Generally speaking, I HATE cold weather, but you know, I think you might be right about winter in Japan. I’ve been to Japan many times in December-January. My wife grew up in a Buddhist temple, the daughter of a priest, and so I've spent お正月 (New Year’s) at a temple. Last year I was invited to ring the large bell and joined the family while they offered prayers to their deceased relatives and ancestors, which I found to be a very profound, intimate moment that very few foreigners get to experience. During New Year’s Eve, I’ve experienced 初詣 (hatsumode) with the family at their own temple, and there was a particularly sweet moment when a family with two delightful little daughters stopped by. I played with the children a little and they asked me what my name was. A few minutes later I noticed that they were drawing a man on the chalkboard that looked like me (glasses, hat) and next to it they wrote my name - グレんさん (Glenn san) - which is adorable because only a child would mix up the kana like that (グレん instead of グレン). My brother-in-law, who is now the temple’s priest, was drinking me under the table that night (like many Japanese men can do!), but after midnight he reemerged in his formal priest’s kimono, and despite his flushed red face, conducted the chanting of the sutras and the lighting of the alter’s candles in a very dignified manner. The next day, on New Year’s Day, I was slightly hungover. Not sick, just kinda wrung out. My brother-in-law, the priest, asked me if I wanted to have a beer, which I politely declined. My wife said to me, very matter-of-factly in English, “He’s disappointed. He wanted to drink with you.” So I quickly said, やっぱり, 飲みます！ (“I’ll have a drink after all!”). It was all such a wonderful experience. The week following New Year’s, when almost everything shuts down for a week, is the one time of the year when the typically hard-working Japanese people kinda just kick back and have a relaxed time with their families and friends. Oh, and I learned a great Japanese slang word: negatsu (寝がつ), a contraction of “sleep” and “New Year’s.” It’s when you spend New Year’s Day being lazy and napping. My wife and I napped under the kotatsu until around 4PM on January 1st!
![Retire in Japan? Obstacles and Advice on Healthcare, Pension, Investments. [Reupload] #japanese](/img/n.gif)
Love the Cold❤
Generally speaking, I HATE cold weather, but you know, I think you might be right about winter in Japan. I’ve been to Japan many times in December-January. My wife grew up in a Buddhist temple, the daughter of a priest, and so I've spent お正月 (New Year’s) at a temple. Last year I was invited to ring the large bell and joined the family while they offered prayers to their deceased relatives and ancestors, which I found to be a very profound, intimate moment that very few foreigners get to experience.
During New Year’s Eve, I’ve experienced 初詣 (hatsumode) with the family at their own temple, and there was a particularly sweet moment when a family with two delightful little daughters stopped by. I played with the children a little and they asked me what my name was. A few minutes later I noticed that they were drawing a man on the chalkboard that looked like me (glasses, hat) and next to it they wrote my name - グレんさん (Glenn san) - which is adorable because only a child would mix up the kana like that (グレん instead of グレン). My brother-in-law, who is now the temple’s priest, was drinking me under the table that night (like many Japanese men can do!), but after midnight he reemerged in his formal priest’s kimono, and despite his flushed red face, conducted the chanting of the sutras and the lighting of the alter’s candles in a very dignified manner.
The next day, on New Year’s Day, I was slightly hungover. Not sick, just kinda wrung out. My brother-in-law, the priest, asked me if I wanted to have a beer, which I politely declined. My wife said to me, very matter-of-factly in English, “He’s disappointed. He wanted to drink with you.” So I quickly said, やっぱり, 飲みます！ (“I’ll have a drink after all!”).
It was all such a wonderful experience. The week following New Year’s, when almost everything shuts down for a week, is the one time of the year when the typically hard-working Japanese people kinda just kick back and have a relaxed time with their families and friends.
Oh, and I learned a great Japanese slang word: negatsu (寝がつ), a contraction of “sleep” and “New Year’s.” It’s when you spend New Year’s Day being lazy and napping. My wife and I napped under the kotatsu until around 4PM on January 1st!
No convincing needed. 冬は一番だよ！
Whew, good. I was wondering what happened! :D
I am still wondering.... original render claimed "no problems" 😒