This all took me back in my head to the Narita Airport I had arrived at. It too was very ordered and structured with its facilities being very well laid out, which allowed the people to quickly get to their destination gates. The destination gates always staying at their original gate and not moving across the airport, making the flyer later to their departure gate which had happened to me numerous times in America. The public commodes being so overwhelmed with filth in America, yet these commodes in Japan were appearing to be some of the cleanest in the world. The Yokoso sign, meaning welcome, displaying very beautifully. All the shops reaching out with their great smells and fashionable senses at me. All the staff wearing uniform and being so welcoming. What about these features here that happened naturally which did not involve man?
To begin with the natural environment is a difficult place to start due to the many varieties that are present, but once again, here is an attempt to describe these natural phenomena’s. I cannot mention the natural environment of Japan and not mention the item that gives life to this natural environment; the sun. The sun rose around three each morning, which brought the entire natural environment into a much more visible view early each morning I observed. Once the sun rose, the mountains and hills were then very easy to see in about every direction I decided to look. These mountains one can see varies from some of the highest in the world, containing snowcaps and soaring into the skies, to smaller ones being full of the color green and vegetation. The mountains usually gave off a grey look at the base during midday but appeared more of a purplish tint during sunrise and sunset that was absolutely amazing to see firsthand. All I had remembered seeing in America was of the endless sight of the vast cornfields that were anything but beautiful to behold. There were not mountains with the sun beautifully gleaming on the mountains each day during sunrise and sunset, giving off this beautiful tint of color that I had never seen before where I lived. I only had the dull grey and brown fields to see, with the sun dehydrating this vegetation. I had the disgusting skies which gave off a tint that was nothing more than dark and gritty; lacking color and personality.This was in fact not even worthy of recognition. The soil of this volcanic island is another natural beauty that is a true gift. This soil is a very dark brown color, in which actually appears black at most times due to the great amounts of basaltic rocks present. The soil being so soft and moist, due to the humid climate, making this soil very pleasant in touch. The soil in America being of a rocky, rigid, dry shell, that was just something that you only noticed when it was stuck on the bottom of your shoes, or of when the scorching sun had dried up the grass in the summer and one had to be confronted with this ugly sight of mere dirt and rock. The smell of the ocean is another magnificent feature of the natural environment. This smell not being like that of the smell of the Atlantic from Florida, but of a different, indescribable smell that is not necessarily a treat or an obstacle to one’s sense of smell. The smell not being of a bitter, foul fishy one, but of the natural elements and minerals that compose the ocean itself. This smell includes sediments compacted on the ocean floor and beach, and of the sodium and water all combined into a single fragrance. This was a smell of freshness, yet I knew there was something else present that I never did pinpoint. The sakura tree, with its soft pink to white blossom, is also a gift that the natural environment gives to the people. This blossom being very short lived but much like that of life itself. I then felt this throbbing sensation from inside my body, and it was as if my heart was trying to beat.
To be continued...
Thursday, March 4, 2010
My Rebirth Part II
As I further observed this dazzling manmade environment I began to notice so many other aspects that captured my interest. One of these was of the order and structure of the Japanese traffic system. I always seemed to find myself on a nice paved sidewalk, whether in a rural or urban setting. I saw that the bicycle and automobile users were always very aware of one another’s presence, never once even coming close to contact. Here in America, people are very unaware as they drive, with their absence of using turning signals, and only driving half way on the road or sometimes on the wrong side of the road. The thought of bicycles being used in American traffic systems as they are in Japan is a very scary thought due to many Americans just not paying attention as they drive. The crosswalks were safely and effectively allowing the bike users and pedestrians to cross, with nice, clear lights and signals that always worked properly, even if there had been construction or storm damage previously. It is like chaos in America when construction is taking place in the city or if there has been storm damage, with the poor traffic conductors and defective or absent traffic signals. The trains of this country were also very ordered and structured and were always on time. “Trains, what trains!” Here in America there are not any national public transportation systems that allow the people to travel across the country by train. This is a very convenient means of transportation in Japan, but if America had such a system, it would not be nearly as convenient with the common poor order and structure of American transportation. There would be all kinds of delays, and absence of employees that were supposed to be operating the trains and trains stations, like that at the airports here in America; it is pathetic. Not once did a train arrive one minute later than the posted time, or was there never ending construction that took place here, like in that of America. If there was a job to be done, it was done, and not milked out until the last minute. This was true order and effective execution of structure here in Japan.
