Ojiichans

Danjiri Ojiichans!

They say with age comes wisdom.  I think it also comes with a significant amount of not giving a f**k.  To me, that is a very valuable bit of wisdom.  This freedom of the elderly, although physically and mentally expensive, is why I think Japanese ojiichans are ichiban tanoshi.

Japan is a reserved country, not as much as the guidebooks would have you believe, at least not in my experience, but it is a bit more restrained than home. Your public appearance is very important and social roles and customs are well defined. But when men reach a certain age, and have had a certain amount of sake, those social conventions go out the window. They get louder, more bold, and more bawdy. There is lots of laughter, gestures, facial expression, and all around merriment. It reminds me of home - sitting around the table playing poker and being with my favorite uncles. Or listening to Popsie, Uncle Bob, and Uncle Travis tell stories till late in the night. Old men tend to be amazing storytellers, even if it is in a different language.

Kampai!  Ojiichans from a walk in the woods.

But even when they haven't been drinking, I find it is older men who brave the language barrier and try to talk to me the most. There are several possible reasons for this, but I am going to go with the hypothesis that, like young children, they are free of the constraints of posture imposed by Japanese society. And unlike children, they usually have at least a minimal English vocabulary. Not to mention a curiosity about the world and new experiences.

Now this is a vast generalization. I am sure there are stiff ojii-samas out there that would give any southern patriarch a run for his money, but the old men I have met have all reminded me of the fun loving, storytelling, easy laughing older men who have been such an important part of my life.  In a way, they have become beloved great uncles who might make inappropriate comments (I am assuming from the accompanying gestures), but whose warmth and zest for life are inspirational.