A Prayer for Japan

Dear Heavenly Father...

This holiday season, I and others like me would like to lift up the country of Japan to you. Taking up the prayer that many before us have prayed, hear our words and work your will through them. You are the author of all things, your hand has carried every human being who ever walked the earth, your awesome power is unknowable and yet comforting, and your heart is ever working for our good. 

Father God...

You have made Japan a mighty nation with a culture and atmosphere unmatched anywhere else on earth; the land is filled with millions of people, young and old, powerful and lowly, believer and unbeliever. Father God, you have showered Japan with many blessings over the years. You have given it prosperity and wealth that has benefitted all of its people to an amazing degree. You have given the people sharp minds and a determined work ethic that has enabled them to stand at the forefront of modern innovation and technology. Tokyo is not easily dwarfed by other cities; its buildings stand tall and secure and a testament to Japan's might. 

The Japanese people are beautiful and unique. They cherish their ancient culture and work tirelessly to preserve their customs, beliefs, and way of life even as older generations pass away and younger ones take their place. A deep national pride keeps them strong and determined to show the world over and over again that they are a force to be reckoned with. 

You have given the Japanese people an incredible affinity for spirituality. Endlessly devoted the the pursuit of knowledge and an inner peace that many would admit can't be found in a fast-paced corporate world, the Japanese, even those who are not particularly "religious," go to great pains to discover the meaning of their lives on this earth. They want to know what life is all about, they want to know a life far beyond the modern one they all know. Hampered by human understanding and side-tracked by earthly items that they put value on, the Japanese continually fall short of the answers to their ever-pressing questions. 

Dear Lord, be the answer they so whole-heartedly seek, redirect their earnest seeking towards you in a mighty way, show them wonders beyond anything that their modern society can explain. Create meaning in their lives where there previously was none, speak in each of their hearts in a calm, secret voice that is new and yet utterly familiar. Call them back to you as a father calls back his wayward child. Bring them to their knees in prayer as their minds swim with the awesomeness of your being.

Lift up your children in Japan this holiday season. Hear their prayers and guide their hearts ever more towards you. Dry what tears may fall, laugh with them in their joy, and stir the feeling of your spirit in all their souls to the point where they know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are with them. Bring them into your kingdom so that they might join the ranks or "every tribe and every nation." Let your love for them shine out all the clearer. 

Their hearts and minds are waiting Lord; answer them...

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands..." 

(Revelation 7:9)

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Prayercast: Japan

"Appudeto" (Update)

Hello. Or should I say Kon'nichiwa! No, I did not die or fall off the face of the earth; I did not give up blogging, or lose my ability to type. My life has just been crazy-busy over the last few months and I had absolutely no time or mental bandwidth to sit down and blog. I kept up my writing in my personal journal and little writing exercises, but I was just not in a place where I could compose something for the public eye. In truth, my brain just needed a break and I needed time to rest in the midst of my crazy life. 

I took a break but I am ready to start again. I haven't posted on this blog since February and I can't promise that I will be any more consistent than I was before, but I honestly want to try. I love writing and posting my work for you, my faithful readers, and I never want to let my writing lapse for very long. I will always pick up the pen again no matter how long it has laid dormant. Passion cannot sleep forever; sooner or later, it will call you back to it. 

As a start, I wrote an explanation for my absence on my other blog. I considered retyping or redrafting it for this blog, but I eventually decided against that in favor of linking it below. There were several reasons I was gone for so long and I hope you will read about them, if only to gain a little understanding. 

Look for my next post very soon.

"Arigatogozaimashita" 

"Sayonara" 

Read the explanation for my absence here...

Update/Where I've Been

Photo Credit: Pinterest 

A Nation in Crisis

It's been nine months since I last wrote about the presence of the Covid19 virus in Japan, eleven months since the pandemic originally started. Japan was very quick to secure itself against the Coronavirus. But, while it may have had more advance warning that some other countries due to the infected  luxury cruise ship that was anchored off its shores for several months before it experienced its own first cases, Japan still had to cope with over 2,000 cases. And, in an effort to contain the virus before it got too out of hand and as a safeguard for the vast number of elderly citizens in the country, Japan took immediate and drastic action when its first cases were reported. The whole country was shut down, with only "essential" businesses staying open; travel bans were put in place, barring any and all tourists from countries with high Covid infection rates; face masks were made compulsory to enter any building; and citizens were advised to stay at home unless travel was absolutely unavoidable. These restrictions and guidelines remained in effect for a few months, until they were lifted on May 14, 2020, as case numbers slowly but surely went down. 

As of right now, Japan is still being careful about the Coronavirus. Travel bans are still in effect for many countries, including but not limited to the USA, Italy, and India; many concerned citizens still wear masks when out and about; and everyone is still encouraged to be cautious when going about their daily lives. But, for the most part, Covid19 is a past threat for the country of Japan. Quick action and advance notice enabled Japan to stop Covid in its tracks before it was able to ravage across the nation unchecked. When looking at the big picture, Japan's response to Covid19 and the ultimate outcome of its efforts were a huge success. 

But, unbeknownst to anyone, another "virus" was and still is growing in Japan. As the nation battled Covid and did everything in its power to prevent widespread panic, another threat was growing in the dark. Actually, this threat isn't new - in fact, it's been in Japan for decades - but it was made worse while the country was preoccupied. The homebound masses were completely helpless against this unacknowledged "virus," which tore through them without any conscience or bias. The Japanese people never saw it coming and, in the midst of it, no one did anything to save those who were dying of it.

