Label Japan
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1 sheet of Doraemon Sticker Page Marker Label Japan $3.19 |
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PROMO WHITE LABEL JAPAN WHITE LION – PRIDE – UNPLAYED $49.99 |
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Deep Purple Part 2 Made In Japan Rare GS Label Singapore 12″ LP ELP1036 $14.99 |
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Alien Sex Fiend Liquie Head In Tokyo White Label Vap 35138-25 Japan LP OBI $7.99 |
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Eric Clapton japan white label PS Cocaine /Lay Down Sal $24.99 |
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PROMO WHITE LABEL BUD POWELL THE AMAZING JAPAN KING BLUE NOTE $49.99 |
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PROMO WHITE LABEL DIONNE WARWICK JAPAN 7INCH 45RPM NO N $39.99 |
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Eric Clapton m- white label japan Forever Man /Too Bad $24.99 |
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Stitch Banana Label Japan Disney Store JDS Pin Lilo $16.80 |
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PROMO WHITE LABEL FRANCK POURCEL JAPAN OBI AUDIOPHILE E $49.99 |
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PROMO WHITE LABEL GERALDO VESPAR JAPAN OBI BRASIL ROMAN $79.99 |
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PROMO WHITE LABEL JOEL TEIXEIRA JAPAN OBI BOM DIA, AMOR $39.99 |
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DAVID CASSIDY BEST OF CD CURB LABEL JAPAN 14 SONGS BONUS TRACK PARTRIDGE FAMILY $19.95 |
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PROMO LABEL SERGIO MENDES JAPAN OBI 12INCH SINGLE 45RPM $29.99 |
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Renaissance / A Song For All Season, Japan original LP,Promo White Label $19.99 |
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Metal AVALON Label Sampler JAPAN CD Blut Im Auge,Flight… #51-2 $12.46 |
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AVALON Label Sampler JAPAN CD Wings of Insanity…Metal #51-2 $12.47 |
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Sanrio Shinkansen Japan Waterproof Name Label Stickers $6.00 |
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PROMO LABEL DEPECHE MODE JAPAN OBI PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE $79.99 |
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Pete Sinfield / Still, Japan original LP, Promo White Label $29.99 |
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JIMMY BUFFETT A1A JAPAN LP PROMO White Label IPS-80107 $20.00 |
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PROMO LABEL ARLAN DAY JAPAN OBI UNPLAYED I SURRENDER $49.99 |
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JEFF BECK-FLASH-JAPAN ISSUE PROMO LABEL+OBI $27.99 |
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LINDA RONSTADT-SOMEWHERE OUT THERE-JAPAN 7”PROMO LABEL $9.99 |
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FACES-THE FIRST STEP-JAPAN ISSUE PROMO BLUE LABEL+OBI $139.99 |
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JOHN ENTWISTLE-MY SIZE-JAPAN PROMO 7″ WHITE LABEL $80.99 |
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GARRY MOORE-CRYING IN THE SHADOWS-JAPAN 7”PROMO LABEL $9.99 |
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NICK LOWE-THEABOMINABLE SHOWMAN-JAPAN PROMO LABEL+OBI $27.99 |
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BRYAN ADAMS- CHRISTMAS TIME-JAPAN 7″PROMO LABEL+FLIER/ $9.99 |
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SANDY COAST-JUST A FRIEND-JAPAN PROMO 7″ WHITE LABEL $27.99 |
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STRANGLERS-DON’T BRING HARRY JAPAN ONLY PROMO LABEL+OBI $41.99 |
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Y&T-BLACK TIGER-JAPAN PROMO LABEL+OBI $31.99 |
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JOE SIMON-POOL OF BAD LUCK-JAPAN PROMO 7″ WHITE LABEL $9.99 |
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BOB DYLAN-LIVE AT ISLE OF WIGHT-JAPAN PROMO LABEL 7” $241.99 |
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BIG WHA-KOO-ST-JAPAN 1st ISSUE PROMO LABEL+OBI $27.99 |
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BOB DYLAN-SLOW TRAIN COMING-JAPAN ISSUE PROMO LABEL+OBI $48.99 |
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FLINTLOCK-Satnd Alone Japan white Label LP $29.99 |
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PROMO LABEL BOY GEORGE JAPAN OBI EVERYTHING I OWN $59.99 |
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PROMO LABEL EIGHTH WONDER JAPAN OBI UNPLAYED 12INCH 45R $29.99 |
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PROMO WHITE LABEL SILVERBIRD JAPAN BROKEN TREATIES $59.99 |
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PROMO LABEL THE EXPLORERS JAPAN OBI UNPLAYED $39.99 |
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PROMO LABEL THEN JERICO JAPAN OBI PRAIRIE ROSE 12INCH 5 $39.99 |
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PROMO WHITE LABEL UFO JAPAN NO HEAVY PETTING $59.99 |
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PROMO LABEL ULTRAVOX JAPAN OBI U-VOX $39.99 |
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KIYOSHI HASEGAWA Japan Folk Psych LP, ALBUM 7 VERTIGO SWIRL LABEL $57.99 |
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Boss PS-2 Digital Pitch Shifter/Delay Blue Label Made in Japan with box $150.00 |
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Manfred Mann’s Earth Band / Watch, Japan original LP, Promo White Label $33.99 |
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Quintessence / Self, Japan original LP, Very Rare!!! Promo White Label $79.99 |
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SEIKO MATSUDA PRECIOUS MOMENT JAPAN CD 2800yen w/LABEL $33.99 |
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PROMO WHITE LABEL KEITAROU IKUTA JAPAN FUNK RARE GROOVE $129.99 |
Japan: Open Arms or Closed Doors?
