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Taking Medicine in Japan: Water or Milk or Coffee?

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 article on Mediium https://medium.com/japonica-publication/taking-medicine-in-japan-c381e4aed159                                                                       Photo by  Alex Padurariu  on  Unsplash What is daily life like for an American husband and a Japanese wife living in Japan? Scott and Yoko have been married for 39 years and lifestyle differences keep appearing. We are not sure if they have to do with culture, family background, or individual differences. Here is one example that includes a conversation and is followed by comments by Yoko and Scott about their habits. Scott and Yoko have very different habits concerning what to eat when sick and how to take medicine or pills. Scott, after going to a doctor and getting some pills for his fever, might have a conversation like the following with Yoko: Yoko: I will make some soupy rice  (okayu ) for you. Scott: No thank you. I think I will have some oatmeal for supper instead. Yoko: Oatmeal for supper! Oatmeal is for breakfa
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Doing Laundry Wrong in Japan: How daily activities highlight different thinking between me and my Japanese wife

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Link to Medium article https://medium.com/japonica-publication/doing-laundry-wrong-in-japan-332126918ec3 Doing Laundry Wrong in Japan How daily activities highlight different thinking between me and my Japanese wife Doing daily activities in Japan often highlights differences in thinking between me and my Japanese wife, Yoko. I wrote about how  taking medicine  is different. Some of our ways of thinking may stem from our cultural, gender, or personal differences. Doing laundry is one example. Yoko and I often do laundry together in the morning. We have a typical Japanese washing machine that spins the clothes to remove the water. The washing machine is actually a washer/dryer all in one, but the focus is on the washer. The dryer takes about four hours to warm up 2–3 shirts and 2–3 pairs of socks. Forget about drying. The drying solution, and this is for many Japanese households, is to hang the clothes outside on long poles on the veranda. Our Laundry. Photo by Author When using our old
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  Marrying in Japan : Waiting for a Father’s Approval, Sort of                                                                       Photo by  Belle Collective  on  Unsplash Scott Johnston Published in Japonica Publication 5 min read October 24, 2023 Published online at  https://medium.com/japonica-publication/marrying-in-japan-e81b481dbc7d DC Palter mentioned in A Fond Farewell to the Mother-in-Law Who Refused to Allow Us to Marry about his Japanese mother-in-law being against his marriage. In my case, my soon-to-be father-in-law did not approve of the marriage. Following is a conversation between Yoko, my wife, and me discussing our courtship and marriage, which occurred about 40 years ago. I came to Japan as an assistant language teacher. Back then, it was called Mombusho English Fellow (MEF). I taught in prefectural high schools in Kanagawa Prefecture. Also, the Kanagawa Education Prefectural Center would send me out to teach at places, such as community centers. One day, I was se
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An updated version of the Apartment Hunting in Japan

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  An updated version of the  Apartment Hunting in Japan: Or Remember Your Wallet December 8, 2022 Published online at  https://medium.com/japonica-publication/apartment-hunting-in-japan-1033d56b6501 Searching for an apartment Looking for an apartment was relatively easy in Japan. I highlight the word: looking. This was our process several years ago when we rented an apartment in Hyogo, Japan. We made an appointment for a visit to a realtor and showed up that day. Outside there was a board listing the guests for the day, and ジョンストン、my name in katakana, was there. The moment we sat down, a lady pointed at the DRINK MENU. A reminder — we are in a realtor’s office, not a coffee shop — and I got some hot coffee and grabbed some of the candies in the jar next to me. Extra energy in the apartment hunt. After showing us four places on the internet, we turned around and a van was waiting for us with a worker standing by the door. We got in the van, and the employee did his obligatory 90-degree
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