My Newest Obsession: Terrace House

I try and not get too carried away with most things in my life. I attempt to not get too high or too low. But some things cannot be helped. Are you currently super into a book series, place, movie or person? If you are, then we share something in common. My newest obsession is Terrace House.

In my English class, the kids learn about the 5 W’s. Who, what, where, when and why. Let’s try and use that format to explain how I am currently not maximizing my free time.

What is Terrace House?

Terrace House is a Japanese reality TV show that puts 3 single men and 3 single women in a house in Japan while people watch and hope they fall in love. Think of a toned-down version of Real World that you could watch with your mother. The show provides them with beautiful cars to explore with and it basically chronicles the daily lives of young Japanese people trying to figure out their careers and find love. Many people join Terrace House to gain recognition for their band, their art work or add to their Instagram follower count. It has been around since 2012, is gaining in popularity worldwide and is brought to you by, to no shock to anyone, Netflix.

Who?

Age range is from 19-31. The members are either full or half Japanese and tend to be quite attractive. They seem to be mostly well behaved, don’t party that much and is just a wholesome overall vibe to the entire show. There is also a cast of 6 comedians/hosts who begin each week recapping what happened on the previous episode. They cut to the hosts a few times each show to show their reactions and their general takes on what is happening in the show. They might be better than the actual drama taking place. Curiously, one of the hosts has been caught not paying his taxes in Japan so his future on the show is in doubt; I am not pleased with his criminal activity influencing my down time.

Where?

The current season is happening in Tokyo. The other season I am watching right now takes place in Karuizawa, near Nagano. They go snowboarding and enjoy nature. It’s quite cute. They have also done a season in Hawaii and in Shonan area.

When?

New episodes every Tuesday. When they are released, the time of that episode was about two months ago. So the next episode that comes out on Tuesday would have been filmed towards the end of September. Some seasons can last up to 40 episodes and last about 30 minutes.

Why?

I have no idea. Why do I watch it? I love anything to do with Japan and gaining insight into their daily lives. It’s good clean fun and people are trying to fall in love. Since the only woman I talk to these days is my Japanese teacher online once a week, it is safe to say I am living vicariously through these Terrace House guests.

Why is it on the air? People love reality TV and the Japanese approach to dating is much different than in the West. They go on a ton of dates before saying they like each other; they are super polite and formal; they are also aware that they are on this popular show so they follow along with the comments online so it’s not like they are living in some bumble. The humanness of it all is a pleasure to see.

Do I seem like the kind of person who would buy a Terrace House shirt and then go to Japan and hope people ask me about it? Well the answer to that question is surely yes I did that and no, nobody approached me which should also not be a colossal surprise.

I would like to use the excuse that it is helping with my Japanese learning but they speak so fast that I’m not sure what the net benefit is to my learning. I am catching on to some expressions but without the subtitles I would be lost. How do I know that? Because one week I went to watch the episode but the woman who translates from Japanese to English hadn’t done the translation yet so I had a choice to make. Either wait a day or two for the translation to be up or watch it without the translation, see what I could pick up then WATCH IT FOR A SECOND TIME to see what I missed. I obviously watched it twice. In doing so, I realized that not much actually happens in an episode. It’s a lot of talking about past dates and planning for future dates. The women on the show are usually in a small disagreement with one of the other women and the men are just oblivious to their surroundings.

Most of the people that are on the show are fine. Some are terrible and some just make the show. Here is my current top 3

Armen. Half Japanese/Half American. Some people only stay on the show for about 2-3 months. He stayed from episode 11 until the final episode, 45. People would come and go and he would just be hanging out, drinking and trying to fall in love. Great work. He also dated my second favourite person

Masako Endo. She's fun, she's cute and she got together with my main man Armen but sadly they aren't still together.

My current favourite Terrace House guest is 

Hana! She's a wrestler, has a great vibe and is extra super cute. She's searching for a romantic adventure. I hope she finds it.

Do I recommend that you watch this show? Well if you have read this far, you might as well watch a trailer or two and see if you dig it. I attached a link to a ranking of every Terrace House cast member and a trailer to one of the seasons to peruse at your own leisure. Do I follow some of them on Instagram? Maybe. I try and not watch too much TV but I am powerless against the Terrace House spell. This is all for today. I wish you an abundance of free time for you to follow your obsession. 