This Japanese "virus" is the greatest tragedy of the twenty-first century, simply because, though becoming "infected" is entirely preventable, yet it has been allowed to thrive and continue. It's been eating away at people in the dark for years and it is still surging forward today. The Japanese "virus" has another name, the name that everyone knows it by but about which few dare to speak out loud in polite society. The virus' true name is ... suicide. 

Suicide has always been a known problem in Japan, but it is not one that people readily talk about. As previously established, Japan is a very ancient nation, built on customs and rigid traditions that dictate how society works. Everyone has a role to play in Japanese society and they are expected to contribute to "normal" life in some substantial way. In a way, Japanese society operates under the notion that the good of the many outweigh the needs of a few, so everyone is expected to function as a unit. If one part of the larger unit is failing or is unable to contribute to society like the rest of the workforce, he is often ignored and is simply replaced with a new part (person) that does his job as part of a larger network. People do not want to be perceived as the weakest link, which could reflect badly on their families, jobs, or schools, so, even if an individual is severely struggling with something like depression or suicidal thoughts or actions, he will not talk about it in polite company. His problems are invalid if it makes him a burden on a society that is already busy with a heavy workload. A person could struggle with depression or suicidal tendencies for years without letting anyone know because the fear of becoming a "burden" or an "inconvenience" to friends or family is greater than the person's desire for help and healing. And even if he were to seek help, there are little to no resources to help him. The Japanese government is aware of the suicide problem and has allotted funding for help lines and prevention counseling classes, but it's not enough. The suicide rate is simply too high and the resources too few to make a noticeable difference. 

Japan's suicide rates have always been tragic, especially since the majority of the victims have been school-aged children and young adults just entering the work force. Fortunately, even though resources are limited, those that do exist have worked hard to help those in need. Volunteers, doctors, and local Christians have put in a valiant effort and had actually managed to drive the suicide rate down in the last few years, with 2019 boasting the lowest rate in over a decade. Since funding from the government has beenn scarce, private organizations had banded together to raise support and many non-profit resources had become available to those in need. Programs had sprung up that attempt to help high-risk individuals cope with their suicidal thoughts or tendencies. Volunteers had put in hundreds of hours of work checking up on high-risk individuals, counseling family members who had lost a loved one, and running classes that help people replace their negative emotions with productive activities like writing or yoga. By the end of 2019, Japan's national suicide rate was much lower than anyone expected and fewer and fewer people were even attempting suicide. The private organizations and the local governmental entities that had provided funding were greatly encouraged that, given the right circumstances, suicide prevention was possible; everyone looked towards the new year with hope and expected even better results. 

Unfortunately, all of their hopes were soon dashed when the first cases of Covid19 reared their ugly heads in Japan. Though the Japanese government had been aware of the Coronavirus for months prior because of the infected luxury cruise ship that had anchored itself off the coast, and even though everyone in the country knew of the risks that came with Covid, once the first cases appeared, everything changed overnight. As previously stated, safety measures were put in place immediately and, in the blink of an eye, Japan was locked down. For all intents and purposes, Japan was safe. But, in securing its safety, Japan abandoned those who were most in need of help. Covid19 completely destroyed any progress that Japan was making on suicide prevention. Help lines that were already understaffed had to cut their hours and minimize their volunteers because of lockdowns; individuals who were willing to talk to and help suicidal people were sidelined when capacity restrictions were enacted; and the hope that can come from just one smile (potentially making someone reconsider suicide) was undermined when masks became mandatory everywhere. Suicide rates shot back up to a high that had not been seen for years, because there was nothing left to prevent it, and those who would help can only watch from the sidelines as all their hard work goes down the proverbial drain. One has to wonder if legitimizing the fear of Covid19 is worth the lives of thousands of hurting individuals who might die from suicide because they are not given help. They're lost and desperate and now they have nowhere to turn. 

Japan is a nation in crisis. While this great nation could use prayer at anytime for a multitude of reasons, it needs your prayers now more than ever. Pray for those who are trapped in the throes of suicidal thoughts or actions, that they might find hope and a lasting purpose for living in Jesus Christ. Pray for the work of those who continue to minister to the lost and hurting of Japan, no matter their struggles or limitations, that their work would be blessed and that many would be saved, physically and spiritually, through their continued efforts. Pray for the government of Japan, that its officials would see the country's dire need for suicide prevention funding. And, finally, please pray that Covid19 itself would cease to frighten so many people, so life can return to normal and so those who cannot cope with the limitations and depression Covid brings would finally be given some relief. 

In our darkest hour and in our deepest despair, God hears our prayers even if they are only a whisper. He hears and he is faithful to answer. 

"For His unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord's faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!" (Psalm 117:2) 

PrayerCast: Japan 

Covid19's Effect of Suicide 

Japan's Covid Travel Bans 

Rising Suicide Rates 

2019 Suicide Rates

Finding Peace in Yoga 

Japan's Population 

Psalm 117:2

A Fresh Start

Happy New Year, everyone!

I can't believe that 2020 is over already, though I think I am in good company when I say I've been looking forward to the end for a while. Last year was a less-than-desirable year where, starting in mid-March, everything that could possibly go wrong proceeded to do so and didn't let up in the slightest.

The big issue, of course, was the Covid19 virus, an illness that frightened the majority of the world's population and shut down any semblance of normal life. Hundreds of countries were affected by Covid19; infection rates rose steadily week after week, world economics suffered a huge blow as working from home damaged productivity levels, and lockdown-induced suicidal tendencies and depression hit an all time high. In a way, the "side effects" from Covid19 were worse than the virus itself.

