Scott Johnston

 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

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