This was true order and effective execution of structure here in Japan. This next aspect might seem somewhat odd, but they were always very clean, well structured, and very original. Each and every commode was very clean and offered many sanitizers that could be applied to it, contained buttons for cleaning after one had finished, and was equipped with heated seats. Some places even had motion sensors that opened, closed, and flushed the commode during use, using one third the water of American toilets. I still kept questioning how this was all possible, and kept stammering my way around this very unique place of Japan. I often found myself in the more urban setting of this society, being exposed to the great architect here. I was not surprised to the least when I saw that all of the buildings here had structure, beauty, and originality. These urban settings overflowing with beautiful signs, with the vast electrical lines feeding them power to display this great beauty of light. These electrical lines were responsible for sending vital charges into my heart; charges that started my existence. These signs were exhibiting so many compliments to these buildings and I always found myself gazing up at the signs with awe. A great aspect that I favored greatly here was to the amount of shops and that existed. These showed some of the world’s best clothing, and produced a great fragrance of food being prepared. The smell of the noodle, fresh bakery, and grilled chicken shops along with the endless arcade shopping streets was a place very easy to get lost in time with. This was so refreshing to all of my senses. Finally I was in a place that was not owned by a corporation that had bought all these great places that used to exist in America. I also noted that the people in this environment all appeared very structured in appearance and work ethics. Workers all wearing a neat uniform of the corporation or company they worked for, and students wearing their school uniform of the school that they belonged to. All these people seemed proud to wear these uniforms as to the conversation one could hear being discussed about them. They were representing who and what they were, still keeping in place their individualism that cannot be appreciated by the American perspective to the degree it is in Japan. It is a common sight in America to witness employees wearing their uniforms incorrectly, with their pants sagging down and oversized t-shirts that are not even tucked in. Sometimes you will find that they are not wearing a uniform at all.
To be continued...
This was true order and effective execution of structure here in Japan. This next aspect might seem somewhat odd, but they were always very clean, well structured, and very original. Each and every commode was very clean and offered many sanitizers that could be applied to it, contained buttons for cleaning after one had finished, and was equipped with heated seats. Some places even had motion sensors that opened, closed, and flushed the commode during use, using one third the water of American toilets. I still kept questioning how this was all possible, and kept stammering my way around this very unique place of Japan. I often found myself in the more urban setting of this society, being exposed to the great architect here. I was not surprised to the least when I saw that all of the buildings here had structure, beauty, and originality. These urban settings overflowing with beautiful signs, with the vast electrical lines feeding them power to display this great beauty of light. These electrical lines were responsible for sending vital charges into my heart; charges that started my existence. These signs were exhibiting so many compliments to these buildings and I always found myself gazing up at the signs with awe. A great aspect that I favored greatly here was to the amount of shops and that existed. These showed some of the world’s best clothing, and produced a great fragrance of food being prepared. The smell of the noodle, fresh bakery, and grilled chicken shops along with the endless arcade shopping streets was a place very easy to get lost in time with. This was so refreshing to all of my senses. Finally I was in a place that was not owned by a corporation that had bought all these great places that used to exist in America. I also noted that the people in this environment all appeared very structured in appearance and work ethics. Workers all wearing a neat uniform of the corporation or company they worked for, and students wearing their school uniform of the school that they belonged to. All these people seemed proud to wear these uniforms as to the conversation one could hear being discussed about them. They were representing who and what they were, still keeping in place their individualism that cannot be appreciated by the American perspective to the degree it is in Japan. It is a common sight in America to witness employees wearing their uniforms incorrectly, with their pants sagging down and oversized t-shirts that are not even tucked in. Sometimes you will find that they are not wearing a uniform at all.
To be continued...
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
My Rebirth Part I
My next few posts will be of my first experience going to Japan. I plan to have at least five parts of my experience, in which I will post a continuation each week.
I had become a corpse prior to visiting this land; every drop of life had abandoned me. As I first gazed down upon these natural and manmade environments from the airplane that thrived among each other, it caused this forgotten sensation of a feeling to commence inside my corpse. I could not recall as to what a feeling had even felt like. Once this thought to be feeling started, I felt as if I was coming to life for the very first time. I knew this was not true once I started to gain my feeling back. I had lived before but there was something much different this time.
