Антрополoгия японии !!! SMA's Anthropology of Japan!

Changing impressions

2009-05-17T09:30:00.001-07:00

Living here in Japan for the past 9 month has been an incredible experience.
Having lived already in more than 8 countries, seen diverse cultures, people and things that are beyond one’s imagination, I was rather dubious that anything could ever surprise me again. Nevertheless, I was wrong...

The country that opened in front of my eyes the minute I first stepped down from the plane was something completely new and unknown, something that I had never had the chance to experience before, an Asian country called JAPAN.
In my first blog I pointed out that at the beginning of my academic year in Japan, I was completely astonished by the politeness and cultural differences that the Japanese had, compared to the rest of the world. Even after living here all this time, I still could not stop being surprised by people’s behaviour and their general life style.
Personally (many people will disagree with me on this one), I think Japan is an amazing country in which one can perfectly live. Beautiful nature (huge landscapes), delicious food (Takoyaki, Sushi and Okonomiyaki- my favourite), appropriate climate (hot, average and cold- depending of the area/region), culture and traditions, and of course the most important of all Japanese people (kind, friendly and polite).

Takoyaki ( my all times favourite)

Sushi :-)

Okonomiyaki (made and prepared by me)

have been told on a number of occasions that Japan is not that great at all, since there is prostitution, crime and high numbers of homeless population. Nevertheless, no matter how many times I hear it, I just can not neglect the fact that I simply like the country for what and how it is

To conclude I would like to mention one more thing. This might be a rather controversial subject, but in order to successfully complete this blog I feel that I should let my thoughts (that have been bugging me all this year) out.
After all, isn’t the whole point of the blog to share your opinions and ideas with others?

Living in Japan surrounded by “foreigners” or “gaijins” how the Japanese usually refer to us, made me realise how much I dislike foreigners whose unsuccessfully stupid attempts to integrate into Japanese society(in the wrong way) failed every time they did it.
Thanks to Kansai Gaidai and my trip to Tokyo, I’ve understood the reasons why some of us have chosen to be in this country. Being careful and following the rules is a perfect way of starting a new life in Japan. NOT when the only thing that’s on one’s min is how, where and when to get heavily drunk again.
I believe that in order to integrate into Japanese community, foreigners are required not only to study or work but also actually trying to listen and understand( basically learn the language) what people are saying. Keeping everything stable and maintaining the situation under control, by not committing any offenses or actions that will provoke the public, I would say that you are on the right side of the track and should keep up the hard work, as you are one step closer to your aim.

In general, I must admit that I totally would like to see Japan free of foreigners for some time, not taking into the account of course people who are actually here because they have a set target, an aim that they must hit...

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Clock is ticking, Time is flying. There is only 1.5 weeks left until May 31st when I will get on the plane and soon all of this will be just a dream.

Will I remember Japan? Probably!
Will I miss it? Yes!
Will I come back: Definitely!!!

VIVA JAPON...

and it's ANTHROPOLOGY (^_^)

Sports in Japan

2009-05-17T09:29:00.001-07:00

(Sumo tournament- Picture taken by K.L.)

Being Japan’s national and one of the most important sports, (in terms of prestige) one would probably assume that Sumo is indeed the most popular spectator sport in Japan.
Surprisingly, it is far from the truth, since Sumo actually stands in the THIRD place amongst the most popular sports in Japan, after football and baseball occupying the top positions, baseball currently being number one.

Since my arrival to Japan, I have always wondered why the Japanese are so into baseball?

By living here, I began to understand more about this mysterious relationship between the two. At first I was amazed by how the Japanese society was reacting to baseball. Wherever I WENT I could always see something related to baseball, whether it was a university baseball team at practise, an advertisement on trains of a certain team or a tournament, or just a random person wearing their favourite baseball team’s kit (t-shirt, cap, etc). Talking to a few baseball players and just observing Kansai Gaidai Baseball team during training was enough for me to sense their excitement and constant love for the sport. Not even mentioning the emotions that people display standing outside the baseball stadium, waiting impatiently for the game to kick off.

People queuing outside the Osaka Dome

Myself, I never liked baseball nor understood any aspects of it, until I decided to go and see a game in Osaka between “Buffaloes” and "Marines".

Buffaloes emblem

To be honest, watching the players hit the ball and run for the first 30 minutes was extremely boring. I was more entertained by watching the fans behaving crazily and screaming as hard as they could every time the ball would fly over the fence and into the crowd. Only after watching a few of what I would have considered to be “bad hits” (that is the ball flying out of the field) at that time, I realised that actually this was an automatic “homerun” which meant that our team that we had “apparently” came to support had scored. On the day I learned a few good lessons, not only about the baseball game but also the meaning behind it.

