26th Nov 2007
Calling All Water Buffalo! by Christine Dyer
With the 40th anniversary of Kobayashi Dojos coming up in 2008, I know a lot of aikido students are thinking about attending the celebrations in Japan. It’s going to be the aikido trip of a lifetime, and for many of you also your first Japan trip.
Here are some suggestions for getting in the Japan mood and learning some things you’ll find useful, whether or not you decide to go:
1. Read the book or, even better, listen to the audio book Dave Barry Does Japan. It will give you a good laugh. It will also explain the concept of the Water Buffalo (WB) - a loud, clumsy, clueless foreigner such as Dave, me, all of us.
2. Having your first encounter with Japanese food in a Tokyo restaurant when you are jet-lagged and your stomach doesn’t know what meal should come next is an extreme way to travel. So if you aren’t already familiar with Japanese food, I strongly recommend visiting Japanese restaurants (preferably with Japanese friends who can order for you and teach you restaurant etiquette). If you are lucky enough to live within reach of a good Japanese restaurant, explore the whole range - curry, stews, noodle dishes, vegetable dishes, grilled meats and fish as well as the ubiquitous sushi and teriyaki bowls.
3. Etiquette is still very important in all aspects of Japanese society, although the Japanese are gracious people who will forgive your mistakes. There will be fewer mistakes if you read the book Japanese Business Etiquette by Diana Rowland. The title isn’t very appealing but the book is easy to read and quite fascinating, all the more so because it is written by a Western woman (who obligingly explains everything for us WB). Although you aren’t exactly going on a business trip, you’ll get a window into the principles of Japanese etiquette.
4. Most important of all is knowing some Japanese phrases, such as “Excuse me, do you speak English?”. Many Japanese don’t. Therefore, get a head start on your trip now with a Pimsleur Japanese language course to study while driving. Buy a used one on e-bay or Amazon to save a lot of money. You’ll find various quick versions that are just a “trial size” of the comprehensive course, and it’s worth getting one of these to see if you like the system. If you do, you’ll need to invest some time and money in Japanese I (and eventually II and III, by which time you’ll be pretty advanced). You will still be illiterate, but you will be able to tell the shop assistant that you can’t read the labels and ask for what you need. I know, I did this.
I strongly encourage you to start planning for your trip. I’ve been twice, and although I still have many WB tendencies, everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming. Japan is wonderfully different from anywhere in the West, which is what makes your first trip such a very big deal, and you’re certainly going to get your money’s worth in terms of new experiences. But even if everything else seems alien, the aikido part will make you feel right at home.
See you there?
Christine Dyer
Chushinkan Dojo
*Christine Dyer Sensei is a member of the AAA National Teaching Committee.
