Second interview

Preparation

This is my second interview, I feel better than first one. My second interviewee comes from Japan. Except 12 core questions, I prepare some questions I interested like Japanese Cartoon, school. The second interviewee is Midori who has been the United States for two and half years. We met in the library 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. November 4, 2012. I use my IPod Touch to record our dialogue.

Interview Report

My second interview also has a good result like first one. We talk a lot. My touch shows my interview last 45 minutes. First, she introduces herself. I think because Japan and China near closely in geographic location, we have some same situation and opinions in some questions. She also really likes Japanese Cartoon. I really enjoy this interview.

Country Report

“Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".”[1]

“Japan has a total of 6,852 islands extending along the Pacific coast of East Asia. The country, including all of the islands it controls, lies between latitudes 24° and 46°N, and longitudes 122° and 146°E. The main islands, from north to south, are Hokkaidō, Honshū, Shikoku and Kyūshū. The Ryūkyū Islands, including Okinawa, are a chain to the south of Kyūshū. Together they are often known as the Japanese Archipelago.” [2]

“The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate, but varies greatly from north to south. Japan's geographical features divide it into six principal climatic zones: Hokkaidō, Sea of Japan, Central Highland, Seto Inland Sea, Pacific Ocean, and Ryūkyū Islands. The northernmost zone, Hokkaido, has a humid continental climate with long, cold winters and very warm to cool summers. Precipitation is not heavy, but the islands usually develop deep snowbanks in the winter.” [3]

“The average winter temperature in Japan is 5.1 °C (41.2 °F) and the average summer temperature is 25.2 °C (77.4 °F). The highest temperature ever measured in Japan—40.9 °C (105.6 °F)—was recorded on 16 August 2007. The main rainy season begins in early May in Okinawa, and the rain front gradually moves north until reaching Hokkaidō in late July. In most of Honshū, the rainy season begins before the middle of June and lasts about six weeks. In late summer and early autumn, typhoons often bring heavy rain.” [4]

“Japan's population is estimated at around 127.3 million, with 80% of the population living on Honshū. Japanese society is linguistically and culturally homogeneous, composed of 98.5% ethnic Japanese, with small populations of foreign workers. Zainichi Koreans, Zainichi Chinese, Filipinos, Brazilians mostly of Japanese descent, and Peruvians mostly of Japanese descent are among the small minority groups in Japan. In 2003, there were about 134,700 non-Latin American Western and 345,500 Latin American expatriates, 274,700 of whom were Brazilians (said to be primarily Japanese descendants, or nikkeijin, along with their spouses), the largest community of Westerners.” [5]

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan, Nov 4, 2012.

Transcript:

X: Bingzhe

M: Midori

B: Nice to meet you, Midori.

M: Nice to meet you. That is first time for me to do interview. I will try my best.

B: That’s fine. So can we start?

M: Sure.

B: OK. The first question is could you tell me about yourself, like your name, home country?

M: My name is Midori and I come from Japan. I am origin from Japan but I have been Hawaii for two and half years. I came here from Hawaii.

B: So you are transfer students? I know many Japanese students are exchange students.

M: Yes, I am transfer student and this is first semester in St.Cloud State University.

B: OK. The next question is what are you planning to do when you graduate from University.

M: My planning for graduating from school is try to find a job in the United States My major is nurse, I hope when I graduate from University I can get my nurse license, then I will try my best to get a nurse job.

B: How long are you planning to work in America?

M: I don’t know. As long as I can work in America, I will stay here. I don’t think I will go back to Japan when I graduate. But maybe I will work in Japan after I have oversea working experience. When I back to Japan, I hope I can have a office job like teach in college.

B: Ok, most international students have similar thought about working. Nest question, what is the difference in educational system between your country and America?

M: Japan has elementary school the grade from one to six, middle school the grade from one to three, high school the grade from one to three. It’s same with America, but Japanese government will pay for elementary school and middle school. Parents will pay for high school and university. In addition, Japanese schools require students wear school uniform when you go to school.

