I taught English full-time here in Japan for a whole year in 2008.  There were all levels of classes, all ages, from beginner to advanced, from 4-year-olds to folks in their eighties.

One Friday morning in August or September, I walked into my advanced English class, situated at a cross-cultural community center on the edge of town, and it was obvious something was being shared my students thought was funny which I apparently wasn’t supposed to know.  They were giggling and looking conspicuously guilty.  It was a small class, only five students, and I guess I caught them somewhat by surprise.  Which itself didn’t make sense, since it was one-minute before class was supposed to start.  Perhaps they wanted to be caught in their conspiratorial pow wow.

“Okay, students.  What were you talking about?  What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, JD.  We were laughing about something?”  As they continued to giggle.

“We have no secrets here.  You’re required to tell me what your conversation was all about.  I think it might be a law.”

(Conferring among themselves.)

“Should we tell him?”

“Really?”

“I’m embarrassed.  You tell him.”

“No, you tell him.”

Finally, one of them spoke up.

“Uh . . . it’s just . . . actually . . . you have a nickname here in Sasayama.”

“A nickname.  I have a nickname?  What nickname?”

“Yes.  People here call you [more giggles] . . . the Naked American.”

“The Naked American?  The Naked American!  I don’t understand.  Why would they call me the Naked American?”

“Well . . . people see you riding around on your bike without a shirt.”

Without a shirt.

I thought about it.  I’d never really noticed.  Did I ever see any guys without their shirts?  It’s not something I really pay much attention to.

Of course, in the U.S. it’s very common in hot weather for us fellows to whip off our shirts to stay cool.  There are even signs in convenience stores:  No Shirts, No Shoes, No Service!

I started to look around.  I’ve been paying attention to this important item now for about eleven years.  And quite honestly, I have only seen a man without a shirt once or twice. 

In eleven years!

This reminds me of my three months in Nepal, a rustic, extremely conservative country. 

For six weeks I lived in a beautiful town called Pokhara, enjoying its natural beauty, lovely lake, Peace Stupa, friendly locals, great hiking, calm.

I specifically remember thinking how insensitive many Western girls were.  All of the local women dressed very modestly, as Hindus and Muslims, covering themselves head to toe in beautiful genuis, informal sari-like gowns.

It was very obvious what the local standards of modesty were.  Agree with them or not, this was their culture and I thought it appropriate to be respectful.  Yet, because the weather in Pokhara was hot to very hot, the ladies from Australia, Europe, and so on, walked around in halters and bikini tops with their bellies bared, side boobs and cleavage in full display.  Then there were the shorts, short shorts, very short shorts.  The overall effect was more exposed flesh than covered.

How inconsiderate!

How insensitive!

How rude!

Uh . . . sort of like me riding around on my bicycle without a shirt here in Japan.

Busted . . . and humbled!

At the same time, I now understand things are changing in the U.S. in some unanticipated ways.  Not that I have any intention of going back to witness the new “freedoms” in person, I just read that women can go topless now in six states in the U.S., as decided in a recent federal court ruling.  “It’s a huge victory for plaintiffs Brit Hoagland and Samantha Six, who sued the city [Fort Collins, CO] over its law as part of the #FreeTheNipple movement, calling it an attack on gender inequality.”

See?  I was WAY AHEAD of my time, the creator of a new social movement, and I didn’t even realize it — the #FreeTheNipple movement!

I’m so heartened that people are putting time and energy into the real threats to happiness and health here on this planet.