Having been a frequent visitor to Japan for twenty years and now residing in Tokyo, there is one unique characteristic of life in Japan that impresses me daily –– unmatched customer service called “Omotenashi,” a term that translates in both word and deed as hospitality, offering customers unreserved attention and service or to entertain guests wholeheartedly.

One only needs to reside in Japan for a short time to realize just how much attention to detail is paid across many sectors of the service industry and appreciate the extraordinary customer experience you find all over Japan in shops, in restaurants, or in taxis.

From my personal perspective, in the broader context of all my personal relationships and interactions, it is the evident ubiquitous Japanese politeness that leads to Japan’s world famous customer service.  I always have a feeling of being appreciated, an almost sensory experience of being on the receiving end of kindness and enthusiasm.

To understand the difference, consider the basic foundational concept of customer service expression –– the “customer is always right.”  In the United States, the concept, often used but abused, is implied in the business creed of “The Customer is King.”  In Japan, the concept is reflected in a deeply held and practiced belief that  the  “The Customer is God.”

I recently read an interesting article in The Japan Times that cited the Tokyo taxi experience as an example of the Omotenashi.  You can read to piece by clicking here: Tokyo Taxi Experience

2020 – The Year of the Rat

Shogatsu –– Celebrating the New Year in Japan

The New Year (Shogatsu) is the most important holiday in Japan. Think of it as spring cleaning, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the usual end-of-year activities all rolled into one.  Given that description, the year-end period, called Shiwasu, is a very hectic and somewhat stressful time.

First, most businesses in Japan shut down from January 1 to January 3, so everyone is very busy trying to tie up loose ends to end the year on a good note.  Beside extremely long work hours, there is the need to attend the many bonenkai or “forgetting the year” parties as well as Christmas-related parties and events during the period.

Second, you are expected to clean your home from top to bottom to be ready to greet the new year afresh.

Finally, there is getting ready for the Shogatsu celebrations, which are traditionally focused on family gatherings characterized by the observance of religious and heritage-related activities.  (For millions of Japanese that includes a long trip back to their hometown and dealing with over-crowded planes, trains and extreme highway traffic jams.)

As this is my first New Year as a resident of Japan I am very excited and looking forward to Shogatsu.  Here are some of the Japanese New Year’s traditions and activities Keiko and I have planned.

New Year’s Eve and Hatsumode ––

Given all the aforementioned frantic activity, you may be surprised that for most Japanese New Year’s Eve itself, called Omisoka, is traditionally celebrated very quietly.

On New Year’s Eve we will be together with Keiko’s sister Yuko and our niece Mai.  We will spend the evening at home watching a popular musical review on TV while enjoying a traditional Donabe dinner along with sake.

Before the New Year arrives we will also eat a mandatory serving of toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles).  Like many other old, entrenched traditions in this country, most people have forgotten exactly how this custom of eating soba noodles on New Year’s Eve began, and even what it’s supposed to mean.

There appears to be many reasons for this consumption of soba noodles. That it either promotes longevity and/or good fortune is the most popular.  One authority states that soba is supposed to signify strength and resiliency since the buckwheat plant itself bounces back even after being flattened by wind and rain.  Another, following Confucian thinking, attributes it to the long, thin shape of the noodles which signify the wish for a long life.

Whatever, as I slurp my toshikoshi soba, I’ll ponder whether I want those noodles to mean a long life, a clean slate, good fortune — or all of the above.

As midnight nears, we will walk to our neighborhood Nishiarai Daishi Buddhist temple and join many thousands of other Tokyoites for Hatsumode, the first temple/shrine visit of the New Year.  Here and all throughout the country, temple bells will ring out the old year 108 times, once for each of 108 traditional evils.

New Year’s Day, Hatsuhinode and Hatsyume ––

Being in “the land of the rising sun,” on January 1 I intend to witness the first sunrise of not just the new year but of a new decade.

