Sunday, July 13th, 2014
Today marks week one in Tokyo. Despite what the calendar says, my time in Tokyo has been so teeming with new culture, outings, readings, and people that I feel as if I have been here for several weeks already. After studying abroad at Peking University last fall, I expected to find many similarities between Beijing and Tokyo. Both Beijing and Tokyo are massive, Asian cities with concentrated populations. However, after exiting the airport, I immediately realized Japan would be unlike anything I had ever experienced before.
When we took a taxi from the airport to our accommodation, large screens, similar in scale to the ones found in Times Square, illuminated the city. Japan was a curiously familiar combination of what I recognized as “western” and “Chinese,” yet it still felt foreign.
The overlap and subtle differences between countries and cultures continues to surprise me on a daily basis. One candid example of how Japan has similarities and differences with the two cultures of which I am most familiar (USA and China) is the toilets. Japan, like China, has toilets built into the ground (i.e., “squatty toilets”) that are definitely big enough to step into if you are not careful! Unlike China, Japan tends to have a more even distribution between the “squatty toilets” and the “sitting toilets,” found in the States. However, Japanese “sitting toilets” are next generation. The toilets here (on average) are far superior to all of the toilets I’ve ever previously encountered. The toilets have buttons that control the heated seat, bidet, and waterfall noises (for the self-conscious folks). One thing is for certain; Tokyo is saturated with products you never knew you needed.
One of the themes on which we have focused our readings is the idea of “glocalization” (Raz 1999). The term describes the connection between large-scale (global) and small-scale (local) in terms of the acculturation of products or services when they are transported to countries overseas. “Time and space have allowed distant people to maintain rationalized organization over large spaces, regardless of where the sun is in the sky” (Giddens 1990). The receiving countries adapt the product or service to the local culture.
After traveling abroad, I have realized just how small the world has become. Technology has bridged previously insurmountable distances by connecting people all over the globe. The nearly real-time transfer of data has led to a “spreading of cultural homogeneity and consent” (Raz 1999). For example, when we visited Nihon University, the similarities between our preferences in music, movies, and hobbies outweighed the differences. Later that evening, we followed the group of Nihon students out to sing karaoke (a new favorite pastime for several Lewis & Clark students). I found the experience to be almost identical to my karaoke experience in China (called KTV). Everyone belted out the chorus and mumbled through the harder parts. Our night out at KTV exemplifies the “dynamic and bilateral nature of cultural exchanges between first world cores such as Tokyo and Los Angeles” (Raz 1999).
The past few nights, all fourteen of us have gone out exploring with the help of Rina, our translator, friend, and, as it seems, impromptu tour guide. Last night after attending an L&C alumni event, she led the way to Purikura (photo booth). The elevator doors opened and revealed an unexpected arcade! A rush of nostalgia hit me as I recalled my childhood birthdays spent at Jillian’s (a local arcade next to Fenway park in Boston). In addition to the familiarity of the arcade, DippinDots, Apple Stores, and LUSH cosmetics have all made appearances several times during the seven days I have been here.
The differences in our histories and their impact on our cultures, however, are quite stark. When we visited Enoshima this morning, we were able to witness a special ceremony in which local members wore loincloths to carry the omikoshi (portable shrine) into the ocean and back again (see photo below). I was unable to think of an event in America that could be equated with the historical and cultural importance of the special event today. I was taken aback by how intimate and genuine the ceremonies and shrines appear to be in Japan. After living in China for nearly a year, I had expected to observe people who were paid to dress up and act their part in a grand façade (a common occurrence in China). Instead, I had the sense that this was a truly a revered ritual for the participants.
While we have been here for only seven days, I am already starting to understand more Japanese by the day. I am pleased to report that hand gestures, tone of voice, and facial expressions continue to be reliable methods of communication. I flew to Japan with few expectations, not knowing what to expect (other than quality sushi). I have eaten my quality sushi and I look forward to continuing my adventures in Japan. Next up is Hakone!
Giddens, Anthony. 1990. The Consequences of Modernity. Stanford University Press.
Raz, Aviad E. 1999. Riding the Black Ship : Japan and Tokyo Disneyland. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Asia Center.
