I Uploaded My Pictures

I finally loaded the pictures onto my computer from my camera, so I now have the pictures of everything that I did in Japan ever since the Kansai Gaidai graduation ceremony, as well as all the pictures I've taken since I got back (not that many, and mostly of my cats). Here is a sampling, for your viewing pleasure.

Evidently I will not be writing more about my travels as promised earlier, but at any rate I hope that you enjoyed reading my blog as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for reading everyone!



Giant religious figurines outside of Tokyo


Posing with Sumo cartoons outside of the sumo ring in Tokyo. (Unfortunately I didn't get to see any matches.)


Fish guts early in the morning at the Tsukiji Fish Market


26 ice cream flavors available in Asakusa. They have basic flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, as well as the (awesome) typical Japanese flavors like green tea and black sesame. Then there are the mysterious ones like "Ogura, Hokkaido" (what is that??) and "A white peach" (not just white peach!), and then the flavors you'd really never see in America, including tofu, marron (chestnut), almond jelly, and sweet potato. I wish I had tried the tofu flavor, but I went for the black sesame (SO GOOD).


And finally, my cat looking cute. Beat that, Maru!

I'm Still Alive

Woops, so much for updating once I got home! I am still alive and well, just lazy. Now that I've gotten back to America, I think the culture shock was not too bad, but I really miss Japan and its trains. It is definitely good to be back, though. The foods, and the familiar faces and places are so comforting. But, I still haven't taken my last pictures from Japan off of my camera onto my computer...

Anyway, please check in every once in awhile--I promise the posts are still coming, one of these days!

Coming Home Again

My flight back to the US is tomorrow afternoon at a little past 5. It is hard to believe that it is already time to leave, after making this area my home for the past several months. I have come a long way since this post, and it's funny to look back at what I wrote back then and see how many of my expectations came true and how many were turned on their heads. I'm really glad I got the opportunity to live here for so long because I think I've grown a lot as a person, and I definitely have gotten to understand Japan a lot better (and I also now know how little I really know).

Hopefully everything will go smoothly on my way back, and I'll post when I'm home! I still have a lot of travels that I haven't written about yet, so expect a few more posts over the next several weeks, as well as reflections on my time in Japan and on going home. Until then, thanks for reading! :)

Pachinko!

Gambling is illegal in Japan, but that doesn't stop people from doing it. The most common form of gambling is with pachinko, a game kind of like pinball, minus the skill. Pachinko parlors are common throughout Japan, and usually have rows and rows of little machines with a stool in front of each, and are particularly notable for their constant roar of noise and flashing lights. It seems that most people in pachinko parlors are middle-aged housewives and salary men, although people of all age (provided they are over 18) take part. Pachinko parlors maintain their legality by returning paying out with prizes instead of actual money, and then there buyback stores next to the parlor where you can sell your prize for around 80-90% of its actual value. I believe prizes are usually things like small snacks, letter openers, cigarettes, etc.

I had seen pachinko parlors all over the place but had not dared to venture into one because of the din that erupted from the building anytime someone went out the door. Also, if you know me, you may know how little interest I have in gambling, especially in games like that--if I wanted to get rid of money, I'm sure I could find a slower and more fun way of doing it, like burning it or cutting it up with scissors or something. Quoth Wilson Mizner, gambling is the sure way of getting nothing from something. Anyway, I thought I'd try tossing out a thousand yen (around $10) to see what pachinko is like, because at least I'd gain the experience.



The pachinko parlor that I went into

A couple of weeks ago I went into a pachinko parlor in Hirakata City, and in spite of initially being somewhat taken aback by the blast of noise in spite of the earplugs I had bought in preparation, I forged ahead. There are a few different kinds of pachinko machines, all with different odds, but I didn't really know what to look for, and anyway it was hard just to find an empty machine. The one I sat down at had a screen in the background, and in front of it was a case that had several prongs in it and a few openings for balls to go into. I put my thousand yen bill into the machine, and it immediately dispensed hundreds of little silver balls (a little smaller than a marble) into a feeder that went straight back into the machine. That way, it could take them one by one without my having to feed them in every time.

