Simultaneously Stagnant & Static

So for my last post this semester I'm actually at a loss, as to what to write about. The theme is changing impressions of Japan and I guess I'm finding it hard to write about because my opinions are exactly that, 'constantly changing'. Its hard for me to pin down a thought without thinking about a different situation where I could easily come to the oppisite conclusion. Some aspects of the culture seem very traditional and unchanged such as the formal way dinner is sometimes presented at a Japanese household. Some nights I've had are just like being in any other multi-cultural cosmopolitan city, albeit with a distinctly Japanese flavour.
My original thoughts about Japan was that it had such an interesting experimental music and art scene that it would be easy to meet japanese people who have similar interests to myself, in wierd and wonderful culture. I have discovered however that the majority of people I meet are only interested in the latest pop song, or talent/idol that the media is pushing at the time. Perhaps this has something to do with the Gaidai bubble but I get the impression that it is like this all over Japan. What this seems to do however is create extremely niche sub-cultures where the people who love it, really, really love it, and the people who make it are phenomenally talented. Japan for me is also the land of the spectacle, where thousands of people will commute to see different coloured leaves, or some gates with lights on them. (I mean yeah they're pretty, but which other country in the world makes an effort to brave the massive crowds, just to go and stand under some lights with your mates?!?) For me these types of events seem to be more about connecting with people rather than the event itself. With some aspects of Japanese culture being so rigid, such as social interaction, these events may act as the social-lube required on a date with someone that you dont know very well. Or maybe it is true that Japanese people appreciate the aesthetic beauty more and so gain a greater fullfilment from visiting them.

I still have another semester here (if all goes according to plan :) and I'm sure that it too will be full of surprises and changing opinions. I still have more layers of the onion to peel back, and I dont think I will ever get to the middle... but I really love onions!!

Politics

Tribal Witchdoctory in Neo-Osaka

The event was called Drumandara at Namba Bears Livespace, and I went there expecting to see ten bands. I was shocked and excited when I opened the door to 10 drum kits and knew I was in for a special night. Everyone in the small crowd of about 20 people gave a small applause as the drummers began to take their places before quickly falling silent.

Members included: Aono Tadahiko/WATCHMEN(ex. Melt Banana), Yosuke Okamoto (neco sleep/rythm dada), 10 sand island NANI (Bogulta), Pikachuu (Afrirampo) just to name a few.

The owner of the club and band member of the Boredoms, Yamamoto Seiichi was set to be the shamanistic ringleader as he waved his totemic styrofoam pole to control the tempo and changes of the drumming orgy. However he spent most of the time sitting right in the middle of this cacaphony of crash symbols, and after about half an hour, the natural unrehearsed rythms started to take on a life of their own with no need for direction. They had succeeded in evoking the almighty spirits of the Drumandara!!~

It was such an amazing experience listening to the tempo's slowly build and grow and morph like some kind of entity struggling to existence before reaching a plateu where it was free to explore itself. The drummers were instinctivley answering each others calls in a primitive orgiastic language of rythm, which at some points, began to take on an ethereal quality akin to the half heard/half imagined cries and chants which I've heard occur during zimbabwean mbira(thumb piano) or traditional african djembe drum sessions.

(Damn you small inadequate bladder... why did you make me miss out on precious seconds of aural extacy!?!!)

My new Aussie mate from Melbourne whom I met at the show and who had also come the previous night, informed me after the concert that the first night was more comedic, with drummers experimenting with playing on different surfaces such as an ashtray which was then thrown into the middle of the circle. He said that night was good, but this night was awesome. He even got to keep the shaman stick although I'm not sure if he had to reserve an extra seat on the plane for it...

These photo's were taken at the Kurama Hi Matsuri (Kurama Fire Festival) We asked a few of the people what the festival was about, and the most we could really understand from our broken English/Japanese conversations was that it was in honour of the fire god, who is not to be confused with the sun god (or was it the other way around...) Although I had the feeling that the people who were displaying the fire in front of they're houses were more interested in showing off they're houses, costumes, and talking with neighbors and visitors, than following any religious doctrine.

One of the most interesting things for me about Japanese religions is that they dont have just one god figure, they have many. Catholic and Christain ancestors did too, until a couple thousand years ago when the 'dominators' wiped out as many opposing religions as possible in the the name of the one "true" god. Another interesting thing I have heard about one of the Japanese religions (I think it was Zen Bhuddism but I can't remember where I heard this...) is that the goal is to reach such an understanding of life that you dont need to learn from your sensei anymore, but rather you use your knowledge to teach and help others. There certainly was a lot of helping going on at this festival, as people seemed to enjoy making the effort to share the load of the heavy fire torches.

