oh Japan!

While doing my Halloween class (a few days after Halloween), Ohnuki sensei mentions to me “did you know some trick or treaters were shot and killed on Halloween?” “They opened the door and they were shot”. No, I hadn:t heard that. I searched for it on the news and still couldn't find it. Where do the Japanese people get all the news of all the gun violence in America. And why haven’t I heard of it. That’s why many people in this country are afraid to go to America. Because it’s scary and everyone has a gun. The movies don’t help to offset this stereotype. It’s frustrating. Another thing about Japan. There is a phenomenon called “hikikomori” in which young students who are often bullied retreat to their homes, never to go out again. (Or, if they go out, it’s only at night) The reason they are able to do this is because their parents cater to it. Their parents don’t know how to handle it so they continue to take care of their children and let them stay at home. [School in Japan is only compulsory until age 16 I think]. Normally when parents don’t know how to handle a situation with their child, they call the school. But this situation is a little different because once the child drops out, usually the school will not intervene. Recently, a girl at my school “quit”. I asked the English teacher if she would become a hikikomori (half joking, half-serious). The teacher said no. I mentioned that the problem of hikikomori only exists in Japan and isn’t it interesting. She replied that it’s because the Japanese people want to take care of their children. They must take care of their children, but in other countries, this is not the case. Americans leave their children to the wolves. Forcing someone at a young age to face the realities of big scary society is in my mind a greater service to them than the convenience of letting them stay at home and do what they want. How will they learn to function in society? This is definitely a case of not teaching someone how to fish! It is also an example of the enigmatic logic of the Japanese psyche.