A Day in My Shoes

Cultural Comparison

At 10:00 I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I said “Goodnight” to my mom and my sister and then I climbed into bed. I listened to music on my phone for a little while: Adele’s new album. At 10:30 pm I set my alarm for the next morning and then I went to sleep.

After dinner my sister and I washed the dishes. I went upstairs and took a shower. After a shower, I sat in my bed to read a book. I climbed the ladder to my loft bed and read three chapters of Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. I checked my Facebook account to chat with my friends for a little while.

References

Japan Houses - A Look at Current and Traditional Japanese Homes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.house-design-coffee.com/japan-houses.html

Japanese Greetings - Japanese Lessons. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://nihongoshark.com/japanese-greetings/

Kids Web Japan. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://web-jpn.org/kidsweb/index.html

Schools - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://web-jpn.org/kidsweb/explore/schools/index.html

Stanford University. (1996, October). FSI | SPICE - Daily Life in Japanese High Schools. Retrieved from http://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/daily_life_in_japanese_high_schools

Traditional Japanese Breakfast recipe | Epicurious.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/traditional-japanese-breakfast-369329

After dinner I spent two hours studying and doing homework in my room. My little brother came in and asked me to help him memorize his kanji characters. When I had completed all my homework I hung up my school uniform and went into the ofuro room to take a bath. I soaked in the bath for a while and then changed into my pyjamas.

At 10:00 I got out of the bath and brushed my teeth. I said “oyasuminasai” to my family. I unrolled my futon mat and climbed in. I watched an episode of anime on my computer. I texted my friends for a little while and then I turned out the light. At 10:30 I set my alarm for the next morning and then went to sleep.

“Oyasuminasai” is a Japanese greeting that is said right before retiring for the night. The saying translates to “goodnight” but should only be said when one is actually preparing to sleep.

Futons are quilted mattresses that are stored during the day and unrolled on the floor to sleep on.

Anime, Japanese animated television, comes in many different genres and is enjoyed by people all over the world.

I arrived home at 7:15. Dinner was ready, so I sat down at the dining room table with my mom and sister. My mom had made spaghetti pasta and tomato sauce for dinner. We ate the pasta with garlic bread and a plate of vegetables. We talked about our days at school and work. My sister told us that she made the school basketball team!

At 7:30 I arrived home. As I stepped into the genkan to remove my shoes I called “tadaima!”. I heard my family welcome me home with an “okaerinasai”. My mother had prepared dinner and I sat down to eat with my family. Before we ate we all said “itadakimasu”. Dinner was cold soba noodles with green onion and wasabi. My family discussed our days as we ate. When I finished eating I thanked my mother by saying “gochisousama deshita”.

Cultural Comparison

In Japan, education is highly valued and so many Japanese students spend long hours on homework. Additionally, Japanese children must memorize thousands of complex kanji characters to substitute for other Japanese characters when writing.

Though showers are becoming more common, traditionally Japanese people use baths for self cleaning. Older Japanese homes have separate ofuro rooms that are solely for bathing.

Cultural Comparison

School ended at 3:03 pm. I met with 5 of my friends at our lockers. We shouldered our backpacks and headed out the doors. At lunchtime we had decided to go and get frozen yogurt together. We got on the crowded bus and got off at Menchie’s, a popular frozen yogurt place in the UBC village area of Vancouver. I got strawberry flavored yogurt and topped it off with pieces of cheesecake and chocolate sauce. After a couple hours of chatting and eating frozen yogurt, I said goodbye to my friends and walked to the bus stop. I rode the bus home.

In the afternoon I had 2 theatre classes. Everyone spent the first class reading through the script for our spring musical. In the second theatre class I helped paint the set for the spring musical. Our theatre teacher told us to prepare for an audition that would be held next class, to decide who would play the lead roles in the spring musical.

I got home at 5:30. I said “Hello” to my mom who was in the kitchen making dinner. I went upstairs to my bedroom, saying “Hello” to my sister, who was watching Netflix in the living room. In my bedroom I turned on my radio. Justin Bieber’s new hit song Cold Water was playing. I changed into leggings and a tank top and grabbed my gym bag. I walked back downstairs and told my mom that I was going to the gym.The gym I go to is a short walk from my house. I got the gym and went for a long run on the treadmill. Next I spent some time on the strength training machines. I did a quick squat routine with a barbell and I finished off on the stationary bike. After my workout I walked home.