Buffaloes batter getting ready for the pitcher to throw the ball...

The conclusion that I came to, after analysing all the gathered information during these weeks was that Japanese people like sports according to their social values.
The reason why baseball is so popular nowadays in Japan is because from an early age the Japanese are taught that sharing and working as a “community/team” is the way it should be, and baseball in my opinion is a perfect example of this as it clearly shows the relationship between the players and their team work.
In order to “throw or pitch” the ball correctly without it being hit by your opponent, the pitcher has to trust and communicate effectively with the catcher.

A great example of team work right there, I guess.

Gender in Japan

2009-05-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

Reading books about Ninja, Samurai, Yakuza, male pride, etc. and how the stereotypical Japanese men should really be made me think that Japan could well fit into a “masculine society”....... Of course, that was before I came to Japan.

When conducting this somewhat small research; tough behaviour and cocky attitude was exactly what I was looking for. Did I encounter it? “Perhaps”, but not as much as I wanted to. Instead I saw the uprising of a new generation, a new lifestyle where looking good meant everything. Seeing guys wearing custom-designed tight clothes, looking after themselves and making crazy hairstyles OR just rearranging their hair with every single opportunity they got proved that Japan wasn’t a “warrior” nation anymore.

Man* or Woman? ( you decide) Taken from :

http://collegecandy.com/2008/04/08/geisha-guys-are-huge-in-japan/

When asked about why a guy would spend so much time on himself, the response was quick, sincere and straight to the point- “Why not? If women can try to look good, why can’t we?”

What really surprises me here in Japan is the striking difference between generations. Even 2 years is enough to have a totally diverse point of view, have a different lifestyle and way of thinking from the rest of the population. A good friend of mine, being only two years older than me, said that he does not understand why his university classmates take so much time to look good on the outside (physically), when they can be using that time to educate themselves and try to look good from the inside (mentally and academically). “It also depends on the family education that you are given” he says. “My father, as you know, is a very strict man. Being born and raised in a truly stereotypical family himself, he always believed in the idea that ‘once a man should always remain a man’ in whatever he does, whether it is his appearance, behaviour, or his actions, hobbies and pastimes.”

Suddenly I remembered that my Japanese University was exactly the same as my friend’s. Guys adjusting and fiddling with their clothes, sorting their hair out for a whole 10-20 minutes in front of the bathroom mirrors everyday, etc. (not that it is wrong or unacceptable), but seeing this phenomenon in large crowds.........

A Japanese guy fiddling with his hair.

http://myhaircuts.blogspot.com/2008/08/japanese-men-medium-hair-styles.html

Although I found it to be funny, I just couldn’t stop thinking about the reality lying beneath all of this. Maybe it is us westerners who misinterpret and have a completely wrong idea of gender? AND is the term “gender” really necessary in our society nowadays? Why can’t we just accept who we are and stop judging people by the way they look and behave? Male, female, do we really assign people to specific groups and categories according to one’s decision to lead a certain pattern in life? Do we honestly need all of that???
I guess it will always remain this way! What has always been dubious, strange and unusual for the westerners will always be rather unique and normal for the Japanese, because it is diversity that makes us all different and unique in particular ways.

Religion in Japan

2009-04-01T06:43:00.001-07:00

1st of January or Japanese New Year’s Day.

In Japan, New Year’s Day is celebrated on the 1st of January on the Gregorian calendar.
Even though the Japanese have been following the “western” calendar for many years, the traditions have been kept purely and uniquely Japanese. Visiting the shrines for purification, and preparing and eating traditional New Year’s food is all part of Japanese New Year celebrations… And that’s exactly where religion steps in.

Hatsumōde (初詣), known as “the first visit to the shrine” is very important for the Japanese on the 1st of January. Families go to the shrines early in the morning or during the day to purify themselves as well as to make new year wishes, get an o-mamori” (a lucky charm or an amulet) and/or an “omikuji” (New Year fortune prediction).

Being in various shrines and temples around Kyoto on the first day of January and experiencing the immense crowds of people barging into these premises only proved that the Japanese still respect and follow their old customs.

