Last Blog Entry 10-2

Times I shared with my best buddy during my stay in Japan,
from exciting adventures to painful memories..

Last Blog Entry 10-1

my place in the world..

first pic taken in Daiso on an adventure to discover a variety of items that are only 100 yen
second one taken in Kobe, which is one of my favourite places (out of where I've been) in Kansai

Blog Entry 10- 紅葉

Around this time of the year, some Japanese people go out into the nature to see leaves changing the color and enjoy being one with the nature. On the last public holiday before this semester is over, a Japanese family and I went to Mt. Rokko, Kobe. And we played with sheeps, goats and horses in the farm that was located on the mountain. It was great fun.
There were a lot of hikers enjoying nice sceneries and good weather. Japan, where four seasons are quite distinctive, offers us unique experiences with the nature and the people!

Blog Entry 9- seeing through the reality- CHILDREN!

At Nagao Kindergarden, 13th Nov..

These nursery school kids all have different looks, thoughts, behavior and reaction to the camera! I really appreciate these kinds of opportunities that allow me to see and be with Japanese people from all different age groups. Certainly they offer me different experiences and lessons within the same culture.

Earlier this semester, I have written and posted pics that were similar to this, relating to my first encounter with kindergarden and kids. I like kids in general, but especially I love getting them in my photographs because they are see-through, not to mention in the photos but even in reality. However I was able to find significant changes in the pics throughout the course of the time. Despite of my personal attachment to some kids and of the differences in places and times, I had those kids right in front of my camera this time, giving away a sense of being and sharing the moment together at that time by this action of photographing them. Each presented me with different, (but realistic in all) poses and expressions, whether the pics were taken noticed or not.

p.s I was not able to ask their parents if it was ok for me to use these pics of their children for my blog, but I guess as soon as this project is over, I might have to delete them and it might be ok this way..?! gomenasai!!

Blog Essay- Japan Religiously Revised

http://wittstudent.blogspot.com/2007/11/religion.html

Japan, with both Shinto and Buddhism as national religions appears to be a very peaceful country to foreigners, if not all, at least in the religious facet of the country. As a matter of the fact, the tolerance of Shinto and Buddhism allows Japanese to accept and adopt various beliefs, gods and lifestyles from all over the world. We hear about (and even watched in class too) true life stories of the Japanese people in general who visit shrines once or twice a year to practice Shinto, have a western Christian-style wedding at church and end their lives in a Buddhist funeral.
However regardless of the flexibility of religions that this country proudly offers, a lot of people, young generation in particular, are not religious at all and rather indifferent towards different beliefs and practices. They are simply not interested in religions, which, as a result, caused a lack of knowledge and shallow performance of even one certain religion. Maybe it's this ignorance of the people, rather than co-operation of different religions that has brought what seems to be peace and harmony.
Furthermore, in the West, where having a faith is as important as having a thought, religions can be very political and therefore can be used as a means of achieving and managing power. Whereas in the East, religions seem to be more emotionally and spiritually involved within people's lives. In this regard, imposing certain belief on someone can also include some kind of power and control, possible to create an argument amongst individuals in the western socities. However due to the nature of religion that the belief is pychologically influential, it is regarded as a sensitive topic, especially to the people in the collectivistic Japanese soceity. Consequently it is reasonable to guess that it is shaped into such a way that different religions were organized to harmonize with each other from a social and cultural aspect of Japan.

Another point of my argument lies on the question whether it is possible at all to have all the different religions living in peace with each other. Japan also did have a history of oppressing and conflicting with new foreign religions, including Christianity. Even now, the population of Christianity remains surprisingly low, suggesting the influence of the past still lingers on until thesedays. It seems more accurate to say that Shinto and Buddhism are open and accepting only mainly towards each other as the values of each one correspond with the other and with the Japanese society.

Blog Entry 8- Re-japanization of Westernization (Americanization!!)

Actaully the Japan's unique way of readjusting foreign cultures to suit their interests and tastes is visible everywhere, not just in Kyoto.

