Hikikomania: Existential Horror or National Malaise?

Consider a country in which one percent of the population (one million youths) choose to stay within their own rooms to escape from a society that seeks harmony over freedom, sacrifices individuals for collective progress, has a government sanctioned precise curriculum nationwide, and restricts immigration so that foreign thoughts do not taint the homogenous ideology. This country is surrounded by walls of an ocean mirroring the four-walled room in which these social isolates express their malaise of a nation built on fixed social mores in a swiftly changing world. Well, it sounds like an intriguing Science-fiction novel but, here, in Japan, the hikikomori are silent rebels protesting Japanese society.

Hikikomori are perceived in two ways: as lazy and anxious youths who cannot communicate easily or as mentally diseased. In reality, hikikomori are more like canaries in a coalmine, being sensitive individuals searching for identity in a society that does not support deviations from the norm. The hikikomori can instinctively sense that something is wrong with Japanese society and thus choose to do the only kind of rebellion acceptable, retreat into their rooms blocking out the sun and the society of the Rising Sun. A hikikomori is defined as “a person sequestered in his room for six months or longer with no social life beyond his home” (Jones 48).

Nakane Chie, a Japanese anthropologist, describes Japan as a vertical society or tate-shakai in which each relationship is put into a hierarchical structure emphasizing the inequality between persons. Each human interaction can be understood through superiors and inferiors with each person having a specific place within a group (Roberson). The Japanese find their identity through association with a group, be that a company or a role in life, such as ryosai-kenbo or “good wife, wise mother”. This emphasis on group identification creates a great distinction between people who are uchi and soto, inside and outside, respectively, of one’s group: “individual identity is deeply swathed in mutual interdependence” (Zielenziger 18).

There exists a dichotomy in every Japanese self: this dichotomy can be explained in terms of honne and tatemae, true feelings and façade, respectively. A Japanese person is very selective in whom they will show their honne too, usually only members of their uchi and sometimes not at all or with the aid of inebriates, the Health Ministry estimates over two million alcoholics in Japan (Zielenziger 215).

This shutting off of personal feelings and living through their façade can lead to many problems expressing healthy emotions and difficulty with intimacy or communication.  However, many Japanese are quite able to switch effortlessly between their different façades, as one hikikomori puts it, “Regular people have an ability to hide their true feelings just to be able to get along with others in the world” (Zielenziger 24).  This switching between manifestations of self may account for the drastic difference in percentages of diagnosed multiple personality disorders when contrasted with the Western world. So says Japanese psychologist, Yuichi Hattori, “Because all of us Japanese grow up with multiple personalities, we almost never see this disorder in our patients” (Zielenziger 64). The rate of mental illness associated with anxiety disorders is 18% in the US and 5.3% in Japan, although due to the difference in number of psychologists in the US and Japan, Japanese rates of anxiety disorders may be under-diagnosed.

As a whole, Japanese society seeks harmony or wa as their “preeminent social value” (Reid 79). This permeates Japanese language where honorifics are built into daily interactions and apologies are used frequently (Reid 81). This seeking of wa is evident in all aspects of Japanese society from their social interactions, their school system, and their corporate world.  “The hierarchical nature of the social architecture, the need to maintain group harmony, and the fear of standing out only make the tendency to acquiesce more powerful” which emphasizes the collective wa and seeks to crush individual dissidents who pose a threat to the wa: “Deru kui wa utarareru” or “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down” (Zielenziger 128, Reid 151).

The hammering down of individuals begins in the school yard where ijime, roughly translated as bullying, is prevalent. Students who do not readily conform to the ideal or fit in, for whatever reason, will be bullied by the group (Reid 130). This practice is not particularly discouraged by teachers or parents as it encourages “behavior modification” in order to harmoniously fit in to groups and prepares students for real life by developing skills to form and operate within “cohesive social units and hierarchical relationships” upon which Japanese society is built (Zielenziger 50). Parents and teachers do not interfere as they believe that the group has recognized within the bullied party some character flaws that need to be worked out (Zielenziger 51). In 1994, the Ministry of Education reported 58.4 percent of all junior high schools report serious ijime incidents, which corresponds to an increase in school refusal, climbing to two percent of high school students not showing up for class in 2005 (Zielenziger 52, 53). The rate of school refusal has doubled since 1990 (Jones 48). This bullying is often a trigger for the hikikomori to retract themselves from society.

The smallest unit of traditional Japanese society is the ie or house/family, which Nakane Chie defines as a corporate, co-residential group. Traditionally, it is composed of a hierarchy in which the active members, the first son and his bride, take on the family name and care for their elders and descendents until the next first-born son takes over the job. The traditional ie consisted of a multi-generational household with men and women taking on gender appropriate roles, the man acting as the “main pillar” or daikokubashira and the woman acting as a “good wife and wise mother” or ryosai-kenbo. As Japan has industrialized and experienced a nuclearization of the family, with the additional factor of declining birthrates, the family has shrunk, generally, to a husband, wife and child. The members of the family still perform their gendered roles with the father working late hours and the mother being the primary, and usually sole, caregiver for the child. Urban Japanese parents “lead increasingly isolated lives” in a community based society, “removed from the extended family and tight-knit communities of previous generations” which results in an inability to teach their children how to properly “communicate and negotiate relationships with peers” (Jones 49).Without a male model, Japanese males have been said to become increasingly feminized. This family structure deepens the bond of the mother and son to a point of amae or “dependency” bolstered by Japanese society, a term proposed by psychoanalyst Takeo Doi in 1971 (Zielenziger 61). This dependence is not perceived as negative to the Japanese as it would be in Western culture but is something which helps to define the mother’s role as nurturer and protector and, as such, when a child becomes a hikikomori the mother rarely seeks to help empower their child back into society, due to this interdependency and the social stigma: “a person can spend on average four years in seclusion before parents set aside their shame to seek outside help” (Zielenziger 65, Rees). The interdependency between mother and child only exacerbates the problems of the hikikomori.

While bullying, family dependence, and lack of proper communication skills can account for the hikikomori phenomenon, another possible explanation for the pandemic of social withdrawal could be attributed to an existential crisis and pessimistic turn in Japanese consciousness. In an interview for the Carnegie Council in 2008, Michael Zielenziger states that the reason the hikikomori phenomenon is relatively new is due to the new wealth that Japan is experiencing as this wealthy society searches for value and identity (Stewart). The existential questions pop up “only in societies blessed with unrivaled prosperity where people have the luxury to consider what it is that truly makes them happy.”  After the boom in the 1980’s, “when the pursuit of material extravagance delivers emptiness rather than inner contentment, a people are forced to confront deeper, more existential questions about meaning, value, self-affirmation, and moral purpose that classroom training cannot teach” (Zielenziger 11). Many youths turn away from their school lives which emphasize rote learning over critical thinking and the collective over the individual to search for their own identity, defined not through a group but through their own selves. They drop out of society “to maintain [their] individuality” and “to protect themselves and their insides” (Zielenziger 26, 32). As one hikikomori states, “I know it’s going to be difficult for me to fit in and I don’t feel much value in fitting in. So I’m still thinking, ‘How can I live a meaningful life?’” (Zielenziger 38). Searching for identity in a society that “is not capable of accepting people with different attitudes” naturally calls for a withdrawal from that society, barricading “themselves in their rooms for protection rather than attempt to engage with a society they feel denies them any expression of self” (Rees, Zielenziger 12). As one hikikomori describes it, “I have an arrow pointed deep inside of me” indicating a need for introspection and self-expression (Zielenziger 16). In Japan, a person is defined contextually through their group or ie, so if a person cannot define themselves within the context of the group do they cease to exist? In Japan, all too often, they do. Hikikomori retreat to the “protective womb of their rooms rather than stake out an independent oath that would eventually lead to self-awareness” (Zielenziger 265).  However, some do find their self-awareness. Yuji Sunaga, now at University after his two and half years in seclusion says his experience as a hikikomori was very important for him: “It was the most important time in my life, I think… When I did school-refusal, teachers, relatives, parents, neighbors didn’t understand me… And during that time I had to ask myself who I am.” The time spent in solitude can lead to self-awareness, as an individual seeks to define himself without the extreme restrictions and suffocations that Japanese society can impose.