"I plan to stay as long as I can." Arman

PS:

I just read a little unknown titled name To Kill a Mocking Bird. You’ve probably never heard of it but if you have the time it has a great message.

Rankings: https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/every-terrace-house-cast-member-ranked.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qBl7_t0M_U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qBl7_t0M_U

Thoughts on my first trip to Japan

Thoughts on Japan

Where do I start?

I have never wanted to go to a country so badly. 2009 was the year I decided I wanted to experience living abroad. I applied online to a bunch of English language schools in Japan and even had some interviews in Toronto (that is an entire other blog post). Long story short, I didn’t get the job I wanted and my most recent attempt to work in Japan was thwarted due to my inability to answer the question, “What is the difference between safe and safety?”. I believe that my efforts to live there and being denied time and time again has only fueled my intrigue and motivation to explore Japan. It’s like Japan is a woman who is playing hard to get. It’s not fun if it’s too easy so Japan has been this 10-year challenge. However, while most women continue to deny me, Japan was gracious enough to allow me entry into its borders. Here is that story.

One reason I moved to Korea was its proximity to Japan. All of my upcoming holidays are in Japan and I am (slowly) trying to learn Japanese. I booked a flight in September for Tokyo but due to some unforeseen Korean visa work issues, I had to cancel this flight. I don’t remember ever having to cancel a flight before in my entire life. It felt as thought I was in the movie The Truman Show and while people said Japan existed, I started to feel like the world was conspiring to keep me out. After my cancelled trip, I looked towards November where I could take a day off and found a cheap flight to Osaka. I would not be kept away. 

The day finally came. It was a Thursday. I was jacked up and high on life. My students were confused that an adult could be this excited. I felt like a child who was told they were about to get on a flight to the North Pole and meet Santa Claus. I get assigned an emergency window seat because that’s what happens when you travel alone; ticket counter people feel sorry for you that you are unloved. Three female Japanese friends were sitting in the seats beside me. I had my Japanese notebook with all of my Japanese phrases and words that I memorized ready to use. I was nervous and couldn’t find the courage to try and speak Japanese to them. I waited for a different opportunity. 

When the drink cart came around, I bought them and myself Asahi beers. Beer is a universal sign for let’s be friends. We eventually started talking and I got to say a few short sentences of my very limited Japanese. They were mildly impressed. We finally land. I couldn’t wait to get off that airplane. I asked why nobody is getting off. We have been rerouted to Nagoya because Peach airlines apparently isn’t a real airline that can be relied upon. The Truman Show.

I decided to make the best of the situation so I start playing some Japanese music from my Japan Spotify playlist, ask these Japanese young adults some Bert questions and order another Asahi. I am having the most fun on the aircraft by far; nobody else is enjoying this experience so it should not have come as a surprise when the flight attendant told us to keep it down and turn off the music. Japanese people really do love rules.

Two hours later, we take off and eventually get to Osaka. I planned on having three nights out but due to this delay, I have lost a night. The Truman Show.

I spend a few hours killing time eating at a traditional Burger King at the airport and make my way into downtown Osaka on the first train into the city. Here. We. Go.

Japanese salary men started getting on at different stops. I kept thinking, “Who is that? Where is he going? How Japanese is his job? What’s he thinking about?”.

I get to the station, find my hostel, and go straight for Koyasan, a UNESCO world heritage site. It’s about an hour and half away from the city. The leaves are changing and is in a remote part of the Japanese mountains. Here is what that area looks like:

 

After spending most of the day there, I went back to my hostel for a quick nap since it had been over 30 hours since I had slept and apparently our bodies need rest. After my nap, it was time to explore. I stayed near Namba station which is essentially a lesser Times Square. Tons of people, this famous Glico sign which is famous for reasons that are a little unclear to me and countless bars and restaurants. I had a list of places to eat and drink at but the endless amount of choice made a simple dinner decision impossible to make so I went with what I knew and found a Thai restaurant that offered to make me food that I have only ever found in Thailand. It was so great that I went back the next night. I don’t regret this choice. I can get Japanese food whenever I want. This Thai dish was specific to this restaurant and I would make the same choice again. One takeaway from this trip has been that while my Japan dream was coming true, it seemed like the travel Gods were sending me a message: Yes, Japan is great but don’t forget where you came from.

