Changing Impressions a.k.a. Goodbye for a while…

The fall-semester is drawing to a close. In these four months I have experienced many things and will be able to reminisce about many memories, both good and bad. All in all it wasn’t as much of a cultural shock as one would have expected for someone visiting Japan for the first time. Maybe it would have been different in Tokyo (as probably in most metropolitan cities), the mother of Japanese Popular Culture, and other strange things and inventions. However, besides all the obvious and not-so-obvious differences, we [i] share many commonalities. The most important one is: we are all human-beings made up of the same elements. This may sound a little bit cheesy but eventually it’s true.

What I sincerely respect about most Japanese people is their will to help and to communicate regardless of the many language barriers. I guess one will only encounter this neat phenomenon if she or he makes the first move. Yesterday for example I went to an Okonomi Yaki restaurant with a German friend of mine. To our left four elder ladies were obviously speaking about us. I greeted them and all of a sudden they started chatting with us. Actually they just wanted to mention how handsome we were [ii]. Nonetheless, this little anecdote doesn’t show that it’s easy to cultivate friendships with Japanese. Unfortunately there are still too many cultural values which I’ll probably never fully accept, let alone inherit. Basically, most encounters begin and end with some conversation I would call “small-talk”. However, I could never imagine an old lady in my hometown complementing me whatsoever. My dear readers, that’s Japan! You have to expect the unexpected.

What impressed me the most besides the people I have met was the astonishing harmony between the crowded cities and the rural places within. My image of the crowded landmarks and cities I’ve described in some of my previous posts changed after I have found some silent places surrounded by busyness. Even in Tokyo you will find peaceful and calm venues if you dare to search. Strictly speaking it’s all a matter of perspective.

(The crowded Shinjuku/Tokyo in contrast to...)

(... an ancient spot near Harajuku/Tokyo)

Speaking of perspective, lately I’m really worried about losing my thorough attention to detail. Moreover it is this habit which was the reason for neglecting many opportunities [iii]. The winter-break is coming in handy. I’m going to “visit” my native country and will consequently be able to take a step back from Japan (not only physically). In this respect I’m really wondering if my attention for detail will return after the end of my relatively long absence from my hometown… until daily routine and habit (no matter in which form or context it may be) will prevail again.

Endnotes:

[i] Me as speaking for both the visitors and the Japanese
[ii] That is actually something I experienced a lot. Groups of girls often talked about me even though they knew I was close enough to hear everything. Either they thought I couldn’t understand them anyway or they assumed that I believed they were thinking that I can’t understand them and at the same time actually hoped that I get anything of what they were talking about. Confusing, I know...
[iii] And yes, I was effectively able to accustom myself to the life here. Maybe it was because of the university system which had more of an international than a Japanese feeling.

“SADucation” – A critical view on Japan’s education system

For a few minutes please go ahead and reminisce about your school times. Imagine being a teenager again, what thoughts and expectations you had back then. Now imagine your future depending on one exam and what feelings you would have gone through the week before the truth is revealed; whether you have passed or not. Even though you probably have other origins you can now somehow imagine how most Japanese school kids feel, because in Japan this isn’t just a vision; it’s reality.


Japanese junior- and high school pupils are trimmed to be perfectly prepared for such important moments which may be either promising or traumatizing. This rigid grading-method is causing unhealthy pressure on several teenagers. I heard of pupils suffering from chronic headache or nose bleeding caused by sleeplessness and depression. Their daily schedule usually is very strict. They don’t have time for relaxation and a healthy sleep-rhythm. However, many pupils seek relaxation and social-contact within club-activities which are an important part of the school system and of Japanese society as a whole. Club-membership is taken very serious because this is the only “class” which is usually designed and delegated by the pupils themselves. Therefore it may also be very stressful, especially for newcomers who initially will feel the squeeze of the hierarchy within. Unfortunately the typical school-day doesn’t end there. A high percentage of pupils participate in cram-schools which are giving them an opportunity to study even more or to keep up with the “better pupils”.


