まだ見ぬ日本の姿 Changing Impressions of Japan

My impression of Japan has definitely changed from that of the beginning of the semester. Ever since I started taking this course, I become more aware of the subtle details of the everyday things. The ideas that I used to think were normal - for example, how Japanese people are extremely loyal to their assigned work, even if it seem like an unimportant job - now seems a lot more special, since I know it is particular to this country's culture. Had it not been pointed out by the international students in my class, I would have never taken the time to consider the concept of 我慢 ("gaman", to endure) or 一生懸命 ("isshou-kenmei", to do one's best).


When I started this Visual Anthropology course, I did not think that there would be so many things that I could learn from through various kinds of medium. Having to look at Japan from an outsider's view certainly gave me a fresh perspective, and prompted me to question things about my own culture that had never before caught my attention -- Japan, in my mind now, seems so much more interesting and vibrant, and I am pleased to know that there are still many more discoveries to be made (and thus many more pictures to be taken) here.

八百万の神 8 Million Gods of Japan

2 weekends ago, I visited Arashiyama in Kyoto. It was one of the few opportunities to put my mind off of the trivial things that I face every day and simply escape from my busy student life.

While I was going through the mountains on the Arashiyama Trocco Train, I was astonished by the nature surrounding me. I could not help but think about how such a beautiful landscape came to be, and who - if anyone - had created it.

If you are interested in Japan, you may already be familiar with the country’s influence from Shinto (神道), literally, "the way of Gods". In Japan, there are all sorts of Gods; God of Prospericty, God of Education, God of Agriculture, God of Sun...according to Shinto tradition, it is said that there are 8 million Gods. While I was walking through the bamboo forest in Arashiyama, I even came across a Shrine of "縁結び(en-musubi)", or good relationship.

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/hodaka57/m/200609

Unlike in a monotheistic culture, there are so many forms of "kami-sama" in Japanese that people have a hard time pin-pointing what specifically they mean when they use the word "kami-sama (god)". Sokyo Ono, in her book, "Shinto: The Kami Way" (1962) writes that "[t]he Japanese people themselves do not have a clear idea regarding the kami ("God" in Japanese)....They are aware of the kami intuitively at the depth of their consciousness and communicate with the kami directly without having formed the kami-idea conceptually or theologically."

Interestingly enough, even though I don't have a clear understanding of the concept of the Gods myself, I experienced what Japanese call "kami-sama" in the great nature of Arashiyama. It was certainly a presence of somekind of a grand and divine being.

I would like to think that it this kind of breathtaking experiene that takes to understand the concept of God in the Shinto context. Perhaps I may be wrong, but for now, that was as close to my idea of "kami-sama" as it can get...

働かざるもの食うべからず No Work, No Pay

Last weekend I was asked to be in the promotion video for my university. Several people including myself were asked to come to school at 9AM, bright and shine, on a beautiful Sunday morning.

The shooting started out incredibly slow - 6 hours in, we were still working on the first couple of scenes of the video. Since me and this other girl were asked to be in the very last scene, we spent the whole time sitting in the cold lounge, waiting. At this point, I could not help but wonder why in the world I had agreed to participate.

With the never-ending repetition of the same scene, it was apparent that everyone was feeling the tension in the air. The director was getting frustrated, and the crew members were all on there toes. About 20 shots later, we moved on to the next scene - and the same process went on for an additional 6 hours.

After 13 hours of shooting, I was convinced that this day had been a day to confirm that Japanese people are indeed 一生懸命 ("ikksho-kenmei"). It was incredible how each and every one of the crew shared the same passion - not even one of them failed to pay attention to the smallest details. Not a single member complained or showed signs of exhaustion (again, this was taking place on a late Sunday evening) and this truly showed how much Japanese people cherished the notion of group harmony, or 和 "wa" when working as a team.

Aside from my not being able relax on the my rare holiday, I was glad to have been able to witness my culture's 頑張る ("gambaru", to strive) spirit with my own eyes.

I genuinely hope that the shooting crew rested up properly before another week of hard labor started for them....

ご苦労様でした ("gokurou-sama deshita", Good Work)!