Upon coming to Kansai Gaidai to study abroad, I would make my second journey to Japan. The first time I came for a couple weeks worth of vacationing and sight-seeing. During that time I saw a large sum of exciting and sometimes quirky pop culture, beautiful landscapes, and pieces of Japanese traditions, yet I later realized that although I had seen a lot and knew some limited background, there was still more to be found within the complex of the Japanese culture. This time was different. Like this sakura matcha flavored Kit-Kat shown below, even when I thought I was familiar with something, I was surprised to find a new take on the concept that I had never considered before. Even though I was still able to have fun and enjoy the excitement of being in Japan again, I had the opportunity to deepen my experience. I was able to take courses such as this one (Visual Anthropology of Japan) that helped me to find the meaning behind what I saw and see more than I had the chance to see on my own.
Before coming to Japan, I knew about themed cafes and bars and about Japan’s seeming infatuation with certain parts of Western culture, but some of the videos we watched in class helped me to see that the Japanese don’t always go for these things just because they are “cool.” A bar with a western cowboy theme, for example at first seemed like a simple desire to act Western. After watching the video, however, I discovered that to the Japanese, the cowboy represented something different than it does to people who live in the United States. To people in the US, the cowboy is the rough, tough, loner, hero type figure. To the Japanese, the cowboy represented teamwork and unity. They worked together to solve problems and gathered around the campfire to sing together. One man in the video even compared his work with the life of a cowboy saying that like a cowboy he has pride in his work. He rides the train every day to work as a cowboy rides his horse, he works in his office somewhat like a ranch, and he even ropes in customers like a cowboy ropes in cattle. This made me realize that there’s more to Japan than what we perceive with our own eyes trained by our own cultures. We have to take a look at the country within its own context.
Hosts clubs are another thing I knew existed in Japan, yet never knew the full context. I found host clubs interesting before, but I suppose I used to think of them much more lightheartedly, perhaps as a place for girls to simply drool over their dreamy host. I never really thought about what that meant, that it draws women desperate for the emotional support and care they don’t seem to get in their daily lives or how women who go there on a regular basis actually end up falling in love with their host in a hopeless fantasy they know can never be realized. Nor did I consider that because these types of places cost so much money, many women turn to high profit markets such as selling their bodies, sometimes as prostitution or just short of that. Although the host clubs seem like fun and games, they can create a serious issue.
I also saw sides of the culture that I could not see much of before. Watching Kokoyakyu I learned how hard some high school students train to have even a chance to make professional baseball teams. I also saw that it doesn’t seem to be considered “unmanly” to show emotions and tears as it often is in the states. We also talked in class about the content of Japanese blogs. It turns out Japanese people rarely complain in their blogs. One example was a girl who wrote her blog about what she ate for lunch every day. If she went to a restaurant she didn’t particularly like, she would still avoid saying anything bad about it because she wouldn’t want anything she said to lessen the customers or possibly lead the restaurant to shut down. Most people in the US don’t think about that because we like to tell our true feelings and feel that it is our right to do so, even if it is complaining. Then, although the video was not terribly exciting I learned more about the organization of neighborhoods and more about religious festivals that happen, that they are both very oriented towards building community and solidarity, elements essential within the Japanese culture.
Doing this blog helped me to learn more about Hachiko, some of the parts involved in Shinto shrines, since I had to do some research. I particularly enjoyed the story of Hachiko because I feel that it really shows something key to understanding the Japanese culture. An on top of that, even the Japanese use it as a lesson in elementary school books, so that means they feel it’s important too.
What I knew about Japan was like dango (shown in the photo above). I knew about dango and thought that they were cool, yet I didn’t know their name let alone the saying about them. “Hana yori dango” is a phrase used most often to refer to the sakura viewing times of the spring called ohanami. It’s a phrase that literally translates to something like “dango over flowers” but what it really means is that some people place more importance in eating and socializing with those close relatives and friends than they do in actually seeing the sakura. This is not to say, however, that probably don’t enjoy the blossoms. Instead, it points out again the importance of a community in which everyone can enjoy each other, work together, respect each other, and do things for the better of the whole group.
