7 Responses

1. I must say that I really enjoy your being yourself in these videos more than the crazy stuff. Though I can enjoy some of the insanity (and am a fan of goofy humor), it’s nicer to see you be “normal”Joseph.

   By the way, I think the rapid change of seasons in Japan is part of what grew the whole notion of “wabi sabi” in Japan. Because the cherry blossoms are not around for very long, I think they developed notions of how transitory things are and an aesthetic which embraces incompleteness and transition. It’s an interesting part of life here to note how the environment, type of structural development, and history have shaped the culture. Most people accept it at face value (which is fine), but I think that seeing how things took root encourages a deeper understanding of the culture as not simply something which is idiosyncratic and quirky, but as something which is the culmination of history. We see this clearly in our own cultures because we are aware of our history, but tend to be too caught up in the novelty of vastly different ones to take note of it in theirs.

   1. Thanks for the feedback Orchid64.

      I’m trying to think if we have a similarly rapid season shift in the UK, but can’t recall having noticed it. It makes me wonder why it should be like this, technically speaking.

      I too find those links between natural phenomena, history and culture fascinating. I’d like to look into more deeply at some point.

2. Great podcast. Demonstrates balance!

   Why don’t you…

   – include Twinkle sometimes?

   – show us what your home looks like from the outside? (just curious)

   – travel a bit around Japan with your camcorder…I would love to see Kamakura again!

   1. Thanks for the feedback JC.

      I keep *Twinkle* out of it to protect her privacy. Likewise with the exterior of the house, if the press find out where we live we’ll not be able to get to teh station without being photographed. Unfortunately I don’t have time to travel out of a very limited area in central Tokyo!

      so apologies for no’s on all three counts!

3. That makes sense… If you do ever plan a trip, let us know, and perhaps we can make some requests LOL.

4. I enjoyed watching this podcast – interesting to hear what another Brit makes of Japan, and it’s great to see how you’re going for it over there!

   I can relate to the ‘but is this going to make you money’ question, seeing as I’ve heard it many a time regarding my artwork. Seems a pretty British line of though, bless ’em, and I totally agree that the important thing is getting yourself out there first and foremost.

   This year I noticed the cherry blossom a lot more than before, given that the previous two springs I’d been in Japan. As for the change in the weather, I’d say it’s more of a stumble towards spring in the UK, or in the south at least. There are always a few unseasonably warm days in March when you see a lot of T-shirts, but it still gets dark around tea time. Then you’ll get some cold days and freezing nights and realise you’ve been tricked – again!

   Started talking about the weather, typical! 🙂

   1. Emsk,

      thanks for your comment. I’ve just been reading your latest post, Spit it Out on cultural differences – fascinating stuff! (I would have commented there but blogger was misbehaving and wouldn’t let me, throwing up an error code).

      It was only when speaking with mother the other that I realised that things Spring things do happen much earlier here. I tend to think of the two climates being not that dissimilar, yet thinking again, we still have leaves on the maple trees in December here.

      I shall have to find a BBC webcam pointing at a bunch of trees and have it as my desktop background…