Experiences and Retrospection

Above is my wallet. It is a simple trifold wallet made from leather that I bought for its visual appeal and durability. It is a little bit worn out but otherwise visually unremarkable. What is remarkable about this wallet however, is where it has been. While I was traveling in Tokyo I managed to lose my wallet on one of my first days there. In truth I believe, that my wallet was stolen from my room in Tokyo because I left the door locked and it was missing in the morning. Unfortunately I could not find it anywhere or prove anything, so I simply left it for lost. About two weeks ago I received an e-mail from the CIE indicating that my wallet had been found in Tokyo and was being sent to me if I still wanted it. This was more than a full month since my trip to Tokyo, and I had sense completely forgotten about my wallet and replaced it's contents. While I had heard about such instances occurring in Japan before coming here I was completely surprised to see it actually happen. This was indicative of the long-term planning that is present in Japan. If there is a problem there is usually a plan for what to do, and a system in place in which to do it. Whoever found my wallet was able to return it to me because had been set, and system put in place for such eventualities. I had heard about such things before coming to Japan, to witness it in action was very telling about the structure of Japanese society. What was more telling for me was instances in which this breaks down. A small example of this is umbrellas, which are a necessity in Japan's rainy climate. Since buying my first umbrella I have lost a total of two, which seems to commonplace even when people have distinct or labeled umbrellas. Umbrella theft is not indicative of people ignoring umbrellas, on the contrary many stores have places to lock your umbrella or cover it in plastic when you come indoors. Umbrella theft becomes a noted but accepted inconvenience. For me, this reflects a change in my perspective of Japanese culture as a whole. There are systems set in place for many things, but there are cracks within the system that individual must adapt to. The cracks and contradictions within Japanese culture reveal more depth than can be seen from the outside, and are usually small and can easily be overlooked. 

Emotion and Dolls

Bunraku puppetry has been an influential form of art and entertainment since the Genroku epoch in Tokugawa Japan. It first originated around 1684 in Osaka, and was a fusion of oral traveling storytelling and regional puppet plays. The playwright Chikamatsu had the most profound influence on the genre, writing both jidaimono historical epics and the more personal sewamono which depicted commoners in their daily lives. Now Bunraku has stuck closely to its roots, retelling these stories using the same design for the stage and puppets as has been used for hundreds of years. These images were taken at the National Bunraku Theater in Kyoto, where we were given a backstage pass to look at and manipulate some of the puppets used in the plays themselves. The puppets, as you can see from the picture on the upper left, stand about 4 feet tall and require three people to manipulate properly. While our comical and clumsy manipulations of these puppets do show some of the emotion capable of being evoked through these dolls it pales in comparison to what can be done in the hands of master puppeteers. Everything from sorrow to rage to lust to fear can be created through the synthesis of the tayu, or chanter, and the movements of the puppets themselves on a Bunraku stage. A part of this evocative power is related to the large elegant dress and detailed faces of the puppets as showcased in the picture on the upper right. The puppet heads are created with ornate and imposing features, with many distinct facial types which each correspond to a specific character archetype. The photo on the left depicts a young couple, while the one on the left depicts a powerful and charismatic daimyo. Seeing these puppets come to life on the stage was truly a powerful experience, it seems paradoxical that the use of inanimate dolls could invoke such powerful emotion in their audience; which is very telling about the design, passion, and control that goes into a good Bunraku performance. 

Sakura, Dragons, and Complications

      

The hanami festival is a time to celebrate the beauty of spring and enjoy the sakura trees as they blossom each year. Traditionally these trees represent beauty, youth, and the ephemeral nature of our world. Me and my friends celebrated this event on our own, but along the way we ran into many people who were doing the same. The picture above depicts people celebrating Hanami in various ways, from simply walking through the trees to setting up a camp with a large group and having a picnic. This picnic in particular was not elaborate or expensive, the focus seemed to be more on taking advantage of the good weather and beautiful sakura while they lasted. In spite of the massive population of people coming to see the blossoms, the feeling of each individual group appeared to be relaxed and joyful. Though the sakura can only be enjoyed once a year, for about a week, the shrines and temples that dot the cities in Japan are open year round. These temples and shrines are religious in nature, and many still have practitioners who come and offer prayers and offerings to the kami or buddhas. Yet at the same time these shrines and temples can be approached as tourist attractions. The picture below depicts a man who was ignoring the  large buddhist altar before him and instead focusing on the painting of two dragons (not shown) that were on the ceiling of the temple. He did not participate in any religious rituals while visiting the temple. He acted appeared to come and enjoy the temple for it's artistic beauty and cultural significance. Each of these pictures addresses the potential disconnect between what an image or space is reported to be, and the way in which it is actually approached. The hanami festival and shrine visits I experienced were not necessarily solemn, thoughtful, or spiritual events. Instead they were a pleasant way to spend the time on the weekend. This does not undervalue the significance of these two events, but instead complicates and expands the meaning behind them to include more mundane and relaxed ways of approaching and appreciating them.
                           
