A Better Understanding

As the semester winds down I find myself becoming increasingly reflective about my experiences in Japan. In my first blog post I said that much of my impression of Japan was based on what I had seen in manga and anime. I've come to discover (through my popular media class and living with my host family) that I wasn't wrong in many of my assumptions, but I also realized that I didn't fully understand what they meant. I don't claim to have a perfect understanding of Japanese culture, nor that you could come to fully understand Japanese culture by reading Death Note. It's not that simple.

However I do think that manga is probably the best form of Visual Anthropology available in western culture. Despite the fact that it is (mostly) fiction and fantasy, manga's history, impact, and cultural importance is much more revealing about Japanese culture than I originally thought, if you know what to look for. Repeated behavior patterns among the characters, plot themes, and symbols carry a deeper cultural meaning than their initial appearance. They often give an insight into Japanese history, philosophy, and cultural norms.





On a more personal note, last weekend my host family brought me to Wakayama for one last trip before I have to return to the United States. Leaving them will probably be the hardest part about going home. They've taken such good care of me and have done everything to make my stay comfortable and exciting. I'll never be able to express how grateful I am for everything they've done.

Coming to Japan has been the experience of a lifetime, and my time here has gone by much too quickly for my liking. Hopefully I'll be able to return to Japan in the future, or at least bring a bit of understanding of Japanese culture back home.

Boy bands, they're everywhere...

When I first came to Japan, my knowledge of Japanese music consisted of anime theme songs, game soundtracks, and Gackt (even if you think you know nothing about Japanese music, you probably know Gackt). Now I am literally surrounded by musicians and pop stars as they appear not just in music, but on television dramas, commercials, movies, and advertisements.

Boy bands kind of fell out of style in the US, but here in Japan they remain some of the most popular and most famous people in the entertainment world. SMAP, for instance, is probably the most famous group in Japan. They're on television almost every week either doing their own show or guest starring on one of the many variety shows. Kimura Takuya starred in one of Japan's most famous dramas of all time, A Beautiful Life.

This is a short clip from A Beautiful Life courtesy of www.veoh.com


Watch beautiful life 04 vostfr in Entertainment Videos and Webisodes  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


When I was in Tokyo I visited Tower Records and some of the band names that I found there were absolutely crazy. Of course they had all the big names like SMAP, Kat-tun, and Mr. Children, but they also had groups like Bump of Chicken and the Hangovers. I'm not knocking the quality of the music--everyone has their own tastes--but I found the names to be quite amusing.

What do I do?

There are times where life's irony comes up and smacks you in the face, and this weekend proved to be a one-hit KO for me. My Visual Anthropology of Japan class watched a documentary film last week about Kimigayo, and the controversy surrounding the topic in order to get us started on our blog posts about politics.



This weekend, while attending my host brother and sister's karate shi-ai, I was faced with the same choice that has resulted in the punishment of over 388 Japanese school teachers. I had tuned out the speeches during the opening ceremony, so when I looked up from my Nintendo DS screen and saw everybody standing, I did the natural thing and copied everyone else. At first I was confused, but once the music started and I saw the flags being raised at the front of the room I knew instantly what it was.



I didn't know what to do. Should I sit down? Should I just follow the culture norm and stand? Nobody was singing, and I did spot two people across the stadium who were not standing. At the same time, I was here with my family and I didn't want to insult them or make the day into a political debate. Incidentally, before I could make up my mind about what to do, the song ended and the ceremony broke up so the shi-ai could begin.

A bit unrelated, but interesting nonetheless. These are some videos I took at the shi-ai. The first is a group kata competition, and the second is a sparring match between some of the older students.

Caring for the Dead

If you ask people in Japan what their religion is, chances are they will tell you that they have no religion. Shinto and Buddhism still permeate everyday life in Japan, but Japanese people don't think of religion the same way Western cultures do. What we as westerners would consider religious practices, Japanese people see as just something you do.



For example, on Respect for the Aged Day back in September, my host family (who is "not religious") brought me along as they went to pay respects to family members that had passed away. We brought pears, onigiri, and flowers to place in the butsudan of my host grandmother's elder sister. Everyone then proceeded to greet her by clapping twice (something that people do to get the spirits' attention) and then praying silently. My family asked me to do the same so that I could introduce myself to her.



