Before taking this class, Visual Anthropology, and posting this blog, soramame Nikki, I assumed that Japan was incredibly boring. I did not understand why so many people came to such a tiny country from all over the world. Moreover, Japan had no individuality. Everyone looked similar in similar clothing and having similar hairstyle. Girls tried to be looked like Hollywood stars, even though we were Asian. Boys were just alike each other. Why was Japan so boring? Why did not Japanese people have any individuality? I wanted to go out from such a country as soon as possible. Actually I wondered why I had to take classes about Japan even though I would go to the USA.

 

At the beginning of this semester, I was totally surprised at my ignorance of my own country. Of course professors know about Japan so much because they are researchers. However, why do students from foreign countries have much more knowledge of Japan than me? I thought they were crazy. However as I became friends with them, I came to feel ashamed. I am a Japanese but I am indifferent about Japan. Yet, my friends from other countries talk about my country enthusiastically.

Moreover, they are also proud of their hometowns. How about me? I do not know about Japan, Japanese culture and Japanese people as much as foreign students tell me about theirs. What I could teach them about Japan was sushi, kimono or Kobe City. In short, I know what they have already known. How come have I lived for 20 years without any questions about my own country? I felt I was a stupid.

 

First of all, I had never wondered the origin of Love Hotels or Host Clubs. I assumed they came from Western culture because their names are katakana and the buildings look like castles in European countries. I had never thought we Japanese are using cutting-edge toilets even though they are Western-styles. I did not know Japan has such interesting aspects..

This room is in a love hotel, Geihinkan, in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa. Who can call it Japanese style?

(Pictures from Love Stay <http://www.lovestay.jp/photo01/>)

 

Furthermore, I thought Japanese traditional events were much boring but I had actually enjoyed them. When I was five years old, my parents took my siblings and me to Shichigosan. It was the first time for me to be in a kimono, so that I was so happy. On first January I often climbed a mountain including a small shrine at its top with my father in stead of Hatsumode. We ate Oshiruko while waiting Hatsu hi no de, the sunrise on New Year’s Day. Also my family celebrated various traditional Japanese anniversaries for us. 

(The right girl is me.)

Nevertheless, I had forgotten these things. Prof. Fedorowicz always recalled these memories to my mind through lectures. Yet my poor brain could not react soon. I always regret why I did not cherish these good memories. Perhaps I also have yearned to Western and American culture too much and forgotten to pay attention to Japanese culture. As the result, I celebrated Christmas with KFC believing it was the Western style.

 

However, recently, I have come to like Japan, Japanese culture and its people, because they are much funny. First of all, Japan does not have any established theories of its origin, according to my teacher of Archaeology. The country was created somehow. Therefore, there is no history of the name of Japan or 日本. In spite of the fact, Japan still exists, which is nearly miraculous. Moreover, now it is one of developed countries and many people visit Japan thanks to its cutting-edge technology, rich food culture, anime and manga. It is wonderful. I can be proud of Japan.

 

Thus, current Japanese tend to yearn after foreign cultures. We might think Japan is a boring country and there is not any fun like what I used to be. However, we are Japanese. After all Japanese culture and its heart are deeply ingrained in our nature. Moreover, now I think mimicking other cultures is not bad. Rather I am willing to imitate good aspects of others to make Japan a wonderful country. I want to introduce my culture to all over the world, which is one of my goals for my studying abroad. There is still a long way to my studying abroad though.

Last, I have spent really great time to learn Japan with everyone in Visual Anthropology class. More, I am so happy to notice what an interesting country Japan is. This semester is the best one in my Kansai Gaidai Campus life.

I appreciate your reading and commenting on my blog, soramame Nikki. If possible, I want to keep it in the future. 

Thank you☆

Now I am taking a class, Death in East Asian Thought, by Prof. Kenney. This class often surprises me because of the different attitude toward death between Western countries and Japan. In the last class, Prof. Kenney told us about pet funeral in Japan, which would not happen in Western countries. Then, why do Japanese people hold a funeral for their pets?

