Attack of the 50ft Rice Ball!

Changing Impressions.

2009-05-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

Junpei, my best Japanese friend(above) and Tetsu-san

Well, I'm certainly no expert on Japan. A friend I met here emailed me one day and said: "Welcome to Japan, the craziest island in the world!". Yes, it can be crazy, but mostly, it's astonishingly diverse. What has really hit me about Japan is how kind many kind people I have met. Their senses of humor, their generosity and openness... things that are not really stereotypically Japanese.

The other thing that has really affected me has been watching the hosts (and by association, hostesses). I can't even convey the size of the world that is the host industry, it sees like a vortex that sucks in the hosts and the girls who go there. I can't make a judgement like "they are bad people" anymore, because the hosts I've met and know have been really nice people, not just players, but people who miss normal human contact and friendship with peope who aren't from the club. I can't reduce it or catagorise it because it is part of a much bigger picture, and if the host clubs weren't there, who knows what would be there in it's place? I'm not defending these types of establishments but I know a lot more than I did, I can't ignore what I have learnt and I can't convey it in words. It's very sad, though.

So, soon I will leave Japan for the third time. Another time that I will feel I am leavig my home for that place I have always lived: Australia.

But I'll be back.

The politics of... politics

2009-05-14T03:36:00.000-07:00

In April, my friend Junpei Kokita invited my friends and I to a barbeque that his father was having. His father is in politics in Kyoto, and his supporters were attending. Junpei did not mention which party his father worked for.

The day began with introductions, followed by the barbeque, many drinks and games. The supporters ranged from early-twenties men to the very elderly, but there were not more than thirty people were in attendance.

Games included bingo and skits as well as a performance by one of Kokita's supporters.
Later that evening, a friend and I took a taxi. While speaking to him, the driver mentioned that Kokita is famous and leads the communist party... true/ false? My research gave me no answers, but it struck me as curious that my friend did not volenteer this information earlier.

Hanami & Drinking... a national sport.

2009-05-14T01:40:00.000-07:00

Early spring in Japan brings with it one of the icons of Japan... the sakura (cherry) blossoms. In droves, Japanese people flock to parks with their barbeques, blue tarps and more often than not, beer, shochu and umeshu(plum wine). This post's photos were taken in Makino koen on a Sunday. Even among a small group, there is no shortage of alcohol.

Which ever park or place y0u choose to have your hanami (flower-viewing) party, it can be a challenge to find a good location: many groups set out early in order to get a good position. It can seem as if half of Japan is having a hanami party for one week every year.

Frequently, you may see people doing performances such as taiko drumming, dance or other traditional arts such as maiko dance.

Red Lights and Gender...

2009-05-06T01:18:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: some of the following information may be upsetting to some readers.

In a red light district it is common to see all manner of bars catering to men. Umeda, Namba and Kyobashi provide many of these businesses. Maid cafes, soaplands, snack bars and strip clubs are standard fare. What is curious about Japan, especially in Osaka, are the clubs and bars that cater to a female clientele. These establishment, called host bars (or clubs), specialise in selling love. While sex is not strictly off the menu, a host (typically attractive and highly groomed) uses a push/pull method to make a girl fall in love with him and return to the business. A menu typically looks like this. If a host does not have sex with his customer, she is more likely to return. When a girl chooses her host from the 'menu', he will be her host for all subsequent visits. Many of the customers at these establishments are prostitutes and come to the host bars after work. Some see the host bar as a place where they can be treated like a princess. One host who works in Doyamacho, Umeda, explained how girls who come to the club will often have semen on their face or around their mouths. In this club at the time my friend and I were there, there were three other women. All of them were regular customers who worked in the sex industry.

Host clubs themselves are hard to find. Their entrances are often inconspicuous and a girl needs to be invited to the club to gain entry, rather than walking in off the street. To find customers, the Hosts go to the street and try to pick up girls ('nanpa'). Hosts who are on the street are usually less successful. Each club has a ranking system which is evaluated monthly. Top earners do not need to bring new customers in as they already get so much from existing customers. Top nanpa spots are in Kyobashi between the JR and Keihan railway interchange, Umeda around Doyamacho and Hep5, especially between Hep5 and Hankyu Men's department store and Ebisubashi in Namba/Shinsaibashi. Below is a poor quality video of a host doing nanpa.

Other ways that a customer can find a host is through magazines such as Men's Yukai and Yukai, Host Knuckle and online sites including Osaka Host Avenue and Hostnohoshi. The sites list phone numbers, emails and club rates. What is surprising about the Host industry is the magnitude of it. The magazines, the politics, the people who work as hosts and those who go to the clubs. The clubs charge hundreds of dollars for champagne and company, and some will close during the night lull for two hours. This is so the Hosts can sleep and throw up.