The overall quality of the national schools seems to be good but especially in private schools you can imagine that education and school activities are connected with high costs. If you can afford good education for your children they will probably have more perspectives than children who are attending schools without a proper reputation. But capitalism isn’t the only issue. Unfortunately it’s the competitive aspect which I’m really worried about. Competition is actually a very positive value but in Japan’s education it seems to be missing its pristine signification. The worst aspect is that the “competitors” have to decide about their educational career at an early stage. This has also an undeniable impact on their dreams and perspectives. Pupils who are unable to decide are either willing to do what their classmates do or are going to let their parents decide; important decisions which normally don’t fit the children’s individual personality.


So, why putting so much pressure on children? They have to deal with profound questions which shouldn’t be forcefully decided. Teenagers in their puberty and many even after are developing their psychology and are still in search of a proper identity. As for me I couldn’t imagine to be part of such a harsh educational system. In fact it took me a while to be sure about my future perspectives and retrospectively I’m glad the way everything worked out. Japanese pupils should get this chance too, because naturally everybody develops at a different pace. It seems to me that pupils who tend to be slow and who aren’t ready to decide, are at the same time considered to be noncompetitive and therefore weak. Strength and honor are still considered to be achievable values, whereas weakness remains disgraceful.

I have compassion for the Japanese adolescence. However, the problem is to be found in the Japanese working class. Its subjects have also suffered from the described education but obviously they don’t care about their offspring. Japan governmental system grants every citizen her/his right to vote. But do they use their right properly? Japanese society in general lacks of political interest and an awareness of their ability to change a system which needs a new and socially fair constitution since decades. The problem is to be found in the education itself. Group discussions for example are the exception at school. Pupils are in general too tired and timid to discuss. Frontal education constitutes the common state inside the classrooms. Sadly there is no space left for critical pedagogy.


University is the ultimate goal of a paradigmatic educational path (as long as you or your parents are able to afford it). Since the beginning of this semester I didn’t encounter any case of negatively stressed students. In fact I – as an international student who participates in the Asian Studies Program – was more stressed than most Japanese students I met so far. They told me something like: “University is more or less the leisure time between the tough school times and the sometimes even tougher occupation(s) later on.” I picked up some rumors saying that it doesn’t even matter what your major is, as long as you get a degree in the end. So some students possibly end up in business companies learning everything from scratch. Primarily traditional companies prefer employees who still can be “formed” rather than graduates with specific knowledge or expertise.


Recently I’ve visited an elementary school and was able to interact with some of the children there. I couldn’t feel any negative energy or pressure inside of the school facilities. Maybe the whole visit was staged but I think elementary schools are a safe and appropriate place for kids at these ages. The kiddies were full of energy, jumping around, singing, dancing and playing games with me and each other. It’s truly sad when I watch these “Genki kids” having fun, knowing at the same time what most of them have to go through in the near future.


All the statements above are based on experiences I made, first- and second hand reports I witnessed, and discussions I was part of since I’m in Japan. Hence they are not supposed to reflect a validly contemporary national status nor are they meant to be the last word.

For a brief description of the Japanese school system and organization please have a look at this website. I recommend reading this prior to posting a comment, especially if you don’t get my points and complaints.

Visiting “outer space”

Every once in a while I sleep in a so called “Capsule Hotel”. These places really impress me and from the view point of the cost/performance ratio they are definitely the cheapest place for a one night rest. Last time I checked out in Asahi-Plaza in Shinsaibashi/Osaka a foreign backpacking-couple was about to check in. They couldn’t speak Japanese and they were obviously surprised that the receptionists only spoke a few words English. After some awkward conversation the couple started to complain why they weren’t allowed to take their luggage to their room. I tried to explain them that this place is actually not a hotel and that there is no space inside the capsule much less in the locker. Capsule hotels aren’t designed for tourists and even less for a couple, because men and women live in separated facilities. Of course foreigners are welcome too, but the most frequent visitors actually are businessmen. However, as for me, living in Japan, it’s the best and most inexpensive place to rest while travelling. Before I leave my actual apartment I wrap just some basic things in my bag, but in fact you don’t need to bring along anything if you sleep in a capsule hotel. I will explain step by step how I usually spend my night in these special places and what services you can and cannot expect.

Entering the main hall you at first of course take off your shoes and lock them in a small shoe-locker right next to the reception. Afterwards you bring the key to one of the receptionists and in return you get another key with a certain number, which indicates your clothing-locker [i] and at the same time the position of your capsule. The price is about 20 Euro per night. It depends on the district.