 

My family is one of the examples, which held funerals for our beloved pets. We lost one of my family members, Fina, in the last September. After her death, we did not know how to deal with her body. Yet, what we thought first was how to burn her dead body. Since it was summer, the temperature quickened her decomposition. From her nose holes and mouth, rotten blood was bleeding. Her body was swollen up as though she wanted to be a balloon and fly away. This made her totally a different animal. It was tragic sight. However, it was our Fina. We gently combed her hair and cleaned her body. We put some cotton into her nose holes and mouth.

My parents cried as though they lost their own child. They could not do anything but calling her name. Therefore, my sister called her veterinary hospital to tell the veterinary surgeon her death and ask how we should do for her. Thanks to him, we knew there was a company dealing with pet funeral ceremony near our house.

 

The company's name is Pet Angel Ceremony (http://www2.odn.ne.jp/~cjx21310/index.html). It does not have a particular crematory. Yet, it uses a car having a small crematorium to burn dead animals. Therefore, this company cannot burn some dead bodies at the same time. This was one of reasons that we chose that company, because we did not want Fina to be burned with the others' pets. We also wanted to get all her bones and ashes. Moreover, it costs only 40,000 yen.

(This is an image of a car with crematorium)

The next day, around one o’clock, an old man came to our house. He was sorry about her death as soon as he entered entrance to our house. He put her body in a coffin adeptly. And then, we put her favorite stuffs into her coffin. Soon after she was carried to be burned.

 

After a few hours, she came back with totally different shape. Her bones were much smaller than we expected. We gathered her bones by chopsticks like we did grandmother. We put her important bones in an urn. The other bones and ashes were gathered in a box. We placed these boxes on a Butsudan. We pray for her every morning and offer sticks of incense. We give foods and water to her everyday as though she is still alive. She is still beloved our family member.Thus, we have never thought she was a dog. She was our family. We wanted to deal with her as equal as us. Still, we believe she is our family; therefore, we wanted to hold a funeral for her. My mother says she wants to be scattered with Fina's ashes after her death. I understand what she says. I want to do so for my mother.

 

(Our Butsudan)

(Her Urn)

 

We Japanese consider pets as our family member. Therefore, it is natural to hold a funeral for a pet. I think this is why the numbers of pet funerals have increased in Japan.

The sexual problem has become great issue in Japan in these days. For example, AIDS is still increasing only in Japan among developed countries. It is said that Japan has one of the largest sex industries in the world. Around almost every station in Japan, there are usually brothels and love hotels. Even though schools do not teach the students about sex much in Japan (only one or two hours were spent for “sex education” at my high school days), the age of the first sex experience becomes younger and younger. They are serious problem. However, we Japanese are indifferent about what we do not want to talk, or know.

(This is the example of textbook. I got this picture from my brother's textbook.

"保健体育概論"，近畿地区高等専門学校体育研究会編，晃洋書房)

 

By the way, on 24th February, the Tokyo municipal government issued a proposal amendment to a bill, which forbade sexual description of manga characters that seem under 18-year-old because these descriptions impede healthy growth of youths. This also includes banning violent and criminal descriptions though. Now, however, many opponents including famous manga writers are arguing this proposed amendment against the Tokyo municipal government. Their points are: the regulation usurps the freedom of expression. In addition, some Japanese high school female students have already had sex experiences, and girls are able to get married at their age of 16. Therefore, some people disagree with the Tokyo municipal government.

Will this proposed amendment work? To be honest, I think it does not work, because we customers have the right to choose which manga we will read. If someone wants to read these kinds of manga that include sexualized child characters, s/he will read. Moreover, I think the sexualized advertising in the public is much more problematic than manga characters. These advertising are seen by us no matter if we do not want to see them.

For example, this advertising of Calpis Water is put on the wall inside trains. Some people do not think anything about this, but I think she is sexualized. Her lips are shaped like kissing and her hair gets wet. Moreover, she has a bottle with white water. These kinds of advertising are everywhere around Japan: on TV, magazines and in cities, et cetera.

I am not a feminist. However, we should think and learn about the sexual issues in Japan much more. What is the worst problem is not that much publicity includes sexualized images. I think even though we have images about sex, we do not have enough correct knowledge. We need to be educated to acquire right knowledge.

Last, the argument in Tokyo has not been settled yet. I am looking forward to hearing the result.