The next step was the only place where I actually had any control over anything, and that was to turn a little lever to make the balls fly into the machine. If you turn the lever too far, the ball will just shoot straight past any of the openings that allow you to win anything, and if you don't turn it far enough, it will not make it out of the chute (although I think you get the ball back if that happens). Later I discovered that you can just hold the lever in place, and the machine will constantly shoot the balls out of the chute with the strength that you have in place. If any ball makes it into one of the 2 top openings, I think you get 3 or 4 balls as a prize, and then if little cartoon characters jumped out on the screen, you could press a button and then a wheel (like in a slot machine) popped up. I imagine that if you get the right combination of pictures from the slots then the machine will pay out, but I was not conscious of actually winning anything from that.

It was a little embarrassing because I had a hard time with figuring out what to do, and the people at the machines next to me, and eventually one of the parlor attendants, kept trying to help me and give me tips along the way. I played until I had no more of the I still didn't really know what I was doing by the end, but I was left with a vague feeling of confusion and lack of fulfillment.

I saw some people at the parlor with huge baskets full of the balls behind their chairs, and periodically the parlor attendants came by to check on them and count the balls by pouring them into a machine. I'm not sure how they came to win so much. Some people are real pachinko enthusiasts, and they even have periodic magazines that talk about what machines give the best odds and how to take advantage of them.

Since pachinko is obviously a form of gambling, police keep a close eye on them, but they don't seem to have a problem with leaving them alone as long as they aren't too blatant. I heard that the buyback stores are sometimes run by yakuza, or Japanese gangsters, which adds an element of sketchiness to the whole establishment, but a lot of people participate so I guess it's not too bad.

The whole experience did not convince me of why anyone would ever want to play such a game. I mean, if you want to gamble, why not at least play a game where you have control over the outcome, like with cards? I lost my thousand yen over a course of about 15 minutes, which probably would have been faster if I had known what I was doing from the start, but even in that short period of time, I think I probably would have gone partially deaf if not for the earplugs. But then, I suppose that when people are stuck with repetitive office jobs or in the house for the rest of their adult lives, it helps to be able to hope in something, even if it just lies in the path of a little tumbling ball.

Leaving Soon

I'll be leaving Japan in just 2 and a half more days--this is hard to believe! I am excited to go home, but as I get closer and closer to the day (Wednesday, June 2), I am feeling kind of nervous. Japan is so nice and clean, and everyone is so polite, that I am worried it will be a nasty shock when I get home. Also, I feel at least to some degree that I should have done more while I was here and that I should have worked harder to get better at Japanese, because I'm still not as good as I had imagined I would be after 5 months of living in Japan. Sigh...

Anyway, I thought I'd write some of my overall impressions of the country before I leave. Some of these things I expected, although it was different to actually experience them firsthand, and some things just surprised me.


Things I liked

Vending machines and convenience stores are everywhere. It is really easy to find food or beverages at any time or place, and on top of that, food from convenience stores is actually really good. (I will miss their rice balls!)

The Japanese attitude toward alcohol is much healthier than America's. Well, the attitude of any country toward alcohol is probably a lot healthier than America's. Drinking is certainly a big part of Japan's culture, but I think people here are more likely to have a few drinks to have a good time, and know when to stop before they are wasted. The drinking age is 20, but no one checks cards, and in fact beer is often sold in vending machines, so it is not some taboo mystery like in the US. Looking at alcohol commercials is also interesting; here, they tend to focus on the taste of the drinks, where as in the US, I find that they usually only talk about its sex appeal or "manliness."

Cute kids and cute commercials. Japanese kids are so cute. Why are they so cute? I don't know. They don't seem to cry that much, and their clothes are really cute, and they do cute things all the time. They are frequently featured on cute commercials where they sing in an endearingly out-of-tune chorus. I will miss those commercials.

Good public transportation. The trains run very often and are really quiet and clean, and they get you pretty much everywhere you want to go. I will miss the Keihan line...

A general mastery of aesthetics. People's houses and gardens, as well as shops and restaurants or anywhere else that design comes in, tend to be really beautiful.


Things I didn't like

Things are closed all the time. Quite a lot of shops and sightseeing places are closed on Sundays, and also, things in general tend to close/stop running really early. It is hard to find things to do (unless you're looking for a bar or club) after 6 pm.

Excessive smoking. I already talked about this in a previous post, but anyway, smoking is still very accepted in Japan, and a lot of people smoke everywhere. It smells so bad. This is probably the thing I like least about Japan.

