Culture Crossroads

Vietnamese traditionally visit their ancestors' graves in January and February, before the Lunar New Year. Now that their country is enjoying economic growth, some families are purchasing elaborate gravesites for their loved ones. In this episode, we answer a listener's question about graves in Japan: "How do Japanese show respect for their ancestors? Have things changed?" Vietnamese announcer Phan Quynh Hoa talks about the situation in Japan, where the overall population is growing older and graves are becoming more compact.

Listeners of our Hindi-language service asked about sports. Sumo is gaining popularity in India, and the Indian game of Kabaddi is gaining ground in Japan. So, we sent our Hindi-language announcer Viola Kawano to find out about the lives of sumo wrestlers and to catch up with junior and senior high students playing Kabaddi. The latter has become familiar enough to have been portrayed in a manga.

Last year, deadly tsunamis struck Indonesia. A listener from that country wrote to ask about tsunami preparations in Japan. An announcer from our Indonesian section, Sri Lestari, went to Sendai to find out how people are making use of the experience of the 2011 disaster.

A South Korean listener wrote to us to say, "The Tarako (salted cod roe) rice ball I had in Japan tasted great. Please explain how to make it and other Tarako dishes." We're happy to oblige. Our Korean language announcer Shin Euisoo visited a popular rice ball restaurant and a pasta place that serves "Tarako spaghetti." Listen in to learn about some must-try cod roe dishes.

A listener from China inquired about keeping mosquitoes in check in Japan. Our reporter Ron Monroe visits a mosquito expert to find out what really works. She also visits a company that invented pyrethrum coils more than 100 years ago to learn the origins of the material, now used around the world.

Russian listener Tatiana Dolzhanskaya says she wants to know what's new with robots in Japan. Our reporter is Russian announcer Anastasia Monakova, who introduces robots that address labor shortages in various fields and support the lives of the elderly as Japan's birthrate declines and society ages. She also interviews leading robot expert Professor Ishiguro Hiroshi about the android robot, ERICA that he created and its emotions and ability to carry out conversations. Learn about the history of ERICA's development and the potential for human co-existence with robots.

Arthur Kabugu Mathenge listens to our Swahili broadcasting and told us that, in Kenya, all garbage is deposited in one place without being sorted, leading to environmental problems. He wants to know about how Japan deals with garbage. Our Swahili broadcasting Kenyan announcer Martin Mwanje goes to Yokohama where he finds that representatives from Africa have visited the city government to learn about how Japan deals with garbage. Martin reports on a waste treatment plant, methods for recycling and incinerating garbage, and educational activities aimed at children. He also visits the town of Kamikatsu in Tokushima Prefecture which has no large-scale waste treatment plants but nevertheless achieved a recycling rate of 80%. What is their secret?

This time, Indian listener Subhash Chakraborty asks, "Do Japanese people wear traditional clothes like kimono? In what kinds of situations do people wear kimono?" Our reporter is Bengali broadcasting announcer Kanika Bhowmik from Bangladesh. She visits a kimono specialty shop where she reports about occasions when Japanese people wear kimono and learns to wear them. Then Kanika visits a shop where you can rent and get assistance in wearing kimono. This is very popular among foreign visitors. Finally, she meets a young woman who enjoys kimono in new ways and introduces new trends in wearing kimono.

How can we learn about disaster preparedness in Japan? This time, people from Myanmar living in Tokyo sent us a question. Our reporter is Director of NHK WORLD-JAPAN Burmese Language Broadcasting, Khin Aye Nge. Myanmar experiences fewer natural disasters so the people are not accustomed to preparing for them. Khin visits a monastery where people from Myanmar living in Japan gather. Along with them, she visits a facility to learn disaster preparedness and experience simulated disasters. What is their first reaction? In addition, a specialist from the local government checks the monastery for earthquake and fire preparedness. What kind of advice does she give and what do they discover? We offer suggestions for the first steps toward disaster prevention and countermeasures.

This time, an Iranian listener asks, "What role does traditional calligraphy play in the lives of modern Japanese people?" Even today, most elementary schools in Japan teach children how to use a calligraphy brush for practicing the correct way of writing characters. Also, handwritten New Year's cards and envelopes for gifting money on special occasions are still popular in Japan. Recently, new forms of expressions have emerged, such as performances that combine music and calligraphy as well as those incorporating computer graphics. Our Persian language announcer Ali Noorani from Iran explores the appeal of Japanese calligraphy and how it continues to evolve.