Secrets of life in Japan. Secrets of life in Japan Dmitry Shamov Japan

Dmitry Shamov was born and raised in Moscow. There he graduated from the Pedagogical University. He is a teacher of mathematics and computer science. Or rather, he was.

While still a schoolboy, Dmitry became interested in Japan, and in his student years he worked three jobs - he saved up to study at a Japanese language school.

Today Dmitry lives in Tokyo. He has a Japanese wife and a good job. He is successful video blogger- more than 130 thousand subscribers on YouTube.

Lifehacker interviewed Dmitry. We talked about life in Japan, the Japanese and video blogging. It turned out that many stereotypes (the Japanese are workaholics, the Japanese are insensitive, and so on) are far from reality.

Dmitry Shamov

Other planet

- Dima, why Japan? Where did the passion begin?

As a child, I, like many, watched Sailor Moon and Pokemon. I just liked it. I didn’t even think about moving to Japan then.

But at school I read Teru Miyamoto's Patterned Brocade. It perfectly shows the Japanese spirit, the atmosphere of Japan. Then there was a timid desire to visit this country.

Then I bought books by Kawabata, Abe, Yukio Mishima and other authors. I read it and completely fell in love with Japan. I decided that I would definitely go there.

It seems to me that it was fiction that allowed me to get the right idea about Japan. After all, unlike the compilers of guidebooks, the authors do not need to be cunning, exposing the country in a rainbow light. They just write about what Japan really is. Therefore, my idea of Japan almost completely coincided with what I saw when I arrived.

- Do you remember your first day in Japan?

Yes, it was like being on another planet. :)

I went to study at a language school. However, he did not speak Japanese. AT ALL.

An hour before landing on the plane, they gave me a form that I had to fill out and present at passport control. It was entirely in Japanese. It looked like an alien tablet.

At the airport, I gave this piece of paper to some Japanese uncle, he himself put the necessary checkmarks for me. I was fingerprinted and released in peace.

Nobody met me - I decided to save money on this school service. Therefore, I went out into the street and for a long time could not understand where to go, what to do, where to go. Fortunately, only two trains run from the airport: cheaper and more expensive. Not the first time, but I bought a ticket for the one that is cheaper.

I arrived at the station where I was supposed to make a transfer, and then I “spoke” with a Japanese for the first time. It was necessary to understand where to go next: left or right. We tried to communicate in English, but in the end he just pointed with his finger which train I should take. In general, I got to school with difficulty: without a language, with heavy bags, after a 10-hour flight. It was completely unclear where to go and what to do. Therefore, my advice to those who are planning to go to a language school: pay for the transfer.

- How did you meet at the language school?

Fine. Settled in a hostel with five Chinese, showed the school. Then I went for a walk. I went outside and realized: I'm in Japan!

I realized that life has changed. Nothing will be the same. Despite the fact that I still didn't understand anything (I couldn't even buy food during the first walk), I took it as a step towards something more.

Someone will say that going to a foreign country without knowing the language, and even such a mysterious one as Japan, is crazy. But for me it was a chance to completely change my life.

- When did you start enjoying life in Japan?

Right the next day. I began to orient myself a little, and most importantly, I learned the alphabet.

Hiragana and Katakana

- You got your first level of Japanese in just 1.5 years. How did you manage that?

Nihongo noryoku shiken is an exam to determine the level of Japanese language proficiency for non-native speakers. N1 - the highest level, which implies fluency in spoken and written Japanese.

I arrived without knowledge at all. But I will not say that Japanese was difficult for me. For example, two basic syllabary alphabets - hiragana and katakana - are given a week. I learned them in three hours - either from great motivation, or from desperation. It was necessary to somehow get used to the “other planet”. :)

- English did not help?

The Japanese don't know him well. They have been teaching it at school for 12 years. But they don't need him.

First, 98% of the inhabitants of Japan are Japanese. There are few chances to talk to a foreigner. If a Japanese has spoken to a foreigner in English by the age of 20, this is good luck.

Secondly, Japanese is used everywhere. A game or gadget comes out - there is definitely a Japanese one there. The film comes out - it is dubbed into Japanese.

Therefore, the Japanese do not know English well and are embarrassed by it. If you turn to a Japanese in English, and he shied away from you, then this is not because he is unkind or hostile to foreigners. Most likely, he is just afraid to demonstrate his bad English.

- What advice can you give to people studying or planning to learn Japanese?

On my channel there is a separate section " Live Japanese lessons ».

One of my top tips: you need stability. You can not study today for 10 hours, and tomorrow and the day after tomorrow do not study. There will be no push. You need to practice every day. At least an hour, three is better.

