Changing Impressions of Japan

“Tell me about your country.”

When I got to the United States, many friends from different countries asked me this question. I thought that I know about Japan because I am Japanese. I was born and grew up in this country. So it is natural that I can tell about my country like introducing myself. But I was wondering what I should tell to them and regretted that I should have learned more about Japan rather than the other countries…

I wanted to discover what Japan and Japanese culture is through this course. It was harder to see my own culture than I expected because it is taken for granted. So I tried to view Japanese culture from foreigners’ perspectives, like I did in the United States. I took a lot of pictures in the United States, over 3500 pictures. Although most of them are very normal and just parts of American life, everything was new and interesting to me such as buildings, food, people, and streets. From this perspective, I could pay attention to cultural aspects and view them in different way through lends. And then, I could realize many things about Japan such as a great recycling system, tradition around my neighborhood, and mind of modesty.

One of biggest issues in Japanese culture is globalization. I tried to find Japanese tradition, but, because of globalization and glocalization, western culture has come into Japanese culture and creates new Japan such as McDonald's and Starbucks. Japan takes good parts of other cultures into our own culture. I thought that it seems that Japanese tradition has been disappearing at first. However, Japan can be developed create new Japanese culture. This flexibility is the one of cultural aspects in Japan as well, I think.

I had a great chance to reconsider what Japanese culture is. Culture has evolved gradually in each period. I will continue to look into own country.

Made from….?

 What is the most important thing in your life?

Friends?

Money?

Love?

Family?.....

Yes, we need all of them! In addition, the important thing we cannot forget is FOOD!!

Food reflects our health and culture. Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a French politician and layer and famous as a gastronome, said "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are." 

When I went to United States, only thing that I couldn’t get used to was American food. I usually took a lot of carbohydrate such as sandwichs, hamburgers and pastas. I ate many snacks like chips, cookies, and chocolates. Then I gained 6kg for about 4 month!! I was tired of American food, so I tried to find some Asian restaurants and Japanese food especially rice! Then I found sushi finally, but the rice was really hard, and there was cheese inside of sushi roll. I was really shocked! This is not the sushi! (I really liked this type of sushi at the end though…My tongue got used to that taste, I guess.)

I found many Japanese restaurants as well. Those were named Tokyo pot, Nagoya, and Nori Japan. Those sounded like Japanese restaurants, but the owners of the restaurants were Chinese and Philippine instead of Japanese. Food looks like more Chinese rather than Japanese as well. I was really disappointed and worried that if people in the United States perceived them as real Japanese food…it was similar, but different!

From this experience, I am wondering what is real Japanese food. If Japanese people said this is not Japanese food, then it would be not Japanese food!? If American describe and sell as Japanese food, then it could be Japanese food whether it is true or not!?

There are a lot of misunderstandings about culture. If we believe things as true, that could be true. Those misunderstandings turn to be stereotype. I think culture can be made from our belief and stereotype.

That’s neat!

“Is this for you or a present?”

“For a present.”

The clerk started to tear a price tag on the product and let me choose color of wrapping paper and ribbon. The clerk said she would call me after the present was ready and started to wrap the product. So I wandered the store again. Few minutes later, she found me and gave me another choice.

“Which paper bag would you like, pink or blue?”

“I like pink one.”

She put the present into the pink paper bag.

You see this conversation in the stores many times. The shopper can get gift-wrap for free. I thought it is normal situation in the stores. However I was shocked in the United States.

One time, I went shopping to get some gifts for my Japanese friends. I asked the seller to wrap them up as presents, as always. But the seller seemed that she didn’t know how to do, and then she talked with another clerk. She wrapped them up with some paper without ribbon and just put them into plastic bag. I was surprised that it looked not presents at all! So I ended up wrapping them by myself.

I felt many differences between Japanese and American culture. This is the one of them. In America, most stores do not have such neat gift-wrap services. We should buy beautiful papers and ribbon and wrap goods by ourselves. On the other hand, most products are in small plastics from the first in Japan. We wrap it with paper and ribbon, and then put into paper bag as well. The goods are covered with many papers and bags at the end. I think this is waste of natural resources actually, but it shows Japanese people’s courtesy and hospitality.

Oh, My DEER!!

Have you ever seen this sign?

This is a traffic sign to warn that animal would suddenly jump out of streets. You can see different kinds of animal such as raccoon dog (Tanuki) and boar (Inoshishi) depending on each area of Japan.

You can see deer version of this sign near Nara Park. As you know, deer is the symbol of Nara with The Great Buddha of Todaiji. We think that deer is the messenger of the god in Shinto, so they have protected as the sacred animal. They roam and live around the park. Many tourists give rice crackers (鹿せんべい) to them, so they like people. They are calm and friendly and know how to get food from us. Some of them can make a bow to us!

They are familiar with traffic rules as well. I saw some deer stand before crosswalk. They wait for traffic lights turn to be blue. After that, they start to walk on the crosswalk! I was really surprised! They know road safety!! Who did teach them!?