But there were other issues that also did their best to ruin the year. Australia experienced the worst bushes fires it had seen in years, losing almost 13 billion hectares of forest and farmland. Political upheavals in the United States gave way to violent outbursts from activist groups such as Black Lives Matter, who single-handedly created over 500 million dollars worth of property damage. And dozens of well-loved celebrities, including Sean Connery, Chadwick Boseman, Kobe Bryant, and Eddie Van Halen passed away. Every year has its ups and downs - tragedies and unrest are not new to this world, even disease and infection are common things that humans have learned to live with - but 2020 inflicted more than its fair share on us. 

Everyone was ready for 2020 to end. Even if 2021 has its own unique set to challenges, I think we are all ready to face them as part of the new year because we expect different challenges with a new year. Even if we have more hardships to face, we're ready to take them on because by now I think everyone is living by the mantra, "Out with the old, in with the new."

But even if we are ready to move on, is there really a physical way to do that? We may say, "Out with the old, in with the new" but how do we go about doing that? There could be many ways that we could physically move from one year to the next, chucking out 2020's bad mojo and attempting to make something out of 2021, but I personally think the Japanese have a pretty cool way of going about this. While not every Japanese family does it, the Japanese tradition of Osouji, or deep-cleaning, is very popular. 

A typical new year's Osouji might go something like this: After a late night of parties and celebration ringing in the new year, a Japanese family will wake up late on the first day of January. They will take their time starting their day and will most likely eat a leisurely breakfast of Datemaki (sweet rolled omelettes), which are a staple of Japanese new year. While the family may do some cleaning after they finish breakfast, straightening the kitchen and dining area and perhaps rounding up laundry that needs to be washed, the next order of business is getting dressed and traveling to the local shrine. While many families making frequent visits to their local shrine all year round, it is especially important that they set aside time to do so on the first day of the year. Visiting the shrine is not only important to ensure a prosperous and blessed new year, but also to purchase new protection charms and properly get rid of last year's. The family may spend anywhere from an hour to two hours visiting the shrine, doing ceremonial prayers, and purchasing new good luck charms, and may even come back later in the evening when the shrine hosts its annual new year's bonfire that is intended to honor the protection charms from the pervious year that were returned during the day. But, after finishing their morning trip, the typical Japanese family will return home. This is when the real work begins. 

The family returns home and almost immediately begins the process of cleaning the entire house. Depending on the family and how closely they follow the Osouji tradition, what and how they clean might be a little different from the way their neighbors clean. But for the most part the cleaning is always the same. The goal of Osouji is really to start the year off on the right foot, so the home is newly cleaned and devoid of any dust or "bad luck" from last year, which gives the homeowners a fresh start to the new year.

The cleaning will most likely start when the homeowners place the new protection charms and prayers that they purchased at the shrine that morning, creating an atmosphere of peace. After that first step is done, everything else is cleaned in quick succession. Bedding and futons are pulled out of storage and aired out; laundry is washed, folded, and put away even if it hasn't been touched recently; and every corner of the house is dusted and swept. The kitchen is wiped down and the pantry is decluttered, shelves are combed through and re-organized, the front hallway closet it dusted and aired out, even the tatami mats are scoured. Every corner of the house is put in order and prepared for the new year; not a single inch of space is left un-dusted. In some cases, even the patio or balcony is washed. It's really quite amazing what they can accomplish is just one afternoon.

I myself took part in Osouji this year, though I left out the spiritual shinto side of it. Greatly inspired by the Japanese culture and with nothing else to do on New Year's Day, I took it upon myself to deep clean my house. I vacuumed every nook and cranny of the carpet, I ran load after load of laundry including bedding, and I took down all my Christmas decorations and packed them away neatly in new storage boxes that are now ready for next year. Dust that had hung in the top corners of the house for weeks was swept away, floors were mopped and windows were washed, and anything that was even remotely dirty was soon discovered and dealt with. I wouldn't say I went overboard in my attempt to straighten the house, but I can say that it won't need to be cleaned that thoroughly for quite a while. In the end, it was nice to have a job to do on New Year's Day and satisfying to know that, when I finished, the house was clean for the new year. 

We are now two weeks into 2021, but perhaps you would like to participate in Osouji too. Maybe you need to clean some of 2020 out of your house. Well, have at it! Maybe we can make this year better than last year with just a simple cleaning. 

Photo Credit: Notes of Nomads 

Sources Cited:

2020 Events 

Australian Bush Fires 

Celebrity Deaths, Part 2

Riot Property Damage

Japanese New Year's Cleaning

Datemaki

New Year's Kimonos

2019 New Years

Nihon no harou~īn and the Kuchisake-onna

Happy Halloween, everyone! Or should I say," Happiharou~in," as they say in Japan. As I've said in the past, Halloween (Harou~in) is a very interesting holiday in Japan. It has become more and more popular since the year 2000, and is really viewed as an opportunity for the busy working class people to drop their inhibitions and have fun in a way that would normally be frowned upon in Japanese society.

Since Japan is a very orderly, subdued culture, where everyone has a job to perform in an orderly fashion, one night of partying (for the adults) and cosplay is a welcome retreat for many people. There are many different aspects of Japanese Halloween that would be interesting to learn about; for instance, the crazy and time-consuming costume culture, the wide variety of sweet and savory snacks that come out around Halloween, or the charmingly strange "Mundane Halloween" parties that take place in office buildings every year. But I've covered a lot of that in a different blog post already, so this year I thought it would be fun to take a step back from Japan's modern Halloween and take a look at a good old-fashioned Japanese legend that is just creepy enough for the October holiday.