After lunch we rearranged our desks. Our homeroom teacher told us that we would spend the rest of class preparing for the bunkasai. Each class was responsible for a station that would contribute to the bunkasai. We wanted to have a really impressive station because the purpose of having a bunkasai is to show off our school’s achievements and to attract new students. We talked and decided that our class was going to put on a funny play. My friend was put in charge of writing the play and I was put in charge of decorations.

School ended at 3:00. For o soji It was my turn to sweep the floor and empty the trash cans. After we had finished cleaning the classroom, I went to the gymnasium for karate club. My friends and I decided to meet at my cubby after club activities. I changed into my karate uniform: white cotton pants and shirt with a tied belt. At karate club we practiced our kicks. At 5:00 I changed out of my karate gear and met with my friends.

Cultural Comparison

Karaoke is a popular activity in Japan. People will rent rooms in large groups to eat and

sing along to a recorded track.

“Sayonara” is a Japanese greeting that translates to “farewell”

We rode the train to the Shibuya area of Tokyo for some karaoke. We entered the private room and took turns snacking on fries and singing our favorite songs into the microphone. I sang the song High Tension by my favorite singing group AKB48. We laughed and danced under the flashing lights. At 6:45 I said “sayonara” to my friends and took the Shinkansen back home.

Most traditional Japanese homes will have a genkan area. The genkan is located in the entrance of the house and it lower than the rest of the floor. The purpose of the genkan is to provide the residents with an area to remove their outdoor shoes and put on indoor slippers.

When returning home, a Japanese person may call out “tadaima”, which roughly translates to “I’m home”. The people residing in the home will then welcome the person home by responding with “okaerinasai”.

Soba is a Japanese noodle dish made from buckwheat flour, and can be served cold or warm.

Cultural Comparison

After my second class the bell rang for lunch. My friends and I sat on a bench in the hallway near our lockers to eat and catch up with each other. For lunch I packed myself an apple, a granola bar and a container of Greek yogurt and fruit. One of my friends baked cookies and she shared them with all of us! As we talked, we made plans to hang out after school.

In Japan it is the student’s responsibility to clean the school. After classes end, students will report for osoji (cleaning) duties. After school most Japanese students will have club activities, or they will go to cram school to be tutored and to continue studying.

Karate is an unarmed combat style that originates from Japan. Practice involves mental and physical training.

At lunchtime I changed back into my school uniform. My friends and I ate in our homeroom class, pushing our desks together to make a lunch table. We all ate our own bento boxes with chopsticks after saying “itadakimasu”. My bento had rice, steamed vegetables, fruit and some yakiniku. The food was compacted and arranged artfully. One of my friends had onigiri in the shape of bunny rabbits! We talked and decided to hang out with each other after school.

Cultural Comparison

I had two classes in the morning. My first class was a Social Justice class, where we held a discussion about women’s rights. My second class was an English class. In English class we learned how to write synthesis essays. I was happy because neither teacher assigned any homework.

My mom, who is an elementary school teacher, drove to work. My sister and I walked to the public bus stop to catch the bus that takes us close to our school. The bus was later than usual so we had to run to make it to school on time. We made it to school with a minute to spare so I put my coat and lunch bag into my locker. The bell rang at 8:35 am.

For breakfast I had a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and a cup of coffee. I packed my lunch for school and reminded my sister to pack a lunch as well. It was raining outside so I put on my warmest waterproof coat. At 7:45 my sister, mom and I left the house.In Vancouver, High school is from grades 8 to 12. My sister is in grade 8, so even though we are four years apart we go to the same school.

Most Japanese schools do not have cafeterias, students will mainly eat in their home rooms or in an outside courtyard.

Yakiniku is a type of Japanese grilled meat. Onigiri are balls of rice that are usually wrapped in seaweed and filled with fish. In Japan, a variety of food accessories and moulds are sold so that people may create food art in bento boxes.

At 8:30 I sat down in my homeroom classroom. We take most of our lessons in this classroom, while the teachers rotate. After the students took attendance, our class representative announced that our school would be holding a Cultural Festival or bunkasai! My first class was science, where we learned about the properties of some chemical elements. We were assigned three pages of homework. Afterward, the class separated into boys and girls for physical education. I changed into my gym uniform: a white tee-shirt with navy shorts. In gym class we practiced tennis and I won the set!

My father is a businessman and he drove to his work. My brother and I walked to the train station to ride the Shinkansen or bullet train to school. We always leave early because of the long commute time. On the train I stood to let other people take the seats. When I arrived at school I went to my cubby and removed my black shoes, replacing them with thin white tennis shoes with an elastic strap.

