Tag Archive for Japan

Ainu People in Hokkaido

2009/04/01 About Hokkaido No comments
At Ainu Festival

At Ainu Bear Festival

While I was at the museum in Shari, I took some pictures of Ainu cultural exhibitions.

The picture at the left is very important Ainu festival relating to bears. They consider bear as an important symbol for their lives. Each year they celebrate this festival and keep the bear at the festival.

Spiritually bear is worshipped as a form of god.

Every museums I visited around Hokkaido, I could see this kind of pictures on festivals for bears.

There must be very strong tie with bear in Ainu’s life style.

Ainu catching salmon

Ainu catching salmon

Ainu knew how to catch salmon from the rivers. Salmon was major food source for their winter survivor. They used Salmon skin to make their shoes. Dried or smoked salmon would be prepared for their winter.

So Ainu invented salmon catching devices very similar to fishing equipment. It is usually wooden spear with devices to catch or hold the salmon at the end.

As you can see in the picture, the fish can not escape from the trap and it is not piercing the fish, but it hooked the salmon so that it can not escape.

Very smart device for Ainu.

Ainu House

Ainu House

Here is a picture of typical Ainu house.

They made the house like this and there are many places where you could find the trace of the previous Ainu house.

They are nature friendly.

According to what I heard from some people who worked with Ainu, they said that Ainu take only what they need from the nature. When Ainu fisherman go to catch fish, they only take what they need  and they do not have idea of keeping them for sales. They live in a community so they share what they have caught.

This prohibited them from developing a capitalism in their society. Therefore, keeping accounting was not in their ideas.

Ainu's four seasons

Ainu's four seasons

Here is the typical four seasons for Ainu.

They did not develop rice growing since they did not have idea of sales. Whatever they could find in the nature, they caught or ate them as the provision from it.

It was only when Japanese came to Hokkaido, they began to have trade with Japanese. They traded their salmon or crane with mordern items from Japanese.

I find it interesting for Ainu to live in harmony with nature. They are peace loving people and have never initiated war against Japanese.

I just pray that Ainu people will come to know the Lord and have peace with God as they make peace with Japanese and themselves.

Abraham Lee@Gospel House

Japanese TV programs

2009/03/22 About Japan 2 comments

When I first arrived in Japan, I could not understand anything at all. However, just as one of my friend from England said that Japanese TV programs seemed to be very low budget programs, I should agree with that. Some programs were worthless to watch like junk. Well, my impression about the contents of general tv programs were eating, taking bath (hotsprings), travel, laughing just for laughing’s sake, etc.

NHK in English

NHK in English

The only channel worthy to watch was NHK. They put things like real world. This particular program adds value to watch TV. Real life stories, economics, etc. were very helpful. But they are all based on evolution based thoughts. The Department of Education with current politics were tied to only show along with evolution theory as norm. Therefore, you only have to have one thought without any other opinions. So the average Japanese will live with this unified thought all through out their life span. No other options were allowed in education in Japan. That is so sad to know. It is pitiful that they do not allow other opinions openly. Therefore, even NHK’s perspectives were biased.

Above NHK English site, you can learn Japanese from there. The URL for this site is: http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/

My son likes to watch quiz programs or knowledge based programs on a wide variety of subjects.

Well, after Samuel started to do homeschooling, we decided not to connect to the TV and since then, we did not watch TV at all. It has been over 4 years now without TV. You can tell the difference in our family life where we have more conversation and productive activities like playing the guitar and the piano as we sing together as a famliy. Occasionally we watch movies. That is about it.

Much of children’s animation also lack good morality. This was one of the reasons why I disconnected TV at home. They seem funny, but lots of times, morally unsound. This creates the pitfall of watching animation in Japan. There were many times where I should have told Samuel where I stood on various issues and values as we watched TV together. Maybe this could be true in any TV programs around the world.

Anyways, TV programs in Japan generally put me off many times. So you can not expect much from Japanese TV in my opinion. We need to have more Christian influence on media with proper perspectives and values.

Abraham Lee@Gospel House

Yogurt became our favorite food these days

2009/03/21 About Hokkaido, Life in Japan 2 comments
Yogurt

Yogurt

Hokkaido is known for one of the best farm land in Japan. Tokachi district is where we live and Tokachi is a good brand for agricultural products. When these products are in Tokyo area, they can sell at higher prices because of its brand.

Before I came to Hokkaido, I did not drink milk much since I did not like the processed milk much. However, after I came to Hokkaido, I began to drink milk much because of the different processing process for milk in Japan. One of my dairy farmer friend gave us non-processed milk and they were very rich and I liked it. The dairy farmer friend showed us around his farm with lots of Holstein milk cows.

It was only one hour away to get to my friend’s farm. Lots of other animal were there. Anyways, Yogurt is fermented milk and they are good after each meal. There are many other brands for yogurt in Japan. We mix with liquid sugar from sugar beet before we eat them.

Recently we eat yogurt a lot and almost everyday we find ourselves eat yogurt. When yogurt is not in the refrigerator, someone will notice and we just go out to buy some.

My diet in Japan has changed greatly. First of all, I began to eat brown rice everyday. Since then, I lost about 3 kg (about 5 lbs.) Lucky! Miso soup and tofu, and other fish are very often on the table. Less meat and more vegetables. Specially from the spring to fall, we will have home grown vegetables. It is almost all-you-can-eat vegetables and they are good.

Hokkaido provides fresh milk, lots of vegetables, and delicious fish. You know also Hokkaido is well known for good food. You have to come and taste some when you come to Japan. Hokkaido is the place you want to visit. If you do, please stop by us.

Blessings!!