In the Heian Jingu Shrine (on the picture above) the first thing that would attract one’s eyes would be hundreds of people trying to get their hands on “omikuji” to see what the New Year has in store for them. By making a small donation (usually 100yen coin) and drawing out a wooden stick with a number from a small wooden box, people would exchange it for the fortune script itself at the “omikuji” selling window. The predictions of the “sacred lottery” vary from the “Great blessing” (dai-kichi, 大吉) to the Great curse (dai-kyō, 大凶), the worst fortune one can possible get. According to tradition, all the bad predictions should not be kept by the unlucky bearer, instead they should be folded and tied to a pine tree in a temple or shrine’s grounds. Why pine? In Japanese language ‘‘pine tree’’ is pronounced “matsu (松)” which is an exact the same pronunciation for “to wait”-“matsu (待つ)”. Consequently, the Japanese believe that “bad luck”, once “attached” to the tree will “wait”, or remain with the tree, instead of being attached to the bearer.

People drawing numbers from the box...

One more very important thing not to forget is the “o-mamori”, which can also be purchased in the shrine’s premises. There are a number of different o-mamori, each and every one having its own purpose. For instance in order to successfully pass exams, etc, one might consider obtaining a “Gakugyō Jōju o-mamori” for students and scholars. Likewise if one is planning to travel and wants to be reassured of a safe journey, why not get a “Kōtsū Anzen o-mamori”- a protection for drivers and travelers alike.
--Now, does this have anything to do with religion? Well, of course! Since Shinto is all about worshiping and believing in gods and spirits, so is believing in “o-mamori” according to the Japanese!--
In general “o-mamori” are designed to bring good luck to the bearer protecting from bad and evil. Although an “o-mamori” never loses its protective power (unless of course opened) it is advisable to replace it once a year. That is to say that “o-mamori” should be returned to the shrine where it was originally purchased so it can be burned and properly destroyed.

Another extremely important custom that I have already mentioned above is the purification process. Usually many people (a lot more on New Year’s Day) gather around large incense burners located outside some of the Buddhist temples to purify themselves by waving the smoke of the burning incenses towards them, believing that the smoke will take all of their impurities away.

Purification

Purification nevertheless, is not only about people. Companies, houses and even gravestones are being purified every year on the 1st of January. In fact, even though the Japanese have a separate annual event called “Obon-お盆” to honour the departed spirits of one's ancestors, many people still go to the cemeteries on New Year’s day for cleaning and purifying as well as sometimes even decorating the graves.

Last thing to mention here is that one of the most sacred and pure decorations in Shinto religion, is the so called “Mochi (餅)” a Japanese rice cake’ that apart from being a traditional New Year’s food, also serves for the purpose of various rituals and offerings to the gods in temples and shrines across all of Japan. A good example would be “mochibana-餅花( a Japanese New Year’s decoration that uses white and pink colored mochi wrapped around willow branches to simulate blossoms”), and “Kamidana-神棚” a wooden structure designed for worshiping, praying and offering food to the Shinto gods. (See the pictures below)

(Making of mochi, picture taken by a close friend K.L.)

( http://blog.goo.ne.jp/g19urudr4acosumosu/e/dfa928e5c15631e24cd350db6ac2fcfc )

Globalization/The Japanese Version

2009-04-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

By looking at Japan, one would definitely say that the country has become globalised and influenced in many ways by other nations.
Just take as an example a fast food restaurant chain....

(McDonald's Logo)

Premises such as McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken have already demonstrated their huge success taking the nation by storm… No wonder that the Japanese traditional Christmas meal is Kentucky Fried Chicken (how exciting, right?) In fact the biggest queue that I have ever seen in my life was right here in Japan, Christmas 2008. People standing outside the Hirakata Station's KFC had to queue for hours in a line that went through two housing blocks bending around the corner and continued going for one more block. Just incredible!!

So what about the actual food products?
Coca Cola? Kit Kat? Etc?
Isn’t globalisation about things that normally come from outside of the country, yet have to go through modifications, transformations and improvements before becoming rather unique to that particular society?
Well, one thing is for sure, the Japanese do exactly that!

KIT KAT, known to the Japanese as “Kitto Katto”, a chocolate/biscuit bar composed of three layers of crème-filled wafer and covered in an outer layer of chocolate originated in York, England in 1935. Since the release date the product has been a huge success all across England. The reason? Apart from being a tasty treat for a low price, Kit Kat has also been portrayed as “a snack that a man could have in his lunch box”. After reaching the international stage, the product continued circulating around the globe, gaining praise and popularity amongst different nations, finally arriving in Japan.