Ultimately, the hikikomori can be seen as a warning that something is not right in contemporary Japanese society: “Like barometric gauges, they sense atmospheric changes most adults can’t discern” (Zielenziger 78). When asked what they thought of Japan today, two young kogals, a subculture of Japanese girls who essentially control the trends and therefore the markets in Japan, answered, “It’s shit” (Karman). Even if they cannot properly articulate it, Japanese youths are aware of a problem: the Japan that conquered the industrial era simply is not effective in a globalized post-industrial era. The ie or family was once the most important thing: Hayao Kawai, a clinical psychologist in Japan, states, “In Japan, there is no God but the ie” (Zielenziger 70). Over time the family as ie has been replaced by the corporation or career as ie, resulting in on over focus on the career which in turn had negative effects on the family. The façade of the family was able to carry on with each member clinging onto their roles bolstered by economic well-being. When the bubble-burst and did not re-inflate, the “jewels of the Japanese workplace—lifetime employment, company unions, and seniority-based wages,” which once secured a man’s status as daikokubashira within his family ie and helped to establish the salaryman model as appealing, began to dissolve (Zielenziger 99). Japan’s bank centric system began the spiral downward when faced with a nation holding onto their savings; the banks began riskier loaning using the then rising land prices as collateral. After real estate prices climbed to ridiculous heights, the Bank of Japan was forced to increase interest rates causing land prices to tumble and the entire economy to collapse (Zielenziger 106). In 2006, the national debt was 176.2% of Japan’s Gross Domestic Product up from the 150% in 2002. Companies cut off excess assets to pay back the mounting debts and the “jewels” were no longer there. Many middle aged men, who had worked for their lifetime employment, were now unemployed and filled with shame, as suicide rates topped 30,000 per year.

Growing up during the great recession, youths are watching what is happening to their fathers and have decided not to follow the same path (Karman). Masahisa Okuyama, a hikikomori activists and father of a hikikomori said, “The Japanese system is showing signs of system fatigue. That’s why our young people don’t want to—or can’t—become adult. They are afraid of participating in a society where there is no hope and no ambition” (Zielenziger 41). The hikikomori are saying “no, I don’t want to be part of a system that doesn’t work anymore” (Stewart). And they are “aware that good old Japan will never come back” (Zielenziger 41).

While 80 percent of hikikomori are males, females have their own way of rebelling in contemporary Japanese society; they are going on “womb strike” (Jones 48, Zielenziger 161). Females are choosing to focus on their careers instead of having children. Since Japan does not have a readily available day care system to aid working parents and since men are not choosing to contribute to the raising of their children, women are forced to choose between children and a career; “For a woman, having a baby, having a full-time job, and doing housework is like committing suicide” (Zielenziger 167). The number of births is dropping, posing problems for an aging workforce. Last year, Japan’s population lost 51,000 people, the largest population drop on record (LA Times). But staying in the workforce is not the only reason women are choosing not to reproduce, economics and pessimism play a role, as well. Sixty-two percent of women without children, in a Japanese governmental survey, believe that raiding children is too expensive, while one in five of those women believe that present day Japanese society is not a good environment to raise children (Zielenziger 170). An air of cynicism has been cast over the Japanese women of childbearing age.

What about that twenty percent of female hikikomori? Estimates of the number of hikikomori were established by Saito Tamaki, the Japanese psychologist who coined the term “hikikomori”, chose his estimate based on the number of schizophrenics in Japan, convinced, through his clinical work, that the number of hikikomori would be at least as prevalent (Zielenziger 60). But, in all my reading, I only came across three instances of hikikomori as females. One possibility for the disparity could be simply that females staying in the house, under their parents’ care, are not as alarming and do not seemingly carry the same socio-political ramifications as one fifth of the male youth population . Another possibility could be linked to a gender role reversal; as Japanese men become more efficient, women could be stepping up to take their turn in the workplace. Even though some psychologists believe it to affect both genders equally, public opinion has associated it with young males.

Women who do stay in their parents’ home are also becoming increasingly more commonplace; although, contrary to the hikikomori, these women are working and have no social withdrawal symptoms. They are living at home simply for economic reasons and they are called “parasite singles.” These parasaitos use the money they save on rent for the finer things in life: vacations, fashion, and pampering.  The question that lingers on is if the youths are retiring from their society into the womb of their rooms, if the birth rate keeps decreasing, and if the general pessimism of Japanese inhabitants continues will Japan’s society survive in the future? Can Japan hold onto its status in this post-industrial world? In April 2005, the government issued white paper predicted, unless rejuvenation tactics intervened, that Japan would have “an increasing number of people who lose hope” and “be left behind in globalization” through a “ gradual but steady pathway to decline. (Zielenziger 268).The hikikomori have shut themselves off from the world much like Japan has shut itself off from further globalization and new tactics and social reconstruction may be necessary for an optimistic outcome.

Works Cited

“Japan: Birthrate Report Shows It’s not getting any Younger.” Los Angeles Times 06 May 2009. Print.

“Mental Focus.” Hikikomori. Web. 15 Dec. 2009. <http://vickery.dk/hikikomori/>.

Hikikomori. Dir. Kal Karman and Francesco Jodice. Http://www.kalkarman.com/documentary/hikikomori.html. Paola Tognon. Web.

Japan: The Missing Million. Dir. Darren Conway. Narr. Phil Rees. BBC, Oct. 2002.

Maggie, Jones. “In Japan, Thousands of Boys and Young Men are Retreating to Their Bedrooms and Refusing to Come Out. Why.” The New York Times Magazine 15 Jan. 2006: 46-51. Print.

Reid, T. R. Confucius Lives Next Door What Living in the East Teaches Us About Living in the West. New York: Vintage, 2000. Print.

Zielenziger, Michael. “”Hikikomori” and Japan’s Role in the World.” Interview by Devin Stewart, T. Devin. Carnegie Council: The Voice for Ethics in International Policy. 30 June 2008. Web. <http://www.cceia.org/resources/audio/data/000208>.

Zielenziger, Michael. Shutting Out the Sun: How Japan Created Its Own Generation. New York: Vintage Books, 2006. Print.

Today is Japan’s official “I’m Sorry” day.  December 10th has been approved by the Japan Anniversary Association to be a day where the Japanese collectively apologize. The day was made in response to a poll which indicated the Japanese do not like to apologize. Well, their behavior would surely indicate otherwise; the word I hear most often even more often than “kawaii” and “sugoi” (at least when I’m not surrounded by youthful Japanese women) is “sumi masen” or “gomen nasai” both of which are forms of “I’m sorry.”

