Lunch in Tokyo

Yesterday night I was just finishing the book I was reading for one of my classes at uni. It was Penance by the Japanese writer Minato Kanae (湊 かなえ). The one I was reading by myself in my room was the English version, but I also own the Japanese one: 贖罪 (shokuzai).

 

Actually, the reason why we read this book in class is because this class just consists of me, my friend Christin and the teacher and after we finished the course content the teacher had prepared, she asked us what we would like to do next. So I came up with the idea to read this book, the Japanese version together in class and the English version by ourself to prepare and confirm the contents.

I suggested reading this book as I remembered watching the movie years ago. It was when I was on vacation with my parents in Sweden and they were just sitting downstairs in the living room and switching through the TV program to find something interesting. When they found this Japanese movie they called my name and told me I should come – as they knew that I was interested in Japan. I started to watch the movie with them and found it so gripping that I watched until the very late night. I really enjoyed the storyline, especially because it was kind of horrifying.

The story always stayed in my head over the years and when I was already studying Japanese at university one of my new friends, who I got to know there, and me were talking about good Japanese movies we know. I told him about this one as he told me about a movie called Kokuhaku (告白) and then we discovered that both stories were written by the same writer, namely Minato Kanae. This got me even more interested in her and her work.
Later I also watched the movie Kokuhaku in the cinemas but, although it also convinced me 100%, I did not read any of her books back then.

Now I did. And I finished. And I have to say, I am thrilled!

Of course, my Japanese language skills are probably not yet good enough to appraise her style and use of words in the original, but for the English version I can say that it is great!
The way she builds up the whole story and the way she creates little connections and adds small hints chapter by chapter – hints you may not be able to understand at first, but which eventually come together to form a whole – is just superb.

I will now definitely continue to read books written by her and watch movies based on her novels. Not only that I am very curious about the other stories she might have made up in her creative head, but I also think it is a very good practice for me and my Japanese skills if I continue reading her books or watching these movies in Japanese.
Especially as I am about to return to my country and I really, really don’t want to lose the language abilities I was able to achieve so far.

But one other thing I also thought was quite interesting about reading a novel by her for the first time is that, compared to the movies in which scenery and faces are aready set, while reading and while making up your own version of everything that occurs and exists in the story in your head, everything felt so familiar with me and not foreign at all. My meaning is that although the story takes place in Japan and all the characters are – of course – Japanese, it was very easy or rather normal for me to empathize with these people. Now you might think: Why is she saying this? Actually, I am not sure. I also wondered, why shouldn’t that be possible or why do I even wonder why it is so easy for me. Probably I was expecting it to feel more unusual to what I used to know or to what I remember from my childhood in Germany as the story does not take part in a place close to where I come from. Not only because it is another country but also because it is set in another decade.

The way people live their lives may kind of vary from country to country in some regard.. but at the same time we seem to share more than we think and we live lives more similar to each other than we thought we do.
I really like that thought!

Three questions to think about: 

1) Have you ever read a book by a Japanese writer, whether in Japanese or in another language? Or can you remember any Japanese movie you watched? If yes, which one and how did you like it?

2) Or have you even read the same book or another book by the Minato Kanae? (Or watched any of the movies based on her stories?) Tell me your impression about it!

3) What do you think about my thoughts I wrote down in the last part of my journal? Did you experience something similar before? Even if it was not while reading a Japanese book or watching a Japanese movie – every kind of “normal situation” is fine!

Last Saturday me and my friend Christin went to the Shinnenkai (新年会) of the KIFA citizens’ organization (Kodaira International Friendship Association). A Shinnenkai is Japanese tradition and a kind of festival of getting together to welcome the arrival of the New Year. We were invited to this event as we had volunteered to help them a few times already. On this day they did not only offer us to participate in a traditional Shinnenkai, but also we had the chance to get dressed in a real Japanese Kimono and get our hair done by professionals as well as we could try Mochi-tsuki (餅つき), the traditional mochi-pounding ceremony.

