The Top Ten Questions People Ask Me

Here are the ten most common questions I got from people on both sides of the Pacific:

  1. Do you really live in Japan?
    I did. I moved back "home" on July 1st, 1996.

  2. How long were you in Japan?
    Eight and a half years, with only three or four visits home, lasting up to three weeks.

  3. You must have really liked it. Why did you stay so long?
    It was an adventure! Everything was so totally different from home that I felt like a pioneer. I've been maintaining a powerful love/hate relationship with Japan for a long time.

  4. Why did you go to Japan?
    It's a long story. I lived with my family in Tokyo for a year back in 1972, and even at that time, the country affected me. When it came time to leave, I swore I'd come back someday. I later forgot all about this until 1978, when Japanese cartoons (things like Battle of the Planets and Star Blazers) appeared on California television. This reminded me of Japan, and the interest rekindled. I studied a little Japanese in college, with no intention to really go, but after graduation,I went with a friend. "Just a short adventure," I said. "Two months to two years," I said....

  5. Can you speak Japanese?
    I came to Japan with a two-word vocabulary and learned everything else the hard way. I can speak the language fairly fluently, well enough to fool people on the phone for a short time. I can also read and write kanji, though this needs more work and study. I used my Japanese skills at work, translating notes and memos and talking to my boss and coworkers.

  6. Do you like Japanese food?
    I love Japanese food, even sushi and gooey things like yama imo (mountain potatoes). There are a few things I won't eat. I'm still leery of things that still have eyeballs attached (unless I don't have to eat the part with the eyeballs). I won't eat natto (fermented soybeans) because it tastes like it smells, and it smells like sewage. I don't care for the large ikura (fish eggs), though the small ones are okay. Stuff like octopus and squid are fine if they're fresh. Eating old raw squid is like chewing on rubber bands.

  7. Do you eat Japanese food every day?
    Lunch was usually Japanese style, with rice and miso soup, and the company lunchroom's special of the day. I ate a lot of tofu, usually with ginger and soy sauce. It's gotten to the point where I think it's sacrilege to eat rice or ramen with anything other than hashi (chopsticks). These days I eat Japanese food when I can get it, and I brought my own stash of soumen noodles home. It's ironic that while I was in Japan, I would visit the "international" grocery stores like Kinokuniya and Union once a month for a "fix" of American food. Now in America, I hit the local Japanese grocery stores once a month for a Japanese food fix.

  8. Did you live Japanese style?
    I took off my shoes before entering the house, and I slept on a futon, if that's what you mean. It was a more convenient way to live in tiny quarters. I lived in a two-room apartment, whose rooms are about 10' x 12'. I often find myself sitting on the floor more than I sit on chairs, and I still take my shoes off the moment I enter my apartment.

  9. As an American woman, what do you think of Japanese men?
    Well, that's kind of like asking me, "What do you think of men?" It depends on the man, and I've met all types. It also depends on my mood. Basically, I don't think I'll ever have a close relationship with a Japanese man. I was rarely honestly approached, and most Japanese men I met seemed shy and nervous. Of course, I can be about as subtle as a steamroller, so that may be my fault. ;-)

  10. How do you feel about being back in the United States?
    I spent my worst moments getting reaccustomed to using checks and getting lost in my own hometown. I've noticed a few symptoms of "reverse culture shock," like price sticker shock and a tendency to not want to go outside and explore. I miss Japan a lot. I miss a lot of the fun cultural things, and I miss speaking Japanese. On the other hand, I don't miss some of the isolation and I don't miss breathing in all that second-hand cigarette smoke.



    All Japan stories (c) Wendy Dinsmore 2004.