When you think of Japan, you think of big, modern cities, advanced technology, robots that serve you Ramen, some of the fastest broadband services in the world …and Fax machines??? Wait, what?? As hard as it is to believe, these ancient bastions of pre-digital communication are still holding strong in Japanese businesses and especially government offices. Illustration by … [Read more...] about Are Fax Machines Inseparable from Japanese Society?
Culture
Getting an International Driver’s License
A few years ago, I was hired to translate for an engineer who was being sent to the US to meet with customers. I imagined it would more or less consist of sitting in boring meetings and looking up a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo in the dictionary. I later found out that, at least in this particular instance, being his translator meant being his guide everywhere he went. That … [Read more...] about Getting an International Driver’s License
Exploring the art of Sumo (相撲)
The sport of wrestling has been around throughout various cultures since time immemorial. It is usually a friendly competition, traditionally between males, to measure their fighting prowess. In Japan, this is called Sumo and has very deep historical, religious, cultural, and even mythological roots. Sumo is pretty much synonymous with Japan’s history, and there’s a lot more to … [Read more...] about Exploring the art of Sumo (相撲)
How a Bible Was Recreated from Memory in Japan
“ON THE SEVENTH DAY DEUSU BLEW BREATH INTO THIS BEING AND NAMED HIM DOMEIGOSU-NO-ADAN, WHO POSSESSED THIRTY-THREE FORMS. SO THIS IS THE USUAL NUMBER OF FORMS FOR A HUMAN BEING.” Imagine if somebody told you that all the Bibles in the world had disappeared and it was your responsibility to recreate it from memory. Even those who grew-up going to catechism every Sunday would … [Read more...] about How a Bible Was Recreated from Memory in Japan
Nippon’s Digital Numerology: The Pocket Bell
In the 1990s while I was awkwardly transitioning from childhood to adulthood, the world was in the throes of another strange transitional period between analog and digital. It was a time when the internet was still charged by the minute and your high score in Slingo could be ruined when your sister picked up the phone and cut your dial-up connection. When emails were … [Read more...] about Nippon’s Digital Numerology: The Pocket Bell