                                                  

Showto, A One Man Theater

                                                                                                 

The above pictures are of a man named Showto-san who is a performer of Rakugo, a traditional form of Japanese performance art. You can find an example of Rakugo here, though the stories performed were not the ones I saw. I met Showto as he performed multiple stories in the Rakugo style, in English, last weekend at a local community building near Korien station. Rakugo tales are usually humorous or lighthearted in feel, and are performed alone with two props: a fan and a handkerchief. As Showto explained, imagination and engagement is required to enjoy Rakugo since the one performer acts out multiple roles in a story while remaining sitting (or occasionally leaning forwards for emphasis). At the end of his performances Showto actually called me and my friend, who were the only foreigners present at the time, up onto the "stage". I was given a quick lesson on how Rakugo is performed, and of course was made fun of in a joking way. During this brief instruction, he explained to me that there is a careful balance when performing Rakugo to ensure that you are not too expressive to the point of being overblown, while still making each character and action distinct. The picture above on the left is an example of Showto performing on stage, he is serious and focused on his work even though the stories are generally humorous and slapstick. The picture on the right was taken after lunch with the Rakugo performers and the audience, myself and my friend included. Showto remained good-natured and respectful but was far more reserved and quiet when off the stage. The experience engaging with him on the stage was very different from the conversation we had over lunch. Or relationship was brief, but very enlightening. I was able to learn a lot about Rakugo (which I had previously never heard of) and about Showto as an individual through his art. 

Movement and Efficiency

Within my adoptive neighborhood of katahokohigashimachi, there is definite movement. Though the area is far from bustling, their always seem to be people moving around their daily routines. If I do not see them directly their is evidence of such movement nonetheless. This first image I took is of a small apartment complex literally a house away from seminar house 2. Usually the apartment complex looks as it does in the picture. Everyone's bikes, and one moped, are seen hastily massed together to conserve as much space as possible and ensure that no one's stuff is left out on the street. The adjoining apartment is very small, and judging by the number of doors crammed into it the rooms themselves must be small and minimal as well. This scene is one that I see every morning as a I pass by, in the afternoons however I often come back to see that only few bikes, or none, remain. Yet another example of communal respect (I have not yet detected any hint of people tampering with the bikes) and efficiency.

However, it would be unwise to assume that everyone in Japan lives in cramped housing and simply rides bikes all the time. It would be equally foolish to assume that their is no extravagance simply because Japanese neighborhoods seem to be extremely minimal and quiet. Thus, it is better to find exceptions to assumed rules, and to complicate simple ideas. This picture as an example of this. A more western car can be seen taking up most of the road, and honestly appearing to have a harder time managing katahokogashimachi's narrow suburban streets. I have seen the car parked in the lot of a large house nearby. The house itself is gated, with a front yard a large two story main housing structure. The house is a an interesting contrast to the apartment complex just down the road, as the overly large western car in contrast to the mopeds that frequent this area. The car acts as an example of luxury rather than efficiency, as it clearly takes up most of the road.  

Initial Impressions of Japan

I thought it would be best if I began my blog with an analysis of one of the first images I encountered while in Japan. My flight to Japan touched down in Tokyo, where I transferred onto a JAL flight to KIX. This flight took about an hour and I had trouble staying awake the whole way. In spite of this, I noticed this visual representation of the instructions during an emergency while in flight. I was initially struck both by the color, detail and visual style of the instructions. It was almost cartoon-like, and was clearly designed to be visually engaging and to try and make you pay attention. The instructional video, which I attempted to take a picture of but was unsuccessful, was done in a similar fashion. Another thing that struck me was that the emergency instructions were far more extensive than I am used to in the states. These were the first signs of a trend that I have begin to see in much of Japanese culture, which is the importance of knowing the rules, knowing the plan, and doing your part within those parameters. Following a plan does not seem to necessarily be extremely strict, but it does seem to be very pervasive. The quirky cartooniness depicted here in a public and adult setting also seems to be a growing trend that I have seen, but I haven't learned enough about Japanese culture to have an idea as to why it is so commonplace.

My second picture highlights a different trend that I have noticed in Japan, which is physical closeness. This picture was taken during my first night in Japan, where I stayed at a hotel in KIX. This was my hotel room, the angle is somewhat misleading but the room was extremely small but comfortable for a single person. What I realized when staying there was that the space was enough, and just enough. It was not extremely luxurious, but it was clearly a very nice hotel room and it served its purpose well. This is a trend I have seen repeated in other restaurants, buildings,    houses, and other living areas. They are large enough to meet their intended purpose and do so as long as they are well taken care of  and this room supports that idea. I had enough space to fit my luggage, as seen in the lower right, and a bed large enough to fit me, and I even had some space to set up my laptop if need be. With Japan's high population density, expansive cities and highly urbanized culture, it is understandable that being utilitarian with space and with living areas is not only advantageous, but necessary to support the population and allow people to have enough space to do what is needed.