Down the street from my place, there's this new store that opened up. It's called Thanks. But it's not the previously mentioned convenience store chain. It's a different Thanks. Actually the convenience store chain is called "Sunkus."
Anyway, this store is kinda weird in a lot of ways. It's only open on certain times of the day. And regardless of whether it's open or not, the blinds are always down so that you can't see inside. I've never seen anybody go into the store, but I've seen people come out. Actually, I should be more specific. Only grandma and grandpa type people are coming out of the store. And I'm not talking about 60-some year grandma and grandpa. I'm talking about "always-looking-down-because-their-back-is-severely-curved" grandma and grandpa (how they survive the cold is a complete mystery to me). I've asked a bunch of people what Thanks sells, but nobody knows.
I'm now thoroughly convinced that Thanks isn't a store at all but a government conspiracy agent to sap the life of Japanese citizens. People go in, curious to find out what the "store" sells... and come out a number of decades older. I'll take a picture of the store sometime soon and link it to this posting. Maybe I'll be so daring as to go in and take some pictures of the insides.

You know what the funny thing about Japan is? It's the little differences. I'm mean, they've got the same stuff in Japan as they do in America but it's just a little different. Example...
Japan's got the 7-11 convenience store chain. But they don't have slurpee machines. Instead they've all got an "oden" box. Oden would probably be best described as Japanese hotpot.
Japan's got the ice cream man going around the neighborhoods. But he doesn't sell ice cream or ice cream bars or those ever so delicious push pops. He sells baked sweet potatoes. Ok ok. So he's not the ice cream man. But that's the best way I can describe it. I mean, he's got a white truck. He sells food out of the truck. Goes at a snails pace. And plays an incredibly annoying "song" that goes like "Yakiimo... ishiyakiimo" meaning "baked potatoes, rock baked potatoes." The similarities are scary.
Japan's got pizza. But well... to put it bluntly, it's weird. Here are some real life example pizzas I've seen in Japan (made by restaurants not some wacky individual who wanted to try something different): Fish egg and sardine pizza. Or my personal favorite, squid and mayonnaise pizza.
Japan's got the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" game show. But the grand prize is $100,000 (it's really 10 million yen). They've got Regis... except he's Asian. I really mean it. He really looks like Regis. He's even got the whole 90's power tie thing going for him. Plus, right before the Japanese Regis says whether the contestant is correct or not, the show cuts to a commercial (INCREDIBLY ANNOYING!).
Japan's got "Survivor." But you're not just watching the two teams on the stranded island battle it out. You're also watching a group of 3 or 4 people watching "Survivor." Yes, that's right. You're watching people, watching people. Why? I guess it's so you can see other people's reactions to the same thing you're watching. I dunno.
Oh, and yeah, Japan also puts mayonnaise on their french fries... err... "fried potatoes."

I'm a little late in working on the January newsletter. The reason is that I've been playing around with my new toy. Here's a picture of it. In my free time recently, I've been trying to figure out how to edit the movie clips and make em into actual movies that I'd watch. Hopefully, by the time I come back home, I'll have the basics down so that I can show you all what's been going on out here with actual talking, moving people.
I've now made a total of 2 movies. The first one (my New Year's trip to see family in Yokosuka) is a little less than 5 minutes long. The second one (my boarding trip to Yamagata) is double that. They're kinda hefty (12MB and 30MB respectively) so if you want to see my really crude attempts so far in movie producing, and what happened during my one week winter vacation, I can burn them on a CD-ROM for ya.
Oh, I just thought of something I want to add to one of those movies!

"Suido ga otoshite kudasai." (Literal translation: Please drop your water pipes.)
I'm guessing that this is "Hokkaido-ben" that is, a phrase from the Hokkaido dialect of Japanese. I don't think I've ever heard somebody from any other part of Japan say such a thing. Can anybody out there verify this?
Apparently, to "drop your water pipes" means to drain the water out of the water pipes. Why? Because if you don't, they can freeze inside the water pipes, causing a huge nuisance, and potentially lots of damage. If the weather forecaster predicts a very cold night (colder than -10 celcius) in a particular area, the news issues a warning to make sure to "drop your water pipes" before going to bed.
Do Americans have to do this? I would have no idea having lived all my life in Northern California. I mean, San Francisco with its mid 40's winters are considered cold. Lemme correct that last sentence. San Francisco with its mid 40's winters WERE considered cold. I convert mid 40's to celcius and it's like 7 degrees celcius. You don't need gloves in 7 celcius weather. You can wear a ball cap without worrying about your ears freezing off in 7 celcius weather. Scarves are more of a fashion statement than an important and useful article of clothing in 7 celcius weather.
Well, it's getting late. It's time to drop my water pipes.

