Expectations

Recently I've spent some days in Beijing (China) and was completely surprised by the lack of similarities with Japan [i]. Of course I was prepared for the obvious differences but I didn’t expect an almost completely arbitrary social world. I was influenced by a typical misassumption. As soon as my expectancies have been disconfirmed I remembered myself to never underestimate the vast diversity of our world [ii]. People in general are used to stereotyped categorizations like ‘Asians’ and ‘Europeans’. The more you travel through this world the more you will learn about the absurdity of race-classifications.

China is also a more collectivistic society but not at all comparable with the Japanese value-based psychology. As far I as I can tell now, Chinese people are In comparison to Japan more direct and touchy. My unofficial Beijing guide for instance often grabbed my hand in order to show me the right way or not to get lost. On the other hand approximation between two strangers isn’t likely to happen in Japan. As an example for directness I have a little anecdote about the use of chopsticks. I can use the latter pretty well but I have not the right technique. In Japan I have heard several times the phrase “You are so good at using chopsticks”; in China however, the first comment I have witnessed was “You use your chopsticks wrong”.

I guess my surprise was influenced by my life in Japan. I have got really accustomed to the Japanese politeness; hence Chinese directness felt rude in the first place [iii]. Yet both countries are equally hospitable. In the service industries the costumer is king [iv]. Though in Japan this notion is taken as vital. Especially in restaurants I really feel like a king. Still, I merely encountered politeness through rituals, phrases, and undivided attention. After getting used to hearing typical phrases over and over again I couldn’t distinguish between shallow politeness and honest kindness any longer.

(Gladly there are exceptions: In the southern parts of Japan I truly enjoyed my Izakaya-visits. Foto-copyright by D.Winkler)

Endnotes:

[i] Maybe my experience is not that authentic because I only have been to Beijing. As most metropolitan cities Beijing has its own culture and lifestyle. I experienced this also in Tokyo. The capital only slightly reflects Japanese society as a whole.
 

[ii] Not even to mention the many regional differences.
 

[iii] In Japan people maintain a social face (tatemae) and rather hide their true feelings/opinions (honne) in most public settings. This distinction is not so observable in China.

[iv] I guess that is universal (etic) but how costumers are treated varies culturally (emic). In Japan I even heard the phrase ‘Costumer is the most important thing’. Although I’m not fond of the formulation ‘thing’ I can comprehend it in this context.

Mamonaku…

The Japanese train system is one of the most renowned on planet earth. I can truly approve that it lives up to its reputation. The rail-net is immense and the amount of trains in operation likewise. There are more possibilities to get from point A to B than in most other countries with an acclaimed public transport system. Travelling by train in Japan is simply convenient. This is why I had the strangest encounters inside of trains. It’s fascinating to observe several people with different intentions commuting together in one small wagon. If you take for instance the first subway in the morning departing from Shinsaibashi, you will meet people who are heading to work while others have just returned from clubbing.

(An empty train: A very rare sight in Japan)

The most notable characteristic for Japanese trains are their punctuality. Many businessmen and office-workers rather commute by train because they are fond of the fact that trains are always on time. In fact, the use of trains has become so intensively part of Japan’s work life that it influenced the culture’s sense of time. In this regard commitment to punctuality has also its downside. The pressure of being punctual once led a young train conductor to take risks which could have been avoided if Japanese society would value time differently. For trains even delays of two minutes are unlikely. Knowing this the train conductor tried to catch up and missed to slowdown before a crucial curve. Eventually he and several passengers died.

Thank goodness this was an exception, and hopefully it has changed society’s mindset a bit. We are no machines, human failure is natural. Of course it’s important to take one’s duties serious but what’s the meaning of time and punctuality if life can be over in one second? The phrase ‘safety first’ sounds a bit old-fashioned but it’s certainly a good life-lesson if you consider the consequences of taking life-threatening risks for the sake of punctuality.

Sakura Sakura

In my first post I’ve recommended to visit Kiyomizu-dera during spring and autumn. As one of the most famous places in Kyoto it is often very crowded, especially during hanami (Cherry blossom viewing) and momijigari (maple leaves viewing). In September this didn’t bother me so much. After arriving in Japan I was satisfied with seeing many places which are characteristic for the county’s history. Back then I felt more like a tourist who has the eager desire to see all the well-known places in the Kansai region. However, after I’ve inured myself to the fact that I’m a temporary-resident, my natural instinct of avoiding crammed places returned. The Kansai region has so much more magical and sometimes even ‘unspoiled’ places to offer. Hence, Kiyomizu-dera is not the only place worth a visit during sakura- and maple leaf time. Here are some impressions of Japan’s changing leaves and its sheer beauty.

Info: The post’s title is referring to a traditional Japanese folksong. Here you find a modern interpretation of Sakura Sakura by ukulele-prodigy Jake Shimabukuro.

“Oishii desu ne”

If you ever informed yourself about Japan’s demographics you will probably have read that the country has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world. After living there for several months I really wonder how this is possible in a society where the majority still follows the philosophy “live to work”. An average company employee ends his life with several hundred days of commuting (Tsuukin), overtime work (Zangyou), afterwork obligations (Tsukiai-Zangyou) [i] and family matters; and all this combined with lack of sleep, as well as physical burnout and psychological stress. The later is actually one of the main factors harming one’s lifespan. So, I’m asking again: how can an intense working society lead the oldest-population rankings? Apart from a well working national health care system and the country’s affinity to wellness and harmony, I experienced the effects of one – and probably the most important – factor by myself: traditional food. 

(This is one of the common dishes you get in a Japanese fast food restaurant. Picture-copyright belongs to Nosfelix.)


When I came back to Austria I was insanely happy to consume all the food I couldn't get in Japan. Unfortunately I ended up having severe stomach problems afterwards. Maybe that was the object lesson for committing the sin of gluttony. However, when I came back to Japan I iterated this "sinful process" with my favorite Japanese dishes without painful consequences. Hence the deadly sins provoke no effect in Japan [ii]. No, now seriously, I guess my stomach got totally accustomed to the easily digestible Japanese food. Japan’s traditional eating culture is in general very balanced and healthy. Even most fast food places can’t be compared to other countries when it comes to quality. In Austria especially children use to say “everything that looks healthy doesn’t taste good”. Of course taste varies from person to person, but I really enjoy the healthy and – at the same time – tasteful dishes here [iii]. Now it also makes sense to me why “Oishii” (delicious) is one of the most frequently used words in Japan…

Endnotes:

[i] This term is especially referring to the consumption of afterwork-entertainment with colleagues.

[ii] Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins in catechism.

[iii] I’m by no means saying that there is no healthy food in Austria. In Japan it’s just more usual to use healthy ingredients without the addition of flavor enhancers.

References: 

The statistics I’m referring to can be found here.

There and back again

It has been a while since my last post. Between my return to Hirakata and now I experienced a lot. I didn't have time to keep on track because of my travels and other circumstances. But now that I have time I will share my experiences again with anybody who is interested in Japan and its cultural uniqueness.

This time however I will emphasize more on actual blogging-characteristics. Until the end of May I will continuously post short entries about my personal observations and intercultural experiences throughout this year’s spring time.

What else is new? Well, I moved out of the Dormitory into a rented flat and I got officially registered for the J.T.T.A. Student League. I also changed the blog’s default design in order to visualize the pictures’ contrast and colors more effectively.