Carol In Japan

And in the end…

…I’ve come to love Japanese culture and the people that live here. I became a part of their lives here and I felt like an insider. When I first came to Japan, I felt like a tourist looking in on another culture, and it took a while for me to settle in. I was so excited to speak Japanese, to visit historical sites, and eat Japanese food. Now I’ve learned that there is more to do than that. I’ve experienced new things everyday and I’ve also learned to find my own routine. It was really nice to have met a lot of Japanese friends to show me around. Sometimes they would show us around new cities and sometimes they just took us out for a fun night at karaoke. Some of the most memorable stories happened out of regular Japanese activities like karaoke or barbecues. 

I really like this photo because it shows how much I’ve become a part of Japanese culture. If you look at all the people in the photo, the foreigners are scattered among the nihonjin, rather than separated or to the side. On that day, my friend Masahito invited me and my friends to a soccer circle barbecue party. I liked being outnumbered by nihonjin because it forces me to practice my Japanese as well as be a part of real Japanese life. All of the Japanese were so friendly and cooked us delicious barbecued meat until we were stuffed. When we get together with our speaking partners or other Japanese friends, it feels like they include us as one of them. Especially after learning more Japanese in my classes, I felt much more included than when I first arrived.

After a semester of my anthropology class, I found that it was really important to become close to the subjects of a picture and to participate in the culture that you’re observing. I remembered to keep my camera on me at all times, and I learned to slow down when taking photos. I think overall, my photos have gotten better because I take the time to set up a better shot and I’ve learned how to use editing tools on the computer. When I return home, I plan to use the photos and videos I have taken to encourage other students to study abroad as well. 

Hirakata Street Dancers

This semester, I had the opportunity to study street dance in Japan. I have gone many times to the station to observe dancers as they practice. Some of my friends who are street dancers take dancing very seriously. They eat, sleep, and breathe dance. I talked with some dancers about their lifestyle and how they came about street dancing. One of my friends told me that he started dancing when he moved out of his parents’ house after high school. Now he is a college student and dances a little on the side. I have mostly seen dancers at the station, but they have battles at clubs and they perform at events as well. There was an established group at Kansai Gaidai called Zero, but due to indecent behavior, they are not currently around. There are still small clubs that practice together.

In my studies, I looked at how dancers become a part of the culture and how they interact with each other on and off the dance floor. Dancers keep themselves in the circle by watching videos online, visiting websites, reading magazines, and practicing with their senpais. The senpai-kouhai relationship is very casual in a street dance setting. For example, they don’t use keigo and there is a lot of dissing involved. I have yet to see a battle, but I have heard many stories about battles. My friend was a first year college student and lost a battle against a middle school student. 

When I went to the station, I saw two guys practicing over in the corner. At the same time, three younger dancers were working on a routine (picture above) while their mothers (?) were watching them. Both groups started collecting a crowd, and eventually, more dancers joined in. At one time, there were over 10 dancers that created a dance circle. In the dance circle, each person takes a turn and practices a certain move. I noticed that some of them have specific moves to their own style. For example, the pictures below: 

(all photos taken with permission)

This dancer above practiced this move where his entire body rested on his one hand. He would jump around on his one hand and sometimes jump on his entire forearm. From then, he sometimes would go into a windmill where his body spins on the ground. The windmill is a common, yet difficult move, that most people think of when they hear “break dance”. 

Aside from practicing and dance life, I looked into what the surrounding city has to say about street dance. While the dancers are practicing in the station, police officers will walk through and just nod, and go on their way. It doesn’t seem to be a concern for them, unless the music is too loud. In this case, they just ask that they turn the music down. As for other members of society, some people gather around and watch while they wait for their bus. Others yell at them and call them a waste of space. I have seen really drunk old men yell at the dancers when they were minding their own business. I think that what they do takes an immense amount of dedication. The guys at the station have been dancing for years and practice for hours and hours each week. I hope to learn a few things about practicing and battles before I return home.

New vs Old Fashion Styles

Today in Japan, there are many different styles of clothing that change with the seasons. A lot of younger people have adopted a western style of dressing that follows America and Europe mostly. However, there are still older individuals who I have seen wearing traditional Japanese clothing like kimonos and yukatas. Even traditional clothing has different styles according to the season. 

When I went to the malls in the area and nearby towns, I noticed how obsessed Japanese people are with western cultures. They buy brand name items from the U.S. and wear western accessories and make up. My Japanese friend tells me that the styles here are much girlier than any other country and she likes it that way! Many styles are used almost as costumes to draw attention to crazy outfits. I have seen men wearing bright colored hoodies that reach down to their knees. One of the most popular styles today is shirts with “Engrish” written on them. I saw a shirt that said “Happiness is a warm puppy”. Here is a blog I found about shirts with incorrect English!

http://thehowesfamilyadventures.blogspot.com/2008/08/japanese-shirts.html

On the other hand, When Spring came about, I found a lot of older women and men walking around cities in yukatas. Yukata is a traditional Japanese dress worn mostly by women. It was originally used as a robe when going to a bath house. Some people didn’t remove the robe so their bodies never touched anything while in the bath. It was originally called a yukatabira when used only as a bathrobe, but when it was worn out, they shortened the name to yukata. 

Yukatas are traditionally cotton and dyed indigo, but now they come in many colors and designs. They are worn at bon-odori festivals (bon - specific type of dance for the dead) as well as a celebration for summer nights. I tried a yukata on at an event at Kansai Gaidai and got the opportunity to participate in bon-odori dances. There were many older women there to help us with the fitting and to teach us how to dance. 