This photo is of some of the thousands of people who came to take photo's of the spectacular event. Is this a sign of Japan turning religous events into tourist attractions?? Maybe... but I dont think so... I mean the event is still serving the purpose of bringing people together, and this fire festival felt more spiritual to me than many of the chapels and churches in Europe and Australia that I've been to. After all, millions of people flock to see the pope and take photo's, and I certainly think that seeing people interact with fire is more worthy of attention than some tired old italian dude, telling people how to live as if he knows best. As we walked down the eerie streets of Kurama I felt that this was a celebration of life, and an appreciation of people's efforts instantly grew within me (or maybe that was the beer!?!) either way I certainly had a religious experience which was for me, much closer to god than any of the boring sermons or tedious sunday school lectures I was forced to attend as a child.

Sex toys...

This weeks topic is sexuality and gender in Japan, and I have chosen to discuss the sexualized figurines and toys which are available in almost every populated area of Japan that I have traveled to thus far. In Japan women are objectified and sexualized, often to the point of ridiculousness, this can be seen in hundreds of media formats including magazines, T.V. shows and advertising, but the thing that shocks me the most is the hyper-sexualization of figurines found in gacha gacha (capsule toy) vending machines and figurine shops.
The normal looking gacha gacha, at the top of the page is located at the back of a figure store which sold a huge variety of Anime figurines such as dragonball z, evangelion, hello kitty etc. However, after I looked past the bargain box of dragonball figures I was shocked to see these "porno toys", some depicting women in bondage chains, labelled "2d Dream Heroines" others which I found slightly more disturbing.

These figures on the right are 'super cute' versions of sexualized school girls, and would be instantly demonized as peadophelia, and banned if they tried to sell them in Australia. I recently asked one of my Japanese friends why pornography is so common in Japan, and her reply was that maybe Japanese people are too shy to have sex with each other, so they need another form of indirect sexual experience to fullfill they're sexual urges. I suppose that considering Japan is the land of the cute item, applying that 'cuteness' to pornography is a natural progression.

I cant help but think of how these readily available and accesible sexual images are influencing the minds of young, impressionable children who must surely see these kinky dolls every so often as they try to find their favorite Vegeta or Goku. Having these sexual images and toys as commonplace items will surely help perpetuate the ideology of female sexual objectification among Japanese men and women. I also wonder how long it will be until we start seeing sex robots and what effect that will have on population growth. Who knows maybe that could have a positive environmental outcome? I just hope they dont look anything like the figure below...

Donkey Surprise!!

BIKKURI DONKEY(which means Suprise Donkey) is the name of this restaraunt in Kobe and it was a hamburger joint with a Japanese Twist. The tractor and the American numberplates in the background are obviously the signs of an external cultural influence...

But then, BIKKURI! theres a donkey running the show!

This funny little character is done in the typical Japanese kawaii (cute)

style with the big eyes and a cheezy grin, and smells like a formulaic marketing ploy to me...

Step 1. Food - Hamburgers (everybody likes hamburgers!!)

Step 2. Exotic Cultural Paraphenalia (Barn style room, tractor, liscence plates, wooden barrels... yeah that oughtta do it)

Step 3. Cute Character (lets use a donkey!! no one else has a donkey...)
Step 4. Profit

Senior Donkey wasn't the only surprise, the hamburgers were available on a hotplate with your choice of rice, salad, spaghetti, cheese, egg, steak or chips but not a hamburger bun in sight!

Even traditional japanese side dishes were done with an American twist (notice the takoyaki balls smothered in melted cheese and mayo).

So where does this cullinary, amalgamation of cultures sit within our idealized, authentic food experience expectations? I'm sure that not many people think about the incredible amount of cultural and historical events that transpired for Donkey Surprise to come into existence as they're chowing down on their chiizu hanbaaguu. Besides theres more important things to think about like the beautiful view of Kobe harbour, or trying to impress your date by not getting oily, hamburger drippings all over your shirt, and the table.

I guess this place is not really Japanese or American, but a mixture of ideas that creates a new exotic cultural experience, and after all, havn't humans been doing this for as long as we have existed anyway? Nothing new is created without knowledge, and experience of the things prior, and cultures don't just suddenly appear and stay the same for thousands of years. Cross-cultural interaction and the exchange, and blending of ideas is what makes us such an inventive and successful species. I think globalization has existed long before the roman letters used to spell it were ever invented, and it seems like the only difference about the way Japan imports and uses cultural ideas, is that they don't get so hung up about keeping the idea in its original format. Japan grabs what it likes and integrates it into its existing culture without a second thought, and its all right there on the surface. Or is it?.........

http://www1.kobe-mosaic.co.jp/en/shop_dining.html

Base'ic differences.

