Category: experiences

Yesterday I spent a very long day in Osaka. A friend of mine and me did another friend of mine a favour, and this is how we two ended up as extras in a Japanese movie…

I am not sure whether I am allowed to reveal which movie it is, but it is the film adaptation of a well-known Japanese novel (so, not another remake of Godzilla). The scenes that were filmed yesterday required a large audience of about 100 non-Japanese, and this is how my friend and I got considered in the first place.

Getting the job was relatively straightforward: Our friend gave us an internet link where we signed up, we received a request for a photo, and afterwards a phone call telling us that we had been chosen and were expected in Osaka on Tuesday morning. About half the people present came through this route, but the other half had apparently signed up with some film or model agency; it seems that acting or modeling is one of the few professions that foreigners can do in Japan that requires no knowledge of Japanese and is still quite well paid.

The whole experience was interesting. We met at about 8 am in Osaka and the film crew brought us to the filming location, a very nicely decorated reception room with high ceiling and large windows in an otherwise empty building, which was designated either for renovation or demolition. The plan was to shoot three different scenes where we were to watch the performance of different Japanese arts and act as the enraptured spectators. So far so good.

In the course of yesterday, I have learnt quite a bit about how to make a movie. For once, I was not aware that every different camera angle requires a repetition of the whole scene, from beginning to end. One performance was shot from three different angles, so it had to be done three times from beginning to end, plus one time for a detailed close up, plus two extra repetitions because something went wrong and somebody did not turn off his phone. Not to forget the rehearsal in the very beginning. Hence, what will end up in the movie as a well-cut sequence of a few minutes at most, required us to stand there on the same spot for 1.5 hours.

I was surprised that nobody really cared about our outfit or makeup etc. While the performers were professionally made up and styled, and their clothes received a quick brush or tuck between each take, all we had was the instruction to come in “formal clothing”, which, to my surprise, some people took rather loosely. After all, we were just people somewhere in the back, warm bodies to fill the void.

I was also unprepared for the extreme wait between the scenes, while the room was set up again for the next shot. We could relax in a nearby room, but unless you brought something with you to read or do, nobody cared what you did between the shots, as long as you were available when they needed you. Tea and coffee were provided, as well as cup noodles and senbei crackers as afternoon snack, but besides that you were on your own. We also had to be very quiet at times because apparently, something else was filmed, or at least set up, at those times. And if you were not needed for a particular scene, you had to sit through that one as well.

Interestingly, although the waiting time was considerable, people did not talk much to each other. Some of those that had come through an agency knew each other and quickly formed groups, but the others remained alone, staring into space or onto their mobiles. To be honest though, with a single exception, there was nobody there I would have liked to get to know more closely anyway.

Altogether the experience took 13 hours (including travel time to Osaka); I had to be there for two of the scenes which in total took less than 2 hours, and the final end product will probably be not more than 5-10 minutes overall. We received a bento box for lunch and dinner, a compensation for travel expenses, and a small souvenir; and I took home an important realisation: I am not patient enough to be a movie star…

Between all the work for setting up the company and moving and unpacking, I had time to pick up a new hobby: For the last two months or so I have been playing Contract Bridge. For all of you who don’t know what that is: It is a card game for four players – playing together in two pairs across the table – originally adopted from a Russian game by the British.

What is interesting about it is that it is not so much about luck and not at all about bluffing your way through it, but that all four players have a rough idea about the hands of the others and from there, with elaborate guesswork, each pair tries to take more “tricks” than the other. In the beginning you have to say how many tricks you think you can win, and if you can, you get a number of points, and if you lose, your opponents get points, very roughly speaking.

I find the game intriguing, there are many rules how to tell your partner about your hand, and how far to go in this “bidding” step. It is rather difficult and overwhelming at the beginning, and there are lots of exceptions and special meanings to certain bids; and even playing a certain card later on may tell your partner something about your hand and help him in deciding how to play himself.

The group I am playing with is essentially a bunch of (mostly) old Japanese ladies, who meet in a home in my neighbourhood. Many of them have lived abroad, in countries as different as Canada, the US, China, Myanmar, Australia … and all of them are decidedly un-Japanese in their behaviour and attitude. They are loud and boisterous and funny and open and although I am an introvert and don’t cherish being amongst people very much, I feel very welcome and accepted.

I think I was allowed to actually play the third time I came; I have now played once a week for about two months, and I feel like an idiot, as there is so much to know and learn and I keep forgetting stuff. Still, although I make many mistakes, my partners are very polite and kind and keep praising my efforts a lot. Hence, I shall keep going for the time being and see how long I can learn something. So far, I’m having great fun.

I went to Osaka today to meet a friend of mine I hadn’t seen in a while. He’s also Austrian and has been in Japan for 5 years now. It was very interesting to see him again, I remembered him as a lighthearted and fun person, and while he is still outgoing and philosophical in all the wrong places, he has changed quite a bit.

He seemed very tired and exhausted; the last time I met him he was working for a brand new little Japanese start-up, but because there were discrepancies in their views on how to conduct work (something much more grave than simply working hours), he quit. Since then he has opened up his own company with quite a lofty idea behind it, but because this is not a product that can be sold, but is more a way to build a community, he has troubles getting people interested.

All these experiences have made him quite cynical, and he even admits that. He told me a few stories, and a large complaint of his is that the Japanese are not friendly at all. Apparently, in a business setting, they expect you to fit in perfectly, without making any mistakes. This is of course impossible, and the fact that nobody tells you that you have just overstepped a line is not conducive to learning how to do it better the next time.