The Host who accompanied my friend and I on our research said that from four am, the club picks up and will typically be open until 8am. "The Hosts here are always tired, and the customers are dirty... I would never have sex with them".

It is impossible to convey the industry in this space, but I endevour to write more on it soon.

Religion in Japan

2009-04-02T04:11:00.000-07:00

When you arrive in Japan, especially from a 'young' country like Australia, the number of shrines and temples is quite overwhelming... and that's before you've hit Kyoto. In central Kyoto, one only has to walk down the Teramachi shopping street to see shrines with a strip mall built around them (see photograph below). Many festivals celebrate the kami (gods) and these take place year-round throughout the country. Each festival has a way of drawing the attention of the kami, and there is no shortage of audience. The photo above is in Nara during a fire festival. Despite the rain, the crowd was not deterred- although whether they come for the spectacle or the religious element is unknown!

While Shinto and Buddhism are the two most visible religions in Japan, in Hirakata the presence of Soka Gakkai (a new religion) is strong, with many supporters putting the Komeito (SG's political party) poster outside businesses and residences, occasional gatherings of young people waving posters and magazines as you get off the bus, and advertising for the Soka university in Kansai.

Coca-Cola: The Japanese Version.

2009-03-25T00:07:00.000-07:00

Multinational brands are a fixture on the modern landscape. Walking down the street in Japan, you may see many brands from America, such as McDonald's, KFC and Denny's. While each of these brands has it's own Japanese version, I have chosen to focus upon Coca Cola in Japan.

Apologies for the above sideways picture. I tried to rotate it but it would seem I am not that skilled.

Each drink in the above vending machine is interesting to me as only two of these products are available in my home country Australia (Coca Cola and water). The other products reveal things about the taste and preference of Japanese consumers. Tea and coffee products are not unusual, of course, but the packaging is notable: they are in cans. Someone once told me that Australians don't like milk products to be in cans, according to study and research groups. I haven't found the information to back this up but it i an interesting point to be made. The other products that jump out to me here are the grape favoured Fanta (it would seem orange flavour, the only one available in Australia, is not available in Japan, at least not that I have seen). There seems to be a popular leaning toward grape and melon products in Japan. This is another product in that arsenal.

Finally...

Coca-Cola brand green tea. The drink with the most obvious ties to Japanese culture. I was surprised the first time I found the logo on a bottle I was drinking, and a little cheated. I felt that I was partaking in 'genuine' Japanese culture.... brought to me by Coca-Cola.

Domon Ken 土門拳 (1909-1990)

2009-03-09T04:37:00.000-07:00

This week I will briefly profile Ken Domon 土門拳, a Japanese photographer.

Domon (of Yamagata prefecture) covered many themes during his career. His work as a photojournalist with Nippon magazine (and later with the Kokusai Bunka Shikokai government media group) influenced his 'slice-of-life', unposed photos throughout his career.

"If it's not realistic, then it's not photography"

While Domon famously photographed many Buddhist temples and statues, I have chosen to focus here upon his work after WWII. These works contributed to his winning the 4th Mainichi annual photography award and the 2nd Japan Photo Critics Association award in 1958. For more information on Domon, visit photoguide.jp.

The first image I have chosen is the Hiroshima Genbaku Dome over which the atomic bomb exploded. This image, even to foreign people, is an icon of WWII Japan and the aftermath. I think this is not so much a representation of Japanese culture as a portrayal of the horror of war.

The second image is perhaps more telling of Japanese society, if simply for the telegraph pole on the right hand side which shows typical neighbourhood and address information. Further, it shows a culture of perserverance in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. For more images, visit here.

Domon's work stood out to me among other photographers for the honesty his images portray as well as the striking images he produced.

Manga: beyond the books.

2009-02-28T04:06:00.000-08:00

Many Westerners are familiar with manga, Japan's signature style of sequential art. What many of us can't see until we arrive is how pervasive manga and anime are in everyday life.
The stylised images can be often seen in advertising, in popular media such as magazines and in past times such as pachinko and karaoke.

The obvious difference between Western cartoons and manga/anime is the presentation and context in which such images are used. Western cartoons are rarely seen in advertising, and then it is exceptional if the product sold is aimed at anyone other than a child. Such advertising is usually selling low cost, low involvement products. In Japan, higher involvement purchases are not exempt from the reach of manga. Have a look at this video, for Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles. The characters are the work of Osamu Tezuka who is often called the 'father of manga'. By pairing his iconic work (which is famous through out Japan) with the new car, Toyota carries a strong message: Like Tezuka did (respect for the environment is a long-running theme is Tezuka's works), we respect the environment. This commercial launched the product in Japan.
To celebrate the ten year anniversary of the Prius, Toyota has created another advertisement with Tezuka's characters.