Of course this again was one more reason for the Japanese to modify and change the product, not only to bring it to meet their own standards and expectations, but also to make it utterly and uniquely Japanese, which is exactly what the product is nowadays. (^_^).
Japan is the only country in the world that has pushed Kit Kat flavours to the maximum. Melon, Sweet potato, Sakura (Cherry Blossom), Jasmine Tea, Apple and Soya Souse are only a “few” of the examples of Japanese Kit Kat flavours. Being extra innovative has attracted, and it still does, thousands of new customers each year. Just like the distinctive bright red logo on Coca Cola bottles, the Kit Kat logo is no less popular, attracting customers and beating all other chocolates on the Japanese market by far, becoming the number one selling biscuit in the whole of Japan.

Sweet potato flavoured KIT KAT

Japan has also introduced “limited edition” Kit Kat packs, as well as unique “regional” variations available only in certain parts of the country. For instance, Lemon flavoured Kit Kat is only available around St. Valentine’s Day and Kit Kat Kiwi can only be found in Okinawa Prefecture.

Lemon KIT KAT

The popularity of the bar goes even deeper and further.
According to a Japanese friend and an article on the internet the biscuit bar was considered to be a good luck charm before going to an examination. Because the bar name (KITTO KATTO in Japanese) coincided with Japanese phrase “KITTO KATSU” (literally meaning “I will surely win”) students as well as their parents, used to buy the bars and give them as a present to those in need of extra “reassurance”.
Of course, all of this might sound peculiar, but considering other Japanese traditions, superstitions and beliefs, this is surely nothing to be laughed at.
So as far as globalisation goes, I think that Japan is definitely on the right track. Seeing so many western things in Japan nowadays only points to one thing, that Japan indeed tries to look outward at examples from other countries, copying and localising before engaging as many people as possible into them.

Now, whether it is good or not for the Japanese society, I honestly cannot say for sure, nor will I attempt to judge. Only time can show, and when it does.... we'll see.

Photographing Japan

2009-03-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

For this week’s special theme, “Photographing Japan”, I have chosen Daido Moriyama, a famous photographer whose style of taking pictures I prefer the most over the other photographers listed in the class instructions.

(Picture taken from http://www.bigempire.com/sake/daido_moriyama.html )

Daido Moriyama (the picture above) was born in Osaka on October 10, 1938. At the age of 22, he began studying photography under Takeji Iwamiya (a famous landscapes/architecture photographer). After moving to Tokyo one year later, Moriyama started his freelance photography… He soon received a number of photography awards, gaining even more popularity… In 1987 Moriyama opened his own gallery called "room 801"(which later would be renamed to FOTO DAIDO) located in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Two of Moriyama’s most well-known works are; the collection of photographs “Nippon gekijō shashinchō” and the photograph of a stray dog which according to the man himself is nothing else but himself. In his diary he explains: "I had taken a photograph of a stray dog, showing the whites of its eyes and snarling, on the streets outside a US air base in the town of Misawa in Aomori Prefecture in northeast Japan … Thereafter that dog and I came to be seen and talked about as if somehow superimposed on each other. Also, the figure I cast during that time, roaming around town and on the backstreets, carrying my camera, appeared in others' eyes very much like a stray dog”…

( Quote taken from the following webpage: http://www.photobookguide.com/review/daido-moriyama/vintage-prints/ )

"Stray Dog, Misawa, Aomori," 1971 ( http://www.luhringaugustine.com/ )

Moriyama’s “Nippon gekijō shashinchō” collection fits “his dog description” rather well, since the album was composed of pictures taken in the darker corners of the cities, places where one would not usually go without good reason. In this work, Moriyama tried to demonstrate how life in certain areas was missing out on the development and industrialisation. How the “unseen” was still hidden from the general public, and how nothing was being done, neither to prevent it, nor to fight it. The picture taken from the "collection" located..... this paragraph clearly shows just that- the cruel reality that exists in every single town yet is not seen by the average eye.

On the left- "Shinjuku", (2000-2004) and on the right- "Another Country 18", (1971)

Both photos taken from "Artists on artnet"

( http://www.artnet.com/Artists/ArtistIndex.aspx?alpha=A1)

I guess, photographers are sometimes forces to go to extreme measures in order to get the best pictures for themselves, trying to capture the reality that is being portrayed in front of their lens. It is also up to the photographer to make it as clear as possible, what point exactly he or she is trying to make in the picture. OR IS IT?

Perhaps, a photograph should be really taken in a way that challenges the viewers’ point of view, that lets them wonder and lets them come to their own conclusions about the meaning of the image?

While researching Moriyama on the internet, I came across one photograph that particularly caught my attention... Unfortunately, for some unapparent reason I couldn’t find the name of the photograph no matter how I tried, so I simply gave it a name, “a female on the bicycle”.