These pics were taken in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture. The area was indeed a very interesting place and I'd say it was a good example of Re-japanization of westernization. I'm not sure whether they were reconstructed or natural, but the streets and some stores were somewhat artificially traditional Japanese (at least not in a way Kyoto is!) There was a quite famous orgel museum where a variety of orgels was on display and for sale to attract visitors. The orgels aka music boxes were originally from Europe but they finally re-japanized the orgel too! I mean, look at the orgels with ornaments that are Japanese dolls in Kimono!!

Blog Entry 8- Re-japanization of Westernization (Americanization!!)

Somewhere in Kyoto..

I strongly disagree with some assertion that Japan is losing its traditional values and things that seem Japanese, due to the westernization, more specifically Americanization. The truth is that Japan is a very smart country. It has accepted what's useful and neccessary from western cultures and with its unique ways, they have been interpretd and re-presented to suit Japanese culture and the people.
A question,, isn't it ironic to make such a big deal out of the influence of western cultures, which supposedly caused changes in the original Japanese characterics, while in America, such a variety of different cultures and races is just considered as 'diversity'. What is, then, traditional American culture?
McDonald's? KFC? Cowboys???

Blog Entry 7-Halloween for Japan

Halloween, for some people, it provides an excuse to become a character, person, ghost, something that they have secretly admired. For others, it's the day to store up yearly amount of candies and chocolate for free. I guess Halloween has more meanings to some people than some others.
In Japan, where the Halloween as a festival is quite a recent influx along with other western influences, some choose to go with the flow and some remain the way they have always been OR actually still enjoy the festival as a spectator.
Anyway at school, it was Halloween! Thanks to the majority of Americans, (let's not forget that Halloween is only mainly celebrated in North America!!) we all got to enjoy looking at interesting outfits and taking heaps of pictures of them. I heard some complaints from the people who dressed-up, about how tiring it was to be a model for the entire day for Japanese picture takers, but what do you expect?! You (and myself of course) always take pictures of them, let them take pictures of you too!!

p.s I added some pics that I took that day, since Halloween is foreign for me too, i enjoyed being a spectator just like some other Japanese did!!

Blog Entry 6- re-presentation of reality

Another blog entry plus mid term exam for this week!! In other words, I had no pictures taken for my blog, until tonight!

While I was having dinner in the dining area in SH 4 this evening, a bunch of SH 4 residents and a group of people from school including a photographer came in for photo shooting. Those students being picutred volunteered to this event apparently prior to the actual time of occurrence so they were prepared for the photos (not necessarily as in their appearance only). The photographer and two other people started to direct the students (or shall i call them models?!) and arrange the setting the way they have pictured already in their mind or maybe even drawn out.
For me, it was a surprise but a good entertainment! And all of sudden I could remember (more clearly than in class today!) some parts of the reading material, esp where pro-filimic and filmic were defined- representing the reality and re-presentation of reality. Definitely how professional photography is operated in reality to record the reality can be seen as re-presentation of reality with the selection and pre-arrangement conducted by the photographer. However just as Cassie who was sitting beside me mentioned, which left me feeling skeptical about this concept of portraying reality through images, wouldn't it be more true and realistic if they came in unannounced and unnoticed and take pictures of our unpretentious normal daily life?

p.s the second pic of the coke-bottle and a cup that were borrowed and used by the picture takers for a few mins
and the owner of these props, cassie is just for the sake of our REALity of studying 一所懸命 for the mid-terms!

Blog Entry 5- 運動会

In Japan, Sept and Oct are not just the months of cool weather and colourful scenery, but they also mean months of strengthening their bodies throughout atheletic carnivals. Elementary schools get into an atheletic mode as soon as the summer vacation is over and kids start preparing for different events that will be shown to their parents and visitors. As well as youngsters, some residential regions get together and have such atheletic carnival for all the residents in order to instigate harmony within the neighberhood on top of the physical benefit. The pictures I was able to take were from the regional atheletic carnival that were held at an elementary school nearby the seminar houses of KG (I do not remember the name of the school, sorry!)