The same day we attended a huge matsuri dedicated to this tradition. Along with all the food, crafts, and shopping we happned to come across an a area covered in Jizo statues. My host mother told me that they were the guardians of children that were aborted, stillborn, or miscarried. It was a bit shocking, but at the same time comforting to see the care that is taken to provide for the dead.




The last stop we made was at the cemetery. In Japan, there is no staff to take care of the grave stones, instead family members come and wash the gravestones of past relatives. In America we instantly associate the dead with a religion of some kind. For my family these religious practices have become such an integrated part of their lives that it's just something that's the natural thing to do.

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls...

Gender is an endless topic in Japan if you look at pop culture, anime, manga, and various other media. I'm going to try and narrow it down a bit by discussing people that I interact with every day.



These are my host siblings, whom I've mentioned before. Shun-kun is 10 years old and Ami-chan is eight, and already they're very much falling into their resepective roles and behaviors as a boy and a girl.

A reading that we did for class said:

"Japanese men are accustomed to having women wait on them. This is not the only mode of male/female interaction in Japan, but Japanese men feel that there is nothing unusual about it."
--Geisha and Anthropology, Crihfield

It's been an interesting experience for me to observe this as a reality in Japan, even amongst my host family. Last weekend, for example, Mama and Ami-chan were teaching me how to make gyoza. Shun-kun watched for a little bit, but didn't participate and wasn't expected to participate. Ami-chan, on the other hand, is responsible for helping prepare almost every evening meal while Shun-kun watches TV or does homework.



I've also noticed that when Shun-kun, like every kid his age, doesn't feel like doing his homework, he'll fight with his mother about getting it done. But when Papa tells him to do something, there's almost no resistance. This is not to say that Japan is totally dominated by men (indeed Mama handles all the money in the household), but there is a unique pattern that everyone seems to follow.



Despite their respective roles, I've never seen a brother and sister so close as Shun-kun and Ami-chan. They share just about everything and living with them has been a lot of fun. It almost seems like a paradox that while gender roles in Japan are so clear-cut, they are also mixed with one another in certain circumstances.

I want to make it clear that I'm not judging any of these things as right or wrong, good or bad. They are just things I have noticed while living with this family for the last three months. Also, all the pictures of Shun and Ami were posted with permission from their parents.

A Different Kind of Sport

Japan is well-known for it's enthusiasm and dedication to team sports. In an earlier blog I talked about my host brother and sister's school sports festival on Health and Sports Day. This time I'd like to get away from the usual topics of baseball and martial arts discuss a different kind of sports in Japan.



Recreational sports such as fishing, for example, are usually not what you think of when the words "Japan" and "sports" come to mind. Usually we think of baseball, kendo, or aikido because that's the image we're used to seeing. I was really surprised myself when my host parents suggested it, and even more surprised to see the amount of equipment they had. It may not have been an athletic sport in the traditional sense, but it's still a popular pastime that many people devote time and money to.



In this picture is my host brother Shun-kun on our second day of fishing. The docks were full of people. Most of them were families with children who were there just to relax and have fun, but there were also some more serious fishermen (and women) scattered about. What was really interesting to me is that in the US, fishing is generally considered an individual sport, but the Japanese tend to do it in groups. Over the span of two days, I can't say I saw a single person on the docks fishing by themselves.



The fish we caught were all very small (with the exception of my host sister, who hooked a monster of a fish but couldn't reel it up in time) and we brought them all home in a cooler. My host grandmother said that Japanese people usually fry this type of fish and then eat them whole. They were a little too fishy for me, but not all that bad.

A little piece of home?

This week's theme is all about globalization in Japan--how the Japanese have adapted elements and practices from other cultures to fit their own tastes. The best evidence for this topic takes us back to an earlier topic we discussed: Popular Culture.



Universal Studios Japan is a good place to start. Like it's counterparts in Florida and California, USJ uses cartoon characters and famous Hollywood movies as its mascots and theme rides. The park is even decorated for Halloween (my host family didn't know what Halloween was until they hosted a student).



