It used to be that everyone in Japan would celebrate their birthdays on the same day. Even though I saw a house with balloons and a poster announcing a birthday party this past week, it seems that the fashion is still to de-emphasize individual birthdays. I mentioned that November 6th was my birthday to every class and teacher, but the response was tepid. They would offer a "Happy Birthday," but didn't ask how old I was turning, or what I was going to do to celebrate. During the beginning Question Time in one class, I even asked a girl when her birthday was (April 24th) and if she got to eat or do anything special. She said no and looked confused by my question.
Luckily, there are plenty of Western ALTs in the area. They helped me celebrate. We met at the Ota station and made a snap decision to go to a seafood restaurant with 'atmosphere.' The place was fantastic. It has lots of random Japanese artsy things. In our room was samurai armor and gorgeous wall hangings. The food wasn't bad either.
Ignore my odd look in that photo. I was too happy and full to pose.
In addition to my fantastic dinner, I got to open so many envelopes and packages from many of you. I had been worried that my birthday would be sad and lonely, but you helped to make it delightful. Thank you!
2 comments:
Do meals in Japan always involve so many dishes? No throwing it all on the same plate like here?
No, sometimes it is all in one dish. Usually, if it is all in one plate, then there is rice at the bottom with meat, veggies, or sushi on top. Other than those combos, they do seem to like to separate out the different foods.
Post a Comment