We all said “itadakimasu” and began eating. For breakfast, mother made fried fish, white rice and miso soup. I ate this with some natto, fermented beans, as well. My father read the newspaper while I talked with my brother and grandmother. When I finished eating breakfast I said “gochisousama deshita” My mother gave my father, brother and I each our own bento box for lunch. She woke up early this morning to prepare them for us. At 7:00 we left for work and school. We called “ittekimasu” as we left and my mother responded with “itterasshai”. My brother and I go to different schools because in Japan, Junior high school, or chuugakkou, is grades 7-9 and Senior high school, or koutougakkou, is grades 10-12. Instead of grades, we have years. For example: my brother is in his second year of chuugakkou.

Cultural Comparison

In Japan, students are in charge of taking attendance and giving school announcements.

A bunkasai is a school festival that all Japanese schools hold in order to show off school achievements and attract new students. For a bunkasai, each class is responsible for organizing an event or activity.

Downstairs, my mom was making herself breakfast in our kitchen. “Good morning!” I said as I sat down at the dining room table. My sister came downstairs wearing black jeans and a basketball jersey. She said “Good Morning!” to mom and I.

Cultural Comparison

I walked downstairs where my mother was making breakfast for the family. My younger brother, grandmother and father sat around the breakfast table. My dad wore his work suit and my brother wore his Junior high school uniform. I said “ohayou gozaimasu” to my family and they said “ohayou gozaimasu” back.

Japan is well known for its impressive transit system. Many city-dwelling Japanese people use bullet trains called Shinkansen as their primary form of transportation.

For some Japanese students, the commute to senior high school can be long. This is because the senior high school one attends is based on entrance exam scores and not always proximity. Some schools require that their students stand on public transit to allow others to take seats.

In most Japanese schools and homes, outdoor shoes are removed at the door and traded for slippers or cotton shoes. Outdoor shoes are removed to keep the floors from getting dirty, since in older times most Japanese people ate and slept on the floor.

Today I woke up at 7:00 to get ready for school. I brushed my teeth and put on my favorite outfit: blue jeans, a purple tee-shirt and my sparkly socks. I made sure all my school books were in my backpack and then I walked downstairs for breakfast.

Today I woke up at 6:30 to get ready for school. I brushed my teeth and put on my school uniform. My school uniform is a pleated, blue plaid skirt and a navy blazer with the school emblem on the breast. I wear my uniform with a white blouse, navy knee socks and a blue tie. I put all my note books and textbooks in my black kaban or shoulder bag.

Cultural Comparison

In Japan, it is still common for married women to work as housewives. Their duties include caring for children and grandparents, cooking meals and doing housework. Married men will often be the sole financial providers for their families.

“ohayou gozaimasu” is a Japanese greeting that translates to “good morning” in English.

Japanese people say “itadakimasu” before each meal in order to thank the person who prepared the food. When they are finished eating they say “gochisousama deshita”

Natto is a popular food dish in Japan that consists of fermented soybeans. Natto is a common breakfast food.

Bento boxes are intricate lunchboxes that feature many different ingredients, often arranged in creative ways. Bento boxes are usually prepared by the mother or parent of a family and require a lot of work.

When leaving home, a Japanese person will call “ittekimasu”, which roughly means “I will go and come back”, and the people staying at home will respond by saying “itterasshai”, which roughly means “please go and come back”. These are greetings that most Japanese people use.

A Day in My Shoes

Cultural Comparison

My name is Claire and I am 17 years old. I live in a townhouse in Vancouver, Canada with my mom, sister and our pet cat named Tulip. I go to High school and I am in grade 12. My interests include long-distance running, theatre performance, and spending time with my friends.

In Japan, it is not uncommon for grandparents to live in the same house as the family unit. However, this family structure is more traditional and is not seen as frequently in modern Japan as it was in the past.

The Japanese school system is organized differently than the Canadian school system. The equivalent of grade 12 is the third year of senior high school called koutougakkou.

Karate and anime are pastimes that originate from Japan but are enjoyed by many Canadians as well. Karate is a martial art and anime is Japanese animated television shows.

All Japanese schools, from preschool to senior school, have student uniforms. Even public schools have distinct school uniforms. Students are expected to follow the school dress codes, which can sometimes be very strict.

Though some Japanese students use backpacks, most students carry their school supplies in a shoulder bag called a kaban.

My name is Mei and I am 17 years old. I live in a house in Tokyo, Japan with my grandmother, mother, father and younger brother. I go to Senior High school and I am in year 3. My interests include tennis, karate and watching anime.

a cultural comparison of Canada and Japan