yet another reason why your stay in this country is but a fantasy. a holiday away from yr usual biases. a learning experince in the exotic far east.
instead of using swear words condemming him, given the fact that is permissable to smoke at that location, i would suggest that you might want to admit that you want a japan that meets yr usamerican predjudices and luxury.
on the other hand, our advise to you:
learn to expect differences. be surprised at similiarities.
you will find out that japan is much more tolerant of everyone. you could take that lesson home with you and use it most valuably in yr day to day chicago-esque world.

Johhny,

Thanks for your advice... NOT.

Let me advise you that half of what I write here is exaggerated in my (feeble) attempt to be funny. Please get it.

In case it is not clear: I f*cking LOVE Japan and wouldn’t change a thing. I view my life here not as a fantasy holiday away from my biases but as an opportunity to observe, experience, document, analyze, but not judge.

And for the record, having grown up across both sides of the Atlantic, my prejudices lie somewhere along the US-Euro continuum. Why don’t you take a bit of your own advice and not be so quick to judge me.

Just to make sure we are all clear now, I f*cking LOVE Japan! I f*cking LOVE Japan!

Geez Johnny,

What's with you? Jump on a website and start psycho-analyzing the author and making suppositions about her motives. read my lips: GET A LIFE !!

Nadine -

Good for you honey, but I don't find your brand 'humour' funny either. Now don't take this the wrong way, you are Not FUNNY!

Oh right - your use of language is quite attractive.

Kenji

Listen to none of them, Nadine. You are funny.

But the smoking episode does beg a question about Japan, what is a more offensive act in Japan ... to smoke in public, or to request a business to demand another client to change his/her behavior to increase your happiness?

If there is an answer to this question, perhaps this is the cause of the anti american vitrial that is post caused.

As an american and a member of the service industry, I've noticed that nationals from other countries would never expect a business to make a demand on another cliant, but Americans do it all the time. Perhaps this(and other aspects of our collective personality) is why we americans have the rep of being a little pushy.
THIS IS WHY I LIKE YOUR BLOG! Usually intentionally, and sometimes unintentionally, the roots of our cultural differences are exposed.

Keep up the good work.

Nadine;

I got a laugh out of this.. mostly because as
an on/off smoker living here in Japan you tend
to notice the extreme culture shock of what is
really is not like being in 'Kansas Anymore'

For example;

Recently I had to re-apply at city hall for my
residents card (Gai Koku Jin to Roku Shou) &
was surprised to see that they had a smoking
area inside the waiting lobby complete with
overhead exhaust fans and free green tea!!
Later that same day I saw a person getting
ticket on the sidewalk in Otemachi because
smoking is not allowed outside in that area!!

Had lunch with small group from a Japanese
company, as we were finishing some people
were not quite done yet, the boss said that
he wanted them to stop eating while he had
a cigarette because it was very rude of them
to eat while he was trying to smoke..!! There
was a moment of silence.. then laughter all
around because it was just a joke.. 8-)

Keep up the good work..!!

L.