Welcome to Japun

So considering the standard of English here (the JET Programme has been going on how many years now?!), count me surprised how prevalent cheesy English-language puns are - particularly in marketing communications.

For example, there's a barbershop in my town called Cut & Bro, and my prefecture's top tier basketball team is the Happinets (yes, seriously).

Then there's this movie poster... with my favourite Japun to date.

Given that an ex-Evil Corp boss stomped on every one of my attempts to slip puns into my work, it delights me to see things like this.

Life in Japan may be tough - making incredible demands of the individual in terms of commitments in every aspect of their life - but in advertising the Japanese certainly seem to embrace a little bit of lightheartedness. Ridiculous mascots, puntastic calls to action - here the Japanese routinely and unashamedly embrace their silly side.

Or at least I hope they recognise the groan-triggering wordplay, and are in on the joke...

A change in tactic

So here I am, just a week short of my 2 month anniversary in Japan. My personal Facebook page has been very active during this period; this blog... not so much.

The problem is, the longer you leave between posts, the longer the post becomes in your head, and in turn, the prospect of typing it out becomes exponentially more daunting. Plus I'm still in the process of settling in, developing a daily schedule (whoever said JETs have loads of free time is a liar!) and trying to enjoy outdoor and social opportunities before my area's notoriously grueling five-month winter settles in and I go into forced hibernation. More time for writing then, I suppose.

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

REDRUM. REDRUM...

Anyway, this has all led to a change in blogging strategy.

Instead of mammoth posts chronicling the minutiae of my life as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Northern Japan, I'm going the bite-size route. This isn't to say that there won't be longer, more contemplative posts as well, but you can also look forward to more frequent random snippets.

Although this list is likely to change over time, you can expect blog categories to include:

Daily life - Random observations about the everyday in Japan from my largely illiterate outsider's perspective. Curiosities abound, like the way everyone alley docks their cars, and how the banking system remains mired in the 1980s.

Travel - Duh. This one is obvious. Places to see, things to do, how to get there and generally assessing whether it'll be up your alley.

Culture - Festivals, traditional and history-related stuff.

Firsts - Accounts of my first time experiences in Japan, from trying foods to getting my head around things like catching a bus when you can neither read nor speak the language.

Japanese approximation - The Japanese are masters at taking something from elsewhere and putting their own spin on it. They've done it with language; they do it A LOT with food still. And results vary widely from awesome to awful. I put my tastebuds on the line so you don't have to.

Engrish - You're familiar with Chinglish. Engrish will centre on some of the most amusing Japanese-to-English translations I have encountered, particularly in terms of packaging and advertising.

Cool stuff - Interesting, idiosyncratic things I've found - and probably bought - in this country of hyper-consumption.

Cosplay adventures - Taking full advantage of the natural splendour of Tohoku and other parts of Japan... not to mention the vast costume-making resources available here. My firstborn may be named Daiso at this point.