The other day my friend asked me, “How do I tell if a Japanese person is saying maybe or no?” It should be straight forward, right? Well, not exactly. In Japanese culture, it is highly impolite to directly say “No.” As a result, many Japanese people will find softer, indirect ways to decline that may not be the most obvious. Sometimes I even have trouble understanding what Japanese people say versus what they mean.

We will explore “what reading the air is”, how Japanese people say no, and how you can read the air and understand one of the quirks in the way Japanese people communicate.

What does it really mean to “read the air”?

“Reading the air“ is all a part of a greater type of communication in Japan called “Ba no Kuuki wo Yomu” (場の空気を読む), literally, “reading the air” or “understanding the situation without words.”

Let’s break down the Kanji:

According to Daijisen, a Japanese dictionary, to read the air means “To infer the situation from the atmosphere. In particular what you should or should not do, what you want or do not want the other person to do, and what they want or don't want to do.”

To better understand why it can be so difficult to discern the true meaning of what a Japanese person is saying, it is probably more worthwhile to look into the broader cultural reason Japanese tend to communicate more ambiguously.

Why is reading the air an important part of communication in Japan?

To understand why Japanese people tend to be more contextual and indirect, it helps to understand some characteristics of Japanese culture. First, is the importance of harmony or wa (和). Wikipedia has a good definition: “[wa] implies a peaceful unity and conformity within a social group in which members prefer the continuation of a harmonious community over their personal interests.”

Because of the deep roots and strong importance of harmony, there are numerous ways it influences the culture, such as the characteristic of collectivism: putting harmony of group above the expression of individual opinions (Hofestede).

Collectivism can be further expanded on through the concepts of tatemae (建前 what is said) and honne (本音 what is meant).

Here is the kanji:

Tatemae is how individuals and groups express themselves, it is the facade they chose to show, the words they chose to say. Honne is the actual true feelings and thoughts of the individuals. In simple terms, what is said vs what is meant. In lower context cultures, these two things typically align, what is said is what is meant. However, in high context cultures like Japan, what is said, is often not what is meant or truly felt.

Now, you may be thinking, “but every culture has some degree of collectivism, harmony, and tatemae and honne.” This is true, but the important distinction here with Japan and other cultures is the relative importance of these attributes to other types of characteristics. Take the context style of communication for example – below is a figure from Erin Meyer’s book “The Culture Map” showing the relative context levels of communication in several different countries’ cultures.

You can see that context level varies on a sliding spectrum and a culture’s communication style cannot simply be put in one or the other. What is interesting about this concept in Japanese culture, is that it is mostly about groups and the groups’ actions, not individuals’. From a group lense, tatemae is what the group thinks, does, and is accepted in the group; whereas honne is how the individuals in the group actually feel.

For example, in a business setting, a marketing team may be required to run a certain marketing campaign, and while not everyone on the team is favorable in doing it, no one says anything (shows honne) because it is something that is required by their boss. Japan’s ability to value tatemae is one of the keys to creating harmony and conformity in society.

Is being able to read the air that important?

People in Japan who can’t read the air, are known as “KY.” This stands for K - kuki ga (空気が air) Y - yomenai (読めない can't read). Literally “cannot read the air.” As you may expect, this is considered an insult. This word “KY” came to be in 2007 and grew so popular that it was nominated to the New Word Buzzword Prize. Now it is common slang.

Aside from the possibility of being ridiculed for being a KY, there is evidence that over the past couple decades, reading the air has become more vital in Japanese culture.

Every year, the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan conducts a study called the “Public Opinion Poll on National Language.” Like the name suggests, it is a survey on the public’s opinion on the Japanese language and covers topics ranging from people’s understanding of kanji, honorifics (keigo), the current state of language, and the current state of language communication, such as conversations and letters. The purpose is to create a reference to inform Japanese language policy. Respondents are citizens from all over the country who are over 16 years of age.

In the 2016 study the survey asked participants, “What knowledge and abilities related to language do you think are particularly necessary in the future?” The most important skill was “the ability to explain and present.” The second most important item is the ability “to understand people and situations,” in other words, the ability to read the room. What else is interesting about this, is that it was the knowledge/ability that changed the most in 14 years, jumping from just 7% to 19%.

(Unfortunately this question was not asked in more recent surveys. It would be great to see how this metric is tracking now.)

The fact that the ability to read a room is almost as important is the ability to explain or present is quite astonishing. Furthermore, in a question that asked respondants about their attitudes toward expressing opinions and discussions, 62% of the respondents answered that when they have a difference of opinion with others, they "prefer to settle the matter without causing trouble," an increase of 10% from 2008, when a similar question was asked.

In previous surveys, respondents have been asked about their “Awareness of expressing and discussing opinions” through 4 different questions (graph below.) It found Japanese people have a tendency to avoid making situations difficult, speak in a way that is considerate of others, and prioritize relationships by not asserting one's own opinion.

“Adapting to another person” and “Ability to understand people and the situation” are synonymous with reading the air. Japanese people are heavily conflict avoidant and will try to mitigate direct confrontations. If someone asks if you want to hang out, and you don’t really want to, responding with “I am busy” is much less harsh than a direct no. Therefore it’s common to use ambiguous language. If you are unable to read between the lines, then you missed the message.

_{^{Itsukushima shrine}}

Thoughts about reading the air in current society

Do Japanese people really read the air? Are Japanese people tired of reading the air?

Manabu Nishigawa, an associate professor at Kansai Gaidai University, states “that in recent years, the inability to read the air is seen as a bad thing.” He continues to write that in Japanese inward facing groups, those with minority opinions are pressured to confirm to think and act as the majority around them. Consequently, people speculate rather than read the air, since they must think and act the same way. In other words, instead of actually tuning into the true meaning of the situation, people are reading the situation as they have concocted in their head.

The author suggests that people just assume instead of truly listening (and reading the air) carefully to understand what the person wants or feels. In other words, Japanese people think ahead of what the other person wants or desires, and act based on their own judgment of the other person's feelings. Given the amount of social energy required, Nishigawa suggests Japanese people are tired of reading the air.

Reading the Air in the media

“Reading the air” is a common theme in Japanese media as there are many books, TV show topics, and articles.

For example, in 2020, a show called “What is the difference?” on TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting Station) released an episode on how to tell the difference between those who can and can’t read the air. They showed in particular, 4 traits of those who can
not read the air.

1. Inability to understand timing: For example, when a coworker is trying to leave the office, you ask them for help
2. Inability to understand social distance: For example, you join someone’s trip when you don’t know them well
3. Lack of understanding of the flow of situations: For example, you start to do your makeup and hair and make everyone wait for you before taking a group photo
4. Lack of understanding of the others feelings: For instance, you keep singing breakup songs at karaoke because you’re sad, regardless of what others around you want to sing

There are other TV shows where this topic has surfaced as well. One of which is called “Chico Chan will scold you” (チコちゃんに叱れる) – a show about a 5-year old character who asks a Japanese comedian questions. The question on the January 2021 show was “What do you do to read the air?” The answer according to Chico-chan is, “Looking at someone’s true intention for 0.2 seconds.”

What Chico-chan means is reading someone’s facial expression to understand their true intention.

Through these two TV show episodes, you can see the differences in interpretation of what it means to read the air and how prevalent they are in Japanese society.

Similarly, if you search on a search engine, there are countless business articles about the importance of and how to read the air, suggesting that if one cannot read the air, then one can’t do the job.

_^Kagoshima

How do you say no in Japan? (And other tips)

To say no in Japan, there are a couple distinct body language and verbal cues one can use, such as delaying their answer, tilting their head, pretending to think, and saying “maybe.”

There isn’t a basic formula to read the air and it simply takes practice and awareness. Similarly, to other languages and cultures, I am sure the following tips apply as well.
Three important aspects:

1. Language (words, tone, response time, intonation)
2. Body language
3. Social dynamics (the relationship between the individuals)

Overall, general awareness of others behaviors and language in tandem of how an individual conducts themselves and how this influences others is key. It is definitely much more socially exhausting, but will help you better communicate with Japanese people.

Final Thoughts

I hope this provides some insight into why Japanese people communicate the way they do and how you can better communicate with them (and other high-context cultures!) Even I struggle at times to read the air and at the end of day, it just comes with practice and being cognizant of the situation and the relationships of those around you.

It should be noted that the ability to read the air is not unique to Japanese culture. Rather, it is a more important aspect of the language and culture relative to others. In English, there is a phrase to “read between the lines” or “read the atmosphere.” In Italian it's the same phrase to read between the lines, “leggere tra le righe,” as well as German “zwischen den Zeilen lesen,” (With this, it is also likely that similar languages such as Spanish, French, and Dutch have similar phrases). In Finnish one could “haistella ilmaa” which means to sniff the air. And in Dutch “er hangt iets in de lucht,” which means “there is something in the air”, not quite a direct translation, but similar in that it implies there is something ominous or distinct about the situation.

(Please note, I am not a language expert: please let me know if something is incorrect. Or if you have a saying in your culture you would like to share!)

Imagine Coca-Cola sending you a 12 pack of special limited edition Coke, or Air France offering you a $50 domestic flight...well that's basically what many large Japanese corporations do for their shareholders.

How have these shareholder gifts come to be and how do they affect how individuals invest in the stock market? And what exactly are these benefits that foreign investors like Warren Buffett are missing out on?

In Japanese, shareholder benefits are called Kabunushi Yutai (株主優待) or yutai for short. These benefits do not exist in most countries like they do in Japan (and likely the reason why the word is not translatable.)

Let’s break down the Kanji:

As you can see, the direct translation is a little difficult. Essentially, yutai are incentives offered by public companies to individual investors to invest in their company. Some examples of benefits include gift certificates, food, and vouchers. We will explore more examples below.

Why do kabunushi yutai work in Japan? One reason might be because gift giving is a major part of Japanese culture. These shareholder benefits are a way that corporations show gratitude to their shareholders.

Typically there is a minimum number of shares you must own to get the gifts such as 100 or 1,000 shares. Ownership via mutual funds or ETFs does not count. Furthermore, they are only available to domestic investors.

This article explores the history of shareholder benefits, effects of the benefits, types of yutai, and investor Hiroto Kiritani.
Let’s dive in.

Basic History of kabunushi yutai

The beginning [1899~ Post WWII]

These shareholder gifts have been around for some time, dating back to 1899 (or Meiji Period 32). It is said that what is now Tobu Railway Company was the first company known to offer these perks. Shareholders with over 300 shares received an all-lines rail pass, allowing them to ride any of Tobu’s railways.