In your locker you will find a cozy Yukata which at the same time serves as your bathrobe and your pajama. Similar to the famous Ryokan [ii] and other wellness resorts you can wear it during your whole stay in the “hotel”. If you don’t feel comfortable in it, you can also wear your own clothes. Don’t worry, nobody will be bothered if you do so. After slipping into my Yukata I’m ready for the Sento. The bathing area is located on an extra-level. There you will find everything you need to get relaxed and fresh. Two or three different types of whirlpools, a cold cell, a sauna, free towels, soap, shampoo, conditioner, disposable toothbrushes, shavers, massage-chairs, washing – and drying machines, sometimes also a pachinko- and manga area. Almost everything is included in the price. And the best thing about it, it’s open 24 hours. Capsule hotels will give you somehow the feeling of a home away from home. Therefore don’t expect any services from the employees. It’s just all about making yourself comfortable for the night.

When I finally manage to climb into my capsule and lock the front side I’m feeling like an astronaut. Maybe that’s the reason why I’m always sleeping like a satisfied baby in these futuristic framings. The check out times may be a little bit weird. So, if you don’t manage to get up in time you will be asked to pay about 2 Euros extra per hour. In any case it’s worth the good sleep and I feel ready for the next adventure.

Recommended Article:
One capsule for cosmic sleep

Clip:
Capsule Footage

Endnotes:
[i] Yes, it is only designed for clothing and not for luggage. However, if you travel with a small backpack you will manage to stuff it in the closet somehow.
[ii] Ryokan are traditional hotels built right next to one of more than 2000 Onsen spread over Japan. These hot springs are a unique gift from mother earth. If you don’t visit at least one Onsen throughout your stay in Japan you really missed the ultimate wellness-experience.

Religious rituals: Believe or tradition?

Japanese religion is an interesting field of study. Even if you are travelling to Japan for just one week, you will with the utmost probability encounter some religious activities. But random tourists certainly won’t guess that Japan isn’t a religious country at all. Before I share some personal experiences and observations with you, I want to start off with a very brief introduction about religion in Japan and will at the same time explain the last statement.

Shinto and Buddhism are the two major institutional religious structures in Japan (cf. Reader 1991: 6). Unlike other countries where a larger variety of major religions are practiced, Japan’s religious institutions get along with each other very well with multiple affiliations within (cf. ibid: 6). The reason is found in the culture’s history and collective commemoration. Japan was culturally influenced by many countries over the centuries, while establishing and maintaining its very own culture. Shinto and Buddhism are clearly inherited in Japanese culture and are therefore part of its tradition. People who seek for a soul-companion, active communities or help with their mental problems, won’t ask a Buddhist monk for advice. In fact there are many new religions flourishing in Japan. Some of them are off-springs from Buddhist doctrines; others are sects or “independent religions” with different functions and goals.

(A “How to Guide” for evoking the Shinto-spirits)

So obviously Japanese people in general exhibit high levels of religious behavior, which is usually more affiliated to their personal need rather than to any religious-believe (cf. ibid: 5). Praying to one god does not prevent the Japanese from praying to another, and just participating in one religion doesn’t suit Japanese culture (cf. ibid: 2). For example, blessings for children are given to them at the ages of three, five and seven at Shinto shrines, whereas traditional death ceremonies are held with Buddhism believe. Ian Reader already mentioned correctly: “The phrase ‘born Shinto, die Buddhist’ reflects a general social and religious reality for many Japanese (ibid: 6)”. Speaking of trends in my last post, one could also extend this phrase to: ‘born as Shinto, marry as Christian, die as Buddhist’.

I have visited many “sacred places” so far. It’s hard to miss them, especially in the ancient capitals Kyoto and Nara. I have recently been to Toudai-ji, the county’s biggest wooden building. This historical place and its surroundings are also famous for the free roaming deer, which are referred to as messengers of the Kami. Seeing pictures and reading articles about this place, I thought the area must be epic. Far from it! What seems holy about a place where masses are flocking to the temples, where you can’t distinguish between the sacred deer and the visitors in terms of behavior, where you have to pay in order to pray at the “special places”? This all seemed like a dream to me and at the same time keenly shallow, as if religion was a big business. Evidently this is the case in Nara, as far as I have experienced it.