Once I stepped off the plane, I found myself in the only airport that accepted international flights to the country; the Narita Airport of Chiba-ken, Japan. This airport that I arrived at was a good insight for the rest of my stay here. This place being one of cleanliness, order, beauty, originality, structure, and inspiration. The cleanliness of the airport shined at me with its spotless floors that one would not expect from an airport that permits mass numbers of individual traveling through at such rapid rates every day. This was a pleasant welcome as I ventured through this unfamiliar land of Japan. Could the entire country be like this? Japan was very a populated country, but still it seemed to stay unbelievably clean, despite the mass number of endless crowds that made their way through the country. The people seemed to take great pride in their property in places such as their homes, cars, and community, and constantly upkeep and nurture these items of property. The paper, cigarette butt, chewing gum, dirt and litter free streets and sidewalks, with people down on their hands and knees scrubbing and picking up such items on their property, brought this feeling of inspiration into my once empty corpse. I thought my eyes were surely deceiving me because this was something that could not ever be accomplished in even the smallest cities in America. These activities were occurring in even the biggest of cities, such as this massive metropolis of Tokyo.
The pollution that was present was of a different format than here in America. I could see the pollution, but I could not figure out as to why I was not coughing and wrinkling my face in disgust at the smells of the pollution from the city. I could feel my lungs beginning to function again, and to be able to breathe this refreshing air. This pollution that was present was not of this thick black cloud over cities in America that makes it difficult to breathe. This was of a controlled pollution that did not create this black smog. This pollution was merely pollutants that were unpreventable that originated from the factories, homes, and transportation. I observed that these pollutants were coming from properly proportioned items that were well engineered, fuel-efficient, and not oversized. The presence with them was not an unpleasant one like I had been most familiar with. Their smell was of gasoline, oil, and natural gas burnt in a clean manner that gave off a smell that was somewhat sweet to my senses. I could breathe, and see the blue sky’s natural clouds even in the most metropolitan areas, rather than the black, manmade clouds I had grown accustomed to here in America.
To be continued...
I had become a corpse prior to visiting this land; every drop of life had abandoned me. As I first gazed down upon these natural and manmade environments from the airplane that thrived among each other, it caused this forgotten sensation of a feeling to commence inside my corpse. I could not recall as to what a feeling had even felt like. Once this thought to be feeling started, I felt as if I was coming to life for the very first time. I knew this was not true once I started to gain my feeling back. I had lived before but there was something much different this time.
Once I stepped off the plane, I found myself in the only airport that accepted international flights to the country; the Narita Airport of Chiba-ken, Japan. This airport that I arrived at was a good insight for the rest of my stay here. This place being one of cleanliness, order, beauty, originality, structure, and inspiration. The cleanliness of the airport shined at me with its spotless floors that one would not expect from an airport that permits mass numbers of individual traveling through at such rapid rates every day. This was a pleasant welcome as I ventured through this unfamiliar land of Japan. Could the entire country be like this? Japan was very a populated country, but still it seemed to stay unbelievably clean, despite the mass number of endless crowds that made their way through the country. The people seemed to take great pride in their property in places such as their homes, cars, and community, and constantly upkeep and nurture these items of property. The paper, cigarette butt, chewing gum, dirt and litter free streets and sidewalks, with people down on their hands and knees scrubbing and picking up such items on their property, brought this feeling of inspiration into my once empty corpse. I thought my eyes were surely deceiving me because this was something that could not ever be accomplished in even the smallest cities in America. These activities were occurring in even the biggest of cities, such as this massive metropolis of Tokyo.
The pollution that was present was of a different format than here in America. I could see the pollution, but I could not figure out as to why I was not coughing and wrinkling my face in disgust at the smells of the pollution from the city. I could feel my lungs beginning to function again, and to be able to breathe this refreshing air. This pollution that was present was not of this thick black cloud over cities in America that makes it difficult to breathe. This was of a controlled pollution that did not create this black smog. This pollution was merely pollutants that were unpreventable that originated from the factories, homes, and transportation. I observed that these pollutants were coming from properly proportioned items that were well engineered, fuel-efficient, and not oversized. The presence with them was not an unpleasant one like I had been most familiar with. Their smell was of gasoline, oil, and natural gas burnt in a clean manner that gave off a smell that was somewhat sweet to my senses. I could breathe, and see the blue sky’s natural clouds even in the most metropolitan areas, rather than the black, manmade clouds I had grown accustomed to here in America.
