My Family Culture

I would choose a omamori, manekineko , and chopsticks.  Omamori is a talisman. It is a small bag that contains paper or wood chip inside on which something religious is printed. I would bring one for my family’s health. Manekineko is a statue of cat and one with right hand lifted gather the luck of money and one with left hand lifted gathers the luck of people. I would bring one with left hand lifted. The last one is chopsticks.

I would explain that omamori is important because I can mentally depend on it for my family’s health. Manekineko is similar. I would like it to help me to gather people in the new country so that I can have another happy life there in my new community. Chopsticks might sound less important compared to the other two. But from my experience living in a foreign country, the only thing I get frustrated with and find inconvenient regularly is when I don’t have chopsticks. I think this is because they are an important part of my daily life.

I would feel sad, similar to a feeling of having to leave my friends behind when I had to give up two items among three I brought.   If I was forced to choose just one, I would have to keep the manekineko.

Since I have lived in the United States as an immigrant, this simulation may not be a big impact on the way I see my culture or how I handle with cultural issues. Even though I know I do not usually stick to my culture, it is interesting that I try to bring Japanese items that will bring my lucks or works as a guard. It means that Japanese culture means a lot when it comes to spiritual beliefs. It also proves that I see myself as belonging to Japanese culture even though I am not planning to go back to Japan or that I seem not to care about Japanese culture in my daily life here.