 

I often doubt that Japanese people are indifferent toward our culture. Entering Kansai Gaidai University, I have gotten many opportunities to make friends from foreign countries. I am so happy to be friends with international students, but I am often embarrassed because I less know about Japan than them. I think we Japanese need to know ourselves much more. Therefore, I took archaeology in the last semester to learn what Japan is. 

According to Ms. Sako who teaches archaeology for Japanese students at Kansai Gaidi University, excavating the ruins of the ancient Japan is conducted at around 8000 places every year in Japan. However, more than 90 percent of them are being destroyed thanks to public enterprises. Furthermore, some prefectural or municipal government entrust the management of our museums to private companies to cut the budget. I do not mean that private companies cannot manage museums. However, I cannot agree on this because I feel even Japanese valuable exhibits turn into possessions of these companies.

On the other hand, I think this cannot be avoided because many Japanese people seldom visit museums. My parents and siblings have never been to museums by their own will. Moreover, when I visited Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Archaeology in December, there were not other visitors than me. This made me sad.

By the way, I today visited Kobe City Museum where I worked for a week when I was a junior high school student through a career experience. Now, it is exhibiting papyruses, sculptures, coffins, mummies and so many things from the ancient Egypt. I expected there would not be so many people because today was a weekday. Moreover, I remember that only a few people visited the museum when I worked there.

To tell the truth, I did not have any interest in enjoying visual arts because I believed we could not share the impressions. I considered works of someone else as nothing more than her/his self-satisfaction. Moreover, I have studied about Photoshop in the last year and suspected every work of famous photographers was a fake. Today, any trashy works can be turned into beautiful and meaningful ones, thanks to the development of digital technology. Therefore, I was totally surprised when I watched movies about two worldly famous photographers struggling to tell what they feel and see to us. They devoted themselves completely to their works. Their attitudes toward photographs moved me deeply.

 

The photographers: Annie Leibovitz and James Nachtwey have contrary characteristics in my opinion.  Leibovitz is a portrait photographer. She works with many crews to complete her works. She lives in a gorgeous world among many people including her three little children. Her subjects are usually famous people like politics, athletes and celebrities. More, she seems emotional because she cries during peeping beautiful subjects through a lens. On the other hand, Nachtwey works by himself. It may be because he is a war photographer. He goes to warfare and takes photographs to tell us what is actually happening there. It is not strange if he dies during taking pictures involved a war. His subjects are people who are suffering from  poverty, pain, death or sadness. Moreover, he seems seldom to betray his feelings. Even though he must see thousands of awful scenes, he never talks what he has seen. Seen from me, he seems to lock himself in somewhere not to fall back upon someone else. Moreover, the greatest difference between these two photographers is their thought toward their works. While Leibovitz says she is interested in her works, Nachtwey considers his work as mission that he has to accomplish. These differences are represented in their photographs.

 

(http://www.fanpop.com/spots/disney/images/1361373/title/annie-dream-portrait)

 

In my opinion there are two types of photographs taken by Ms. Leibovitz. First, photographs have full of colors, fantastic objects and beautiful happy subjects as though they come out from fairy tales: for example, her Disney Dream Portrait Series. These pictures are dynamic and gorgeous. Even though I know they are her creation, I feel the scene exists actually somewhere in the world and the subjects are alive as they are. Thanks to her talent for photographs, she succeeds in creating an ideal fantasy world. Second, she takes silent and static pictures as well. These pictures are as though she cuts off a moment from the passage of time and tries to keep it forever. These pictures are colored in fewest colors. The pictures focus on only the subject and unveil the real face of them. I think her pictures fascinate us because of their beauty and fantasy.

 

(http://www.nytimes.com/library/photos/leibovitz/paltrow.html)

 

While Leibovitz often takes fancy pictures, Nachtwey always takes pictures of the truth. Almost his pictures are monochrome, and this makes us feel sorrow.

 

My first impression for him was terrible. I thought he was impudent when he forced his way into a crowd mourning for a dead man to take pictures of a woman who was a mother of the dead at the beginning of the movie, War Photographer. I did not know why the people admitted his existence. However, people in warfare know that a stranger having a camera gives their real voice to the out of the world. Moreover, I noticed that he behaves in extremely polite manners actually.

