Japan, Love, and Monkeys

Hello Everyone! Or as they say in Japan, “Hajimemashite;” I am pleased to meet you!

Studying abroad in Japan was a dream come true for me, a dream I honestly almost gave up on. But luckily I have a fiancé, Simon, who loves to travel and he was thinking about studying abroad. We started talking about it, walked into the Education Abroad office to get more information and, voilà, away we flew to Japan!

Well, not quite that quickly.

But we had a blast. I’ll admit that classes were secondary for; I wanted to get good grades of course, and not wreck my GPA. But the experience was more important to me. We went to Nagasaki, and we got to be there for the harvest festival O-kunichi, which was amazing. It felt like the whole city turned out for the parades.

The school system is different there; in college, classes meet for ninety minutes at a time, and many classes you only attend once a week. For language classes, we met four times a week, but the rest of our classes were once a week – literature, history, society. Also, by Japanese law, you must attend 2/3 of your classes to take the final, otherwise it’s an automatic fail. Being an LAE major, I’m used to classes that you fail if you miss three times, so their college seemed much more relaxed to me than our American ones. It’s funny when you think about the tough Japanese high school system that they’re famous for.

Traveling with a loved one was a unique and exhilarating experience. I don’t recommend it for couples that have gotten together recently, but we were already engaged when we left. It definitely shaped my experience. The choices for what we decided to do together were often different than what we would have done if we’d studied separately, but at the same time we had experiences we could remember together. And we found new dishes together, such as gyoza (fried dumplings), champon (soup dish Nagasaki is famous for), and nikumon (steamed buns). Now that we’re back in the USA, if I look at him and say I miss Sumiyoshi gyoza or want to have champon for dinner, he knows exactly what I’m thinking.

To save money, we didn’t travel outside Nagasaki on our own; there were a couple trips that were part of the cost for the program, including a trip to Unzen’s famous hot springs. There are pros and cons to that; Simon and I missed out on visiting Kyoto, Fukuoka, or spending some time in Tokyo before we left. But we became “natives” at getting around Nagasaki city, especially the stretch between Togitsu in the north and Dejime towards the south. Not only did we visit as many of the tourist places in Nagasaki as we could, but we also spent our weekends walking through the city. We found several small shops and cafes that way, and we came across an open-air market that way, too.

"Machi" means city, and Nagasaki, along with many places in Japan, is split up into little machis or "sub-cities" that encompass so many blocks.  It took about 5 or 10 minutes to walk from one machi to the next, though that was on the main road. The side roads could lead you around for 20 minutes or half an hour before you reached the next machi. At that time, the men's international dorm was in Heiwa-machi, futher down in the city. It was about two hours walking time, at a brisk walk. (Yeah, I did that one weekend).

Our second week in Nagasaki, while walking around Heiwa-machi and Matsuyama-machi, the district right next to the men's dorm, we passed Peace Park, which is a recreational park near the Atomic Bomb museum and the Peace Statue. There was a track, a baseball court, tennis courts, stray kitties, and a traditional archery dojou. The traditional archery style is called "Kyoudou," which literally translates to art of the bow in kanji. The dojou was on the far side of the park, and a man-guided river ran past it. There's a road, and a little paved bridge that connected the park to the road on that side, for delivery bikes and pedestrians. We had been walking along the river, so we saw the archers practicing and stopped to watch.

Two of the students and a woman we later found out was their school teacher came hurrying out of the dojou and across the bridge, and rushed past us on an errand. They came hurrying back five minutes later, and the woman, Harukawa-sensei, stopped to ask us if we wanted to join the dojou. Yep, just straight up, "Hey, you look interested. Want to step inside?"

Her English was wonderful, and she was able to translate for us until she and her students had to leave. We had a great first lesson, and they convinced us to come back again. We went back, tried to figure out a day when both the archery Sensei and Harukawa-sensei would be there. Some of the Sensei, which is the plural form of Sensei, knew broken English, and the high school students knew bits of English. We knew bits of Japanese, so between all that and hand gestures, we were able to learn and progress throughout the semester. Of course we had to pay a fee for joining the dojou, but it was shockingly small and completely worth the experience.

