I lived in Japan AMA

amother

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 6:33 am

amother Aster wrote:

Did you have any halachic dateline issues and how did you deal with it?

I think that’s only an issue if you fly during sefiras haomer and I didn’t fly then. Or if saying Kaddish, etc.

Amelia Bedelia

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 6:36 am

amother OP wrote:

I think that’s only an issue if you fly during sefiras haomer and I didn’t fly then. Or if saying Kaddish, etc.

How about Shabbos?

amother

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 7:06 am

Amelia Bedelia wrote:

How about Shabbos?

I kept shabbos there, what is your question? The answer above is regarding dateline issues.

amother

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 6:58 pm

Aurora wrote:

Is there anything you try to keep in the way you do things today?

I take my shoes off by the front door and have house slippers!

amother

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 6:59 pm

amother Leaf wrote:

OP, I lived in Japan too (with my family, for over a year, 2x). Don't want to take over your thread at all and don't want to bring in my own info (it's such a tiny number of Jews who spend significant time in Japan, it could easily identify me.) So I'll ask a question myself Smile

Did you live in Tokyo?

Oh wow! Maybe we met? What we’re doing there/what brought you there?
I was mainly in Tokyo yes, and went on short visits to other parts of the country.

amother

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 7:01 pm

amother Cerise wrote:

Are there any kosher spots there?

Only at the Chabad houses and one Chabad had a kosher restaurant. At least when I was there maybe there’s more available now.

amother

Hunter

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 8:26 pm

amother OP wrote:

I kept shabbos there, what is your question? The answer above is regarding dateline issues.

I was reading an article about a family who moved to Japan for a while and had an issue on which day to keep Shobbos, could be that's what she meant.

amother

Oak

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:22 am

amother Hunter wrote:

I was reading an article about a family who moved to Japan for a while and had an issue on which day to keep Shobbos, could be that's what she meant.

Wdym? It’s not like your going to Australia.

goodmorning

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:32 am

amother Oak wrote:

Wdym? It’s not like your going to Australia.

The Chazon Ish held that Sunday is Japan is actually halachically Shabbos. Other shittos hold that Saturday in Japan is halachically Shabbos.

It is common for people visiting Japan to be machmir for the Chazon Ish's shitta for melachos d'Oraisa, so they'll have Shabbos on Saturday but avoid doing any melachos d'Oraisa on Sunday. That gets harder if you live there, though. It's also problematic for Yom Kippur, when worrying about d'Oraisas for both shittos would entail fasting for two days straight. (When the Mirrer yeshiva was in Kobe -- before they were moved by the Japanese government to Shanghai -- some did, in fact, fast for two days.)

Some sources that discuss this:

https://www.star-k.org/article.....bbos.

https://jewishreviewofbooks.co.....ion/#

amother

NeonBlue

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:47 am

goodmorning wrote:

Who knew?? So interesting! What does the chabad family do? That probably sets the trend for most of the Jewish people who are visiting.

amother

Oak

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:51 am

goodmorning wrote:

That’s so interesting. I never knew that.

Amelia Bedelia

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 6:56 am

amother Hunter wrote:

I was reading an article about a family who moved to Japan for a while and had an issue on which day to keep Shobbos, could be that's what she meant.

Yes, this is what I meant

amother

Oak

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 7:04 am

amother Blueberry wrote:

Australia doesn't have dateline issues.
Japan does

I didn’t read the links yet. I skimmed thru them. But why does Japan have this issue?
They keep shabbos on Friday?

amother

Catmint

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 7:20 am

amother NeonBlue wrote:

Who knew?? So interesting! What does the chabad family do? That probably sets the trend for most of the Jewish people who are visiting.

Just a PSA to everyone to keep in mind that different communities pasken differently and you should find out for yourself and not rely on that other people do especially on important issues

amother

Wed, Jul 03 2024, 12:31 pm

Interesting info thanks all! I kept shabbos on Saturday and so did every other shabbos observant Jew that I met in Japan. I was there YK and we all fasted on YK, not the day after. I remember chassidshe people there who made sure to fast 26 hours on YK.