One theme I write a lot about is how the Japanese are interested in the outside world, and especially in how they fit into it. One TV show that captures this idea is called ナゼそこに？日本人 Naze Soko ni? Nihonjin (“Why are Japanese living in a place like this?”), which follows the lives of Japanese living in exotic parts of the world like Morocco, Kenya, and Siberia, even following the life of a woman running a Japanese-style onsen hot springs inn in New Zealand. Last week’s episode focused on a Japanese woman who had married a man from Spain, and detailed how she had to get used to his family’s custom of taking a siesta from 4-5 in the afternoon, being careful to make no sound while the family slept. The show then segued to Los Angeles, introducing a Japanese woman named Tomoko and her famous husband Billy Blanks, who enjoyed a brief career bringing his Tae Bo workouts to Japan after his popularity in the U.S. faded. The camera crew followed the couple’s life together, including some of the linguistic and other challenges all international couples encounter.
Japanese living in unexpected places.