(Toudai-ji crowded by visitors waiting for their chance to see the Great Buddha)

In my second week living in the Kansai region I experienced something similar at another famous landmark: Kiyomizu-dera. Although also cramped by masses I was impressed of the sheer beauty of this architectural masterpiece. However, before I saw this place through my own eyes I couldn’t believe that Buddhism is also using superstitious themes based on old traditions, but in truth it is quite common. For instance, on the top level of Kiyomizu there is a so called love-fortune-telling stone. One part of the description says: “If you walk safely from this stone to the other with your eyes closed, for once your wish will be granted soon. If you can’t, it will be long before your love is realized.” Some of the “rituals” just seem out of place here. Nonetheless many young people travel to these popular places too. They visit the shrines and do their prayers, with a majority not even knowing the purpose of their visit or to whom they pray. It’s all about tradition, and so it seems there is no deeper meaning left within religion these days.

(The famous love stone)

With a few exceptions I didn’t feel any spirituality neither inside nor outside of the religious institutions I’ve visited so far. Is anybody else aware of this? To whom are the Japanese worshipping? Maybe their prayers have turned to personal wishes, which don’t need any personified spirit or intercessor. Either way I look at it, these well-known landmarks are just empty places.

Info:
If you want to know more about Shinto- and/or Buddhism-rituals refer to the book cited in this post.

Literature:
Reader, Ian (1991): Religion in Contemporary Japan.

Cross dressing and gender switching in Japan

If you walk through the streets of Japan’s busy cities it’s hard to ignore the importance of fashion, especially for younger generations. No matter if you bump into girls or boys, almost each of them has its own “leisure dress-style”. They take their appearance very serious, even if they just go to the convenient store around the corner. I already mentioned the significance of Japanese standardized dress-codes in my first post. However, outside of school and occupation, the youths are able to express their individuality through brand clothing. This seems very facile; nonetheless fashion is a simple but effective means of communication.


The fashion market is huge and the possibilities for dressing-up are endless. Trends reach and leave Japan’s market and media fluently and have therefore an impact on the audience. So, if you are a fashion-designer, Japan’s metropolitan zones are the right place for you. Customers don’t just gaze at your creations they even buy all imaginable clothes and all sorts of weird gimmicks. This could be one reason why natural gender-constructions may vanish sooner or later. In this respect I’m going to draw my attention to these recent trends: Ojo-man (girly men) and Rekijo (history girl) – two forms of cross-dressing.

(A cross bar in Doyama-cho, the unofficial gay district in Osaka)

(A guy with heels inside a train-cabin [ii])

In Japanese society cross-dressing has its origins in Kabuki. Men dressing up as women on stage didn’t seem strange to me, but I could never imagine that, apart from acting, “gender-switching” is also becoming an industrial sector for private purposes. For example Japanese designers have invented male-bras and –leggings and apparently they are selling! The main costumers are so called herbivores (Ojo-man). In one article I’ve found, they are described as thoughtful, articulate and fashionably dressed young man, who seem to be metrosexuals without the testosterone (Parry 2009). Reading this I wonder why men without sexual preference or need want to be or at least look more feminine? Sociologist Sharon Kinsella gives a cue: “For many young men, cute fashion represents freedom and an escape from the pressure of social expectations and regulations (Kinsella 1995: 244).”

(Picture borrowed from CNN)

Japanese women on the other side can be seen as “leaders of modern culture”. Unmarried girls obtain greater freedom than young men and there are definite tendencies showing that they want to remain free women (cf.: Kinsella 1995: 244), who are striving to achieve their personal goals in a subtle patriarchal society. Speaking of patriarchy, has anybody of you for instance ever seen a female samurai? Even for entertainment purposes this would have been unimaginable some decades ago. This summer there has been a genuine history girl (Rekijo) boom spreading through the media.

(Picture borrowed from Japan Probe)

Pop culture researcher Ichiya Nakamura detects a relation between these two trends. While the “passive herbivores” seem to weaken the society, self-reliant women seek “super carnivorous males” [ii].

Literature:

Kinsella, Sharon (1995): Cuties in Japan. In: Lise Skov & Brian Moeran (Ed.): Women, Media and Consumption in Japan.

Parry, Richard Lloyd (2009): Girly men of Japan just want to have fun. Times - Online Edition.

