Foreign Lens

Changing Impressions

2009-05-06T05:45:00.001-07:00

As I began my exploration of Japan I was not sure how the native people would receive foreigners. Knowing that Japan is a “polite society” but not exactly sure to what degree I made great efforts to be extra polite in every little thing I did in public. (It was definitely a challenge trying to be more polite than the Japanese.) My days spent exploring Japan’s historical and religious sites, such as imperial castles, Buddhist temples, and Shinto shrines, have allowed me to understand the degree of toleration Japanese people have for foreigners. At first, I mistakenly took Japanese people to be the most tolerable race of people on this planet because their overt public display of politeness. I thought Japanese people don’t ever say no and they don’t (at least not directly). They, i.e. Japanese people who are willing to interact with foreigners, often welcome you (foreigners) to try and experience anything that’s Japanese, especially you indicate your curiosity with some signs of enthusiasm and interest. This was definitely not the case when my friends and I visited Fushimi Inari last month. Our visit that day coincided with an event in which Shinto priests and priestess were praying for fertility and prosperity. Like many other shrines we were allowed take pictures of anything that awed us. We took lots of pictures of tori, shrines, and statues. However, we were not allowed to turn our cameras in the direction of the ceremony. My friends and I were quite shocked that for the first time we’ve encountered an aggressive Japanese person (the guard), who directly said “No” to visitors who were trying to take pictures. Of course, it was understandable as to why we weren’t allowed to take pictures of the event. As if the small “No Camera” sign in front of the building was not good enough to warn people, a guard was needed to confront any delinquent visitors. The guard was definitely not shy about showing visitors the “X” sign by crossing his arms in front of his chest. Obviously there’s a limit to everything. No exceptions with Japanese people’s willingness to allow outsiders to prod around during their sacred moments of worship.
Like other cultures, Japan has drawn its boundary between what is and is not acceptable. For a foreigner who wants to take advantage of the native people’s goodwill in tolerating our curiosity, I have learned that in order to gain additional access to something, you must first learn to obey the rules. In the case above, anyone who wanted to see the ceremony must put their cameras away. Anyone who disobeys will probably be removed and prohibited from coming near the ceremony.
In addition, from this blog project, I’ve learned that making guesses about the outer appearance of anything Japanese without any insightful knowledge of such thing can be misleading. While foreigners are allowed to prod around on the outside (soto), we really haven’t officially gained access into the inside world (uchi). To me Japanese society is like a gated world; some of us may think we’ve discovered Japan and everything about it, but in fact our presumptions only reflect our shallow understanding of what’s really on the other side. Through my experience in Japan in the last few months, I’ve learned that there are very limited doors that can give you access to the inside. On the other hand, I think that visitors are trapped in a path of their own in their exploration of Japan. Like visitors walking through the paths of tori at Fushimi Inari, first time visitors to the country have to travel a set path that helps introduce them to the land. Eventually, most first time visitors end up sharing the same experience and impressions of Japan. Only a few of those who’ve figured out how to digress can explore more of the tucked away details of the shrine. Though, of course, it is essential for most first time visitors, whether native Japanese or foreigners exploring any parts of Japan, to have a general idea and experience at the new place without worrying too much about knowing the local custom and culture.

(Fascinated visitors at Todaiji Temple, Nara during the memorial service of Emperor Shomu. Wonder if these people are here for the service or just surprised to have caught such an interesting procession. )

Politics in Japan

2009-04-16T02:07:00.001-07:00

Since the regular Japanese semester has started in mid April the number of Japanese students on campus has increased greatly. A number of ryugakusei find this somewhat problematic especially when it comes to lunch time. All of a sudden finding a place to sit or choosing which cafeteria to go to is harder now. The infinite lines of students waiting outside each cafeteria seem discouraging to other students like me who only wants to find a spot where I can sit and eat my lunch peacefully. The politics of choosing where to eat and what to eat with your friends at lunch time can be quite a task. Not only do you have to arrange with your friends how to meet amidst a sea of students on campus, but the process also involves some negotiating as to which cafeteria to go to in order to get your food the fastest. Finally, the process involves the last stage of figuring out where to sit. By 12 o’clock the amphitheater and most cafeterias are occupied by early “lunchers” who have come several minutes before rush hours. It is almost hopeless for students, Japanese or ryugakusei, to come after 12 o’clock and expect to be able to find the ideal spot.

Sports in Japan

2009-04-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

Great effort has been put into promoting sports among youth in Japan by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in the past few decades. The ministry’s main purpose is to promote “(1) Enhancement of physical education in schools, (2) Realization of a lifelong sports society, and (3) Improvement of Japan’s international competitiveness in sports.”