“a female on the bicycle”

Pictured borrowed from María Giménez weblog- http://mariagimenez.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/daidoc2b4moriyama.jpg

The most striking feature about this photograph is that Moriyama managed to capture a number of aspects of Japanese society all at once. The vending machine, the bicycle, the place behind the bin which to me looks like it could possibly be a homeless person’s shelter (I am not quite sure what exactly it is as I couldn’t find any information regarding it) and the cars on the road, all represent today’s Japan. The fact that Japan has an excessive amount of vending machines throughout the country can not be negated. Nor can it be said that the amount of bicycles or cars is at a minimum, because clearly that is not the case, even judging by the size of the Japanese population.

On the whole I would say that this precise photograph represents everyday contemporary Japanese life from late evening traffic and people constantly riding on their bikes to vending machines standing on every corner of every street waiting for someone to buy a product.

Being a very enthusiastic photographer myself, I must genuinely admit that Moriyama’s work is more than just taking random pictures. Somehow all of his photographs are full of meaning and colour, despite the actual fact of them being shot completely in black and white. Even so, this man knows no limits whatsoever, always finding a way of adding an extra dimension to his pictures by employing other alternatives e.g. – different angles, shading, light conditions, etc.

http://www.moriyamadaido.com/top.html

http://www.artnet.com/artist/26945/daido-moriyama.html

http://www.bigempire.com/sake/daido_moriyama.html

Japanese pop culture

2009-03-04T08:20:00.001-08:00

Dragon Ball manga

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From films and music to manga and anime, whatever your age or interests are, Japan is the place for you…..

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Japan has always been a very diverse country, not only in its traditional culture such as festivals, kimonos, tea ceremony and flower arrangement, but also in many other cultural aspects, including the so called “popular culture’’. Nowadays, more and more people from all over the world are being absorbed into the Japanese media empire. What had once been a simple way of spending one’s free time 10 years ago, has now become a world wide sensation…

I guess the most obvious and best example to justify my reasoning would be the very famous Japanese anime, loved and admired by all kinds of people, enthusiasts and even deranged fanatics called – “otaku”...

The example that I am going to use here is my own all times favorite anime series- “Dragon Ball/Z/GT”! Adapted from Akira Toriyama’s manga, Dragon Ball is enjoyed by millions of people around the globe and it considered to be one of the most well known anime of its time. In fact it is so popular that the media went even further, creating and manufacturing other related products- Dragon ball video games, music CDs and now…. a real live action film “Dragonball Evolution”, that according to the “imdb” website is due to be released on the 13th of march 2009. Furthermore, the dragon ball image has been and is being used nowadays throughout the whole country, advertising and marketing different goods and merchandise, from food and drinks such as sushi, meat, sweets and chocolate to clothes and other accessories (key rings, bracelets, wallets and so on...)

"Dragon Ball Z envelope", as an example of random things that the shops sell.

So… “if J-pop culture is so popular in Japan, how come I haven’t come across any major stores selling this kind of stuff? And, if they do exist, where can I find them?” are probably questions that the reader is likely to ask me after reading the above paragraph….

Well, the first answer would probably be: “you haven’t looked hard enough in the right places, I guess!” and the second: “Go to central Osaka, look, explore!!! You are in Japan for goodness sake, don’t waste time, observe, participate, LEARN!!!”

Personally I would recommend either “Den Den Town” also known as “an otaku paradise” (for it’s huge manga and anime retailers) or “Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade” known among the natives for having chain stores and trendy boutiques with top designer fashion labels, etc…..

Just by taking a simple walk down the main street in Den Den Town in central Osaka, one will be absolutely astonished by an immense number of stores and stalls, selling all kinds of games, manga and anime on a daily basis. The crowds of people on the weekends are no less impressive, with everyone rushing into the shops to get the best deal on a new or second hand media product. Whatever your age or interests are, these shops can always offer you exactly what you are looking for.

Akira Toriyama’s work displayed in one of the stalls in Den Den Town ( picture taken by Kelvin Morrison)

Whether it is a manga book, a popular video game or an anime DVD, I guarantee you that your heart will be pumping full of excitement…

Japanese people

2009-02-23T06:17:00.001-08:00

“In corporate Japan, losing your job can mean losing your home as well”

A quote taken from an article by Mari Yamaguchi from “THE PLAIN DEALER” newspaper.

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Okay… so of all the possible topics that I could have written about, I have chosen probably one of the most controversial subjects in Japanese society, a harsh reality that exists in Japan, a reality which is absolutely impossible to ignore or hide from...… “Homelessness”.

