And so I spent the
coldest winter of my life. Okay, this is a little over dramatic. Before moving to Japan, I spent four years in
South Dakota, where winter temps regularly dip way, way below zero
(-17.77777778 for those of you using the Celsius scale). Usually around -40 Fahrenheit (surprisingly,
-40 Celsius). In comparison, Osaka has
only dipped below 32 Fahrenheit (0 Celsius) a few times this winter. Yet somehow, it just feels so much colder.
Mostly I think the
Japanese cold is intolerable because it is not just cold, it is damp and
cold. At -40 in South Dakota, there is
no moisture left in the air. In Osaka,
it can be raining and 28 Fahrenheit (-2 Celsius). That kind of cold just seeps into your
body. Even if you manage to stay dry,
you still feel freezing. Then there is
the wind that seems to cut through the many, many layers of clothing you are
wearing. In four years in South Dakota,
I never wore long johns or really much in the way of layers. Here, I wear long johns every day (and knee
high socks, sweaters, undershirts, whatever I can find). Some days I can hardly move my arms or legs
for all the layers I am wearing under my slacks and blouse.
This brings up another
fundamental difference, though. In
America, I never had to wear layers or really worry about the cold, because
central heating was usually just a short sprint away. Even on the coldest days, the most I was
exposed to the elements was the short distance between the car and whatever
building I was heading for. On super
cold days (those -40 ones), you just didn't leave the house. Even during blizzards, we managed to stay relatively
toasty between generators, blankets, alcohol, and fur babies. I remember schools being so hot during the
winter, that you had to wear short sleeves under your coat or you would sweat
all day.
Not so in Japan. I am not sure if it is a nation wide test of courage or just
giving the middle finger to Mother Nature, but central heating does not exist
in Japan. Given how much they excel in
the realm of technology, I found this strange.
Schools are not heated (or air conditioned). During the coldest months, they bring in gas
stoves that sit in the middle of the room.
In the staff room there is a wall unit.
But hallways might as well be outside (some of the windows are always
open anyway). On the best days the cold
is uncomfortable, on the worst you and your students spend the hour
shivering. Now other buildings are
heated, so working in an office or store is warmer. Still not central heating, but better than
actually being outside. The busses and
train are also decently warm. Some are downright
hot (which are usually the overcrowded ones so you can't manage to move to get
your coat off). However, this creates its
own problems when you have to get off and walk.
You just managed to warm up and now it is back into the elements. And you walk everywhere in this country. So by the end of the day you return to a
freezing house (because leaving the wall heater on is dangerous) with frostbite
on your toes and an eternally damp coat.
The cold isn't all bad,
though. It has given rise to some great
traditions - hot sake, udon and ramen, and, my favorite, the kotatsu. Winter is a miserable season everywhere. While, as an American, I feel Japan could be
doing a lot more to keep its citizens warm during the winter, I realize it is
just another way that our cultures are different. Japanese people don't like the cold any more
than I do (actually they might be less tolerant toward it), but rather than
spoil themselves with central heating, overly warm buildings, and just staying
out of the elements, they instead live with it and find a way to almost enjoy
it. And that is a large part of the
difference between America and Japan.
America changes things to suit itself.
We refuse to be uncomfortable.
Japan finds a way to live with the uncomfortable bits. They create traditions that make it a little
bit more tolerable, but nothing can change the underlying irritant. But the shoulder their burden together. Maybe it makes it a bit less uncomfortable
when you know everyone else is suffering too.
Personally, I am just
waiting for spring to come and thaw me out.
No comments:
Post a Comment