1.0Fukuoka Nowhttps://www.fukuoka-now.comfukuoka nowhttps://www.fukuoka-now.com/author/fukuoka-now-editor/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="YzBKoZIl6O"><a href="https://www.fukuoka-now.com/en/the-secret-rules-of-flattery/">The Secret Rules of Flattery</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.fukuoka-now.com/en/the-secret-rules-of-flattery/embed/#?secret=YzBKoZIl6O" width="600" height="338" title="“The Secret Rules of Flattery” — Fukuoka Now" data-secret="YzBKoZIl6O" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://www.fukuoka-now.com/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js /* ]]> */ </script> https://i0.wp.com/www.fukuoka-now.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Screen-Shot-2012-07-23-at-15.28.07.png?fit=577%2C822&ssl=1577822When I think about it, it’s a little bit strange to consider myself a gaikokujin in a country that makes up fifty percent of who I am. I’ve been using chopsticks and eating natto since I was a kid. My mother was already drilling me on my hiragana and katakana by the time I could pick up a pencil, and, embarrassing as it is, I even had a Matsumoto Jun uchiwa pinned up on my wall when I was fourteen. But I’ve got a horrendously difficult name to pronounce for the poor folks here, and I’ve inherited a larger portion of my father’s Caucasian characteristics than my mother’s Japanese looks. So I have had to become used to the occasional, “Wow, you can use chopsticks!” that inevitably deems it necessary for me to narrate a long-winded description of my family history. by Rachel Cantrell