This article from the Barna Research website's been up for a few weeks now, but in case you haven't read it, it's a good read. For people who have no idea what I'm talking about, George Barna is a Christian pollster (basically a Christian version of those Gallup polls), meaning that he conducts surveys in America in regards to issues of faith. I like how the information put out is just straight and no non-sense.
Anyway, the article's in regards to what his organization points out as being 7 paradoxes of the Christian faith in America. That is, 7 common contradictions amongst American Christians.
Some of those contradictions, namely "Deceptions regarding truth" and "The contradictions regarding religious beliefs" were particularly scary to me, but the one that surprised me the most was the first one, "The success paradox." Seems to me that Barna makes a very good point in saying, "The Christian faith commends sacrifice, servanthood and sharing as the means to significance. How is it possible to have more than 120 million adults attending Christian churches on a regular basis, but only 15 million who grasp the message that success is not about personal accomplishment or material possessions?" It's time for the American church to wake up from it's sleepwalking, and take God seriously.

I'm growing increasingly perplexed by the Japanese church. Nearly all Japanese Christians I've met are in complete awe of huge churches. The 1000+ member churches in Korea, the few some hundred member churches scattered in Japan, etc.. Anytime any of these churches are mentioned, it's automatic... glazed eyes, mouth gaping... it's incredible. "It'd be so nice if we were like that." "Aren't they so incredible?" "It'd be so cool to be a part of something like that." The quotes are seemingly endless.
But it doesn't stop there. It seems like because Japanese churches for the most part are small, their dreams, their visions are small. I'll suggest a new ministry idea or concept, and about half the time, it almost immediately gets shut down because "we don't have the strength to do something like that... if we had more people...". It's kind of a inferiority complex.
Actually, come to think about it... maybe this isn't exclusive to the Japanese church but to all small churches in general. Regardless, since when did the church feel like its power came from the number of people in attendance? Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, didn't he tell his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit so that they'd receive power? "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth." -- Acts 1:8
Our power doesn't depend on how many people are with us. Our strength doesn't depend on the skills or "giftings" of our members (or ourselves for that matter). Our power depends on God being with us through the Holy Spirit! Our strength depends on our members having the Holy Spirit! Can I get a witness up in here?! Can I get an Amen?! Surely the disciples knew this because Jesus told em straight up... wait for the Holy Spirit because HE'LL GIVE YOU ALL POWER.
Aww man... look at what I've done to myself. I'm all jumpy and excited now.

This past New Year's, just like the previous one was spent at my grandparents' house in Yokosuka. It seems like they always have something unwittingly funny to say. That is, they're funny without meaning to be funny. When they try to be funny, well, they're not that funny. Some examples:
The first thing my grandma says to me is "Kyonen yori, motto smaato ni mieru." Meaning "Compared to last year, you look more 'smaato'". The Japanese katakana word "smaato" sounds a lot like "smart" and so, for a few seconds I was all like "Yeah, that's right. I'm looking more and more intelligent by the minute," until I remembered that "smaato" doesn't mean smart at all, but slim (I mentioned this in an earlier blog). Humility immediately set in.
Seems like a lot of other Asian Americans have the same experience, but last year when I visited, my grandma said that I looked fat, and then proceeded to feed me and feed me and feed me. And while I was eating, she egged me on saying "You're so fat. You're so fat." And it wasn't just three times a day... or the college signature two times a day. Last year she must have told me to eat at least 7 to 10 times a day. There was always a plate on the table where I would sit.
After one of my cousins, Taka, came and left, my grandparents started to grumble about the news that Taka was thinking about going to school for an additional 4 years... he's been going to college for 3 years now. At the end of the grumbling though, my grandpa commented saying that it's ok because he's making friends at college. To which I asked, "Does he have a girlfriend?" My grandpa's response surprised me. He laughed and then said, "He can't have a girlfriend now. Besides he's probably not even thinking about it." How do you respond to something like that? I mean, Taka's 20, but he'll probably forever be 12 in my grandparents' minds.
Before, I said that my grandparents are unwittingly funny. Actually, maybe I should change that to just "strange." Sometimes I wonder what's going on in their heads. In the meantime, I often enjoy hearing the strange words that come out of their mouths.

Not too long ago, I got back from a week long vacation to see my grandparents in Yokosuka, Japan... and later to go snowboarding with most of the LIFE Ministries Associates in Yamagata. Here are some of the highlights of my trip in descending order.
1. Seeing my cousin Futoshi for the first time in about 10 years (he's since married and become a father).
2. Finally meeting Joshua Clayton and Stefanie Weiland (two LIFE Ministries associates).
3. Eating crab and sashimi for New Year's dinner.
4. Boarding on lots and lots of powder.
5. Baths, spas, baths, and more spas.