Somewhere in Japan

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

2009-05-04T13:44:00.012+09:00

-Lion Dance-

Japan has been amazing, and rather eye-opening. It’s an interesting blend of history and modernity.

-Toyota i-foot-

Really though? It’s just normal. People here go to work, go to school, and go back to their families at night. Yes, there is a lot of anime, porn, men in suits riding bicycles and heated toilets. There are also children playing in the park, couples on dates, people trying to get to work on time, and little relief from their hectic daily-life.

I’m actually kind of scared of Japan. Once you look past the happy façade everyone else in the world sees, it pretty much seems like everyone is five seconds away from a nervous breakdown, or worse. All the happy things associated with Japan, like overt cuteness, seem to be there as an acceptable disctraction from their normal routine.

From what I'm learning in my classes, people essentially get married because they're supposed to, never really loving their spouse. Companies control their salarymen seemingly with no care about them being a person. Schools don't manage to teach their students enough to meet the college expectations, but went down from a six day week so the children could have a life (warning: MIDI file and odd formatting). Add this all together with a strict resistance to change, and Broad-Overview Japan is honestly one of my worst nightmares.

It isn’t all bad here though, and naturally everyone’s life isn’t like that. Also, it’s always different when you weren’t raised in the environment. A lot of the Japanese students I’ve met at school want out though. The most cited reason is that they don’t want to work for a company. I don’t blame them. No country is perfect; I’m not sure I want to continue living in America either. But my changing impression of Japan hasn’t been a positive spin. More of a realization that the negative stereotypes are fairly true, just hidden better than I thought.

Still, it's been amazing and I'm glad I came. Hopefully, I can come back in the future for a visit. This depressing, negative post is my last. It's been fun!

-Yes, You Can-

The Price of Friendship

2009-04-21T14:47:00.009+09:00

-About $105.00 American Dollar-

When my friends and I first saw the glass cabinet filled with fruit we thought it was strange. Then we looked at the prices and became thoroughly amused.

Some fruit over here is very expensive. In an area nearby a melon cost at the same store, a melon cost around 3,000 yen, or about 30 American dollars. Similar prices can be found at nearby stores.

The price for gift fruit on the other hand, is a bit more:

-Gift Melons: $(25)2.00; $157.50; $315.00 00 respectively-

Gift melon may be the most commonly seen, but all fruits can become exquisite gift fruits. Gift fruits are specially grown, and taken care of. For instance “Growers trim the vines so that only three melons will grow on each tree. When the baby melons grow to the size of a human fist, two are chopped off to allow the most promising one to monopolize all the nourishment from the vine. That one melon is expected to mature into the juicy, beautiful and revered $100 dollar fruit” (An article copied here[scroll down to third comment]).

Of course, fruit is still fruit. Stores have managed to make a form of ‘brand-name’ fruit with the extravagant prices. These gift fruits are generally not bought to be eaten by the buyer, but to be given as a gift. A gift’s appropriateness is based on price, as demonstrated on this article. There is a certain range the gift should be in for certain situations, as seen in this article.

There have been several occurrences with Barrack Obama giving ‘strange gifts’ in England to other higher-ups, and can be used demonstrate, on a less-international level (hopefully?), how awkward it would be to give the wrong price/status gift. How much you spend does send a message, even if it’s just on a melon.

The Murder of Colonel Sanders

2009-04-12T21:39:00.009+09:00

-A Happy Man, or the Next Victim?-

Sports traditions are common. Considering how much I pay attention to sports, this is about all I can say about them. Strange stories do catch my attention however, and there is definitely one surrounding the Hanshin Tigers.

It all started after the 1985 Japan Series. Apparently, there is a tradition, or perhaps an attempted tradition, of Japanese baseball fans jumping into rivers after big victories if they look like a specific player. I assume there is another tradition of everyone getting a tetanus shot after said tradition, but I could be wrong. But Randy Bass was, and probably still is, a foreigner. No one quite matched his smashing appearance besides the one and only Colonel Sanders.