Even after WWII, these yutai were only offered by certain companies such as movie theatres, department stores, and railway companies. It was common for shareholders to give their perks away as a gratuity to those they interacted with, such as the fishmonger or a shopkeeper. For the company and shareholders this was a win-win situation. The company guaranteed a shareholder and the shareholder felt that they were getting value from their investment.

Kabunushi yutai start taking off [1980-2000s]

Kabunushi yutai started taking off in the 1980s – when the Japanese stock market was booming – gaining ownership from normal retail investors or individuals.

At the time, there were over 100 companies known to offer benefits. The types of perks also expanded. Previously, it was mostly coupons and vouchers, but now, products and gifts were offered. For example, Nissin Foods (owner of Cup Noodle) sent out gift boxes with their food.

After the economic bubble popped in the 90s, investors no longer expected stocks to rise nor dividends to be paid out. Yutai were used to prevent investors from divesting. Security companies also started using them to attract and retain retail investors, sending out pamphlets of shareholder benefits. Around this time, retail investors started to seek out certain perks that best suited their own interest and invested in stocks that met their needs.

The 2000s

In the 2000s, companies that offered yutai to increase their awareness and to retain long term investors steadily increased.

_{^{According to a survey conducted by Nomura investor relations, about 35% of public companies in Japan offer kabunushi yutai. Despite their long history, most of the growth has happened post bubble.}}

The total companies offering yutai grew at rate of 4.5% from 1992-2022. While the growth rate does not seem that high, to give you an idea of how well the Japanese stock market was doing, during the same time period, the Nikkei 225 (Japan's stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange) had total returns of only 1.5%.

For instance, in 2000, the company Kagome, known for its vegetable juice, sought to reach one hundred thousand shareholders. To help achieve this goal, they lowered the minimum stock investment from 1,000 shares to 100 shares (in 2000 the price hovered around ~1,000 yen per share. Meaning they lowered the investment from roughly 1 million yen (~$10,000) to 100,000 yen ($1,000)). Furthermore, they began product tasting events and offered yutai not once, but twice a year focusing on seasonal and new products. Kagome saw their shareholders rise from 6,500 to 100,000 individuals in just 4 years.

However, with the crash of the stock market in 2008, many companies ceased their yutai. Interestingly, in order to relinquish the value of their investments, institutional investors started introducing special benefits to incentivize individuals to invest. They started online blogs and social media campaigns aimed at retail investors. There was even, a focus on housewives, with a campaign called “プチリッチを楽しむ“ literally “enjoy a little luxury” (Kabumado).

In 2015, JPX group company Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc. implemented the Japanese Corporate Governance Code, which influenced the companies on the stock exchange in many ways. One of the effects influenced the shareholder composition of companies. It abolished "cross-holding" where companies mutually hold shares in each other. (Without going into the specifics, some of the biggest issues with “cross holding” is that it leads to incorrect valuation of a company and impedes efforts to improve corporate governance.) Companies looked for long-term shareholders to replace the loss of the cross-holding corporations, leading to companies to further target retail investors.

Who is Hiroto Kiritani? The Warren Buffett of Japan (sort of)

You can’t really talk about kabunushi yutai, without talking about Hiroto Kiritani (桐谷広人 ). And unless you are a big shogi nerd or into Japanese stocks, you’ve probably never heard of him. He is an interesting fellow. Sometimes he is described as the Warren Buffett of Japan, but there are some pretty big differences.

Hiroto Kiritani (who is now a famous investor) has been able to make a living on dividends and shareholder gifts with his investments. He has been attributed to helping popularize yutai in recent years. He has published several books, has many video interviews over YouTube and TV, and a strong Twitter following (>150k followers) to name a few of his publicity.

Born in 1949, he became a famous Shogi player (Japanese chess.) He started trading stocks in 1984, butfamously lost a hundred of millions trading during Japan’s bubble. After retiring from Shogi in 2007, he began to focus on his investing “style” that he is famous for now: seeking out stocks with dividends and yutai programs with a total combined yield of at least 4%, keeping a diverse portfolio, buying low and holding.

He is also well-known for riding his bike (ママチャリ) all over Tokyo and living frugally in an over cluttered apartment. He has estimated over 400 million yen (~$4 million assuming 100 yen to $1.) It’s pretty easy to understand how a large diverse portfolio like Kiritani’s can yield enough benefits to survive the year without spending much of your own money.

Have these shareholder benefits worked?

In a survey conducted by Nomura Investor relations, it asked companies who offer yutai, “what is their purpose / goal of offering yutai?” Most companies answered, “to increase retail investors,” followed by “promoting long-term shareholders.” You can see a stark increase in this answer after 2015 when the Tokyo stock exchange implemented the rules on cross-holding shares.

Following this question, Nomura then asked companies whether the yutai were effective for the following outcomes. While the benefits do seem to work in getting individual investors, they do not seem to hold onto these investments for long. Perhaps, this is an outcome that needs more time. After all, three years is not long-term investing.

There is other research from Hirota Seminar (2018). From 2001 to 2016, Hirota Seminar conducted a multiple regression analysis for companies on the Japanese stock exchanges. They analyzed the impact of kabunushi yutai on shareholder composition. They found that companies who offered gift certificates and gifts benefits had a higher percentage of individual stockholders, while those who offered company discounts had no significant difference compared to companies that offered nothing. This finding seems to make sense, a gift certificate allows you to save money without having to spend your money, while a discount requires you to spend your own money to receive the savings.

Depending on the goals of the company, there do seem to be some reasons to offer kabunushi yutai.

While companies say that it has increased the number of retail investors, what about from the individual investor review? It depends on the data. According to a survey conducted by SBI, a Japanese brokerage firm, over 90% of retail investors said they were interested in buying stocks with kabunushi yutai in the future. However, looking at investments by age group, older generations are far more likely to invest in Japanese stocks than younger generations. Oddly, people in their 20s own more Japanese than American stocks…maybe the yutai are appealing to them?

Types of kabunushi yutai

So, what type of kabunushi yutai are there?

A majority of companies give out food or drink gifts (more examples below) and gift certificates / discount coupons. Gift certificates are considered to be offered in lieu of dividends (which makes me wonder why companies don’t just pay out a higher dividend instead. But hey, that is not as fun).

Other types of yutai are free hotel stays, sporting events, food vouchers, and other household items.

Sometimes companies offer better benefits for shareholders who hold for longer periods of time. For instance, Zenkoku Hosho offers a prepaid card of 3,000 yen for those who own at least 100 shares. This increases to 5,000 yen for individuals who own stock for over a year.

Here are some other popular kabunushi yutai:

Aeon

Aeon is a holding company with businesses primarily in retail stores. It is known for its supermarkets and shopping malls. The company offers 3% a cashback card for its stores with ownership of 100 shares, with up to 7% cashback with ownership of 3,000 shares.

McDonalds (Japan Holdings)

I probably don’t need to explain McDonalds to you. With 100 shares, shareholders get 1 coupon book with 6 vouches for a free item (sandwich, side menu, or drink).

Ajinomoto

No matter where you are in the world, if you ever bought Japanese food, it is very likely you have bought or seen Ajinomoto products. Some of their top projects are Hondashi (dashi powder), frozen gyoza, and the famous Aji no moto (basically MSG). With 100 shares, you can get a gift box with 1,500 yen worth of their products, and with 1,000 shares, up to 4,000 yen in value with their products.

_{^{Kagome Kabunushi yutai pamphlet}}

Final Thoughts

There are a plethora of videos, websites, and articles all about kabunushi yutai (in Japanese), giving people the opportunity to dive in deep. It will be interesting to see how kabunsuhi yutai influence the Japanese stock market in the long-term given their short history.

Just for fun, I looked up the top 5 companies Buffett invested in. Apparently, Buffett invested in Japan's top 5 biggest trading firms – Itochu, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Mitsui, and Marubeni – all of which do not offer kabunushi yutai. So, while it seems like Buffett would not have received many gifts from his investments, if he had bought the trading companies’ subsidiaries he would have received quite a few gifts and probably need to buy another room to put all of the gifts or invite a large party of people to help him get through the food (which doesn’t seem like an issue for him.)

All readers, please make good investment decisions.

In the US and some other Western countries, it's normal to have chicken breasts cost more than chicken thighs, but in Japan, it is the opposite. Here is an exploration of the difference between chicken breast and chicken thighs in Japan.

The growing interest of chicken breast in Japan

In the US, it's normal to have chicken breasts cost more than chicken thighs, but in Japan, it is the opposite. Here is an exploration of the difference between chicken breast and chicken thighs in Japan.

First things first, before we dive into chicken, it helps to look at Japan’s meat and seafood consumption. Pork, fish, and chicken are the main animal proteins consumed. Over the last five years, chicken consumption has grown the fastest compared to all other types. If this trend continues, it looks like it could out rank fish in the near future. (Fishis interesting with the sharp decline. It could be pandemic related. Something to explore later.)

_{^{Animal Protein Consumption in Japan by Year (2017-2022)}}

There are many types of chicken dishes in Japan and in fact Japan has a fairly large chicken industry. In 2019, it ranked the 8th biggest country in chicken production by weight (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.)

Now lets dive into chicken breast vs chicken thighs.

The growing interest of chicken breast in Japan

In Japan chicken thighs are the default cut of chicken meat and are the most popular cut. It wasn’t until recently chicken breast started to gain popularity.

Chicken breast started to gain traction around 2012, in particular the “Salad Chicken,” which is steamed and seasoned chicken breast (usually packaged in a vacuumed seal.) It is often sold chilled in individual packages at convenience stores or grocery stores and used to top salads, hence the name. Low in carbs, salad chicken gained popularity with the health trend, “carbohydrate-off'' diet, according to Sankei news. As one an imagine, carbohydrate-off diet, so a low carb diet.

_{^{"Salad Chicken" and other to go chicken products sold at convenience store}}

According to Gurunabi, around 2017, within healthy diet trends, the mentality to become healthy shifted from "losing weight by not eating" to "building up the body through nutrition.” From 2014 to 2017, the supermarket chain, Aeon retail, saw their sales of chicken breast double.

Some history on chicken consumption in Japan

Here is a high-level of background on the recent history of Japan’s chicken industry.

Around the beginning of the Showa Era (1926-1989), Japan’s chicken production started to become more industrialized. Until then, chickens were raised as a side business or at home -- not really a formal “industry.” At the time, leaders in the Japanese chicken industry had looked to industrialize chicken farming. There were a variety of factors that helped this happen, including the use of Western chicken breeds. According to Benjamin Schrager, Agricultural Economics Assistant Professor at Utsunomiya University:

Following the upheaval of World War II, the US facilitated three major changes for Japanese chicken husbandry: expanded grain exports from the US in the 1950s; the importation of specialized breeds in the 1960s; and the Japanese industry’s emulation of American corporations in the 1970s.

