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Trippy Traveller - July 2008

Things That Define Japan for Me Part 1

July 15th 2008 07:23
Japanese schoolgirls
The new consummers and those being consummed
Well being a straight man, you can’t help but notice the ‘sluttish looking school girls’ Sorry to start off with a sexist comment, but these adolescent girls seem to willingly make themselves sexual objects with their incredibly short skirts, dyed hair, make up and wicked mercenary look in their eyes. No need to dwell on this subject but it is a phenomenon that says a lot about a society that prides itself on looking after its old people and having strong family values; and yet has the biggest porn industry in Asia and makes a fetish out of underage school girls in manga; that many girls willingly adopt. Is this female sexuality asserting itself in a male dominated society or exploitation?


Power lines gone crazy
Look up people!
The next thing that defines the land of the raising sun for me is overhead power and phone lines. Of course other countries have them but whereas Europe and America realized 15 years ago that they uglify the urban sky line and are potentially hazardous, Japanese authorities and Japanese people in general seem oblivious to the tangled mess just above their heads. I visited an area in Kyoto where they buried the lines and the difference was immense. The area felt calm and uncluttered (the true Japanese aesthetic). The irony of this situation being (as pointed out in Dogs & Demons) that in the last big earthquake in Japan (Kobe) the power lines fell and made the streets dangerous to walk. Sadly the ministry of whatever has given a lucrative monopoly to a company making concrete posts and to make sure the people don’t opt out they insist people give up their land for free if they want their lines buried. This example for me defines how corruption works in Japan and how the everyman closes his eyes.


Hobby World
Trivia to the enth degree
On a less serious note, what has always struck me about Japan is the amount of hobbyists there are and what a massive industry it is. Flower arranging; cooking; learning English, French, Italian, Korean, Chinese; DJing; golf; racing remote controlled cars; break dancing; ballroom dancing; salsa dancing; tea ceremony; collecting phone cards and badges of idols the list just goes on. Defined by its lack of practical purpose the hobby is massively popular. Why on earth study Italian when you will probably (if you are lucky) visit Italy once for 5 days (if you are lucky) and the chances of running into an Italian in your Japanese neighbourhood are slim? Having been an English teacher in Japan I shouldn’t knock it but what is the point? Especially on a Saturday morning – leave us poor foreigners alone and let us sleep off Friday night. Strangely enough if you are too much of a hobbyist in Japan you get branded as ‘otaku’ yet these obsessives are just taking the hobby mentality to its logical conclusion – if you like reading cartoons so much why not dress up as one at the weekend?

Paddy field
Spots of beauty
My next topic I like to call ‘spots of beauty’. Just as Wordsworth had mysterious moments of communing with the essence of nature so Japan’s utilitarian and uninspiring cityscapes are suddenly and surprisingly transformed into moments of lyricism that resonate within. These moments happen often most unexpectedly - such as finding a shady Shinto shrine in a factory car park; or experiencing the cooling green of a ripening paddy field next to a road; or visiting a cluttered and badly designed house only to hap upon the pure space and serenity of a room bare except for a low table and tatami mats on the floor.

My final topic for this first installment of what Japan means to me is an old chestnut that is often trotted out by native and visitor alike; and yet remains very true and remarkable. And it is simply the lack of petty theft there is. Things do get stolen but far less frequently. Bikes are left unlocked and remain untouched in the city centre for days or even weeks. If you leave something on a train it’ll be returned. If you get drunk and drop your wallet on the street, the next morning someone will phone you up or ring your door bell in order to return your wallet. Everybody who stays here for a while has a story like this. And interestingly enough it’s not because nobody is poor and it’s certainly not because of heavy penalties for being caught (no 3 strikes and death row in Japan).
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2 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Dianna G

July 15th 2008 08:40


I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
*Really really wants to teach English in Japan someday*

This is fascinating. I love Japan.

Comment by Anonymous

July 24th 2008 09:02
John,
Great stuff. How was the Thai / Japan transition?
Reading this, I'm torn between missing Japan and being glad to be out! It's so true about the hobbies, and although I sympathise completely with your need for some well-deserved shut eye on Sat mornin, I'd argue that learning a language is never a waste... get's the brain juices working
Keep on postin' and I'll keep on readin'
Anita

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