I think it is really interesting that Japan still holds on to its traditional dress, especially in the summertime. I am looking forward to the graduation ceremony when we can wear beautiful yukatas, kimonos, etc. I plan to buy a yukata before returning home. I’ve also bought plenty of clothes already with “Engrish” and wild designs that a normal American wouldn’t wear. People will know I went to Japan!

Sources:

http://www.bonodori.net/E/sekai/bonabc3.HTML

http://www.hizen-ya.co.uk/index.php?n=Yukata.Yukata

Walk in a Philosopher’s Shoes

Walking along Philosopher’s Walk in Kyoto last week, I learned about the beauty of Japan. I have been told by so many Japanese friends that I’m lucky to study here in the Springtime when the Sakura flowers are blooming. We walked along the Biwa Canal that was built during the Meiji Period.

This location is one of the most famous paths to see the flowers in Kyoto. It was named after a philosopher who would walk along the canal to his university. It was amazing for me to walk around and observe others participating in the Hanami traditions. So many people, Japanese and foreign, were out looking at the flowers on a Wednesday afternoon. The walk itself was maybe 30 to 45 minutes, but with taking photos of flowers, the people and beautiful houses, it took us almost two hours! I have never seen such a beautiful place. On the walk, we stopped at a small table where an old woman was selling handmade Sakura gifts. 

I have participated in the Hanami tradition several times so far. I was told several traditions that involve photography, picnics, or just drinking! Companies sometimes go to Hanami for social gatherings outside of work. I went to a Hanami barbecue on the weekend and saw so many students and residents in the area. We enjoyed some drinks and walked around the park for a while. I like Hanami because the Spring colors are really beautiful. But soon, the cherry blossoms will fall and be replaced by leaves. So I can only enjoy it for so long. I hope to get out there again this weekend!

Sources:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3906.html

Leibovitz and Nachtwey

Coming from two different worlds of photography, Annie Leibovitz and James Nachtwey both capture the realities of other people in the world from famous celebrities to victims of war. Leibovitz, who worked for Rolling Stones magazine, captures the personality and intimacy of celebrities, including John Lennon, John Travolta, and Meryl Streep. She hopes her audience understands that celebrities have private lives and appreciate more than fame. On the other end of the spectrum, Nachtwey puts his own life in danger to take photos of nameless individuals struggling to survive in the middle of war. 

Nachtwey’s photo above conveys the true horror one might experience caught in the middle of war. He closes in on her face and the hand holding her face to capture her emotions. I think this is a good photo to use because it demonstrates connectedness between people. Nachtwey said that you need to create a connection to take photos of them while they are grieving, otherwise, it is unethical. 

Leibovitz also talks about being close with the subjects. She devoted a lot of time to traveling with the Rolling Stones and also taking photos of her family. Being on the road with the Rolling Stones gave her an opportunity to connect with people in order to accurately depict their personalities in her photos. Many of her photos were on the cover of Rolling Stones magazine, as well as Vanity Fair magazine.

The photo of Zooey Deschanel was on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine. Leibovitz hopes that her photographs of celebrities show the personality of each person. In some of her work, much editing was used to enhance or alter the photos. For example, Whoopi Goldberg as a genie.

Leibovitz altered most of the photo to depict Whoopi Goldberg as a genie. This photo was used for Disney because of the movie Aladdin. On the other hand, James Nachtwey did not do much editing, but just a little alteration to enhance the photograph. Both styles of photography are interesting because of how they capture their subject. Leibovitz may go a little wild with colors and symbolism while Nachtwey tries to demonstrate harsh reality as it is seen. 

Sources:

This is my Japanese friend Hide. Today he is feeling まあまあ which he describes as somewhat genki and somewhat tired. He works a part-time job making sushi. He also takes care of his four little sisters, ages 17, 15, 13, and 12 and his grandmother. When he has free time, he likes watching movies, listening to music, and reading magazines. His favorite movie is Lord of the Rings. He also likes talking to his friends, both Japanese and foreign. He has studied English for seven years. I think he speaks English very well!!! He does not like his hometown because it is in the countryside and too boring. I met Hide through the speaking partner program. He likes taking us foreigners around Japan. This weekend we’re going to Tennouji. He is very social and likes to help people with Japanese homework (like me). I took the pictures of him in the CIE lounge because we mostly like to meet during the weekdays on campus.

This is Hide’s weird face. His friend said he looks like a gorilla here. He says its an old man face. When we hang out in the CIE lounge, he always laughs at me because of my disastrous nihongo. Thankfully, he speaks enough English to help me! He thinks very carefully about speaking English. He likes to play sports with his friends like basketball, handball, and soccer. He sometimes likes to go out and shop, and dine. His favorite food is everything, including natto…. He likes yakiniku restaurants the most. After he finishes school, he is not sure what he wants to do, but he wants to speak English in whatever job he decides. In high school, he wanted to be a teacher, but not anymore, although he loves kids. He wants to study abroad in Australia next semester! 

Hirakata Life

Hirakata-shi has no similarities to life back home in New York. Although both seem quite suburban (near the seminar houses), the atmosphere is completely different. I notice many contrasts within the city life, for example, people you encounter on the street seem to have an agenda or place to be, but seem genki and willing to interact with others. While taking a walk through the park near Seminar House 4, a woman’s tiny dog walked into one of my photos. She laughed and said “Gomen, gomen, gomen” several times. She looked interested in what we were doing, but took hold of her dog and continued on her walk. I also noticed that although the Japanese society is much quieter than busy New York life, you experience a lot of loudness by the trains and cars and people walking around the station.

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