Taking part in neighbourhood community activities

[DumbStick 13]

For those living in Japan - and elsewhere I suppose as well! - but do you take part in community things?

 

There seem to be a few things going on around me like a monthly meeting, the blokes gathering for fire drills etc, but we never have taken part... I think living in an apartment sort of excused us.

 

But we'll be living in a house later this year and I suppose we'll have to take on some of the local community duties.

 

Interested to hear what people do and don't.

 

[stemik 14]

We take part in cleaning the waterways than run by the road, watering the flowers, village sports day and the annual neighborhood BBQ.

We pay 10,000 yen to "join"

[Tubby Beaver 209]

I don't. When we lived in a house, we also paid an annual fee to "voluntarily" join the Neighbourhood group.....kind of wound me up a bit that they forced us to pay even although it wasn't a lot of money.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Spoken like a true Scotsman.

[snowdude 44]

When we first came to Yamanashi we joined the local group as we were asked if we wanted to join so we can receive various info which we thought would be good. They conviniently forgot to tell us that once our turn came around we would have to do the kumicho thing and our turn was last year.

 

They actually expect you to cancel your plans including work to do this community stuff.

A lot around our area that never seem to work always seem to have time to go and do.

 

I got a call from them as well as them calling at my house telling me I have to do.

 

Well they got told in no uncertain terms that I will not be joining in with all these events although I am happy to help with the cleaning up iif I am around.

 

I think they thought I was joking and that I would go ahead and do everything including leafoet drops helping kids cross the rads etc in the middle of the day etc.

 

They soon realised after I didnt attend anything that I was serious and would not join.

 

They gave in then and found someone else to do it.

 

Now while I am al for helping out my local community I certainly dont expect to be told when I yave to give up my time work just to do some poxy community stuff during the middle of the day.

 

A lot in my area seem to have no life they just do their community stuff go nowhere and thats it.

F#%k that idea.

 

 

 

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Ours is not too demanding. Get together once a year to decide on garbage pick-up points, send the kairanban around, do the occasional gutter clean-up, collect infrastructure maintenance requests to pass on to the city... and that is pretty much it. We actually get a small budget from the city for this, which goes to replacing old garbage nets, kairanban copying costs, and small things like that, so it costs us nothing. Don't always have to go -- can send in 委任状 if won't make it. Every few years the hanchou duty comes around (mainly being in charge of kairanban).

 

Actually not a bad chance to check in with the neighbors -- never know when that network can come in handy.

 

Now the PTA is a major PITA. An increasing scarcity of volunteers lately has led to talk of downsizing the PTA's duties, a proposal which I heartily endorse.

 

Also been proposals to cut down on the amount of "junk" kairanban notices, which would be good, too.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Spoken like a true Scotsman.

 

 

I hate being forced to do anything. When I asked what the money was used for...oh keep the place clean (wtf do I pay city taxes for), elementary school festival (I don't have kids) and the neighbourhood "festival".....which in 3 years of living there I had yet to see.

[NoFakie 45]

I've been disappointed to see how much more my daughter's elementary school expects us to do compared to when she was in preschool. As your kids get older, you'd expect there'd be less to do and you'd get a bit more distance, but its not that way here. That's without being on the PTA, which certainly isn't for volunteers and is forced upon everyone when their turn comes.

 

Aside from the rota things, there are "come and watch a lesson/pool lesson/sports lesson" open days literally every month and naturally during the day on a weekday. They are held up as "voluntary" and maybe attendance will thin out as they get older, but for my daughter's year, pretty much every other kid has someone there. Basically its a big guilt trip if you don't go along.

[2pints-mate 0]

How come people in apartments get let off? (or is that a regional thing perhaps?)

[JA2340 16]

We live in rural Australia ... the RFS (rural fire service) is vitally important, and anyone who's NOT a member is a right PITA! I'd be tempted to not bother protecting their place from fire except that'd make it more likely to get to my place (and harder to control before it got here) so I'll protect their place to save mine!

 

I also get asked to be involved in a few voluntary things, most of which I accept, as it is better to be known as someone who is interested in the neighbourhood than someone who's "up themself". But, given that my neighbour on one side is 500m away, and on the other side upwards of 2km away - that's a lot further than many people in Japan.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

I've been disappointed to see how much more my daughter's elementary school expects us to do compared to when she was in preschool. As your kids get older, you'd expect there'd be less to do and you'd get a bit more distance, but its not that way here. That's without being on the PTA, which certainly isn't for volunteers and is forced upon everyone when their turn comes.