In other words: American influence. For those who may have guessed, one of the Japanese industry’s emulation of American corporations in the 1970’s is KFC. Through strong marketing KFC solidified itself as a staple fast food chain. One of the big successes was the launch of the Christmas campaign in the mid 1970s. To this day, Japan is known to eat KFC at Christmas.

In fact annual per capita chicken consumption jumped from 1.9 kg in 1965 to 9.4 kg in 1990.

Back to chicken thighs vs chicken breast

Coming back to chicken thighs vs chicken breast, as one might expect, due to the high demand, chicken thighs are about 50% higher priced than chicken breast and have remained so the last few years. From 2017 to 202, the national retail price of chicken thighs were about 140 yen per 100 grams, while chicken breast were about 91 yen per 100 grams. In fact, Japan’s most popular chicken dish is Kaarage is traditionally made with chicken thighs.

Interestingly, during the chicken flu epidemic in 2004 when the price of chicken skyrocketed, the consumption and price of chicken breast and other chicken cuts did not change, suggesting that other cuts of chicken were not used as substitutes for chicken thighs. Japanese people really like their chicken thighs…

What should Japan do with this extra chicken breast?

Despite an increase in popularity, chicken thighs still reign over chicken breast. In fact, to better capitalize Japan’s supply of chicken breast, in 2022, the Japan Chicken Association suggested selling canned chicken breast to Australia, where, like the US and many other western countries, chicken breast is more popular than chicken thighs. Not only would Japan export more chicken, but would be able to sell this chicken at a higher price.

I couldn’t find any articles if Japan has actually implemented this suggestion, but it does seem like it could be a good idea.

As you can see, in this uninteresting chart, the prices of chicken breast and thighs have been relatively stable in Japan, despite the supposedly growing consumption in chicken breast.

Despite the growing popularity of chicken breast, chicken thighs still reign

A study by Nipponham in 2022, asked adults which type of chicken meat do they use most when cooking at home -- they found that 43.9% use chicken thighs the most. This was followed by chicken breast at 25.1%.

Among young men and women in Japan, the top favorite chicken dish is karaage, which is traditionally made using chicken thighs.

In case you were curious, the top chicken dishes cooked according to this survey were karaage at the top, followed by oyakodon, and the third was salad chicken! (It would be nice to have data from prior years to compare the trend, but unfortunately, I was unable to find any.)

Not only do people chose to cook with chicken thighs more often, the top chicken dishes are traditionally made with chicken thighs as well.

_{^{Karaage for sale}}

Final Thoughts

Japan is like other countries going through different health trends. Only time will tell how chicken thighs and breast will change in popularity. Perhaps it is only a trend.

If you are in Japan, take a look at the different types of salad chicken products. There are quite a few and they are pretty tasty. For those who want to try some classic Japanese chicken recipes, I suggest Oyakodon-buri. It is a simple dish with chicken, egg, and rice. If you had to choose, which would you rather go for: a chicken breast or a chicken thigh?

Sources:

Schrager, Benjamin. (2018). The Internationalization and the Industrialization of Chicken Husbandry in Japan in the 20th Century. Japanese Studies. 38. 1-21. 10.1080/10371397.2018.1477477.

Japanese people borrow certain cultural norms and traditions from the West, as a result of their sometimes complicated history with that part of the world. One of these traditions is weddings — the Western-style Christian chapel wedding. In a country where 1% of people identify as Christian, it may seem odd. But it isn’t about the religion behind these weddings that is attractive, but rather the aesthetic. It is walking down an aisle in a beautiful white dress and a ceremony in a high ceiling beautiful chapel. It is the exchange of rings, having a veil held, a flower girl, and more.

While many things are needed to conduct a wedding of this sort, one important part is a priest. As you might guess, when most of the population is not Christian, it might be a little difficult to hire a priest to officiate a wedding. So what do Japanese people do instead?

Simple: hire a fake priest.

A little about religion in Japan

There is a saying that Japanese are “Born a Shinto, marry as a Christian, and die a Buddhist.” While most Japanese people do not partake in organized religious activities, many do partake in cultural events and traditions based upon religion.

There are many traditions in Japan centered around these two religions aside from birth and funerals such as New Years, Obon festival, and Gion Festival. Weddings are among one of the events that can be held according to Shinto or Buddhist marriage practices; however, Japanese people seem to prefer the Christian-style weddings.

In 2016, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology estimated that there are about 80,000 shrines (Shintoism) and 77,000 temples (Buddhism) in Japan. Since most Japanese are not Christian, as one might expect, there are not many churches in Japan. Compared with the 157,00 combined shrines and temples, there are estimated to be a little less than 6,000 Churches.

Despite so little Christians, almost 60% of weddings are Christian “Chapel” style weddings. When demand for these ceremonies outstrips supply of churches and priests, what happens? A supply of fake priests (ニセ牧師 nisebokushi) and wedding venues for these weddings. Lets break down the Kanji:

Christian-style weddings

Many Western-style weddings are held at wedding venues (some are like fake chapels), or hotels for example. This is where fake priests will conduct the wedding ceremonies.

Because Japanese people are not very religious, whether their wedding is conducted by a real priest or not does not cause much concern. It is the aesthetic and image that are important.

After some research, it appears that the demand for Western-style weddings was fueled by the televised wedding of Prince Charles and Diana in the 1980s. However, this trend could have been set even earlier. The book The Birth of Wedding Churches cites the marriage of celebrities Teruhiko Saigo and Mari Henmi's wedding ceremony at a church in Karuizawa in 1972 was also a contributing factor.

Why not just get a real priest?

If you take a look at history, Japan and Christianity did not get along. The first Jesuits arrived in Japan in 1549, during a time of European colonization; however, just 38 years later in 1587, Japan banned missionaries, believing that Christianity and the missionaries' political ambitions threatened Japan’s unity. Following the expulsion of missionaries in 1614, Christianity was banned. Shortly after, Japan entered Sakoku (鎖国) or the closed country period (1639-1854.)

During this time, the government implemented deep isolationist policies, including limited trading partners, and restrictions on who could enter or leave the country. (Including the banning of bread for example.) This is only a bit of light history and I recommend this BBC article for more detail on Japan’s history with Christianity.

Given some historical context, it is likely that Japanese people do not want priests to proselytize during the wedding, and therefore hire fake priests. Because ordained reverends tend to be expensive, and the couples usually have no interest in the Christian faith, bringing in an ordained reverend would be a waste of money.

_{^{Wedding couple in suit and white dress}}

How much are fake priests paid?

In one interview, an ex-fake priest claimed he was making about 10,000 Yen (about $100 USD during normal exchange rate times) per wedding. When Western-style weddings started to become popular the rate per wedding was higher, around 25,000 yen (~$250), but now as competition has increased and these weddings gained popularity, the rate has gone down.

Most weddings take place over weekends and it is common to work one to three weddings in a day. $100-$600 extra per week is not a bad supplemental income.

Final Thoughts

It is paradoxical that in a country with thousands of years of history, where its people hardly identify themselves as religious, the public has strong enthusiasm for participating in such religious-based traditions such as New Years, Obon, Christmas, and countless local festivals throughout the country. One thing I have always admired and have found fascinating about Japan is its ability to pick and choose things from other cultures and integrate it into its own.

What do you think about this new(ish) practice in Japan? Would you become a part-time “priest” to make some extra money?

The other day, my mom asked, “Why is yakisoba sold in 3-packs?” To give you some context, yakisoba is a type of stir fried noodle that is an icon festival food and commonly eaten at home and restaurants. It is also eaten at home. Yakisoba is so popular that you can find it in pretty much all supermarkets and even convenient stores. These yakisoba packs usually come with the noodle and sauce and are typically sold with 3 packs (with 3-servings.)

Growing up, 3-packs have always seemed normal to me. Natto, ramen, and pudding for example would always come in packs of three. It was something I never really questioned.

However, my mom had a good point. Why is yakisoba sold in 3? In the US, the only 3-pack items I could think of were tennis balls and cleaning supplies.

Why would Japan sell 3-packs? It’s not even an even number. If I am a couple or a family of four then I would have an extra or would need to buy a whole other pack and have 2 extra packs left over. How did this come to be?

Upon researching, it seemed to be a common paradox looked up in Japanese - so why is pudding sold in 3-packs, when yogurt is sold in 4-packs?

The history of the 3-pack pudding

The 3 pack pudding was introduced in 1976.To understand why pudding is sold in three, it might make sense to look at the pudding consumption habits. Imagine a typical family of four in 1970s Japan. (The average fertility rate from 1968-1973 was about 2.14 kids.) After school, the two kids would come home and have a snack with mom. Back then and still to this day (although, it has been slowly changing), women are expected to stay home and take care of the kids. As an afternoon snack, a serving of pudding was perfect, one for each kid and mom.

Why yogurt is not in 3-packs

_{^{Yogurt sold in packs of 4}}

Okay so, what about yogurt? On the other hand, yogurt would be eaten in the morning for breakfast, before Dad went to work — one for each kid, mom, and dad. Therefore 4 servings would be needed.

As we now know, a 4-person family was common, with a father, mother, and two children. So Japanese food manufacturers packaged their products based upon the eating habits of their consumers.

And thus, the paradox of the 3-pack of pudding and 4-pack of yogurt is explained. After finding this information, I was curious and decided to look at the average household size in Japan. Looking at the data, it seems like it checks out.

Japan’s average household size over the years

The steady decline of the average household size is kind of unsettling, as it does not seem to stop anytime soon. The Japanese government expects the average household size to drop to 2.15 by 2030 and 2.08 by 2040. The main cause of this is a declining population, due to lower birthrates and an aging population (more on this here.) The proportion of single households has been on the rise, as well as households of two. If a household has children there it is likely only one child on average.

Other reasons why Japan sells 3-packs

3 packs induces more sales

For household’s with even numbers, 2 or 4 for example, 3-packs is either too much or not enough. So, it makes sense to purchase another

Family of 2 → 1-pack extra = Buy another 3-pack set to have 3 meals/snacks
Family of 4 → 1-pack short= Buy another 3-pack set to ensure there is enough for everyone

Regardless of how you do it, the number of packs is just annoying if you are not a family of 3.

The price is just right

People like to buy goods at certain prices. One of the most popular prices is 100 yen (which is like paying a dollar or euro.) While this may not be true for yakisoba, it is more likely to be for smaller products like pudding or natto, where the price is right around 100 yen. The unit price of one is about 30 yen, so it makes sense to have 3, because then it will be about 100 yen. Which is a great price to pay as a consumer.