This culture is one built on self-deprecation (and other things too I’m sure) where in any situation where you might have displeased someone higher up in the strict hierarchy that governs all human interaction then you must apologize. Bumping into someone, asking for help with train tickets, signaling a waiter, placing your shopping basket on the checkout counter are all actions that should be accompanied with a quick utterance of “sumi masen.” You get to a point where it comes out naturally, without a moment’s hesitation.

There are two forms to apologize for a reason. The Japanese culture is deemed a vertical society in which each relationship is put into a hierarchical relationship. The emphasis on group identification which is deep in a Japanese psyche makes a great distinction between people who are “uchi” and “soto” (inside and outside, respectively) of their groups. There exists a dichotomy in every Japanese self tailored to fit into his group and to interact with the “uchi” and “soto.” This dichotomy can be explained in terms of “honne” and “tatemae” (true feelings and facade, respectively). A Japanese person is very selective in whom they will show their “honne” too, usually only members of their “uchi” and sometimes not at all or with the aid of inebriates. This shutting off of personal feelings and living through their facade can lead to many problems expressing healthy emotions and difficulty with intimacy or communication.  However many Japanese are quite able to switch effortlessly between their different facades which may account for the drastic difference in percentage of diagnosed multiple personality disorders. So says Japanese psychologist, Yuichi Hattori, “Because all of us Japanese grow up with multiple personalities, we almost never see this disorder in our patients.” I couldn’t find the percentage for the specific percentage of the nation diagnosed with  schizophrenia but I found rate of mental illness associated with anxiety disorders (18% in the US and 5.3% in Japan). Well that whole thing was to show the difference between “sumi masen” and “gomen nasai.” Both are polite but “gomen nasai” indicated an almost embarrassing show of emotion and deep apology from the “honne” or true feelings. “Sumi masen” is more the facade just keeping the harmony within society.

Anyway I’d like to offer up a big “GOMENNE” (another less formal form of “gomen nasai”) to  my poor readers and parents who don’t seem to get enough entries from me. And another “gomenne” to my professors for being eternally late– true brilliance can’t run on a silly manmade idea like time.

I spent the evening head banging with 700 Japanese school girls to The Kiddie.

The Kiddie, A Visual Kei band. photo from Last.fm

My friend, Becca, asked me to tag along with her to this concert and since the price for tickets was relatively low by Tokyo standards (3500 yen) I agreed. She picked up the tickets from a local Lawson, a conbini or convenience store, which also has a handy ticket booth for travel tickets, concerts and events. I did nominal research prior to the concert. I youtubed them and found a few songs which surprisingly didn’t disagree with my eyes. This band is in the genre of Visual Kei, a genre I had associated with screechy metal and the occasional harpsichord riff. I can’t tell you how much I can’t stand the harpsichord.

While The Kiddie is not my usual Indie-tastic acoustic folk band, there are a few similarities. Visual Kei is a musical sub-genre that is roughly equivalent to the alternative genre in the US. Mostly, Visual Kei bands are self-signed or signed to Independent record labels. But that’s really where the similarities end.

Visual Kei is a genre started in the 1980′s during a rock band boom associated with the good economy and abject consumerism that plagued the 80′s in both the US and Japan. Following in the footsteps of glam rock and a David Bowie-esque aesthetic that focuses on androgyny paired with the more visually shocking bands like KISS and Alice Cooper, Visual Kei creates a pastiche of these influences incorporating gothic elements and focusing on the coupling of two prominent senses, sight and sound. The first Visual Kei band was X Japan evolving out of US glam bands and Western Visual Rock bands. Members of X Japan donned make-up and outrageous costumes once explained by Yoshiki, a member of X Japan, as “a strategy to attract attention.” Whatever the reason, and the articles differ on reasons (from breaking out of the salary-man expectation to redefining gender ideas to soften their image to entice female fans), the genre has become more popular with more and more young bands filling up the Visual Kei section of Tower Record’s vast 6 story CD inventory.

Visual Kei bands believe performance is important to their essence as a Visual Kei genre member. Stemming perhaps from traditional Japanese aesthetics like mono no aware (awareness of the pathos of things which focuses on the beauty found in　the transitory nature of life) and Yûgen (melancholic grace and beauty within the mysterious or dark), Visual Kei bands use dark motifs in their lyrics and some focus on traditional themes incorporating the the falling of Sakura blossoms into their lyrics. Perhaps, too, that can be a reason for their focus on Victorian motifs and polymorphic gender roles, in a return to the traditional Japan gender bending or other elements (Noh and Kabuki) while reworking them into a more modern framework.

The show was visually stunning (no surprise) with an excellent light show, colorful and eclectic clothing choices on behalf of the band and the girls in attendance, and hand movements accompanying each song. Let me mention a little bit more on that latter point– each song has a set of hand movements which are the appropriate way to express enjoyment of the music. They vary from synchronized fist pumping, padding the air like a kitten, ultra feminized head banging (for whatever reason they look really cool and girly when they head bang), and representing a blooming Sakura with your hands. I felt a great pressure to get the hand motions correct and be in harmony with the whole (a major theme in Japanese society). After I got the gist of the choreography (I’m still in the dark as to who chooses these hand movements– my best guess is the fan club gets detailed instructions for each song), I was able to relax a little and soak in the ambiance.  I’m an avid concert go-er in the US, generally arriving hours before the doors open to procure a position in the front and I dance crazily (although I’ve never head banged until today– my concerts generally involved more gentle bouncing and arm flailing) while managing to lose my voice after each show.

Here, Becca and I arrived early to jockey for positions (and to take in the Christmas lighting of the city) and found a large line one hour prior to doors open. After much investigation we realized the line was to visit the merch table set up in front of the venue. You could buy photos of the band members, pins, shirts, oversized pocket mirrors, water bottles, shirts, Cds, and cell phone straps in the shape of stars that would flash on command. Sensing no real danger of losing a good position, we wandered around and I indulged in my second McDonald’s adventure in Japan (this time I selected items from their 100 yen menu: a McPork, which tasted like a breakfast sausage patty covered in sesame ginger sauce, and a cheeseburger, definitely not as delicious as the famed quarter pounder). We arrived back to the venue and hung around eagerly awaiting our fate. For some reason unknown to God and anyone who isn’t Japanese, the doors opened and, instead of everyone rushing the door, a man with a loud speaker began calling out number and letter combinations. We waited for our number to be called for quite some time (he started with A-1 and we were c-456 and c-457– it was a long wait) but through our excellent positioning next to the entrance we got quite a parade of interestingly dressed Japanese, ranging from school girls to OL’s (Office Ladies) with some mothers and males peppering the crowd. All kinds of sub-cultures could be readily identified from kogals to punks to cuties to gothic/lolitas with even a few girls who jumped into oversize pajama suits with animal ear hoods. It was a diverse group and as the only identifiable Americans there we added to the diversity.

Finally entering into the venue we had to cough up 500 yen for a mandatory drink ticket which I immediately cashed in for a Cassis Vodka Sour. We ran into the black box where the performance would take place. Many Visual Kei band build intricate fantasy lands or plot lines for their music so entering into the venue becomes an escape from the realm of the real. In here we are all family (further emphasized when at the end of the concert everyone joined hands and did a massive jump in unison with the band) and  for a few hours we enter into a world where men are glamorous and gentle, easily identified with; we enter into a world  that challenges preëxisting stereotypes and encourages critical thinking especially regarding existential themes addressed in their lyrics, allowing a culture the ability to express emotions that are often supressed outside of a safe realm (that’s a reason why drinking is quite common; Japanese use alcohol as a means to show their inner selves to each other without social repercussions). In the dark of the concert hall surrounded by family we all became one organism expressing emotions in unison. With the synchronized movements (which do not allow for self-expression but encourage concert go-ers to dance in harmony with one another) you could feel how acting as a member of a group in Japan is so important to their psyches. We were all sharing the same experience in every way. We were part of a group and we were safe within that group.