To be continued...
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Dating in Japan
This is going to explain in short detail some of the things that me and my wife enjoy in Japan when we live there for six months out of the year. I am in Japan with my wife any time that I am not in school, and she comes here for usually a couple months when I am in school here in America. Nevertheless, we enjoy our selves all the time, and I would have to say that our most enjoyable time is usually spent in Japan due to all of the fun dates that we can go on. We are the type that really just likes to stay at home and watch movies together on the couch, but we do find ourselves enjoying karaoke, izakayas, fine-of-the-art restaurants, and internet cafes. To ellaborate further upon those, many couples find themselves enjoying going to places like this on dates. Karaoke is nice because all of the karaoke parlors allow you and your date to have your own private booth/room and you do not have to worry about being embarrased singing in front of people that you do not know. These rooms are equipped with an electronic library book of music that you can choose from to sing to. One can also enjoy the quick room service that these parlors offer, in which they bring one all the beer and food they desire. Izakaya's are very much a part of Japanese culture where couples, or anyone really, can go to socialize in a Japanese style bar. Do not like karaoke or going to bars, then head over to the internet cafe with your date. This is not what you think it is, this is a place of endless amusement. Couples can enjoy billiards, ping pong, darts, drinking, computers, or pachinko. There are also private rooms that you can rent to just hang out and spend time with your partner.
The above photos were taken in Japan, and one of those was taken in the electronic district of Tokyo called Akihabara. Tokyo is a couple of hours from me and my wifes home in Japan, but we enjoy going to Tokyo at least once a year. It is a true blast and is a place where one can really loose track of time, but that is what being with your partner is all about, loosing sense of time and enjoying the moment.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Restaurant of Many Orders
I recently had to read an old fairy tale for an advanced Japanese level class that I am taking here at IUS, and I found the moral of the story to be very interesting and unique. It did remind me of some of the fairy tales that I had read as a child, but this one still has a very distinct theme, in which was presented to me in a manner that I had not experienced before. This will now explain the story behind the old Japanese fairy tale The Restaurant of Many Orders, and of the theme embedded within the story.
The story starts off with two men that are being guided around the country side by a tour guide. The men are also occupied by their two dogs, and later become seperated from them and the tour guide. Hungry, the men start to panic and become lost. They later come across a restaurant in the middle of the forest. They think that it is really odd that a restaurant would be in the middle of the forest, but they still decide to enter. They are drawn in by a sign that mentions that they can eat for free, that they can even eat as much as they like. The men then decide to go inside the restaurant, and are later engaged by many odd signs inside the restaurant. These signs are posted on doors, and usually ask them to remove items such as their weapons and clothes. The men believe that this is because the restaurant hosts men of high status, and that this is a simply a security measure. Ultimately, they obey the signs, and the sign requests become stranger and stranger, with one sign even asking them to put butter all over their bodies. Later they discover that they are to be eaten by a giant cat, but their dogs come in at the last second and scare the cat away.
What one learns from this simple, yet unique fairy tale, is that if something is to good to be true, then maybe it really is too good to be true.
The story starts off with two men that are being guided around the country side by a tour guide. The men are also occupied by their two dogs, and later become seperated from them and the tour guide. Hungry, the men start to panic and become lost. They later come across a restaurant in the middle of the forest. They think that it is really odd that a restaurant would be in the middle of the forest, but they still decide to enter. They are drawn in by a sign that mentions that they can eat for free, that they can even eat as much as they like. The men then decide to go inside the restaurant, and are later engaged by many odd signs inside the restaurant. These signs are posted on doors, and usually ask them to remove items such as their weapons and clothes. The men believe that this is because the restaurant hosts men of high status, and that this is a simply a security measure. Ultimately, they obey the signs, and the sign requests become stranger and stranger, with one sign even asking them to put butter all over their bodies. Later they discover that they are to be eaten by a giant cat, but their dogs come in at the last second and scare the cat away.