However, in the US you can't go to the Osaka Takoyaki Museum or eat at a Mos Burger in the Universal Citywalk. Both are just a short walk from the Hard Rock Cafe and gift shop.




The "Japanese version" of Universal Studios also features different cartoon characters from its American counterpart. Instead of Bugs Bunny, Tweety, and Sylvester covering every street corner and gift shop, characters like Woody Woodpecker, Snoopy, and Elmo are popular. It seems to me that Japanese tastes in American cartoons gravitates towards those that are more like their own animation. Snoopy, for example, is drawn in much the same way as Hello Kitty (who can also be found in USJ).




USJ also features what I would consider your standard Universal Studios rides; Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, E.T., Jaws, and Spider Man. But Japan also has places like Waterworld and the Land of Oz and shows featuring Woody Woodpecker, Peanuts characters, and Backdraft.

Exactly why these movies and characters are so popular among Japanese people, I can't say for sure. I can only speculate that perhaps there are certain ideas or characteristics about each of these that relate more to the way of life in Japan than they do in America.

Visiting the White Heron

I had the opportunity to visit Himeji Castle a few weeks ago with a Japanese friend. This place is a gold mine of traditional Japanese culture. The castle, built of wood and white plaster, remained undamaged in World War II and is considered a national treasure of Japan.



When we entered the castle, we had to remove our shoes and carry them around in a bag. The floors were polished and really smooth, and it was a little scary to walk up and down several flights of stairs in socks.



Chojugiga Jinbutsu Zoshi (top left) is an ancient form of Japanese storytelling that predates manga, but tells a story using a continual flow of pictures. The other photos show some of the armor and weaponry displayed in the castle, and the shrine is located on the very top floor.



The area outside the castle is surrounded by beautiful gardens, restaurants, and tea houses. It reminded me a little of a meditation path I walked at a church retreat back home. After we'd been through the castle, we took a walk through the gardens and stopped to rest at a bench surrounded by a bamboo thicket.

"Gardens of the Edo period...were constructed to represent specific sites in other parts of Japan, so that lords and their families who were forced to spend long periods there could be reminded of their homeland."

"A theme which runs through this brief historical survey of Japanese gardens is the way they are designed to represent something else." --Joy Hendry, Gardens and Visual Culture

Cultural Window

Like the United States, malls and shopping centers in Japan are a great place to scope out what's new and what's hot on the market for popular culture. You can find everything from your general department stores to your highest fashion outlets. But Japanese malls aren't limited to clothing and shoes. Let's take a look at what else can be found here.



In addition to being exceptionally fashion-conscious, Japanese people have an apparent interest in making sure their furry, four-legged companions are also looking their best. Clothing, toys, shoes, rain jackets, strollers, bedding, accessories...you name it, they had it. See those vests in the background of the photo? People clothing right? Nope! All of it, the entire store, dedicated to dogs. Paris Hilton would be in her glory.



Game centers are one of the busiest sections of Japanese shopping centers. Here you can find every possible crane game you can imagine, plus video games, virtual trading card games, and even Dance Dance Revolution for little kids. Prizes and themes are usually manga or anime characters, as well as food and snacks. Dragonball, Pokemon, Doraemon, Hello Kitty, and Disney seem to be some of the most popular characters among both children and adults.

Every shopping center I've visited has been different, and it's always interesting to see what people are buying and the kinds of things that they enjoy doing. Malls and shopping centers aren't the only sources to find popular culture, but they are a good window into the different areas of interest Japan has to offer.

Undokai

My host brother and sister's undokai was postponed because of the rain on Sunday and I wasn't able to attend the rescheduled day, but on Saturday we went to watch an undokai at a middle school down the street from our house.

One of the things I noticed was that during some of the longer relays was that if one team fell far behind the other three, it only drove them to try harder. More often than not this lead to an exciting comeback and made the race more exciting. In this kind of situation in the US, I think sometimes that we accept the fact that we can't possibly catch up and so we settle for just finishing the race. I never got this impression from the students at the undokai. They fought hard until the end. It seemed that as long as they did their best, they could be proud of themselves.



