The reason why I decided writing this big issue is I heard a news a Japanse man made a trouble in NY beceuse he scattered "white powder" around 9.11 memorial place.The "white powder" was just salt, but people around there had no way to judge it was salt, so they wonder it could be some dengerous stuff.

It is obviously the Japanse man fault. Because he was in the States, not in Japan. If he did it in Japan, we would not wonder what he was doing. Salt is believed it can purify the place or evil spirit in Shintoizm.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do." or  "郷に入れば郷に従え” in Japanese, is a good way to avoid making troubles when we are in other countries, but for Japanese - at least for me, it is difficult to realize some of my daily behavior is based on Shintoizm or Buddhism.

When I realized the difficulty, is I had dinner with students from U.S in Japan.

The dinner was almost finnished, one of the students had playing Warabimochi, a Japanese jelly with her finger.

In Shintoizm, Playing with food is hesite especially with hands. It is considered as unrespectness to the cook who made it even you would not eat that anymore.

So I irritated at that time but i was not realized the reason. And I also wondered myself  "The texture of Warabimochi should be interesting for her. There is no question she wants to touch by her hand instead of chopsticks. So why do I get irritated like that?"
I realized my Shintoizmic view for the event after I arrived my home.

Many people says Japanese are monoculture. I think monocultureness of us makes us difficult to realize some of our behavior based on religion.

I guess that understanding the other culuture is like geometry, It is impossible to understand your standing point with only single vector.

So, It is good thing to try to tocuh other cultures to realize own cultual standing point.

I think English is good tool to touch other cultures so I really appriciate your correction! lol

P.S.

I didnt say anything the student who touched Warabimochi. I am not so impatient!

"Vector" is a familier word for me in biologycal term.. what is the core idea of this word?

 

 

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