As to my objection that as an obvious – meaning: non-Asian – foreigner, there is always a certain bonus you have and people must realise that you cannot understand every single nuance, he said that was not true. The Japanese accept a number of mistakes, but if you have made one too many, they simply cut you off without further explanation or apology. Yes, even if that means they are losing business.

He is right, I have seen that with the very first real estate agent I went to this year when I looked for a new apartment. I am not aware of a mistake on my side (other than refusing to get a mobile phone), but at some point he apparently thought I was more trouble than I was worth and he stopped responding to my inquiries altogether.

I am very sad that my friend has become so cynical and negative, and I hope that’s just a phase and that it will be better once he finds acceptance with his new line of work. But as there is another friend of mine who has had similar experiences as a foreigner in Japan, I wonder what I will have to say once I have been here as long as they have. I have been a cynical asshole for long enough, I would really not like having to go back to that stage of my life…

Finally, autumn has arrived. Although during the days we still have around 20 degrees, the nights are very cool. Today was the first time I felt cold when I opened my windows in the morning, and indeed, it was only around 10 degrees. It is still too warm for the koyo autumn colours, which are mainly made up of the momiji maple trees; but this last part of autumn will come soon. Usually it is towards mid or end of November, but this year it might be earlier, as the temperatures have not been that high all through the year.

In the weekend I finally went out to explore the part of Higashiyama that is east of my house. Unfortunately it is quite residential, and there are no nice shrines where I could just sit and write like there were near my old house. I have found a few small temples though which I will revisit in a few weeks to take pictures of the koyo. For today, you get only a single photo, which was taken not far from my house.

Since my boxes arrived 19 days ago, I have been steadily unpacking and putting stuff away. By now I have whittled down the amount of boxes to 7 – all of them containing books – and the amount of extra stacks to… well, not too many. As the books will have to wait for a little while longer, and the stacks contain rather daunting papers, I took a break to do some more home improvement.

In all three rooms in my apartment where there are tatami, there are also interesting outlets in the walls, covered with plastic. If you unscrew that cover, you will see a hole in the wall leading out to the respective balcony. The hole is lined with plastic all the way, with another cover that can be opened on the outside. As I have one myself (courtesy of the previous occupant of my apartment) I assume that these are holes to more easily connect the air conditioners that stand on almost every balcony in my apartment complex. After all, the walls here are concrete, and it kind of defies the idea of an airco (which is here also used as heating in the winter) to need a window half open to use it.

In any case, the picture I took above shows the problem – the hole is empty. There is no insulation inside whatsoever. As I have been bravely unpacking however, I have lots of styrofoam and similar stuff left over, which I reused to fill up the three holes in my walls. Yes, you are right, it will not make any kind of difference with respect to the temperature in my house in winter, but surely, there must be some kind of placebo effect here as well. I for sure already feel much warmer!

In the middle of  my chaos at home, I have now seen my accountant a second time, and I think I have found myself a real gem! He has already organised all my paperwork in differently coloured folders: red company papers, black taxes, yellow salary; and two more for my invoices and receipts, both incoming and outgoing. I think so far he is up to date with all my paperwork and money issues, but he still has some problems getting the accounting software he is using – and wants me to use down the line – to work on my computer. However, he will take it up with his office, so this should be solved the next time he visits me.

What I found extremely encouraging was his concern with respect to my salary. When setting up the company, I had to prepare a document stating my monthly director’s salary, apparently for tax purposes. Technically, I can pay myself as much as I like, but in my case there is the additional constraint that I have to make the immigration office happy, which means I have a lower bound on the amount I can earn.

Now, the first time my accountant saw this document, he called me to him and told me flat-out: “You earn too much!” His concern was not so much the wellbeing of my company, but my personal one. He explained that with this amount of salary, I will be hit with a lot of taxes next year. I tried to explain why I could not go any lower, but in the end he called my lawyer to get the information first hand – and in Japanese.

I found his concern extremely nice and thoughtful, and as I said, I am very happy about this. I think this will be a very pleasant relationship – let’s hope it will be a long-lasting one too!

When I came to Kyoto in 2013, I found a little cafe in town, and I visit it quite regularly. I especially enjoy this one because they have great ice cream, and the staff are extremely friendly. By now they know me and I can go there and write for hours without being bothered. Usually I go on Wednesday afternoon when I have no other appointments; it is quiet there, and I sit in a little niche upstairs. The last time I was there, before summer, there were some renovations going on, so this was not possible.

I should have investigated further then already, because when I came there today again after a break over summer, I stood, not in front of my cafe, but in front of a newly opened pancake house! I was shocked – no more ice cream! And when the youngster in charge told my they didn’t serve hot chocolate either, I turned on my heels immediately. Of course he had no clue what happened to my cafe…

Thankfully, since this is a Kyoto based company, there is another branch of my cafe in town, and although a bit inconveniently situated, I went there for today’s hot chocolate and ice cream fix. There I learned that the other branch had not closed completely, but just moved to a shopping arcade nearby the old place, and that they had severely downsized. I can only assume that the rent of the old place had been too expensive over time, thus the move.

Personally I am not sure whether this was a good idea, as the new location seems to me less busy than the old one, at least during the week. Oh well, as long as there will be a place for me to go with a free seat for me, it will be okay.