Changing Impressions

So I have been avoiding thinking about this blog because to me it means that my experience in Japan in almost over. Everyday I am still amazed by the Japanese population. Although I feel like I have learned a lot, I also feel as if I know nothing about Japanese people. Sometimes I get so annoyed by the huge population when I get pushed around in a store or a train station, but then someone goes and surprises me by offering a kind gesture like giving up a seat to an older person, or helping a confused gaijin (me) find her way. There is a great dichotomy in Japan that I still find fascinating. From the outside, Japanese people seem very private and introverted on trains and in public. They are constantly playing on their phones or napping and aren't very social. I see fashion as an expression of individuality from the millions of people in this small space, because there isn't very much interaction other than noticing one an other's presence. But once I have gotten to know any Japanese person, I feel like there is a very kind heart inside that is deeply rooted in traditional values and genuine empathy for others. One of the first days I was here I was lost and asked directions from two Japanese girls. Not only did they help me get to my destination, but they ended up spending the whole day with me, and we still are friends to this day. Another time, when my Mom was here we were trying to find the night bus for Tokyo, but we were getting the run around. A woman on her bike noticed our frustration, and offered to help. She called the bus company and found out where we were supossed to meet. She hailed us a taxi and told him to take us there. Then, she rode her bike to the bus station and had them hold the bus until we got there. She had no investment in helping us, but she genuinely cared about our well being. I think that my time here has really helped me understand that Japan is quite similar to America in many aspects, but also so unbelievably different from anything that I have ever known. I have never experienced that kind of altruism in America, but hopefully some of it rubbed off on me so I can spread the Japanese spirit when I return home. Despite the differences, I have really enjoyed my time here in Japan, and look forward to maybe coming back one day to learn even more about this group of people.

Art and Entertainment in Japan

When I told my Japanese friends that I was going to Tokyo, one of the first questions they asked was if I was going to Tokyo Disney. My speaking partner just can't get enough of the Disney characters, and constantly mentions that we should go sometime. She always gets so excited and talks about how she went a few years back and it was so much fun for her. Personally, I would rather spend time enjoying natural or historical wonders, rather than ones built by the Disney corporation, but when I went to visit my family they planned a day with Disney for my mom, cousin, and I. Although I was hesitant, I obliged and prepared for a day of long lines and foreigners. When I got there, I noticed a completely different atmosphere than what I am used to at Theme parks in America. The overwhelming majority of people there were Japanese, in fact I think I only saw three other gaijin there. The park itself was a very popular spot for what seemed to be young people going on dates. I am used to dinner and a movie, but I suppose in Japan they go straight to the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction. Not only was there a large population of young people, but they were all sporting Disney fashion. Girls had on Mickey earmuffs, boys Mickey ears, and little kids had Disney everything. This Disney mania seems to be a very popular as a means of entertainment in Japan. Even here in Osaka, USJ is quite the popular spot, and many friends go several times per year. I think that overall, the accessibility and guaranteed enjoyment are what drive thousands of Japanese people to the theme parks every day.

Here is some more information about what Tokyo DisneySea has to offer: http://gojapan.about.com/cs/tokyoentertain/a/tokyodisneysea.htm

Politics in Japan

The other day when I was meeting some people at Hirakata station, I was greeted by a group of people holding signs, which appeared to be about not smoking. They handed me a pack of tissues with a big no smoking sign on it, and uttered something that I could not understand. There was even a person videotaping the scene, so it must have been a big deal. I took my photos to a few Japanese friends, and they said that there has been a recent ban on smoking in Hirakata streets and at the station, and these were government workers warning people about the consequences. After several searches, I could not find anything more than the basics of the issue, so most of my information is from Japanese friends. According to http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070714a5.html, they are a group of ex-policemen that are making the issue known to the public. My friends said that recently there have been arrests for being caught smoking on the streets near the station so it is still a problem despite the government interference (maybe this is from other foreigners who didn't know it was banned!) In the future, they will be issuing 1,000 yen fines for being caught smoking on the streets. This came as a suprise to me because Japan seems to be so free with their cigarette consumption in public places, so I would imagine that streets would be a safe place to light up. It is good news however, especially with the knowledge of the problems associated with second hand smoke, but the more important ban is smoking inside of restaurants, bars, and karaoke rooms, where the smoke actually harms people.

Religion in Japan

Although many Japanese don't affiliate with any religion, many of their daily rituals are tied to Shinto or Buddhism. My Grandma is Japanese, but doesn't consider herself religious. However, when I was growing up, she always had a little shrine dedicated to her son who had died. Every morning she would bring food to the shrine and talk to him. I never really understood this when I was younger, but this past week I had the privilege of meeting my Japanese relatives, and went to some of the family graves and shrines which helped me understand my Grandma's rituals. The Japanese relatives don't associate with religion either, actually when I asked one of the cousins about Shinto, he didn't know what I was talking about. When it came to the customs of Shinto however, they were all very practiced. Even the children knew exactly what to do at the family shrines, as well as bigger shrines and temples. Most of the family still prays every morning to the ancestors and offer gifts of food and drink to them. I had brought some gifts of food to the family, and they immediately put it in my Great aunt's shrine. I found this interesting that they offered the food to the deceased before enjoying it for themselves. Overall from what I have seen so far, religion seems fairly widespread in Japan, but is not labeled as traditionally as other religions around the world.

