Author: dmirand2

Posted on

Lost in Japan (6): Judgment

I’ve written about my ambitions and how I had no real purpose for studying Japanese. The Fool.

I’ve written about the many shades of gray that appear amidst intercultural interactions. The Moon.

I’ve written about pride and the embellished presentation of each of our own cultures. The Sun. 

I’ve written about the issues that never see the light of day – the problems that don’t shine bright enough. The Star.

I’ve written about the importance of understanding that we are not at the center of The World. 

And now: Judgment

There is no greater arbiter for your life’s achievements than yourself. So, when you reflect on your experiences and your growth, subjectivity should be the focus. You know yourself best. Who cares what others think?

Now, time for a little reflection for myself. How did this trip to Japan fare for me?

It’s safe to say that Japan exceeded my expectations. And I’d attribute my enjoyment to the small things. After my tourist-phase wore off and I stopped getting lost, I had the chance to settle down and live an ordinary life. There were days where I just took the train to school, stopped by the bookstore, took a trip to the mall, and went for a run at the park. There was never a dull day. But a lot of that credit goes to my wonderful host family. I’m happy to say that I’ve found a third home. 

And, overall, this experience has changed my life goals. I’ve gone from wanting to work in Japan to living in Japan. I never took the lifestyle outside of work into consideration. Apart from that, I plan to make many more trips in the future to visit my host family. As I left, we promised each other that it wasn’t “goodbye,” just a “see you later.”  And besides, I want to watch Ema and Shuutaro grow up. I’m proud to be their older brother. 

Beyond just interacting with another culture, I learned about the nuance of it. Having had many conversations with the Japanese about international politics, society, and spirituality, I encountered many different opinions. Before this trip, I would’ve labeled Japan as homogenous both in ethnicity and tradition. But it’s not like that at all. 

Culture is not a predetermined feature bestowed onto the public. It is malleable, morphed by the people. The countryside and growing suburbs in Japan are just like any other country’s. Each has its own customs, accent, and traditions. Overall, Japan is a very linear society. Conformity is a strong characteristic. But you should not mistake conformity for submission like I did.

I find it especially interesting that Japan is suffering from a declining birthrate. Immigration policies could be loosened to combat the economic challenges. Japan’s ~3% population of immigrants (residents, not tourists) could soon rise. And with that, new ideas could be introduced. Regardless of my admiration of (and now connection with) the country, I think following the next century of Japan’s history will give us a contemporary perspective of what constitutes Culture.

Thank you for reading,

Daniel

Posted on

Lost in Japan (5): The World

Shibuya Crossing, where approx. 2 million people walk through everyday. Imagine how many different regions, domestic and international, are represented in this picture.

The World. It’s home to everyone and everything. It hosts the Moon and the Sun and the stars. More importantly, it’s home to every Fool, you and I. If it weren’t for the World, how would each of us grow? We’d just be metaphysical blobs in a void without it. Moreso, I feel like we often forget how big the World truly is and, as a result, limit our ability to grow.

For me, prior to this trip, I have only been exposed to my world: the great state of South Carolina. American flags flying on the back of trucks; biscuits and gravy🤤; the occasional confederate flag😅; cheese and grits🤤; the seldom swastika😅; banana pudding🤤; high Covid-19 death tally😅; fried catfish🤤; abstinence sex education😅; chicken and dumplings🤤; teenage pregnancies😅; some the best-darndest peach cobbler🤤; high gun violence rates😅; Zaxby’s chicken🤤; high overdose rates😅; baked mac and cheese🤤; high infant-mortality rate😅; and vinegar-based barbeque🤤.

And I wouldn’t change a thing… 

I’m obviously kidding. There’s always room for improvement. In fact, I’d say that awareness of what our world consists of, both the good (the food🤤) and the bad (everything else😅), provides a good foundation for growth. One of the benefits of traveling is the exposure. Really, what it does is expand your world. You experience new arts, cuisines, values, practices, rituals, and customs. But hopefully you see it all. The problems and solutions that stem from and surround the culture itself. Only then can you definitively say that you have grown, that your world has grown and you see other places as more than an art exhibit for pleasure. It’s why traveling to Mexico to visit family demanded a greater emotional investment from me than just chatting over the phone. I discovered a new place and met important people in my life. Just as the world grew for me then, it grew once more during this trip. 