A huge part of Halloween is telling and being scared by creepy, hair-raising ghost and ghoul stories. And, while Japan doesn't have too many ghosts that operate solely on Halloween, it has plenty of scary stories that perfectly fit into the holiday. So, take a seat and listen. Have you ever heard the legend of Kuchisake-onna, aka the Slit-Mouthed Woman?  

CONTENT WARNING: Contains descriptions of blood, gore, and violence. May be disturbing to some readers.

Imagine this: It is a dark, somewhat chilly, evening. You, a enterprising young student at one of Japan's top schools, have just left campus for the day after spending a few hours getting in some extra studying. As you start making your way towards the train station, you notice absent-mindedly that you are one of the only people in the area. There's a businessman decked out in a full suit and carrying a briefcase heading in the same direction as you, a rowdy group of party girls stumbling down the street towards the next open bar, and one other student who, like you, is heading home after a long day at school. It really doesn't surprise you that there aren't many people out at this hour of the night; in fact there's more than you expected. But it's still a little unnerving to see the streets of Tokyo so deserted. The road that you are on is typically full to bursting with people - hundreds, maybe even thousands, all trying to get somewhere in a hurry. Without this throng of people, the streets seem unnatural and too quiet, almost like a spell has been cast on part of the city. You're not afraid of big open spaces or silence, but both of them together at this late hour is more than enough to unnerve you.

On a whim, you quickly glance over your shoulder; there's nothing there. You knew nothing would be there, but you had to check anyway. You look towards the the train station; it's only a few blocks away but it feels like you still have miles to go. You've walked this route a million times; you know every inch of pavement, every street lamp and gutter grate, and you even know how many steps it will take you to get to the station. Everything is familiar. At least it was until tonight. In the dark, everything seems mildly sinister, everything has a shadow hiding behind it. Without thinking, you pick up your pace just a little bit. 

A few minutes later, you're within a few yards of the train station. It's old and dimly lit, but you can still see the outline of its double doors and the stone archway that leads to the waiting platforms. You heave a slight sigh of relief; you're practically in the doors now and there's nothing creepy about the station. You've been there so many times that the ticket taker knows you by name and always has a bit of sage advice for you before you board your train home. Old Mr. Shinohara had always worked at the train station; you couldn't remember a time before he manned the ticket counter. In a way, he had always looked out for you when you were a young child and had rode the train all by yourself. The first time you had ridden alone you had missed your train and had been lost in the station for hours. You had no idea what to do and you were absolutely certain you were going to have to live in the station forever. Considering the fact that you are here, heading home, that obviously didn't end up happening, because Mr. Shinohara had found you, assured you that you were not lost forever, and put you on the next train that got you home in no time at all. Since that day, he had always been a close, somewhat fatherly friend whom you always knew you could depend on. You smiled to yourself as this memory came to mind; you hadn't thought about it in a long long time, because you had been too busy with school and extra studying. 

You continue walking as you smile over these fond memories. You're so caught up in your own thoughts that you've hardly kept track of where you're headed. Just before the train station there's a somewhat narrow, yellow-lit underpass that keeps the road open even as another road passes above. This underpass is considered to be the beginning of the train station, so you've under it every time you come into town for school. As you walk you begin to pass through this bridge almost unaware of your surroundings; it seems just the same as it always has. The only thing different tonight is the lone woman in a beige raincoat who is also walking under the bridge close by the wall, barely visible under the illumiating glow of the underpass's floodlights.

You glance absentmindedly in her direction as you begin making your way through the archway. You can hear the woman's footsteps echoing around the close walls of the tunnel, each step a loud, shuffling gate that is only the tiniest bit uneven, as if the woman has one shoe that doesn't fit correctly and she's favoring that foot. Soon your own footsteps join in and make the echoing even louder and more resounding. If the woman didn't know that you were walking the same path as her before, she certainly knows now because it is impossible to miss or ignore the sound of your footsteps bouncing off the walls and ceiling. The woman has noticed you because, after walking for only a few more moments, she stops in her stride and turns to look at you. 

The woman, who is short and skinny, has the longest, most unkempt black hair you've ever seen. She continues to look at you as you walk down the tunnel. She didn't just glance at you and then move on; her eyes are still fixed on you in an intense, somewhat searching manner. Her eyes, which are just visible above a clean white surgical mask, are a deep hazelnut color with the prettiest flecks of gold swimming inside them. These eyes watch you intently with a bright, happy expression, almost as if the woman is smiling at you as you pass by, and her grin is reflected in her eyes. She continues to watch you the entire time you are walking past her, turning on her heels every so often so that her eyes are always following you directly. You continue on, aware of this strange woman's gaze, but you try to ignore it. There's something otherworldly about her stare, and you'd rather not look at it head-on. As you pass by her, you can feel her gaze still fixed upon you, never wavering, constant, bizarre. A shiver jumps up your spine and you keep walking. 

You are just about to set foot out of the underpass when you feel a light tapping on your right shoulder. Turning to investigate, you come face to face with the strange woman in the mask. 

Her eyes seem to smile again, though she doesn't blink. The flecks of gold in her irises seem to sparkle in the light of the floodlights. She ever-so-slightly raises her hand and taps you again, and then she lightly lays her fingers on your shoulder. Her touch is so subtle that you can hardly feel it at all; it's soft like the wings of a dove and it has an almost ethereal quality to it.

You give the woman a puzzled look and open your mouth to speak but she beats you to it. In a quiet, almost subdued, voice she asks shyly, "Am I beautiful?"