For more on ancestor worship:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/jai/jai04.htm

http://family.jrank.org/pages/85/Ancestor-Worship-Ancestor-Worship-in-Japan.html

Gender in Japan

As I've been learning in my Labor, Culture, and Human Resources class, Japan's society is set up to promote traditional gender roles: men working long hours and women staying at home taking care of the family. Many of the Japanese young women I have spoken with have one main goal: to get married. They spend a lot of money to go to college so they can find a job where they can meet their husband, and then quit working after getting married to start a family. If they do go back to work it is usually part-time, non-regular jobs. In many cases, they were raised with their mother at home, so they want to do the same for their family. I suppose I am slightly bias because I am from America, but most people I know continue to work after getting married, and even after having children. I think that the set up in Japan is much different making it harder to raise a family with two working parents. A recent poll conducted by the Ministry of Public Management found that men spend less than 3o minutes per day on domestic chores, while women spend 3 1/2 hours. Even if both husband and wife work the woman is considered to be responsible for childcare and most domestic duties. Many women who want to advance their career are choosing not to get married and have children, which is causing a population decrease. I think that since the Japanese labor system is beginning to move more towards the Western system, this might change. Although I find the Japanese labor force very interesting, I would like to see it become more mom-friendly so woman can not only have a family, but also a sucessful career.

For more information:

http://family.jrank.org/pages/984/Japan-Gender-Roles.html

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=315816&rel_no=1
http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/5264

Sports in Japan

Japan is a country whose society is rooted in spirituality, ethics, and etiquette. So it comes as no surprise that much of the sports and leisure activities are present in these facets as well. The other day I travelled to Kyoto to view a popular meditation practice called Kendo. Kendo is a form of martial arts that resembles fencing with wooden swords. Basically the goal is to hit your opponent in one of the four areas that qualify as a point while calling it. The first to two points wins the match. I was suprised to see this meditation practice, because it seemed more like a sport when I saw it. There is a lot of posing and attacking, and very interactive. I held a real steel sword that was used before the bamboo sword was introduced, and it was incredibly heavy. It would take a lot of strength to constantly hold it up. After the match, I found out that it was popularized as a major sport in Japan after World War II, and now has spread globally as well. Kendo has even become a big part of Japan's physical education. There are clubs present from elementary until high school levels. Many of the practitioners that I saw were past school level, and chose Kendo as a way of life. I think that Kendo is a good example of sports in Japan because not only does it represent their dedication to physical activity, but also their strong ties to spirituality.

For more information, check out these websites:

http://www.linkframe.com/Healthcare/Fitness/Kendo/kendo_feature_article.htm

http://web-japan.org/trends/sports/spo030815.html

http://www.karateinternational.net/kendo.php

Globalization can be seen through many aspects of Japanese culture, but I think that the most significant example is through food. Everyday when I walk by the McDonald's on campus there is a plethora of Japanese students eating their favorite grease-intense burger and fries. It is not just Kansai Gaidai's campus that is enjoying Western fast food, because you can see these fast food chains everywhere. The number of McDonald's sprouting around Japan has more than tripled in the past 10 years. This is contributing to more and more health concerns in the country. In fact until the late 19th century, people practicing Buddhism and Shintoism were banned from eating meat at all. Seafood was the exception to this rule, which in addition to Japan being an island, helps explain the popularity of seafood in the Japanese diet. Now, it is hard to find any meal without meat being present in someway. The other day I ordered an eggplant-tofu dish, assuming it was vegetarian, but soon discovered small beef bits in the sauce. This has happened in some way on several occasions. Apparently Japanese society has left their vegetarian ways, and adopted a more carnivorous way of thinking. Some equate meat-eating with becoming more Western. And with the popularity of McDonald's and KFC increasing, it is a hard idea to disagree with. To read more on this topic go to this website: http://www.scribd.com/doc/95256/Effects-of-Globalization-on-Japanese-Food-Culture-and

Traditional Japanese Culture

It seems that every other week in the Kansai area, there is another festival to celebrate some aspect of traditional Japanese culture. The Japanese are very deeply rooted in traditions and festivals in order to appreciate the past. With ancestor worship being so important to followers of Shinto, as well as to people who do not classify as religious, the traditional festivals bring today's Japanese closer to their ancestors and all those who came before them. A few weeks ago, I attended the full moon festival in Kyoto, which is held to celebrate the most beautiful full moon of the year. They celebrated at a Shinto shrine, and had a tea ceremony, koto players, and traditional dancing. Many of the traditional customs such as cleansing before entering the shrine and praying for good luck could be seen by almost every native person.