 

(http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/)

 

In his pictures, there are no people who are smiling as if they have never felt happy. Their faces stiffen because of fear, starvation and sadness. He takes photographs of a heap of dead people, a survivor with serious injured and people who lost their loved ones. I think no one can do the same work. Therefore, this is what he has to perform his duties. That he takes photographs is what is happening somewhere in the world actually although they seem like a hell. It is harder for me to admit what he sees through a lens is the real than what Leibovitz does. However, we should not avert from his pictures because what his pictures tell us is the truth.

 

Thus, I had never felt photographs were telling their own stories but I have noticed they actually do. Even though intentions of pictures taken by Ms. Leibovitz and Mr. Nachtwey are different, their pictures will move anyone who sees them. I found it is very interesting in enjoying photographs while thinking what the photographer wants to say and what s/he peeps through a lens actually. I want to encourage Annie Leibovitz and James Nachtwey sincerely from now on.

 

Works cited:

Fanpop!, “http://www.fanpop.com/spots/disney/images/1361373/title/annie-dream-portrait”

Witness Photography by James Nachtwey, “http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/”

Women: Photographs by Annie Leibovitz, “www.nytimes.com/library/photos/leibovitz/bourgeois.html”

 

 

 

 

I am happy to be able to introduce one of my great friends, Maiko. She is from Kobe City. However, now, she is living in Hirakata City. The first time I met her when we were high school students. We went to different kinds of high schools but attended the same cram school. The first impression of her was terrible. Seen from me, she always looked angry. Moreover, we had good friends respectively in the cram school. Therefore, we did not need to become friends each other.

 

On the first day at Kansai Gaidai University, we met again. We became classmates. It was an accident, so I thought it was a kind of miracle. However, we did not talk for a while. We made new friends respectively in the class, although we knew each other. Anyway, we became “friends” in the very end of our first year at this university. Now, however, I like her as much as I named this blog after her nickname, Soramame. (Soramame is a broad bean in English. Her face shape is similar with the bean. Therefore, she has nicknamed “Soramame.”)

  

  

I like her because of her characteristics. She is reliable like an older sister. She is considerate for everyone. However, on the other hand, she behaves like a child. Sometimes, her childish behavior embarrasses me. She is very funny. We always enjoy talking foolish things. We are often together in the CIE lounge. I believe that we are the loudest there, because we cannot stop laughing.

  

  

When Maiko was a child, her father had to move to various prefectures many times because of his job. This got her to change elementary schools at least six times. Therefore, she does not have any childhood friends. However, since she was a junior high school student, her family had settled in Kobe City. She played basketball at her junior high school. She also played a captain there. I know it was because she did whatever she could do for her teammates.

  

I admire her so much because she has a great plan for her life. I cannot imagine my future at all, but she can do it in detail. So, I show her plan roughly here. Also, I think it is like an ideal plan for current Japanese women.

 

First, she has a professional goal: to be a manager. Therefore, she is studying business now. She wants to found a new firm relating to Japanese agriculture. And then, at her age of 28, she wants to put her firm on track. At her age of 30, she wants to get married with a man who is from Italy. She wants a husband who never behaves affectedly but who, for example, is good at splitting firewood. At her age of 32, she wants to bear the first child. Two years later, she wants to get another kid. And then, she devotes herself to the care of her children. At her age of 39, she returns to work. However, around 40, she hands over control of the company to her subordinates. At her age of 45, she holds a class of English conversation at her house for children. Some years later, she wants to migrate to Italy and settle at the foot of a mountain. She wants to let her children receive education in Italy.

 

I do not know why she has such a deep attachment to Italy. Although, I think her plan is pretty good. I do not mean she is an ordinary person but that she wants to do international marriage or she wants to become a career woman is very common ideals for current Japanese women.

  

  

This is Maiko seen from me. Now, I am so happy to be friends with her. I hope the friendship lasts long. Moreover, I could make great friends at Kansai Giadai University; I hope I could introduce all of them someday.

