Although England is a pleasant enough place to live, with its abundant countryside, friendly people, and vibrant music and TV culture, there's something quite empty about this little country's identity compared to another country I've lived a long time in - Japan. Aside from a few traditions such as Sunday lunch, Fish and Chips, pubs, weekend newspapers, Xmas, Easter and chocolate eggs, Bonfire Night and fireworks, and Sunday strolls in the park, to be English isn't that exciting. I'm not saying it can't be exciting - that's just silly - it's just that on the surface, the traditions and identity of England and the English, isn't that exciting. Our national identity isn't very exciting or rich. Scratch a little deeper and yeah, things are exciting, but as a group of people, a nation, England's pretty dull.
Compare that with the Japanese national identity. Although Japanese work hard and that's a huge part of their identity, as essentially a group-focused nation, there are traditions that just about everyone continues, young and old. For a start, they have a seemingly neverending supply of great food, sashimi and sushi, being just a tiny part. And what's good about the food is that you can eat a lot of it in Japanese pubs (Izakayas). The Izakaya culture in Japan is huge - office ladies go there for dinner after work with colleagues, salarymen drown their work sorrows there, couples meet for dates there, end of year parties are held there, and not only can you eat great food but the decor is often traditional - the crammed-full of knick-knacks style or the minimalist style. Aside from Izakayas, there are countless other restuarants catering to all tastes and budgets. I used to go to a local fish restaurant and paid just £3 for fish, rice, soup and salad. But life isn't just about food is it - the Japanese spend the rest of their time singing in Karaoke bars, drinking under cherry blossoms (Hanami), watching fireworks (Hanabi), seeing the leaves change colour in Autumn (Kouyou), going to spas in the mountains (Onsen), visiting shrines at New Year (Hatsumoude) , catching beetles in summer (Kabutomoshi), playing games at summer festivals (Natsu Matusri), visiting Kyoto once a year, visiting relatives' graves, and travelling around their country eating the local delicacies - Hokkaido for crab, Osaka - Takoyaki/Okonomiyaki, Kobe - Beef, Okinawa - Souki Soba, Kyoto - Kaiseki Ryori, Nagoya - Misonokomi... - and Tokyoites visit Kamakura every year for a walk round the temples and perhaps a green tea. This again is not all the there is to do and all the Japanese do. Most of their time is actually taken up doing shopping and playing Pachinko (!), but as a country, the Japanese in mass tend to follow this sort of cultural map. Every Japanese you'll ever meet will go to a cherry blossam party, go to an onsen, visit the shrines at New Year, see fireworks in summer, see the leaves change colour in Autumn, and eat lots and lots of nice food every year. That's their identity. And because of it, it's a fun place to be and visit.
As a backdrop to a country, it's really nice. A walk around Tokyo always reveals something interesting going on.
Having said all this, with so much going on and so many traditions, life can sometimes feel a little rigid in Japan. In England, life is like a blank canvas.
And I like this freedom.
I only mention all this because I've decided to go snowboarding with my mate Yoski in Japan this Xmas. and looking at the site of one resort I was reminded why I stayed so long in the Land of the Nice Smelling Sumo...
Nozawa Ski Resort