Recommended Readings:

Japan’s gender roles

Cross-dressing a long show business tradition in Japan

Japan's herbivore men

Blurring the boundaries

Endnotes:

[i] Copyright belongs to O. Alavaz, edited by tobi-san

[ii] Found on Google-news

Japanization: A few thoughts about Japan’s global influence

The contemporary world can be referred to as a global network. But what does “Globalization” actually mean? Indian film director Anmol Vellani holds that national values could never influence globalization. It is an economic phenomenon which maintains its own culture and ideology, a culture and lifestyle of consumerism. The project of globalization can only succeed in this certain way (cf. Vellani 2006: 15) and creates “unprecedented connectivity between people from different parts of the world (Vellani 2006: 16).”

One could argue that Japan is obviously influenced by the States. If you get one step closer you will observe that this may only be true to a certain degree. Many western trends have reached the Far East but the Japanese society was always able to incorporate these influences into their own styles and versions. Moreover Japanese exports are more important than imports in terms of national identity (cf. Holden 2006: 119) and local forms of food, music, films and other cultural elements are also cornerstones of Japan’s inside-out globalization (Allen/Sakamoto 2006: 2).

(Using American-Halloween as another Japanese-Cosplay occassion. Here you can see the One Piece crew.)

Every educated human being should be familiar with the term “Americanization”, but have you ever heard of “Japanization”? It is only fair to use this term for a country which is still an economic leader. The impact may not be as obvious as the one from the US, but it exists. When I think of Japan, many brands come to my mind: Toyota, Nintendo, Sony, Hello Kitty, Panasonic, and, and, and. Also some Japanese acclaimed themselves outside of Japan such as the international esteemed directors Akira Kurosawa or Hayao Miyazaki. Maybe their names have little recognition value for a random audience but their art definitely has. Thanks to their success more and more Japanese movies are translated, synchronized and subtitled than vice versa. Recently several foreign representations of Japanese Culture in Non-Asian countries are thriving. Companies are buying and selling Japanese products (cf. Vellani 2006: 16). The imports and collaborations have been very successful especially in the popular culture segment (cf. Holden 2006: 117 and Allen/Sakamoto 2006: 1).

(Especially the tech. industry has a high national economic and also export value.)

I was able to observe a downright boom of Manga, Anime, Video Games and Cosplay in German speaking countries since many years now. To go a little bit more in detail: I was influenced by Japanese Pop-Culture before even knowing anything about Japan and before knowing what the term Pop-Culture means. Thanks to RTL II [i], Anime and Manga with Japanese origins [ii] became famous. Furthermore, the frequent audience informed themselves about the Program and its origins on the internet. Thousands of websites and fan pages dedicated to Anime and Manga were created; the German equivalent to the Japanese Otaku scene was born. The afternoon program is now its own channel-in-channel called Pokito TV, mainly airing Anime series. I observed a real wave of Otaku-development, because RTL II was seriously criticized from Anime-fans all over Europe for bad synchronization, inappropriate airtime, national editing in terms of child-welfare and rebroadcasting one season of an Anime again and again [iii].

Somehow these Anime had a big impression on me as a child. I learned from Japanese values, which are embedded in the Comics in a very simple way. In first place I could for example never understand why the main team in the series Kickers (jp.: Gambare! Kikkāzu) was unable to win. Even when they finally won, they celebrated their victory as if they just got the world champion trophy. After watching it over and over again I could understand that the plot wasn’t only based on the victory theme. It was about friendship, teamwork and passion, values which are certainly important in Japanese society. This now makes even more sense to me because the series is originally based on a Shōnen [iv]. Comics which are not only produced for entertainment but also for cathartic reception (Marci-Boehncke/Just 2006: 10). These values affect non Japanese viewers as well, nevertheless the real Japan remains dislocated; the main focus of these popular products is, as already mentioned, consumerism (cf. Allen/Sakamoto 2006: 1).

(Logo from Nippon Connection, the biggest Japanese Filmfestival in Europe.)

Info:

The Mega Manga Convention 2009 is starting today in Berlin.

Clip:

A Clip from a Pokito TV episode.

Recommended Readings:

Japan Must Shake Off U.S.-Style Globalization

Japan's influence on American life

About Anime Censorship on RTL II

Literature:

Allen, Matthew/Sakamoto, Rumi (2006): Introduction – Inside-out Japan? Popular culture and globalization in the context of Japan. In: Matthew Allen & Rumi Sakamoto (Ed.): Popular Culture, Globalization and Japan.

