It doesn’t have to make sense.

It is a necessary mantra when living in Japan. Mantra, not just in the common usage but also the Hindu etymology: “A sacred verbal formula repeated in prayer, meditation, or incantation, such as an invocation of a god, a magic spell, or a syllable or portion of scripture containing mystical potentialities.”  Prayer, meditation, invocation of a god; these are things that I need.

The formalities and little whorls of red tape involved in the most common daily tasks mandate it. An example:

While signing up for Yahoo!BB internet service at the local Deo Deo in Onomichi, I wrote my name in katakana in the name box. Japanese syllabaric characters. Above the name box there is a smaller box labeled furigana in which, were my name composed of kanji, I would write out the reading in… katakana. Japanese syllabaric characters. After writing my name in the name box, in katakana, the very friendly employee who was assisting me, directed me to write my name, in katakana, in the furigana section. My name, written in the same phonetic characters, in two boxes, one on top of the other.

It doesn’t have to make sense.

This is not a mantra of blind acceptance. It is a release valve for pent-up fury.

“Hi, I’d like to buy a cell phone.”

“Ok, what sort of plan are you looking for?”

“Just a cheap AU phone on a basic plan is fine.”

“Ok, do you have your gaijin card with you?”

“No, I haven’t received it yet, but I have this piece of paper that they gave me to use until I receive it.”

“Yeah… we aren’t going to be able to help you without the gaijin card.”

“But this piece of paper says you can use it as a gaijin card. It says it right here.”

“Sorry, we’ll need either a gaijin card or a health insurance card. Do you have your health insurance card?”

“No, where can I pick that up?”

“Well, you have to take your gaijin card with you to the…”

It doesn’t have to make sense. It doesn’t have to make sense. Serenity Now.