Towards the end of our stay, at our last time at the dojou, the high school girls asked us who the was the most famous Japanese that Americans know. Now, Simon and I know famous Japanese people; I knew about the singer Utada Hikaru before I went to Japan, and PGSM is one of my guilty pleasures, both before and still. I recognize the actresses names, but I drew a complete blank when they asked. I looked at Simon, and he blanked too. He went, "I could say something really terrible..."

"What?" I asked.

He kind of leaned toward me, looked embarrassed and said, "Godzilla."

I cracked up laughing. Of course, we had to explain to the girls what was so funny. They cracked up right along with us, and we had a great conversation from there.

Moral of the story: You can have random adventures just by stopping to admire people at something they're doing. Kyudou for the semester was not something we could have every planned on happening, or even think of it happening the way it did. And it made me think; when international students come to America, are there people that offer them these same surprising opportunities?

I can't decide which is better from my experience: my new sense of liberty or the new way of looking at others. By going to a "nontraditional" country, where nobody spoke English, I suddenly found myself wondering about our study abroad programs for the students who come to Platteville. What's it like for a Chinese or German student who is shy about using English? Is Platteville a place they feel comfortable in? What do they say about America, what stories do they tell when they go home? Things I never thought of in-depth before, I suddenly can relate to. Before I went, I thought, "Oh, the study abroad office has that all figured out." But when I was the student abroad, suddenly I wondered if anyone can really have it "all figured out."

The other awesome thing that came out of study abroad was my personal sense of liberty. I've always been shy when meeting people here in my own country; I was afraid of what it would be like meeting people in a new country. But it was so wonderful because it didn't matter. I wasn't the only shy foreigner, and I was expected to be odd because east-Asian cultures are so starkly different from America. I was still terrified of using Japanese and getting things wrong, but I never realized how much body language or physical action I restrained because I felt pressure from my culture. Everyone stared at me because I was taller in flat shoes than most of the girls in heels. And being white as paper may have played a part. But I developed a spatial confidence, and that helped boost a mental confidence. There were thingsI picked up in Japan that, had I not lived there, I never would have done, even when they made sense. Let me give you an example.

Umbrellas and fans. During hot weather, Japanese people carry little paper fans, or nicer ones if they want, to fan themselves. Japan is such a humid country, it's great to have a fan to carry with you for when there's no breeze or you're on the tram. And umbrellas. It wasn't as common for the guys to carry them, but even some guys carried umbrellas to shade them from the sun. And it actually made a difference. I quickly purchased one of my own, and used it almost everyday. It was amazing. And they're little things that actually help. Yet, even if I'd read about and thought it was a good idea, I would have felt very self-conscious carrying an umbrella on a sunny day or using a paper fan in class. Not anymore.

And I understand it can be taken too far; I understand students go abroad and can come back thinking that the host country's way of doing this or that is better. That's a damaging trap to fall into. But I don't think Americans should all grab there umbrellas and carry them around, rain or shine. I'm not going to carry my umbrella everyday. (Although, if you see an orange and blue umbrella on campus during a sunny spring, that's me and I'm having a great day).  Something about living in another culture, in a place radically different than my native culture, broke my inhibitions. Now, if I decide I want to use my umbrella on a sunny day, I'm not going to feel self-conscious about it. It's hard to describe fully, and I know many, many people my age have personal confidence without going to another country. But studying abroad, immersing yourself in another country, will unlock doors in your Spirit you didn't realize where closed. I encourage you, do this. Step outside the normal and the Known. Step into the Unknown; you will come to know how human the world really is.

Yes!! That is a monkey on me!!! Best picture ever, and I will write a post about it in the future. Stay tuned! Stay curious!! :D

Nichole

Holiday Series Day 4: Christmas in the Land of the Rising Sun

In case you missed it, here's our holiday tidings so far.

