A few things about my experience w/neighborhood associations, inspired by @Paul_Kreitman’s piece in @japantimes about them.
I enjoyed the piece and agree with many points. I’ll mostly let it speak for itself. I recommend that folks read it and draw their own conclusions.
1/18 https://twitter.com/Paul_Kreitman/status/1254390379157221377">https://twitter.com/Paul_Krei...
I enjoyed the piece and agree with many points. I’ll mostly let it speak for itself. I recommend that folks read it and draw their own conclusions.
1/18 https://twitter.com/Paul_Kreitman/status/1254390379157221377">https://twitter.com/Paul_Krei...
One of Paul& #39;s points that I love:
Neighborhood associations are a Rorschach test.
I agree—many residents (nationality totally aside) dislike theirs, and see Japan& #39;s problems in it.
Overall, I& #39;m a participation proponent. And I& #39;ve tweeted much of the following before.
2/18
Neighborhood associations are a Rorschach test.
I agree—many residents (nationality totally aside) dislike theirs, and see Japan& #39;s problems in it.
Overall, I& #39;m a participation proponent. And I& #39;ve tweeted much of the following before.
2/18
Many ppl will say their association is a bunch of busybodies and/or intrusive. I& #39;m in no position to disagree w/individual experiences.
But neighborhood participation is a prime way to contribute and have influence here. It& #39;s a venue where one can work to improve things.
3/18
But neighborhood participation is a prime way to contribute and have influence here. It& #39;s a venue where one can work to improve things.
3/18
I was first in a 町会 in 2004. I stayed away from activities and was generally too cool for school about it, until a neighbor passed away and volunteers were sought out to help run the funeral.
Basically, my FIL made me go.
4/18
Basically, my FIL made me go.
4/18
It was nerve-wracking to be part of a funeral. My assignment was to collect condolence envelopes, open them, count the money. I was sloppy and bad at it. But my partner was a banker. He schooled me, and even taught me that cool money-counting technique they do at banks.
5/18
5/18
Then I was herded into the post-cremation ceremony w/which many Japan residents are familiar. Handling my late neighbor& #39;s bones in randomly-assigned partnership w/another neighbor was solemn, but a bizarre experience—one of many that my teenage self wouldn& #39;t have believed.
6/18
6/18
The biggest bonding came next, at the 壇払い post-funeral meal. All neighbors were eating and drinking together. I& #39;d met some, but this was when alcohol helped many to come say "I& #39;ve seen you around, what& #39;s your deal?" (and of course praise chopstick/language skills).
7/18
7/18
After that single, minor neighborhood contribution, there was a marked difference neighbor interactions. No one had been cold to me before that, but they were familiar now, and actual conversations started to happen. Just knowing I could understand them probably helped.
8/18
8/18
When it was our household& #39;s turn to provide a 理事 officer, my FIL nudged me to do it. Then, at the meeting to choose the new association president, the most senior town elder—an ardent communist who knew I was an aide to an LDP MP—nominated me as association 書記 secretary.
9/18
9/18
Now I had to take minutes of every meeting. It was a pain. My predecessor taught me how to write out notes. With terrible handwriting and no chance of keeping up, I brought my laptop. That impressed the hell out of the town elders. I was hailed as a great innovator. Haha.
10/18
10/18
The main point: Now I could give input at mtgs. People listened because I had contributed time and effort. Being white and male surely helped. But this area had many historically matrilineal households whose women served as officers—it wasn& #39;t just a male thing, for example.
11/18
11/18
My other neighborhood association experience echoes Paul& #39;s piece: In disasters, associations go way beyond trash rule enforcement, becoming the conduit for shelter, food, water, supplies, etc. Receiving + hopefully contributing to that is aided by being active in peacetime.
12/18
12/18
I& #39;ve mentioned it here before, but in Ishinomaki shortly after 3/11, I camped by a neighborhood association hall where many residents were living. However their experience was before the disaster, the neighborhood association was literally sustaining their lives.
13/18
13/18
In the covid-19 crisis, I see neighborhood associations as potentially both helpful and harmful. I& #39;m not an officer of my current association, as they& #39;ve exempted volunteer firefighters from having to serve. But I see important communication happening through it.
14/18
14/18
On the other hand, until recently, the neighborhood officers seemed to lack awareness that holding meetings was not a good idea in a pandemic. That message eventually got through, but I felt they were slow to recognize it.
15/18
15/18
Like most Japanese neighborhoods, ours includes a lot of aged persons. The neighborhood association is instrumental in keeping them active (table tennis clubs, karaoke, etc), and in making sure they& #39;re okay/checking on them if anything seems awry.
16/18
16/18