Back to yakisoba

_{^{Maruchan yakisoba is also sold in 3-packs in the USA}}

Maruchan, the most popular yakisoba brand, started to sell its 3-pack in 1975, right before pudding was sold in 3-packs. But yakisoba is not eaten as a snack, isn’t it?

Why would yakisoba be sold in a 3-pack for a 4-person family? Well, it is very common for salary-men (usually the husband) to work overtime (sometimes going out for drinks with coworkers too.) Therefore, the husbands are usually not home in time for dinner on the weekdays and the mother would cook 3 servings of yakisoba for her and the two kids.

This hypothesis was confirmed in an interview from the online magazine eltha with a public relations representative: while the main reason was due to family size, there were two other reasons: the first is that a 3-pack gives the consumer a sense of value. The second is that the quantity fits into the typical frying pan well.

Final Thoughts

With the average household size declining further, perhaps, the 3-pack will become a 2-pack? Maybe not, as there it seems like every item in the store offers a single serving size if one desires.

If you are from a different country, are 3-packed items common? Let me know!

Throughout the pandemic, national to local governments have on and off run travel campaigns and deals. This past fall, the federal government has once again launched a nationwide travel campaign Zenkoku tabi wari, 全国旅割 or “National Travel Discount” campaign.

Up to 40% hotel discounts and 3,000 yen vouchers? Here is a little glimpse into the caffeine shot for the economy.

The basics of the “National Travel Discount” campaign

The National Travel Discount campaign’s formal name is Zenkoku Ryoko Shien (全国旅行支援), or National Travel Aid Campaign.

Lets breakdown the Kanji:

It provides individuals living in Japan (sorry foreign tourists) up to 11,000 yen per day in savings. As you can see, they designed the campaign to incentivize travel on the weekdays. This is to try to smooth demand from the weekends to the weekdays. (My personal hypothesis is perhaps to get Japanese people to use their vacation days?)

For those who are not aware, it is typical for accommodations in Japan to charge by the person rather than the room. If you stayed at a Ryokan (旅館, traditional Japanese inn), it is common that meals are included and thus it makes sense to charge on a per person basis. Rooms usually do get cheaper the more people that stay in them.

The coupon/vouchers can be used in the region accommodation is in at places such as restaurants, gift shops, and tourist attractions.

Is this discount too good to be true? There are a few catches. You must have 3 vaccines (as of Dec. 9th 2022, 67.2% of the population has received a booster shot.) You also must also book travel on a designated Japanese travel website. Lastely, this campaign is only running from Oct 11 to Dec 27 of this year. The good news is that the government has announced they will run this campaign again next year (2023).

Go To Travel and Go To Eat

Prior versions of the current campaign were under the branding “Go To Travel.” Which had similar benefits such as up to 30% off hotels. As you can see below, the Go To Travel campaign was launched in 2020, prior to vaccines, which correlated with high infection rates, suggesting that the timing may not have been the best.

This campaign also has a little sibling called “Go To Eat,” where restaurant vouchers could be purchased for ¥12,500 (~$125) for ¥10,000 (~$100).

_{^{Go to Eat Tokyo}}

While in Tokyo, my family and I used Tokyo Go to Eat coupons to go to a fancy breakfast buffet, priced at 6,000 yen per person. I would never pay full price for this, but with a 20% discount, we decided to treat ourselves.

_{^{1/3 trips we made at the breakfast buffet}}

Prefecture and regional campaigns

Prefectures and regional governments across Japan have had their own campaigns. Most of these have ended with the new National Travel Discount campaign. But here is a little idea.

Kanagawa Prefecture

Kanagawa prefecture, home to Yokohama and Kamakura, to name a few famous cities, recently started Kanagawa Pay. Kanagawa Pay gives consumers up to 20% back when they pay using the Kanagawa Pay app at select places such as restaurants and stores. The mechanics behind this is a bit convoluted so I will not go into the details. It does not help that it is also incredibly annoying to use as the UI is terrible. For your amusement, please see the photos below.

_{^{Kanagawa Pay user interface}}

Shimogo, Fukushima

In the town of Shimogo (下郷町) in Fukushima Prefecture, there was a campaign for 45% off lodging (which mean hotels, ryokan, inns, etc.) I went back in May 2021 for a short trip and it was very nice. Fukushima is known for the terrible nuclear power plant incident from the earthquake and tsunami in 2011, but there is much more to the prefecture, including beautiful ponds.

_{^{One of the Goshiki-numa ponds in Bandai-kogen, Fukushima}}

Is this the best thing for the economy?

Is this the best way to recharge the country? Good question. I am no economist and “best” is very subjective, requiring the balance of economic needs and health of the people.

Anzai and Nishiura from the Kyoto University School of Public Health conducted a study and concluded that there was a correlation with COVID-19 cases. However, due to the simplicity of their study they could not deduce causation. I suspect that there was causation, but without proof I cannot say. The time of the timeline shown was 2020, before vaccines. Fortunately, things have been improving since then.

On the economic side, the Daiwa Institute of Research estimated ¥3 trillion in direct benefits and ¥1.9 trillion in indirect benefits (a total of about $45 billion) and includes the employment of 460,000 people in the 2020 campaign. Hospitality and restaurants have been particularly hit hard during this pandemic, so from the standpoint of targeting certain industries the logic does make sense.

Potential side effects

Despite strong discounts and incentives to travel, there have been reports of accommodation and travel prices rising that are negating the campaign benefits for consumers. According to NHK, this is likely due to a few factors, the first is dynamic pricing. With low demand throughout the pandemic, hotels and other accommodations lowered prices to attract travelers. However, now with the campaigns and foreign tourists, prices are reflecting the new demand and supply dynamics.

Travel Voice, a tourism industry publication, cites other reasons as well. First, rising energy prices from the Ukraine and Russia conflict have caused major increases in energy prices. In the last year, TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) raised its electricity prices by 20-40%. Second, many accommodations underwent renovations to mitigate spread of the coronavirus. For instance, accommodations centered around large groups remodeled their dining areas to have private rooms, or increasing individual private rooms rather than group rooms. These upgrades require investments which are often passed on to the consumer.

Final Thoughts

Nevertheless, I am one of those who is partaking in such travel campaigns. The deal may be a little too hard to resist. Depending on your timing and where you go, you may find a good deal. Where would you go if you were in Japan to go to travel (or eat)?

Souzai is a big part of Japanese culture. You can find it at any grocery store, convinience store, sometimes restaurants, and specialty souzai stores. Here is a introduction to souzai.

What is Japanese souzai?

Souzai is essentially any prepared food. It can also mean something that is eaten with ricem like a side dish.  The best comparison I can give to someone from America is that it is like going to a deli in a grocery store (similar to Whole Foods or Wegmans or Foodland), or going to a gas station and picking up a hot dog. It can range from the famous bento to little side dishes.

Breaking down the term

I’m not a language expert, but breaking down the Kanji, or Japanese characters, helps me understand words (it can also explain the history of some words!). Souzai is written as 惣菜. 惣 means “all” and 菜 means “vegetables.” So literally “all vegetables.” Well that doesn’t make much sense. (I suspect there is a historical reason for this term.)

Upon researching, I found out that souzai is also called nakashoku, 中食, Which means “middle food/eat.” It may not make sense on its own, but if you look at the related terms:

Oh yes, now things are coming together. Souzai is something you buy, then eat at home -- somewhere between a home cooked meal and eating out.

_{^{Souzai is outpacing the growth of other types of foods within the food market in Japan}}

Despite its popularity, souzai only makes up about 14% of the food market in Japan (by yen in 2019). However, it grew by 20% in the last ten years, outpacing the growth of eating in, eating out, and the market as a whole.

The most popular souzai

The following are some of the most popular kinds of souzai, according to a survey conducted in 2021 by the Japanese Souzai Association (yes, it exists)…

The most frequently purchased souzai according to consumers:

1. Bento
2. Onigiri
3. Karaage (Japanese fried chicken)
4. Sushi
5. Croquette

_{^{Bentos for sale!}}

Where Can You Buy Souzai?

Souzai can be purchased almost anywhere. The most common places are the supermarket, convenience stores, specialty souzai stores, and the basement of department stores (don’t let the description fool you: the basements of Japanese department stores are a magical place.)

_{^{Onigiris at a convenience store}}

Why is souzai so popular?

After doing this research, I truly wondered, “Why is souzai so popular in Japan?” Is it the workaholic culture? Is it because there are more women working? Is it because traditional Japanese meals have multiple side dishes and it is a pain to cook them all? I was disappointed by the English search results. Souzai is such a large part of modern Japanese food culture. Why wasn’t anybody talking about this?

Upon some basic research, these were the main findings:

• Busy nature of Japanese work culture
• Increase of women in the labor force
• Increase in the number of single-person households

But I wanted concrete evidence. I came upon an article from the Japan times in 2002 titled “Prepared foods seen growing in popularity.” Interestingly, the souzai culture of Japan had only become more popular in the early 2000s.

Yes, this makes sense, but I wanted data. So I decided to do some basic stats.

Some basic statics

I found data from the OECD and World Bank on female labor force participation rates and female to male worker ratio. Furthermore, I collected data on the amount of single households from the Official Statistics of Japan. Then, with the data from the souzai association, I ran a regression with the data. Yes, I know it’s not enough data to be statistically significant. I am not claiming causality or any results. Furthermore, I was unable to control for any variables, etc. But, here is the output.

It appears there could be evidence for female workforce participation.

Whereas the correlation with single-person households is slightly weaker.

[Disclosure, I am not a statistician, and only have basic statistics experience from a handful of basic classes at university. If there is a flaw, please let me know.]

Final thoughts

If only there was more data and time. It would be very interesting to go into more depth. Looking at this data, I have other questions too. What are the cultural implications? How has health changed? (There is a study published in 2019 that shows decreased quality of diet.) How are women viewed who put souzai on the table on a regular basis?

Souzai is a part of everyday life in Japan. No matter where you go, it is something that you will come across. On a peronsonal note, if you ever travel to Japan, aside from eating at the restaurants, I strongly encourage you to experience the souzai culture of Japan. Go to the store and have yourself a picnic.

Two of the most famous foods of Japan are sushi and ramen. Some other well-known dishes include, tempura, miso soup, udon, soba, tonkatsu and curry. Have you heard of gyudon? I would guess that if you are not very familiar with Japanese food culture, or even those who are familiar with it may not be unaware of gyudon, 牛丼 or a beef bowl. (It does not sound that appetizing when you translate it into English.)