Ditzy girls. I already talked about this one also. Girls here seem excessively obsessed with clothing and makeup. Particularly noticeable on TV shows (but also present in real life) is their tendency to scream a lot but not actually do anything, while their male counterparts calmly move in and take care of the problem. It drives me crazy.

Fish are often served with their head still attached. Creepy.


Things that just surprised me

Japan is still affected by World War II much more than you'd think. I never realized how many temples and historic sites had been destroyed, and just in general there seems to be a national consciousness of its effects. Anyone who was alive at that time (so, anyone in their 70's or older, which is a lot of people) was directly affected by it, whereas I feel like in America, few people are even really aware of WWII anymore.

Japan was not the land of technology as stereotyped. Certainly with youths in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka they have really futuristic computers and cell phones and everything, but in general, people aren't much different from at home. For example, my host family owned one TV, a VCR (no DVD player), and one cell phone, and that was it for electronics. No digital camera or computer, no CD player or anything. Granted they are an elderly couple, and they get along fine without those things. Still, you can't believe everything you hear when it comes to stereotypes.

Temples and shrines are everywhere. They were really interesting. No matter where you go, they have some kind of unobtrusive presence.


I may add to this when I think of more items. I hope the weather stays nice for the rest of my time here--I just came back to Kyoto after 5 days in Tokyo. I have decided that I much prefer Kyoto to Tokyo, although maybe that's just because I'm more used to it. Anyway, there is a slight chance of rain for the next 2 days and a chance of lightning on Wednesday when my flight is scheduled, so I'm crossing my fingers.

Kansai Gaidai Completion

This past Saturday was Kansai Gaidai's completion ceremony. It seems a little funny to me to have a big ceremony just for one or two semesters' worth of work, but I guess a lot of Japan is centered around ceremony. A lot of women in the program choose to wear kimonos to the ceremony since we're in Japan, so I decided to do the same. I don't think I'll have many other chances to wear a kimono, and I thought it would be a good experience.

I had my host mother help me with the whole process. Kimonos are pretty expensive, so she borrowed a kimono and obi (the part that wraps around your waist) from her friend, lending me the necessary accessories herself, and then asked one of her long-time friends to help me put it on and do my hair.

Putting on kimonos is a lot of work. There are many layers, and on top of that, kimonos are designed so that one size fits all, meaning that it takes a lot of adjusting to make it the right length. In total it took about an hour to do the hair and kimono, and I thought she did a really nice job. Here are some pictures:



The first layer


Obi and everything outside the kimono


Wearing the kimono, minus the obi and other outside parts


Front view of the kimono


Back view of the kimono

Unfortunately it was a pretty hot and humid day, and I had to walk/run to the train station and then from the train station to campus, so I was sweating like crazy by the time I got to Kansai Gaidai. Luckily there was enough hair spray in my hair that it could probably withstand a tornado, so it still looked fine. (Also, the traditional flip flops that go with kimonos: SUPER UNCOMFORTABLE. I don't know why they make them so painful.) Here are some more pictures from the day:



With the host family


With my host mother's friend, the lady who did my kimono and hair


The graduation ceremony hall


With my ceramics teacher, Inomata-sensei


With my cute written Japanese professor, Yuki-sensei


With my funny spoken Japanese professor, Shikaura-sensei

I am kind of sad that my time here is over. It's weird to think that right now as I write this post, this is probably my last time being on the Kansai Gaidai campus, at least for a long time. I'm really glad that I came here. Maybe I will write more of a reflection post later.

Anyway, my mom has arrived in Japan now, and we'll be here in Kyoto until tomorrow at which time we'll go to Tokyo and I will have internet again from the hostel. Then Sunday is back to Kyoto, where I'll be until I finally go home on June 2. Time flies.

Aoi Matsuri and Byodo-in

Classes ended this Wednesday, leaving with me time to explore some of the remaining things that I still wanted to see around Kansai. It's hard to believe they're over already, since I kind of feel like I just got here a few weeks ago. I can still remember the orientation week so clearly. Anyway, I will write about that more later.