One thing I have noticed about Japanese sports is how dedicated they seem to be. I mean some sports clubs meet 5 times a week for three hours or more, that leaves barely any time for partying!! There seems to be more importance placed on the team than I've experienced in any of the sports I've played, or seen being played. After watching the DVD 'Kokoyakyo - High School Baseball' I was really amazed at the dedication and emotions brought out by the complete focus on the team success. They seemed to really wear their hearts on their sleeves and always pay their respects to the opposing team which I believe is a really admirable trait.

We recently went to a baseball game with a group of Japanese students. Apparently it's getting close to the end of the season so it was a bit of a pointless game to watch (in terms of the team standings), but there were still many fans who came to cheer for both teams. The home side was the Orix Buffaloes and they were playing the Rakuten Eagles.

What surprised me was that our Japanese friends didn't really seem to mind who won, as long as we got to see some good plays, we were actually cheering for a tie in the hopes of getting to watch a longer match. So as my German friend picked a side to barrack for to cheer his team on, and playfully slur the other team (they ended up losing... sorry mate), I couldn't help admire the cheering just for the love of the game.

My American room-mate also explained to me, that the Japanese teams are much more skillful around the infield when compared to American teams. Also that American players usually try to slug every ball and try to get a home run, whereas Japanese teams are more about loading up the bases. Another thing my Japanese friend told me was that they're coach was very well respected and known for yelling at the players when it was necessary. It seems to me that coaches in most sports have a similar job, which is to know your players. To know when to push them and when to hold back. It seems as though even though the emphasis is placed on the team as a whole, a heavy burden rests on the coaches shoulders.

There was also a team of cheerleaders, which I am told is another difference to the American game. I felt the cheer squad (trombones and all) were as much a part of the team as anyone else, and all the die hard fans were happy to support their team no matter the odds.

Buffaloes Website:

http://www.kyoceradome-osaka.jp

Humble theorem - Envy in Kyoto

Envy

This might look like any normal music gig, but for me it was a completely different experience to what I'm used to in Australia. This is Japanese hardcore in Kyoto.

The similarities to concerts in most Western countries I've visited are obvious, the crowd nods their heads as the bands release some pent-up emotions, and connect with their audiences using the international language of sound vibration.

Theorem

But then you might look a little harder and notice some differences which may only be slight, but have an amazing impact on the way the music is received.





Notice the way the band is not raised up above everyone else. This tiny difference had an significant effect on the way I connected with the music. It wasn't about going to see an amazing band that had to be placed on a pedestal. It was about listening to some talented guys doing what they do best, 'kickin' out the jams'. Playing on the same level as the audience seemed to send the message 'lets share and enjoy this experience', as opposed to 'we are better than you, you should idolize us'.


As the name suggests, 'Hardcore' music is usually quite aggressive, not only the way the music sounds but also the way people act while listening to it. The stereotypical hardcore fan might be a big muscle man with a shaved head and tattoo's, who barges his way to the front of the stage and guards his turf without consideration for anyone but himself. But what was fascinating about the Japanese audience was their gentle nature, even in the centre of the mosh pit I felt no need to protect myself from a wayward flying elbow, as everyone seemed a little more cautious of trying not to hurt the people around them.

The audience was significantly quieter than most of the rowdy hardcore and heavy music gigs I've been to back home, and it seemed true that they were concentrating on the music a bit more than your average western gig. Also all of the bands had members who stayed after their set to talk to the punters and sink a few beers.

Once again I keep coming back to the same themes of humbleness, respect, awareness and concentration. They're not present in every part of Japanese culture but they do seem to be more dominant than what I'm used to.

All photos taken at Whoopee's in Kyoto

Whoopee's - http://www.whoopees.net/


Masonna - http://www.yamazaki-maso.net/ Follow links to merzbow/boris/kknull/ghost/astro/keiji HAino/acid eater etc.