Through this experience I was able to understand more about Japanese society and their ideas of social harmony. An individual seeks to find their place within a group which helps to form their identity and provides them with security. Many men find their group/identity within their jobs and women find their group/identity as “good wives and wise mothers” but these sub-cultures act as alternatives to this traditional identity. The idea of the individual is not the same as in the West; freedom is not sought as the ultimate good (something difficult to understand from an American perspective) but security within a group. This group mentality has been questioned recently by many anthropologists who are seeking to define Japanese society through the individual but this is something that cannot be done. Japanese get their individuality by fulfilling their role within a group; the group they choose to idenity with helps to construct their individuality. To understand Japan you have to think about the group mentality as it is integral to Japanese society. Individuals who do not identify with a group are bullied or ostracized as they do not help to establish a harmony within the meta-group that is Japan. This is a reason why Japan does not have a philosophical tradition; yes, Japanese philosophy exists but it is found through a study of Shinto and Confucianism not the study of individual persons and their thoughts because thoughts outside of the collective philosophy are not bolstered and a Japanese intellectual will understand that a view outside of the collective psyche will not be received.

Many believe that this group mentality is harmful to the self and in some cases it really is (the hikikomori who hole themselves up in their rooms for 6 months or more) but many Japanese are able to live fulfilled lives as well. It’s puzzling and something I’m looking into more.

Oh, I want to let everyone know that today I pretended to be an American. Yes, that’s right after 4 months of pretending, to the best of my abilities, to be Japanese, I broke down and indulged in my natural-born tendencies to bring American culture wherever one goes. Today, I went to McDonalds. While I had vowed, at the onset of my journey, never to darken the doorstep of the golden arches, Rebecca and I ventured into America’s favorite fast food chain to taste their wares, purely for empirical studies. We both ordered quarter pounders with cheese (if you’ve chatted with me anytime in the past few months you know my cravings for meat and cheese are overwhelming and have not been sufficiently quenched) with diet cokes (if you say one word about carcinogens I’ll club you to death and soak you in diet coke– it’s less sweet than regular coke and I find the taste quite appealing). The entire meal was 590 yen each (about $6)– not bad. When they handed us our tray, both of us were astounded at the size of the fries– we are in Japan, after all, two large and loud Americans in an extremely space conscious society– the fries were the size of MEDIUM fries in America. I’ve never seen so many fries in front of me in this nation. And, dear lord, they were delicious. The quarter pounder is celebrating it’s first anniversary in Japan so there were posters all over the place and we opted for the celebrated burger over something more “Japanese” like the McPork or the Teriyaki Burger. The quarter pounder had double the cheese of an American QP and the meat had more pepper. The first bite sent chills down my spine as I re-lived years scarfing down cheeseburgers in the States. I greedily alternated between perfectly cooked fries and my burger dripping in cheese and katsup gobbling quick to prevent my food from cooling. I was back in America and loving it. There were two things that reminded me I was still in Japan: 1. the drink I received was drastically reduced in size (their drinks are all tiny here… I don’t know I haven’t seen Japanese people dropping on the streets from dehydration. At the same time, they do drink frequently and eat liquidy foods — lots of tea, soup, and one vending machine per every 23 people). 2. the trash can which was in my peripheral vision as I scarfed was more complicated than my washing machine with a place for liquids to be deposited, and specifics bins for each possible variation in recycling and disposal. After our deliciously American meal, Becca and I walked to the cinema to check on the times To-Wi-i-Li-i-To was showing. American christmas music was playing over the loudspeaker, as we checked the times. It happened to be the first of the month (60 days until someone turns 21…the official countdown has begun) which means a discount on tickets! Japan takes their cinemas very seriously which can been seen in the outrageous price of watching a film (although, America is catching up quickly). Without discount of any sort, a movie ticket is 2000 yen ($20, okay more like $22 since the dollar is dropping drastically as I type). But the theatre offers various ways to lower that price. For instance, the usual discounts, for students (1800 yen), children (1500 yen), elderly (1500 yen) ect… but there are also others: every Wednesday is ladies day (1000 yen), their are couple’s days and elderly couples days once a month (1000 yen each) and the first of every month (1000 yen). Plus, and this is a real puzzler, the late show (usually starting around 10PM) is cheaper than the early after noon shows.  So we arrived 20 minutes prior to the next showing of Twilight and perused the stand in the lobby which sells movie memorabilia. After waiting for 15 minutes or so in the lobby, contemplating jazz, I hear our show called over the loud speaker indicating that we can go into the theatre. You are called and then you enter within a 15 minute time span– once the previews have started you’re not allowed to go in. Also seats are assigned; when you pay for your ticket you also choose your seats on a seating chart. I always sit in the middle middle (so the actors look right into my eyes… that’s not really the reason, I think being in the middle allows for enjoying the full screen without a bias to the left or right) and am able to pick the perfect middle middle seats. There are “couple’s seats” on the sides which are red instead of black and do not have a troublesome middle armrest which so many teens and tweens on dates curse as they try to navigate the blockade between eager blossoming bodies. There are luxury chairs which resemble Laz-y-boys more than theatre seats and offer the option of semi-reclining bliss. Then there are the regular seats which offer extraordinary leg room and a coat hanger on the seat in front of you.

As we filled into the theatre and found our seats, Becca casually mentioned that she hoped the movie was in English. A wave of panic grabbed at my frontal lobe as I considered the probability that it would be dubbed in Japanese and my options when confronted with Japanese vampires and wolverines. My Japanese is coming along, I can stumble along in a conversation with classmates peppering my Japanese with high-pitched cries of “so desu ne,” “kawaii,” and “sugoi” and American words pronounced with Japanese flair. I can manage to follow along in my Japanese lecture classes by using the pictures in power points and occasionally prodding  Becca for a translation. I can even manage to watch some Japanese dramas as they use many of the same phrases in their dialogue. But, I couldn’t possible follow along in a movie which has colorful words and phrases like “vampire,” “damnation,” “pale-faced,” and “You’re my only  reason for being alive, if that’s what you call this.” Also, I’ve never read those books; I grew up reading Harry Potter and feel that Twilight is for the new generation, not mine, so even if watching it in English I would have questions as to what the hell was going on. My plan, if the feature was in Japanese, was vacillating between sneaking into another show or taking a nap. I watched the previews (which are quite frequently my favorite part of theatre going) uneasily weighing my options. On a side note (since I never do side notes ^.~), Up or Uncle Carl’s Flying House, as it’s titled in Japan, is opening soon in 3-D which would be neat to see. For anyone who hasn’t seen Up, please go see it. It’s lovely and IMDB named it one of the top 15 movies of the new millennium.  Why is there this trend in animation that’s not just for children and has deep existential themes? Dunno, but I’m enjoying it. Back to the main story, I watched the previews reminiscing over my years spent in dark theatres. I have been raised by the cinema, literally. Because of that, I think I live in the realm of the unreal. But when the movie’s reel started running through the projector and I heard the first words in English my heart was light.