It was the first time for me to wear a Kimono and actually before I always resisted to do so. I don’t know, because the image I had in my had were these kind of tourist places like Asakusa in Tokyo were way too many foreigners can borrow a Kimono for very little money and take pictures of each other while walking around the Temple area. I really don’t like these kind of “touristy things to do”, that’s why I resisted.

But in this case it was different. It was a small celebration in a very small circle and most of the people were Japanese so it was not touristy at all. And it was just 500 Yen (haha).

It took quite a long time to get dressed in the Kimono. We could not choose which Kimono to wear but we were able to choose the style of our hair as well as the kami-kazari (髪飾り), hair ornaments. I chose mine matching the colors of my Kimono.

Overall, we spent around 3 hours wearing the Kimono. It was very tough since the Kimono, especially the Obi (帯) – a kind of belt -, is tied very tightly. While being dressed like this it’s pretty hard to breathe, as well as it is hard to eat or even to move.

But it was a very, very great – and for me a kind of “real” or “authentic” Japan – experience and I am so happy that I was able to have this chance.

Also the event was taking place in the week of the actual Seijinshiki (成人式), the coming of age ceremony which is held to congratulate all those who have reached or will reach the age of 20 between April 2 of the previous year and April 1 of the current year.
For the ceremony, the Japanese women get dressed in very beautiful and expensive traditional kimonos, while nowadays men are almost exclusively turn up in black suits. Only occasionally you can see them wearing Kimonos as well.

I really like these kind of traditions in Japan, which they keep over the years. Unfortunately in Germany there is nothing quite like this anymore.

Three questions to think about: 

1) Did you already have the chance or rather use the chance to wear a traditional Kimono since you are in Japan? How was it and how did you feel?

2) What do you think about the Seijinshiki? Is there something comparable in your country – some kind of tradition people keep up for years and years?

3) Do you think Japanese people will still practice this tradition in 30 years? Or do you think there is a risk of extinction – as it is the case in many other countries already?

Recently I started watching the British anthology science fiction television series Black Mirror on Netflix which adresses various effects of using technology and media on society. I really enjoy watching this series as it keeps you thinking a lot about the present and the future – how the world is and what the world could become like.
One episode, namely the third and final episode of the second season The Waldo Moment, impressed me a lot, but most of all, it caught my attention because it reminded me of a phenomenon in Japan. But first about the plot:

The episode is about Jamie, a failed comedian who now works as a voice actor and digital puppeteer for a blue animated bear named Waldo. He interviews politicians and other officials in an insultingly funny way. Jamie’s producer decides to bring Waldo into politics to become a member of parliament and the focus of public attention. The initial joke, however, exceeds to unexpected proportions as Waldo indeed gets voted.

After watching this period I started thinking a lot. I was kind of shocked of how the story developed and especially of how it ended. I started wondering if something like this would really be possible in our future society, if an animated character could really have such a huge impact and be able to mobilise people in a political (or different) way.

Still now I’m not quite certain of what I think – whether something similar could happen or not. But it made me remember and think of something, a phenomenon which already occured in the Japanese society. I am talking about Hatsune Miku, a Vocaloid software voicebank – or rather a virtual idol – developed by Crypton Futere Media. There are far more Vocaloids in Japan but she is the most popular one. You cannot only see her on your own computer or TV but she also performs at concerts onstage as an animated projection. This year one friend of mine who is a really big fan of Hatsune Miku went to see a concert in Germany. It took place in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne which has actual space for up to 20.000 people and it was sold out.

I think it is a very interesting development though I am not sure if I should like or dislike it.

Three questions to think about: 

1) Did you think about this topic before?  Did you watch some episode of Black Mirror or rather do you know about Hatsune Miku? What is your feeling?

2) Do you think that something like Hatsune Miku, a virtual popstar, could be successful in your country like it is in Japan? Why?

3) Do you think that there could be something like virtual politicians in the future?