As I've become aware that a decent number of students at Kansai Gaidai University are actively involved in some kinds of sports or physical activity, I've decided to do a short, informal survey to find out about the general history of these students' involvement in sports. A small group of physically active students were asked three questions regarding their involvement with sports. The students belong to the tracks and field circle at the university. An American friend of mine, who have come to be good friends with these students and actually belong to the circle, helped conduct the survey. The results are below.

(1)When did you begin playing sports?
Before 5 years of age: I
Between 5 and 6: II
Between 7 and 9: II
Between 10 and 13: IIIII II

(2) How many types of sports do you do?
[1]: IIIII I
[2]: III
[3]: I
[More than 4] II

(3) How many hours per week do you spend playing sports?
[1-3]: IIII
[4-6]: I
[7-9]: I
[More than 10 hours]: IIIII I

While many college students may have been more active and involved in sports during their high school years, they have traded that in for more time in the library. Many of these students, however, still participate in physical activities to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Regarding students who did not do team sports do dedicate their time after school to play sports with their friends.
Although the students in this survey may not be part of the government’s policies promoting national competitiveness in international sports, they are certainly becoming part of the lifelong sports society of Japan.

Religion in Japan

2009-03-30T09:19:00.001-07:00

Beside technology, religion probably constitutes the second most popular interest among foreign visitors and scholars. Religious events in Japan draw tourist attention each year. Many visitors like to observe authentic religious events. Most first time visitors make visiting spiritual sites a must on their list of places to see. Indeed the sacred Sensoji Temple in Asakusa was one of the most visited spiritual tourist attractions in Tokyo. Many Japanese and foreign visitors flocked around the front gate to catch a glimpse of the Golden Dragon Dance Festival that took place on March 18^th this year. Many first time visitors were surprised to find themselves in the middle of the chaos.

The dance is organized by local men and women every year. It is based on the legend that 1000 pine trees sprang up overnight near the temple on the 18^th day. Three days later a dragon, about 100 shaku (30 m), descended into the pines and was never seen again. The Golden Dragon Dance, which is based on this legend, has come to be linked to the unveiling of the temple’s sacred image for public viewing. People who volunteered for the Dance have engaged in the symbolic act of purification during the preparation process, thus linking myth and religion.

Click here for more information regarding the Golden Dragon Dance in Asakusa.

Globalization- The Japanese Version

2009-03-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

(Japanese man in St. Patrick's Day Parade, 2007. Image from www.daylife.com)

Nothing says globalization more than a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Japan. The Irish Network Japan (INJ) organizes a St. Patrick’s Day Parade on the street of Omote Sando, Harajuku, a part of Tokyo, Japan every year. The parade was first organized by the organization in 1992 with the support of the former Irish ambassador to Japan, Mr. James Sharkey. Since then, the organization has continued the tradition each year to bring to the Irish community in Japan a meaningful and fun St. Patrick’s Day. This year was no exception. The 2009 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Japan did not miss the mark compared to parades organized by larger Irish communities elsewhere, most probably in the West. There were giant floats, Irish music, men wearing kilts, Irish flags, things adorned with images of shamrocks. Anything that could be associated with St. Patrick’s Day were there and more.

However, it was quickly noted that this was no typical Irish parade that one finds in the West. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade this year in Tokyo had a blended flavor of Irish and Japanese culture, more specifically Japanese kawaii pop culture. Everything looked very “authentic” from the outset; there were men in kilts playing the bagpipes, big green floats with shamrocks plastered all over, Irish flags that lined both sides of the street. But a closer look and suddenly you realize that beside the group of 50 Westerners (who may or may not be Irish descents) walking ahead, the rest of the parade consisted of Japanese followers. Of course it was also a bit unusual to find half of the bagpipe players to be Japanese. Given the friendly relations that both Japan and Ireland have cultivated, one may not be so surprised to learn that many Japanese people have come to welcome and embrace Irish culture and traditions. Yet, it is interesting to note the way Japanese people have learned to merge their own culture with Irish traditions.

It is probably not too hasty to assume that Japanese people have injected their own kawaii (cute) concept into the theme of the parade this year, as they may have in previous years. The most visible trace of course was the giant dogs that were dressed in cute dogs’ outfits. Of course, not to miss the theme, the Japanese St. Patty’s Day Parade dressed all of their dogs in green from head to tail. They even played with the styles of the outfits. There were dogs that wore capes and hats, while others that were dressed in shimmery outfits.