It was an early morning at my age of five. I got up because my father jumped onto me. I could not understand what happened, but just hear a scream of my mother. And then, I felt an earth tremor. I saw almost everything in our house was scattered on the floor. I thought that was a nightmare. My father turned on a TV and noticed there was a terrible earthquake. We got out from our house soon after packing some foods and clothes.

The outside was much worse. I heard thousands of screams and saw terrible fires around us. Because of crowds of people to escape and rubble, it was extremely hard to go on. We got on a car and stayed there before going to refuge. My parents looked extremely tired. And I was seeing our town turning to red thanks to the horrible fires. And then, I fell asleep.

It took three days to extinguish all fires in Kobe City.

As a result of "The South Hyogo prefecture Earthquake in 1995" on January 17th, 6,434 people died and three people are still missing, according to the Cabinet office, government of Japan. Approximately 105,000 buildings were destroyed. Therefore, many people including my family had to stay refuge for a while because there was no place to go back. All gas, electricity and water services were stopped. We felt despair about the future. I wanted to go home from bottom of my heart, even though it was impossible.

15 years have already passed since the earthquake. My home city, Kobe, has undergone reconstruction. Many new houses including my house and high-rise have been built here. Now, no one could notice there was a great earthquake without the knowledge. Kobe is restored to peace and quiet.

We know we should not forget what happened here and the victims. However, our memory about the earthquake becomes faint, as time passes. Therefore, we have built some monuments for that day. For example, in "Awase no jizou," there are three small Jizou and the names of victims. More, the monument includes a storehouse of emergency supplies.

Thus, people in Kobe try to keep telling about the earthquake for people who do not know about it, even though it is the worst recollection. And many people belong to activities for helping people from the earthquake. I also hope my experience could be useful for people who are suffering from the same disaster.

Work cited:

Cabinet office, Government of Japan, http://www.bousai.go.jp/1info/kyoukun/hanshin_awaji/earthquake/index.html

The most exciting day for almost all people is coming soon. It is, of course, the Saint Valentine's Day on 14th, February. As everyone knows, this is the day to celebrate love and affection between intimate companions. So do the Japanese. However, the Saint Valentine's Day in Japan is a little different from the other countries' ones.

First, on that day, only females declare love to their favorite males. It is usually one-way from girls to boys; therefore, Japanese girls/women seldom expect to receive gifts on the Saint Valentine's Day.

Second, we, Japanese girls/women, always gift chocolates to indicate our love and affection to the boys/men. It is the Japanese way to celebrate the Saint Valentine's Day. Around that day, we can buy ready-made chocolate gifts in almost everywhere: in department sores, in supermarkets, and even convenience stores. Of course, it is one of strategies to gift a hand-made chocolate to the favorite boy/man; however, it sometimes does not work well. In the worst case, he will consider her as pushy.

Schoolboys often contest the numbers of chocolates they get from their female classmates and friends. If a boy cannot get any gift, he would be considered as not popular at all by girls as well as the other boys, and he would feel so sad. Therefore, the Saint Valentine's Day may be the most nervous day for schoolboys who do not have girlfriends. Almost every boy can get one from their mothers although.

On that day, we, Japanese girls/women, give chocolates not only to our favorite boys but also other people: our male family members, bosses, female as well as male friends and even ourselves. They are being named respectively Honmei-choko(本命チョコ: chocolates for favorite boys/men), Giri-tyoko(義理チョコ: chocolates for not favorite boys/men), Tomo-choko(友チョコ: chocolates for friends) and Jibun-choko(自分チョコ: chocolates for ourselves) et cetera. Recently, girls/women buying chocolates not for our favorite males but for female friends and for ourselves have been increasingly increasing in Japan.

Hence, the Saint Valentine's Day in Japan is unique. Last, what should boys/men do if they receive chocolates from girls/women? Do not worry. In Japan, there is a day for boys/men on 15th, March. It is called "the White Day" and considered as a counterpart of the Saint Valentine's Day. Then, boys/men have to give something to the girls/women who have gifted chocolates to them in return. In general, boys/men should buy something expensive to the girls/women. If boys/men fall to choose the gorgeous gifts, they would be spoken ill of among girls/women. Be careful...

Thank you for reading!
Have a happy the Saint Valentine's Day!!