To: Crecente
From: Bashcraft
RE: T-Minus Three Days
Tomorrow I'm going to a funeral — my second in Japan. One of my wife's distant relatives. He was old, death is natural, still sad, always sad. The first one I went to was rather intense. I expect tomorrow's to end up emotional as well.
Often I get emails about Japan, what someone should or should not do. By and large, I've found Japanese people pretty accepting of Westerners and more than willing to overlook cultural faux pas. However, the only two things I'd recommend definitely trying not to do is using chopsticks that don't match — because mis-matching chopsticks are used when bodies are cremated.
Relatives pass the deceased bones from chopstick to chopstick, which is why you should never pass anything from chopstick to chopstick. It's funeral rites! (Instead put in on a plate or something for the other purpose to take whatever you've placed.) And finally, don't stick chopsticks into a bowl of rice so that are standing vertically — more funeral imagery.
What you missed last night
Infogrames Is Now Atari
Phil Harrison No Longer President Of Atari
And Now Rape Games Are Not Banned in Japan
Kojima Updates Site Yet Again With Familiar Face, Hidden Mystery Mask
First DJ Hero Trailer Is...Yeah
Confused about commenting on Kotaku? Read our FAQ.