Becoming Japanese

This post is a followup to my post on how to run for office . My aim is to give potential politicians an understanding of just what a city councillor does. I include what my year is like as well as a more detailed description of the day-to-day of a session. I’ve chosen to use Japanese titles for some of the jobs in government. Kōmu-in is just easier to use than civil servant or government worker. Also, I am not consistent. Like many long-term residents in Japan, I find my English vocabulary salted with more convenient Japanese words. By the end of the article you may have a few new words as part of your own vocabulary. Je m’excuse, je m’accuse… So you've been elected Congratulations. Here is how things are done in my home city of Tsukuba (your city may vary but I’m thinking the basics will be the same). A few days after the election there was a 10 minute ceremony for all winning candidates to receive our certificates of election. About two weeks before the beginning of the f...