In relation to Japanese history, gyudon is fairly young as it is thought to have been invented around the 1890’s. That said, it is one of the most widely available foods in Japan. It is often found outside of train stations and busy heavily trafficked areas.

What exactly is gyudon?

Basically, gyudon is beef over rice or literally “beef bowl”, but that is not the most appealing translation. However, it makes sense when you breakdown the kanji:

Like other don, which is a rice bowl, gyudon is rice topped with beef and onions simmered in sake and soy sauce. After doing some research on how some American restaurants have translated it, I have come across some better translations:

• Japanese simmered beef over rice
• Thinly sliced beef and onions are simmered in sake and soy sauce and topped over rice
• Gyudon: braised short rib, caramelized onion, onsen tamago, crispy onions, gari, scallion (this is a fancy take)

Another comparison of gyudon I have is that it is (in my humble opinion)…
What the hamburger is to the USA, gyudon is to Japan.

_{^{Matsuya, ranked third in number of gyudon stores}}

How Gyudon is similar to the Hamburger

For those who are familiar with the hamburger culture of the US, I would dare say that gyudon is similar to Japan.
Here are some similarities:

1. There are multiple fast food chains (McDonalds, Burger King for Burgers in the US and Yoshinoya, Sukiya, and Matsuya for gyudon in Japan) that specialize in the same dish
2. The main ingredient is beef
3. There are many variations of the original dish (usually via toppings)
4. The nutrition composition is somewhat similar to a McDonald’s Big Mac and fries (and they both have the image of being unhealthy)
5. It can be considered a type of comfort food

Of course, there are other types of foods that could be considered to the hamburger of Japan, and I do not think gyudon is necessarily the best fit, but I do think that it comparable.

Let’s examine each bullet point.

1. There are multiple fast food chains (McDonalds, Burger King for Burgers in the US and Yoshinoya, Sukiya, and Matsuya for gyudon in Japan) that specialize in the same dish

There are three main gyudon chains in Japan. Yoshinoya, Matsuya, and Sukiya. In general they all can be found all around Japan. Likewise, the main burger chains in the US are McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s. (link)

2. The main ingredient is beef

This one speaks for itself.

3. There are many variations of the original dish (usually via toppings)

Just like people like to top burgers with bacon, avocado, mushroom and swiss cheese, people like to top gyudon with different things. Here is a quick survey conducted by the chain Yoshinoya, that asked people what their favorite toppings were. The top three are:

1. Scallions and egg yolk
2. Cheese
3. Onsen egg

Other toppings inclue, pickles, natto, seaweed, and kimchi. (link)

4. The nutrition composition is somewhat similar to a McDonald’s Big Mac and fries (they both have the image of being unhealthy)

5. It can be considered a type of comfort food

The context of comfort is familiar and of “home” (see below section “Gyudon outside of Japan (kind of)”.)

The Gyudon chain landscape

If you look at the number chain restaurants in Japan, gyudon ranks near the top. In the category of “Japanese food” chain within chain restaurants, Gyudon is at the top and even beats out sushi (remember these are chains. I suspect it is likely there are more sushi places if you add non-chain restaurants.)

Therefore, I believe that Gyudon is the can be the hamburger of Japanese food (Perhaps it could be considered a hotdog.)

But for a real hamburger in Japan, hamburger chain stores win with a total 6,339 stores (2,934 or 46% is McDonald’s) in Japan. On the other hand there are only 4,828 gyudon chain stores. So, in the eyes of Japanese people, these do not seem like one to one substitutes, It would be interesting to do a national wide survey to see people’s feelings on gyudon vs a hamburger.

Link of numbers: https://www.nipponsoft.co.jp/blog/analysis/chain-restaurant2022/

The reputation of Gyudon in Japan

For the longest time and still now, Gyudon has the image of being a man’s food. In particular, the food of “Salary man” サラリーマン, or the term of office worker (men) in Japanese. Here in Japan, working hours are known to be long. In addition, the husband is almost always the bread winner in the family and provides for the family. (Wives and woman are expected to take care of the children and stay home. If they do work, it is usually a part-time position.) So gyudon became one of the meals that was associated with Salary-men since, it was a fast and quick meal for the busy office worker.

“I would eat it about twice a week. Always Yoshinoya.” – Salary man in his 50s

I asked him, if there was no Yoshinoya within close vicinity, if he would go out of his way to get to one. In response, he said, he would likely to go a different restaurant or maybe a different gyudon chain, but order something else (not gyudon.) "I always order the same thing. Gyudon nami (orginal size.) I like it because its the same flavor everytime. It's better than the other chains."

On the other hand, even now some woman feel uncomfortable going into a gyudon restaurant by themselves.

“I would have never gone into a gyudon restaurant when I was younger. Maybe in the last 10 years or so, I started to go. But it still has an image of a guy’s food.” – Woman in 40s

Recently, this image has been changing, but very slowly. You can see advertisements of woman eating gyudon. This is evidence that the gyudon chains are trying to change the perception of gyudon. To help with this effort, in 2019 Yoshinoya added the “small sized” gyudon to the menu, to appeal to the “woman, health-conscious, and older customers.” To give some context, there are usually at least 5 sizes of gyudon, normal, large, extra large, and extra extra large.

_{^{You can see the top row of the order tablet the size of the gyudon bowls to chose from, followed up set menu options (This tablet is from Sukiya)}}

Furthermore, to keep the menu fresh, the chains will release other menu items are a limited time, such as curries or sukiyaki.

_{^{Sukiya restaurant advertising their curry with a woman}}

Gyudon outside of Japan (kind of)

On my flight to Japan with JAL, the “breakfast” meal was in fact, Yoshinoya’s gyudon. It was a nice surprise, as it was in a cute box with all of the yoshinoya branding. There was even benishoga (pickled ginger) and shichimitogarashi, (Japanese seven spice) two common toppings for gyudon. After landing, I asked explained to my family about how fun it was to get a box of yoshinoya gyudon on the plane. My uncle continued to explain that when Japanese people come back from overseas, they want to eat something familiar and they usually miss Japanese food –gyudon is one of those comforting foods. This made sense to me as some of the other famous Japanese dishes are especially hard to serve up in the air (ramen, sushi, karaage to name a few.)

_{^{The best airline breakfast}}

Upon further research, JAL and Yoshinoya began this partnership in 2012, 10 years ago. The JAL CEO in an interview said, that “[the company] was aiming for novelty and authenticity. Yoshinoya gyudon is loved by the young and the old. JAL wants to be chosen for bringing the comfort and spirit of Japan to the people of the world.” (Apologies for my poor translation. Here is the link to the original interview.)

If you ever come to Japan, I encourage you to try gyudon and understand why it is loved by Japanese people.

It is officially spring. Hoping things are well and getting warmer for you wherever you are in the Northern Hemisphere. Or if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, hope things are not too cold yet! It is the height of hanami (花見) season in Japan.

What exactly is hanami? It is a special word in Japanese that means cherry blossom viewing. Looking and enjoying the cherry blossoms, or sakura, is such an important activity in Japanese culture it has its own word.

Let’s break down the kanji:

“Flower see” is exactly what you do. It’s a beautiful tradition. Even my friends who do not enjoy outside activities will make an effort to go hanami and enjoy the scenery.

While not exactly hanami, there are other similar flowers to sakura

The most popular flowers are Sakura and have a very distinct shape. But other popular flowers to see around this time include ume and momo, and almond to name a few. Ume trees are the same ume as the ume plum in Ume boshi or ume shyu.

Momo are peach trees and also have a white or pink flower that is very lovely.
Similar but different.

How do people hanami?

Most commonly people will picnic under and around the trees. They pack or buy food, sometimes have drinks (it’s legal to drink outside in Japan) and sit with friends and family and have a good time. Sometimes people will go for walks, or just sit on a park bench and enjoy.

Similar to koyou 紅葉 season, in the fall, there are maps of Sakura blooming season.

_{^{Source: Weather News}}

An important detail of information is not only when the Sakura start to bloom, but when they hit mankai 満開 or full bloom.

A Draw for Tourists

In pre-pandemic years, tourism does go up around this time because of Sakura season. Is it worth to pay extra to come to Japan with more crowds? Depends on how much you value and can afford it. I suspect you would not regret it, plus if you were here on a trip the weekdays tend to be less busy. I have yet to hear of anyone who does not like Sakura.

For now, please enjoy some photos of Sakura, momo, and ume flowers.

_{^{I suspect this could be a momo tree}}

_{^{Hanami in a park}}

_{^{Also not sakura}}

Hope you enjoyed!

Japan actually has quite a long history with bread, but it wasn’t until the last 80 years or so when bread truly was integrated into Japanese culture. Today bread is a regular part of many people’s lives. This article will give an overview the history and culture of bread in Japan, and what you should know about Japanese bread.

History of bread in Japan

Please note: The years are all approximate and represent the time period in which the events occurred, not the exact year

Chapter 1: Bread comes to Japan [Mid 1500s]

So, who brought bread to Japan? Along with Christianity and guns, the Portuguese introduced bread to Japan around 1543. The Japanese adopted the Portuguese word for bread, pão, and call bread pan, (パン).

While this was the introduction of bread to Japan, it wasn’t really consumed by Japanese, but by traders and missionaries at the time.

Chapter 2: Japan decides to go into isolation [Mid 1600s]

Now let’s fast forward to 100 years, to when Japan entered Sakoku (鎖国) or the closed country period (1639-1854.) It is believed that these policies were implemented in part to remove the colonial and religious influence of Spain and Portugal. During this time, the government implemented deep isolationist policies, including limited trading partners, and nearly no one could enter or leave the country. Unironically, bread was banned as well.

Chapter 3: Japanese people actually start eating bread [1842~]

Alright, now things start to get interesting in the latter half of the Edo Period (1603-1868) around 1842 during the First Opium War between the UK and China. No, Japan did not fight in this war, but it did have a strong influence. After the British overwhelmingly defeated the Qing dynasty, the Shoganate feared the invasion of the British. Accordingly, the Shoganate needed to prepare for an attack – this is when the Japanese military turned to bread.

Depending on the source, there are multiple theories as to why Japan started to feed bread to soldiers instead of rice. One is that military scientist Tarozaemon Egawa believed that bread was a better food for soldiers than rice. Other sources say that bread was easier to be conserved and carried around. And lastly, to prepare rice, a fire had to be made to cool it and consequently, this would create smoke, which would let the enemy know where you were. Perhaps, it is a combination of all three theories. Nevertheless, bread had its comeback.

