TsukuBlog
A Local Perspective on Life in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
The Legacy of the SAKIMORI (防人)-Japan`s Ancient Frontier Guard Conscripts- is their timeless poetry of LONGING- and the colorful SAITOH-SAI Festival ( 祭頭祭 ) at Kashima Grand Shrine on March 9th
8 March, 2021
By Avi Landau
One of the good things about living in the Tsukuba Science City, is that in addition to all the local folk ( JIMOTO NO HITO ), you get to meet the SHINJU-MIN (新住民), the people who have come from ALL OVER JAPAN ( as well as from all over the world) to work at or study at the various research facilities and institutions of higher learning located here. Because of this diversity in geographical background , whenever I make new acquaintance, I always make sure to ask: SHUSHIN CHI WA DOKO DESU KA? (Where are you originally from?), and since I have been to all of Japan`s 47 prefectures, after hearing the answer, I mention that I have been to THEIRS and usually make some comments ( positive, of course!) about their home towns. I have found that this always makes for good conversation and sometimes helps lay the foundation for a future friendship.