Alec in Japan

I made this vector image of myself for this website’s layout. It took me quite a few hours spanned over a few days to make, and I don’t even use it in my website layout that much!

Well, I think it’s pretty cool. The colours look a bit weird on some computers though. And that in the background was the WWII flag of the Japanese Navy and Army by the way.

Click on the thumbnail for the full size, and tell me what you think either here or at Flickr!

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Whether you’re holidaying in Japan or working in Japan, you’ll need to know the phrases they use in shops and restaurants. Either you need to know how to say them, or you need to understand what they mean! In this entry I’m going to introduce you to the most common phrases used in stores and restaurants which I’ve had to learn for my working holiday.

“Irasshaimase”　「いらっしゃいませ」
This welcome is what’s shouted at any place of business in Japan. Upon entering any store, restaurant, brothel or bar, the staff will immediately scare the crap out of you by shouting this. You get two types of staff using this; either the conscientious staff who keep an eye on the door and shout it, or the type who just shout it randomly at 45-second intervals. The latter do exist; I don’t know if they do it because they can’t be bothered to watch the door or if they’re trying to make the store look busy to passerbys/customers.

“Okaikei wa __en ni narimasu”　「お会計は＿円になります」
Used by workers when adding up the bill, this phrase means “your bill comes to __ yen”. Notice the use of ni narimasu instead of desu at the end. Ni narimasu is more formal and literally means “becomes”. The phrase “Your bill becomes 3500 yen” really means “Gosh, your bill turns out to be 3500 yen. I had no idea! All I am is a humble shop assistant who cannot predict bills and such things. Please don’t hurt me!” Basically, by using ni narimasu you’re expressing the idea that you’re just a humble shop assistant with little idea of what the bill might come to.

“__en wo azukari itashimasu”　「＿円を預かりいたします」
When shop assistants receive a customer’s money, they say “I’m receiving 5000 yen”. I don’t know why. I suppose it’s Read the rest of this entry »

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Japan’s entertainment industry is bursting at the seams with part-Japanese and part-foreign talent. There are dozens of models, actors and singers who’ve made it big largely due to their exotic looks. But, there are many truly deserving of fame and fortune (*cough* me *cough*).

Here is my list of the top 10 mixed-race Japanese celebrities. Not all are half-half, but they are mixed Japanese and foreign. In order of fantasticness:

1. Namie Amuro
Not the most obvious mixed-race Japanese celebrity, Amuro is quarter-Italian and three-quarters Japanese (from Okinawa). Some combinations seem really interesting. I’m trying to imagine a big Italian mamma fitting in with a little Japanese family. Ah well, stereotypes aside, Amuro’s at #1 because of how prolific she is and what an impact she’s had on Japan; she’s been credited with inspiring gyaru and also for popularising R&B in Japan. Plus, she has some pretty good music.

Check out Want Me, Want Me for one of my favourite songs of hers. (First person who can tell me how many half-Japanese back-up dancers there are, wins!)

NB. It’s come to light that apparently Namie Amuro is not part-Italian and that is was just a rumour started by her record company. It’d be hard to confirm, but don’t start writing any fanmail to her in Italian anytime soon.

2. Angela Aki
She grew up in Japan. Then she popped over to the USA for high school and university. She dabbled in music and was successful as an indie artist, but didn’t really make it big. So she came back to Japan, started writing in Japanese, and is now huge! Playing the piano and singing, this girl is talented. I’m still waiting for her to start tap-dancing though. I’ve been told more than once that I look like her. Read the rest of this entry »

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Applying for a Japanese working holiday visa can be a relatively pain-free affair if you know what you need to do. The requirements and application procedures vary somewhat depending on where you’re from but they’re all pretty much the same.

What is it?
The working holiday visa for Japan allows you to to live in Japan for up to a year and work. Tourist visas will only allow you to stay for a few weeks or months and you may not work, and student visas have restrictions on how much you can work and you must stay enrolled in full-time education. The working holiday visa is designed for young people who want to travel around Japan and work part-time jobs to suppose themselves. Working-holidayers are not supposed to stay in the same place for the whole year and they shouldn’t really work full-time jobs. The visa itself is an official document pasted into your passport, as seen on the right.

The working holiday visa is a single-entry visa, which means once you can only enter Japan and leave once with it. If you want to pop over to Korea in the middle of your working holiday, tough luck; you’ll have to return to Japan with a regular tourist visa. Not a big deal really, but it just means that if you want to go to your home country, your working holiday visa is finished. However, you can get a re-entry visa if you apply for permission.

Countries
There are five English-speaking countries which have working holiday arrangements with Japan. These are Australia, the UK, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. The other non-English-speaking countries are Korea, France and Germany, but I won’t be dealing with those countries. The US does Read the rest of this entry »

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Here I am, a week before leaving to Japan, and people are asking me why I’m doing this. Why am I living in Japan for a year? Why am I intent on spending a year on the Japanese minimum wage? Why a working holiday and not just sunbathing in Thailand?

The reasons are quite simple really. I want to write them here for you to consider and also for me to look back on during and after my year in Japan.

Learning Japanese
This is the main reason I’m going to Japan. I really enjoy learning languages and being able to talk to people. Because I’ll start studying another language at university, I want to get fluent in Japanese so I can forget about it and start learning those other languages.

Travel
I live to travel! When I think about my life up until now, the things I remember are moving to new countries and travelling to new countries. I want to look back on my life when I’m 85 and have great memories of living in different countries and seeing different places.

It’s the Right Time!
I’ve finished high school but I’ve not started university. I don’t have a mortgage, a family or a career so I have nothing tying me down. Before I step on the treadmill of life, I want to enjoy my freedom and just bum around for a year working silly jobs.

Culture
Japanese culture is so foreign. Such a cliche so please don’t kill me for writing it, but it’s true! Honestly, who wouldn’t want to spend a year surrounded by air sex, eyelash wigs, Pepsi Ice Cucumber and cute mascots for political parties?

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