What you expect isn't what you get

Tradition with globalization




My last impressions of Japan are very mixed. For the last month here in Japan I have been ready to go home, and now I am less than a week away and also sad about leaving. I have had the opportunity to do so much in just the short time I have been here. In this short time I have learned a lot about Japan and her people. I realize I have posted pictures of people in very few of my previous entries, however for this post I hoped to capture a little of what Japanese people are in just 2 photos. The first picture I feel resembles Japan’s tradition alongside globalization. Both of these I feel have defined what Japan is today. If you ask a Japanese person what to see in Japan, many will say, “A temple.” Why is this so important? One of my Japanese friends explained to me today that Japanese religion is not only a belief, but a way of life. This can be seen in the saying “itadakimasu” and eating everything before you down to the last grain of rice.
There is also the controversy over whether the globalization of Japan has helped it to become even more unique or alternatively loose its distinctiveness from others. My impressions have all been positive since Americans are largely looked upon very favorably and sometimes rules can even be bent if they know you are from America. I could almost attribute my survival in Japan at times to globalization in being able to read important signs and food menus that are also written in English for its “coolness” factor.
With the second picture, I tried to show the spirit of the Japanese people. Yes, they all have their awkward moments on the trains when everyone stares at one another while usually trying to act like they aren’t. However, when you see someone doing what they love most, it is truly gratifying. This last weekend I was in Sanda and the town happened to be hosting a festival on their main street. There was a slight drizzle but it didn’t hinder the local college performers. It almost seemed like the cool rain soaking their kimonos and hair was giving them even more energy to dance. It looked so fun that I was envious and wanted to join. It is spontaneous moments like these that I love.
On the flip side, coming to Japan has also helped me to have a wake up call about some things I take for granted in America. There is always something to complain about like not having a nice car to drive. Although, when you are placed somewhere where driving isn’t even an option, just having a car seems much more appreciable.
In the end, I can say with confidence that I came to Japan to study the Japanese language but I came away with something much richer. Through unforgettable experiences, I have made lasting friendships, been introduced to a wonderful culture and learned what I love about my own.


Spirit

Kansai School Politics

The politics of any school usually has interesting dynamics. For instance my home university (University of Utah) sees a need in pouring millions of dollars into the athletic department every season. This can be especially seen in the football at the school where the coach makes about a half a million a year alone. It seems that in America, much of a schools prestige comes from their football teams. The politics of Kansai Gaidai however leaves me with a totally different impression. Kansai Gaidai is all about image. “If it looks appealing to the eye, then it is probably good” is probably what their unofficial motto would be. It seems like they even have a full time photography constantly walking around classes and campus to make sure the portrayed image stays prestigious. Sometimes even entire film crews can be seen trying to make a scene for a commercial.



The appearance of KG




In fact, what I wanted to talk about is how the politics of the school portray something a little different than the truth.
The main asset that they try to publicize is the international students. All of the pictures are of international and Japanese students talking and having fun. Which leads people to believe that there is a lot of communication and interaction with native speakers. And while this is partially true, there is definitely a type of invisible wall between CIE and the rest of campus. It is sad to see that usually international students feel comfortable talking amongst international students and most Japanese students feel intimidated to inter the big scary English speaking building of CIE. Of course there are some programs like the home visit and speaking partner program that try to break this cycle. I actually did a group project in my other elective class where we developed an activity/program to combat this very situation.
Which leads to the next political topic. For this project, we had to get approval to host an activity and post posters. We first talked with the activities director in CIE to get approval. He told us that it was not his area but that we needed to get permission from student affairs. Once at student affairs, we were instructed talk to the registrar desk. At the registrar desk we talked to a man that had two things to say. The first was that the cafeteria where we wanted to host the activity was not under their “jurisdiction”. The second is that it is not a good idea to put up posters because it is dangerous since any non student can come on campus, see the poster and come to the activity.
In conclusion, to put it lightly, both the system of school regulations seems to want to be so politically correct that it is difficult for one person to speak up and answer a question. Additionally, the politics surrounding the publicity of the school tends to be caught up in a fake sort of euphoria with the thought that there are happy international students waiting to talk to Japanese students.