According to government estimates there are approximately 24,000 homeless in Japan, 3.000-4.000 of which are residing in the Tokyo area alone. Considering the size of the country itself and the advanced style of Japanese living on the whole, I would certainly say that “homelessness” is becoming a rather big problem, slowly transforming (even if people don’t seem to notice it) into a potentially catastrophic disaster.

I have always been wondering why people, when they hear the word “homeless” the first image that they think about is of an alcoholic or a drug abuser. Are there any other reasons apart from these most obvious two why people end up on the streets without a home or a shelter?

By searching online and investigating this matter on my own I gathered a number of interesting resources and information, coming to the following conclusion that: domestic violence, alcohol and drug dependence, as well as mental disabilities being some of the top causes of why people in Japan end up living on the streets; with the unemployment being at the top of the scale. According to NEW YORK’s website “Market Watch”- “Japan's unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in December 2009, from 3.9% the month before”, which to me only means one thing,　that the country’s homeless population is still on the increase.

What really strikes me here in Japan is that there are actually two different categories of homeless, the “contracted” and the “day labourers”. Basically the main difference between the two is that “contracted homeless” have low-income permanent jobs, allowing them to spend their money on cheap food and accommodation (Internet cafes), whereas “day labourers”, with irregular working patterns have to live on the streets, barely affording the simplest food.

A homeless man sitting in the park eating a cup-noodle.

Recently, a very close friend of mine did a project on Internet cafes. He spent a few nights in Osaka, trying to live the actual “internet cafe” experience and to have the opportunity to interview its visitors. The reality that he stumbled upon while doing his research was that the majority of the night guests staying there for the entire night were in fact “internet cafe refugees”, the aforementioned “contracted” homeless. He explained to me that at around 6:00-7.00 am random alarm clocks would go off informing people that it is time to wake up and start a new day all over again. In the evening people would come back from their job, take a shower and hide in their allocated box-like space made of plastic panels; comprising of a chair, a desk and a computer... It’s small and very plain, yet dry and warm; all that one needs to survive in this type of situation.

Now... the circumstances of a “day labourer” are completely different. These people have to build their own “homes” from cardboard boxes, plastic and other random raw materials that they can find lying around their territory just to make their sleeping place bearable to live in (especially in winter, with all the rain, snow and terribly strong freezing winds) or for the few who can afford it homeless shelters. Charitable organisations also run soup-kitchens to help them.

Movable house on wheels made from recycled cardboard boxes...

Yet another house located in a small park near the main Tokyo station.

Personally, I think its interesting that they say that anthropologists, in order to get a better idea and understanding of the subject that they are researching, should get involved and experience whatever the study is about... Well, I guess I can honestly say that I experienced and took part in this social experiment, not that I slept in a cardboard box or anything like that, but I indeed felt the sadness and the sorrow that these people have to deal with on a daily basis.

While on my stay in Tokyo, I had a bad experience. Due to unforeseen circumstances I found myself wandering out and about the Tokyo station, with no place to go and only 2.000 yen in my wallet. Considering the fact that every little restaurant around the area closes at 1:30am at the latest, I had no choice but to stay outside all night until the early morning. I was really surprised to find out that once the station has been closed, the benches and stairs get their regular night visitors... It is rather difficult to describe what I actually felt at that exact moment, the only thing that I can say for sure is that these people appeared extremely tired and worn out due to the harsh everyday living conditions.

Two homeless men, trying to warm themselves by sharing a cigarette between them.

And no wonder!!! I mean just try walking in the freezing weather all night, and I say “walking” because it is absolutely impossible to close your eyes even for 20 seconds without getting a sharp strike of wind or rain. According to my observations, these people don’t even sleep!!! (I mean would you really consider “sleeping” to be less than 3 hours long?!?). Trying to fight the constant cold using their own methods, they wait until the next morning, and with the opening of the station go inside to get a 2 hours long well-deserved nap before clearing away, with the first crowds of salary men catching the earliest train.

After spending all night sitting on a freezing bench with an agonizing pain in my arms and feet from the cold north-east wind, occasionally standing up, walking to the nearest vending machine to buy a can of hot coffee to warm myself, I realised that things are not always as simple as they seem. Here, I would like to use as an example a particular man that got stuck in my head from the first moment I saw him sitting on a bench at 3am reading a Japanese newspaper. I would say that the man was in his 60’s, with mid-length greyish hair, a rather noticeable stubble, extremely distinguishable clothes (worn and plain, yet tidy and well-looked after) and a rather big black-coloured briefcase. All the time that I was wandering around the station, he just stayed in the same place continuing to read his newspaper, occasionally standing up and having short walks to regain circulation in his feet!!!!! When the station finally opened, he slowly stood up, folded his newspaper in half, took his briefcase, and confidently walked into the station...