She looks down at the ground, as if she's embarrassed by her question, but she never removes her hand from your shoulder. Taken aback by this strange and sudden question, you find yourself at a loss for words. Then, trying to get the woman to look up at you again, you answer in a stupefied voice, "Why, yes."

The moment those words leave your lips and echo against the walls of the underpass, the woman's demeanor changes. Her head snaps back up into a forward position, and she once again fixes her strange, bright eyes on you. Her grip on your shoulder tightens and her fingernails dig into your skin. You recoil in pain, but it's already too late. With her free hand, the woman reaches up to her face and, in one swift movement, she tears the surgical mask from her mouth, uncovering the most horrible sight you've ever seen in your life. Under the woman's bare face, now revealed, is a ghoulish, bloody, maniacal grin stretched from ear to ear. Jagged scars elongate her mouth and and send trickles of blood running down her chin and neck. Behind her slit cheeks, you see rows and rows of sharp white teeth also covered in blood and scar tissue. 

Flinging the surgical mask to the ground, the deformed woman continues to hold you tightly. And she reaches into the pocket of her coat and pulls out a shiny, sharp pair of scissors. You fight as hard as you can to get away from the terrifying woman, but her vise-like grip is too strong. Her fingers dig into your shoulder, and you can feel her nails holding on tightly. You scream as loudly as you can, desperately calling for aid from anyone who may be nearby.

No one comes to your rescue; there's no one to hear you. Brandishing the scissors with deathly accuracy, the slit-mouthed woman wildly slashes at your face and throat, carving two jagged cuts into the sides of your cheeks. You can feel warm blood running from the cuts; you raise your hands to your face to shield it from further attacks, and your fingers and hands come away red.

The slit-mouthed woman grins maniacally as she twirls her weapon; her pearly white teeth gleam through her own scars as she inspects her handiwork. Her wide grin and flashing eyes are all you can see as you continue to fight frantically to escape. Those horrible eyes, that demon grin.

Finally, with one final tug, you manage to break free. Stumbling over the pavement, you make a mad dash for the train station. Your feet scrape wildly as you run for your life; you hold your torn and bloody face with one hand and, with the other, you reach for the handle of the double doors. You dare not look behind you.

You get one hand on the door handle, but at the same instant you feel a terrifyingly strong tug from behind you. In one final, desperate attempt, you fight back against the force pulling you, but it's no use. She has you. The slit-mouthed woman spins you around violently, forcing you to face her once more; her horrible face is only inches from yours. With one final, heart-stopping grin, she leaps upon you, knocking you to the ground while simultaneously plunging her scissors into you again and again.

You hit the ground hard and only have one more chance to fight back. You scream into the face of Kuchisake-onna. All she does is scream back, a horrible high-pitched victory scream. The last thing you see is the twisted, scarred face of the Slit-Mouthed Woman. Then everything fades to black. 

*****

Kuchisake-onna, aka the Slit-Mouthed Woman, is one of the most terrifying Japanese ghost stories I've ever read. Full of gore, terror, and, more often than not, no happy ending, I think it's safe to say that Kuchiske-onna is one story that is more than scary enough for Halloween. While many people believe that Kuchisake-onna has origins all the way back in the 17th century, her story started being told in rural Japan around 1979. While there are many different versions of the story (i.e., that Kuchisake-onna was the unfaithful wife of a shogun and the angry man mutilated her face for her sins; that she was the victim of plastic surgery gone wrong), everyone agrees that the Slit-Mouthed Woman is an Onryo (a vengeful spirit full of rage due to things that happened to her while she was alive) who will always kill anyone unfortunate enough to cross her path.

And, what started as a spooky story parents told their kids to discourage bad behavior and sneaking out at night soon took on a life of its own. The story was passed by word of mouth from school to school until it was known all over the nation of Japan. It is still a popular ghost story today, and many people still avoid getting into situations where they might meet Kuchisake-onna. 

I don't know if there's a moral to this story (maybe don't go out alone at night), but I do know it is very creepy and unnerving to anyone who isn't prepared for it. Of course, it's not strictly a Halloween story, but when else am I going to write about such a scary urban legend?

Happy Halloween everyone! 

Stay safe out there as you're trick-or-treating. You never know who or what you may encounter....

Original Legend 

Cultural Impact 

Legend Variations 

Onryo 

The Tomo Series: A Book Review

If you take a look at the book cover to the left and read it, I am sure that within two seconds you will have formed an idea of what this book and the subsequent series is about. I Was an Eighth-Grade Ninja, a book with a ninja and a little girl on the cover accompanied by a vaguely Japanese name... "Hmm, this must be a very stereotypical sudo-Japanese manga with a quirky teenage girl protagonist that is supposed to be relatable for young girls," is what you're thinking.

Okay, maybe you're not thinking that exactly, but anything along those lines is actually wrong. While a first glance at the Tomo series might make you think that it is a pretty standard teenage manga, it actually manages to be much more than that. It manages to keep the reader interested in a thrilling yet heartfelt story about the struggles of growing up, finding one's place in the world, and learning what it means to be a Christian. I find the last story point very interesting because most manga are typically not religious at all, let alone Christian; that makes this manga really special and a wonderful find for any Christian manga fans who struggle to find decent content. Created by Tom Bancroft and Rob Corley, with art by Ariel Padilla, the Tomo series follows thirteen-year-old Hanna Akisame, to whom many young readers could relate.