When I came to the language school, there were only Chinese in my class and they had a head start - they knew hieroglyphs. (Chinese and Japanese characters are half the same.) So the teachers told me: "You need to study for three hours a day, and since you are a European, three times more."

- By nine o'clock?!

At first I taught for 14 hours a day. Then I found a part-time job, and there was less time for the language. But I still taught: when I went to work, when I returned from it. Even between his duties as a restaurant manager: he wrote notes with words and pasted them in places where no one saw, and when he passed by, he peeped and repeated.

But, as I said, I had a huge motivation. Agree, it would be foolish to pay a huge amount of money earned with sweat and blood, come to a language school and waste time.

Therefore, the second important point in mastering the Japanese language is interest. If you don't, you probably won't learn.

Dmitry Shamov: "An important point in mastering the Japanese language is interest"

- This advice is more on psychology. And what really helps?

Personally, paper cards helped me. Do not be lazy to make them and, if possible, take them everywhere with you. Also write everything by hand. Even if you can print on a computer, use mechanical memory - write.

For example, you learned five characters. But even if it seems to you that you remember well how they are written, then write them a hundred more times. It should get into your head. The next morning, get up and repeat these five characters. If you made a mistake in at least one, then all five again a hundred more times.

You can also use some programs. Of the dictionaries, the best, in my opinion, is Yarksy. There are desktop (both Windows and Mac) and mobile versions (Android and iOS). The latter, however, is paid, but costs only about $10.

For training hieroglyphs, a good program is Kanji Ninja (漢字忍者). It is made for Japanese students, so there are levels: for junior, middle and high school.

Dmitry learned Japanese in 1.5 years

- Can you learn Japanese from movies or anime?

Can. But keep in mind that in anime, the language is very different from real spoken Japanese. All sorts of turns are used there, such as for coolness. In life, no one talks like that (if only in jest).

If you watch movies, then with Japanese subtitles.

But to really learn how to hear Japanese speech, I recommend downloading an audiobook. In Japanese, there are almost no intonations and stresses. Therefore, for beginners, Japanese speech merges into one - it is not clear where one thought ended and another began. But when someone speaks in your ear in Japanese for hours, understanding will gradually come.

Education

- In Japan, paid, and quite expensive, education. Does this guarantee quality?

In Japan, it's hard to break into people. Everyone understands this, and parents initially invest in the child that he should study well. For the most part, the Japanese are quite smart and versatile.

But the education system itself...

I have seen Japanese high school math textbooks. Students say that there are hyper-complex tasks that melt the brain. But many of these topics in Russia are still in high school.

Are students really suicidal?

Society pressures the Japanese from the elementary grades: you need to study well in order to get into a good high school, and from there to a prestigious high school. Education often determines how the future life of a Japanese will turn out.

In the understanding of Japanese society, if you do not study to the maximum before graduation, then you will not see a good life. Although now this is not entirely true, but schoolchildren are still scared.

It's not even the complexity of the material being studied, but the psychological pressure. All around are rivals that need to be bypassed. Both parents and teachers press.

In addition, bullying of classmates is not uncommon in Japanese schools. Some people actually drive it to suicide. But it is wrong to assume that the suicide rate is very high. Yes, it is rather big, but still lower than in South Korea, Kazakhstan, and sometimes in Russia.

- Most Japanese people have higher education. Is it that important for a career?

In the past, a degree from a prestigious university, such as Tokyo, guaranteed a successful career. At the same time, it didn't matter if he was really a good specialist or if he was empty like a cork. Now there is no such thing. Now knowledge is important. A person without a higher education can find a better place than a university graduate if he knows his business well.

But most Japanese do graduate. This is considered important.

- Is it true that good attendance is half the success when studying at a Japanese university?

Yes. There is a word in Japanese 出席率, which can be translated as "percentage of visits." It cannot be lowered below 80%, and a foreigner should not cross the 90% mark at all. For one hundred percent attendance, small cash incentives are given.

You just need to come to the university and take intermediate tests. This is enough to learn. In some universities (not particularly rated), one visit is generally enough.

Japanese educational institutions are difficult to enter, but they are easy to learn.

- Are diplomas of Russian universities quoted in Japan?

Not very good at work. Only if something out of the ordinary. But the diploma is quoted for admission to graduate school.

Work before karoshi

- Is it difficult to find a job in Japan?

Yes. And not only to foreigners, but also to the Japanese themselves. Going through a hundred interviews is normal.

For foreigners, of course, it is more difficult because of the language. If you are a unique specialist, the only one in the world, then they will hire you without a language, even invite you to work yourself. But getting a regular position in a regular company is very difficult. We have to fight for a place in the sun.