Chapter 4: Bread starts to become “Japanese” [1868-1945]

While bread was back in Japan, it wasn’t until the Meiji Era (1868-1912) that Western culture, accompanied by bread, spread across Japan. At first, bread consumption was very regional and in areas with high foreign influence, such as Kobe or Yokohama. Home to the largest foreign settlement, Yokohama was key in the spread of Western culture. Japanese people working in these foreign settlements learned how to make bread and other western cuisines and in turn passed this knowledge on to the rest of country.

At the time, bread was not seen as a meal or even part of a meal, but rather a snack. As a result, an pan (あんパン) was born. Invented by Yasubei Kimura in 1874, an pan is bread filled with red bean paste (more on this below.) Due to the popularity his creation, Kimuraya Sohonten Bakery was born and still is in business today.

_{^{This an pan is made with chestnuts (kuri an pan)}}

Chapter 5: Post WWII [1945~]

After World War II, Japan was in ruins and faced food shortages. To assist Japan, the US provided food rations, including wheat and powered milk. Bread appeared in school lunches and quickly began to become part of everyday life.

_{^{Loaf of classic Japanese bread -Shokupan}}

Bread Today: Current bread culture and consumption habits

As they say, the rest of history…the consumption of bread continued to grow and so did Japan’s bread culture. Bread is still served in school lunches often as shokupan or agepan, fried bread. Not only are there bakeries, but stores that specialize in one type of bread, such as shokupan.
In fact, family spending of bread overtook rice in the early 2010’s. However, it should be known that consumption wise, rice is still king in Japan.

_{^{(It should be noted that this survey is household expenditure of bread, rice (uncooked), and noodles (uncooked), so it does not include the purchase of cooked rice (like in a bento) or any food that is eaten out. Therefore this only shows part of the story.)}}

According to the Japan Baking Industry Association, 611,800 tons of bread was manufactured in 1952, and has now doubled to 1,254,062 tons in 2017. So while the pace was slow, it has grown a lot over the last few decades.

How did bread become so popular?

One of the main reasons for the recent preference for bread is Japan’s older citizens. According to the Japan Baking Industry Association, when a couple has children, they are more likely to go through the work to make rice, especially in the morning. However, once children leave the house, there is a tendency to switch over to bread as there is little to none preparation. That helps to explain both the increase in bread and decrease in rice.

Popular Japanese breads

I hope by now your interest in bread has piqued. Let’s take a look into Japanese breads you should know.
The typical Japanese breads are soft and light, unlike some of their European counterparts. That being said, one can find harder breads in Japan, especially in recent years with the popularity of European style bakeries.

An pan (あんぱん)

Japanese red bean bread – a soft bread with red bean (adzuki) paste inside. There are many variations of this bread, including chunky vs smooth red beans, or even chestnuts and sweet potato. I dare say that you won’t find a bakery in Japan without some form of an pan.

_{^{A Fancy take on An Pan, with cream inside}}

In fact, there is a beloved super An Pan Man or Red Bean Man. It started off as a children’s book in 1973, and was adapted into a TV series that is still running today.

_{^{[From Top Left to Right Bottom] Karepan Man; Anpan Man; Melonpan Chan; Shokupan Man; Dokin Chan; Baikin Man}}

Shokupan (食パン)

In my eyes, what the baguette is to France, Shokupan is to Japan. Shokupan (食パン), – Japanese white bread sometimes called milk bread.

_{^{Specialty Shokupan bakery}}

This is Japan’s most consumed bread, and in recent years has gained popularity abroad as well. Characterized by its square shape, it is made with milk and butter, making it much richer than its white bread counterparts. Popular as toast, sandwiches, and even plain, there are specialty shokupan stores, some places charging ¥ 6,500 (~$ 65) for one loaf. (Shokupan man is also part of Anpan Man above.)

Melon pan (メロンパン)

Contrary to the name, this bread does not taste like melon, but is thought to be named due to its melon-like appearance. It is a sweet bread known for its crisp cookie like crust.

Especially popular among kids, there is also a melon pan man character from the An Pan man. (see above)

_{^{Some bakeries even serve Curry Pan freshly fried to order}}

Curry pan (カレーパン)

A fried bread filled with Japanese curry. Curry pan is covered in panko, Japanese bread crumbs known for a distinct texture, which makes this bread extra crispy. This is probably one of Japan’s most popular savory breads and can be traced back to 1877. (He is also part of Anpan Man.)

_{^{Some bakeries even serve Curry Pan freshly fried to order}}

Cream pan (クリームパン)

Invented in 1904, cream pan (cream bread), is widely popular as well. Similar to an pan, the traditional cream pan is a soft bread with cream inside.
Creampan Man is a part of Anpan Man, but he is a minor character.

_{^{Cream pan is known for its crown like shape}}

Current trends in Japanese bread culture

Bread continues to evolve and so has the rise of different breads and unique bakeries.

_{^{Variety of hard(er) breads}}

Fusion Breads

Japanese people love French style bread. Meet one of of my favorite breads “milk france” ミルクフランス, is fusion bread, likely inspired by cream pan or koppe pan. a baguette like bread filled with Japanese sweet cream.

Croissants are also quite popular in Japan. Unlike French croissants, they tend to be lighter, as in less rich. Which sounds like they wouldn’t be good, but let me tell you. Its just a little different. I think it is fine to include this—you have been so thorough, you might as well include. I find it interesting.

The sweet bread of the 2021: Maritozzo
Around June 2021, Japan started the Maritozzo (マリトっツォ) trend. Originally from Italy and more of a sweet than bread, it is a soft brioche bun filled with whipped cream. You can find them everywhere in Japan now, from convenience stores to grocery stores to bakeries. Obviously these are not Italian authentic, but made to adjust to the preference of Japanese.

_{^{Maritozzo with orange}}

Final Thoughts

Japanese style bread is one of the old fusion foods of the East and West that has become an essential part of Japanese food culture. Next time you have the opportunity, I encourage you to give Japanese bread a try.
Did you find anything particular interesting? Have questions or want to know more? Feel free to contact me or share the article.

“Welcome! What do you want to eat today? I’ll make you your favorite fish” says “Master”, a term used to call the owner of the restaurant. I am a joren-san (常連さん), or a regular, at Goro, a local diner in my neighborhood. Goro is run by a couple and the couple only. The husband is 80 and the wife is 79. There are no other employees. The couple cooks, cleans, serves, and works everything else in between for the restaurant. No, it’s not that big, but there are 19 seats and it’s open six days a week from 11am until 10pm.

That’s an impressive couple you may think. I agree with you, but that is not my point. One day as I was talking with the Master, he casually mentioned retiring in two or three years. “So what will happen when you retire?” I asked.

_{^{My usual at Goro}}

“Oh, well, we will close the restaurant, and that will be it.” After Master retires, he plans to close up the restaurant. With him and his wife running the whole business and no other employees, there is no one willing to continue the operations. The couple has children and even grandchildren, but they apparently do not have an interest in continuing their parents’ business. After all, if they did, they would likely be helping out already.

This is not unfamiliar in Japan. According to Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry it is estimated by 2025, Small and Medium sized business (SMBs) owners over 70 years old will surpass 2,450,000 which is about 64% of all SMBs. About half of those owners (1,270,000) do not have a successor (about one third of all businesses in Japan.)

The demographic crisis of Japan is not a new topic. Low birth rates with a heavily aging population are driving the population of Japan down. As of 2021, the total population in Japan was estimated to be around 124.8 million people. By 2030 it is expected to be around 119.3 million, then dropping significantly by 2050 to be an estimated 101.2 million people. For now, we will not focus on these demographic and economic statistics too heavily, but instead focus on the impact of the lost small and medium sized businesses.

The declining population is expected to have a 22 trillion yen (~$200 billion) decline in GDP in the future. We could look at this from the purely monetary and economic impact, which is quite tragic and has devastating economic impacts, but there is also that part of the loss that one cannot put a price tag on. These people run everything from restaurants, dry cleaners, small manufacturing shops, etc. I have fond memories of traveling in Japan and visiting a ryokan (Japanese-style inn) run by an old couple. The omotenashi, or friendliness/ hospitality, is something so unique and nothing you could find at a Marriot or Hilton. It makes each trip so special.

I was filled with sadness when I heard that Goro would close within a couple years. I went to Goro every week, I made friends with some of the other customers, (usually 70-80 year old’s.) With work from home and the loneliness and isolation that comes with it, a visit to Goro was like visiting a relative’s house. It was much more than my once-in-a-work week socialization. We spoke about our lives, work, family, and over the course of a few months I feel like we have a strong relationship. Not only that, Master, knowing my favorite foods, often makes me something not on the menu to my liking.

While I am focusing on the restaurants, local stores, and ryokans and inns, there are a whole other set of businesses that the normal folk do not see: the businesses that are B2B or business focused. According to Teikoku Bank, the industry that has the highest percent of lacking successors* is construction at 70.5.%. Restaurants are in the category of retail and have a rate of 69% lacking a successor.

*It should be noted that this includes all owners, ranging from ages 15 to 80+

Other stories

I asked my aunt, who has lived in Japan her whole life, if there were any local establishments owned by older people that she loved that would cease to exist. “Too many.” She named restaurants, stores, and ryokans. “There is this diner that I like to stop at on the way back home from hiking,” she told me and went there every couple months for years and mentioned the location on her hiking blog.

_{^{A photo of the closed diner}}

During the COVID-19 crisis when everything was shut down, she got a message from the daughter of the owners. She told my aunt how the restaurant was going to close and wanted her to be aware. Now, this may seem odd to some of you. But in Japan, there are many establishments where the only source of “social media” is a telephone number. No website, no Facebook page, no…nothing (but sometimes they are on Google Maps.) So, this was one way from them to communicate with their “regulars.” While it was kind of the daughter to find my aunt and reach out to her, the owner couple has no successor, despite having two daughters. They expressed no interest on continuing the business.

This will likely become more common. According to the Ministry of Economic, Trade, and Industry, the most common age of SMB (small medium enterprise) owner has been increasing over the last couple decades.

_{^{Japan's most commmon SMB age is growing older over the years}}

Government efforts

To help mitigate the economic damage The Small and Medium Enterprise Agency of Japan (under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) started the a program that helps businesses with succession. The program is called the Business Succession Support Fund (事業継続・引継ぎ補助金). There are two funds the Management Reform (innovation) (経営革新)と専門家活用) to help with M&A efforts.

It will be interesting to see how helpful the government support grants are. Some basic figures show that of the number of businesses that were continued on through M&A (including spinoffs) were 15.8% in 2019 and increased to 17.8% in 2021. Perhaps this can be attributed to the government program, but this data is uncertain.