Holden, T.J.M. (2006): “Sportsports” – Cultural exports and imports in Japan’s contemporary globalization career. In: Matthew Allen & Rumi Sakamoto (Ed.): Popular Culture, Globalization and Japan.

Marci-Boehncke, Gudrun/Just, Dominik (2006): Höher, schneller und weiter – Mediale Leistungsideale am Beispiel japanischer Sport-Animes. Found on mediaculture.

Vellani, Anmol (2006): Speech about Globalization and Culture. In: Globalization and Asian Values. Asia Culture Forum Kyoto 2006 Report.

Endnotes:

[i] RTL II is a private German TV-channel and part of the RTL-Group
[ii] The first aired Anime shows in German-speaking television were based on European literature like Heidi, Maja or Pinocchio
[iii] The persons in charge had severe problems with getting the full sending authorization. For example Dragonball, even though one of the most successful Anime in Europe, suffered from unrealistic plot twists caused from fictive translation and some episodes of Dragonball GT have never been broadcasted
[iv] Manga which are produced for adolescent boys

Sports and Recreation in Japan

Japan is one of those countries which have created their own sports and also their own variations of Martial Arts. Kendo, Judo, Karate, Kyudo and of course Sumo are still associated with Japan. Besides these original disciplines the nation has recreated popular sports from the States and Europe, which also became quite popular. What do I mean by recreate? Baseball for example became the most watched and most played sport all over the four islands. But you can’t compare the Japanese style with its American origins. As most “borrowed” sports Baseball just seems to be the same game, but in fact it got modified with Japanese values, -customs and -spirituality (Kelly 1998: 96). In my opinion this is exactly the reason why Baseball became so popular. It’s not about the game itself, it’s about the team, its supporters and its unique fan-culture. Hence big parts of this society are apparently somehow affiliated to at least one sport.

(Japanese High School Baseball, picture borrowed from japannewbie.com)

Discipline and loyalty mainly are part of Japanese society, part of the Japanese working spirit and also part of Japanese sport- and club activities. But how is this possible in a country that has one of the highest average concerning annual working hours per year? Within the Japanese working environment free time (offside the working place) is still uncommon, that’s why for most employees occupation is not only part of their life, it is their life; the life of the so called “corporate warriors” (Gratton & Taylor 2000: 40f). I have observed that people are able to combine their sport-passion with their employment. Big companies have their own facilities for leisure and sports. In many cases they also have clubs and teams. These observations are verifying the notion that sport is iconic of national character (Kelly 1998: 95). However, the government certainly isn’t uninvolved in this development. The government’s strategy is to support economic development with the hosting of big sport events like Olympic Games, Koshien or Ekiden Kyoso. Barry Houlihan explains that these are “opportunities to project images of modern technological and organizationally sophisticated societies and economies (Houlihan 2000: 217).”

(Part of the future Olympic City: Tokyo 2016)

The information above may still not give you an image of how different teams and clubs approach their disciplines in comparison to your own club experiences. Therefore I want to share some “case study observations” with you. Of course this is only my perspective compared with the sport customs in my hometown: I play table tennis since many years now. Some decades ago table tennis was one of the most popular sports in Japan. Recently it also got a boom in the amateur sector. I was very curious about practicing in an Asian country together with the inhabitants, because I had already read about their daily practice routines before. However, since I joined the club of Kansai Gaidai, there are still some aces which I didn’t expect to discover. I was really surprised when I asked the club leader Hitomi, if they play any competitions. Besides some exhibition tournaments together with other universities of this prefecture, they don’t train for competition. I couldn’t believe that such skillful players just practice for fun on such a high level. This would be impossible in my home country. Strictly speaking it is the other way around. We have no circles or clubs who just meet for sharing their table tennis passion. Almost every club is registered in the national table tennis association and since I remember I only train to be able to compete with the other players in my region. The game comes first and then comes the team. The Kansai Gaidai club (as probably most others do) turns it upside down. That is what fascinates me about Japanese clubs. The team members are also good friends outside of the club and they take practice- and training customs very serious.