On a dark and rainy night, a semi-truck slid through an intersection in rural Japan; unable to stop because of the slippery roads, the truck collided with a car, instantly killing the driver of the smaller vehicle, and in a single instant Hanna's life changed forever. Hanna's mother, the driver who had been killed, was the young girl's only guardian in Japan, and her death slid Hanna's future into a million different paths. She doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere, doors that where once open are now closed, and in many ways Hanna feels completely and utterly alone. Though Hanna's mother tried to provide her with a comfortable life and did her best to prepare her daughter to face the world on her own some day, nothing could have prepared Hanna for the challenge she now faces. Being raised by a single parent didn't prepare her for the challenge of moving halfway across the world to find a new home, being homeschooled didn't prepare her for meeting new friends and bullies at church and school, and tirelessly training in martial arts didn't teach her how to love the maternal grandfather who took her in. But no matter what struggles she may face, Hanna is willing to try her hardest to succeed. Something is growing deep down inside of her; she's much stronger than anyone could imagine, and she is very, very special in her own way. She may not feel like it now, but Hanna is ready for her new life. She's ready to change the world; she's ready to discover her future.

This book series is very special to me because it was one of the first manga that I ever read as a child. Of course when I first discovered the series at my local library, I had no idea what a manga series was and I barely knew about Japan, the country that mass-produces manga. All I knew was that the Tomo series looked cool, it had a fun story, and I wanted to continue reading it. Little did I know that reading the Tomo series would be the first contributing factor in a lifelong obsession that, as of right now, is directing my next steps toward a career. Though I didn't realize it at the time, the Tomo series would lead to accidental interest in anime movies, and that led to half a dozen anime shows that sucked me in, hook line and sinker. All that led to an interest in Japan and a desire to see more of that country's population eventually counted among the numbers of heaven. Needless to say, it holds a very dear place in my heart.

But aside from all that, the Tomo series is a wonderful series in its own right. It has a great storyline that keeps readers interested throughout eight volumes. Hanna and her grandfather are complete characters who feel so genuine they could easily be real people you would see on the street. They face difficult struggles that anyone could relate to, but the series doesn't leave them to wallow in their problems. Instead, the series does an excellent job of showing how people can move past their problems when their family helps them. The series has a strong Christian element that is prevalent but not overbearing; it's a refreshing take on faith in fiction. 

All in all, I highly recommend the Tomo manga series. I found it enjoyable when I first read it and I still enjoy it when I reread it now. The series means a lot to me, but it is also just a good read that I think anyone can enjoy. Full of wonderfully written faith, family, and fantasy, the Tomo series is something that everyone should try, whether they're manga fans or not. 



Photo Credit: Rachel Hollenbeck

Would You Eat That? A Chew Above the Rest

I think that chewing gum is probably the most basic of basic sweet treats. First patented in 1848 by John B. Curtis of New England, gum was originally a candy that Native Americans made out of spruce tree sap. With a rubbery, chewy, tobacco-like consistency, this original gum caught on fast in America, and many New Englanders loved eating it as a way to pass the time around camp fires and at social gatherings. Chewing gum has been "improved" upon since its original debut, with mass producers adding new flavors and coloring, but the basic treat has stayed the same. So I wouldn't say that Japan has tried to reinvent chewing gum, but it has definitely taken the sweet treat and put its own spin on it. Chewing gum definitely looks and tastes different in Japan, and it's an understatement to say that the Japanese take on gum is unique.

I've gotten quite a few types of gum in my monthly food packages, so I wasn't sure which one I should review for this blog. I could have talked about the strange flavor of the fish gum, or the tic-tac-sized orange gum pieces that didn't last long. But, after eating both of those and others, I decided to review the gum pictured above. Advertised as Sour Lemon Gum, this treat lives up to its name.

Sour Lemon Gum came in a pack of two and was probably the sourest gum I've ever chewed. The moment I began eating it, I was hit hard with a tart, somewhat artificial-tasting lemon flavor that made me pucker for several seconds. The actual gum stick itself wasn't very sour, but the lemon-flavored powder that coated it packed a real punch. Its tart flavor coated every inch of my mouth, making the sourness inescapable. While the sourness didn't last too long, it made my eyes water for a while, and I could still taste the sour burn in the back of my throat for several minutes after I spit out the gum. I wouldn't say it was bad or inedible because of its extreme tartness; it just took me by surprise. But, after the sour flavor strategically attacked every corner of my month, the actual gum stick didn't have nearly enough flavor. It was actually quite bland and didn't leave much of an aftertaste, but that wasn't a total deal breaker. It was still gum and it was still fun to chew, so it was worth it. 



The History of Chewing Gum 

The Corona Virus in Japan

What do you get when you combine a fast-moving virus that pops up suddenly, hundreds of different news sources reporting on the issue from different points of view, and a general public that is quick to panic in an attempt to sustain themselves? You get the situation that the whole world is currently facing in the wake of the Coronavirus. It's not necessary to go over the virus' characteristics again; we all know them by now. I don't need to be another news source throwing information in people's faces without following up with hopeful news, but I do think that it's important to be informed about the Coronavirus issue and how it's affecting people and their ways of living.

The Covid19 virus hasn't affected my family and me too badly. We're under new restrictions imposed upon us by the state government, but none of us has actually caught the virus. We're staying safe while trying not to panic. While we are paying attention to the news in a effort to stay well-informed and while we are praying for those people who have caught Covid19, we are not overly concerned about this virus. It has had an influence over our lives and we will continue to pay attention to it until it dies down, but we are trusting that it is nothing the world can't handle.

