Japan

Pachinko parlours in Japan

Written by Karen Kingston Sunday, 24 May 2009 01:59

During my recent visit to Japan, I had my first (and I'm sure, last) ever experience of a pachinko parlour.

At one end of a shopping mall there was an intriguingly massive windowless brick building all by itself, painted garish bright pink. Entering inquisitively through the front doors I walked innocently into such an assault on my senses that I will never forget it. The perfectly insulated building gave no clue as to the cacophony of light and sound within generated by hundreds of crazily blinking boards, millions of clattering metal balls and continual high volume public announcements urging people to continue playing. The constant 100 decibel level, equivalent to a fleet of chain saws or pneumatic drills, hit me full in the face like a slap with an iron fist. It's the ultimate noise clutter experience!

I paused for a moment, considering whether to turn and run, but my curiosity got the better of me. I walked down the central aisle and saw rows and rows of players sitting intently at machines, oblivious to the flash of my camera. My American friend pointed out the little trays some of the men had on the floor behind their seats, full of tiny balls they had won that could be cashed in for money or (more usually) pumped back into the machines.

Pachinko machines are the most popular form of gaming in Japan. Standing upright like a pokey machine but more closely resembling a pinball machine in the way they work, they are highly addictive. With an estimated 30 million players currently (nearly a quarter of Japan's population), this US $250 billion a year industry is worth more than Japan's entire auto trade. Gambling is strictly illegal, but apparently Pachinko is classed as only a game, so it's OK.

The studies of sociology professor, Hidetoshi Kato, give some insights into the Japanese enthrallment with this pastime. He points out that Japan is such an overcrowded, group-oriented society that playing Pachinko is one of the rare situations in which a Japanese person can be alone. The sheer level of noise combined with the concentration needed to play the game makes communication with others impossible.

To me it says a lot about the state of Japanese society today that so many people flock to such a noisy, cigarette smoke-filled, machine-oriented environment to find some escape. It's a long way from the calming, etherically revitalizing effect of a stroll in the countryside that previous generations would have enjoyed. 

More information about pachinko parlours

Pachinko nation

Copyright © Karen Kingston, 2009

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Fluorescent lighting in Japan

Written by Karen Kingston Sunday, 24 May 2009 00:36

 
An unusual feature of the venue I recently taught in Okinawa is that it didn't have fluorescent lighting. Or rather it did have some, but it had enough other types of lighting that we didn't have to use it. Conducting a workshop in a venue with fluorescent lighting is an uphill struggle because it's so tiring for everyone to be exposed to the flicker, hum and magnetic fields for long periods, not to mention the depressing quality of light produced in the room.

Japan may well have the largest number of fluorescent lights per capita in the world. I've heard speculation that they have embraced bright lighting because traditionally they used to live in such dark houses, but this argument doesn't really wash. I think their addiction to fluorescent lighting is actually indicative of the level of spiritual disconnection Japanese society as a whole is experiencing at the present time. Many city streets are so well illuminated that they are just as bright at night as during daylight hours. The image shown here of bare fluorescent lights illuminating rows of plastic orchids in an Okinawan supermarket is also a typical indoor scene.

It will be interesting to see in coming years if the more aware Japanese, who are actively seeking a better quality of life, start to develop awareness of and aversion to fluorescent lighting, at least in their homes. This would be a very healthy and encouraging sign.

Only in Japan: Dramatic video of fluorescent light destruction by a man using his face

Copyright © Karen Kingston, 2009

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Japanese toilets

Written by Karen Kingston Saturday, 23 May 2009 23:05

When I teach in different countries around the world, I like to tailor the information so that it is of the most use to the situation of the people I am teaching. In Japan, the topic of toilets always comes up.

Toshiba is a household name around the globe for electrical appliances and motor vehicles, but in Japan they also make toilets. I'm told the invention started due to concern about the number of elderly people dying of heart attacks while on the toilet, thought to be caused by their bathrooms being so cold. Instead of installing heating in bathrooms, the Japanese hit upon the novel idea of introducing heated toilet seats, and being so enamoured of hygiene, they also added extra buttons for nozzles and water sprays to clean, massage and dry your undercarriage in a variety of ways.

Since all the buttons are labelled in Japanese, this can lead to hours of exploratory fun and unusual genital experiences for the visiting westerner! There are many designs, from basic to seductively luxurious, and you can find these electric toilets wherever you go. For a culture that doesn't openly talk about bodily functions, it's fascinating to see how much the Japanese love them!

When the novelty wears off, however, you realize that every time you sit on one of these contraptions, it affects your energy in quite dramatic ways. You soon become constipated, and worse.

The human immune system can function quite well in electric fields of up to 5 volts per meter.
Between 5-10 V/m, you may start experiencing niggly health complaints.
When exposed for long periods to fields of 10-20 V/m, you may get more serious health complaints.
Over 20 V/m, you are likely to develop degenerative diseases, or even cancer.

The Japanese toilet in the hotel we stayed in had an electric field of 140 volts per meter! That's 28 times what I consider to be a safe level. And other toilets I've measured around Japan give similar readings or even higher. There are a many factors involved in the plummeting birth rate in Japan, but knowing how continual exposure to electromagnetic fields has been shown in many studies to interfere with fertility, the first thing I would recommend to any Japanese woman trying to conceive would be to turn her toilet off. Fortunately this is simple to do. It can be unplugged from the mains and can still be flushed manually, however archaic that may feel (many Japanese toilets are designed to auto-flush when you stand up).

Copyright © Karen Kingston, 2009


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Okinawa workshops

Written by Karen Kingston Wednesday, 20 May 2009 21:29

Okinawa is a sub-tropical island located about 2.5 hours south of Tokyo. It's generally warm and sunny, and in some respects reminded me of a Japanese version of Hawaii. Okinwans have a reputation for being friendly and relaxed, and I'm told that many Japanese people are moving there, looking for a better quality of life.

The workshops Richard and I flew there to teach this month filled immediately within 3 weeks of being announced, with about 10% of the participants travelling from other parts of Japan to take the course and the rest from the Okinawa area. There were 96 people in the group, all eager to learn about Clutter Clearing and Space Clearing.

We received a wonderful warm welcome, and the workshop venue was one of the best we've taught in outside of Bali for a long time, with lots of space, fresh air, good land energies, great views of Okinawa all the way to the ocean, and a lovely hotel nearby for us to stay in (the Costa Vista) that has excellent organic food.

Kiyo did a marvellous job of organizing. Nothing was too much trouble. He and his enthusiastic team of assistants took it all in their stride.

The five days of workshops were a great success. Japanese people are very communicative with their feedback after an event like this, and I hear they've sent many emails to say how much they enjoyed it and got value from it. The emails are all in Japanese so I'm waiting for them to be translated before I can read them myself and publish some of them here.

The highpoint of the course was the last day when we did a Mandala Ceremony. I was impressed by how respectful and receptive the participants were, and very touched to see that many of them were so moved by the experience that they openly wept tears of joy. 

Copyright © Karen Kingston, 2009


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