(Kansai Gaidai Table Tennis Club)

References:

Gratton, Chris/Taylor, Peter (2000): Economics of sport and recreation

Houlihan, Barrie (2000): Politics and Sport. In: J. Coakley & E. Dunning (Ed.): Handbook of sports studies

Kelly, William W. (1998): Blood and Guts in Japanese Professional Baseball. In: Linhart & Frühstück (Ed.): The Culture of Japan as seen through its Leisure

Recommended Site:

Recreation & Sports JGuide

Recommended Reading:

Japanese Baseball

A little insight into the Japanese video game industry

Two weeks ago I visited the Tokyo Game Show, one of the three biggest video game exhibitions in the world. During this annual occasion all well known publishers and production companies present their new games and developments to the public. When I first heard of TGS as a child I never expected to attend it one day. Maybe this was the issue for my planed observation: I’m influenced by my own experiences. Besides not frequently playing video games any more, I had too great of expectations for the exhibition. In a few sentences I will attempt to explain what all this fuss was about.

The exhibition is separated into two parts: the “business days” and the “open to the public days”. Of course I participated only in one of the public days. My first thought upon entering the main hall was: how the hell will I possibly get out of here again. The booths were more than crowded. There were thousands of people waiting in lines for up to 3-4 hours just to play one game for about 5 minutes. The obscurity in this case is: the gates did not open until 10:00 am and closed at 5:00 pm. For me, just observing the visitors and this special field of pop culture the period was more than enough. But what about the visitors who waited all this time just to get a glimpse at one game, which may be for sale within the next few months? As far as I could tell, more than a half of the attendees could be referred to as Otakus [i]. I even observed people who came only to take pictures of or with the booth girls, or to show off their cosplay [ii] skills. Maybe the business days would have suited my expectations more. Actually, there were some auctions selling tickets on eBay. The advantage would have been: you don’t have to wait in the lines and you are allowed to poke the booth babes in the shoulder or forehead… Hah, that’s an experience for around 10,000 yen more, isn’t it?

(A visitor with one of the booth babes)

(Three cosplayers)

However, these are basic and very personal impressions. Cosplay, booth babes and Otakus can be usually found at most of the gaming exhibitions. There is one aspect of the TGS which is not common in western countries, but is a very profitable sector in Japan: Video Game Music. I want to go into a bit more depth about this topic. In Japan VGM developed itself as its own genre with a huge fan base. On the market you will find soundtracks, remix-CDs, live orchestral performances (many nameable symphony orchestras around the world are dedicating some or even entire concerts to video game themes), sheet music for fans to play along, etc. On You Tube, for example, we can observe that VGM is not only directly linked to the video game industry anymore, but also maintains its own fascination. Give it a try by typing “Video Game Music” in the search field of your browser page. You will get countless hits of fans playing their favorite songs or just sharing the originals. What makes this comparatively new genre so special? I think its diversification. Because of the rapid hardware developments in the gaming industry the music had to match these ever changing standards. In fact we can reminisce of almost 30 years of video game music from 8-Bit sounds to prerecorded and digitally mastered orchestra scores. Nowadays, retro sounds are just as famous as special symphonic arrangements, because the time-difference just between the birth of the genre and now only sounds large. This is what makes Japan, the mother of the most successful gaming company on earth, the best place for such a trend. Many age groups and tastes are addressed. But what exactly made VGM so popular around the world? I think it simply reminds gamers of the feelings they have encountered while playing. In a sense it’s not only nostalgic. If you still frequently play games or have in the past, you can tell that a game wouldn’t feel complete without a proper soundtrack. Gaming is an interactive process and so is the music inside the game. The strength lies in its ability to convey meanings that are incommunicable via words (iii) Even the famous video game composer Tommy Tallarico reflects about VGM as an active experience and I think he is probably right, when he says:

"It's for this reason that I've always said that if Beethoven were alive today, he'd be a video game composer." [iv]

(Masses waiting in front of the Square Enix Music store)

Endnotes

[i] Volker Grassmuck defines "Otaku" as a shy and solitary person, who mono-manically tries to master his field of interest at any cost.

[ii] Shortcut for "Costume Play"

[iii] cf.: Vorderer, Peter/Bryant Jennings (2006): Playing video games: motives, responses, and consequences, p. 244.