Yesterday, the 15th of December, me, three other exchange students and four other Japanese students from Tsuda went to the National Theatre of Tokyo to see a traditional Bunraku play. This event was organized by a few women of the FUREAI network who were waiting for us in front of the main entrance before the play. After the Bunraku program (which actually was super interesting and not boring at all but still I overslept half of the performance because I misscalculated the time I would have to sleep in the night until I had to get up in the next morning, so sorry!) we went to a nearby restaurant to have a “light meal” together. At least this is what they told us per mail in advance. I really don’t get why Japanese people think sandwiches with eggsalad and tuna-mayo are a “light” meal. But anyways. At first I felt very uncomfortable in that restaurant actually, I don’t know. It seemed to be very fancy and designed for a elite society that tries to pretend to be part of a fine dining English tea house society from the 1960s. I wonder why they chose this restaurant. Was it just because they enjoy this kind of “elite culture activities” or was it because they think it might impress us “white” exchange students (haha). I am not sure. Probably they just liked it and as it was close to the theatre…

The women of the FUREAI network started to talk in English (one was even able to talk German) and wanted us to make a kind of one by one introduction first. So we introduced ourselves before we then started to eat and split up in smaller groups of conversations.

While I was still talking with the women to my left, the women to my right already started to have another conversation. Once I kind of finished with the left and turned over to continue eating my sandwiches, I also started to listen to the talking that was going on to my right. One of the women recognized and directly adressed me to participate in their “discussion about the Second World War”. My first thought was “Oh my god, what is happening now?” I really thought that they wanted to start a conversation I have been forwarned about several times before I came to Japan. A conversation about Japanese-German relationships and that we have been “quite good friends” actually since we cooperated in the war etc.

But I was wrong. What they actually talked about, was a topic I also was thinking about a lot since two weeks, or rather since it came up in my thursdays lecture on Japanese Society. They talked about the differences in the way Japan and Germany deals with their own history, especially the history of the Second World War. They asked me about if it is true that German children will learn all the facts about what the Germans under Hitler did in school very detailed and over and over again. I confirmed. Yes, it is that in Germany the WW II is kind of the main focus in history classes. Every few years we will again concentrate on understanding what happened in the past and that something alike must never ever happen again. But we do not only tackle this topic in history class, but also in German literature class, in arts class, in education class and so on.
BUT, to get back to the actual topic, in Japan this is not the case. Students will barely learn anything about the Japanese history of WW II. This is what I already got from talking about it with Japanese students in the Society class, but now these women were making it a topic as well.

They seemed to be very informed and even more disliking this whole matter. I was so surprised to be able to have a very critical and deep conversation about society and political matters with Japanese women. This was the first time I heard Japanese women talk so confidently and assure about what they think. They did not hesistate at all to say what they wanted to say. We were having a very good conversation about different kinds of topics at that time. But this was not all of the interesting things going on.

At one point one of the women stopped in the middle of her sentence and looked at the three Japanese Tsuda students who were also sitting at our table. “This is what always happens!” she said. “Everytime we talk about complex and profound political matters or having discussions like that, the foreign people take part very actively and all of the Japanese women fall silent.” She was bluntly adressing each of the three girls and asks them to say something they think right now, straight away without thinking too much AND: in English. This was so extraoridnary. First I was a bit worried how the Japanese girls might feel now because they seemed to be very ashamed and insecure. But then they started to talk. Even if they did not really say something too critical or too harsh they still tried and they still said something.

I was so thrilled by what happened in this short three-quarter-hour. I already got so used to the average behavior of Japanese girls or women and started to accept that they just don’t say what they think and that there will probably barely be a chance to have the kind of discussions with my Japanese friends which I have with my German friends at home. But now I feel that there is hope! If women will motivate each other and empower themselves to speak out loud, they can make it – also here in Japan.

