Dec 17

WITLife #9: Fake Takenoko and New Year’s Nesting

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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken, 2000-03).  In her recent posts, she’s been watching the news in Japanese and sharing some of the interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.

While watching the Japanese news this morning, the story that headlined hit a bit close to home.  It profiled a recent scandal regarding takenoko (bamboo shoots) that took place in Kumamoto City, where I served as CIR for three years.

This vegetable was being marked as “Made in Kumamoto,” when in fact supplies had come from China.  Even worse, when representatives of the parent company came to visit the local supplier, Kumamoto Cannery, they made three employees pose as farmers and had them take a commemorative photo in a bamboo grove.  This picture was then used on the packaging with the caption “Kumamoto Prefecture Bamboo Grove Farmers,” creating a wholesome image for a product that was different than what was being advertised.  They claim that their bamboo shoots were selling so well that they had to resort to other sources as their own production couldn’t keep pace.

Food safety is a topic of immense concern in Japan, though in the beginning of the year the threat was largely from abroad.  Now that the scandals are domestic in origin it will be interesting to see what measures are taken…

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The trend for this year’s holidays in Japan is 巣篭もり (sugomori), or “staying close to home” (literally confining oneself to one’s nest).  With the Japanese economy reacting to ours and doing just as “well,” many people are thinking of ringing in the new year not at a local shrine but in their own homes.  Bonuses are expected to be 7.5% less than last year, and there are no signs of immediate improvement.

On the upside for department stores, sales of Christmas cake are up 25% compared to last year with people anticipating more at-home celebrations on Christmas Eve.  The same goes for sales of osechi or the traditional New Year’s meal, which some dedicated cooks still make, though many resort to store-made.

A spirit of 神頼み (kamidanomi) or “asking of the gods” is prevalent in Japan during this season, and there is even a lottery ticket with this name that is selling like wildfire.  Being Japan, there are even special shrines you can go to in order to pray for winning numbers.

Another popular item of these trying times is maneki neko, or cat figurines that are supposed to usher in riches.  These lucky feline charms gain special attention during difficult economic periods.  The official Manekineko Museum in Aichi Prefecture has seen its sales go up 25% compared to last year.  A spokeswoman for the museum said there are many who claim to buy winning lottery tickets right after leaving the premises.