Japanese life: Volume 1

I've been reluctant to post things here from Japan, for which there are several reasons. The first is that I have no internet access at home, which was to be expected, and thus only use the internet when I'm at school. However, I have only been able to go online comfortably on my own computer since recently, so I've only used the internet when it's been very necessary. Also, I've been sending long emails to some friends and family talking about my experience here, which have decreased my desire to write anything here. The things I've wanted to put here are just odd thoughts and random facts that come about spontaneously, but 9 times out of 10 I'm not in a position to spontaneously go online, let alone access my computer. So I've decided to copy the emails I've sent here. My goal in the emails is to use descriptive language to help people visualize my experience. I'm also trying to use a tone of voice appropriate for both speaking to my friends and family, but I think I may come off too mechanical sounding at times. I don't know who reads this past a few people at this point, but any feedback on my writing is appreciated.







Email #1: (I forgot the title, but I'm sure it was whitty - or a retarded pun)

9/1/05

Hi all,

I wrote this email the first Wednesday of the trip when I first found out that there was a light wireless signal in the inn, but with the Colgate email system being what it is, it deleted my hour of work and I haven't gotten a chance to try again until now. I also wrote this email again the other day in a separate text program, but my computer ran out of batteries and it didn't save my file. So this is the third time I'm writing this email and it may be a bit briefer than I originally intended it to be. If there is anyone not on this mailing list that you think you should be added, tell them to email me.

My flight here was near 14 hours long. I had trouble sleeping, so I wound up watching Madagascar a number of times. We arrived in Narita Airport around 3:30 pm Tokyo time, which is about 2:30 am in New York and 5:30 am in London. After a long wait through customs, the baggage claim, baggage shipping and money exchange, we hopped on a private train called the Sky Liner to take us into the heart of Tokyo. From there we transfered to a subway line that took us to Hongo Ni-Chome, where our ryokan (Japanese style inn) was.

One of the most commonly known Japanese customs is to take off one's shoes upon entering a house, which is what we did upon arrival. However, this was only the tip of the iceberg as far as culture shock is concerned. I shared a small tatami room with my friend Alex. I believe it was a 6-mat room, which makes it slightly smaller than my dorm room last year, and significantly smaller than my dad's bathroom. Many Japanese are all about bare bones living in some senses.

Some real culture shock hit our little group when we were shown the ofuro (hot tub/bath) room. A Japanese bath is somewhat different process from a Western one. First, you strip down (out of your complimentary Japanese robe and slippers) before entering the bath room. Then, you proceed to pour a bucket of water over your head (at least that's what I did - and it feels good after a long day). Next, you scrub yourself down and wash your hair and whatever else - all before entering the bath. When you are done with all this, you hop into the hot tub to rinse off. This last step was incredibly refreshing - possibly better than a shower and a sauna combined, if slightly daunting. Especially when you are joined in the bath by five Japanese businessmen.

On the first night, I passed out as quickly and early as I probably ever have, as would become a trend on this trip. The next morning we awoke at 7 to have Japanese style breakfasts in our robes. These breakfasts consisted generally of an egg, cooked any which way, some kind of meat (i.e. ginger beef), miso soup, sometimes some fish, vegetables or salad, a bowl of rice, and sometimes a couple other side dishes. All of these dishes were in very small helpings, and all were infinitely more healthy than most American food - plus just as tasty, if not more.

That day, we went to Asakusa, an area with a Buddhist Temple surrounded by shops in an axial manner. It's an interesting setup. Very touristy. Next, we headed to the Tokyo National Museum, a modern museum with some interesting artifacts and models based on historical figures, cities and the like. Very interesting place - crazy contemporary building done by a French architect. Next to this building was the Sumo Museum, where we learned a bit of sumo history. Sumo tournaments are held there. After this trip, we were on our own to do as we pleased, so I went with a few friends to Akihabara, the electronic nexus of Tokyo, and probably Japan. I saw more neon signs there than I ever have before. The area is inhabited by the nerdy, but humble Akiba kids. I returned to the inn that evening exhausted and in dire need of an ofuro.