Student Affairs where "things get done"

What are Japanese Holidays?

The rush of japanese citizens going to work



Many people might think that there are too many holidays in Japan. However, with the greater hustle and bustle of the Japanese lifestyle, each holiday seems to come just at the right time. Additionally, some would come to the conclusion that the Japanese have more days off because of their many holidays but to the contrary, they have less since many work 6 and 7 days a week. My holidays in Japan have usually been even more busy but for the Japanese, it is usually a time of rest and relaxation. I wouldn’t in the least describe my time spent during the holidays as the typical Japanese holiday, however, there were a few that I spent trying to imitate and understand the stereotypical Japanese holiday.
There are three activities that immediately come to mind especially during this time of year that I think the Japanese love to do. First, the Japanese love to visit their temples. Even if they are not of the Buddhist religion, they still find some kind of draw towards them. My host mother even told me of her friend that spent a couple months travelling around trying to reach the top 100 temples within Honshu Island. I had the opportunity to visit Kyomizudera in Kyoto and noticed multiple junior high and high schools in attendance. Obviously the schools did not see this as a religious activity or have less restrictions and worry about law suits compared to America.


Kin-no-yu Onsen in Arima




The second common activity for Japanese to do during holidays is visit onsen. Just like if you asked an American if they like pizza, if you asked a Japanese person if they like onsen, 100 percent of your answers would be,”Yes.” My first experience with an onsen was most interesting. Things that I thought would be big deal were not and alternatively, things that I didn’t even think about left a big impression on me. For instance, getting naked in a public bath was not a big deal since everyone was doing it. Also, my previous experience with hot springs in the U.S. were in Colorado under pristine wilderness. My onsen experiences both in Kamikouchi and Arima were 180 degrees opposite. While one was even outside, the bath was still incased in concrete rock with a fence enclosing the whole pool. This activity I think suits the Japanese culture in an attempt to balance their normally busy and at times seemingly mindless day to day working lives.
The last activity is the viewing of nature as experienced in the Japanese way. The reason I say this is because it seems like it does not bother the Japanese to view the changing colors of leaves and nature from a paved road and sometimes enclosed in a park with thousands of other people. In one respect, this can be seen as a good thing as it allows more access and with less damage to what nature there is left. However, because of the wet climate, slow changing of seasons from summer to winter and the many maple trees in Japan, the colors can be inspiring.


Viewing of the colors on paved roads

Religion through the eyes of Otoosan

Observing the "Buddha Shrine"




I was fortunate enough to be able to interview my host father about his religion. The reason I say it this way is because I went into the interview with the expectation of him telling me about the Shinto religion however, I came out with a much different picture. In the beginning I asked straightforward questions about the different aspects of the Shinto religion. Slowly Terry began to slip in little pieces of Buddhism. Finally I asked him if it was fair to say that he is part Shinto and part Buddhist and he said, “Yes, I accept both”. He went on to talk about how this is a vague point with the Japanese people.

“At the beginning of the year you go to the shrine and pray for peace, health and prosperity. And then you go to the temple to give thanks to Buddha and your ancestors about your health and wellness. And at the end of the year we celebrate Christmas.”

Perhaps this mentality shines through from their respectful culture. I followed asking him why he celebrates Christmas.

“Mary is the mother and Jesus Christ is a god and we need to respect them. We read in the old testament that God performed a lot of miracles. For Japanese people, if a guy can do these miracles we need to respect him. The Shinto gods, Muhammed, Jesus Christ; we cannot reach them and they have more power and a mighty hand so we have to show respect.”

Within my host fathers house, there are many shrines. My host mother told me a couple weeks back that each shrine is for a different god. This is Terry’s response to the shrines.