One dog, dressed in a dog’s kimono outfit, stood out in particular. It is interesting to note the sort of local ideas that Japanese people take to mesh up with foreign practices to create something totally different but totally fitting to their taste. Here is one example of how Japanese people glocalize a foreign form of celebration to fit something of which they can be direct participants. From globalization to glocalization, that’s how Japan does it. Find anything global and fit it into its local taste. And this is the Japanese version of globalization.

Information about the history of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Tokyo has been obtained from the INJ’s website: http://www.inj.or.jp/stpatrick_e.html.

Photographing Japan

2009-03-09T04:19:00.000-07:00

"...a photo is something that you develop and print yourself, in the dark, and that remains in the dark until you decide to show it."

This week's post focuses on one of Japan's very own professional photographers, Hiroshi Hamaya (1915-1999). Hamaya, a native of Tokyo, began his career focusing on photographing daily life in Japan. At the age of 15, Hamaya taught himself how to take pictures with a focus on ordinary people and their everyday lives. As Hamaya moved on to become a freelance photographer working with Oriental Photographic Industries and later for other employers, he experimented with different themes and subjects in his photographs. Some of the themes that Hamaya experimented with were ancient rituals and farming practices. Hamaya became the first Asian photographer of Magnum Photos, a photographic cooperative owned by its own photographer-members. He gained recognition after World War II for his work during the war. Among his numerous accomplishments, Hamaya was also awarded the Hasselblad Foundation Award (1988) by the Queen of Sweden and the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society (1997).

(Hiroshi Hamaya. Geishas, Ginza, Tokyo, 1937. Borrowed from Artnet, http://www.artnet.com/artwork/425907579/376/hiroshi-hamaya-geishas-ginza-tokyo.html.)

For his work throughout his career, Hamaya experimented with different types of subjects. He concentrated on capturing ordinary people on film during the early stage of his career, choosing to focus on people and their interaction with the environment surrounding them. Hamaya later traveled to other regions of the world, specifically Manchuria and other parts of mainland China, to capture images of war. For this post we will focus on his work in Japan. For a part of his career, Hamaya chose to dedicate his work to presenting the daily lives of ordinary Japanese people in photographs. Even before this, Hamaya had focused on photographing the people of the city that he grew up in, Tokyo. Many of his early photographs consisted on images of geishas, cafes, and street life in the vibrant city. It seems that he balanced his work in presenting two social extremes, one of the vibrant and upbeat city that he was part of and the other of the quiet sleepy towns in rural Japan. His work covered different lifestyles and aspects of Japan, but was not diverse enough to encompass the different aspects of Japanesse culture . His narrow focus, although fell short in presenting various aspects of Japanese culture, did present accurate pieces of information of a specific event existing in a certain time at a certain place in Japan. His work in the city presented a description of the traditional practice of geisha that has continued to exist in the present world. His photographs are not an exaggeration of everyday lives, but a true snapshot of what is happening in everyday Japan. Overall, Hamaya's work come as close as you can possibly get to presenting an accurate description of Japanese culture. By providing images of the two ends of the social spectrum in Japanese society, Hamaya leaves the audience wondering about the in-between groups of people, whose images are not captured by the photographer.

(Hiroshi Hamaya. Toyama woman planting rice, 1955. Borrowed from Steven Kasher Gallery http://www.stevenkasher.com/html/artistresults.asp?artist=197)

Considering the photographer's choice of subjects and themes, I believe Hamaya had attempted to capture images of his subjects interacting with their environment in their natural form. Simple pictures, such as a still image of two geishas walking on the street staring at the camera or a cutoff snapshot of a woman whose pants are covered with mud, don't focus much on who the subject in the picture is as individual, but rather these images provide context as to the cultural interaction or lifestyle that's common of a people of a region. I believe that Hamaya's photographs seek to convey to the viewer a sweeping view of a culture that isn't entirely depicted in every captured images of the photographer's.

"A photographer's role is to show what words and other forms of expression can't convey."

Other works include:
Yukiguni (Snow Country, 1956)
Ura Nihon (Japan's Back Coast, 1957)

All information and images were found at the following websites:
Michael Hoppen Gallery
Frank Horvat Photography
PhotoGuide Japan
Studio Equis
Lens Culture- Photography and Shared Territories (blog)

To view photos by Hamaya and other members of the cooperative go to Magnum Photos.

