese meal, like rice, soup, accompanying food. I start eating soup, which is the Buddhist way. Besides, starting to eat side dishes is the Shinto way.

2009年5月27日水曜日

Class #2 What is Culture? What is CCC?

Monday, April 20, 2009

For homework, read the newspaper for the next week and find an article that has to do with cross culture communication problems. Post the link to this article, summarize it in your blog in English. It can be an English newspaper (Japan Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Yomiuri, Asahi) or a Japanese newspaper. Just remember to summarize it in English in your blog!

'09/5/28
http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/News/Tn200905280090.html

Takeshima, Dokuto in Korean language, is still one of the biggest problems between South Korean and Japan. At present, the island is under control of the South Korean army although this problem is open to dispute. Also, Japan insists its sovereignty of the island.
The above article reports that Shimane prefecture has made the sub-texts for elementary school and middle school students to learn Takeshima. That teaching material is aimed at better understanding of Takeshima, and it is the first trial.