In addition, there are other measures to increase the number of foreign workers in Japan as well. However, this is a whole other topic that has caused quite some trouble around labor conditions. Furthermore, experts still estimate that there will not be enough workers. According to research by JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), there will be a shortage of about 630,000 foreign workers in 2030.(source)

This is great to see the government trying to preserve these businesses and of course try to mitigate the economic damage, but nothing can stop the loss of people and everything that comes with it. It should be noted that no successor, includes not only someone to continue the business like a family succession or internal employee promotion, but also third-parties from the outside as well, such as M&A or a third-party outsider successor.

Final Thoughts

_{^{Dinner for two at Goro}}

A few weeks ago, I was having a tough time at work. Master could tell and spoke to me. “You know, you are like a granddaughter to us,” he said (us representing the other older customers I made friends with.) “We are cheering for you and want you to be successful.” Words cannot describe the love and support from the community I built at Goro and I am extremely thankful to have found them. For now, I do my best and use my money to support, but no matter how much money Goro has, when it is time to retire, it is time to retire. It is in some ways, a loss of family. Until that day, I will continue to go to Goro, have conversations with the couple and other customers, and enjoy their food and company.

The other day, someone asked me what was it like living in Tokyo. “Is it filled with high tech? Robots everywhere?” I was taken by surprise. My whole life Japan has been the same. From the time I went to elementary to school in the early 2000s, to my life working as an “adult” in 2021 – life here has not changed much. I responded with a quote someone once said to me,

In the 1970s Japan was already in the 1990s. But now in the 2020s, Japan is still in the 1990s

So no, Japan is not as high tech as you think it may be. To this day, Japan’s reputation as the high tech and advanced country is still held by many. However, they are unaware of how drastically Japan has fallen in the competitiveness of its tech industry.

Japan once dominated the tech industry, there is no doubt about it. If I asked you now, to name three Japanese technological inventions, what would you say? The bullet train, the Walkman, the Nintendo GameBoy? I bet you, they are all hardware based. Can you name some famous Japanese software (aside from gaming)?

As the world shifted to its focus to software from hardware Japan was left behind

In my opinion, the main reason why Japan’s tech sector continues to lag behind is due to its lack of focus and appreciation of new development in software. From a historical standpoint, it make sense as to how Japan ended up with this mindset. It was hardware (manufacturing based, of course there is software in these products) that lifted them from the ruins of WWII* and drove Japan’s economy to its peak in the 1980s and 1990s (before the bubble crashed.)

*Obviously, it wasn’t just success in manufacturing, there were many other factors, such as support from the US, favorable exchange rates, government support, etc. but without strong manufacturing and tech, Japan’s economy would not be where it was and Japan would not have the reputation that it had.
**It should be mentioned that Japan still dominates in certain technology sectors such as gaming, but as a whole is behind.

The “new” product lifestyle

Before jumping into why Japan is behind, let’s first get a high-level understanding of the product life cycle evolution of tech products.

This is a graph that explains the traditional vs new product lifecycle of tech goods. As we can see, traditionally, hardware was developed before the software. Now, these two must be developed in tandem to stay competitive. Furthermore, the time to market has decreased.

_{^{Source:https://semiengineering.com/hidden-costs-of-shifting-left/}}

Nowadays, to stay competitive, firms need to develop products in the timeline on the right. Keep this graph in mind.

Software is simply underappreciated

Just like an old-mind that doesn’t change with the times, Japan continued to do what it did – focus on the hardware, then the software. As they say, if you are unwilling to change, you cannot grow and will be left behind. The decision making process, education system, and investments provide evidence for the lack of appreciation for software.

Software engineers are low on the totem pole – even in tech companies

Software engineers, compared with other hardware engineers (like electrical), are simply seen as less prestigious or valuable.

“We did not bring software engineers into product development at the beginning. The hardware engineers would begin the product and then software would come in after the fact. And that’s because in a company that has jobs for life, the older people are at the top and the younger software engineers are on the bottom, pushing up. So there is a kind of a generation gap.”— Howard Stringer, former President of Sony in 2006 interview.

Unfortunately, the situation from the quote above is not unique to Sony. When hardware capabilities were key to the companies’ success (back in the 70s and 80s), the hardware engineers were the ones that rose to the top. Japanese businesses tend to be more hierarchical in nature, so when software started to gain more importance, the software engineers’ voices were not heard or valued less (as the leaders and executives tended to have hardware engineering backgrounds and perspectives.)

Still to this day, friends and people internet forums (like Quora and Reddit) who are on the software side provide anecdotal evidence that the wages are generally lower, and their degree and career is not seen as prestigious as their hardware counterparts. In a question about wages for computer scientists in Japan, the response on how computer scientists wages in Japan were low.

"…the main reason why engineers (programmers) aren’t that well paid as in Western Europe or in the US. Japanese companies still have to grasp the importance of expertise, although they are slowly finding themsleves in need of such experts, therefore the need to differentiate in payment."
– Luana Matei, on Quora

Without going on a tangent, Japan’s software engineers are paid far less than their US counterparts. Yes, wages in the US are significantly higher than most other countries (fueling the income inequality problem, but that’s for another time), but even compared to Germany or the UK, they are still less. So if you are top tier talent, why wouldn’t you go to a different country (like the US), and make 2-3x more while working at a world-class firm with cutting edge technology?

Japanese firms chose to compete on operational effectiveness – not innovation

Further evidence to prove Japanese companies lack of appreciation for software is their investments. The two graphs below show the difference in software investments between Japan and the US (while Japan is based on 2000 data, researchers cite that experts believe this breakdown did not change much within the following 10 years.)

Let’s focus on the “customized” software. As the name says, the software is customized to meet the firm’s needs, in general this requires more investment and time since it is specially modified and designed.

There are a few counter arguments in favor of Japanese firms spending on software. Some say that software engineers are paid less in Japan and therefore development costs are less. In addition, many Japanese firms lowered their IT costs by outsourcing their IT capabilities to subsidiaries. Lastly, there is evidence that the life of Japanese business applications are much longer than their US counterparts (so over time less investment is needed since the software lasts longer.) Thus, it is okay that the portion spent on customized in house software is low.

However, researchers at UC Berkley provide strong evidence that the counterarguments, are in fact, not counterarguments at all. Rather, the counterarguments demonstrate how Japanese companies decided to “compete in IT on operational effectiveness (cost, productivity, and quality) and not to seek new revenue growth through innovation.” What is needed for innovation? Investment.

_{^{Train ticket machine in Tokyo. With buttons}}

The Japanese firms’ strategy is ideal for slow-evolving technologies, such as hardware, but in the age of fast-paced software, well, it just doesn’t work well.
Firms are not the only entity that lack appreciation for software. Japan’s universities also fail to understand this as well.

Japanese Universities also undervalue software

To be begin with, Japanese universities were slow to adapt the newest computer science curricula, and were about 6 years behind the U.S. according to Cole, Robert & Nakata, Yoshifumi (2014).

On top of this, there was a lack of competent faculty to teach computer science. Many were IT Executives, that while knew about tech, were not competent enough to teach state-of the art software, and lacked capabilities to further scientific research in the field.

In addition, in 2012, the University of Tokyo (the “Harvard” of Japan, if you will), had a quota* of 150 electrical engineers, while the Information and Communications Technology (which is software) had a quota of only 80. On the other hand, Stanford, had a graduating class in Electrical Engineering of about 50 and Computer Science (software) 250. Stanford was graduating 5 times the amount of computer science majors as University of Tokyo.

*Until 2006, the Ministry of Education in Japan prescribed the student quota, but since then, it has been the responsibility of the schools

For those who bring up the point, “these are only two universities.” Good point, as further evidence, the number of computer science graduates in the U.S was about 63,000 in 2009. In Japan, it was about 16,300, about a quarter of the US’s. Yes there are more people in the US, even so Japan had about 43% of the labor force of the US’s during that time. This means, Japan would need about 27,000 to be roughly equivalent to the US – a gap of almost 11,000 students. Japan would need 66% more students than it was already graduating to meet this.

Simply put, Japan’s universities’ focus is misplaced.

Japan is slow to adapt and accept new ideas – especially from young people

Remember that graph at the way beginning about the product lifecycle? How not only is hardware and software being developed at the same time, but the time to market also decreased? Well, to make matters worse Japan struggles with speed as well.

Let’s just say Japan is on par with the US in terms of valuing software. Even in this situation, Japan would still be behind in developing software. This is due to the nature of Japanese culture.

Japanese people are extremely risk-averse. Without going down the rabbit hole, basically, to balance uncertainty, Japanese people have rules, just to have rules. Because when you have rules, there is always a procedure. Which means someone will know what to do. Japanese people like to know what to expect.

For example, if a large Japanese firm, let’s say Hitachi (sorry Hitachi), has a new-grad who just joined the company and invents some new software. It is fairly likely that Hitachi will not implement this new software. They are far more likely to choose the well-established electronics company to outsource software OR someone who is much more tenured with a strong reputation than the new grad, despite the fact the software may be far inferior/OR/no matter how superior the new software may be. This is also true in the scenario where a startup company proposes new software to Hitachi as well.

Not only are Japanese people highly risk averse (Hofestede 6 Dimensions of Culture), but Japanese companies are simply not that agile. This likely stems from the incremental, continuous-improvement philosophy (kaizen) introduced by Toyota. Since then, it is a common standard for other companies. With influence of risk-averseness, Japanese firms stress detailed planning prior to execution. Adopting new technologies and developing innovative products quickly simply does not work with this type of culture when you need to plan out each step meticulously.

How does Japan’s future look?

Obviously, predicting the future is quite difficult. The government statistics office does show a gradual increase in number of software engineers for a couple years before declining, but according to a Mizuho bank report in 2018 says that even with this increase there will still be a lack/deficit of engineers. I tend to be wary/skeptical of such predictions as most predictions are inaccurate even by experts. But considering the current state of Japan’s IT industry and the shrinking population, that sounds about right. So when I see forecasts like this, I tend to trust the trend and key takeaway rather than the details and actual numbers.

Recent investments and establishments of software engineering and computer science specialty schools

There seems some hope for the tech sector. Japan cannot bridge this gap with immigrants alone. But there seems to be an increase in software engineering specialty schools. 42, an innovative software engineering college founded in Paris, opened up a campus in Tokyo. Founded in Paris in 2013, with over 35 locations (campuses) in the world, 42 opened their Tokyo campus in 2020. With Japan’s population of ~125 million, there most certainty is demand for such school, but if there was truly no hope for Japan’s tech sector, I do not think 42 would have opened a campus.

This does not say too much, but it is an encouraging sign.