Imagine the look on my face when after 20 minutes, I walk into one of the station’s rest rooms and stumbled upon THE SAME GUY, brushing his hair and shaving in front of the mirror. But was it really the same guy? OH, no....
His white trainers and worn clothes have disappeared, having been carefully folded and put away into a now fully displayed briefcase stood next to the sink.
The transformation was just astonishing. The face that looked 60 years old just a few hours ago had transformed into the face of a middle aged man in this 40s. A clean shave and brushed hair certainly seemed to add a serious look of authority to his face. And the distinguishable clothes that used to highlight his homeless status were replaced with a black suit and perfectly polished black shoes giving him without a doubt a respectful salary man’s look.
From a homeless looking person to a totally convincing salary man. What a change ... and all this just by entering the station’s lavatory! Almost like in a superman cartoon strip :-)))

The view from the bench where I stayed.

Overall, I think Japan is a very advanced country. Unfortunately there are still some obstacles that need to be overcome.

And... just remember... the next time you are on a train or a bus, just look around you. Stop and think for a while, after all, you never know who you might end up sitting with at the next station :-)

Until the next time...

My neighborhood Katahoko!!!

2009-02-16T06:47:00.000-08:00

“Things are not always what they seem” and “looks can be deceiving” are two of the main expressions that we all have probably encountered before.
We all know that people can look nice and friendly on the outside, but have a totally different personality on the inside. In contrast the same can be said about cold and uncaring looking people, who are actually very open and welcoming when you get to know them better.
I always believed that people in this case (and ONLY in this case) should be given a second chance, an opportunity to demonstrate who they really are, their true selves.

Aerial map of Katahoko (taken from Google Maps)

Katahoko in my eyes, during the past 5 month of my stay here, has always been for me a rather timid, yet very friendly and open community. Of course there are those (my over-critical classmates for example) who would say that the people in the area are rather secluded, perhaps boring, and even uncaring, and that they are just not trying to make even the slightest attempt to communicate with you. “Well… why should they?”- would be my response. I mean, is it solely their responsibility to establish the so called connections? After all, it is us, “the outsiders”, who are coming into their country, intruding on their privacy and upon their society as a whole, pressuring them to open up to our ideologies and forcing these people to change their way of living. Is this really the right way of doing things? Most definitely not! Because it is us, the outsiders, who are responsible to make the first moves into trying to integrate into their communities and try to become a part of these people’s everyday life.

I must also admit that it is rather understandable where my classmates’ criticism is arising from. I myself have experienced a number of situations where I was ignored and even looked down at by the Japanese public. I can not say for sure whether it was intentional or not, but the feeling of frustration and exclusion is exactly what makes people forget that not everyone around them is the same.

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Katahoko!- at first seen as a silent and rather deserted neighbourhood, unexpectedly comes to life on weekends and Public holidays.

The reason being?..... Neighbours wanting to catch up on all the recent news and gossip accumulated throughout the week (or “weekdays” to be more precise), families getting together to have some quality family time, and people who generally enjoy just being outside, whether it is sitting on a bench reading a “hieroglyphic” newspaper or going for a stroll or a run alongside the nearby river. Whatever the case, people abandon their habitual weekday routines in order to dedicate more time to their close ones and not so close ones, interacting with each other with ease and an “大きい” smile on their faces.

So... what is the location of the major gatherings of the crowds then?
Well, there are actually two!
“Katahoko Park” being the central and the main location for families and friends to gather, and the less preferred “path” that goes along one of the banks of Yodo River that passes through Katahoko area.

Katakoho park being invaded by the locals on a typical Saturday morning.

Katahoko Park comprises a number of premises developed for people of all ages to enjoy. For children there is a small playground with six slides and a spring rider, a well-designed fountain that never stands still in the hot summer months due to kids having fun with the water and getting soaked, and of course, perhaps not even worth mentioning, a huge open grass area for all kinds of activities, sports and recreation (e.g. picnic, football, baseball, frisbee, etc)

Children playing on the park slides, accompanied by their parents...

For more mature individuals, “Cafe de Raffinee”, situated just in front of the park is always a great place to socialise or just purely relieve oneself from the stress after a demanding week at work. People often come here to chat over a drink or two- hot or cold (depending on the season), maybe even order a delicious “オムライス- homuraisu" (a contemporary Japanese dish consisting of fried rice wrapped in a thin sheet of Omelette).