My family has not been affected much, but many people around the world have been, including thousands of people in the country of Japan. With all the news flying over the airwaves from so many different news sources in hundreds of different countries, it can be hard to parse through it all to find news from one specific place. But there are a few news sources that have managed to report well on one or two regions.

So what is Japan doing to fight Covid19? What precautions have the Japanese people taken, and what does their foreseeable future look like?

Japan had more time to prepare for the Coronavirus than most of the world. Not only were the Japanese aware of it early-on because of their proximity to China, they were also responsible for the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship that was anchored in their waters for several weeks. The Japanese government kept a close eye on China and the cruise ship and began planning a "survival" strategy for the likely event that Covid19 made it to Japan.

Nevertheless, when the first cases of the virus did appear in the country, the government's strategy went largely unused for quite a while. Similar to the Untied States response, the first thing the Japanese did when Covid19 made it into the country was almost complete panic-buying. The people were more concerned about having basic necessities than catching the virus so thousands of them swarmed the supermarkets and grocery stores; they bought as much food, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper as they could get their hands on, leaving the stores sadly depleted.

Japan did calm down after a while. After people's material needs were met, most of the population showed little to no concern over the virus. They were aware that there were cases in the country, but everyday life continued as usual. Stores stayed open, large office buildings kept all their employees working, and crowded food courts and malls continued to serve the public. For a while, it looked like Japan would take Covid19 is stride without letting it negatively affect the country or healthy people's lives. Unlike China, Japan encouraged people to live life as if everything was normal.

Unfortunately, that didn't last. After a small minority of citizens complained that the government wasn't taking enough precautions, security in the country tightened up and all the business that had remained open were forced to close their doors. Like the United States, all work has been shut down or moved onto online platforms. This didn't sit well with many large corporations because they feared their employees wouldn't be as productive online has they could be in the office and that the economy would suffer. But these concerns were discounted almost immediately as the government scrambled to pacify the angry minority and fix its "mistake" of not acting fast enough.

As of right now, there is no set date when Japan will open up. Like the United States, Japan is predicting that it will begin to open up section by section once its infection rate begins to decrease, but prefectures like Tokyo and Osaka may not open for a very long time due to their dense population and high rate of infection. This would mean that businesses and schools would be closed indefinitely, which is not an appealing prospect for many Japanese citizens.

Current statistics for Covid19 in Japan can be found in the link below, but the rough numbers are better than anyone expected. As of May 5, just over 15,000 people had been infected, with a total of 566 deaths. But over 4,000 people have recovered and are starting to be discharged from the hospitals. Because Japan is already a very clean nation with health conscious citizens, the virus didn't spread as rapidly or as badly as it did in many other countries.

This is any interesting time for the entire world, including Japan. People are facing uncertainty and even fear; they are looking for something stable in an unstable world, and some are even turning to the gospel. Several small churches have recently reported increased attendance and people inquiring about ways to find peace amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. Pastors have been more than happy to offer seekers encouraging words and have high hopes that a revival will begin during and after Covid19. Prayer for these seekers and the pastors ministering to them is very important right now. Please take it upon yourself to pray for Japan in the next few weeks; by remembering the country in prayer, the Japanese people may be sustained during Covid19 and, perhaps, they could even come out stronger and more willing to hear the gospel afterwards.




Sources Cited:
Reina Scully on Covid 19, Video1, Video2
Inside the Corona Virus Outbreak in Japan
Kyodo News+ 
Statista
The Japan Times
Japan Covid Cases 

Photo Credit: Mainichi.jp

Would You Eat That? A Little Bit of Good and a Little Bit of Bad

I have collected quite a stockpile of weird Japanese snacks and foods! Over the past few months I've been receiving boxes of snacks faster than I wanted to eat the contents. And I didn't want to eat everything in one sitting because I didn't want to forget what something tasted like when I finally got around to reviewing it. Instead, I saved the majority of the food and am only just now getting around to eating it. As I've begun to tunnel my way through the boxes of food sitting next to my desk, I've rediscovered a few foods that I was very eager to try. These items had been all but forgotten, shoved to the back of the pile of food, but, once I found them again, I tried them right away. The results were varied.

On the left we have what the box called a Roll Candy. I didn't really know what to expect from a treat with such an simple title, but once I actually opened it, I discovered that the Roll Candy was very similar to an American Fruit Rollup - literally, a long piece of semi-chewy gummy candy on a thin sheet of wax paper. If the Roll Candy were compared side by side with its American counterpart, almost no one would be able to tell the difference. It was a very enjoyable treat. Once I peeled the treat off the wax paper and unstuck it from itself, it was a very fun snack. Strawberry flavored and very chewy, to the point where it was hard to chew it at all, this Roll Candy is a Japanese candy that I would eat again. 

I have been puzzled lately by Japan's tendency to put cute cartoon characters on almost every product that it produces; whether it is a toy marketed for children or an item of food, cute cartoon characters are everywhere in Japan. I still do not quite know the reason for this craze but, at least in the case of the package on the right, I think I discovered why a character was necessary - to distract buyers from the horrible food under the package's lid! I don't know who decided that Flan Pudding in a Cup was a good item to sell as an off-the-shelf treat, but they made a huge mistake. I have never had freshly made flan, but I hope that it doesn't taste anything like what was in this cup. It was slimy, had no smell, and, when I bit into it, it felt like I was swallowing my own tongue (my apologies if anyone is reading this while eating). It didn't even taste like food and, even though I tried, I couldn't finish the entire cup. I would advise people not to eat this weird Japanese snack if they value the lunch they just ate and don't want to see it for a second time.