Outside every KFC in Japan, there is a Colonel Sanders statue greeting everyone with a cheeky smile. To rabidly excited baseball fans, he became the embodiment of all foreigners, and joined the fans that had jumped into the river. He, however, drowned.

The statue corpus was discovered on March 10th this year after floating in down the river for 24 years. He was in pretty good shape, only missing one hand and suffering from severe erosion. He is said to have no comment on the incident.

Finding the statue is said to have lifted a bad playing streak off the Hanshin Tigers that has lasted since the 1985 incident. The Hanshin Tigers have not yet had an opportunity to play in the Japan Series yet, considering it is hosted in the fall. Optimism may be the key to success; this will be tested later.

-My Fiancé Doesn't Know I Won't See Him Again-

Gendered Speech

2009-04-05T20:31:00.007+09:00

-Dear Daniel, Boy-

-Hello Kitty, Girls-

The above photo’s show three characters: two feminine Hello Kitties, and the masculine Dear Daniel. But how can you tell which is supposed to be the ‘girl’ and the ‘boy’? After all, one picture is simply a package of a snack, and the other a stuffed animal; they don’t have a specific sex, but you can still tell what they portray. You certainly don’t know the sexes of the cows in the background of the snack package, and probably don’t care. They’re just cows. But the kitties are specifically marked with gender signals, so you do know. Now pretend you couldn’t see the kitties. If the cats started meowing, do you think you could tell what sex they were just by listening to them?

In the Japanese language, gender is easily distinguishable not only by visual cues, but by different forms of speaking. This goes beyond word use, and into tone, pronunciation, and other subtle forms in speech. An easily understandable example, even for people who don’t speak the language, can be noticed in the pronouns individuals are allowed to use, as seen at this link.

Personal particles are not where the only differences lie. The ending of sentences can also be different, which directs assertion and/or requests. The feminine forms tend to show more hesitation and are much more polite than the masculine forms. Subsequently, students studying Japanese language are taught very feminine language, so that they sound more polite even if they stumble through the language. I, as a Japanese minor, was not aware of this until I took a Gender in Japan class, and I think it's important for anyone interested in Japanese language to look into.

A broad summary of gendered language and culture can be read here.

Tenrikyo

2009-03-28T20:53:00.007+09:00

-Photo of Outside of Main Sanctuary, Tenri, Nara, Japan-

In Japan, there are many new religions. One of the 'old' new religions is Tenrikyo (天理教). It was founded by Nakayama Miki in 1838. The religion believes she was possessed by Tenri-ou-no-mikoto, or the creator of the universe, while being a medium for a healer who was healing her son.

Nakayama Miki was believed to have powers to heal people, and was famous for having the ability to grant safe childbirth. She believed safe childbirth could be granted by only having faith that God would make you safe, rather than following old-wives tales. She is said to have lived a model life, and is considered to be a living God. They refer to her as ‘oya-sama.’

It is believed that Nakayama Miki did not die, but rather ‘withdrew from her body.’ Members of Tenrikyo still take care of her place of birth today, and believe her spirit resides there. People have experienced sightings of Nakayama Miki in various situations, and take it as proof that her spirit is still around today.

The city of Tenri, in Nara Prefecture, Japan, it a sacred ground of the religion. They believed that life began at a certain spot inside the main sanctuary there, the Jiba. It is marked by a pillar, the Kanrodai, in the middle of the room. There are also several alters inside the main sanctuary, and people often go there to pray. Members of Tenrikyo pray with set songs and hand motions, te-odori.

-Another Photo of the Main Sanctuary-

Stitch!

2009-03-20T13:21:00.009+09:00

-Two Stitch Crane-Game Machines-

Japan is big on Disney. If you walk around a big enough train station, someone will be carrying around a Disney Store bag, and there is Disney merchandise everywhere. What is popular between America and Japan is very different though. There is very little focus on the Disney Princesses that monopolize the brand in America. Instead the focus is on cute, and hardly mentioned overseas, characters such as Marie from the Aristocats, a female rabbit from Bambi, and, most notably, Stitch and Angel.