“The Shinto religion doesn’t have one god. There is a god of mountains, god of rivers, god of fields. So, since we are on the top of the hill we think there is a god of the hill that protects us. The shrine in the back of the house is the shrine for the God of Japan. A long time ago the god of heaven dropped some things onto the earth which became Japan.”

Among others that we didn’t have time to talk about is a giant one in the living room. This “open box” is very ornate complete with gold leaf and other ornaments. I was told that because everything is getting crowded in Japan, most people don’t have one as big as theirs. This shrine is specifically for Buddha and their ancestors. Everyday, fresh fruit, rice and sweets are placed at the altar.

“We are giving thanks to Buddha and the ancestors. Because of them we are still enjoying our life. So we give them a part of our dishes.”

With reference to the afterlife, this is what he has to say.

“Shintos believe in heaven. Everyone goes to heaven. However, Buddhists believe everyone that passes away goes to the west. This is because in the west, Buddha exists. Buddhists believe there is some paradise in the west. Buddhists believe if you do a really bad thing then you go to hell. If you do something really good then you go to heaven.”

In the end, I not only gained more knowledge from a man that lives the Shinto and Buddhist life, but also gained an appreciation and greater understanding for how integral the Japanese Shinto and Buddhist religions are a part of the Japanese culture.


Buddha Figure

Family Roles

My host mother



Before I came to Japan, I never realized how big of a difference the male and female roles are compared to my own. Even though my grandparents are 2nd generation Japanese, it seemed completely normal to observe their interactions and roles within the family. However, having stepped out of my home country and having been deeply immersed into the culture with my host family, I have been able to see a different perspective. Now that I am here, I can look back on my grandparents daily practices and say, “Oh yeah, they must have picked this up from their parents as Japanese culture.” At the time, I just thought it was something they as a family did.
The first picture is of my host mother. When taking the pictures, I tried to get them in their stereotypical roles. Although the word stereotypical is usually associated with something being false, I think that this picture is truly how most Japanese mothers are. Their role can be characterized as the person who keeps function within the house. This deals with everything from laundry and cleaning to cooking virtually every meal from scratch. In contrast, in my home back home, we try to disperse the house duties evenly. I think one of the reasons why my host mother has her duties as the cook and cleaner is because of the mentality of their culture. The Japanese culture is surrounded by a sense of wanting to do everything to the best of their ability every time. This can even be seen in the men who stand at the Kansai Gaidai gates all day who in the eyes of an American do nothing.
The second picture I would have liked to be set in a train during rush hour. One thing I’ve noticed is that the Japanese business men tend to carry the stereotypical persona of a businessman being serious with no messing around. However, if you actually take the chance to talk to one, they are usually always very nice. One of the reasons why I like this picture is because my host father is not showing his business face but actually who he is.


My host father




My host father is the perfect complement to my host mother. While she takes care of the house, my host father brings in the money. I have noticed that there is also a strong sense of roles in Japan. Having said this, it would be almost unheard of for the wife to be the breadwinner and the husband to be the stay at home “mom”. Because their society has been programmed for hundreds of years like this, it is very difficult to stray outside of the norms.
I would like to finish by saying that I think many of us as a first reaction tend to look down upon other cultures if they are different than our own. However, there is always more than one solution to a problem and the Japanese just get it done in a different way.

Americanization

I know that I am biased when it comes to surverying the globalization of Japan as I’m sure my eyes tend to stray upon the influences of America more so than any other nation. In fact, when pondering the question of which nation has contributed the most to shaping the face of Japan, I would be hasty to name my own country. However, due to Japans deep history and Americas almost childish past comparatively, other nations such as China would certainly be in the running. Due to today’s ever changing views, I would like to address two major trends that the U.S. has undergone and is now being reflected into the Japanese culture.


