 letters from japan by michelle Mysteries of Japan Part One: Obaachans First, to make one thing clear, an Obaachan is not a creature exclusive to Japan. Obaachans are everywhere, in every country around the world. We see them standing in front of us in line at the grocery store, coupons in hand. We see them sitting behind the wheel, driving only slightly faster than a brisk walk. We see them heading off to bingo, garage sales, and bridge clubs, sometimes out in their Sunday best, pillbox hat over waves of silver hair, carrying a purse that could fit several volumes of encyclopedias. The Obaachan. You know them, and you probably even have one or two in your family. Obaachans in Japan are slightly different from the typical ones you find in the States. One example can be witnessed in the arena of public transportation etiquette. Most Japanese people are exceedingly polite on the public buses and trains. They will get up to let and older person or a pregnant woman sit down. They almost always use phrases like "excuse me" and "I’m sorry to be so rude by bothering you but can I possible step around you so that I may exit the bus?" When boarding the bus, it’s typical to see two Japanese people arguing over who should go first. "Go ahead." "No, you." "No, really. After you." (It makes me think of those new sports like Extreme Windsurfing and Extreme Mountain Biking. Extreme Courtesy, man!) However, this intricate system of extreme politeness seems to break down after a certain age. The Obaachan seems to be completely unaware of such a system. Or rather and most likely, she doesn’t seem to care. Obaachans have notoriously pointy elbows, which they will, on occasion, use to check you into the side of the bus if you’re not careful. Getting on or getting off the bus, it’s best to stay far out of their way. With surprising strength for an old lady, they’ve been known to push, step on, and knock down any passengers in their direct path. I’ve seen it happen, I’ve been a victim, and I’ve learned my lesson. In addition to the brutal use of force on the buses and trains, they also exhibit another rather startling difference from their Western counterparts. In America, we can occasionally see an elderly woman buying the blue/black hair dye in the supermarket. Japan’s Obaachans, however, have taking dying their hair to a new level. The kind of level any member of hard-core punk band would be proud of. It’s quite common to be sitting behind a woman on the bus whose entire front portion of her hair is bright pink, while the rest of her hair is a snowy white. Electric purple also seems to be quite a popular choice, making it look as if they have spread grape jelly over half their head. Recently, on a flight back from Hokkaido, I was stuck waiting in the airport for an hour, when I glanced at an Obaachan across the way with a seu of very curly, very green locks set across her head like a fertile lawn. Her entire head was done in moss green, and it was quite obviously not a wig. She didn’t seem bothered by it at all, she was not wearing a hat, which made me think it was probably not an enormous mistake by a hairdresser-in-training. As she casually talked to her neighbor, I began to think about what a bizarre trend this was in Obaachan hair color. Who is responsible for starting this? Was it a singular famous person with an affinity for bright hair colors? Or was it the 50 years of waking up at 5:00am everyday to make a bento lunch for their husbands that drove them over the edge at the age of sixty, so much so that the one and only outlet with which they can express themselves becomes superhero hair colors? Or is it a quite simply an unnatural fascination with that woman on Are You Being Served? Whatever it is, I may someday find out, but for now, it remains a mystery of Japan. |
Mysteries of Japan Part Two: Climate Control (The Absence of) Mysteries of Japan Part One: Obaachans Godzilla Was a Misunderstood Foreigner School Lunch, or, Why I Carry Candy and Gum in My Handbag What's in a name? The Shochu Monster Airmail! Intro Find out more about the JET Programme
eurozone |
copyright © 2000-2005 - www.stellargirl.com |
|