"オムライス"

On a number of occasions, I have observed couples and parents leaving their children with grandparents, or even their neighbours, to have a break from parenthood and have a calming drink in the cafe.

What strikes me the most here is the close, almost family-like connection between the individuals. Surprisingly, unlike in most western countries, Japanese people actually trust and admire their neighbours for who they are. I mean would you really leave your child to your neighbour and go to a nearby cafe? Who knows what might happen during this period?
What I am trying to get at here is the trust and complete honesty that these people share between each other on a daily basis, bringing this to the community around them. UNBELIEVABLE!

The second, less preferred gathering location as I have mentioned earlier is the pavement which runs along a small river that serves as a boundary between the Katahoko and Makino areas. This location is mostly chosen by people who enjoy combining exercise with nature viewing. Only here, one can obtain a complete different perspective of the area.... The path offers a splendid view of diverse flora and fauna, from birds and reptiles to all kinds of flowers and plants (*right now there is a beautiful natural display of ‘mustard plant’ that I recommend everyone to see, if you have absolutely no idea where the “mustard sauce” comes from.)

A woman stopping by to talk to other members of the community along the river path.

Mustard plant (enough said)

Unlike the Park, this part of Katahoko never seems to be abandoned by the locals, even on the usual weekdays. Every morning (starting at 5am) the road fills up little by little by daily runners, neighbours from the area who go out for a run while at the same time interacting and socialising with each other. I myself did it a few times; just to see how easy or difficult it would be to interact and start up a conversation with a local or two. Demonstrating, believe it or not, that it is much easier to communicate with a complete stranger out for a run than with a random student walking around the university campus. Strange, right? Well, I guess people realise that since a person, especially a foreigner, is actually making an attempt to integrate into their society, why not return the favour back, and share a dialogue?

After all, is it SHARING that transforms an ordinary area into a lively NEIGHBOURHOOD!!!

Early Impressions of Japan!!!

2009-02-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

Japan, Japan, JAPAN! - Delicious food, spectacular nature, vivid traditions and mesmerising culture..... all of this in one single country, a country full of possibilities, able to please anyone who dares to step on its territory……

This was precisely what caught my attention in the first place, urging me into getting on a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight (KLM Boeing 777-200ER to be precise) and coming here to explore more of this incredibly diverse country.

KLM Boeing 777-200ER- my plane from Amsterdam (the first photo taken upon my arrival in japan)

So, “How exactly DID I imagine Japan before coming here?”

Well, I guess I could say that I imagined Japan to be packed full of Geishas and Yakuza gangs hanging around on every corner of the town, pachinko slots on every major street and a lot of sushi restaurants… But then again I would probably be lying…

The truth is that Japan for me, for some unapparent reason has always been a place of peace and harmony, disregarding the fact that there is indeed a large number of Yakuza operating in the country and that crime rates are slowly on the increase. Nevertheless, after one week of living in and exploring the area, my expectations of this nation turned to be surprisingly correct.

Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine

As I expected, I encountered a vast amount of the infamous “karaoke places”, various temples and shrines in the area, and of course “ the” conveyor belt sushi restaurants (回転寿司, kaiten-zushi)))… I have always craved to try a “real” Japanese sushi prepared by the Japanese in Japan, not a random sushi made of unknown and suspicious looking raw fish made by a Korean guy in England… Makes sense right?

Anyway, my first ever sushi restaurant experience was near Hirakata Station (the annoying thing is that I still can not remember the name of the place, although I have been there at least 3 times)…

Sushi restaurant near Hirakata Eki

From the outside the restaurant looked rather… well, let’s just say I would never go inside, if it wasn’t for my friend who really insisted that this was a nice place to eat in. I pressed the button on the wall and the wooden automatic door slid to the right. We walked in, and straight away we were warmly welcomed by all the staff working in the premise. At the time I just couldn’t believe it, I mean how often in western countries do you see/hear the waitresses and the chefs shouting to you at the same time across the whole restaurant – いらしゃいませ( WELCOME)?

We sat down and I was told that in Japan before starting a meal one has to say “いただきます-itadakimasu”( which literally means “I will humbly receive [this food]” ) and after the meal “ごちそうさまでした- gochisōsama deshita”(Thanks for the feast). We drank a cup or two of hot green tea and just enjoyed the sushi tasting experience. I must admit that it was the best sushi I have ever eaten, even though it was only my second time (^-^). After paying the bill, we got a rather warm farewell on the way out of the restaurant. I was absolutely astonished by the behaviour of the personnel working in the restaurant.

I always knew that Japan was full of politeness and had its systems of etiquette and manners, but I never would have imagined how ever-present and important these are here.......