Going Whole Poodle in Japan: 旅の恥掻き捨て

I was taught a good expression yesterday:

旅の恥は掻き捨て 【たびのはじはかきすて】

旅 【たび】 (n,vs) travel; trip; journey
恥 【はじ】 (n) shame; embarrassment
掻く 【かく】 (v5k,vt) (1) (uk) to scratch; (2) (See 汗をかく) to perspire; (3) to shovel; to paddle;
捨てる 【すてる】 (v1,vt) to throw away; to cast aside; to abandon; to resign; to break up with (someone)

Literally: "trip embarrassments, shovel and toss"

I guess you could translate this more smoothly as "Embarrassments that happen abroad can be discounted."

This is the sage advice that was given to me by my Deputy Section Chief when I expressed concern that I have to give a speech in Japanese in only 30 minutes (when the original speech was an hour), and my Japanese isn't good enough to speak that quickly. He used this expression to mean that no matter how poorly I do, it'll be ok because I'm abroad and it won't have any real effect on my career. This is the closest equivalent to "gaijin pass" that I can think of! Basically, we can get away with making mistakes, etc., because we're foreigners and not expected to know all the ins and outs of how things work here. So in a way it can be a relief, but it's a double-edged sword because it's also a reminder that we will never fit in. (I'm reminded of how nice it is when I'm just treated as a human being instead of a curiousity, like when I go to the dentist's and they just speak to me in Japanese normally, instead of freaking out that a foreigner is speaking Japanese, even if ineptly.)

He intended to be supportive, but in a way, it can be even more disconcerting. I hope that my work at the Ministry has been helpful in some way, and I don't want to be seen as just something entertaining. Speaking of entertainment, I was using a phrase with my fellow fellows before we came to Japan. We recognized that there was a likelihood we would be seen just as "dancing poodles" in that to some colleagues, it would be merely entertaining that there was a foreigner in the office, and that we would be lucky if we were given real work to do. (as in: sure, dancing poodles don't dance particularly well, but it's a wonder that they dance at all.) We eventually came to the conclusion that in some cases, it made sense not to fight being held up as cheap entertainment, so instead of making the most of things by "going whole hog" we would be "going whole poodle."

As it turned out, I've been given reasonably substantive work, even if I haven't been incorporated entirely into the daily goings-on in my Section, so I am very thankful. I'm also thankful that I've been able to learn so much about trade treaties, etc. So I guess in the end, I should just suck it up on the occasions that I'm seen by some people as a curiosity....and enjoy the ride.

So, really, maybe the Expression of the Day should be:

着眼大局 【ちゃくがんたいきょく】 (n) having an eye to the big picture; being aware of the general situation

Word of the Day: 時効 (Statute of Limitations)

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's Justice Ministry 法務省(Houmushou) announced that it would soon be launching a study group 検討会(kentoukai) to deliberate whether to extend 延長 (enchou) or abolish 撤廃 (teppai) the statute of limitations for certain felonies 重大事件 (juudai-jiken). Here's the first paragraph of the article:

法務省は３日、殺人などの重大事件の公訴時効を見直す方向で検討に入った。刑事訴訟法は殺人など「死刑に当たる罪」の時効期間を２５年と定めているが、期間の延長や時効の撤廃も含めて検討する。

On the third (of January), the Justice Ministry will launch a study group aimed at reconsidering the statute of limitations for prosecution of felonies including murder. The study will also address whether to extend or abolish the statute of limitations, which the Criminal Procedure Code sets at 25 years for capital punishment crimes.

Vocabulary List:

刑事訴訟法 【けいじそしょうほう】 (n) Criminal Procedure Code
殺人 【さつじん】 (n,adj-no) murder
死刑 【しけい】 (n) death penalty; capital punishment
時効期間 【じこうきかん】 limitation period; period of limitation; period of prescription; prescription period
期間の延長 【きかんのえんちょう】 extension of period
時効 【じこう】 (n) (1) statute of limitations; lapse of rights after a period of time; prescription; (2) ageing; aging
撤廃 【てっぱい】 (n,vs) annulment; abolition; repeal; rescission
検討する 【けんとうする】 (n,vs) consideration; examination; investigation; study; scrutiny; discussion

Headline of the Day: 紅葉マークの表示義務 "Obligation to Show the "Autumn Leaf" Sticker

On the Metropolitan Police's web site, there is a notice that, according to 【道路交通法第７１条の５・第２項】, Road Traffic Law, Section 71, Clause 2:


７５歳以上の運転者が普通自動車を運転するときは、車の前面と後面に「紅葉マーク(高齢運転者標識)」を表示しなければなりません。

= Drivers over the age of 75 must display on the front and back of the vehicle the "Autumn Leaf" sticker signifying "elderly driver" when operating common passenger vehicles.

(I hope there aren't drivers over 75 operating commercial trucks!)


When I first got to Japan, I was puzzled as to why the sticker indicating "Learner" 初心者was a green arrow, but now I realize it's a green, sprouting leaf, which makes more sense: 若葉マーク (although it still looks like an arrow to me)

The "elderly driver" sticker 紅葉マーク looks like a dried up leaf about to fall from the tree, which is a pretty depressing reminder for the elderly drivers. (This reminds me of an article I read about slang terms used by doctors in the UK; apparently, "CTD" on a patient's chart stood for "circling the drain"...ack!)

At least the name is better than the one used before for drivers over 70: 枯れ葉マーク "areha maaku," which is literally "withered leaf" sticker. I think I'd refuse to put that on my car too, if I were in their shoes.

Although the site indicates that it's an "obligation" 義務, according to the Japan Times, the provisions relating to fines 反則金 【はんそくきん】(lit. "against + rule + money) of 4000 Yen for failure to comply 遵守 【じゅんしゅ】 will not be enforced 実施【じっし】されていない. (The police web site, however, still has the fine listed with a notice in red saying "現在は指導期間としています" or something like "The Period of Instruction is currently in effect."

According to the article, the requirement is supposedly being downgraded by the National Police Authority (NPA) to an "obligation to make an effort" because approximately 75% of drivers over 75 already use the stickers. In my opinion, it would seem that the ones who refuse to use the stickers are precisely the ones whose operation of a vehicle would require a warning to other drivers.

According to the web site, there are other stickers, which I haven't noticed on the streets yet.

A butterfly for 聴覚障害者標識 = Symbol for Hearing & Vision Impaired Drivers:

A four-leaf clover for 身体障害者標識 = Symbol for Physically Impaired Drivers:

Both of these are truly puzzling. I don't know what a butterfly has to do with hearing/vision impairment. It also seems like the internationally-recognized symbol for "disabled" would have done just fine, and I'm not sure what a clover has to do with physical impairment. (Maybe soon someone will tell me that it's actually four heart-tadpoles or something...)

Speaking of which, I'm seeing the use of "身体不自由" all over. Apparently because the term 障害者 is disfavored because it has connotations of "injury," organizations are using "身体不自由" which is closer to "physically challenged."