The next day we went to the Tokyo Edo Museum, an older style museum with lots more historical artifacts. They had some really interesting Buddhist items and really cool samurai equipment from centuries ago. They also had an exhibit on haniwa, figures which are some of the oldest examples of ceramics (or anything manmade) in Japan. On the way to the temple, we walked through Oedo park, where the cicadas are unbelievably loud. Everywhere in Tokyo, there were loud cicadas, but not like this place. It was almost otherworldly.

The rest of the trip to Tokyo is getting a little foggy now, as it's been a week, but I'll say what I can remember. We were there for three days and four nights. On the final day, we walked through Harajuku, a French-influenced, affluent part of town. We walked down a forest path to an interesting Buddhist temple here, at which point it started to rain heavily, thus making us abandon our plans to visit more sacred spots in the are. We also stopped to see the 20 Famous Bridges and the Imperial Palace, as well as Ginza, where the Sony building and some expensive shopping spots are located. I did not wind up exploring Shibuya, Shinjuku or Roppongi due to being thoroughly drenched that day, though I wanted to.

After a couple days in Tokyo, my digital camera's battery died and I realized that I had left a cord needed to charge it at home. I wasn't able to find this cord anywhere until this Wednesday in Kyoto, when I found a tiny electronics shop in a shopping alley run by a little old man that had all sorts of random cords and cheap electronic devices. Thus, I don't have many pictures, but I am hoping to steal some from other people on the trip who took more.

On Friday, we hopped on the Shinkansen (bullet train) to go to Kyoto, where I am now and will be spending the majority of the trip. The Shinkansen is amazingly fast - it got us from Tokyo to Kyoto in a little over two hours. That day, we got a tour of the University at which we will be studying, and had a meeting with our homestay families. I met Keiko Yasui, a funny, energetic 69-year-old Japanese woman with whom I would be staying. She and I took the trip back to her home in Takatsuki, a city between Kyoto and Osaka in Northern Osaka prefecture. The trip takes somewhere between 60 and 90 minutes, all depending upon whether my host father (Keiko's husband, Daitaro) gives me a ride to the train or whether I take the bus, and also which train I catch (super express, rapid express, limited express or local), what time bus I catch in Kyoto, and how much traffic there is there. Today, September 1st, school starts for Japanese kids, so traffic has increased and public transportation has gotten siginificantly more crowded (it was pretty crowded before, too). To recap, I take a bus from Ankoji-cho, the part of Takatsuki in which my homestay family lives to Takatsuki JR Station, from which point it's a five or ten minute walk to the Hankyu Station, where I board the train to Kyoto. It's a short walk from the train to the no. 5 bus, which I take to the steps of the university. It's taken me a couple days, but I think I've got the trip down now.

We started class on Monday and reviewed last year's material then and Tuesday. Today we started new stuff, but to be honest I'm learning a lot more from talking to my host parents. Mrs. Yasui and I have been chatting about this and that from 1 to 3 hours a night before I pass out around 9 or 10 (and sometimes forget to do a few things). She and Daitaro are incredibly nice - and she's a great cook. I'll save the gist of my Kyoto spiel for my next email, however, as I need to be getting back for dinner now.

As of right now, I have this email saved as a document in a separate text program due to the fact that I am having trouble registering my computer with the university (Macs in Japan are scarce). There is also wireless network running through my host family's neighborhood, but it seems to be WEP password protected. Unless I find a way to send this to another computer, which I can use to send this email, I won't be sending this until one of the above problems is solved. I may use a disk or USB cord to send the file to another computer and send the email using either my AOL or Hotmail accounts, and if I do so I will have to begrudgingly manually input my mailing list I so conveniently set up to send these emails. But, if that's what must be done, than I suppose I have no choice. Sorry to bore all of you with this explanation, but it's been pretty aggravating so I thought I'd vent a little.

That aside, I'm having a great time here. I can't believe how much Japanese I'm picking up and how quickly I'm doing it. My body and mind are still in shock a bit, but that seems to be subsiding. It's interesting to look different from everyone around you. Even if it's not by much. Hope everyone's doing well.

Yours truly,
Jess