Day 1: Nate Presenting Thailand
Day 2: Hannah Presenting Switzerland
Day 3: Holly Presenting Burkina Faso

                As that horrifying picture Holly posted at the end of her last blog of a guy dressed as Doraemon dressed as Santa indicated, today I am here to talk to you about December holidays in Japan. So what have we got? Well, there’s Christmas once again, as well as New Year’s. The other official holiday of the month is the celebration of the monarch’s birthday. This is starting to sound awful familiar…

                December 23^rd is Tenno Tanjobi （天皇誕生日） the birthday of Emperor Akihito, the current emperor of Japan. This institution of emperor is as old as Japan itself, and Akihito’s dynasty claims to be descended from Jimmu, a legendary emperor said to have been the descendent of the sun goddess Amaterasu. Jimmu’s existence has no historical evidence, but historical emperors go back to before the time of Christ, which would make the Japanese Imperial Dynasty the longest-lasting dynasty in history. Throughout Japanese history, the emperor was the source of power. During the reign of the shoguns, the emperor could not exercise any power, but was still revered as the ultimate authority. During the Meiji Restoration, the institution of emperor came back into power. After World War II, Japan’s constitution, written by the United States, removed all governmental power from the emperor, leaving him only as a ceremonial figure.

The Showa Emperor, aka Hirohito.

                The emperor’s birthday is an official holiday, and will be changed to the birthday of the next emperor upon the current’s death. The birthday of the previous emperor is now also an official holiday, known as Showa Day. On Tenno Tanjobi, the gates of the Imperial Palace are opened, which is a rare occurrence. Native Japanese and tourists alike flock to the palace to see the emperor and other members of the royal family, and hear him give an address. The address will typically be on the state of Japan and its relation to the rest of the world. After his speech, the crowd will share and wave tiny Japanese flags. There’s a blog that details the celebration here.

That blog mentions that the Japanese people have the same love for their emperor as the Thai people have for their king. While I have not yet been to Japan, from what I have heard the Japanese people, especially the younger generation, are mostly indifferent to the emperor. I have no doubt that it might have not seemed the case while attending the celebration of the emperor’s birthday. However, in Thailand, the king’s picture is everywhere. Anything with the king’s image is highly revered. Any criticism of the king, or anything that could portray him in a negative light, is highly illegal. Japan’s emperor has not been held in similar light since prior to the end of World War II. 

So, what about the few days after the emperor's birthday? Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year? Well, Christmas is definitely well ingrained in Japanese society, but it's not quite the same as it is here. It's not at all a religious holiday, it's considered a time for romance, and people eat sponge cake and fried chicken. Because Japan. 

Christmas first hit Japan in the 1500s, when missionaries from Portugal arrived to spread Christianity. In the early 1600s Japan became isolationist, banishing all foreigners from the country and outlawing Christianity, and thus Christmas with it. Christians were subsequently persecuted, and many were crucified. Some Japanese continued to practice Christianity in secret. Christmas only had a presence in Japan through them until the Meiji Restoration of the 1800s. 

Christmas in Japan, as it can be seen today, has several causes. One is the Meiji Restoration a time of rapid industrialization, and militarization, of Japan. In Japan quest to become a respected world power by the west, it adopted many Western customs. Christmas was among them. Commercialism was another, which is certainly a major part of Christmas today. Department stores would decorate for Christmas, and encourage patrons to participate in the festivities. The occupation of Japan by U.S. forces after World War II was certainly another major factor. American troops brought their love of Christmas with them, which would have left an impact on the local population. It's the same way Japan's country music scene had its genesis. Finally, and most importantly, it's fun! Buddhism and shintoism are tolerant of other religions, meaning the Japanese people are free to borrow another religion's holidays in order to have another excuse to party. 

Christmas in Japan is a time to spend with loved ones, but not necessarily the same loved ones as in the United States. Christmas is less a family holiday and more of a friends holiday, and especially friends of the boy/girl variety. They say Christmas in Japan is a "time for lovers". How this evolved in Japan is unclear, but it may have been a progression of the idea of traveling and spending money on gifts during Christmas that was being pushed by the department stores. As these activities were typically performed with one's significant other, more and more couples would have been spending time together during Christmas, and soon stores would have been marketing the holiday as a time for lovers. But on Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day. Because Japan. 

A romantic Christmas dinner in Japan.

But what about Santa? He's still there. Santa is still said to bring presents to the children of the world, and in this spirit many parents will buy presents for their children, and say they were from Santa. But only Santa gives presents on Christmas. So children do not give presents to their parents. When children stop believing in Santa, they stop receiving presents. Thus, I have a message for the children of Japan, should they wish to continue receiving Christmas goodies.