I won’t bore you with the details of the actual movie. My mother made me watch the first one over the summer; she has this obsession with fluffy, romantic-comedy, supernatural, or Austin-esque movies (not films, note) which I occasionally join her in viewing. Her netflix account is riddled with cheese while I like to keep my well-groomed with pretentious and obscure foreign films from the 1960′s. So watching New Moon (part two of the twilight “saga”) was comforting like getting a warm hug from my mother even if it did include overly dramatic moody emo vampires with hairy chests, way too creamy buff sweet talking werewolves, and a dumb-ass Juliet of the 2k9.

Seriously, some of the dialogue made me chortle but I do wonder how this is affecting the youth. I know for a fact that my obsession with the realm of fantasy and fiction has done strange things to my loosening grasp on reality. I grew up ensconced in a celluloid world and one filled with elves, deamons, ninjas, moon princesses, and supernatural powers. I was terrified of walking down hallways alone as I was sure some evil being (generally a ninja… maybe that stems from my power ranger’s addiction at an early age) would attack me. I grew up knowing I would transform into some sort of magical being when I turned 14. After puberty came and went, I went into a depression upon realizing that magic just did not exist in the world. I blame most of my teenage angst not on hormones (although they certainly did nothing to help) but on my fascination with the other worldly. What will happen to a generation of tweens who find solace in the forbidden romance of a fictional being? Twilight seems to have been tailored to fit that demographic of obese, social-misfits in the tween range… it’s really a Romeo & Juliet of modern times but perhaps with more social repercussions in this declension narrative of youth. Young girls certainly have a rough period of adjustment as they occupy that difficult gray area between childhood and adulthood. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to develop an identity and maintain purity in this age of over-sexualized images and advertisements. Girls lack a proper role model and it certainly won’t be found in Twilight where a young girl gives up her life and dreams to become the property of a hot guy. She does not exist as a individual but instead defines herself by another entity and a completely fictional one at that. At least Sailor Moon was a heroine who was able to fight and interact with other girls her age; she did not make choices based on some guy and instead fought for global harmony, thinking of ultimate good over her own selfish desires. And Harry Potter’s heroine, Hermione, is an intelligent, marginalized individual who fights for her individuality in a world where she is denegrated as a “muggle;” Hermione represents a positive role model for girls as she studies hard, nourishes friendships, and exerts her self despite her definition as an Other.  Twilight depicts a loner who finds solace and a definition of her existence through non-beings. Bella makes choices based on Edward alone and sinks into a long and deep depression when he leaves her. She experiments with non-healthy lifestyles choices, seeking adrenaline as a way to placate her loneliness when her only means of defining her identity is removed from her world. What kind of a role model is that? Also, Twilight is highly sexualized. What many praise as being “pure,” “innocent” and advocating non-sexual relationships is quite the opposite– Bella begs Edward to turn her into a vampire which traditionally involved drinking the vampire’s blood, imbibing their bodily fluids. She’s always wanting to deepen their relationship physically which is difficult for Edward as he desires her blood. On a side note… what happens when she’s menstruating? And female vampires apparently can bear children… do they menstruate, too?  That just seems like it would be a bad thing if you were living with a mess of Vampys and they’re all blood thirsty.

That’s a little strange to think about but still… there are holes in this plot.

w/e It’s still enjoyable. Especially since there were so many shirtless boys in the film… Which reminds me– those wolfies parade around in cut-offs (which looks ridiculous, y’all) which explode off when they transform. However, they are supposed to tie their shorts around their ankles prior to their transformations– well, all of the wolfy transformations were quite spontaneous and egged on by lack of anger management. I’d like to see what those creamy, ab-packed boys do when they transform back into humans entirely naked. Uh. It’s getting late. I’ve said enough.

Why the hell is Twilight so effing popular?

BTW, team jacob. Just because he seems more emotionally stable (sans anger problems) than emo-vampy boy who has an unsighly hairy chest. I’m totally with the Japanese on this. Hairy chests are not appealing except on a few exceptional cases, mainly well-tanned Italians with well sculpted chests. If you don’t fit those specs please don’t flaunt your hairy chests… it’s doesn’t excite any carnal desire in most civilized woman. Is there a return to the primal man? The beard phenom would point to yes. Ok, I will admit, I can get weak in the knees around a nicely groomed beard– but cheek bones and creamy skin (to a point, y’all… I don’t want a guy who looks like he wears more makeup than I do… which is almost none) is guaranteed to weaken knees on all accounts.

So if you fit my perfect man lists please apply to… JK y’all. I think the Perrier has gone to my head. (The trick to a particularly moist and crispy skinned turkey lies in basting with Perrier– it’s true, I read it in the New Yorker food issue). But this post certainly didn’t turn out how I had imagined. Not that anyone reads this far down if there aren’t pretty pictures— it’s true I know your bad habits. I do the same. Who has time for lengthy rantings if it’s not in Vogue, Hipster Runoff or the New Yorker anyway?

So my pledge to attribute to my blog more often has fallen by the wayside. Sorry, dear readers. Maybe if I had more comments to encourage me (I know y’all are reading it– I have a secret counter and many of my friends will tell me how awesome it is ^.~ so don’t be shy and give me some feedback. Also if you’d like to see a post on something in particular like the amazing toilets here, a day in my life or food let me know and I will get right on it).

So after having a less than positive experience in Roppongi during Halloween 2k9, I was not interested in my last “Japan and the World” field trip which involved running around Roppongi looking at the Shrine to General Nogi Maresuke, eating Iranian food, and traipsing around Roppongi hills admiring things I cannot afford.

So for now a little background on General Nogi:

General Nogi Maresuke as a cutie...

Nogi Maresuke was born in 1849 either on November 11th or Christmas day (depending on the calendar you use) on Honshu Island in Japan. He was initially named “Mujin” or “No one” to protect him from bad spirit and when he turned 18 he was given the name Nogi.  He enlisted in the Fushimi Loyal Guard Barrack at 20 and progressed quickly through the ranks. He was commissioned as a major in the  Imperial Japanese Army and promoted to lieutenant colonel where he lost the 14th Infantry Regiment’s regimental banner to the enemy in a particulary intense battle. As this was considered  a heavy disgrace this attributes to the reasons for his subsequent suicide. After that he was appointed as the third governor-general of Taiwain where he worked to the health care. Upon returning to Japan, he was promoted to army general in command of 90,000 men to capture the Russian Port Arthur in the Russo-Japanese war. The siege of Port Arthur lasted for 5 months and cost the Japanese side 56,000 live including his two sons. During the seige pressure was put on the emperor to remove Nogi of his position but the Emperor, in a unprecedented act, defended General Nogi and kept him in his position. After the siege and victory over Russia, General Nogi reported directly to Emperor Meiji and apparently broke down as he reported the casualties pleading with the Emperor to let Nogi commit Seppuku. The Emperor replied that suicide was not an option as long as the Emperor was alive. The day of the Emperor’s funeral, General Nogi committed Seppuku followed closely by his wife committing Jigai.

Last Tuesday we visited their house and a shrine to both of them (General Nogi was deified and made into a kami) at Nogizaka, Tokyo.

The shrine for General Nogi's wife.