These powerful FUREAI women around their sixties or seventies were so powerful and strong! And if they can make it – although they even come from a completely different and actually even more strict and conservative generation – why shouldn’t Tsuda students or any other Japanese women be able to make it!

Three questions to think about: 

1) How do you think about this topic? Do you agree with what I said about the image I have on the average Japanese women’s way to take part in conversations and discussions or do you disagree?

2) How about your country? What is the image of the average woman? Is she powerful and non-hesistant about speaking what she thinks? Or is there not much for women to say in your country in general? Tell me about the situation from your point of view.

3) Do you also think that there is hope that women will be gain more power and will be stronger in countries like Japan, Korea (or any other country where there is still no real equality) in the future?

I don’t know how often I cooked さつまいもご飯 (satsumaimo gohan) in the last weeks. To be honest, I never heard about if before I tried it for the first time here in Japan – I didn’t even was aware of the fact that the Japanese sweet potato is different from the sweet potatoes I used to eat and use at home. The sweet potato I already was close with has a light brown complexion and a strong orange flesh. The taste is – what a surprise – sweet. The variety of uses ranges from sweet potato fries to curry element on to brownie component.

When I came to Japan and saw that purple conk in the supermarket for the first time I was sure that it was Ube, the purple sweet potato from which many trendy restaurants were making crazy desserts right now and which I tried when I was in Hong Kong last year. As I had no idea how to use it, I didn’t buy it.

A few weeks ago I was attending the activity of one of the university clubs for the first time – the Olive Cooking Club. As I enjoy cooking (with others) a lot, I was really interested in joining that club. On that day one of the four dishes we made turned out to be satsumaimo gohan – rice with Japanese sweet potato. As soon as we started cutting the tuber I realized that the inside was not purple – as I expected – but light yellow. We just cut the potato into cubes and put it on top of the rice into the rice cooker to let it cook together. Once the rice cooker gave us the final signal, we just had to stir and were then able to enjoy! Mhhh..

Long story short: I really liked how tasty, easy and nutritious this dish was so I started to cook it by myself – instead of plain rice. And as one satsumaimo is big and I am alone… Yes, I ended up eating that dish quite a lot.
This was the story of how my autumn started tasting like さつまいもご飯. The End.

(pt.2) When this topic comes up in conversations with Japanese people I mostly face astonishment. But one friend of mine told me that she also really likes to cook and eat this dish these days as the satsumaimo is a traditional food to eat in the season of autumn in Japan.

This is actually something I hear a lot. “On that day we will always eat xy.” “Oh yes, Japanese people really like to eat xy for xy.” “In time xy you should definitely eat some xy.”
I started to realize that food is strongly associated with specific times, specific seasons and specific customs. But this does not only apply to food. Japanese in general tend to celebrate and value the four seasons much more than people in Germany do. There are a lot of seasonal matsuris (祭り）all over Japan for various occasions and in various places.

This season, the fall, is very famous and popular in Japan (but also internationally) for its beautiful 紅葉 (momiji or kōyō). This kanji combination is not only used to name the Japanese maple tree (momiji) but also for the colorful autumn leaves in general (kōyō). Two weeks ago I visited the いちょう祭り (ichō matsuri) near to Meiji Jingu Gaien, a very nice big park in Shinjuku. I was able to see an avenue full of ginkgo trees in their fullest yellowness. It was beautiful!
Also, last week, me and my friend Christin wanted to use the last chance to see the illuminations of the momiji at Rikugien Park in Bunkyo . We went in the early afternoon to be able to see the trees in the setting sun and were then waiting for it to get dark and the trees to be lightened up while enjoying a Japanese matcha tea in a traditional tea house.

This “celebration” of the four seasons is a very nice and wonderful tradition, as I think.
In Germany, unfortunately, most of the people will rather complain about it and the “bad weather” it comes along with than enjoying the little things. Whether it is the heat in summer, the rain in autumn or the cold in winter. I really like and appreciate how Japanese people tend to pitch on the positive aspects of each season and each seasons characteristics.
Germans, please do well to draw some inspiration from this way of thinking!