Stitch and Angel are from the Lilo and Stitch movie and spin offs respectfully. Japan even has its own Stitch anime. The anime is called “Stitch!” and takes place in Japan. Lilo has been left behind for Japanese girl, Yuuna (who was named Hanako during production). A preview of the show can be viewed here. Even that tiny clip shows the cultural changes that come with the new show being made in Japan.

Stitch merchandise is sold almost at every store, and is usually grouped with the classic Disney characters such as Mickey and Donald. As seen in the two pictures in this post, Disney merchandise can be as simple as a stuffed animal in a crane game to a miniature kitchen set. It’s not common to see this much variety in merchandising with any other Disney characters. It’s interesting to see the differences in popularity between the two countries.

-A Stitch Themed Mini-Kitchen Set-

Nobuyoshi Araki

2009-02-27T17:42:00.010+09:00

For a better examples of Nobuyoshi's photography please visit this link. Warning: Adult Content.

Araki Nobuyoshi is one of modern Japan's most notorious photographers. His official site can be viewed by clicking this link (Please note, the site is in Japanese). Araki started making professional photos in the 1960s. He started by taking pictures of people’s faces. From then on he experimented greatly with photography, the focus mainly being on people, or other aspects of life.

In the 1980’s, Araki started playing with the erotic side of his photography. His photos commonly feature nudity in various forms. Some of his photos are inspired by old Japanese woodblock paintings, while others are scenes of severe bondage.

The overt sexuality displayed in his photos ran into issues with Japanese censorship laws, as they sit on the invisible line between art and pornography. These issues were occasionally avoided by Araki painting over photographs or other artistic techniques, such as boiling the photo development fluids.

Araki does not focus on anything specifically Japanese, but he describes his art as snapshots of life. He seems to photograph what he pleases, and is very energetic and passionate about it. What he seems to love to photograph the most is people in any way, shape or form, and the way he captures these little moments of life can be very refreshing.

My first reaction to his photography was honest disgust. I came across my first photograph of his looking for another photographers work. Naturally it was a bondage photo, and it honestly scared me that someone would want to take a picture so graphic. However, after watching Arakimentari, I've seen a greater variety of his work and like a lot of his photos, just not the graphic ones. I recommend the film if you wish to learn more about this photographer.

Bibliography:

Arakimentari. Dir.Travis Klose. Troopers Films, 2004.

Photos provided by: McNeill, David. "Eros & Death: The World of Araki Nobuyoshi ." Japan Focus. 27 Feb 2009 .

Karaoke Nights

2009-02-26T16:10:00.008+09:00

-TV: Now With Lyrics-

Karaoke is well known abroad, although the appeal isn’t always understood. It’s embarrassing to be singing in front of others, and it makes no sense to pay for such embarrassment. However, when you realize that everyone else around sucks at singing as much as you, it’s easier to open up and belt out your favorite song.

In Hirakata, it’s rather common for students to hang out at the local karaoke establishment, Ring, on weekends. Although Ring offers other things to do besides karaoke, the 20 booths are usually filled by 8pm for late night singing parties. Ring does not provide alcohol unlike the usual karaoke bar, but is subsequently cheaper, and does provide free soda.

-Ring-

Ring has at least three different brands of karaoke machines spread throughout the different booths, each with similar, but different song collections. One machine may have your favorite song on it, when another may be missing it. Overall, the English song selection is vast and wide, with the Japanese selection being downright exhaustive. Each machine has a unique portable song selection device. From there you can choose a song by artist, title or a top-hit chart listing.

But what if the song you’re dying to sing isn’t available on your machine? Make friends, and join them!

The doors to the booths at Ring have windows in them so everyone can see you singing, even though they can’t hear you. People will look in your window to see who’s in there. Invite them in, maybe they’ll invite you over. Leave the karaoke area every now and then and see if anyone in the lobby wants to sing. Remember: half the people are drunk, and none of them can sing. The people you’re with make karaoke fun; don’t miss out on an opportunity to make your evening more exciting.