The Shrine to General Nogi Maresuke

At the shrine you can purchase fortunes which have text on them indicating your fortune anywhere from "excellent good luck" to "horrible bad luck." If you tie your fortune to a branch or a more modern version of a branch (this sphere of rods) then the kami will make sure to take away bad fortune and ensure good fortune.

Inside the Shrine to General Nori

The Shrine was adjacent to General Nori's house, which was a "Western style" house with a large parlour and dining room. From the window closest to Dr. Nickum and Becca you could look inside to see exactly where Nori and his wife committed suicide.

I enjoyed the Shrine immensely. I love how the Japanese can honor their past so suitably. The shrine was lovely (especially in the rain and autumn color) and the house surrounded by a well kept garden added to the charm. But I couldn’t forget that this man committed suicide and was being honored for it. Yes, he was a prominent and brilliant military strategist but I sincerely doubt that there would be a shrine for him if he had not died the way he had.

Anyway I did see a parallel to the “deification” and honoring of military heroes in America. The Alamo, in particular, comes to mind. A specific site has been set aside intact and in the middle of a busy city for people to come and praise the bravery, and perhaps foolhardiness, of fallen heroes. Both are spaces for remembering and honoring certain events that taken away from a certain political philosophy or national ideology seem unnecessary. As I’m sure would be the case if a Japanese person spoke out about the absurdity of honoring intentional death, I would be ostracized if I spoke a word about that in Texas. So perhaps there is more in common between Texas and Japan than I once thought. The “national” or, at least, region specific hubris abounds in each and both see themselves as superior to all others. But perhaps the similarities end there as Texas is adept at incorporating gaijin into their lives, neighborhood and economies (Texas has a Hispanic population of 36.5% which is almost double that of the rest of the US whereas only 1.22% of the entire Japanese population are foreigners).

Anyway, we then wandered the streets of Roppongi which was interesting. We saw women who lunch and perfectly dressed salarymen (sigh… it looks like I’ll go home with out one– this time…) scatted amidst the beautiful buildings.

What an excellent font for Roppongi Hills.

Roppongi Hills was developed by Minoru Mori over 17 years. He envisioned improving people's quality of urban life by centralising home, work and leisure into a compressed city. It receives over 1 million visitors per weekend. The spider sculpture was made by French-born American artist Louise Bourgeois and is called "Maman", one of several similar (or identical) sculptures around the world. Including one outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and one next to the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

Building on a rainy day.

After 4 months of living in Japan, I still have no idea how the washing machine works. There are 5 buttons which perform various functions and I’ve managed to decode three of them (an on/off button, a start wash button, and the level of water selector– but I only managed these based on their color and the picture besides them). The other two remain complete mysteries. They don’t control the heat since Japan’s washers only use cold water– the machine is connected to a faucet that you manually open and close for each washing– and they have some indecipherable kanji next to these two mysterious buttons that even my kanji wiz neighbor can’t decode.

I am managing to wash my clothes since I know those three buttons but I don’t know if I’m doing it in the most efficient manner. Also, I have no idea when the damn thing decides it is finished washing. Upon pressing the on/off button it begins a little “hello” tune which continues on when you make further selections regarding your wash. Then when it decides it’s time (sometime after you’ve pressed the start button but long enough to make you think you haven’t pressed it and end up re-starting the whole process, repeatedly) water pours in and the spinning begins. Numerous times (I think it changes each time I do a new load) the machine will pour in water, spin, rest, and pour in more water. I assume the mysterious buttons control how many repetitions of this process you have to sit through but I’m still in the dark.  When the machine is resting between action sequences, I will run to the washer to grab my clothes and hang them up to dry (as this country has some sort of taboo [just learned that Taboo is a member of the Black Eyed Peas when looking up the correct usage of taboo, you learn something new every time you google] on dryers, I have to be quick in getting them as soon as the spin cycle ceases to avoid as many wrinkles as possible, which are unavoidable without a dryer or iron…). More than once as I begin to pull out my shirts, this machine will decide it hasn’t fulfilled it’s duties and begins to pour more cold water into itself. As the clothes are outrageously damp even after a somewhat rigorous spin it’s impossible to tell if it’s done based on dampness factor. Apparently, the electrical current is something of a national joke (being quite low and somewhat unstable from what I’ve gathered) which explains why dryers aren’t common (another reason is due to the environmental conciousness of the Japanese- why waste electricity when the sun can dry them…. well, if the sun was out every time I wanted to dry my clothes then I wouldn’t complain as much, that’s what I get for living here during the rainy season which seems to extend throughout a good 3/4ths of the year). Anyway, sometimes the washing machine will sing out an 8-bit tune when it’s done, other times it remains a the strong silent type. It’s completely unpredictable and the most moody of the appliances I’ve encountered (although, Becca’s bathtub, which is controlled by a panel of buttons, may take first place but I haven’t battled with it personally).

I have another bone to pick with the Japanese concerning wireless internet. For having a global technologically advanced reputation, one would think that all of this island would be wired for instant access to the web. However, due to a monopoly of the telephone lines which keeps calls at an outrageous rate of 10 yen per minute (ten cents US), wireless internet is no where to be found. I’ve checked Starbucks and McDonalds, known in the states for wireless, but found no signal. I’ve check my college campus which has no connectivity. Even my apartment complex presented me with  detailed instructions on how to access the internet by purchasing a cable and plugging my computer into my TV. All of my surfing is done within a 3ft radius of my television due to the length of the cable. It’s absolutely confounding to be so stifled in this technophillic nation. Iphones, while just as popular as in the West, are incapable of performing the functions marketed in the States since there is no wireless internet. Japanese phones are limited on their internet capability but, for some reason, are able to be used to access train info, email, and some sites but they can’t use Skype. It’s all more than a little strange.

Alright, that’s all the ranting for now.

I know it’s been like ten years since my last post. My sincerest apologies.

I’ve been doing lots of fun things and then being lazy in between my adventures.

My parents just left the country (they were here for Thanksgiving). I went horseback riding, visited Hibiya park and the Imperial Gardens, went to Chef’s daughter’s wedding,  visited Kamakura which has lots of Shrine and Temples, wrote a somewhat interesting paper on Kogals (a subculture of  Japanese females… right now I’m waiting until I have photos to go along with the post), had a “traditional” Thanksgiving feast, ate my way across Toyko with my parents, visited Roppongi and General Nori’s Shrine, read a few books and avoided writing papers for school.

In the future I will be visiting DisneySea, attending a Visual Kei concert for a band called the Kiddie, writing on Japanese Men’s Fashion, going to Mt. Fuji and some neighboring Onsens, and hopefully watching Towiilito in a Japanese cinema (solely for the experience) and hanging out with friends in Machida.

I only had 24 days left and lots of work to do/catch up on. I promise to post more as I have a moment to catch my breath. Well, right now I’m just a little lazy.

So until then, Happy Thanksgiving (a little late). I’m thankful for my readers. Even if you don’t comment obsessively ^.~

Whenever I’m with Naomi and dig in my purse for something to quench my chapped lips, she askes me what I’m looking for and I reply, “I’m looking for my chapstick.”

Without fail she’ll ask me why I need my chopsticks at a time like this.

I need to remember to say lip balm. ^.^

Here we go again…

I’ve spent the morning reading “You know your not in Houston any more” lists and looking up the menu for Outback Steakhouse to see if they actually have Blue Bell ice cream. Seriously contemplating going. If only there was Mexican food here… My eyes kinda teared up when I saw “tex-mex” nachos on the menu.

