along with Korea, China and the Ryukyu Islands, with whom the Tokugawa Shogunate consented to trade.
From 1837, three separate attempts were made by the Americans to ‘open up’ Japan trade-wise, both to themselves and, by implication, to the rest of the world. Effectively, the Americans were demanding that Japan put an end to its long period of self-imposed isolation.
‘Not on your Nelly,’ returned the Tokugawa Shogunate (or words to that effect), on a number of occasions actually opening fire on their unwelcome visitors.
Finally the Americans decided that they were gonna kick some ‘A’, or at least threaten to. Step forward Commodore Thomas Perry, who, in charge of a fearsome-looking squadron of steam frigates (this was the nineteenth century, remember), set sail from Norfolk, Virginia, reaching Uraga Harbour near Edo (now Tokyo) on 8 July 1853.
Slightly in awe of the steam-driven fleet’s obvious firepower, the Tokugawa Shogunate politely asked Perry if he wouldn’t mind sailing along to Nagasaki, which was, after all, the only place where gaijin sailing vessels were permitted to dock.
‘Actually, I would mind,’ said Perry, presumably through a translator. ‘I’m here to present a letter from President Fillmore of the United States of America, requesting that Japan ends its period of isolation,’
And by obvious implication, he added: And if you don’t accept this letter and at least start to consider therequest—which is actually more like a direct order from the most powerful nation on earth—then I’m going to use those nasty-looking cannons onboard my ships to start blasting the crud out of you.
‘Oh dear…’ muttered the Tokugawa Shogunate delegates.
‘As and when my boats and I return from a trip to China,’ continued Perry, ‘you’d be well advised to have a positive response to that letter.’
Perry wasn’t to be disappointed. When the black-hulled ships returned the following year, belching ominous clouds of smoke, the Tokugawa Shogunate signed a treaty committing it to ‘relations’ with the USA. This marked the beginning of the end for the feudalistic Shogunate, who would finally be overthrown by the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
BON
Commonly called Obon (the ‘O’ is honorific, as in okane— ‘money’), this is the Buddhist ‘Festival for the Dead’, which occurs from 13—15 July in the east of Japan (where the Western solar calendar is favoured) and the same dates in August in western parts of the country (where the Chinese lunar calendar is still followed).
You’ll see the countless sprawling cemeteries within Japan full of people cleaning the family haka (a Buddhist tomb) and paying their respects to the spirits of their ancestors, who return to earth on the thirteenth of either month for a total of three days.
During this time, the spirits generally fly around and look in on their loved ones, who as well as cleaning the family haka may also hang lanterns outside their homes by way of welcome.
BONSAI
In the film The Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso first comes to know Mr Miyagi through helping him tend his many bonsai. As bonsai require constant care and attention, Mr Miyagi would have needed all the help he could get. In fact, with that many bonsai to look after, it’s doubtful that Mr Miyagi would have been able to hold down his job as a handyman, never mind teach young Danny boy the finer points of Japanese fisticuffs.
One of the things The Karate Kid doesn’t teach you—or maybe it does; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it—is that bonsai first came to Japan from China, where they’d been around since the days of the Tang Dynasty (that’s a long time, believe me).
Controversy amongst bonsai aficionados continues to rage as to whether Chinese bonsai were merely trees already dwarfed by nature, thus making the Japanese the first people who were able to stunt a normal, healthy tree so that it can grow only between twenty-five centimetres to one metre tall.
Of course, you can’t just stick a young sapling in a pot and expect it to flourish. Because it wouldn’t; it would die. No, what you must do is to continually prune the fledgling bonsai, carefully removing every excess branch and twig until you’ve created the image you want for it. Perhaps you’d like it to resemble a wind-gnarled tree that’s situated on the very edge of a seaside cliff—your choice.
With sufficient care and attention—including frequent re-potting, root pruning and fertilisation—bonsai can last hundreds of years, passed down through generations. Though I suspect that the one Mr Miyagi gave Daniel’s mum probably ended up in the bin about a week later.
BOWING
‘Oh boy—anything to do with Japanese etiquette is an absolute minefield …’
So runs the usual reply from someone claiming to be expert on all things Japanese, in response to a question concerning when to bow, how to bow, and so on. In reality, if you get an answer like this then the person speaking probably doesn’t know too much themselves—or is just trying to scare you.
Certainly, Japanese etiquette can be incredibly complicated. But that’s something to worry about if you’re Japanese, or have lived and worked in Japan long enough for it to become an issue. And even then, quite often it won’t become an issue, simply because, whether you like it or not, you’re a gaijin who’s presumed not to know too much about such matters.
Smile—but not too broadly—when you meet someone (excessive smiling can be an indication of unease in Japan, and can also make you look a bit weird), and for the purpose of this exercise give something like a ‘half-bow’ from the waist. Don’t just nod, because that looks a bit half-arsed in any country. If you’re male, keep your hands by your waist; females should put their hands on their thighs with their fingers touching.
When saying goodbye, another bow can be given, though not as deep as the first one. And that’s about it. I’ve given the information about where to put your hands as general guidance, though to be honest the fact that you’re prepared to give any sort of bow will be appreciated by most Japanese people.
Oh, and by the way, it may well be that some Japanese people will offer to shake hands. It’s not true that the Japanese never shake hands; I’ve shaken hands with numerous Japanese men, as well as several women (albeit in a business environment). But let the person you are meeting offer their hand first—if they don’t, stick with the bow.
One final piece of advice: don’t ever try to embrace or kiss someone upon meeting them, even if it’s for the fourth or fifth time and you think that you’re getting on just fine. It might just result in you being branded a chikan and arrested.
BUDDHISM
Obviously anything like a detailed account of Buddhism is not going to be supplied here. All I can do is to provide the briefest overview, as the Japanese perceive it.
Around 623 BC, a baby boy was born to the king of a tribe who existed on the Indian border of present-day Nepal. SiddhĚrtha Gautama, as the boy was named, was destined for a life of great luxury and indolence, his father determined that he should never be exposed to human suffering. At
