JAPANESE ARUARU
Invite a Japanese friend for sushi and you might hear, “I love it, just not raw fish.” They order omelet sushi, cucumber rolls and inari. A plate arrives, but its cast looks rather different from the one you pictured.
A Japanese friend presents some sweets as “nothing special.” The recipient looks from the box to the giver and back. Then comes a taste. Whatever the introduction suggested, the sweets themselves are not disappointing.
Take a look
You are about to discard a shopping bag when a Japanese roommate says it can line a bin. Open the cupboard and several bags are already waiting for that job. The shopping is finished, but the bags are not.
Take a look
After a snack in the park, a Japanese friend puts the wrappers in a small bag and packs them away. Back home, out they come beside the keys and wallet. Even the rubbish has made it safely home.
Take a look
On a sunny day, a Japanese friend arrives under an umbrella. “Was it raining?” you ask, looking up. “The sun is strong.” Under the same clear sky, one person needs an umbrella and the other does not.
Take a look
After washing your hands, you queue for the dryer. Beside you, a Japanese friend takes a small towel from their bag and is already drying theirs. At the next washroom, the same little towel makes another appearance.
Take a look
In a household that usually uses a dryer, a Japanese roommate carries the washing outside on a sunny day. The host points out the machine. “But it’s sunny.” The dryer is free, yet the garden is the busy part of the house.
Take a look
After a Japanese roommate’s bath, the tub may still be full. “I’ll drain it.” “Oh, you can use that water.” Standing beside the same bath, the roommates first need to agree on what happens between one bather and the next.
Take a look
After using the bathroom at a Japanese friend’s home, a guest may return still wearing its special slippers. The host’s gaze drops from face to feet. The conversation continues, but the feet need to make a return trip.
Take a look
Invited into a home where shoes stay on, a Japanese guest may still slip one heel out before hearing, “Come in as you are.” Permission is settled, but their feet seem to need one more moment at the door.
Take a look
In a home where iced sweet tea is usual, a Japanese guest may ask for no sugar. Next time the sugar comes separately, they ask whether hot tea is available too. The same word has been describing rather different cups.
Take a look
You go to warm last night’s pizza, but a Japanese friend says it is fine as it is. While the host wants a piping-hot slice, the guest starts eating theirs cold. Breakfast preferences part ways beside the microwave.
Take a look
As dinner begins, a Japanese friend briefly presses their palms together. You pause, expecting an announcement, but they are already eating. The little signal is over before its audience has quite caught up.
Take a look