I would kill for a buffalo cheeseburger from Bubba’s accompanied by a few Shiner Bocks. I’d kill a buffalo.

Entering into Texas-withdrawl, I beginning to dream about juicy steaks, fried okra, pecan pie, taquitos, kolaches, tortillas, and BBQ ribs. This morning I lay in bed thinking about how I could and did frequently eat alone at cafes or little burger joints, without any feelings of being alone or abnormal.

Perhaps this spurs from my little jaunt into Japanese cuisine last night. I came into a large amount of money (large to me, I’ve somehow been subsisting on 5000 yen a week… Lord knows how. I spend 2000 yen in transportation. 1000 yen, at least, in drinking. And that leaves 2000 yen for food even with the 100 yen shops, it’s cutting it close. Needless to say, I’m finding it easier and easier to pull on my skinny jeans in the mornings.– oh, the money came from working at the TJK high school festival last weekend. It’s about 6000 yen for having a great time.) and wanted to celebrate with a real meal. The friends I could contact all had plans and since I left my phone in my apartment I was unable to call Naomi, who usually shares Thursday’s evening meal time with me. I decided to try eating alone. In Aobadai, the station near my apartment, many restaurants thrive on the commuters who pass through. I really wanted Ramen since the weather has turned cold. I’d been to one of the Ramen shops with Naomi so I knew the drill (some restaurants here have specific ordering rituals, like purchasing a ticket prior to entry that states what you want and then handing it over as you seat yourself, other places have menus with pictures which makes it easy to order, others have only Japanese– also some restaurants require you to take off your shoes or sit in a specific place or have a group with you). And wanted to eat there, however, as I passed by the Ramen shop, no one was in there so I walked onwards. It was early yet- 5:30pm. I found an Indian restaurant, a Jamaican bar, a German sausage shop, a few Japanese izakayas, an Italian cafe,  a curry shop and some quick dining spots in addition to a McDonald’s, A KFC, and a Wendys. Lots of the places didn’t open until 6 so I walked around for a little while and decided that for my first forray into the world of single dining I would go to the quick dining spot which has cheap meals and the ticket dispenser thing. I followed a young woman inside and ordered. I was the only gaijin and sat at the long table that circles the kitchen. I placed my ticket down and tried to figure out what to do with myself. In America, I’d have a book and a secluded table to myself but here I was out in the open where everyone could see I was an American female and eating alone. The other female seemed to be getting something to go and shortly departed into the night. I was surrounded by men. But then my food came and I began my meal with a mumbled “Itadakimasu” threw some pickled ginger over the meat bowl, broke an egg over my rice, and handled my chopsticks like a pro. Ate as fast as I could since speed in eating alone is imperative here. These kids are in and out in like 10 minutes. I later got a tummy ache… in the future I will eat a a steady pace. Anyway, since I overcame the first eating alone challenge I will not explore some of my other options. Might even go to the mysterious cafe right near my apartment; they have no windows and only the entry door which is wooden… sometimes when I pass by it’s slightly ajar and I can see some people inside.

Anyway, TJK high school festival was immeasurably fun! I woke up early on Saturday and met my friend Yuki in Shibuya to take a bus to the TJK high school campus.

The entrance to TJK High School

The school itself was huge in comparison to my college. We made out way up to the 6th floor and to the TJK college booth. It was an advertisement for the multicultural dimensions of the college and we offered Hello Kitty trinkets in exchange for successfully completing a quiz on international things (the quiz itself was only 8 questions long but was quite difficult… There would be a poster board filled with information on a subject and then a question relating to the subject: highest grossing film in the US, which word is not from the American Indians, what do Finnish people believe that Santa rides, what country does not border China, ect…) I with the help of a translator got 7 questions right ( the one I got “wrong” was highest grossing film of 2009 which I said was Transformers and actually is… the answer they gave was X-Men… and because they were wrong I didn’t get a Hello Kitty trinket >.<). No one actually got all 8  questions right on the first day… so there were lots of Hello Kitty things left over for the second day.

My job was to hand out the impossible quiz.

Our booth was set up in a classroom.

Harumi and I greet all the passers-by and give them chupa-cups!

The TJK International Team!

English and Korean are some of the languages taught to TJK so we represented those countries!

 

 

I got to sneak away from my post to attend a traditional tea ceremony. This is after the ceremony. I’m next to the submerged boiling pot for the tea and pretending to hold the tea bowl. I learned all about the ritual which involves a lot of bowing, honorifics, turning of the tea bowl ect…

 

I also snuck away to see a wonderful rendition of Mamma Mia presented by TJK high school's English club. It was really well done and the singing was exquisite when audible.

 

MAMMA MIA HERE WE GO AGAIN MY MY HOW COULD I FORGET YOU!!! Amazingly well-choreographed!

The TJK high school festival was astounding. Much better than the TJK college festival… sadly. But in Japan they really take high school seriously more so than college, it seems.

After the festival I went with a bunch of the booth workers into Shibuya for crepes and Purikura:

Purikura 1

Purikura 2

 

Purikura 3

 

Purikura 4: I decorated this one. I like bows!!

Purikura 5!

 

Purikura 6

 

 

 

My 5 day weekends will be ending this Sunday. Dr. Nickum is returning from Spain and so his classes will commence again. I’m actually pretty relieved. I need structure for optimal performance and all these lazy days have made me a bit sedentary. I’m looking forward to working hard again.

This Sunday is 3-5-7 day where children (girls and boys aged 3 and 7 and boys aged 5) gather a their neighborhood Shinto temple to celebrate youth. I’m planning on going to visit Rebecca’s host family’s shrine to see all the little kids dressed in kimonos. It should be wonderful.

So I’ll have some interesting things to update with soon. I’m planning on posting more now that school will be kicking in a little bit. I seem to be more productive when I’m busier.

Also coming up: a trip to Kamakura, Chef’s Western dance party, Thanksgiving with my Parents in downtown Tokyo, Disney Sea, Mt. Fuji, and more!

 

 

Lots of things have been happening here on the Island: Halloween (this is a catch up post), TJK College Festival, TJK High School Festival, mastering Hiragana/Katakana, a few dramas finished, a little more Japanese language under my belt and high hopes for the future!

Academically things are still not particularly challenging. My adviser and main professor, Dr. Nickum, has been gallivanting around Europe (for a colloquia or conference in Spain) and so for the past two weeks I’ve had five day weekends. I’m certainly getting used to the extra time- although I’m being something of a recluse. I spend my time wandering around my neighborhood. Thanks to my exploring I’ve found a grocery that sells cheap fruits and large quantities of meat (meat is usually sold in small slices of premium beef or choice cuts of chicken but at the market I found pot roasts, drumsticks and enough chuck to make a real hamburger!) a foreign good store which has super cheap tomato sauce and an excellent selection of imported liquor and beer for amazing prices (My favorite rum, Myers Dark, was cheaper here than in the states!!).

Halloween:Halloween was actually a little disappointing for me. Towards the end of September, Halloween decorations started popping up in stores and malls everywhere. The decorations were even more intricate than in the states and each store seemed to sell decorations, candy, or costumes. I was so pumped. I just knew that Halloween would be even better than in the States as the Japanese collectively are people who appropriate aspects of other cultures and add their own twist usually making it better (their food, for example… Japan of course had traditional Japanese food but they have taken things from other cuisines and tweaked them for optimal deliciousness… in most cases. Pizza here is essentially the same but generally has corn bits on it and can have exotic toppings like seaweed or octopus. Curry is very popular here but it’s not as spicy as traditional curry. Hamburgers here are nothing like their Western counterpart sometimes featuring a rice patty as a bun.). So I was expecting (and from what I had heard about other Western holidays in Japan, like Christmas, which is a dazzling array of lights and decorations) something outrageously wonderful and Japanese. I later found out that this holiday is mostly just a chance to decorate things and dress up little kids.