Japanese Pop Culture

2009-02-27T21:09:00.000-08:00

You may have heard the term kawaii screamed out by a group of teenage girls walking down the street or by a pair of mother and daughter shopping at Kiddyland for school supplies. Kawaii is not just a term used by Japanese people to describe tiny, cute things. As explained by Laura Tiffany, who published an article examining the effect of kawaii on Japanese pop culture on MSNB online, the term kawaii has evolved into a concept that permeates almost every aspect of Japanese culture. Adopted by companies in the entertainment, dessert, and gaming industries, the concept of kawaii has helped drawn large numbers of Japanese customers to these businesses. As I have observed in the few months that I have been in Japan, everywhere I go, everything I do, kawaii has been the ultimate idea and tool used to draw the attention of passerby like myself to a company's product. I noticed on one of my trips to Kyoto that even in a historical site like this former capital city, kawaii is used by local shop owners to draw tourist businesses. One of my first encounter with kawaii was during this Kyoto visit. The colorful umbrellas drew my attention and I immediately stopped to admire to delicate looking umbrellas that didn't look like they would be able to withstand the beating of a mediocre rainstorm. But that doesn't matter to Japanese shoppers. The bright colors and unique patterns were part of the kawaii scheme. Cuteness is all that matters.

The insanity of consumers over this idea of owning something cute has played a big part in driving the economy of Japan. I never understood this idea of kawaii when Japanese students studying in America tried to explain it to me. On my recent trip to Kiddyland, I noticed a new sign outside the door with images of kawaii cartoon characters, such as Hello Kitty, beckoning customers to come in and shop their spring products. Of course this sort of advertisement appeals more to the younger generations and their parents who are shopping to prepare for the students' return to school.

Of course, I, too, got lured in by the cute sign and ended up buying a kawaii hand towel and eraser (pictured below).

Here is a link to a website where you can shop for all things kawaii: http://www.shopkawaii.com/.
Click here to be linked to Laura Tiffany's article on Japanese pop culture and the concept of kawaii.

Japanese People

2009-02-22T05:58:00.000-08:00

Most of us have probably encountered this problem at one point or another starting with our very first interaction with people of other cultures. We must have met and will continue to meet thousands of people during our existence on this planet, but our perception of these people relies mostly on the well learned system of observation and categorization of people in our brain. Our recognition of a person of different cultural or ethnic background is dependent on physical appearance and the depth of our cultural understanding. To ask someone to describe a group of people from one culture in a couple of sentences is difficult, to request that this description be in pictures and that these few pictures capture the various types of people of one culture is impossible. The backbone work of this week's post is an incorporation of my independent work, i.e. pictures that I shot of local Japanese people of the Osaka area, and images borrowed from the internet community. This post is my attempt to capture some aspects and characteristics of Japanese people.

To classify Japanese people of the Japan today, we do not look just at the way the local people dress, but we have to also examine the activities in which they are engaged. Below, a picture of a local band, consisted of young Japanese males, is one representative of Japanese people. This image more or less describes one of the many popular activities in which Japanese youth like to do during their past times. The second image clues us in on an activity of the middle aged group, consisted of a couple and their family. Family life, while is slowly being replaced by career oriented lifestyles chosen by Japanese women, still plays an important role in Japanese society. Here, a family is partaking in a cultural activity that is part of Japanese culture preservation and history learning. The third image provides a shot of various types of Japanese people mingling together, making up the complete view of Japanese population with which some of us come to associate. The last image is of Japanese women in kimonos. Needless to say, this is the typical image of traditional Japanese females. All these pictures were taken within 1 mile of Kyobashi station.

The presence of the women in kimonos adds to our collection of images of Japanese people. Most foreigners would expect to find women and men in Japanese traditional clothes to be the ultimate representation of Japan, but in fact, Japan, an industrialized nation, is characterized by various types of Japanese people.

There are, however, other, less known, groups of Japanese people who have not been introduced above. The other two groups of Japanese people that foreigners may often not come to associate as Japanese are the Ainu people of Hokkaido Island and the Japanese buraku community.

(This image of an Ainu couple was obtained from the University of Minnesota Duluth's website. http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/anth1095/Ainu.html)

(This is an image of a homeless person taking a rest in the park. It has been obtained from Black Tokyo's web page at http://www.blacktokyo.com/2009/01/27/japan%E2%80%99s-outcasts-revisited/.)

It is of course impossible to capture the essence of the Japanese people in a couple of shots. On my recent visit to Osakajo Castle on one weekend I've taken some pictures of people in the park near the castle. These snapshots are probably decent representatives of the Japanese population within the Kansai region. Almost every weekend, Japanese people of all ages and interests gather in the park near the castle to see performances or to give them. Japanese youth gather to hang out, put on a free show, or advertise their band to an audience of passerby. Couples also bring their families to Osakajo Castle to visit the historical site and relive a cultural experience. The park is brought alive every weekend by visitors of all ages, ethnicities, and interests.

