My News

Sorry, I have just realised that I have hardly updated my own news here for quite a while!

Things are going pretty well, invariably being Japan they are up and down a lot but generally life is good. I am working very hard six days a week sometimes starting at ten and finishing at ten, I work for four private schools and on top of that have ten private students so im constantly cycling around manically trying to get to the next lesson. Ive also been going out with someone for about six months.

But my present phase in Japan will eventually draw to a close if not by myself than through forced matters of immigration and not being able to renew my visa which is a possibility. I dont wish to pursue a career in teaching english, im happy to do it in the future as an ancilliary job but not as a main one, I want to go back to england within the near future, refresh and consider my options. I definitely want to do something with Japan in the future, ive invested a lot of time in learning the lingo and understanding the mentality and culture overe here that it would be stupid to through it away and not use it.

I love living here especially in Kumamoto, which is a fantastic place. But there is one opinion that hasnt changed about Japan and that its a damn strange place, I couldnt imagine any other country in the world being as strange as this country. In fact its not so much an opinion as a fact . Ideally in a jet setting lifestyle i would like to live part of the year here, avoiding the mushi atsui summer that turns me into a sweatbucket.

Just to let people know that there is a distinct possibility that i will be in England in September, watch this space!

女性 と 男性

Generally every nation has a negative male steorotype, an image that conjures up all the worst in their nations masculinity. A mere nanosecond is needed in evoking Britains timeless English hooligans, beer belly battalions and cohorts of cherry faced chavs.

For Japan however the image is a silent grunting chauvinist, macho on the outside midget on the inside. The gender roles facinate me in a country where the gender divide has never been so great. Dont get me wrong there are some fanatastic guys out here and I have some good Japanese male friends. But all in all I find Japanese women far more progressive open minded and approachable. Japanese men for me still very much remain an enigma.


The Japanese salaryman is enouraged to lead a mastubatory life as much as possible shunning all emotional nourishment. He buys pronography, he goes to snack bars for ego massaging and soaplands for other kinds of massaging, he is encouraged to take many girlfriends. He is not however encouraged to be compassionate and loving or spend time with his children or wife opting to slave away in the office.


One interesting insight into the male psyche is through reading sme male hentai manga. It is always sexual and is usually devoid of any emotional context. The women are always depicted as being overwhelmingly big breasted and passive to any advance a male takes on her. The only manga I have seen that has emotion is a kind of nostalgia to high school sweethearts, teenage puppylove. Girl meets boy boy meets girl, boy likes girl but is too shy but finally pulls up the courage and the story ends in a kiss. It sits very strangely amongst so many stories of violent souless sex but perhaps reflects the yearning to be young and free and maybe indicates a sense of emotional stuntedness.

The women depicted in the Manga are pathetic and it depresses me immensely that these stereotypes are being promoted. A japanese friend of mine told me recently that many men seek dolls for brides, pretty passive women who do what they are told and will open their legs on cue. Walking up and down shimotori high street i have become aware that this "doll" role is more or less actively pursued by women who dress in revealing fashion and concern themselves with shopping and obtaining a rich husband.

Its not surprising that many intelligent women with a mind of their own are leaving the country in great numbers. Most of my female friends are either planning to live or returning to an english speaking country where they have greater career oppurtunities and far greater freedom. For the chauvinist Japanese however he scracthes his head in earnest and wonders "Why do women want to live abroad?" "Japan is great whats wrong with this country? "In my opinion he needs a good slap and kick up the backside, learn to treat women as equals and deal with his emotions and express himself in an adult fashion, in short learn to become a man.