 

Aside from the rota things, there are "come and watch a lesson/pool lesson/sports lesson" open days literally every month and naturally during the day on a weekday. They are held up as "voluntary" and maybe attendance will thin out as they get older, but for my daughter's year, pretty much every other kid has someone there. Basically its a big guilt trip if you don't go along.

Oh wow!! I find it interesting to read this. I most definitely fall into the involved parent catagory. And yes, there are schools and parents locally where parental involvement is not a big thing - but I have an expectation that I will be not only be asked by the school, but by my child to step up and help out and support.

 

It is most definitely on a voluntary basis, and those parents who both work crazy hours and can not be involved, obviously aren't. They usually assist in other ways. But I will miss it when my kids are at Uni and I don't have to be helping at school anymore. I love it that the staff at school KNOW they can pick up the phone and ask for any assistance they need.

 

I dont think this is a strange thing in Aus. Is it not done in other countries?

[JA2340 16]

Nothing stopping you continuing to help at the school after the kids are gone, MB! Some of the most committed helpers at the schools I have been at were the parents of ex-students! Mostly older (and thus with some "spare" time) but no less committed to the success of the school!

[Tubby Beaver 209]

My parents didn't really help when I was at school.....too busy working to put food on the table....didn't do me any harm.

[Chriselle 158]

Oh yes....all the chonaikai stuff I do for sure. Actually, and this will be a first for the entire community but I....as in "ME"... the gaijin from space....will be the leader the year after next. That should be interesting...

[muikabochi 208]

That should be fun!!

 

[tokabochi 9]

I take part in a few things but not all.

I doubt they'd want me at the weekly (monthly?) meetings anyway, and I'm sure I don't want to go!

Local matsuri is fun though and I'll do a bit there.

[JA2340 16]

But, tokabochi, if you do not attend, then you are accepting the decisions made by those who DO bother.

If you are talking about school meetings, would you be prepared for me (for example) to decide for your kids, what would be done/spent/not done there?

 

Our local member of National Parliament has a saying - "The world is run by those who bother to turn up." He means that if you do NOT go to meetings, you accept that other people will decide things for you. If you are OK with this, fine, but I'd be unhappy if a school meeting that was to decide matters relating to my kid's education, made some stupid decision, and I was not there to argue against it.

[tokabochi 9]

But, tokabochi, if you do not attend, then you are accepting the decisions made by those who DO bother.

If you are talking about school meetings, would you be prepared for me (for example) to decide for your kids, what would be done/spent/not done there?

 

Well yes I know that, but as we are talking about a small neighbourhood and I see the things they spend whole evenings discussing - I'm fine with that.

And as I have no children and not particularly keen on children, I'm not bothered about that world either.

 

[big-will 7]

I think I'll leave it up to my more involved Neighbours to decide on which day the garbage is collected and other important decisions

[Tubby Beaver 209]

My missus tells me when to take the rubbish out and I do.....I have no interest in learning which days the gomi goes out on

[JellyBelly 1]

All sounds like girly stuff to me.

[NoFakie 45]

Like the others say, it's hard to understand why participation in a meeting is required to confirm that things will be done in the same way as before.

 

I think its good for parents to take an interest in and help the school, and do a bit myself, but it shouldn't be forced upon anyone. If anything, what annoys me is the school expecting a parent (i.e., mother) or other guardian to always be available for things scheduled during the day. Sometimes its things that could be avoided or simplified with better organization.

 

We're in the local ku and do community stuff, but it's never during office hours. It's quite expensive though. We grow rice, so I have to do the rice paddy community stuff too, but that's usually first thing on a Sunday. You also get paid for doing it out of the government subsidy for rice growing.

[Saitaman 1]

I take part in ours.

There's not many and actually I know them all and am quite friendly with them, I almost look forward to it.

Good way to meet people in the area and my area is generally quite young and friendly.

[7-11 2]

I haven't been invited to be honest.

 

 

Wouldn't mind joining in as there's some fair maidens I wouldn't mind meeting.

[big-will 7]

They always pop the newsletter in my post box.

All in Japanese, of course.

I actually try to read it, see what's going on.

Usually riveting stuff.