I think Nara Park shows us the mind of respect to nature and animal. Because of our lifestyle, we put many animals at the risk of extinction. We destroy a lot of forests and rivers. We tend to think just about our convenient life, but we need to consider how humans and animals can live together. As you see my picture, deer also respect our lifestyle! We should model their spirit and manner!

How to be a good photographer and good anthropologist?

 Annie Leibovitz is the one of famous photographers in the United States. She takes a lot of pictures of celebrities such as Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Scarlett Johannson. Her pictures look dynamic and gorgeous, as my first impression of her pictures.

   


I found the great portrait pictures. I think the picture below is really simple, but it looks gorgeous as well because of roses and her red lip. The another one looks cool and gentle. I think those pictures successfully express their images and personalities that they want to sell. Those are my favorite anyway!



I was fascinated with her pictures, but I think most of them are artificial; not real.

 

Natalie Portman photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
From  http://fuckyeahannieleibovitz.tumblr.com/

  

Jude Law photographed by Annie Leibovitz.

From http://www.etoday.ru/2008/04/annie-leibovitz-portraits.php

On the other hand, James Natchway, a famous war photographer, tells us the reality of war and the world. His pictures show misery and sorrow of war. Everyone suffered from war has sad story. We already know how terrible the war is through media, but we don’t really see those stories only through media.

 

Look at this picture below. This young boy lost his mother because of war. He has to live alone so that he should be strong. His face shows such feeling. This is his story that we cannot see only through media. I think Natchway’s pictures give a chance to reconsider war and peace.



In Cambodia, Va Ling, 12, holds a portrait of his mother at her funeral pyre; the picture is part of the “World Free of TB” exhibition at the United Nations.

From http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/arts/design/28nach.html?_r=1



Somalia, 1992 - Lifting a dead son to carry him to a mass grave during
the famine. From http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/



Annie Leibovitz and James Natchway devote their life to taking pictures. Annie Leibovitz said that camera is one of her family members. She takes picture every moment in her life time like eating food and sleeping. James Natchway goes to battlefield without regard to his life.

 

Annie Leibovitz and James Natchway have different style of taking pictures each other, but I think they have same concepts of being good photographer. I think that they tell us the important thing to be good photographer is to be active. Get out and take pictures so that we can get vivid scene and interpret reality of the world. Then we can learn more about culture, society and people as an anthropologist.





Japanese people!

Japanese people…I was thinking what is a definition of Japanese people.

Then I chose him!

This is Chris Grosardt. He is an American, living in Texas. He studied at Kansai Gaidai 2 years ago. We met each other at “Wisdom in west and east” class for the first time. I didn’t have any knowledge of philosophy but only have poor English, so it was really hard to keep up with the class. As I was struggled with the difficult class, Chris helped my English and studying a lot. He explained the content of a textbook and class discussion when I couldn’t understand both in English and in Japanese. He is a fluent speaker of Japanese, so he mainly talked in Japanese. He says the honorific words (敬語) fluently such as “Osoreirimasu(恐れ入ります)” and “Moshiwakegozaimasen(申し訳ございません)”. We went to sushi restaurant and karaoke many times. He usually sings Japanese song! I was impressed with his great Japanese and politeness. I always describe him as Japanese more than me!

Thankfully, I could pass the class and study abroad in the United States last year. That was great time to study with him and achieved the goal of passing the class and study abroad!

I’m surprised that international students are more like Japanese than us because of their manner and polite words. Japanese people have been forgetting those sense. I saw many Japanese people like eating food on the train and using cell phone near the priority seats. Foreigner tends to describe that Japanese people are modest and reserved. I think it shows how we should be as Japanese.

Chris not only helped my English but also gave a chance to reconsider what is Japanese. I am very pleased and appreciative of his support and kindness he has given me.

Name of my neighborhood

I sometimes think how the stations names are called; Hirakatashi, Gotenyama, Makino, Kyobashi.....Do the names sound strange? Where did the names derive from?

I am living Nara city. I realized a name of bus stop in my neighborhood. The bus stop is named “Akahada-yama (赤膚山).” Why does it called?

As I look back to ancient times, there is the answer. The region of Akahada-yama traditionally produced high quality clay. This great climate for making potteries developed Akahada area.

When I was an elementary school student, I had a chance to make my original pottery in a handicraft class. That’s called “Akahada-yaki (赤膚焼)”, a traditional pottery in Akahada region. I remember that I had really fun of creating my own pot by using hand with mud! Akahaha-yaki has been inheriting in this neighborhood for generations since 1573.

It tells me that we cherish tradition in my neighborhood. The importance of history and tradition was taught to kids as a part of education. I did not realize this kind of deep meaning through playing with mud when I was a kid though…I think that tradition has been coming down not only by just a successor as an Akahada-yaki maker but also by neighborhood.  Akahada-yama, the name of the bus stop and the name of my place, links to Akahada-yaki. I think it shows our idea of cherishing tradition as a whole neighborhood.