The Hobby Game

Hobbies...that's something I get asked a lot in Japan. I've had countless conversations with people who either ask me "Do you like _______?" or "What are your hobbies?"


It's usually the first thing people ask when you first meet and if you get caught off guard, you feel pressure to answer correctly. It's almost like an interrogation!

A: Hi, nice to meet you.
Me: Nice to meet you too.
A: Where are you from?
Me: America.
A: What are you hobbies?
Me: What?
A (staring): Your hobbies.
Me: Well, I don't know. A lot?
A: Such as?
Me: Uh...I never really thought about it.


I noticed that many Japanese people only have one hobby, not more than one. They have interests but their hobbies I swear are borderline obsession. If they like running marathons, they'll train for marathons and run them twice a year. If they like soccer and you have some soccer knowledge, they'll ask you technical things about soccer.

So when I get asked, I usually end up with a long list of things that don't have any relation toward each other. Fixing cars, cooking, reading, writing, exercise, sports, drawing, gaming, playing the cello...it just boggles their minds that I have more than one.

It's a strange cultural difference on how a conversation starts in Japan. It's almost like Q&A. After being here for several years, I've become a ninja at answering the hobby question.

Question of the day: What are your hobbies?

-P.Bear