Neighborhood Music

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” II Corinthians 5:1

Throughout Japan, usually at 5 pm, a standard melody is played over loudspeakers placed strategically within the local communities. Known affectionately as the 五時のチャイムor “5 pm Chime,” it is officially part of the Municipal Disaster Management Radio Communication Network (it is quite a mouthful in Japanese as well).

This network of speakers is part of a nationwide system designed to warn residents in the event of an emergency due to a natural disaster or even the launch of missiles from North Korea. These warnings almost became routine to us while working in a disaster zone where we experienced repeated aftershocks and tsunami warnings following the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. In addition to emergency announcements, many communities utilize this system to notify residents of local events or to report the presence of suspicious persons and even wildlife. It was quite common for us to receive loudspeaker warnings of local bear sightings when we lived in a more rural area.

Some residents regard these daily announcements as an annoyance, particularly if your house is located within close proximity of one of the speakers and your neighborhood adds a 6 am “wake up song” to its repertoire. The 5 pm Chime song that is played most frequently is an instrumental version of “Yuyaku Koyake,” roughly translated as “Sunset,” and is a famous Japanese children’s folk song with the lyrics dating back to 1919. (Antonin Dvorak actually composed the song as part of his Symphony No. 9 and when words were added, it was given the title “Going Home.”) You can go here to listen to it as we would experience on a daily basis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFWZ5-bd7nQ. Some communities play alternative songs, including well-known western tunes such as “Edelweiss,” “Auld Lang Syne” and “Moon River.”

The stated purpose of the 5 pm chime is to ensure that the broadcast system is working correctly, but it also serves to remind children that playtime is over and that they should return home with the setting sun. However, for people like us and for many Japanese as well, this melancholic melody that was once a part of our daily routine prompts feelings of nostalgia for days gone by full of friends and related activities.

It is actually quite normal to long for places, people and for circumstances that no longer exist when faced with unwelcome challenges and an uncertain future. We are naturally inclined to seek permanence and peace that somehow eludes us in the present, so we mistakenly convince ourselves that we possessed such things in the past. But God has created us for something else that is beyond our past and present experiences. Our permanent home awaits us in eternity. So the temporary joys of our present, as well as our past life, are only a dim shadow of things to come. The 5 pm chime is a reminder that we are just presently camping. We have yet to occupy our eternal home in heaven.

Protruding Nails

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Many years ago I took a number of Japanese visitors to an event in the United States where the performers on stage tried to recruit volunteers from the audience to participate in the action. Everyone around us eagerly thrust their hands into the air begging to be chosen, but my Japanese guests shrunk back, doing their best to become invisible. I was slightly amused as I witnessed this contrast in reactions and obvious clash of cultures. My Japanese friends were equally puzzled by the circumstances and later asked me, “Why are Americans so eager to rush on the stage and make fools of themselves?” To which I casually replied, “It’s the American way!” While my answer was rather shallow and primarily intended to draw laughter, it did partially capture the vast differences that often separate us as different cultures defined by different values.

The Japanese have a famous proverb that goes, “The nail that sticks out gets hammered in” *(出る釘は打たれる), which succinctly captures the previously described scenario. Due to Japan’s centuries of intentional isolation as an island nation and its mono-ethnic makeup, diversity is generally not encouraged. This serves as a stark contrast to the melting pot of cultures and ethnic groups that typically characterizes the United States, where individuality and the expression of it is considered a high value. However, in Japan, deviance from the norm is often met with resistance, like a protruding nail that is routinely hammered in so it will match the others. Group mentality and the pressure to “fit in” encourages conformity on many levels in Japan, so few are willing to face criticism and risk being singled out. This mindset can be a powerful tool to mobilize effort and energy into a cohesive direction for a particular objective, but it has the drawback of shutting down independent thought and action that sometimes might lead to better outcomes.

Of course, there are exceptions to this trend and nowhere is this more evident than the variety of street fashions in the Harajuku district of Tokyo, where young people express their individuality through unusual clothing and makeup combinations. In addition, some public figures may shun conformity in order to achieve success and are ironically admired for their boldness and innovation. But among the general masses, the desire for safety and tranquility continues to drive responses and few are willing to take the risks that come from being a nail that sticks out.

Jesus, however, essentially called His followers to be that protruding nail. While this presents unique challenges for Japanese believers seeking to live out their faith in a non-Christian culture, it is a problem that all true followers of Christ must wrestle with as the Kingdom of God inevitably clashes with the kingdoms of this world. As the people of God, we are to be actively engaged in a spiritual battle where our good deeds and testimony bear witness to the greatness and mercies of God to others around us. This way of life, of course, leaves little room for shrinking back into a self-protective mode for fear of criticism or rejection. Our light must shine as we become protruding nails within the cultural context where God has uniquely placed us. After all, the ultimate hammer resides in God’s hand and it is His judgment that matters in light of eternity.

* The proverb originally stated, “The stake that sticks out gets pounded,” which doesn’t significantly change the current nuance.

Reading the Air

“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.” Proverbs 20:5

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The Japanese have a phrase空気を読む (kūki o yomu) which translates literally as “reading the air.” It means to have an accurate perception of a given situation despite minimal verbal communication. In other words, a person who is good at reading the air has the ability to grasp what is left unsaid. This obviously presents quite the challenge to westerners who are more accustomed to direct communication patterns and are already significantly handicapped by having to operate in a language that is not their own.

The usage of the seemingly simple Japanese word for “yes” orはい (hai) reflects this concept. “Hai” in Japanese can mean anything, ranging from “Yes, I agree with you” to “Yes, I hear you.” Obviously, there is a world of difference between these two nuances, so one must read the air of the context in which it was said in order to discern the speaker’s intended meaning. I recall my initial struggles as an inexperienced missionary leading meetings in Japanese where I often failed to read the air. For example, I might mistakenly interpret everyone’s silent response on a particular topic as meaning they either had no opinion or that everyone was in agreement with me (I wish!). This inevitably led to a few misunderstandings, but people were generally very gracious and forgiving in such situations.

Someone who doesn’t read the air very well and misunderstands a particular social situation is conversely labeled as being a 空気読めない (kūki yomenai) person. Such people typically fail to take a hint, lack common sense, or neglect to read a person’s body language, which causes them to respond inappropriately. Younger Japanese now commonly use the abbreviation KY (Kūki Yomenai) in text messages and social media to describe such individuals. If someone is particularly bad at reading the air, he or she might be called a SKY, which stands for Super Kūki Yomenai!

Communication patterns and language naturally vary from culture to culture, but discerning matters of the heart, calls for a different set of skills that can be quite difficult to master. The desire to be fully understood by others is a longing we all have in common, but the harsh reality is that we often fail to understand ourselves, much less others. Motives, intentions, thoughts and feelings run much deeper than mere spoken words and actions, and are consequently, harder to interpret. Nonetheless, they are essential components in the communication process that we dare not neglect. As the writer of Proverbs points out, great insight is required to discern these deeper matters of the heart and such skills ultimately come from God. Therefore, we would be wise to turn to Him for help. Without His enablement, we would all be SKY people.