Let's Discuss! "Preserving our belongings" - (Japanese Etiquette Insight)

  Let's Discuss!

"Preserving our belongings" - (Japanese Etiquette Insight)

Hello World! Welcome back, my name is Benjamin! This post will be about "Preserving our belongings", and more specifically we will be looking at a specific aspect of Japanese Etiquette/Culture that I have come to notice in recent months. Now, before we begin, I just want to point out that this "Culture" of looking after belongings is not exclusive to Japan. However, it will be the focus of this post as it is somewhat of a recurring and distinctive theme that I have noticed while exploring Japanese culture...Let's Discuss! 

- Preserving our belongings? Do you mean putting perishable food in the fridge or taking care of your belongings i.e. A New Sofa? 

Well, I suppose the answer is that technically both of those things are pretty important! However, I would like to look specifically at "belongings" today. This means things like Furniture, Cars, Televisions, Games Consoles and so forth. Maybe I will address the "perishable food in the fridge thing" another time. I would like to point out that temperature sensitive food is best kept nice and cold in the fridge...anyway...let's move on!  

I'd like to show you something that I saw on a YouTube video...I will link the video below so that you can watch it yourself. In essence, this short video pretty much sums up the point of this post. 

"Bird Statue Art" (Outside a Japanese Railway Station) - Video by "Shiran De Silva"

OK, so you are probably wondering what this image is. Basically, outside a Japanese railway station, a vlogger found some metal birds attached to a barrier. I suppose these are an art installation to bring some life to a mundane, everyday object. However, somebody has gone to extraordinary lengths to actually give these birds a slice of life, they have knitted all of them a hat and a cardigan to keep them warm. 

Check out the video right here: Japanese Respect for all things

I suppose some people will probably ask "Why would someone go to all of this effort?", and I would probably ask the same question. I believe the reason is because someone saw these birds outside of the railway station one day, perhaps on their way to work and fell in love with them. They made the decision to take it upon themselves to "preserve" something that they loved, and decided that they would knit them a winter outfit so that they don't get cold. 

It is quite astonishing that these birds haven't been vandalised, in fact, the complete opposite has happened. This act of random kindness towards an inanimate object isn't coincidence, it is in fact commonplace in Japan. If you enter a Japanese home, it would not be uncommon for the residents to refer to their dining room table as "Table-San" (which roughly translates to Mr. Table). 

This personification of non-human objects certainly goes above the average interpretation of "personification" in Western culture. It is as if there is an unspoken rule of respect towards even the most mundane everyday objects in Japan. 

It is common to hear people refer to their cars as women in the UK and US i.e. "She's a beauty, mate!" However, I would look like a bit of a weirdo if I went to my local DFS and professed my love towards "Mrs Green Sofa" and asked her out for a date. 

Furthermore ,this appreciation for the "life-energy" that dwells even within inanimate objects in Japan installs a culture of care and as a result a common duty among people to respect and look after their belongings. It is less about a perceived "sexual" or "intimate" relationship with inanimate objects, and more of an "appreciation" towards said objects and belongings and their functions in society. 

- I see what you mean now...well how about Video Games, do they get the same treatment? 

I'm glad you asked! and the answer is "Yes!" Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but generally speaking if you want to buy retro video games from Japan, you are likely to not only get a great price, but also exceptionally high quality goods. 

One such retailer in Japan that offer exceptionally high quality, second-hand electrical goods is a retail chain called "Hard-Off". This store has become something of a cultural phenomenon in the United States and Europe, sadly this electronics retailer only operates in Japan.  This chain of retailers can be found in most Japanese towns, usually in the less densely populated suburbs of large cities. As a result, many of these stores do not get visited by foreigners and prices remain extremely low and the quality of the products remains extremely high.  

"Hard-Off" - A Japanese Phenomenon for Video Game Collectors

Check out "Hard-Off" visits by vloggers who visit Japan or perhaps live in Japan on YouTube to see the stores for yourself. I've even seen some games which retail at around £40.00 in the UK sell for as little as £3.00 in a hard-off store! 

- Sounds AWESOME, but I can't get to Japan :-( How can I get a bargain? 

Check out eBay. You will often find that Japanese Games are far cheaper even if you buy them online. There are dedicated sellers from Japan who understand that a demand exists for Japanese games in Europe and the United States. I've included an example of a bargain I found on eBay below. Keep in mind that you will need a Japanese Console in order to play these games...however, overall, they are also cheaper and you'll save money in the long-run! 

Yoshi's Island (Super Nintendo) - PAL (Europe) vs. NTSC-J (Japan)

This is a great example of how you can save money and get more out of your collection if you opt to buy Japanese games. Not only do you get the beautiful original box (in pristine condition) if you buy a Japanese copy of the game, you also only have to pay £1 extra! If you were to buy the PAL version of this game complete with a box, you could expect to pay around £70.00! 

Well, that's about all I had to say on this subject! If you need me, I'll be on a flight to Tokyo to stock up on retro video games! I hope you enjoyed this post about "Preserving our belongings" with a specific focus on Japan. See you next time! 

Benjamin Andrew 95!