For example, I graduated from a business school after a language course, changed several part-time jobs and went through many interviews before getting a job as a system administrator.

“Are the Japanese really so obsessed with work that sometimes they even have karoshi or do yaroyisatsu?”

Karoshi - sudden death due to overwork and stress at work.
Yaroyisatsu is suicide due to stress at work.

Depends on the person and what kind of work. Labor relations in Japan are changing a lot.

Previously, a person graduated from the university, got a job in a company and worked there until old age. If he quit, then, as a rule, he did not find another job. Now you can change companies every year.

In general, the Japanese really work hard. In fact, they spend a lot of time at work.

- What does it mean?

Quantity does not mean quality.

The Japanese often do not work, but create the appearance of work. They come to the office early, leave later, stretch the work, and the efficiency is low.

By the way, foreigners are favorably distinguished by this. They just carry out their tasks: one is over - we move on to the next, all are over - we go home.

But here it is important to understand that in Japan an employee is always part of a team. There are no individual farmers - your work depends on the work of your comrades. If you have completed your part of the work, and your colleague has not yet, you should sit and wait for him. Therefore, according to Parkinson's law, the Japanese try to occupy all the time that they are given to work.

- Has collective responsibility been preserved in Japan?

The Japanese have no concept of "I". There is a concept of "we". Everyone works for the team. If one screwed up, then the whole team screwed up. Going home if you've finished work and your slow-moving colleagues haven't is disrespectful to the team.

You need to be part of the team and not stick out. They don't like upstarts. If the boss said to do this and that, you need to sit and do it. In Russia, the initiative is welcomed: "Let's do it differently, but like this?" Nobody cares about your opinion in Japan. Given a task - just do it.

Also, working in a team, people are responsible not only for themselves, but also for its other members. Therefore, everyone tries not only to do the work themselves well, but also to look after their comrades.

Dmitry Shamov: “The Japanese do not have the concept of “I”. There is a concept of "we"

Do you think this is an efficient system?

Partly. In office work, in my opinion, it takes on distorted forms. If a person works in a software company and is engaged, for example, in design, he should not depend on programmers or anyone else.

But if we take physical labor, then it is important that the workers keep pace with each other. For example, if you look at how the Japanese build roads - it's fantastic! We can repair a small area for six months. In Japan, a road destroyed by an earthquake is restored in two to three days. A lot of people are involved there: from asphalt pavers to a traffic controller who ensures traffic safety at an emergency site. They work in unison and at great speed.

- Do colleagues communicate outside of work?

Rarely. Free time from work is usually spent with family. But there is such a thing as a Japanese corporate party. It is held every week, usually on Fridays. Attendance is required. It is there that the general corporate spirit is maintained: “We are a team, we are together, and we are great!”.

Sometimes such corporate parties are held in nature. And not just two or three employees who are friends with each other go to the barbecue, but the whole company.

- Can a foreigner count on a pension in Japan? Or do you need citizenship?

In Japan, a quarter of the elderly and very few young. Therefore, even those who do not work pay the pension tax. This also applies to foreigners between the ages of 20 and 60, regardless of whether they have citizenship. If a foreigner carefully made pension contributions, then in old age he can count on benefits from the state.

Advantages and disadvantages

- In any country there are pluses and minuses. What's more in Japan?

In my opinion, pluses. Recently, I even made a video on the channel that Russians in Japan will love.

There are a lot of advantages: from quality of life and cleanliness to culture. Those who truly love Japan will be content with life.

But there are also downsides, of course. For example, very cold apartments. In the room where I am now, the air conditioner and the stove heat me up, and it's still cold. Japanese houses have thin walls, single-layer windows.

- Do the Japanese have a digital addiction?

Yes. You go into the subway, and there 90% of people sit with their heads bowed, poking at their phones. They cannot talk, so they text without interruption. The application is very popular in Japan.

But in transport it is understandable. It looks strange when a guy and a girl come on a date, sit opposite and play on their phones or text (sometimes even with each other). But this is also considered normal.

Also, children on playgrounds do not swing on swings, do not play outdoor games. They sit on a bench, five or seven people, and play Nintendo DS. That is, they go outside to play the console. Only children of three years old run around, have fun, and older children have other interests.

Dmitry Shamov: “Children go outside to play consoles”

安定 - Antei

- You got married in Japan. Tell us about the peculiarities of your relationship with a Japanese woman.

It all depends on the person. I'm lucky. Miki and I understand each other perfectly, we have similar interests. She is even more Russian in character than Japanese.

Dima and Miki

But in general, it is not customary for girls in Japan to talk about feelings. They rarely receive compliments. Therefore, if you tell a Japanese woman that you like her, she will be very surprised and delighted.