What one learns from this simple, yet unique fairy tale, is that if something is to good to be true, then maybe it really is too good to be true.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Disgustipated
This is a poem that I completed yesterday for a literature class that I am currently taking. The poem fits the theme of my blog, so I thought I would post it under this week's blog to see what you guys thought of it. It was supposed to be a modernist poem in which sought out to refrain from using the overused romantic and flowery language of the Victorian culture. I chose to model mine after T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land," in which makes a lot of references to history that are not very well known, and uses that of foreign language in his poem to convey emotion and meaning. The title of my poem is Disgustipated. Please see the footnotes for translations and and historical references. I am in no position to say what I think is positive and negative about my poem since I wrote it. With that being said, please leave some feedback, if possible, to let me know how you interpretted the poem, and of what you liked or did not like about it and why. Thanks.
Disgustipated
Infecting the masses,
Ordering You!
(1) Tatsu! And Pushing, and their shoving.
You are the chosen one
The one to bear the club,
Go! Beat your brother down!
Construed from greed and hate,
(2) Daihonei, you are the founding fathter.
(3) Okaasan, okaasan, who are they that come here?
What's going on? What's going on?
(4)Dare desu ka? Who are they?
1. Stand!
2. The Imperial General Headquarters of Japan, which was responsible for conducting the Japanese Army and Navy during wartime.
3. Mother
4. Who are you?
(5) Tokoro de,
There's got to be a way?
(6) Otoosan, otoosan,
(7) Mina sama, doko iku no?
(8) Yoshiko Uchida san,
Simply because our eyes are not the same.
Tokoro de,
There's got to be a way?
Dissociative identity is the damage.
My identity!
5. Well, you now; by the way
6. Father
7. Where is everyone going?
8. One of the Japanese American citizens that was forced into a concentration camp in America during the 1940's under Franklin D. Roosevelt's orders.
(9) Nanda kore!
Why don't you come and join us,
Come,
Come join (10) The Wired.
(11) Nani?
(12) Doushite konai no?
9. What the hell; what is this
10. A fictional computer network
11. Why?
12Why don't you come?
Friday, February 5, 2010
Ojigi
Ojigi, which is the Japanese bow, is the western equivalent of the handshake. This is a technique that Japanese people of all ages use to greet, depart, and express their gratitude to each other. There are differences in the way the males and females use ojigi. Males tend to leave their arms positioned to their sides, and bow at about a thirty degree angle. Females bend at about a thirty degree angle as well, but with their arms flat against their bodies in a "v" shape pattern in front of them. One's hands should cross one another as well when doing ojigi. The number of bows that are performed all depend on the situation and to who exactly you are using ojigi to. If it is to your friends or close family, a single bow will suffice. If to someone of a higher social staus than you, such as your boss, teacher, clients, or even the elderly, several bows should be performed, with the final bow being one at about fifty to sixty degrees. The final bow, to those of the higher social staus, should be held in position if they are departing, until the person has left your sight.
Using ojigi can be very complicated at first but anyone can master it, even foreigners. One might be surprised to know that most Japanese people will greet westerners with a handshake, but try a bow next time when you meet a Japanese person and you will be showered in compliments of being well-cultured about Japan. Do not worry about using ojigi incorrectly with a Japanese person, most of them will very happy to see that you are at least trying to be respectful, and they will truly see it that way. It is funny to look back to a few months ago when Obama visited the emperor and empress of Japan, in which they both have absolutley no sort of political power today, to the amount of uncultured remarks that many Americans made regarding Obama's ojigi towards the emperor and empress. They simply did not know that this was just a part of Japanese culture, and of the way that they greet one another. It was just a simple handshake, and Obama even shook hands at the same time while bowing to them. If you think about ojigi, it really is a more sanitary means of greeting one another, considering that one never really know where someone else's hands have been.
Using ojigi can be very complicated at first but anyone can master it, even foreigners. One might be surprised to know that most Japanese people will greet westerners with a handshake, but try a bow next time when you meet a Japanese person and you will be showered in compliments of being well-cultured about Japan. Do not worry about using ojigi incorrectly with a Japanese person, most of them will very happy to see that you are at least trying to be respectful, and they will truly see it that way. It is funny to look back to a few months ago when Obama visited the emperor and empress of Japan, in which they both have absolutley no sort of political power today, to the amount of uncultured remarks that many Americans made regarding Obama's ojigi towards the emperor and empress. They simply did not know that this was just a part of Japanese culture, and of the way that they greet one another. It was just a simple handshake, and Obama even shook hands at the same time while bowing to them. If you think about ojigi, it really is a more sanitary means of greeting one another, considering that one never really know where someone else's hands have been.
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