Category Archives: culture

School Ground Cleaning

Posted on May 13, 2012 by

Today was Sunday, Mothers day, and also the day for going to my son’s elementary school at 7:00 a.m. to participate in the periodic grounds keeping event. You see, here in Japan the schools have no “janitors” or things of … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, culture, 田舎暮らし, Family | Leave a comment

Another busy week

Posted on April 2, 2012 by

The weeks are flying by. I can’t believe its been more than a week since I posted! But a lot has been happening around here: 1. Spring Festival at my inlaw’s neighborhood. They have a much bigger shrine and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, culture, 田舎暮らし, Family, Farming, 古民家 | 1 Comment

Can you eat it?

Posted on February 1, 2012 by

Every Japanese person I have known for any length of time has delighted in a game I call, “Feed Unusual Things to the Foreigner,” and my in-laws are no exception to this rule. Since I first started coming here I … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, culture, Family | 4 Comments

Ki wo tsukau, Ki ga kiku…

Posted on January 3, 2012 by

A couple of definitions for those that don’t speak Japanese: 気を使う (ki-wo-tsukau): to pay attention to another’s needs, to attend to, to fuss about, to take into consideration 気が利く(ki-ga-kiku): to be thoughtful, to be tactful, to be sensitive (esp. to … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, culture, Family | 1 Comment