Christmas cake is a thing in Japan. Apparently it's a thing elsewhere too? I mean, there's fruit cake, I guess, but I've never in my life actually seen a fruit cake. I'm almost convinced that giving fruit cakes on Christmas is a myth. But some countries bake cakes for Christmas, I guess, and I guess Japan is one of them. But their cake is a sponge cake, featuring whipped cream, and decorated with strawberries. Strawberries! That's adorable. Stores will have a wide assortment of cakes available to be eaten on Christmas. These cakes do not last long, however. Stores will slash their prices as early as Christmas Eve in order to get rid of excess stock. Thus, there is a phrase in Japan for unmarried Japanese women, "Christmas cake". The idea is that nobody wants to eat a Christmas cake after the 25th of December, and nobody wants to marry a woman after her 25th birthday. Of course, that's ridiculous, many Japanese women are marrying at a much older age, so the phrase is falling out of popularity. 

Finally we have Kentucky Fried Christmas. During the '70s, KFC ran a successful add campaign convincing people that eating fried chicken on Christmas was the quintessential Western Christmas meal. Many Japanese will be surprised to find that this is not the case. Some attribute Japan's chicken Christmas to being a substitute for the lack of turkeys in Japan. Japan has very few turkeys, this is true. However, I don't know about you, but my family always eats ham on Christmas. And I know for sure that they've got pigs in Japan. 

So I think bacon would be a much better Christmas meal than KFC. Just a big stack of bacon. Oh! They could form the bacon into different shapes, like a Christmas tree or Santa's sleigh. I am full of good ideas. But no, instead they simply line up outside of KFC for their chicken dinners. Missed opportunity. 

Or a cabin, that works too.

If you do a Google search for Christmas in Japan, you might come across information for a character named Hotei, who is often considered the Japanese Santa Claus. But not by the Japanese. Ever. There are some similarities for sure. Both Santa and Hotei are men with big, round bellies. Both carry sacks of gifts for small children. Hotei delivers his gifts around the time of the New Year, which, going by the Gregorian calendar, is awfully close to Christmas. Both know when you've been bad or good, though Hotei is said, by people who aren't Japanese, to know because he has eyes in the back of his head. But Hotei is not considered the same as Santa Claus. Japan's Santa is a fat white guy, just like he is in America. You can read more about comparisons between the two here. 

Just who is Hotei, then? Hotei is a figure that is pretty prominent in many East Asian cultures. In Japan, he is considered one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, aka the Seven Lucky Gods. Unlike the other six, he is believed to be based on a real person, a Buddhist monk that lived in China during the Liang Dynasty, around 907-923. He is an important figure in Buddhism, and is considered himself a Buddha, or enlightened one. He is not to be confused with THE Buddha, Gautama Buddha, founder of the religion and notoriously skinny guy. Despite that, he often is. Images of Budai, as he is referred to in Chinese, are the source for the confusion among many in the States that Gautama Buddha was a fat man. It is believed that Budai is a pre-incarnation of the future Buddha, who will come to the world to spread the Dharma again after it has been forgotten. And once again, he is not Santa Claus. 

Finishing out December is the New Year, a much bigger holiday for the Japanese than Christmas. Historically, Japan would celebrate the New Year according to the Chinese lunar calendar, but during the Meiji period (there's that word again...) in was changed to be based on the Gregorian calendar. Many traditional foods will be eaten, most prepared in such a way as to not spoil. The foods date since before refrigeration, and as stores would typically be closed for the New Year holiday, foods would have to last throughout the period. 

One type of food that is made is mochi, a rice cake that is made by smashing boiled sticky rice with a large wooden mallet. Because Japan is really awesome sometimes.

Japan has many customs associated with the New Year. Bells will ring from Buddhist temples at midnight, 108 times. Each ring symbolizes the 108 human sins of Buddhist belief. Another custom is paying attention to the first things done of the year, such as the first sunrise, the first trip to a shrine or temple, or the first day of work. Post cards are usually sent to arrive on the 1st of January, making it the busiest day of the year for the post office. Money will be given to children in small decorated envelopes, regardless of whether or not they believe in Santa. There are New Year's games that are played as well. Above all, the New Year is a time to be spent with family, much like Christmas is here in the States. 

I hope you enjoyed this look at Christmas in Japan. Next is Hannah with holiday traditions in the Basque regions of Spain, followed by Holly with Brazil's beachside festivities. Feliz Natal!