I found that after watching the undokai it reminded me less and less of the physical fitness tests I talked about last week's preview, and more of my high school's winter carnival. It was all about fun and friendly competition. Even students that had been defeated happily high-fived and congratulated each other.




In addition to footraces and relays, there were also different game-type races. For example, there was a relay in which the participants had to pick up a slip of paper with an object written on it. The students had to go into the crowd and find that object (be it a flag, a teacher, another student, etc.) and run with it to the finish line.



The festival was a big family event, and even the parents got to participate. They called everyone out into the middle of the track for a parents vs. parents game of tug-of-war. It was interesting to see the group mentality and team spirit mirrored in both parents and children.

Preview: Undokai

"Ganbare!"

This is a phrase that I've heard over and over again since I landed in Japan. It's a phrase that is translated as "do your best," and is used in nearly every day-to-day situation. Even in completing a task as simple as walking to the train station in the rain, my host mother calls after me "Laura, ganbare!"

More than a phrase, I feel that "Ganbaru" is a state of mind--a way of life in Japan. The idea of doing your best seems to be embedded in the minds of the Japanese people.

For the last two weeks or so, for example, my host brother and sister have been practicing for their school's undokai, or sports festival.

The undokai a day dedicated to physical activity and friendly competition between classes. This is an event of great focus in my host family, and is even important enough for my brother and sister practice for it at home.

To me it's an example of that same spirit of dedication and the desire to "do your best." Like education, like sports, and like life the idea is to work hard and be the best you can be. It's an optomistic outlook, I think, in that you're recognizing that there are some things that you can't control, so you just do the best you can.

On Sunday I'm going with my family to watch the undokai, and I'll post photos and additional comments on the event on Monday.

Shunkun, Amichan, ganbare!


Here's an example of an undokai from last year:


From: amazingpreston
Added: May 29, 2007

It's Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Japanese neighborhoods are what I would describe as small towns in big cities. Osaka, for example, is divided into 20 smaller “cities” that each form their own separate communities. My host family lives in Neyagawa-shi, which is much larger than I would consider a neighborhood to be. I find it interesting, however, that a group of people that large can have as strong a sense of community as my small rural town back home.

Last weekend, my family brought me to a local community center “matsuri,” or cultural festival. It was a very small occasion, located in what looked like an elementary school gymnasium. Several tables were set up inside displaying origami works and paintings, as well as craft-making areas for children.

In many ways, it was similar to state fairs I’d been to back home. The food, for example, ranged from popcorn, cotton candy and hot dogs to Japanese chicken on a stick. It was a nice surprise to be able to enjoy some familiar fairground food.

The shrine across the street from the community center was also part of the festivities, which separated the experience for me as purely Japanese. At this particular matsuri, the monks at the shrine were drumming and chanting for a ceremony in which people park their cars outside the shrine to be cleansed of evil spirits and receive the protection of the kami.

Hopefully during my stay here in Japan I'll get to become more familiar with the neighborhood I live in, and come to understand the sense of community that people here seem to innately share.

A Brief Overview

Welcome to the Peanut Gallery!



This blog was created as an assignment for my Visual Anthropology class at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan. In addition to a detailed documentation of my experiences, I will try to provide informed commentary about a variety of topics and subjects during my stay in Japan.

I must admit that my first impression of Japan and Japanese culture came long before I even arrived in the Osaka airport. Instead, I came to Japan with preconceived expectations and assumptions based on what I’d seen in imported Japanese media such as anime and manga. I have found myself basing my observations on whether my stereotypical views of Japan are being confirmed or challenged by reality.

For Example:

The “V” fingers my host sister is displaying in the photo are characteristic of Japanese people in photographs. The meaning is somewhat obscure, as I’ve been told by some that they stand for peace and by others that they represent “V” for “victory.”

Manga have become increasingly popular in the United States, and is where most of my personal understanding of Japanese culture comes from. In Japan, it's practically a way of life. Manga can be found everywhere from the largest bookstore to the nearest 7 Eleven (photo). And it’s cheap! You can buy new and used manga for under 500 yen (about $5.60 US).