Typing Japanese on English XP

Being able to type Japanese ideograms on an English version of Windows XP is easy. First, you’ll need to install East Asian language support. For this, go to control panel -> Regional and Language options -> Languages tab. Then tick the box for “install files for East Asian Languages.” You’ll probably need your XP CD for this.

Then, under that same tab slightly above the East Asian languages option is a box that says “details.” Click that, and then click the “add” button. Select Japanese on both pull down menus, click ok, and then you are done. XP home edition may be different. This does not change the language for the XP operating system, only the input, so don’t worry about getting your pc stuck in Japanese.

This adds the language bar to Windows XP (if you didn’t have it already). If a window does not display the language bar (such as in an IM program), you can change the language option and then go back to the window to type in Japanese. Shift + Alt. by default allows you to switch between languages. You can have the language bar at the top of the screen or minimized at the bottom right. Under input mode you can change between direct input (romaji), hiragana, katakana, etc. You’ll need to understand Japanese syllables in order to be able to type correctly; some Roman character combinations don’t exist in the Japanese language. Typing in ‘h’ and then ‘i’ will give the hiragana for ‘hi’ in hiragana mode (ひ). Pressing the space key allows you to cycle through the kanji for that ideogram (i.e. fire: 火), and you can then press ‘enter’ to continue typing. You can just press enter to move on without selecting a kanji. Foreign words will be written in katakana by default, usually.

Western Food & Weather

My host mother made a Western dinner yesterday that was quite reminiscent of home. It was pasta (tomato sauce & onions), meatloaf with BBQ sauce, gohan (with butter!), and an orange.

Today I had noodles w/ cabbage, onion, and chicken along with gohan & nori (onigiri) for lunch. Okasan always makes more food than I can eat. Nori is dried seaweed. It has its own distinct taste, and a *very* salty flavor. One way of eating it is by picking it up with chopsticks and bending it around the rice. Note: It doesn't do well in the microwave.

It's nice and cool today, as well as really rainy. Category 3 super-typhoon Jangmi (which I think has been downgraded) will make it's way to Nagasaki next week sometime, according to the weather reports.

Public Transportation

The bus system in Nagasaki is complex. Destinations are also written in kanji only, so if you can’t read Japanese or don’t know what the kanji looks like for where you are going, you’re in trouble. Busses are boarded in the rear only, and can be paid with exact change only. Busses have little change making machines at the front that should be consulted before reaching a destination. At the rear of the bus is a ticket that needs to be taken when getting on the bus, and deposited with the change when getting off. I totally screwed this up, much to the embarrassment of the cute girl I was out with that night. Most intercity bus rides are a couple bucks each way. I like walking and typically will walk the 40 minutes or so each way that other people insist on taking a bus for.

Taxis are quite expensive in Japan. It’s like a 500円 minimum charge, plus distance, plus a late-night fee if the ride is after the busses stop running. Taxi doors open on their own, and patrons should wait for the driver to open the door.

There are also street cars that can be taken for a cheap 100円 regardless of how long you ride them for. I have not done this yet.

Pop Culture, Insects, and Spiders

Tommy Lee Jones is the advertising icon for Boss coffee drinks. His face is plastered on vending machines, walls, signs, etc. all over. Disney and Thomas the Tank Engine are very popular here as well. The 100円 shop has sections devoted to both. There is a Thomas the Tank Engine theme park somewhere in Japan. Hello Kitty is still quite popular/fashionable also.

Mosquitos here are really fast. They are as hard to swat as houseflies are in the states. They are black with white lines on the legs. There was a really ferocious spider in between the screen and my window yesterday. I put my finger against the window, and it would put its front legs up in attack position. If I moved my finger around, it would articulate its body at the torso to follow. If I stopped, it would jump at my finger to attack it (and knock itself into the window). This happened a few times before I coerced it outside. Picture of the spider (it's a little bigger than a nickel):

Western cars

I've been surprised to see at least a few Western cars. My neighbor owns a Jeep cherokee, and I've seen at least one other Jeep driving around, as well as a Chevy Astro van and a giant Dodge Ram. European cars are decently popular, though. I see Mercedes (there is a dealership across the street) and Volkswagens all over. There is a Volvo dealership a short walk from the house as well, but I'm yet to see one on the road anywhere. I pass three Suzuki dealerships on the 40 minute walk to city hall. It is a rarity to see cars that aren't well polished and extremely shiny...anywhere. People here take good care of their vehicles at least superficially.

This is my neighbor's Jeep Cherokee.

Japanese Electricity

Japan uses 100 volt 50mhz/60mhz (west/east, respectively) for electricity. They do not use 3 prong plugs at all. Contrary to what I heard before departure, the plugs are grounded/polarized, so American electronics will fit (at least here anyway, and in Fukuoka). Most modern electronics can handle a range of voltages and frequencies (usually 100-240 volts and 50/60mhz). All of my electronics (laptop, external hard drive, electric razor, etc.) are compatible with Japanese electricity except my battery charger. Electronics that get hot easily already will get even hotter on Japanese electricity, such as my external hard drive, which was basically a space heater to begin with.

Also, I forgot to mention in my previous post about units that Japan uses the 24 hour clock, military time, whateveryouwanttocallit. So, basically, 1pm is 13:00, 8pm is 20:00, etc.

Traditions in daily living

My homestay family has had students before and is pretty laid back about traditionalist aspects and rules. A lot of people living in homestays have rather strict parents, imposing tight curfews and whatnot. The biggest surprise I have had with living here is being able to take showers in the morning. It is a hard coded Japanese tradition to take a BATH in the EVENING. Some of the other people in my program doing homestays can take showers, but I think I'm the only one who is allowed to do so in the morning. Also, some Japanese families are very rooted in tradition, and find ritualistic phrases such as Itadakimasu, Itte Kimasu, etc. to be required for their appropriate times. According to our director, homestay students in the past have been kicked out of their homes for failing to honor these traditions. Japan has a complex system of social norms. One way Japanese norms are defined is through the uchi/soto relationship. I’m not going to explain this now, but this concept is kind of like a set of rules for social interaction based on a hierarchy of closeness with another person. The mother’s domain is the kitchen, and quite often guests (especially male guests) are not even allowed to enter the kitchen. I’m not allowed to help with the dishes, yet, but I can go into the kitchen and put my dishes away. Okasan does let me do my own laundry, however. I think I’m still in the guest phase, though, because she always serves me bigger servings and more sides for the meals than herself or her son.