My night did not involve partying because I am over clubs and I just wanted to take in all the sights and sounds. While they say Osaka is the party capital of Japan, I know how going to a club alone goes and wasn’t super keen on drinking alone and not talking to anyone on my first free night in Japan.

Day 2: You know how people say the train system in Japan can be confusing? They aren’t lying. I got lost numerous times trying to get to my Cycle Osaka bike tour. I ended up arriving just in time and got lucky with a fun group of Australians and a couple on their honeymoon (show-offs). Since everyone had someone in the group to talk to, I took this opportunity to pummel the guide with every question I had about Japan. It was an enlightening experience. Coles notes version of Osaka is that it was decimated during the war, was the capital until Tokyo took that title and is known as the party capital of Japan. The most interesting piece of information he taught us was that an American who was living in Japan during World War 2 told the US government that bombing Kyoto would be akin to cultural genocide so the government spared Kyoto from destruction out of respect for its cultures.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33755182

Here are some of the sights we visited on the tour:

 

I used to love walking tours but bike tours are much more entertaining and active. You get to see way more of the city and biking is a bit more fun than walking around like a postman.

After the tour I got lost again on the train system and eventually retreated back to the safety of my hostel. Hostels. My next topic. I get that people stay in hostels to save money but it seems like people really aren’t trying too hard to be social. I know, I know, I’m not the most social person but at least make a small effort to get to know people. I understand some hostels have a more social atmosphere than others but people area way too obsessed with their phones and technology. I wanted change the vibe. I asked a Japanese worker if many people hung out or partied in the common area. Her answer was essentially no. I had one night to change this. I travel with red solo cups for this purpose. 

So, I asked a gentleman from Singapore if he would like to help me finish the bottle of gin I picked up at the airport. A few other people agree to my offer of free gin with ice and mix. I come prepared. Usually, someone would come in, see the vibe was zero then go back to their room, but now there were people talking, drinking and listening to music. We started playing beer pong then eventually had a group of about 10-12 people playing kings cup. I went back to the front desk to show them this masterpiece I created. They weren’t as excited as I was that I had brought this party together, they probably just thought of the mess we were making. The games came to a close when the group decided to go to karaoke. I declined to join because I had done my part and wanted to keep exploring on my own. At one point during the night, I told everyone to sign the guest book that was in the common area. A new person to the room asked if I was their leader. One of the guys replied, yes, he is our leader. It was the high point of my night.

Day 3: Woke up not feeling 100% but was determined to eat some Okonomiyaki. I attempted to find an Okonomiyaki spot that I found online but I had a difficult time finding it in the mass of restaurants and shops. Walked around for an hour super patiently until I decided no food is worth this expense of energy. I walked back to my hostel and talked with some Nigerian guys I met the night before. Interesting facts I learned about Nigeria:

-People in Nigeria speak Pidgin English

https://theculturetrip.com/africa/nigeria/articles/15-nigerian-pidgin-english-phrases-you-need-to-know/

-There are over 250 local languages.

-If I went there, I might be kidnapped but was assured I wouldn’t be murdered.

Before catching the train to the airport, I remembered seeing an Okonomiyaki spot in the neighbourhood I was staying in so decided to try one last time. Let me tell you, it was not worth the effort. I guess there are a bunch of different kinds to get but I did not like any part of this meal. I’m glad I experienced this famous Osaka food but would not recommend you do the same.

Therefore, is Japan overrated? I can’t answer that question. While I do love to hate what other people love (which may make me a hipster), I feel that I do not have enough first hand experience in this fantasy dreamland to make an informed decision. I like to view my first Japan like this:

I have found a famous and well-rated all you can eat buffet (Japan is the buffet if you are having trouble following along). My first plate I grabbed a few things that looked good but it wasn’t exactly my taste or what I had in mind. However, while I was getting my food, I saw a bunch of other things I wanted to try so now that my first plate is finished, I can’t wait to get back in line and taste something even more delectable.

Those are my thoughts on Japan. Living in Seoul is comfortable and I understand why people stay here long term. I am going to Shanghai the first weekend of December then spending the Christmas holiday in Hokkaido snowboarding and striving for a more authentic Japanese experience. I will also be returning to Japan for my January and April break. I wish you good health and good fortune. Dreams do come true people; just need to wait a decade or so.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

Japanese proverb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huW8KYdCUbM