There are two ways to understand a culture. The first involves constant action- going places. In the case of Japan; temples, Buddha statues, crazy Tokyo crosswalks with hundreds of people, fish markets, hot springs, etc. This is what I spent my first month and a half doing in hopes to understand Japan. This was back when I actually believed "Japan isn't that different." I've hit a new mark now, and my further growth in learning about this (very foreign!) culture has less to do with going places, as it does with real living in the place around me. I'll give two such recent examples.
Last week I went to a nearby park, looking for a good place to sit and read (yes, its still warm here!) There was a probably kindergarten class playing nearby-- throwing hand made boomerangs (pronounced boomeran-go), full body yelling as only children can do, etc. I was enjoying watching them, and felt pretty unnoticed. Suddenly, one brave little Japanese 5 year old marches her way over to me, her belly popping out
of her shirt, and starts blabbering to me in Japanese. I mean, even after I said my typical "wakarimasen" (I don't understand), she kept going for another good three or four minutes, talking away. I finally realized she was (maybe?) asking where I am from. I questioningly said, "America?" Answer correct. My reward? She turns around, starts yelling at the top of her lungs in Japanese, the last word being America. That was the cue for the rest of the class to drop what they are doing and run full speed towards me, where I was then smothered in Japanese children shouts and laughter. The sun was blinding me, looking up at them, but still all I could see were the most adorable Japanese faces ever. I attempted a Japanese, "I'm an English teacher," which was enough to allow the shouts of "nice to meet you" and "my name is" repeatedly. Each kid yelled that at me probably a good ten times, each time as if it were the first- they were so proud! The boys started throwing grass on my head, the girls picking me flowers (which are on now my desk!) When one girl jumped on my back, nearly choking me in the process, the teacher didn't quite know what to do. I loved every minute of it. I would point to a girl's shirt and say "yellow" and that would be their sign to start yelling out the colors for all they could see. Then I pointed to a dog in the distance, and again the same- suddenly there they go, full energy, yelling and impersonating animals in English. It made me wish I were teaching children. But, more importantly, it was such a beautiful example to how "children are children."As time goes on here I'm seeing more and more how the Japanese mentality, value structure, view of the world, way of living... is just so NOT American. (I refer to this as "the way of the tea," a phrase I jokingly use as the excuse to everything different. It's modelled after my tea ceremony teacher, who uses this phrase to answer each and every one of my questions beginning with "why.")
And I've spent a lot of time comparing these two contradictory systems and looking where my values lay and why, and also which best promotes the better individual (these conclusions will be in-person discussions when I return!) But, after all this recent thinking, it was so nice to have a completely natural encounter with the most unified of all this beautiful Earth-- that of children. Japanese children aren't yet Japanese in personality, mentality, and so forth. They aren't restricted by anything. They are free. And in that, they share something with all children of the world. It was simply glorious to witness this so clearly, so freely... and in the place that I live. It connects me to that park, that metro station... makes me feel that little bit less like an outsider and more a part of the community around me.
Another example is a few days ago when I went to Asakusa, an area of Tokyo with one of Japan's famous temples. I had been in the day but wanted to see it at night, lit up in the dark. I was standing there taking a picture of some beautiful lanterns when a business man says to me in almost perfect English, "do you know what you are taking a picture of?" He goes on to explain to me how back in the day lanterns were used as a source of light but now they are just advertisements. So, what I thought was so beautiful is nothing more than a beer company's ad! We had a good laugh. He ended up taking me around the whole temple telling me all kinds of things I wouldn't have known otherwise. Like, for example, on the entrance way there is a big hand-made shoe for a god (picture below) and if you touch it you are supposed to gain the qualities of being a good worker. But its high. So, he showed me how to climb, jump up, touch it, and jump back down. I think he was a little shocked when after he showed me
I seriously said "ok, my turn!" We had a good talk about religion, as he is a Buddhist converted Christian. All these encounters just help me realize there is more to a place than marking off on a check-list the "must see" of a country.