[iv] The Evolution of Video Game Music

Neighborhood Hirakata

Why did I actually choose to spend my last academic year in Japan? The answer is pretty easy: I was looking forward to experiencing international campus life in a culture far away from home. Kansai Gaidai suits my expectations very well. The reason which drew my attention to this University was its extraordinary study abroad program, officially known as Asian Studies Program. It gives me the possibility to experience Japanese culture both inside and outside of the courses I’m participating in. Furthermore the university’s unique location helped fix my decision. Kansai Gaidai Daigaku [i] is located in Hirakata City, which is in between Kyoto, Nara (Japan’s ancient capitals) and Osaka (second largest metropolis of the country) [ii]. Hirakata holds approximately 410.000 citizens within a domain of about 65 km². The city is famous for the Yodo river and Komatsu Osaka plant. The official website characterizes Hirakata as a university city [iii]. The municipal heads are working on a system that fosters and maintains good relations between the universities, students, and the local population [iv].

(Library and Multimedia Hall of KGU, borrowed from the website of the Asian Studies Program)

(Sunset over Yodo river)

I live in a place called Katahoko, across the east gate of Kansai Gaidai. I haven’t had the chance yet to observe my neighborhood very often, because recently I have spent most of my time travelling through the country or staying on the campus. At first sight there is nothing special about this area. But what I have indeed recognized on my daily trips to Kansai Gaidai is a big difference between resident-interactions on main streets and back alleys. The people in the lanes know each other, frequently chat with each other intimately and try to help those who need it [v]. However, there is one place constituting not only a meeting point for the Katahoko inhabitants, but also for the international students: a little park next to the central library. It would be interesting to focus my attention towards the interactions between the seminar house [vi] residents and the inhabitants and how they get along with one another. I will comment on this topic once in a while, as soon as I observe something interesting.

(View over the central library and the park in Katahoko)

(Viewpoint from a bridge next to the park)

Endnotes

[i] Japanese for University of Kansai Gaidai
[ii] This triangle is also called Kansai area
[iii] There are six universities
[iv] cf.: University city Hirakata
[v] cf.: Bestor, Theodore C. (1989): Neighborhood Tokyo, p. 23
[vi] This is where most of the international students live.

Recommended Reading

How to survive in Hirakata (as an alien)

Welcome to the strange new world…

This is my first time visiting the land of the rising sun [i]. Before coming here I just had some basic background about Japanese culture. Trying to be part of the society without in-depth knowledge or language skills makes it difficult, if not hopeless. Nevertheless, after two weeks I’m ready to share some early impressions from a gaijin [ii] perspective.

 

For those who haven’t experienced Japan before, I will try to focus on two common topics. The pictures above were both taken at Kiyomizu-Dera [iii]. The first one is showing a Japanese woman wearing a kimono. This wasn’t a rare occasion. Still many people are used to getting dressed in this traditional way. Although Japan is one of the global economic players and in many respects westernized, traditions and customs are still taken very seriously. To give an example: the golden rule in terms of behavior is to take your shoes off before entering a house, but believe me, that isn’t as easy as it sounds [iv]...

The second picture shows a bunch of kids with yellow hats. The dress code plays an important role in Japanese society. The uniform’s significance tells us much about the person wearing it. In this case the “yellow hats” are pupils. One advantage is that none of them is likely to get lost, but moreover the yellow color connects them as a group. Japanese people learn from a young age that living in the country’s society is only possible inside a certain group. That is the simplified reason why Japan is still being characterized with group-ism [v], while the neo-liberalistic spirit of individualism has captured the rest of the industrial powers [vi]. Hence, you can only experience the “Real Japan”, if you interact within a “network”, and not just by observing it from the “outside” [vii].

A concluding recommendation for gaijins and also non-gaijins: go and visit Kiyomizu-Dera in the cherry blossoms (spring) or maple leaves (autumn) season.

Endnotes


[i] Also known as Nihon (jp.: 日本)
[ii] People who are obviously not from Japan
[iii] A Buddhist Temple in Kyoto
[iv] For further instructions please look through the recommended reading
[v] Doi, Takeo (2002): The Anatomy of Self: The Individual Versus Society, p. 55
[vi] Though recent works are detecting a trend to individualism within new generations; f.e.: Sugimoto (2003): An Introduction to Japanese Society
[vii] cf.: Bestor, Theodore C. (2003): Inquisitive Observation: Following Networks in Urban Fieldwork, p. 315


Recommended Reading

Japanese Etiquette