Also in Japan there is no such thing as “lady first”. Give a girl a hand, hold the door - no one does that. This also surprises Japanese women.

In our candy-bouquet period, a couple meets almost every day, lovers constantly write and call each other. In Japan, it is normal for a couple to meet once a month or once every two weeks. The girl at this time can walk with her girlfriends, and the guy with his friends. At the same time, during the separation, the girl and the guy do not communicate much. And it's not a lack of time - just such a relationship.

But, again, it all depends on the nature of the person. If you really like each other, then just say that you do not accept such communication. I'm sure the girl will change her behavior.

Are Japanese women good housewives?

In most cases, yes. They will get up themselves, prepare breakfast, if necessary, iron their clothes. And you don't even have to ask. If the couple has a normal relationship, then the girl takes care of her man. I think this is not a feature of Japanese women - this is the case in any country.

Do the Japanese marry for love?

Not always.

For Japanese women, such a thing as “antei” is very important. This is stability. If a guy has no savings (the average savings in Japan is about 5 million yen, that is, more than 2 million rubles), or he does not understand what he does (all sorts of “free artists” in Japan are considered almost idlers), or he works there , where there is no career growth (any work is respected in Japan, but still the loader does not have very many prospects), then it is unlikely that the girl will marry him. No matter how much they love each other. If there are no antei, then a Japanese woman cannot introduce a young man to her parents, one cannot connect the future with this person and give birth to children from him.

Therefore, many Japanese women meet with the one they love, and marry the one who has an ante. I have acquaintances who are together not out of great love, but simply because they feel good with each other and they have an ante.

I think that's why in some families in Japan it's normal to go left.

- And what kind of stability do men look for?

Men are looking for three things: for a girl to be economic, sweet (outwardly) and faithful. But, again, it all depends on the person. For some, even housekeeping is not important. The Japanese sometimes perceive a woman as a beautiful accessory that can be shown off to friends. This approach has historical roots.

Dmitry Shamov: "Miki is more Russian in character than Japanese"

hikikomori

Why did you start vlogging?

Initially, I opened the group "

Hello, friends. Many people ask why plastic umbrellas are so popular in Japan. I will try to answer this question.

Disposable plastic umbrellas are an attribute of modern Japan. If in some anime they draw rain, then someone will definitely use such an umbrella. The same situation with Japanese films, series and just art. Many foreigners also like them, so some buy them as a souvenir from Japan.

Now plastic umbrellas are undeniably popular, but it was not always so. Let's take a look at history.

In Japan, there is the White Rose company, which, after the Second World War, took up the production of umbrellas. Due to the fact that cheap materials were used, the umbrellas of this company had a serious flaw. When they got wet, the paint was simply washed off from them, which, of course, the buyers were dissatisfied with. To somehow fix this problem, the company began to produce plastic covers for their umbrellas. One such case cost 350 yen (currently 190r).

These covers became incredibly popular and the company's business went uphill. But after some time, other companies began to use nylon for the production of umbrellas. This material made it possible to preserve the original color of the umbrella and the paint was not washed off. No one needed plastic cases right away.

The White Rose company then decided to produce full-fledged plastic umbrellas. However, they were not in demand at all. Firstly, their price was even slightly higher than that of ordinary umbrellas. Secondly, the Japanese considered them simply ugly. It would seem that the story of plastic umbrellas should have ended there, but the Japanese consumer market has changed dramatically.

In the 80s and 90s of the last century, disposable goods became popular in Japan. Lighters, Bic pens, disposable cameras, sticks, etc. This was a chance for White Rose. They began to buy goods for their umbrellas abroad, which made it possible to drastically reduce the cost of production. They are now disposable too.

Not surprisingly, cheap disposable plastic umbrellas immediately became popular in Japan. Due to the fact that their cost was low, the Japanese did not worry about the breakage of the umbrella. And in Japan, it often rains and there are typhoons, because of which umbrellas do not last long. It is also not scary if somewhere you accidentally forgot an umbrella. After heavy rains in Japan near subway stations and on crowded streets, you can often see whole mountains of broken plastic umbrellas that lie right on the ground. In Japan, there are no special trash cans for umbrellas, so the Japanese simply leave them where they can be easily found by services that keep the city clean.

Now almost everyone uses plastic umbrellas. They are especially popular with young employees who often have to travel somewhere for work. If it suddenly started to rain, then you can buy such an umbrella for a penny (100-500 yen (50-250r)) at any store. You can also ask for a plastic umbrella in a cafe, restaurant, or even take it for free at the station, provided that it is then returned to the same or another station.