writing to you from Albuquerque but am a permanent resident of Japan, going back and forth now, with over 20 years in residence. First started living there in 1979; first stay 1977. Have been studying tea ceremony, Chado, for longer than that. Telling this first as I hapepened to listen to your Friday broadcast Interesting -- not too bad. But always irritating that every person who does a program on Japan starts at the beginning -- that is, knowing nothing -- and tells more about themselves than about Japan. I met Richard Milgrim first in '79 when we were both attending the Urasenke School of Tea in Kyoto He came at times to add to his knowledge in order to make better tea bowls; I was there for a one-year intensive, every day in kimono and the tea room, practice. After that, I studied with local teachers. Hi Richard, if you read this. I just wish that you would do some homework before going to Japan.
I respect Pico Iyer, especially for his work on the Dalai Lama, but his is only one story. I also married a Japanese, though after 10 years of living of living in Japan and becoming pretty fluent working within the business community of Osaka. My field is Intercultural Communication including doing business across cultures so I have thought about these topics quite a lot.
Each person's story is unique. Japan is so multi-dimensional and complex that each person can write their own unique story. I don't agree with not learning the language though I know what Pico means about being an outsider. Gender makes a huge difference, Wives are in charge of social relations, neighborhood relations, must play a particular role as the daughter-in-law. Someone like Pico can be as he is, the eccentric outsider, because his wife is taking care of everything that is swirling around him.
Will listen to more until it gets too irritating
All the best,
Holly
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