Here is a link to a recorded report on the Ainu community in Hokkaido. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYEhubSOtcI. The report was made by ABC Australia.
Factual information regarding the Ainu people can be found at
http://mathildasanthropologyblog.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/the-jomon-of-japan-13000-bc-to-300-bc/ and http://www.cwis.org/fwj/22/ainusupp.htm.

Neighborhood Makin

2009-02-15T08:07:00.000-08:00

On my way to Sanko last Saturday evening I discovered a little quiet part of Makino. I was a little taken aback by the bright round street lights that were hung high above the road I was on. The lights seemed to be the only source of livelihood in town as everyone was wrapping up their business before heading home. Compared to street lights in the U.S. these were far livelier and more festive. The bright streets were enticing. Sanko was closed when I got there, so I decided to go to a drugstore in the area. Out of curiosity I followed the lit road until it ended. For some reason I figured this would lead me to M's Drugstore, where I can buy some milk tea. It did, but at first I was a bit scared of walking through the neighborhood alone. I came back this Sunday to take some pictures. I knew I wanted to present this part of Makino that not many people have taken the time to explore. This side of town doesn't have much to offer foreign visitors beside the numerous local coffee shops, floral shop, and megane stores. The neighborhood is also dotted by some local mini restaurants and electronic stores, like Panasonic and Sony.
I found it odd when I came across the flag above. I had walked for 30 minutes before I came to an empty lot that was housing this sign. I also saw a couple of Century 21 signs along the way. It made me smile a little. I wondered how many English-speaking Westerners are going to be able to see this sign, tucked away in some remote corner of the neighborhood.
I also found a few shrines as I was walking through this part of town. I'm not entirely sure whether this is a Buddhist or Shinto shrine, for both religions use the swastika symbol. I am guessing that this is a Buddhist dedication. This dedication most likely contains a kami that the people of this neighborhood are worshipping.
Here and there along the road were also little shops or stores that were opened to local people. I am a bit surprised by the locations of these shops though. Most of them were located in Makino's residential areas. In America, location is prime. You want to choose a location that's both visible and accessible to customers, and most commercial buildings tend to It is quite different here. Both residential and commercial buildings are located right next to each other.

Early Impressions of Japan

2009-02-07T21:37:00.000-08:00

My first impression of Japan? Freezing winter, or at least that's what I thought my first impression of Japan would be. I was warned beforehand by a native Kyotoite even before I started packing for my trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. Of course, like every typical foreigner on his/her first trip to a strange land, I was both amazed and taken aback by some of the cultural differences found here. The surprising part was that I felt and am still feeling comfortable being in a different environment and making new discoveries everyday. For some reason I felt that I belong to this part of the world. Perhaps, it is because the local people are friendly hosts who are experienced in entertaining foreign students. Of course, like other foreign students I was intrigued by the random placement of vending machines on Japanese streets and residential areas, the Japanese organized system of trash separation for recycling purposes, etc. However, let me stop here. I do not want to go further into explaining my sentiments and thoughts about being a stranger in this land. I've discovered that words alone are sometimes inadequate means of expressing one's thoughts and emotions that may be too subtle or strong to be conveyed. For this reason, I have chosen to express them through this blog. This is an opportunity for me to capture the thoughts and feelings that certain aspects of Japanese culture may arouse in me. Only these images will be able to capture my fleeting thoughts and feelings of all things Japanese. To begin this blog I've included a few pictures that I took in my first few days in the areas surrounding Hirakata-shi. These images were captured through a foreign lens.

Japan is known for its advances in the technological field. One would expect the Japanese lifestyle and culture to be reflective of these advances. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the majority of Japanese living in the Hirakata-shi area, where I happen to reside, are still preserving their traditional style of living.

I absolutely love these little mopeds. They remind me so much of my early memories of Vietnam. I was so excited about seeing one that I took a picture just to show to my parents. Of course the U.S. has these too, but they are not part of the normal transportation system there. I really wonder whether the peaking popularity of this type of vehicle is maintained by its ultra compact sizes that serve to help Japanese people conserve space and suppress emission of CO2. Anyways, these mopeds seem to be the ultimate ride for youngsters (and some middle-aged adults).

I spent my first few days exploring the suburban area surrounding Hirakata-shi. I must have walked past this site a couple of time before I realized that there's something interesting about it. Amazingly, I find this picture to contain an important aspect of Japan's value system. It reminds me of the Japanese concept of uchi-soto: the perceived image of outer appearance for Japanese is always different from the inner true motive. The steel fence outside gives an illusion of formality and order, but view of the other side of the fence (uchi) reveals a much different vibe of the neighborhood. The fence here serves to divide soto from uchi, outside from inside.