Chris Broad > Quotes

“I’d later learn that in Japanese culture these long periods of silence, chinmoku (沈黙), were commonplace. It has its roots in Zen Buddhism, where silence is said to hold the secrets of existence. The Japanese proverb ‘It is better to leave many things unsaid’ captures the essence of chinmoku. Far from being awkward, in Japan silence is a natural part of daily interactions.”
― Chris Broad, Abroad in Japan: Ten Years In The Land Of The Rising Sun

“The Japanese proverb you'll hear most is Deru kui wa utareru—the stake that sticks out gets hammered down. No proverb sums up better Japan's adherence to group conformity and collectivism.”
― Chris Broad, Abroad in Japan: Ten Years in the Land of the Rising Sun

“Though I’d never recommend visiting Japan in August unless you want to experience what it feels like to be a rotisserie chicken,”
― Chris Broad, Abroad in Japan: Ten Years In The Land Of The Rising Sun

“Compared to a British corner shop, Japanese conbini are light years ahead in terms of the sheer breadth of services they provide. The big three brands are 7-Eleven, Family Mart and Lawson, and as well as being open twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, absolutely without fail, each store is fully stocked with an ATM, a photocopier/printer, washrooms and a computer you can use to pay for everything from flights to Disneyland tickets. You can even pay your bills at the till. And that’s not even mentioning the extensive range of food, drinks, ready meals and an area where you can prepare them, complete with microwave, coffee machines and a kettle. Simply put, living off just a single Japanese conbini is frighteningly easy. The only inconvenience is deciding which one to go to. Even out here in the middle of nowhere, I had no less than four stores within a five-minute radius to choose from.”
― Chris Broad, Abroad in Japan: Ten Years In The Land Of The Rising Sun

“Schools churned out model citizens who followed the rules and rarely questioned authority, but robbed students of any rule-breaking, entrepreneurial spirit.”
― Chris Broad, Abroad in Japan: Ten Years In The Land Of The Rising Sun

“The key to turning a good trip into an unforgettable one is the encounters you have along the way.”
― Chris Broad, Abroad in Japan: Ten Years in the Land of the Rising Sun

“Like a surfer rising from the waves, eventually I was upright, towering over the classroom to a cheering audience. I could already imagine the next answer. ‘Where is Chris sensei now?’ ‘In the fucking hospital.”
― Chris Broad, Abroad in Japan: Ten Years In The Land Of The Rising Sun

“A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.”
― Chris Broad, Abroad in Japan: Ten Years In The Land Of The Rising Sun

“It’s a cliché to describe Japan as a land of stark contrasts, but going from a poster of a naked woman to an ancient temple in the space of five minutes, it was certainly delivering.”
― Chris Broad, Abroad in Japan: Ten Years In The Land Of The Rising Sun

“Where are you from?"
"How old are you?"
"What do you do?"
In Japan, understanding your position within a hierarchy relative to the person you're talking to is of the utmost importance. This is why these questions are asked upfront—to establish how to continue the conversation.”
― Chris Broad, Abroad in Japan: Ten Years in the Land of the Rising Sun

“chutoro”
― Chris Broad, Abroad in Japan: Ten Years In The Land Of The Rising Sun