Editorial
Becoming Your Chanoma
Why we’re here and what we can do for you
It’s been one and a half years since Japonica started. Recently, we had our second get-together with editors and writers, and it came to my mind that Japonica hasn’t published its mission statement as an individual piece.
Our initial motivation was simple―spread everything about Japan as a niche publication on Medium. However, as our journey went on, this tight-knit community taught me that Japonica has become a comfortable chanoma for those interested in Japanese culture and living in Japan and facing both the ups and downs of cross-cultural experiences.
What Is Chanoma?
茶の間 (chanoma) is usually translated into a living room, but the translation fails to capture its core value. The original term literally means “a room of tea,” though traditional tea ceremonies are reserved for chashitsu rooms specially designed for that purpose.
In a traditional Japanese home, a chanoma is located next to the kitchen and functions both as a dining room and living room. Children sit down on tatami and do their homework on a low wooden table. Parents and grandparents do meal prep and read newspapers beside them. It’s a space where they eat, have mugicha and snacks, watch TV with beer and sake, and chat about anything that comes to mind until they hit the futon.
When I was a kid, I liked spending my free time in the chanoma, surrounded by my parents and my grandmother in Niigata. It was a safe space for all of us, and we talked about everything from political scandals to J-Pop to Japan’s national soccer team.
The only thing we didn’t mention was how it was a perfect, yet ephemeral time in our lives. After my grandmother and father passed away much earlier than I had expected, I suddenly lost access to my chanoma.
Ever since I started living by myself, I’ve missed the place a lot. Even my friends and colleagues couldn’t satisfy my craving for in-depth discussion at that time. Perhaps I yearned for a wide variety of opinions beyond gender or age, and ultimately, cultural boundaries.
After a long chanoma-free phase in my life, however, my co-editors DC Palter and Alvin T. have allowed me to rediscover that safe space all over again by organizing this publication together. Today Japonica is my virtual chanoma, and I hope you feel the same.
New writers often ask me, “Is this topic too negative for Japonica?” especially when they want to raise awareness on controversial issues.
I always reply no, because there are no taboo topics at Japonica, as our writing prompts suggest. We’d like to keep this space open and inclusive as much as possible, though we can’t publish articles written in a disrespectful manner.
One thing you may want to keep in mind is that we don’t prefer AI-generated articles. That’s because we can’t sit down with AI in our real-life situations. We want to hear personal stories that are real and emotional, not superficial, already existing information on the internet that offers no intriguing conversation openers.
Meet Your Chanoma Friends
I’m proud to tell you Japonica team actually edits and promotes your articles across social media.
DC gives your articles a final look before they go. Read his About Me for more about DC.
Alvin gives your articles more “arresting” titles if you’re having trouble coming up with the right titles (leave notes if you need his help). Read his index page for more about Alvin.
Yuko checks the Japanese language and fact-checks if required. Read her About Me for more about Yuko.
We’ll be regularly holding small meetup events, but even if we can’t see each other, please join our virtual discussion. All you have to do is follow us on your favorite platforms:
Please clap, retweet, share, and leave your comments on our posts to interact with our writers.
I hope you enjoy reading our articles and writing for us with a cup of tea, coffee, or nice sake. Kanpai for our chanoma!