Envy - http://www.sonzairecords.com/envy.html




Bears @ Namba - http://home.att.ne.jp/orange/bears/info.html




Club Saomai @ Namba - http://www.club-saomai.com/

Spatial awareness

One of the main things I noticed about the Hirakata neighborhood, is the people's amazing awareness of their environment and each other. I suppose it may be a byproduct of so many people living in such close proximity to each other, that one would have to take others into consideration when performing any noisy or possibly harmful activities, such as playing music in your own home, or driving anything bigger than a mini in these tiny streets. I also find the respect for others, in terms of keeping noise levels down, is amazing. The attitudes of most of the neighborhoods I've lived in are usually 'they piss us off, so we piss them off' or 'this is my home so I can do what I want'. All the respect and consideration, may be a result of the influence of Buddhist religions, on Japanese attitudes towards each other. The very Zen, complete focus on quietening the cacophony of noisy, fast paced thoughts, Westerners like myself live with everyday also brings about a certain focus on individual action and movement.

This makes me ponder the ridiculous attitudes of most western governmental, and legal policies towards public liability. I feel so frustrated when I hear things like 'a local carnival was not allowed to set up a ride because the public liability costs are too high' or 'a public artwork is not allowed to be installed because people may try to vandalize it and hurt themselves in the process' or even when a beautiful view of a river is ruined by an ugly looking barrier stopping people from falling down the hill. It seems to me their attitudes towards the public are that people are stupid, so we have to save them from themselves. Which may be true but it also stops us from learning to be aware of and respect our environment, even if it is just a footpath.

This is an exciting gutter!!!!

It's hard to tell from the photo but this gutter/ditch/crevasse is quite deep, and could do some serious damage if you were to lazily glide your jitensha(bike) into it. It wouldn't have a hope in hell of being built in most cities in Australia. The same goes for those metal poles every 20 metres or so, on most of the 'wider' footpaths around here. You can also see in the first photo, that most of the roads don't even have a sectioned footpath, you are lucky to get a painted line marking off the half metre of road your supposed to walk on, which you usually have to cross over anyway because there are electrical poles blocking your way (forget about walking side by side when it's busy). These simple little differences are exciting because they seem to imply the people here are aware of their environment. It also requires concentration on your own actions to walk side by side with trucks and motor bikes zipping past at 60 Km's. Maybe they learn from experience (is one, knackering yourself on a pole, going to be enough to teach you not to do it again?) to focus on what they are really doing, whether it be socially or physically. I believe this to be an attribute which is lacking in a lot of westerners, (including myself) and one which could solve a lot of social problems and tensions.

A Beautiful Morning on Top of the World!!

Ive only been in japan for just over two weeks now, and this place manages to amaze me everyday. On the weekend, my roommate Frank, another seminar house III friend Simon, and I hiked up Fujisan. It was absolutely shinjirarenai!!! (unbelievable) We caught the night bus on Friday night and started hiking Saturday morning. It was so foggy that we couldn't see 10 metres in front of us, but that only made the hike even more exciting. The wind came in heavy gusts which gave us little sneak peaks of the surrounding countryside, that quickly disappeared when we were enveloped by the eerie mountain clouds. We slept in a hut with about 50 other people, all of us tired and packed in like sardines. The wake up call came at about 2:30 the next morning and we walked outside to a beautiful clear night sky. The lights from the cities below were glowing and it was the first real impression of how high we actually were. The last 2 hours hike to the top were fraught with peril, our guide told us that sadly, two people had been killed earlier this year from bad weather conditions. As we were ducking down, shielding our faces from the volcanic rocks flying through the air, I could'nt help feel excitement and anticipation for the summit. It was worth the wait!!

I couldn't help but feel that this mountain trip was the perfect metaphor for my initial experience of Japan. I'd only had brief exposures to Japanese culture, mainly through Anime and movies, but nothing could ever prepare me for the actual experience of this country. I thought that Osaka would be a bustling metropolis and was so surprised at how quiet and peaceful it can be. One thing that really sticks out about Japan for me is the way it takes its time. I'm used to the instantaneous, spontaneous and reactionary, western lifestyle, but everything here seems to be a bit more considered and contemplated. I notice it in the way people respond to being asking directions, everything seems to be thought about in depth and elaborated on, rather than just skimmed over, as would be the case back home. I felt it was a little difficult to develop any comradery with the locals on the hike, and really felt like a bit of an outsider. But by the end of the bustrip back home, and after a lot of smiling and waving, broken Japanese and english, we seemed to be making some headway, and I did feel a little sad saying sayoonara to the people we had shared an amazing experience with. We even got a smile and a wave goodbye from the cute girls who had totally dismissed our previous attemps at starting a conversation. The fog of the unknown was lifted only after the experience and interaction with Japan and its people. I still have a lot to learn before really getting to know this place, and it's going to take some time, but it's definately going to be worth the wait.