I’ve mentioned it before: empathy is the most valuable thing in the World. Having an active propensity to care proliferates our growth. If you want to grow, you must be able to understand people. 

With that being said- based on my experiences and conversations- I will now share my condensed view of Japanese society that honestly does not do it justice. After all, my exposure to this wonderful country is from the point of view of a student abroad. Basically, I was just a glorified tourist. So, what takeaways did I have? 

I’d like to address Japan broadly because the one defining overarching theme of conformity affects nearly every aspect of how the country operates. Everyone and every event is on time. Rush hour trains are crowded with salarymen wearing suits. There are no distractions on the streets: No demonstrations. No alcohol in the street (in the day). No street performers. No protests. The homeless are hidden. 

There is no polarizing 24/7 news cycle filled with political pundits. Even then (or maybe as a result), there is very little public criticism of the patriarchal society. And there aren’t any frivolous culture wars occuring. That is not to say that Japan does not face any issues surrounding “culture” similar to that in the West. It’s more that Japan is lagging behind on these matters of immigration, LGBTQ, and even work itself. It has issues with declining birth rates, unsupportive LGBTQ legislation and violence, and suicides from work-related issues as well as deaths caused from exhaustion (which is a case not too uncommon that it’s received its own word, Karōshi). But a lack of open dialogue keeps these problems hidden to the affected communities. 

Now, allow me to share the small, elating pleasures that accompany everyday life. You can walk at night without a worry. The food is tasty and nutritional. The streets are clean. Smoking is limited in public. The cities are filled with trees. Bikes don’t need to be locked in the parks. Overall, this conformity- which I don’t view as a bad thing- is how Japan’s culture remains strong. That is not to say that Japan is stubborn. Every generation has its quarrels with the one before and after. Eventually, time allows this shift in viewpoints to accommodate the new generation. So I acknowledge that my view of Japan is not only skewed by my American/Southern eyes, but also from the eyes of a cool, hip Zoomer.

So, empathy and this “propensity to care,” what’s the deal with that? Where does that lie in all of this? Well. I didn’t just spend time in Japan. I made new friends and spent time with my host family. I finally got to spend time with the little brother and sister that I’ve always wanted. My world has certainly grown. My family has grown. My interests have grown. My propensity to care has expanded. I now have new people thousands of miles away from the US that I care for. And while my interests are limited to just them, it’s a great start for building that connection and empathy that extends to a wider range of people. I care about climate change (Japan’s humidity exacerbates the heat to deadly levels). I care about Japan’s economy (taxes are rising throughout the country. No one likes those). I care about the intense work conditions (I think people exert themselves too much). Why do I care? Because it’s the place where my little brother and sister are growing up. I want them to live their best lives moving forward. Do you have someone abroad that you care for? How has that influenced your way of thinking?

Cheers,

ミランダ

Posted on

Lost in Japan (4): The Star

The Star.

A giant ball of gas that imploded in on itself and somehow created an even more intense ball of energy…

Now, I believe in 99% of science. I believe in vaccines. I believe in the wheel. I believe in contraceptives’ efficacy. I believe in calculators. My mom said I am the cutest boy, so add that to the list. All of those are science facts. But that remaining 1% is this star-propaganda. How does a bunch of lame old gas become a huge, sexy star? 

I’m just being an envious hater. The creation of a star is truly a marvel! If there were an objective metric for meritocracy, I would place stars at the top. I guess the point I’m trying to make is: things are not always what they seem. We have fixed ideas in our heads that blind us from the reality of the situation. We are always fixated on the end-product, but never on the process. Some things are better than they seem, and others are too good to be true.

So, as a foreigner in Japan, allow me to share with you one of my misinterpretations. A broad one that changed a lot of my views. I went to Kabukicho (in Tokyo) alone at one point and I was immediately in awe of the nightlife. I discovered so much about Japan’s red-light district. I wasn’t expecting prostitution to be a blatantly obvious business on the street. After all, it is illegal in Japan. But I as I went about my stroll and discovered host clubs, love hotels, and maid cafes, I noticed that some women on the streets handing out fliers and calling pedestrians’ attention had pimps close by. Sex work. Out in the open.