Other popular manga and anime are often featured in Japan's pachinko slot parlors. Often, this is on video advertising outside the business, posters on the business and themed machines. One popular program is Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This anime's theme song is also popular at karaoke. The girl above is singing the theme in Hirakatashi. She also sang songs from Full Metal Alchemist and Death Note. I think this involvement (regardless of age or gender) with manga as popular culture is unparalleled in Western society.

Rena

2009-02-20T01:02:00.000-08:00

This week, the class has been asked to blog on Japanese people. A very broad topic. How does one narrow this down? I chose to focus on a Japanese person, her name is Rena (above, right) . She has given her permission for me to publish this.

Rena, 20, lives in Higashi-Koganei (from memory), on the Tokyo Chuo rail line. She has completed high school but does not have any plans for higher education. She's not sure what she wants to do when she is older. Rena lives in an apartment with one friend. Born in the USA (0f Japanese perentage), Rena moved to Tokyo aged two. Her parents died some time ago. When I asked her how, she responded "drugs". She struck me as unusually open with somewhat private information. Perhaps this was because she knew I couldn't communicate it with my meagre Japanese and could tell others her secrets.

Rena works teaching young children English. She tutors in the afternoons. On weekends she works as a 'roadie' (but is more like a manager) to the band Milk From Nose. She is their photographer, stage hand and publicist. She helped organise the concert below.

Rena likes to shop at OI in Shinjuku and do purikura photos with friends. She drinks ("Lemon Chu-hi is the best"), but she doesn't smoke. Modest and generous, she never took a compliment I gave and tried to pay for everything while we were together.

Neighbourhood Katahoko, Hirakata.

2009-02-12T00:21:00.000-08:00

I have chosen to focus this week's post on the park in Katahoko Higashimachi.

Flanked by busy thoroughfares and residential areas, the park provides a large open space where locals walk their dogs, exercise with friends and bring their children to play. On the eastern side of the park is "Liquor Plaza" and an okonomiyai restaurant. The man above, rather than walking in to the open liquor store, chose to buy five cans of beer from the vending machine, which I found interesting coming from a country with far fewer vending machines, let alone ones with beer in them. The alcohol store also acts as a conbini to locals, with children often running in to buy sweets.

The people who walk their dogs stop to talk politely to each other, while other residents walk around for excercise, both alone and with their friends.

While walking through other parts of Hirakata, people seem to interact on a more impersonal level. Watching the people in the park, it is easy to see that this is a popular place to relax and spend leisure time. Residents also keep this park very clean, always ensuring they have not left rubbish behind and cleaning up after their pet.

Homogenised milk? More like a milkshake!

2009-02-05T15:41:00.000-08:00

When Westerners (in my case, Australians) think of Japan, a few things are likely to spring to mind:

1. Sushi.
2. Tokyo.
3. Manga.
4. Fashion.
5. Kawaii culture.
6. Sarariman armies.
7. Temples and shrines.
8. High-tech gagetry and advanced technology.

Yes, all of these are native to Japan. No, you won't be disappointed if that is what you come looking for. What is first apparent in this list is the oft-stated cliche that Japan is a land of contradictions. What it doesn't allow for is the breadth of the culture and subcultures that exist here.

Many Westerners' only contact with Japanese subculture is through Gwen Stefani's "Harajuku Girls", a dance troupe dressed to resemble the cosplayers on the bridge near Harajuku station, Tokyo. In fashion terms, many of these young people are dressed in visual or decora kei (style), as shown in the pages of Fruits and Kera magazine amongst others. These magazines mostly show punk-rock and gothic lolita styles and have developed cult followings. Popular punk brands include Sex Pot Revenge and Super Lovers amongst others. Most models used on the pages of KERA magazine are from bands; the Super Lovers advertisement below features Uri from Tokyo band Milk From Nose. I took this picture from an interesting blog.

The above brands regularly incorporate the British flag as well as studs and leather in homage to the London punk scene. Notably, this group is more oriented by the fashion look than particular music. That is, many 'visual' bands are not punk music, but a wider genre classified more by looks than a definitive sound. Below is a video I took on my first visit to Japan in November 2007.

Interestingly, only minutes away, an older group meets in Yoyogi Koen. Their chosen style is rockabilly, and despite the 35 degree heat, they were out in droves- dancing, slicking their hair, playing music or, in this case, recovering with a beer.

What I find in these images is the juxtaposition to the images of pagodas and sarariman that so often occupy the pages of travel guides and the minds of people who come here. They suggest lively subcultures and an affront to the homogenity that seems to be the pervading myth of Japan.

I hope you enjoy this blog, although, be warned: cultural misinterpretations abound!