Other factors

In addition to the lack of appreciation of software, there are other key factors, not explored in this article that seem to be significant contributors. Of which include…

• The lack of entrepreneurship and startup culture
• Change in company culture. Apparently, large Japanese tech companies, used to be more innovative and nimble. (A bit dated, but an interesting article on Sony https://kotaku.com/how-sony-is-turning-into-a-ghost-in-japan-and-around-th-5960411)

Final Thoughts

There was once a time when the US feared being taken over by Japan. If you, like me, did not grow up during that time, it seems almost preposterous.

To see Japan, who was once on the cutting edge of technology continue to fall behind, is heartbreaking. It’s kind of like growing up and realizing that your parents are not superheroes, but rather just normal people (Sorry mom and dad.) The most painful part is this country, filled with brilliant minds, is unable to achieve its potential due to old thinking, old-fashioned cultural norms.
What do you think of Japan’s tech sector? Does it still have hope? What needs to be changed? If you are aware of other major factors not listed here, please let me know. I would love to hear!

Citation:

Cole, Robert & Nakata, Yoshifumi. (2014). The Japanese Software Industry: What Went Wrong and What Can We Learn from it?. California Management Review. 57. 16-43. 10.1525/cmr.2014.57.1.16.

Happy New Year! Hope 2022 is off to a good start. It's time for another round around the sun.

This weekend is the first three day weekend and first public holiday after the New Year -- Seijin no hi, or Coming of Age Day (成人の日). This holiday honors those who came of age, in other words, became (or will become) an adult. 20 is the age at which people become adults in Japan.

Interestingly, starting this year (2022), the official age of adulthood will be lowered from 20 to 18. This change will not affect most 18-year-olds, as the legal age for gambling, drinking, and smoking will remain the same (20). The voting age was lowered from 20 to 18 in 2015 so this is not affected either. However, 18-year-olds will be able to get married without the consent of their parents. In the past, boys over 18 and girls over 16 needed parental approval for marriage.

At the age of 20, Japanese people can legally drink alcohol, gamble, and smoke. But there are other traditions that come along with becoming an adult: a celebration of the seijinshiki coming-of-age ceremony.

_{^{No matter where you are in the world, there are always cheesy photos}}

How people celebrate Seijin no Hi

On this day, it is common for local governments or organizations to hold a coming-of-age ceremony. In some colder regions such as Aomori and Iwate prefecture, the ceremony is held in the summer, around the time of the Obon festival (Buddhist festival in August that celebrates ancestors.) This is not only due to the weather, but also because many people will return home for the festival anyway, allowing for more participation.

Girls wear traditional Japanese dress, kimono, and men wear a suit, or hakama. The actual ceremony is mostly speeches and not the most fun, followed by class reunions, celebratory meals, and gift giving. From the eyes of an American like myself, it kind of seems like a graduation ceremony into becoming an adult.

When Japanese people become an adult, many will also take photos, similar to graduation or wedding photos to mark the event. Below are some photos of a friend of mine. Girls, for example, dress in kimono and get their hair done. According to a friend of mine, guys are less likely to take photos than girls for some reason.

A brief history of Seijin no Hi

Since ancient times, Japan has had coming-of-age ceremonies, but it looked a lot different. Boys would tie their hair up and put on a crown or a raven-like hat. Girls would wear an traditional skirt called a mo 裳, tie up the hair, and dye their teeth black. These ceremonies were mostly done by aristocrats or other similarly high-ranking families.

Around the end of the Meiji era (1868-1912), these ceremonies faded out of style. Right around this time, boys were required to have a draft examination to serve in the military. This draft examination had similar meaning as the coming-of-age ceremonies and helped create what current ceremony is today. After WWII, the draft was removed and Seijin no Hi became a national day.

From Meiji year 29, or around 1868, Japan has considered 20 to be the age of an adult. Quite late, considering the fact that at that time the average life span was only about 36 years (Hanley.) Now, about 150 years later, it is changing.

Final Thoughts

There is a special word for twenty years old - Hatachi (二十歳). It is still spelled the same way as if one were to say the equivalent of “twenty years old”, but it is a special word. I think this alone shows the importance of turning twenty.

With new laws changing, and lowering the age to be and some rights of a legal adult, it seems like Japan will eventually change the meaning of hatachi. Only time will tell. In the meantime, for all of those who are turning 20 this year, welcome to adulthood.

Unsolicited Recommendation # 18

I’m not a big TV watcher, but recently my mom showed me a TV drama called kino nani tabeta (What did you eat yesterday? 昨日何食べた.) Simply put, it is a heartwarming and nice show, perfect for those who are interested in Japanese cooking and want something light to watch.

_{^{Source: TV Tokyo}}

Without giving away too much detail, the series is about the relationship between a gay couple who live together. Shiro is a reserved lawyer and Kenji is an outgoing hairdresser. The story revolves around the food that Shiro cooks for Kenji and explores the difficulties and issues they face in life around family, the LGBTQ community, and work. It is a drama, but it is funny and light-hearted.

It has been pretty popular in Japan and, this past year, a movie was released in addition to a second season.

I recommend this to the following:

• Anyone who is looking for a heartwarming, comedy drama to watch (especially during unpleasant weather)
• Those who are interested in LGBTQ life in Japan
• Those who are interested in Japanese cooking

It should be mentioned that this TV series is based upon the manga. I have not read the manga, but I suspect it is as good or better than the TV show for those who are interested.

If you do end up watching it, please let me know what you think!

Citations

Hanley, S. B. (1974). Fertility, Mortality, and Life Expectancy in Pre-modern Japan. Population Studies, 28(1), 127–142. https://doi.org/10.2307/2173797

Here in Japan, people are preparing for the New Year, the most important holiday in Japan. While there are many traditions (Osechi Ryori, visiting a shrine, cleaning, etc.), there is a special tradition I would like to share.

Tradition may not be the best word, as it is a more recent compared with the history of Japan, but I would like to share with you Kohaku Uta Gassen 紅白歌合戦, NHK’s annual new years' singing competition show.

_{^{This year's theme is "Love & Peace"}}

Kohaku Uta Gassen 紅白歌合戦

It is a singing show, where it is the red team versus the white team. The white team is for men and the red is for women.

Let’s break down the kanji:

The singers range from the brand new artists and bands of the year, to way WAY back from decades ago. There have been singers who have been on the show for over 50 years. To give you an idea, my mother in her early 50’s says “I listened to her when I was a teenager!” so some of these singers have been there for a while.

The performance is run similarly to a normal singing competition, where each team takes turns going, the middle has a “half time” special performance, and then capped off by voting for the winner.

Who are the performers?

To give you an idea, here are some of the notable performers from the red team this year (2023): Nogizaka 46, Perfume, YOASOBI, Perfume and Ishikawa Sayuri (her 46th time on the show.) And from the white team: Fukuyama Masaharu, Mrs. Green Apple, Yo Oozumi, and Yuzu.

Other notable singers from the past include, AKB48, Baby Metal, Hey Say JUMP, SMAP, Southern All Stars, and Utada Hikaru.

In addition, PIKOTARO sang and performed the song “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen” in 2016 (if any of you remember the song.) What a scene.

_{^{Pikotaro signing at Kohaku}}

In recent years, viewership and popularity has been dropping, so there has been pressure to increase the audience, resulting in a push for performers to be more popular among younger generations.

How are the performers selected?

Currently, NHK have 3 criteria they use to select performers: “This year’s activity”, “Popularity/Public approval”, and “Alliance with the broadcasting of the show” (「今年の活躍」「世論の支持」「番組の企画・演出」) (I realize this is not the best translation.)

To evaluate these three criteria, 5 metrics are used:

1. Results from a nationwide survey conducted by NHK on 5,000 people ages 7 and above
2. The number of singers performed by the contenstand in the preliminary rounds of NHK Nodo Jiman (NHK Amateur Singing Contest)
3. Sales of CDs, cassettes, and DVDs
4. Surveys on karaoke and wired communication services (I do not understand what this means)
5. Survey on how many downloads from the internet (including cell phones)

Some history on Kohaku

After WWII ended, Japan wanted to create a singing competition for the new “era” if you will. And thus Kohaku was born in 1951. It was originally on the radio and, in 1953, started to be broadcasted on TV.

The show is run by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation/ Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), the government-owned public broadcasting service.

_{^{Voting in Kohaku}}

After 73 years, the red team has won 33 times and the white team has won 40 times. So not very even, with a bias towards men. The winning team is chosen through voting by the audience, TV audience, and the hosts of the show. So, it is by popular vote, and Japan seems to like the guys more than the girls.

Viewership and competitors?

While Kohaku is still wildly popular, it is not always the most viewed TV show on New Years Eve. Some popular alternatives include, “Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!”, (a comedy variety show ダウンタウンのガキの使いやあらへんで！！), and Johnny's Countdown Live (an idol talent agency count down show ジャニーズカウントダウンライブ).

_{^{milet x MAN WITH A MISSION at 2023 Kouhaku}}

Any fun New Year’s traditions?

In the past, I watched this with my family. My mother, who is Japanese, specifically enjoys the show. Watching it in America means that we are watching the rebroadcast and therefore, a taped show. What does a middle aged mother do when she sees younger performers she doesn't know? Fast forwards. And so, this year, my family will enjoy Kohaku as we always do, skipping over new performers, with protest on the sidelines when I have someone I want to watch.

If you have the chance and want to get a taste of Japanese music, I highly recommend the show. Is it as engaging as the new K-Pop groups? Not exactly, but I will say it is pretty entertaining and fun for the whole family.

Unsolicited Recommendation #17

Want to celebrate New Year's with a little bit of Japanese style? Another (more traditional) tradition is Toshikosi soba (年越し蕎麦.) You may be familiar with Soba noodles which is exactly what this dish is. Toshikoshi Soba gained popularity in the 1800's, but has said to have been around since the Edo Period (1603 – 1868.)

On New Year's Eve Japanese people will have a bowl Toshikosi Soba, or "Year Crossing" Soba. Like many other cultures, Japanese people like to start the new year with a fresh start.

So why Soba?

Soba, "...became popular for the new year for several reasons, one being that soba noodles are made of buckwheat, a grain which is particularly known for its resilience to severe weather and often represents strength in Japanese culture. Soba noodles are also often associated with wellbeing, as the long strands signify longevity, and consuming them has been thought to bring good health for the next year." -Kaki Okumura

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How to enjoy Toshikoshi soba

While Soba can be enjoyed with tempura, nagaimo, or other toppings, this is a simple dish. There is no rule to how one can enjoy Toshikoshi Soba, but it is typically served warm, in a fish based broth, with a few green onions. It can be a nice contrast to other heavy foods that you may feast on during New Year's celebrations.

Need a recipe? I recommend Just One Cook Book's recipe.