Sensei Kai making sure everyone observes the rules





The first movement that began in the U.S. around the turn of the second century was the ideal that it is actually cool not to smoke cigarettes. From what I have observed for the short time I have been living here is that smoking is becoming less tolerated and citizens are becoming more educated about the negative effects of the fire stick. According to one of my professors at Kansai Gaidai, it was only 7 years ago that students were still allowed to smoke in class! I can’t even imagine this. Having lived most of my life in the conservative state of Utah, my view of this is probably even more skewed than most living in America where smoking in a classroom is one of the biggest implicit rules. According to current Utah laws on smoking, it is prohibited for any person to smoke inside any enclosed public area or private building or offices. In Japan, I have noticed that most indoor areas are smoke free however, outside there are still a large majority of students puffing smoke near CIE and at the basketball courts.

The second movement that occurred in the U.S. possibly far before smoking became unpopular was the fad of a tan body. It is still seen today as a sign of youth and health in America where many choose to “fake bake” or lather on tanning lotion. However, in America, people are beginning to understand the long term negative effects of this sought after body color. Depending on skin type, one can have as much as a quadruple risk of skin cancer when they are older if they choose to receive extra UV rays when they are younger. In Japan, I am noticing a movement towards the tanned body. This tanned body is also usually accompanied by blonde or brunette hair and Ugg boots which are a whole different can of worms. The second picture shows a tanning salon not too far from Kansai Gaidai. This is the only tanning salon I’ve seen in Japan to date, but I have a feeling that within the next decade they will start to reflect the U.S. more and more to the extent of seeing tanning salons popping up on the streets more often than hair salons. I have gone by this shop a couple times now and have never seen anyone walk inside or come out however I’m sure it is used by a few university students.

These are only a couple examples of globalization of Japan from the U.S. It will be interesting to see if this trend of so called copy-catting will continue or could the table turn and one day we might see the U.S. beckoning at Japans door to see what new cool fad they can catch



First of its kind in Hirakata?

Don't leave home without it

Patient and well prepared hikers in queue to summit Yarigatake





Over the past 7 weeks of living in Japan, I have had the opportunity to travel around and participate in many recreational sports. I feel that in this area of Japanese culture I have learned the most about the Japanese mentality. The first major trip I took was in Nagano prefecture in the Japanese Alps among the clouds. We backpacked for 4 days including summiting the 5th highest peak in Japan, Yarigatake. The only possible time for such a trip ended up being during silver week, which provided for tons of outdoor enthusiasts on the mountain. During the beginning of the trip, I noticed that every local backpacker was well prepared. Well prepared might even be an understatement. Every hiker had walking sticks, heavy-duty boots, long pants with compression tights and a pack complete with full rain attire. I felt like I was at a Montbell company sponsored event. At this point I started to get scared as to whether or not I would be able to make it to the summit after looking at what I was wearing. In the end, it turned out that the Japanese were over prepared from my standards. On the flipside, when we were about to summit from the lodge, I got some very strange looks as I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts with trail runners.
The second instance I ran into this was during sports weekend when I took a trip down to Ikumi Beach on Shikoku Island. This beach is known as the surfers paradise of beaches in Japan and it seemed to be true since there were some 500 surfers in the water at any given time. Again, every single surfer was outfitted in a full body wet suit even though the water temperature was around 75 degrees. The one guy in the photo without a wetsuit was one of my buddies.
I wouldn’t attempt to stereotype the Japanese people into saying that they are all over prepared when it comes to sports, however I think the behavior that I’ve observed speaks volumes about their culture. This ties in with their rule following collectivistic nature, which is almost the polar opposite of how we think in America. We tend to think, “Why is this rule here and what is its purpose?” The very next thought is, “What will happen if I don’t follow it?” In Japan, if there is a rule, most don’t even give it a second thought. The same idea transfers over when doing any sort of recreational activity. When someone is getting into a new sport they might talk to someone or research what kinds of gear they need. Again, if they read or hear that something is recommended and might save one from death or injury, they will buy it.
In the end, I think there are advantages and disadvantages to both trains of thought. The advantage of being collectivistic is that you have much less resistance in terms of directing a group or placing regulations on an activity. The drawback is there tends to be less creativity and less spontaneity. I do not think either is superior but by better understanding the Japanese culture through recreational activities I feel that I am more prepared to live amongst them