-Singing in one of the less colorful rooms [picture taken by Bryan]-

The Gestures of Kindness

2009-02-10T20:07:00.005+09:00

I had stopped riding my bike for a second because it was raining and I couldn’t see out my glasses. A middle-aged lady came up to me. She asked me, in Japanese, if I had an umbrella and offered me hers. I was very touched by her gesture. She made my week by doing that.

In America, I hear all the time that the Japanese can be rather cautious of foreigners. I’ve personally experienced nothing short of utter kindness from everyone I’ve met. I do not think it is common for strangers to offer umbrellas to one another, but there is a genuine sense of hospitality here.

-Entryway to A Homstay-

My friend invited us to visit his former home stay family. When we arrived, the family fed us for four hours straight. This was after giving us a very high amount of money for transportation costs. They also put us up for the night. I felt like I was drowning in hospitality, but this is the Japanese way, or at least an example that I’ve seen demonstrated quite a lot. Guests are very fussed over.

-The Living Room Where We Slept-

The greatest part is that all of the actions feel genuine. Smiles are not plastic, and cultural faux pas are corrected without fuss. The Japanese people may be known for keeping to themselves, but they certainly express themselves with services to others.

My Somewhere: Hirakata

2009-02-09T20:50:00.007+09:00

-One View of Hirakata-

When I first came here, I thought Hirakata was a large city I had just never heard of. It turns out that most of Japan is this dense, and major cities just get denser. Coming from the suburbs, I feel like this might as well be Tokyo.

One of the nice things about Hirakata, and probably most of Japan, is that small businesses still exist. Where I'm from, anything that's not a name brand can't make it, and sometimes even the name brands fall to bigger giants. The small businesses make Hirakata seem more like a small town, because the services you can find are very personal and specific.

-Ostrich:Tastes Like Pot Roast-

My friends and I have been to several restaurants and stores in the past two weeks, and the person in charge has usually tried to talk to us and ask us about where we're from. When we went to buy our bikes, the shopkeeper had a conversation with us about Obama. When we went to go eat ostrich at a restaurant, the manager came and had a casual conversation with us. There have been several times when we couldn’t read the menu and the workers struggled to speak English so we could understand. I think if that happened in America, you’d just be left to wonder what you were paying for. It's nice to see that kind of service and dedication to the customers.

-Hirakata: View From A Park-

Early Impressions of Japan

2009-02-05T14:50:00.009+09:00

So I’m in Japan. If I had to describe to describe my overall thoughts this week in three words and an exclaimation they would be “Oh, they really do that.”

I don’t know what I came here expecting. I really don’t. I just expected differences, and to have deal with them. So far I've done that, but they still catch me off guard.

I’ve read about the taxi’s whose doors open for you, the jam packed trains, the crowded housing areas, the variety of vending machines, the many temples, the electric-wonder toilets, and the sometimes unique food. But every time I see one of these things, or something cultural happens, I realize I didn’t actually believe anything I may have read in the past.

-Soda and Cigs: Japanese Vending Machines-

There's also a different mindset towards things. It's kind of evidenced below. When my friends and I took a trip to Kyoto we saw this ad that my friend, Justin, took a photo of: Cute animal park? A daycare? Graves?
Graves!

-Why My Window Can't Be Seen Through: View from my Room-

I suppose it is to give the buyer a feeling of relaxation that they’ll be OK after they die. To me it seems reminiscent of the creep factor in these ads for an American law firm.

But the longer I’m in Japan, the more I can see the benefits and negative aspects of the different lifestyle and thinking here. Sure, it’s great that Japan has a hyper organized recycling plan, but they don’t recycle paper. Yes, the pump showers in my dorm save water, but what is saved in water is wasted on electricity for the same dorm's electric, heated toilets. I think I can learn a lot here comparing and contrasting cultures and I hope to write about that a bit here.
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