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What are Jishuku Police and Mask Police, Anyways?

Hi there. I would like to write a little bit about Jishuku Police and Mask Police this time. As of 2020, there have been new Japanese terms related to the COVID-19 pandemic and perhaps you have heard of these but not sure what they mean.

What are Jishuku Police and Mask Police, Anyways?

Jishuku Police

Jishuku literally means self-restraint. To explain what Jishuku Police is like, that’s probably those who watch and tell people to ‘STAY HOME’ without a second thought. We should know that self-restraint is not something forced by someone else by Japan’s law.  Before accusing whatever goes on, why don’t we give ourselves a second to consider if there is something/reason behind the situation?

Even before/after the state of emergency was in effect, there were cases that those Jishuku Police guys have accused the following:

  • people barbequing at the park
  • people coughing on the bus
  • restaurants that are open
  • SNS users for posting photos (regardless when they are taken)
  • drivers from other cities or even those local people driving their car with a different city name on its car plate
  • people who do such as above and POSTED their personal information on the web
Whatever you post they’d repeat the same phrase.

Mask Police

Mask Police means pretty much the same as Jishuku Police but it’s particularly for wearing masks. I’ve heard a case that one of them spotted a person without wearing a mask inside the car at a convenience store parking area, went over and started bashing. Sounds too much, doesn’t it? If wearing mask is considered to protect ourselves from spreading the virus, this action obviously rises the risk which doesn’t make sense to me.

Lastly

How do you find it? I understand that many people are sensitive for such things at this moment but please don’t go too far. You would be the one in trouble eventually otherwise.

See you around!

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Six Major Japanese Dog Breeds

Six Major Japanese Dog Breeds

I would like to introduce six major Japanese dog breeds this time.

Six Major Japanese Dog Breeds

Are you a cat person or a dog person? (or neither) I suppose I am a dog person myself since my zodiac is dog as well. Heh heh. I used to have a Siberian husky in my childhood. He was big and cute (however not smart!). The most lovable dog in my life.

Are you familiar with Japanese dogs? There are many but major ones would be Akita-inu, Kai-ken, Kishu-ken, Shiba-inu, Shikoku-ken, and Hokkaido-ken.

Let’s take a look one by one.

Shikoku-inu (四国犬)

One of Shikoku-inu breeds, Tosa-ken (土佐犬) from Kochi Prefecture is especially known for dog-fight (which is prohibited today). They look intimidating but it depends on how you raise and train.

Kai-ken (甲斐犬)

It originates in Yamanashi Prefecture. Since they are originally hunting dogs, they are likely loyal to owners. The tiger-alike stripes is the cool trademark. A big con for having one would be barking.  Extra training may be required.

Shiba-inu (柴犬)

Shiba-inu is one of the most popular breeds recently. There is even a smaller version called Mame-shiba. Mametaro is probably the most famous Shiba-inu in Japan. I like black Shiba personally though.

Kishu-ken (紀州犬)

It is originally from the Kishu region (around Wakayama Prefecture). They are for hunting animals like boars, however, this naturally means they are likely aggressive and rough without getting trained properly.

Akita-inu (秋田犬)

As Hachi the movie, it is known that Akita-ken dogs are quite loyal to their owners. Another famous dog is Wasao. This fluffy-type Akita-inu looks damn adorable. I would love to pet him!

Hokkaido-ken (北海道犬)

It is said that Ainu, the natives in northern Japan including Hokkaido had those Hokkaido-ken for hunting.

Lastly

How do you find it? Believe or not, it is said that owners and doggies tend to look alike. When I look around people dog-walking, I kinda get it. Heh heh. Nothing offensive. It’s just a cute thing.

See you around!