The more you uncover the more you want to continue your quest of discovery. During the Edo or Tokugawa era it was a country sealed off from the rest of the world. It was completely self-reliant, foreigners were not allowed to enter, the Japanese forbidden from travelling, and trade with other countries (if any) was limited to a select few. As such, for centuries Japan demurred as a peaceful, socially structured country mired in its own culture and traditions. The 2 century long period is also referred to ‘sakoku jidai’ literally translated as ‘closed-door’ or ‘(national) isolation period’. Consequently it is only relatively recently that Japan has had contact with the outside, and in particular, the western world.
An open-door Japan may be a contradiction in terms, however. Whilst it is immediately obvious that the larger cities have welcomed, if not embraced, the western influences in terms of fast food chains, clothing stores and cinema multiplexes, Japan still cautiously guards its cultural heritage and its language. Indeed, although many signs, menus, instructions etc. are written in English or at least Romaji (transliteration in Roman script of Japanese words) these are purely for the benefit of visitors. The Japanese are more than content, and, indeed, fiercely proud of their language.
Whereas it may seem that Japan and its people do tolerate and enjoy foreign influences, it is becoming increasingly obvious that at some point in the not too distant future they may turn round and say ‘enough is enough’. This is more than likely to happen in dietary terms; with one of the longest life-spans in the world, the healthy lifestyle and diet are being battered (pardon the pun) by the fatty convenience foods common to the US and the UK. But also in linguistic terms; the encroachment of katakana [script used for foreign loan words] into texts of all kinds is on the rise. Although katakana words may be the friend of the Japanese language learner (especially on restaurant menus) I can’t help but feel they detract from the beauty of Japanese hiragana script and kanji.
Enough of food, however, and back to language matters. Living in Japan for 12 months in the outskirts of Kyoto in 2004 was a massive culture shock. A few stock words and phrases were laughingly inadequate for linguistic survival. EVERYTHING was in Japanese! It took a while to get used to the lack of recognisable signs, labels and menus and by the end most (or at least a chunk of these) became decipherable. Returning 6 years later, I was astonished in the marked increase in writing in English. Advertisements and station names, in particular, stood out as being more accessible to non-Japanese speakers. What’s more, when attempting to converse with Japanese restaurant owners, which had previously been a lot of fun, we were greeted with English responses. Have the Japanese, in fact, opened their arms wider to their foreign visitors?
It may be the case that the Japanese are more accepting of their foreign friends, but fewer young people are learning English (outside of the school environment) and fewer students are choosing to study abroad (unlike the Chinese). Perhaps Japan, which was so used to being self-dependent during the Tokugawa period, can’t bring itself to fully open its doors. Its citizens feel comfortable, supported and confident in their cultural surroundings. Why would they then choose to leave the country, or in fact jeopardise their homeland in becoming fully accepting, to throw themselves into cultures which are infinitely more uncomfortable?
Helen Fream works for a London translation agency called Rosetta Translation.
Rosetta Translation offers a wide range of language related services. It has a particular focus on Japanese translation services and patent translation.
About the Author
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Coldplay – Lovers In Japan