Surfers decked out in wetsuits at Ikumi Beach

Seven Samurai

Photo Courtesy Tamamushi



When one thinks of entertainment in Japan, most immediately think of the glamorous bright lights of downtown Tokyo or the booming business of anime and manga. I however would like to touch upon the classics of Japanese entertainment. In the west, we have our western classics with cowboys and indians. However, because of Japans original and old past, their so called “cowboys” of old are the ancient samurai. These movies used to be popular in Japan among all ages when anime was still in its infancy. Some of the most popular samurai movies even won international acclaim. The movie I would like to delve deeper into is called Seven Samurai. While I am nowhere close to being an experienced viewer of the samurai classics, I’ve heard that this movie used to be the equivalent of a good John Wayne back home.
In fact, if this movie were dissected into only its elemental parts of plot and characters, it is almost exactly the same as certain cowboy movies like Tombstone. The plot goes something like this. A village/town falls helpless and victim to the enemy. The heroes come in and save the people by killing off the bad guys. While every good movie including Seven Samurai has the good and bad guys along with a meandering love story, it is not these similarities that I am so much interested in. I would like to answer questions like what makes this Japanese movie unique to the culture of Japan?
The main point that sticks out in my mind is the underlying reason for why most of the samurai enlisted to help the poor farmers. It was self evident that the samurai fought not to do it for the fame or for the money but because it was honorable and just. This can be seen when the first samurai, Kambei decides to fight after seeing the terrible state of the farmers in hunger and shame. Thus it is enforced in the viewers mind the lesson that it is more important to do what is right than what one might gain in material fortune.
The second interesting point that this movie brings up is respect. Throughout the movie, there is an obvious hierarchy between the samurai, farmers and women. In some parts, the samurai kick around the farmers like stray dogs in the street. In addition, great respect is shown when talking to elders such as the old man that leads the village. Today in Japan, while there is still a level of respect shown to elders (for instance polite form of speaking versus plain form), this level of respect is slowly declining as new generations are born. The book I am currently reading titled, “As I see it” by Konosuke Matsushita touches on this very point. Matsushita states, “I am saddened by the lessening of respect as the years go by.”
Lastly, one cannot ignore the costume and props that are unique to Japan. Everything from the armor and swords down to the war flag that was made by Kikuchiyo is unique to Japanese culture of the 16th century. I once heard that the reason for flags to be worn in times of war were so that the generals commanding the war would be able to see those that were fighting especially well or committing acts of heroism. Although neither flag nor armor were used during fighting in the movie, they both had their key roles in the storyline.
After viewing some important distinctions that help keep movies like Seven Samurai unique to classical Japanese entertainment compared to western classics, we find that important elements are always present. These can be materialistic like the weapons and clothing or present only in actions and relations among characters like honor and respect.




Photo Courtesy benkyoshin.blogspot.com

Suehiro-cho

Skyline of Osaka from the neighborhood of Suehiro-cho





My neighborhood lies in the city of Neyagawa. From what I can gather, my new neighborhood named Suehiro-cho is a quiet, middle-upper class residential area. There are approximately 200 residences including small shops, which run along the main road coming up from the closest Keihan station called Korien. There are also a couple apartment buildings, a catholic church and a preschool. My experience has been limited, however I have seen what I consider to be a great neighborhood. In the morning, I walk by the preschool a couple minutes before school starts. At this time, I see all of the mothers in the area either walking or biking their little ones to school. All of the little kids are dressed in the cutest uniforms with red backpacks and straw hats. Every student also has a thermos draped over their shoulder for what I assume to contain either hot tea or their favorite lunch drink. Once I saw a father taking his child to school. He was acting very awkward as all of the mothers were socializing together and it seemed like he knew he was out of place.

