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
No comments:
Post a Comment