I walked around my neighborhood and came across a gathering of children and parents near my station:

 

The Japanese use Halloween as an excuse to dress up their pets and children. As if they don't usually...

 

Clown and Pumpkin Cuteness

 

Angel

 

The Princess phenom has hit Japan...

 

After reading Tanizaki's The Makioka Sisters which has a blurb about how rude Western photographers are when they don't ask before taking a photo... well, I've been a little hesitant to be a shutterbug. However, on Halloween, everyone wanted their photo taken. And those cute kids were so irresistable!

 

Adorable...

 

This guy was, by far, my favorite. He's just got so much attitude! The perfect Batman.

Okay, I realize those were all adorable children (well, besides the dog) but Asian children are the cutest! And with most of these photos I did ask their parents permission, first.

TJK College Festival:

TJK Festival...

 

If you have ever been to my old school’s Fall Fair (at STE) you know what a school festival should be like. There should be lots of games, facepaint, an extensive rummage sale, a haunted house (a must!), turkey legs, and  one of those jumping castles and EVERYONE in costume. Even my college, Mary Baldwin, has an Apple Day Fair (which is quite similar albeit apple themed). But TJK’s festival planner just didn’t get the memo. There were booths but they sold Takoyaki (octopus hushpuppies), kimchee, and something that visually resembled a hotdog on a stick but was flavorless (maybe they used tofu?). I believe there were two games to play… not entirely sure as they were pretty well hidden.

You might be thinking that I’m a little spoiled and expected too much from something that’s not related to my childhood memories. BUT, they spent 2 days prior the the festival building things around the campus and putting balloons up everywhere. AND, the two days after the festival were school holidays so they could clean up. Just with that, wouldn’t you expect some sort of extravaganza? Yes!

I arrived around noon and was, first of all, surprized that there were young men on the campus. I’ve never seen young men up close in Tokyo… well, not on campus! I walked into the festival while a omiai was going on (a dating game). I was one of like 6 people in costume. And I had no idea what was going on. I think more people were working the takoyaki booths than were in attendance. It was quite odd. Also, no haunted house. There was a dark hallway which had been covered in black cloth and blue lights– which looked quite promising but turned out to just be a hallway covered in black cloths with lights up. It was pretty but what was the point? I think that the Japanese are really into decorations over substance… For example, look at their packaging for little gifts or chocolates– Ornate packaging, a little box covered in pretty paper and topped off with a professional ribbon arrangement all for a cookie. So strange.

 

The blue/black hallway that looked so promising... Standing in this hallway from the left: Rebecca, Yuu-san, Naomi's friend Yuki who I later went clubbing with, and Naomi.

 

Rebecca, Naomi, and KLT

 

There was a pretty good clown who preformed! He spun plates, made balloon animals, had magic tricks, and this block balancing act.

 

The saving grace of the festival was a dance group called the Shakeys. My friend Harumi was in it and their "shec-shee" dancing was pretty impressive.

 

Takoyaki!

 

At the end of everything I got some cotton candy which is exactly like American cotton candy-- It's all sugar, right? It was delicious!

 

 

Later that night I met up with my friend Sarah and we had some drinks at the Hub Pub (a British pub in Shibuya that’s very popular with gaijin and  the gaijin-friendly) I was still pirated out and she was in regular clothes, having come from work, but when asked if she was in a costume she replied that she was Avril Lavigne (the girl keeps popping up during my time here… I sung her songs in Karaoke in Osaka, I hear her music in random places, and now my friend is dressing up as AL… guh. I just can’t escape the Canadian “punk princess”). I had been invited to go clubbing by Naomi’s friend (her name might be Yuki-chan not Yuko… or it could be something completely different. I have it written down somewhere).

Sarah and I met Yuki at Hachiko in Shibuya and began our journey to Roppongi (land of the Gaijin). I had asked Sarah to come along since it was my first time to hang out with Yuki and well, you know, it’s just good to have another gaijin around (and one who is fluent in Japanese, as well!). We finally made our way to Roppongi after taking the longest possible train route to get there. And after walking around for quite some time, we walked up into a Freshness Burger (Japan’s answer to McDonald’s) where 10 Japanese girls all in costumes were waiting for us. We waited for some members of our party to get changed and then made our way to find a club. Walking through the crowded streets of Roppongi was an experience in itself.

The streets of Roppongi on Halloween

Everyone was in costume some wearing much more than others. Lots of full body suits and slutty negligees. We made our way into a chain club, GasPanic, which has a branch in Shibuya, and went inside. Upon entering the door we were pushed, much like a strong wave at the beach pushes you, into the fray. You literally could not move unless you were pushed by the mass of people around you. Dancing was out of the question, there was no room to move unless you kinda jumped up and down, slightly.

Inside GasPanic #1, where you literally could not move. After being shoved into the middle of the club (within 4 minutes of getting in) we spent 30 minutes shoving our wave to the exit.

 

After we came out into the cool night we walked onwards until we came to GasPanic #2… It was slightly less crowded– this time you could dance by moving 2 cm to the left and right. There’s no cover charge so no way to keep track of who comes into the club (what about fire restrictions? There aren’t any). However, you’re supposed to keep buying drinks (outrageously priced drinks) to stay in the club. As there were so many goddamn people, this rule was impossible to enforce and even though I badly wanted a drink, I “danced” until the trains started running again without getting thrown out.

Sarah and I positioned ourselves close to a wall so not all of our flesh would be available to rub up against. And another wallflower, a guy about .5 drinks away from passing out (he may have been kept from collapsing due to the crowd pressing up against us), would lean over occasionally and stroke our hair (the creepiest thing I’ve ever encountered while dancing) or whisper things to us in Japanese. The best pickup line I’ve ever been told was slurred into my ear, “You’re so pretty. What are you 17?” Um, no thanks, guy.

Anyway my Halloween was not the astoundingly wonderful experience I expected.

But I did get lots of neat pictures of people in Shibuya (which it the only place I will go clubbing from now on):

Shibuya Halloween Girls

What a clown!

Inappropriate Gaijin alert!!

Naruto Fans Alert!! Kakashi!

 

The closest thing to blackface that I saw on Halloween! It's Obammy!

 

My friends, Yuco and Sarah

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah and KLT, very late at night on Halloween!

 

 

 

 

 

So that was my Halloween! I will post on the TJK high school festival soon.

Cheers to all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a while, dear friends. I don’t really have an excuse but as winter approaches my energy depletes along with my ability to apply myself.

I have many pictures to upload from TJK’s Halloween School Festival, Aobadai’s halloween celebration, and my night in Roppongi. I will be doing that very soon, I promise.

But right now I’m too excited! I just found out that my parents will be hand delivering a turkey to me for Thanksgiving! I’m so happy!

It’s almost impossible to find a turkey in Japan. This country must have something against our fat feathered friend. So this is truly fantastic.

Tomorrow, I will be working at TJK’s Junior High School festival. The weather is turning colder. My appetite is up.

Cheers, friends!