Abraham Lee@Gospel House

Kushiro, a port city near my town

2009/03/16 About Hokkaido, Life in Japan No comments
Kushiro

Kushiro

Kushiro has become very close in my mind after we moved to Urahoro. It takes about 1 hour by car from Urahoro to Kushiro. Kushiro is 4th biggest city in Hokkaido. #1 is Sapporo, #2 Asahigawa, #3 Hakodate, #4 Kushiro, #5 Tomakomai, #6 Obihiro, etc. Well, we often go to Kushiro for swimming and eat out there. Sometimes we go grocery shopping too. Kushiro is known for good fish since Kushiro is a port city, and there are lots of choice fish on the market.

Of course, there are many good restaurants in Kushiro. It has also wet land (march) as tourist attraction.

Yesterday we went to Kushiro for lunch, shopping, and swimming. It was a fun trip and refreshing time as a family. From the end of March and begging of April, the new spring season starts. Life around us seems to be as lively as new beginning of the year. Maybe that is one of the reason why new year starts in April in Japan. Well the school starts in April, new fiscal year starts in April.

map of Kushiro

map of Kushiro

The spring warmth brings many people outside for walk and often takes us to new ideas in life. Something lively is starting everywhere. Farmers begin to be busy for seeding. Snow melts everyday. You begin to see the land more and more each day from the snow covered area. Sparrows came to our home again breeding as usual.

The sound of spring can be heard everywhere just as our hearts are ready for new beginning.

Abraham Lee@Gospel House

Another Healthy Japanese Food

2009/03/09 Life in Japan No comments
Miso Old Sytle

Miso Old Sytle

Japanese food is known as healthy food. One of the reason why Japanese food is healthy is because of the use of lactic acid from fermentation. Miso is one of them. I know what you are thinking now, Natto – fermented beans. But I am not talking about Natto, but Miso. Miso is also another fermented mashed or chapped beans.

Here is how to make miso:

Make miso

Not many people make miso at home because it’s a very lengthy process and requires some experience. Nevertheless we will try to explain how to make miso at home.

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Suicide incident in my town

2009/03/02 Life in Japan, Missions in Japan No comments

Last week, I visited my friend, Mr. Kinoshita.While we were talking about Karamatsu (Hokkaido Larch), he suddently mentioned about the death of the construction business owner, Mr. Takahashi. It was a shock to me to hear that he passed away. He helped our garden and the parking lot making. His only daughter is 1st year at the Jr. High. He was invloved in PTA a lot. In many different occasions, we met each other. There was no indication of his committing suicide.

His father also committed suicide when his company was not operating right.

It seems that the spritual atmosphere at Urahoro town may not be good. This causes many to contemplate committing suicide.

I have never met his wife or his daughter. But it was too sad that he passed away. While I had time to share the Gospel, I could have shared with him. The major reason why he commit suicide was the financial problem in operating the company. He had 7 or 8 emplyees and there was bad check of $40,000. The financial pressure was so great that he could not bear through this time.

Many Japanese are in similar situations and Japanese suicide counts over 20,000 a year.

Whenever I have a chance, I should share the Good News with people I meet from this time on.

May the Lord work in those people’s lives!

Abraham@Gospel House

Just like Apostle Paul as a tentmaker

2009/02/27 About Japan, About our ministry, Life in Japan, Missions in Japan 2 comments

Apostle Paul in his strategic missions to the gentiles, chose to be a bi-vocal missionary.

Paul Tentmaker

Tentmaker

He chose to be a tentmaker. Why? Because he wanted to model his life style to the gentiles who did not have any law or the Bible. There was no one who could show what a Christian is like. So, Apostle Paul decided to show what a Christian is like in those time.

Today, Japan is very similar. They do not understand what God had done in creation. They heard the name of Jesus, but they do not simply grasp the concept of forgiveness nor the grace.

It was the very will of God for me to be a bi-vocal missionary in Japan. It was 1996 when I was living in Sapporo, Hokkaido when God began to speak to me about business with missions. When I first heard from the Lord about this. There was struggle in my and my wife.  Our missions model was only “Faith Mission.” YWAM was where we were. At that time, it was not common even in YWAM to go this route as a tentmaker.

After about 10 years of being a tentmaker, I began to see why this was so important in Japan. First of all, Japanese value work as the most important area of life. They sacrifice everything for their work because it suppies for thier financial need. In Japanese, they say, “まじめに働きなさい” – meaing, “work faithfully.” It has conotation of seriousness in it when they say it. Everything revloves around the work they do. Therefore, business relationship is the most important relationship in life. When I began to understand this, I said to God, “You are right on this!”

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Current Move of God

2009/02/25 About our ministry, Life in Japan, Missions in Japan No comments

Recently God is leading both my wife and I to do something new.

During our time of fervant prayer for this year, God confirmed to raise young leaders for Japan. My son, Samuel is now 15. We homeschooled him since he was 5th grade. We are following ACE curriculum for the teaching. He will be in his 9th grade this year.

Young people in Japan go through many difficult challenges. Their 1st big challenge is to pass the entrance exam for thier high school. Each high school has rank of its own. Each area has the best high school that people are aware of. The second best school, and down the line, the worst school. People identify themselves with the rank. That is one of the reason why the parents were very anxious about their children’s future. However, better school does not make them happy. Yes it will boost thier pride. But prideful students are not the happiest bums.

Japanese society is structured around labeling sub-sections of social structure. Believe it or not, this is true to every part of society. They are hopeless in the way it presents. They do not agree with this system. But they can not escape from the pressures from the society. They can not be an outsider alone. So, they decide to follow the way just the society proceeds.

However, our challenge is to present the alternatives for living. 1st alternative is to create their own job or being self-employeed. Some of our neighbors said that Japanese education only produces good employees, but never entreprenures. I think that statement says the truth. They are good people, but without initiatives. They tend to go with the flow. Never wanting to be someone outstanding.

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