The most interesting thing to this festival that seems quite ordinary to those who would imagine running, huddling, jumping
and etc, is that they go beyond these basic atheletic events! Of course, the relay running was the highlight of the carnival, which was at the end of the whole day of carnival. However from 9am, they had something for everyone (even for me!) to have a good time all together. Some ran, some popped ballons with their bottom and some threw little bean-filled balls into a basket. People were divided into 5 teams according to the area they live in and each participated in various events with a team spirit and cheered (almost yelled!) for their own team to put more and more effort, regardless of the age, sex or nationality (in my case). At the end of the carnival, I realized how many new local people from elementary school kids (asking me in doubt if I was really a foreigner) to housewives I've gotten to know a little and how absorbed I was in their culture!

Blog Essay- a piece of naked truth of the naked sign language lessons?

http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html
(I cannot link this site for some odd reason!!)
This world that I happen to live in, seems to be getting more and more impossible and not appearing interesting enough to some, unless there is a beautifully naked woman on the scene, serving a dish of sushi in a popular japanese restaurant (check out this news http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_308175057.html) or in this case, giving a sign language lesson!
My first response to the post, 'Naked Sign Language News in Japan', created by Prof. Steven Fedorowicz was rather a sense of surprise than disgust at the fact that nudity is in fact everywhere, even in a society that is relatively considered as a minority. When I say this, let me clarify that my surprise of this naked sign language lessons was not due to any kind of expectation as to the nudity in a minority group like deaf people is not acceptable or a way out of the ordinary. The nudity is an unusual concept for any other groups within the society. Surely there are many aesthetic views to the nudity and of course, pornography. It can be definitely seen as deaf people taking an interesting angle towards their means of communication in a form of nude. Furthermore if such a lesson is a result of their (deaf people) effort to insinuate into the society that this minority group of people are, in fact, no less than any other healthy people who would portray themselves in or expose freely to the nudity. However I found it quite dubious whether it is an effective way to attract people's attention on the deaf society. I guess this matter lies on the question, who the target audience is that this naked sign language lesson aimed to be presented to. Followed by, there is a bunch of questions waiting to be answered if it was aimed for non-deaf people,supposedly wanting to learn the sign language or perhaps just interested in some pornographical effect. Why on earth would they choose this particular method to pursue their goal? No doubt there are a lot of other effective sources in a case to study the language and surely there will be more than plenty of pornography out there on the internet! In this aspect, the purpose of this particualr concept of teaching the sign language is too vague and somewhat strange to say these lessons are effective in order to bring people's awareness into the deaf society.

Blog Entry 4- varieties of indulgence

I was looking through a bunch of old pics that i've taken during the summer and this one, taken at the Kansai International Airport at a small exhibition of some sort caught my attention, recalling my moment of amazement at my friend's collection of all the different kitkats in Japan. So far I've seen (and tasted some!) mattcha, strawberry, banana, kiwi, orange, lemon, azuki, cherry, melon and tsukimidango (special edition for the full moon day) flavour kitkats in Japan. I was once again surprised to see this kind of varieties of flavours in a lot of other products, esp confectionaries.

Another interesting point that I noticed is the uniqueness of these items. Take a look at these Prez or go to supermarket and search for the unusual flavour snacks. (Oh, btw I think supermarket is a very good place to kengaku suru as well as to shop!)

I don't think I will ever find snacks such as tarako flavour prez or kurogoma (black sesame) flavour ice-cream (you can try this at kg cafeteria!) anywhere in the world, but in Japan! Well I guess this is definitely another factor out of many that I will be missing Japan very much after I go back home!! So let's enjoy while we are here, right?!

Blog Entry 4- the Apartment Residents

Regarding the fact that Japan is not such a large country, before coming to Japan, I somehow imagined a lot of tall apartment buildings at residential districts like the ones in Korea where it is so common to live in a 15 or more storeys apartment. However the reality was that, even if the houses are typically せまい, it is more likely that people live in a two or three storeys houses rather than apartments!! Anyway this was another case of a collusion of cultural assumptions that I've formed in past.