I have also had the opportunity to meet a couple of other neighbors. Down the street from our house lives an older woman in a tiny little house. I was told that she has been single her whole life and that she teaches dance in her home. When meeting with her, even though I couldn’t understand the language she was speaking I could still tell that she was genuine and loving. Down the street another 20 steps by the main road lives a couple that owns a store/shanty selling rice. My host mother told me that since the economy has been down, they have been struggling to make ends meet. To help out a little, my host mother gives them all of the tabs from the cans of beer that my host father drinks (which is 6 per night).

Fortunately, the house that I live in with the Aoyagi’s is at the highest point in elevation in the neighborhood. This provides for some great views of downtown Osaka as well as the sunsets. I used to consider my home city of Salt Lake to be pretty big, but it pales in comparison to the greater Osaka area. One can travel hours on the trains and never see country.

Other important markers near Suehiro-cho are the Shinto shrine and the Buddhist temple. While I am as uneducated as it gets when it comes to their main religion of Buddhism, I can still see how important their rituals and traditions are to them. It is common to see a kind of hand washing station at the front of every shrine to make sure at least your hands are clean before entering. There is also usually a place for one to write their wishes on a paper to leave at the shrine. At this neighborhood shrine, there were origami cranes bunched by the thousand left by people hoping for good fortune.



Cranes at a shinto shrine

Bikes, Buses, Trains Oh My!

My first impressions of Japan are mainly related to the differences between the Japanese culture and my own in the U.S. This is the reason I have chosen to take a picture of the Japanese public transportation system. Back home, everyone and their dog drives when they need to go somewhere farther than their front porch. Some might ask how a country such as Japan evolved to nurture the public transportation system and let it grow into a full fledged spider-web of interconnecting railways and bus lines when the U.S. never did. I think the answer lies in landmass. Because Japan is so small, it has come to realize that it needs to maximize its area for building. This in turn causes the roads to shrink. As population increases and roads shrink, the only solution is to create a mass transportation system that takes up little room but transports many people. The U.S. has so much area that especially in the west, it has room to build far apart. Roads can stay large and because of larger roads and longer distances, cars are a much more convenient and faster form of transportation.
This major difference in our cultures has proven for many an adventure for me in the last 2 weeks. Just this last weekend, I fell asleep on the train from Kyoto to Hirakata and almost ended up in Nara. Another time I was coming back from Kyoto, I thought I would be sneaky by catching an express to Hirakata-Shi and then take a train back a couple stops to Makino. This would have been a good idea had I not gotten on the wrong train coming back and ended up on a totally different line going a different direction.

You didn't fill it out correctly

I could honestly talk about the differences between Japan and my home country for hours but one of the main differences is the collectivistic nature of the Japanese versus the individualistic culture of the U.S. In the book, “In Mixed Company” by Rothwell, he says, “Collectivist cultures require a level of conformity and restrictive rules that are unacceptable to most Americans.” To me, this is a bit of an understatement. From before I even set foot on Japanese soil, I was given a form to fill out and turn into declarations. When arriving at school, I was given an orientation packet, which contained a cornucopia of colored forms for this and that. The application I especially loved was the one for alien registration. After arriving at the city hall, you wait in line to fill out a form to apply for the registration, then you wait in another line to fill out a form to waive the large fee that is usually paid by non-students. Don't forget to come back 2 days later to pay 300 yen for the card and then wait another 3 weeks to come back and get the card.
Paper forms aren’t even the beginning. For instance, the collectivist culture requires sacrificing of ones own wants compared to that of the group, company or family. A great example of this is played out everyday when I walk to school. Along the way I pass a man who's only job is to spray dirt off of a construction road that leads to a new apartment complex being erected. Day in and day out whether departing or arriving from school, I see him diligently hosing off the road. However, the way he does it is what is different than one in the U.S. He takes as much care in getting dirt off of the road as a brain surgeon might when extracting a tumor from a patients precious cranium.