I thought the streets would be filled with other types of patriarchal, sex-adjacent businesses selling overpriced food and drinks served by pretty, young girls. I never imagined that sex work would be so above board even though it was illegal in the country. I didn’t have to look hard at all. (To be clear, I was not purposefully looking for it.) It just so happens that there are work-arounds for these laws that allow this to happen. From that point, mid-journey, I couldn’t not ignore the street-side advertisers selling massages while the pimps made sure no photos were being taken.

Some days after, I spoke with some guy at a club in Roppongi about my discovery. And I received quite an interesting lecture. Naturally with this situation, it has been difficult to statistically verify these claims. But the logic follows the same economic trends of other countries. Basically, women engage in prostitution to escape poverty- something you rarely see in Japan (in public); immigrants are more likely to be coerced into the industry; and it’s extremely profitable with money not reaching the workers. I then read a Vice article about a well-known spot in Japan for this industry, Watakano, that confirmed some things.

It’s surreal that situations like these are so well-known but not heavily emphasized. But we’re back to that idea about presenting only the good things about ourselves to others, aren’t we? It’s not uncommon. I just never imagined that Japan- the utopia- would have these kinds of issues out in the open. (Please don’t confuse my story with a view of anti-sex work. I actually believe that prostitution is a much safer industry when it is legalized.) And don’t get me started on work culture in Japan. I’ve been avoiding that topic as well, so I am part of this “let’s-ignore-the-elephant-in-the-room” problem.

Don’t get me wrong, this country boy has absolutely loved his experiences in Japan. But, honestly, I sometimes miss being back in my hometown and staring up at the sky. As beautiful as the city life is, I can’t get over the fact that I cannot see the stars at night.

I guess nowhere is perfect. It’s always good to be aware, though… 

Cheers,

ミランダ

Posted on

Lost in Japan (3): The Sun

The Sun.

The brightest star from our view here on Earth. That giant ball of gas that allows our planet to sustain life. Our lives revolve around the Sun (quite literally). These are just some of the Sun’s merits for which it needs to be revered for. I’m sure there are more amazing, spiritual, philosophical, and scientific things about the Sun that can help explain some of our existence and the works of the universe, but I am not a nerd. Don’t worry, though. I can still provide some of my own BS philosophy. 

We embody the Sun. We like to shine. But we also don’t like to show off our dark spots. America’s theme of “freedom” is hilarious and heartwarming, but it also has its own implied ideas included within it. To prove it, I asked a lot of people here, “what are your thoughts on America?” The answers are in no particular order, but here are some memorable answers. 

Survey says!

1) “Tall, Wide Men”

2) Trump

3) Tips

4) Guns

5) Tattoos

6) Lemonade Stands

7) Bigfoot

None of these answers necessarily have to do with American tourists in the country. Basically, you know that stuff we joke about when we scream “AMERICA!”? You know: guns and explosions. That’s what they think of American citizens, too. It’s funny. I associate quite literally ALL of these things I mentioned above with Americans as well. When I picture Americans, I picture gun-loving, freedom-loving, lemonade-stand/small-business-loving Americans. But I must clarify that my view of America is too narrow. That’s the side of America that I viewed having been raised in South Carolina. That might not be how you view US citizens.  

As wild as some of these answers were, the intent behind them was not necessarily negative. For the most part, they were the most engaging and light-hearted answers. Japan’s culture has fostered an environment of a lack of open, candid dialogue. Constructive feedback and criticism are often mistaken for each other, leading to little confrontation in any professional or private setting. As a result, it was difficult to decipher what their true feelings surrounding some of the answers were. And I found it uncomfortable to press further. But having watched Japan’s news programs for the past month on the daily, I can confirm that it is very similar to the West’s. By that, I mean that negativity sells more. Russia and France are hot trends this summer. I can only imagine what news of the US they usually see.

But if it makes anyone feel better. There is one answer that they will openly share about. Americans are rich! You speak with any person in Japan right now about the economy and they’ll tell all about how they envy America’s economy. 

That’s a win in my books. Freedom! Oh wait, I’m doing it again…

Cheers, 

Daniel