Another interesting festival is the Daimonji Gozan Fire Festival, which is held in August. According to this website, http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/festivals/gozan.html,the tradition started when in hopes to put an end to the plague, the monk Kobo-Daishi lit the kanji for dai on fire. Other sources say that the festival is an ending ritual of obon, when deceased ancestors come back to their homes, and the fire is lit to release ancestors back. Although the history of the festival seems irrelevant by contemporary Western standards, it is still celebrated every year. I took this picture long after the fire was put out, but the symbol is still scorched into the earth reminding everyone of the meaning behind it.

To read more about this topic, or to view pictures, refer to these websites:

http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/festivals/gozan.html

http://gojapan.about.com/od/attractioninkyoto/a/gozanbonfirefes.htm

http://www.jal.com/world/en/guidetojapan/city_information/uky/events/

So have you ever walked into one of those Pachinko parlors where the lights are so bright and the noise and tobacco smoke are so strong that you almost faint? Apparently thats what many Japanese are into. According to this website, http://www.japan-zone.com/modern/pachinko.shtml Pachinko employs 1/3 of a million people. The total revenue is over 30 trillion yen per year, which is more than the car industry! The other day I went into one of the nearby parlors and lost 1,000 yen in about three minutes. I don't think I necesarily understood what was happening, but the pachi-puro, or "serious gamblers" make a life out of it. The kicker is that in Japan, gambling is illegal, which is essentially where Pachinko came to thrive. Instead of winning money, the players win silver balls that they then can exchange for prizes, but the value cannot exceed 10,000 yen. As a way to work around the law, the patrons can then go to booths located outside of the Pachinko parlors and exchange their prizes for money. Pachinko can be seen in any city, and usually are adorned with horrific neon lights, inside and out.

To read about more information on Pachinko in Japan, refer to this website: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070925i1.html

Japanese People

Although generalizing any group of people is difficult, I will attempt to consolidate what I've seen so far in Japan into one idea. In my visits to Osaka, Kyoto, and even Kansai Gaidai, I have seen one thing in common with many of the Japanese youth that I have encountered, which is fashion. I have been constantly amazed at their ability to be so "fashion-forward". Most Japanese girls aren't cought without their high heels, no matter how much walking they will be doing. And many of the Japanese guys have better hairstyles than I ever have! This can be seen walking into any mall or store, where there are countless people sporting their sense of fashion and looking for new ideas. Obviously this is very cultural, and has become an important part of Japanese society. http://www.japanesestreets.com/ references new trends and provides a shopping catalogue for people to get similar looks. Not only is there a generally good sense of style in the youth culture, but there are also many different groups of people with distinctly different "looks". http://www.style-arena.jp/index_e.htm and http://livej.maruione.jp/content/blogcategory/1/7/lang,en/catalogue some of the different looks of Tokyo with new pictures every week. Some popular Tokyo fashion categories are gothic lolita, punk, elegant gothic, and kogal. Any style they choose, they put their all into it. Overall, Japan can be seen as an inspiration to all people hoping to be more stylish (or broke from buying so many clothes!)

One might think that Hirakata is just a small suburb of Osaka, but in reality there is alot more there than originally meets the eye. This picture is an example of one narrow street with many families, of which there are many. Not only are there many Japanese families living here, but also many foreign students come in and out of the city every semester. This creates a sort of outside connection in this small town. I feel as if this gives Hirakata its unique charactor, as well as many "Gaijin-friendly" restaurants and stores.

Another interesting aspect to the city is the dog park. Whenever I walk or ride my bike past the small area, there are always many people interacting with eachother, walking their dogs, and playing sports. In hot weather, there are young children running around in the water fountains and getting cooled off. This is the sort of place I think about when picturing daily community life because everyone is there for the same purpose, and the city residents can share in it together. In an article from Japan Today, it describes that dog parks are becoming more and more popular in Japanese society. http://archive.japantoday.com/jp/feature/1141 Hirakata seems to be the kind of city that you can find all over Japan, but to us Kansai Gaidai students, it will become our home away from home.

Japan: First Impressions

Although I have only been in Japan for a short time, I have experienced two sides to its culture. First is the more traditional side which can be seen through shrines, temples, kimonos, and cuisine. I experienced this when visiting Kyoto and other cities such as Nara. This is what I thought of when I thought of living in Japan, as was described to me by my Grandma who had lived here over 40 years ago, as well as many tourist guides. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e638.html After actually arriving here I experienced alot more than just temples and sushi! Activities such as karaoke (http://www.karaokescene.com/history/), purikuras, and anime are overwhelmingly popular in Japanese society today. I think that so far what I've seen of Japan has shown to be deeply rooted in the old customs, but also expanding out with these more recent trends.

I'm sure that in future posts I will discuss some of these topics more thouroughly, but until then I will have to investigate a little more.

Here is a fun website for kids (or anyone) devoted to familiarizing people with Japanese culture: http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/