To me, “justice” means being fair in any situation/trial, and giving light to those who are usually misunderstood by enforcing human rights/laws. I do not agree with the treatment of convicts in Japan from what I saw in the videos. Most convicts are accused of guilty until proven innocent and a lot of times, even though convicts try to prove themselves innocent, the law system does not consider it at all. Convicts are also treated like prisoners, with almost no access to medical assistance and locked away in some situations just based on the “accusation” that could be fake. Comparing to Canada, Canada convicts are innocent until proven guilty. This means detailed investigations are conducted before judging a convict to be guilty. Convicts can have a defense lawyer in their trial, and most of the cases are judged and fought fairly. On the other hand, the Japanese government/police detectives can purposely change the report regardless of the lawyers words to make sure the convict remains guilty. Previously, I thought Japan was a very fair country, seeing the cleanliness and politeness of the country. But after watching the videos, I realize there is a really big problem in the government and justice system in Japan. Innocent citizens are being treated unfair and falsely accused behind closed doors and there needs to be change! Japanese ideas of justice can influence the animes and manga we watch. The animes could potentially “romanticize” the actual problem happening in Japan and paint a facade of a fair country.

Pros and Cons

After doing the reading exercise, I realized some pros of individual counters are that they tell the reader the context of the potential object being counted. Having a variety of counters in different categories creates an organized concept in the language. For example, just saying the number with the correct counter ending can already include the number, object, and counter (ex. pieces of, scoops of, etc.). There are some cons though. It may be confusing and difficult to learn as a beginner. There are just so many that it can feel overwhelming at times to memorize.

5 Different Counters

本 （ほん）- “stick-shaped or long” things (ex. pencils, eels, tails, nail clippers, icicles, etc.)
匹　(ひき) – small or medium-sized animals (ex. cats, monkeys, fish, prawns, shrimps, lobsters, etc.)
羽  (わ) – birds (ex. chickens, ostriches, peacocks, penguins, etc.) (exception: also counts for rabbits)
曲  (きょく) – songs (ex. “I sang 3 songs”)
雫 (しずく) – drips/drops (ex. “1 drop of tear”

English Counter

I think a counter I wished existed in English would be one similar to 果/菓 (か). This counter is used to count fruits in a more traditional/poetic way. (Usually, people would just use つ) I feel like it would be interesting to have this in Canada. A traditional way of counting fruit that only Canadians would know. The counter would be “eh” based on the comedic assumption that Canadians all say “eh”.

In the supermarket:
Mom: “How many apples do you want?”
Child: “10-eh!”

Continuation of Counters

Japan should continue using counters as there is no reason to stop using them in a country that has been functioning well with them. As long as people in Japan are being taught the counters, it would be simple to catch on if you live in the country. It may be hard for tourists or new residents of Japan to get the counters right, but it isn’t necessary to know. A simple action of holding up 2 fingers can get you around the market fine.

Sometimes, thoughts that surround a person can turn into beliefs as if you are tricking yourself into believing something. Looking at fortune, Blood types, and Horoscope sometimes they are accurate, but at times the description is a bit too common which makes me think that it is real. For example, one of the traits of a Gemini is indecisiveness, and although I believe I am indecisive, many other people also are. So for horoscopes I don’t believe in it but it is a fun way to get to know someone. As for blood types, I also don’t find it believable in the same way I find Horoscopes. Just because someone is born in a certain month or have one of the four types of blood, it cannot determine someone’s whole personality. On the other hand, I do believe in MBTI Personality Test. This is because there is a a whole test that someone needs to take to determine which personality they are. There are many questions and since I have taken it before, I do believe it is pretty accurate. A lot of information is provided as well and people can learn more about how they combat problems in life because of personality. But to everything there is an extent. There are only 16 personality types and although the test is accurate, people should not take the information to heart. Personalities can also change throughout one’s life.

I have been judged by my horoscope and personality type but in a joking matter. Some people say Gemini’s are two-faced and as a joke my sister would talk about that. As for my personality type, the judging was more so positive than negative. They would say.. “Oh you are ISFJ? That’s why you are so supportive!” which is positive. Overall, when talking about other people and their personality types, it is a good reminder to not make it their whole personality and the reasoning why the person did a certain action. For example we should not say things like “She cheated on her boyfriend? That is such an ESFP move. We should stay away from those types of people.” This is when things get overboard and hurtful.

Fortunes are still popular today because people are eager to learn about theirselves and possible future comings. They want to know the way others perceive them and if they are compatible with certain others. Or it can simply be for fun purposes and a good way to start making new friends. Looking more at the Japanese culture, it is fairly popular to go to a shrine during new years to find out your luck. This tradition still remains evident in the Japanese culture because people want to know their future luck and prosperity in the coming year.

I don’t believe in any superstitions but there are some that are in the Chinese culture I find interesting. On New Years, we give small mandarin oranges to others or just have some for ourselves. When we give it to others, it means we are giving good luck and prosperity. My family isn’t big on this, but my grandma would always give a lot to us. You can probably find 20 of them hidden around her small apartment as well! There is also another saying in which if you leave specks of rice in your bowl, your future spouse will have a lot of blemishes on their face. This is to encourage kids to eat everything in their bowl but of course is not guaranteed to happen.

As I look at my horoscope, in some ways they are accurate or have some qualities that are the same, but in the same way, many of the characteristics are very broad. For example, being extroverted, being able to make new friends, having leadership, is qualities many people have. Which is why I don’t believe them. I don’t think being born in a certain month of the year affects a human’s personality traits. As for personality tests, it is more accurate as unlike horoscopes, or blood types, you are not born with it. One would have to do a test online going through many scenarios, which is why I do believe in the personality test (MBTI) more than horoscopes and blood types.

I have been judged but not in a direct or hurtful way. Classmates would ask what my horoscope is and even ask for the date as there is a specific moon. They would say that I was the “good” type of Gemini, and not the 2-faced kind because of the date which didn’t make sense to me. As well as on social media and TikTok, there are many videos showing how Gemini’s would act or a negative portrayal of them, but I would view on it for fun. I didn’t feel much because I know different people have different beliefs in horoscopes or not. I won’t take it seriously though as nothing impacted me negatively. Although if I was being judged negatively by someone because I was a Gemini, I would feel discriminated and in shock. I would be in shock because when someone makes friends with you, they shouldn’t judge you before they get to know you just based on someone’s astrological sign.

I think fortunes are still popular today because it is trendy especially for youth. It gives some joy and interest and also people can relate to it. They find it interesting that some aspects are also accurate. These types of topics are popular as it can also be a topic to bring up when meeting new people. Many people find joy when they find out they are the same type, or sign. Like “Oh you are Cancer too? Me too!” or “I am ESFP as well!” Like in Japan, how blood types are a topic to talk with others and to socialize.

Personally, I don’t believe in superstitions because of my religion but some jokes, or old Chinese sayings are that if you leave some spots or left over specks of rice in your bowl after eating, that will be the blemishes on your partner’s face. It encourages me to eat until there is none left in the bowl so that my future partner will have flawless skin.