Another interesting thing about apartments in Japan is that they are called マンション!!
It is no wonder how we, 外国人, cannot hide the mixed expression of surprise and admiration when we first hear Japanese casually mention the mansion as just another form of a living place. Doesn't this country (I'm sure any other countries in this big big world do too!) offers something interesting and funny everyday for us, foreigners!!

Blog Entry 3- Keita

This little boy, named Keita is the most energetic and cheerful one, racing around the small church building and dashing into people randomly. Sometimes he gets a little too high, ending up hitting his sister or little brother and throwing things around, but in general, he's got the sweetest smile and a caring heart.

With three shorter fingers he kindly posed a big V for me.
Thanks to Keita!

Blog Entry 3- peeeeeeeeeeaaaaace!

these precious little souls surely know how to spread peace around the place!! (and to pose for my camera! haha)

Lukas, Yumi, Manami, Shiyori and Keita (from left to right)
one sunday afternoon at Hirakata church

Blog Entry 2- 敬老の日

'Respect for the Aged Day' is what today really meant.
However not today, but a day earlier, I was invited to join some of the people from church where I currently belong to, to go and sing for the aged (and mentally challenged) people living at a lodging home. The place was so close that it didnt feel like it took us even 5 mins!



We sang 2 songs called ’主が私の手を’ and ‘すばらしいものは’ from the Hymn. Some joined us by singing along. Not only the seniors but we, singers also were very happy just to be there.



hands in hands, showing respect and love.

it is one kind of a public holiday that is very unique, in a sense that there is no such a thing in almost all of western countries as to have a set day to show some kind of respect to the elders in the society. Surely it wasn't just another holiday, but a meaningful and graceful one!

Blog Entry 1- what are you doing?

During this summer, despite of the typical Japanese summer weather- hot &humid- which supposedly gets worse in Hirakata, I was granted opportunities to experience the real Japanese community. My decision to stay and enjoy Japan for 3mths without any interference of school work has proven to be a success throughout many valuable lessons and fun times I achieved.

Out of thousands of pics I was able to take during this certain period, this pic is one of the many that kept my eyes as well as mind captivated for some odd reason. It was the day of a bazzar at a local kindergarden where parents of the kids or volunteer workers gathered with items of their own. However after the bazzar I got a glimpse of the kindergarden and there I found this little boy appearing somewhat hesistant to get into the classroom. Or maybe he's just observing what's going on inside or maybe... I guess my guesses will be endless.

Blog Entry1- through a glass window

'participant observation'
When i first came across these two words in the reading material, the cooperative intepretation of their intended meaning appeared beyond my understanding, beyond me! Simply, it just didn't 'click' or make enough sense to apply to my own experiences. Although i surely was aware of the meaning of each word, not because i'm an Eng major (which incidentally and ashamedly admit to being) but they are just relatively easy English words that a girl who, in fact, has not been speaking Eng for her whole life can understand. However I still didn't get the implication! To me, the matter regarded either being a participant OR observer.


Attempting to capture as many pics as I possibly could (both at major events or random activities like any 'innocent foreigner' would) I guess I've always seen myself as the observer, with my camera as a tool and identity, 'alien' (although i do not look alien enough!) as a justification for doing so. Through this course of action, i saw myself become distanced and unable to be the 'participant' of most of those activities & events- but just to observe the certain occurrence (whether intended or not). So in addition, these two words that seemed to me, not acting as each other's polarities, didn't quite add up as far as my comprehension goes. Interestingly after a while of, what I would call 'serious pondering time' (and fiddling with my camera on the train), I accidently discover a pic that helped finally make the 'click' happen.
What I saw was myself, always looking at everything through a glass window until now! It wasn't the camera lens that 'separated' me and the particular object or event in the observation, but rather the glass of the window. There, i was faced with my own image reflection- a foreigner, which, as i thought until that point, compliments the term 'observer' in their attributes, leading to my own misconception! Perhaps I was allowed to see from my reflection how i have been partially 'engaged' in the events or activities that considered me as just a foreigner.

Unbelievable to think about now, in exploring japanese culture and society through my pics, how I possessed this almost invisible notion of KNOWING.
After all I'm glad to have realized this.. it may just be the start of something new!