Changing Impressions of Japan

enjoying ochazuke at a Japanese temple

One of the firsts things we learnt about the Japanese was the generally accepted view of themselves as a unique race, with an ungraspable language and a different brain to the rest of us. This just served to enforce the idea that as a gaijin I would never fit into Japanese society and always be treated as an outsider, which just made me feel intimidated and sure I would find it a difficult year. Having been here for four months now I still think along the same lines - I will always be an outsider in Japan - but my feeling about that has changed. The reason is in fact due to this discrimination; I have only ever found it to be to my advantage. At festivals I have been ushered to the front so I get a better view and I've lost count of the number of times I have been escorted to places I have been looking for, all examples of the kindness of strangers and the willingness to help foreigners.

Another way in which it helps to be a gaijin is that being seen as a panda means that you can get involved in more experiences as the Japanese value having a gaijin along as somehwat of a status symbol, as well as just thinking you will be more interested in aspects of their culture than the average Japanese person. Kansai Gaidai has been involved in a traditional dance performance with members of the community for this reason, which was a strange cultural exchange if ever I saw one - the audience was a mix of middle aged Japanese and young foreigners come to see their friends perform - but still fun for those involved!
Japanese people often seem to apply the theory that "I couldn't know any better" to all the annoying questions I must ask my Japanese family and friends on a regular basis; I get treated in the same way as a five year old would when asking "why" all the time! As a foreigner I think it also makes me more comfortable asking questions that might seem inconsequential, but which often yield some interesting answers (as Bestor said they do!). For example I once asked my okaasan why the dogs didn't go outside together, which eventually led to her revealing that she didn't think women who had had a hysterectomy could be considered "all woman".....don't ask how! Japanese people also tend to explain the reasons behind actions that other Japanese are expected to know already, which can lead to some interesting discoveries. When I was staying in a temple we were given ochazuke (tea poured over usually leftover rice) at the end of a meal; while she was making it the lady was trying to explain why it is a Japanese tradition, however all I could get from the conversation was that rice was important, has power and the number eighty eight....having no idea what to make of this I asked the Japanese people I  know what she was trying to get at. No-one seems to know, but several people have theories; either that it is the length of time taken to grow rice, the number of gods in a grain of rice or the kanji for rice is made up of the kanji of haachi ju haachi (eighty eight). If only my Japanese was better this could have turned into an interesting discussion on why rice is so important in Japan and why they don't like to waste food! One of the things I like about anthropology is this reflexive aspect, the way it makes people look at their own culture and think about things that they would otherwise take for granted; I often think this is the real purpose of anthropology.
As an anthropologist looking at Japanese culture I have enjoyed the luxuries afforded by the positive discrimination towards foreigners over the last four months. However I might feel differently if I lived somewhere for ten or more years and was always seen as a gaijin while trying to fit in and function as a regular member of society. I am sure the longer I live in Japan the more I might encounter negative discrimination, however as it is I think I will continue to enjoy the remainder of my year here, and make many more interesting discoveries!

two gaijin performing a 'fisherman dance' in Hirakata

Political Parties in Japan - the Christmas Kind

In the run up to Christmas I was lucky enough to get invited to a 'Christmas' party; part cultural-exchange as we taught them about Christmas in England and they taught us how to make sushi, and part excuse for gossip and general merriment. Even amongst this group of middle aged ladies it is possible to see politics in play and an underlying current of Japanese traits. I expect even without prior knowledge of 'collusions' (emic level understanding of a situation - as defined by Befu) that go on in Japan you would be able to spot the tensions that exist between people or are being carefully avoided. When we first arrived we were welcomed in to the hosts "small" house, which was of course not small, especially by Japanese standards. Everyone began to display the food they had made, with some sense of competition - it was at this point that I was glad I had put the effort into making a cake, albeit not a traditionally English one! There was then a definite hierarchical table arrangement, with the hostess at the head and then the gaijin 'pandas' (cute, interesting to look at and fun) placed in the centre to provide the entertainment. Champagne was poured in the same manner as sake; first to the hostess, then a discussion was had about who was the oldest so that they could take their place in the hierarchy, although the Japanese want for privacy kicked in and no ages were actually mentioned. Despite the subtle vying to determine a hirearchy it was done inversely -  comments would be made as to who was the better cook or whose English was the best, and people were constantly trying to top up other's glasses. Perhaps in a society where equality is prized, it is better to set others above you than it is to try and establish power for yourself. 

wrapping up leftover food - note the scales in the foreground

The thing that most drew me to documenting this party in my blog was the precision with which each stage of the afternoon was conducted, from the organisation of the sushi lesson to the clearing up after the meal. Everyone played a part in clearing the table, and when it came to sharing out the food it was a lesson in equality if ever I saw one...scales were used to measure out leftovers so that everyone could take home equal portions. It seems as if the Japanese dislike of conflict has developed so many subtle ways of avoiding it that even personal relationships have a political aspect. I am in no way saying that this is unique to Japan of course, as all societies have their own cultural asumptions and ways of dealing with personal conflict, I just found it interesting the ways in which Japanese people deal with their relationships, and happened upon a great scenario with which to illustrate my ideas. There are many things to notice about cultural collusions, despite not having the emic perspective it is possible to recognise when people are 'acting' out a set of rules that are not literal and straightforward, and I think I will keep it in mind for a future research proposal!

Parent-child relationships in Japan

When I first received the details of my new Japanese host family I was surprised to find that I would be living with three siblings, ranging from a 19 year old to a 28 year old. Coming from a country where children often move out of their parents house at 18 if they go to university, maybe slightly later if they go straight into work, I was surprised that my new siblings were still living at home. After speaking to other homestay students and Japanese friends, I found out that my family wasn't unique; it is in fact quite common for children to continue living with their parents often until they marry. I was curious to find out why there might be such a difference, and what about the Japanese relationship with their children was different. At first I got the usual Japanese response "it is the Japanese way, the Japanese system"; it is the way it has been done for the last few generations. Mothers want to teach their children manners and make sure they will make good spouses, and are reluctant to give them independance until they have found a spouse to pass them on to. This appears to be happening later for this generation of young people, as the economic climate has led to men being more focused on careers and young women are either not as interested in marriage as the previous generation or still looking for a rich man to support them in the way that their parents do. Parents often play a part in arranging partners for their children in order to set them up with a family of their own. Coming from a country that sees arranged marriages as a negative and politically motivated act with the parents interests coming first, I was interested to ask the views of the young Japanese people I know. To find out that excitement and nervousness are prominent emotions and there was no sense of the individual's rights being taken away surprised me. This point is crucial to the difference between arranged marriages in Japan and elsewhere; as opposed to the negative arranged marriages, Japanese parents and extended family's merely act as match-makers using existing networks to find available singles, a situation that Karin Muller describes in her book Japanland which accompanies her film by the same name. There are now matchmaking parties for parents to go to, and although this may not be common and seems to be considered a last resort, it does mimic society's need to find a solution to the declining marriage and therefore birthrate. In a society where the parents are heavily involved in their children's lives, helping them study and then get into employment, it doesn't surprise me that the stress falls on the parents and that they go as far as choosing their child's 'life partner'.