According to both Shinto belief and Buddhist tradition, Toshigami—the god of the new year harvests and the spirits of ancestors—arrives when the sun rises on New Year’s Day. It is said that if you stand outside and make a wish during the sunrise, you will be blessed by Toshigami and your dream will come true during the year to come!

At 76, I’ll follow Confucian thought and ask for a long, peaceful, and uneventful life.

With my vivid memory of an over-night climb of Mt. Fuji and reaching the summit to witness the sun rise, I am excited to be up at dawn to experience the first sunrise of the new year from Tokyo.  While the experience will lack the drama of Mt. Fuji, it will be just as momentous and a worthy addition to my “bucket list” accomplishments.

I will also try to recall my Hatsyume, a Japanese tradition that literally translates as “First Dream.”  In Japan, the very first dream following New Year’s Eve is considered auspicious and sets the mood for the coming year.

Fujikawa Family Gathering ––

On January 2, Keiko’s mom will host a gathering of the Fujikawa family at her home where an  enormous quantity of traditional Japanese food will be served and consumed along with generous amounts of beer and sake.  I have always enjoyed gatherings of the Fujikawa clan.

In my research into Japanese New Year traditions I learned that it was important for family members to have fun and laugh during Shogatsu.  In fact I found a Japanese proverb, “Warau kado niwa fuku kitaru” (“Luck comes to a house with lots of laughter”).

So, since it will be a long day I am planning to get everyone involved in having fun playing some traditional shogatsu-specific games and activities.

The Koma-mawashi (spinning top) along with Tako-age (kite flying) are both centuries old traditional activities done over New Year’s in Japan.

If I can find the equipment, we may also play Hanetsuki, a traditional game in which two people each hold a “hagoita” wooden racket and hit a “hane,” or shuttlecock, attempting to volley without letting it drop to the ground.  The hagoita looks like a short cricket bat with a wider blade. The shuttlecock is made with feathers and a spherical piece of wood.

A Day of Rest and Kakizome ––

On the third day of the holiday I will rest and try to unleash my creative talents by observing a final Japanese New Year tradition –– Kakizome, the direct translation of which is “first writing,” is the first calligraphy written in the new year.  For me it will be the first ever attempt, with Keiko’s help, at calligraphy to write a kanji character. 

Later in the day, I may try writing a Haiku love poem to Keiko.  “Haiku” is a traditional form of Japanese poetry consisting of 3 lines. The first and last lines of a Haiku have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables.

Learning and practicing enduring Japanese traditions is both intellectual stimulating and fun.  I can’t wait for Setsubun (Bean-Throwing Festival) in early February, to really ensure that the upcoming year will be a good one.  Stay tuned!

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and joyful holiday season.

Keiko, Toma and Paul

Tokyo, Japan | 2019

Good friends from Maine, Dallas and Miki Pyles, had moved to Tokyo 6 years ago and opened the August Moon Cafe, an intimate dining environment offering “home-cooked” meals that has attracted a loyal customer base.

We joined with some “regulars” and another Maine couple, Mike Yellen and Mikako Nishikawa (who will also be moving back to Tokyo in 2020) to celebrate the holiday season.  “Good food is all the sweeter when shared with good friends” ….. and a great time was had by all!

We have completed Phase 1 of unpacking and organizing our personal goods.  The included photos provide a glimpse of the primary living areas (living room, tatami room, kitchen and a work area tucked into the bedroom).  It is a comfortable environment for Keiko, Toma and myself.

There is ample closet space for our selected current seasonal clothing and mandatory storage space.  Unfortunately, a second bedroom is therefore now serving as a walk-in closet storing a surplus of various items –– mostly my books, collections and personal papers, a host of items we discover we really do not need and excess clothing.  Dealing with all that is Phase 2, my focus in the new year.  How to store/dispose of items and organizing the second bedroom as a sensible utility space that can be easily converted to a guest room when needed will be a challenge.

A good sized washroom with a shower/bath area that also houses the washing machine makes up the remaining space.  The condo also provides a community bike storage area and the golf clubs are protected and stored outside on our deck area.