B: I know Chinese students, Korea students, and Japanese students study very hard. How long you spend on the study?

M: For me, it takes about two hours every day when I go home. Sometimes, I will go to cram school. You have to pay for cram school and it is very experience.

B: We also have cram school in China. Next question, would you like to tell me about your country?

M: Can you tell me exactly, like food, culture?

B: All are ok, if you want, you can tell me. You can tell me everything you want to say.

M: OK, I know. I want to say Japanese seldom go out, I mean they seldom go to other countries for travelling. In America, people like going to many countries for traveling, but in Japan we don’t.

B: Could you tell me about your country’s traditional process regarding marriage?

M: I think most Japanese feel confusing, because we do not what is really traditional marriage. But before young people marriage, they have to visit their parents, only when their parents agree that, they can get married. Also, their family will show their opinions give their some advice.

B: How much cost about Japanese wedding?

M: I don’t know, but I think it is very expensive. Because they have to pay a lot like dinner, renting car.

B: Can you tell me about activities that young people like to do in your country?

M: They like going out together for party, they also like facebook. For sport, they like basketball, baseball. Actually, I seldom play with teenagers, so I don’t know which activities teenagers like.

B: In the other word, what will you do in Japan, if you have free time? Shopping?

M: No, I do not have the enough money for shopping. Because when young people older 18 years old, they have do some part-time job to make money. In most time, I will go to book store, read some books. Sometimes, I go to my friends’ apartment, they have dogs. We can play with their dogs.

B: How about karaoke? I know karaoke origin from Japan and it’s very popular in China.

M: Yes!! My friends they love karaoke, they often go to sing, but I seldom sing. If someone asks me to go, I will go with them. I do sing, but not a good singer.

B: What are major holidays in your country?

M: New Year is a very important holiday; it means a new start in a new year. In March 3^rd, we have a holiday called Girl’s Day, in that day; many girls will celebrate it, eat food, and play together. But it isn’t for young female, like me or lady. It’s for children. In May 5^th, we have Boy’s Day, in this day, boys will do similar things.

B; what is your traditional food?

M: Japanese traditional food, rice, soup, noodle and sushi. Japanese eat meat but we don’t eat as much as American eating, Compared with meat, Japanese more like eating fish. We have lots of kinds of fish and have different ways to cook them.

B: How is the political system of your country structured?

M: In Japan, we don’t like America that has president and everyone can vote to president. We have prime minster who selected by like some political groups, not by Japanese inhabitant.

B: how many years your prime minster take power?

M; there is no limit for prime minster. But if people do like it we can remove him immediately. I remember a prime minster take power only for two or three weeks recently, but he didn’t achieve his goals that he promised. Then he was removed. So in Japan, it is a hard work for a prime minster to take power for a long time.

B: What are your country’s major religions?

M: I think 90 percent of Japanese believe Buddhism.

B: ok, what do you perceive as differences between your culture and American culture?

M: For example, Japanese chat in a group, if I talk with one person. It is very impolite. But in America, we can do it. In the school, we cannot get class lately and leave class early. Also, on food and drink in class. If you do that, maybe get F.

B: How about Japanese Cartoon and what is your favorite? In China, Japanese Cartoon is very popular, like One Piece, NARUTO, and BLEACH?

M: In Japan, the most popular comic is One Piece. My favorite character is SANJI in One Piece. So many Japanese like One Piece. My favorite Japanese Cartoon is TIGER & BUNNY and Silver Soul. I also like Death Note, the main character Raito is very cool. Other Japanese Cartoon such as NARUTO, BELEACH, Detective Conan, Inuyasha. They are all good Japanese Cartoons.

B: I love Japanese Cartoon. I think our interveiw is done. Thanks for you to spend time on my interview homework.

M: You're welcome.