Japanese snacks and treats are in a category all by themselves. They are that weird and unique. Hopefully, next time I review a couple of them for you, they will both be good. 

Photo Credit: Rachel Hollenbeck

Halloween In Japan

Halloween. A holiday that has its roots in American history, a holiday that is celebrated almost universally, a celebration that some people love and some people hate, a holiday that has over the years developed quite a unique reputation. No matter where you go in the world, you can find some form of Halloween. It seems like every country as its own version of this holiday and, while it would be fun to delve into the Halloween habits of quite a few countries, there is one nation in particular that celebrates the holiday in a particularly strange way.

The Japanese take Halloween very seriously; in fact, it is their second most celebrated holiday next to New Year, with the majority of the population dressing up for it, trick-or-treating, going to Halloween parties, and engaging in other holiday-appropriate activities. While Japanese children still enjoy the holiday, it is more popular with adults, who see it as an opportunity to cosplay and indulge in wild antics. A typical Halloween in Japan does not become too wild, but it is a noted departure from the rigid decorum that is typical in Japanese culture during the rest of the year.

The Japanese are normally so focused on being respectful and adhering to old traditions that they don't often find time to indulge in anything else. While people do still find ways to express themselves, usually through cosplay or harajucu fashions, that is still greeted with a stigma; people who choose to express their wild sides are often looked down upon by the rest of the culture. But this stigma is mostly absent on Halloween, so many people use the holiday to their advantage; people who may choose to hide their wild sides during the rest of the year enjoy Halloween for the freedom it provides.

Halloween didn't become popular in Japan until a few years ago and it is still regarded as a co-opted American holiday that was only recently transported. That being said, the Japanese have definitely made the holiday their own by infusing their own culture into it. The Japanese value of respect is very prevalent during the holiday, anime characters and K-pop stars are among the most popular costumes, and everyone loves the holiday for the extra dash of strange it adds to a normally mundane week. Even people who are not too invested in Halloween will celebrate the holiday with a tradition called Jimi Halloween, literally "Mundane Halloween," during which office workers dress up in the most common, albeit silly, everyday outfits to see if their co-workers can guess what they are dressing up as. Some notable examples of this are office workers dressed up as person whose glasses fogged up from a hot drink, person who forgot to take out the trash, and person awakened by Amazon delivery. Every year many Japanese corporate offices host Halloween parties, giving their employees the chance to participate in Jimi Halloween.

As a whole, Japan's Halloween is very similar to America's in many ways, but at the same time it is totally different. When looking at both of them, it is fun to see how two completely different cultures have adopted the same holiday. Each country has its own way of life and has created a culture all its own, and its holiday traditions reflect that wonderfully. No two countries are exactly the same and neither are their holidays, even when the holiday is something as univesal as Halloween.


Even though Japan's Halloween is not primarily candy- and food-based, food producers have still managed to come up with quite a few spooky holiday-themed sweets and treats. Japan's children may not go door-to-door in their neighborhoods asking for these sweets, but there's nothing preventing them from buying these items at local stores or getting them from one of the numerous vending machines that populate the streets. Some of these candies are quite silly, while others are actually very good. I had the opportunity to try some of them when my October subscription box came, chock full of assorted Halloween paraphernalia. Perhaps the company that sends out these subscription boxes had a surplus of candy it needed to get rid of or maybe it was just being generous because of the holiday; whatever the case may be, the box I received seemed extra full and had a wide variety of treats in it. I'm super excited to try all of the sweets, and I will be reviewing all of them on this blog eventually. But I would like to keep this post from being too long so you can get back to your own Halloween candy. With that in mind, I picked out a select few pieces to write about now.

Green Skeleton Candy: 
I am not fluent in Japanese in any way, shape or form, so I have no idea what this candy is actually called. But I think my made-up title sums up this candy pretty well. As one of the first treats I picked out of the October subscription box, it caught my eye immediately. With its striking packaging and strange-looking contents, I was eager to try it. At first glance, the candy looked very similar to Konpeito, a well-known Japanese candy that is basically rainbow colored sugar drops; these have no real flavor besides food coloring and, after a few pieces, one is satisfied. And after initially trying Green Skeleton Candy, I discovered that it goes beyond resembling Konpeito; it actually is Konpeito. Colored a festive dark green shade and sealed in some spooky new packaging, this treat is a Japanese company's way of celebrating Halloween. While it doesn't have any lasting flavor and stains your tongue green for a few minutes, this Green Skeleton Candy was actually quite fun to eat.

Ghost Marshmallow:
This candy is exactly what it sounds like; it is a marshmallow, and I think that Japan's candy producers were trying to find a way to market their foodstuffs for Halloween. They must have looked at a regular marshmallow treat that they produced and said, "If we put the word 'ghost' on the package, it's automatically meant for Halloween!" They went through with the idea and, a production line later, The Ghost Marshmallow was being sold to children. (Once again, that is not its real name, but my alternative works.) This was another item in my subscription box that I was excited to try, even though it looked like a basic marshmallow. And I'm glad I did. The outside of the treat was, indeed, a basic marshmallow, but once I bit into it, I discovered that the inside was filled with a sticky, syrupy molasses. I couldn't quite figure out the flavor of this syrup at first, but after looking at the packaging again, I figured out that it was supposed to taste like orange soda. Even after realizing this, I didn't think the syrup really tasted like soda, but it was still good and a treat to eat; I wouldn't mind finding more of this in a pile of trick-or-treating candy.



Photo Credit: Pinterest, Rachel Hollenbeck
Jimi Halloween
Freedom Japanese Market