Three questions to think about: 

1) How do people in your country celebrate the four seasons? What kind of meaning or importance do they have for you personally?

2) Did you participate in any kind of seasonal matsuri or custom since you are in Japan?
Or, when you live in Japan, what kind of matsuri do you usually visit and what kind of customs do you practice or integrate in your everyday life?

3) Do you think the importance of the seasons for Japan and the Japanese will decline in the future or do you think it will stay like this forever?

さつまいもご飯 recipe for one:

Ingredients:

Somewhere and somehow we are all the same. We all belong to the same species. We all were born and we all were children. But at some certain early stage external forces start to influence the internal state of each indiviual.
Every child has a dream. And from the beginning, at least that is what I believe, every child has the same chance to pursuit this dream.

Unfortunately children are the weakest link in the fabric of our society and therefore the easiest to get affected. This thought is not new. I was aware of how humans unfold and in which stage they will develop and get shaped most within the shortest time.
But recently, this topic came up to my mind and I started thinking about it again.

A few days ago I went to 小平第十五小学校 (Kodaira Jugo Elementary School) with my Kanji class. This project intented to bring together Japanese elementary school students and international students from Tsuda University for an intercultural and language exchange. In small groups of three we were visiting one class of sixth graders. We had to prepare self-introductions in English, Japanese and in our mother language. Moreover we were asked to bring a few photos of nice and visit-worthy places in our hometown. After we introduced ourselves to the children, they had to present something about them in exchange. All of them started to tell us their name, their hometown and their birthday. But the main part I’m driving at is the last part of their introduction. Each child came up with self-painted pictures of their dream – the dream of what they want to be in their future.

I was so moved when I heard about all of these assertive and creative visions of these 12 year old children. Everything was in the program: a police officer, a hair dresser,
a teacher, a peace maker, a rugby player, a bus driver, a fire fighter, a nurse, a cashier. And the reasons for what made them dream these dreams were just too cute. I could not stop smiling.

I don’t want to say that I doubted that Japanese children are just normal children with bright untouched dreams of what they want to become when they get older.
… but to be honest, I did. At least a bit. Since I am studying in Japan now since a few months already and had lots of chances to get in contact with Japanese students in my age, I slightly developed the feeling that in the Japanese society there is no space for dreams. Of course there are always exceptions but the majority of these girls is doing exactly the same. I am not talking about their major or their free time activites, but about their views on their future and what they think they have to do. In the main, the pattern is finishing school, entering university, starting job hunting in the end of the third year, finishing university after the fourth year and starting to work straight away.
And where it all seems to lead – regardless of what they have studied for four years – is salaried relationship. Not too surprisingly that I started to think Japanese people in general gave up the whole thing with dreaming.

But the children at this school made me question the situation in Japan. Why are Japanese people in my age thinking so differently from German people in my age although they used to think what I was thinking when I was a kid?
Why do they develop these ideas and when do they give up their dreams?

In contrast: Why am I able to do what I want to do? Why do I feel that I can go my own way and take my own decisions? Why have I been able to take a gap year after school for doing a working holiday in Australia? Why am I able to study a whole bachelor’s degree in Japanese Studies just because I am interested in learning about the Japanese culture? And why do I not feel pressure of time at all while doing all these things?

The reason might lie in the roots and history of our societies but also in what our societies are like today. It made me so happy to see all these kids and to hear about what they are dreaming of. But at the same time it made me so sad to sit in front of them and to know what they are all (probably) going to end up with.

I wish more societies in the world would concentrate on enhancing individuality rather than just aiming for their own growth and power as a nation to compete the others.

 

Three questions to think about: 

1) How is the situation in your country? Are indiviuals able to pursuit their dreams or do they get all pushed into the same direction?

2) What might be the reasons for Japanese people to think in that way from a certain stage in their lives?

3) Looking to the future, do you think that there will be a change in the young Japanese peoples minds?