Last Saturday the 15th was Aoi Matsuri, one of Kyoto's 3 great yearly festivals. Aoi Matsuri, or the Hollyhock Festival, originated in the Heian Era in the mid-sixth century as a prayer from the emperor to the gods for a bountiful harvest. It begins at the old Imperial Palace in Kyoto, passes through the Shimogamo shrine, and ends at the Kamigamo shrine, and includes 2 oxcarts, 4 cows, 36 horses, and 600 people, all dressed in traditional Heian-style clothes. The feature of the procession is the Saio-Dai, traditionally supposed to be a sister or daughter of the Emperor, but now is just an unmarried woman living in Kyoto (I wonder how they select her?), who supposedly wears 12 layers of Heian-style clothes. There were also people dressed as archers, women in colorful kimonos, and people carrying big containers of I don't know what. The reason for the hollyhock leaves tucked into their hats is that they were once thought to protect from natural disaster.

I thought the festival was somewhat interesting. Since it fell on a sunny Saturday this year, it was incredibly crowded when we got there at 11:45 along the entire street that we went to, so there were about 2 layers of people in front of me, and I couldn't see that much. After awhile I got more aggressive about holding my camera high up into the air so I could actually see what was going on. Also my shoulders got sunburnt. Seeing the fancy robes and oxcarts and things was quite interesting, although there was not actually a lot going on since they were just walking silently (there were no drums or flutes or anything like you might expect). Still I'm glad I got to see it.



The woman representing the emperor--the most important person of the procession






People from the procession


Yesterday, I went to the city of Uji with my friend Mieko to see the famous Byodo-in temple. Byodo-in is one of Japan's national treasures and is featured on the 10 yen coin, and was one of the last famous spots around Kyoto that I hadn't gotten to visit yet.

Byodo-in is located in the city of Uji, a 10-minute train ride from the main Keihan line that runs between Osaka and Kyoto. It sits along the Uji River, and is particularly famous for its green tea. (I read on Wikipedia that the Tsuen tea shop, Japan's oldest tea shop, is located there. Who knew.) It was mostly a really nice, green, traditional-looking town with far too many shops that attracted me to spend money. (I got a new umbrella!) I want to go back there again.


Picture from one of the world's oldest surviving bridges in Uji

The Tale of Genji, written by Shikibu Murasaki in the early 11th century and considered to be the world's first novel, has its final chapters in Uji, thus the statue of Lady Murasaki.



Statue of Lady Murasaki, author of The Tale of Genji

Byodo-in, as previously mentioned, is a very famous Pure Land Buddhist temple. It was built in the mid-11th century by Fujiwara Yorimichi, advisor to the Emperor, in the year that was believed to be the beginning of humanity's decline (Mappo). Its main building is the Phoenix Hall (named for the 2 phoenixes on the roof), housing a statue of the Amida, the Buddha who leads people to the Pure Land after their death. That statue on its own is also considered a national treasure, meaning I couldn't photograph it, but it was really impressive, all covered in gold leaf, and when I saw it I recognized from a picture I had to write about in Japanese history. Around the Phoenix Hall was a really beautiful garden, and a museum about the temple that showed what it looked like when it was newer.



Entrance to Byodo-in's garden

Byodo-in is notable not only for the one big statue of Amida, but also for the 52 wood carvings of Worshiping Bodhisattvas on Clouds. They are carvings of humans who have reached enlightenment and are now helping others to do the same, and they ride on floating clouds, dancing or playing instruments.

We decided to pay extra to visit the inside of the Phoenix Hall and see the Amida statue. Since it is so old, even though it's been restored, it's still in pretty bad shape. Mieko told me that part of the problem is that during the war, a lot of homeless people came and lived inside of the hall, leading to a lot of wear and graffiti, on top of the regular fading that would naturally occur over time.



The Phoenix Hall


Tomorrow is the program's graduation ceremony. Since most people have only been here for a semester, it seems a little silly to me to have such a formal ceremony, but on the other hand it does give me my one chance to wear a kimono. I asked my host mother to help me, and so she borrowed a pink kimono from a friend for me to wear, and tomorrow morning I'm going to go have a professional woman help me put it on. The stereotype is of Japanese women wearing kimonos all the time, but putting them on is actually really difficult. There are a ton of pieces, and kimonos are designed so that one kimono will fit pretty much everyone, but unfortunately that means that it takes a long time to put them on and adjust them so that they fit just right. I will make sure to take pictures!

12 days left in Japan!