First, when my husband and I lived off base, our landlord and his wife were amazing, but the landlord would only interact with my husband and speak in Japanese. (My husband doesn't speak Japanese but would try and figure it out.) Then, when my husband went underway and I had to pay the rent, the first time I went, the landlord not only spoke to me, he spoke perfect English!!! We had no idea. The next time my husband was home and went to pay the rent, the landlord would only speak Japanese to him. Just curious why it worked that way and if there was a specific reason behind it. I assumed it was the old school men doing business with men sort of thing, but the agent we used translated for us and I honestly don't think HE knew the landlord spoke English.

Also, one time when my husband ordered sake, it must have been a special sake, because a bunch of waiters got all excited, came over, put a glass in a box, poured the sake into the glass which then spilled over into the box it was in. Then they left. My husband and I had no idea why they did this, no it wasn't really expensive sake either, any explanations?

Thanks!

Answer for 1 - It's not related to Japanese culture. I'm a Japanese, but even for me, his behavior is mystery.

Answer for 2 - It's just normal. Many Izakaya (Japanese style pub) waiters do that even for the cheapest sake since about 10 years ago. It just looks better than a simple glass of sake, doesn't it?
The box you mentioned is so called "Masu" which is the traditional cup to measure liquid including sake in Japan, and often used to drink (a large amount of) sake by men, especially in Matsuri (festival) situations.
It is also a long term custom to pour sake above the lid of the glass by use of sake's surface tension, but drinking it is not easy and many customer spill some amount of sake at first sip.
Some papa-mama style small Izakaya started to use small size of Masu as saucer for glass of sake to catch such spill over. Just it looks nice and traditional (in actual, it isn't traditional at all, though), this spread widely and very quickly to chain store type Izakaya as well.

Yay! Thank you for explaining it! Yes, it was more fun having it poured over into the box!

Can I ask a question......when I go into some restaurants here, I see blankets up front...what are these for? I saw one couple use it to make a bed for their sleeping child on some chairs. I saw another couple using it as a table cloth.........just wondering as I am intrigued.

All I can figure about the Japanese landlord is that maybe he had plans for hitting on you. Maybe you moved on base before he had a chance. :-P

Kristen, we had a lady at one of the places once bring us a blanket over and she explained it is "for our comfort" and put it on our then 6 month old. I believe they can be used for a few things, but many places are very welcoming and that was what we had used it for!

ThaiGuy, you are being truly nice on that one, but I was quite the pregnant American standing in at a 5'10 with a belly the size of Texas. I doubt the man had any attraction to me whatsoever, haha!!

Posted By Julie on 05-19-2011 7:52 PM

ThaiGuy, you are being truly nice on that one, but I was quite the pregnant American standing in at a 5'10 with a belly the size of Texas. I doubt the man had any attraction to me whatsoever, haha!!

hmmmm... what did his wife look like?  It's all relative. 

True, ThaiGuy, but I think he was more afraid I would eat him then anything. I got asked on MANY occasions from sweet-as-pie Japanese ladies " Two babies?" and they would point to my stomach. Uh, no, just one and I eat lots of sushi, thanks.

Julie, when your landlord spoke English, were there any other person in the same place? And how was that when he didn't speak English?

One possibility is his condescension. Some Japanese especially elder people are super condescending (or super shy). Such person doesn't want to show some of his superior ability to friends or family. In this case, his ability to speak English. If he speaks English only in the occasion other person except you and he can hear his English, that can be a reason.

I have a friend who sings very good like a professional singer. He NEVER sing in front of his family, because he doesn't want his family to know he sings good. Your landlord's behavior is something like that, possibly.

Kristen,
These blankets are ready to warm their guests basically. Cold sensitivity is one of the common disease people have here in Japan, especially by young ladies. They often ask waiters in restaurants if they can borrow a blanket. So many restaurants prepare blankets. Of course guests can use it for temporary baby bed as you observed.

Not my thread but really interesting! Thanks. And it also made me laugh from everybodys post. Julie my grandmother is 100% Japanese and for the life of me I cannot understand why she is so blunt about some things such as what you mentioned "two babies" and reserved about others, lmbo.

Posted By Jessica Williams on 05-20-2011 4:48 PM

... for the life of me I cannot understand why she is so blunt about some things such as what you mentioned "two babies" and reserved about others, lmbo.

Different cultures have different taboos about what you can ask. Americans are probably the most uptight of all: You can't ask about age, price, etc.

Among filipinos, anytime you buy something they will ask "How much it cost?" This is generally bad taste among Americans.

In Thailand, you not only can -- but you MUST -- ask someone's age when you meet. Their social structure is so oriented towards age that individuals cannot socially relate until you know who is the older. My wife has classmates from college just a few months older than her, and they will forever be "Big Sister" when she addresses them.

Most Asian cultures (and, of course, Jewish mothers) will always ask "So when are you going to have a baby?" which many Americans consider at least annoying, or worse.

In general, Asian cultures are very open, asking about sexual habits, etc. even from casual acquaintances.  You just have to get used to it and realize in no way are they intending to be rude or intrusive.