Changing Impressions

If I were to look at how my impressions on japan have changed since I been here through just a normal perspective I would say, that to be honest, I don’t know if I’ve have many changing impressions of Japan. For the most part I feel the same as I did when I came here in August.

The biggest difference isn’t how I view Japan, but how I view my home back in the US.  I think about how much more efficient things are here compared to Chicago. I think about how I should be using the trains or riding my bike to get places instead of getting in my car and driving across the street to get some milk.

But if I were to think about how my impressions on Japan have changed because of Visual Anthropology….

I would say that I’m more interested in learning about Sub cultures in Japan. I now ask my Japanese friends why things are a certain way. Even if they don’t know the real answer I like knowing what their reason is and what they think about it.  I like to learn about the different dialects in japan, I always ask my friends to teach me different sayings that are common in the areas that they are from.  I like being taken to small underground shows and seeing a different part of japan that seems to be hidden from the mainstream media. I’m interested in why certain things are hidden in japan and why other things seem to be normal or glorified. There are so many things that I am interested in, but being in Japan for 9 months isn’t long enough to fully learn anything.  I’ve only scratched the surface. And I’ve realized that I really don’t know much about Japan.

I honestly had no idea what pictures to use for this since none of the ones I have taken would go with this post, since I didn’t know how to capture changing impressions. So these are just pictures that I took in august to try to show my parents what I thought japan looked like.

Japanese Culture

Sub Culture

More specifically, Visual Kei.

To be honest, I don’t know what else I should write about. I don’t want this post to be another cliché post about Japan. But I don’t know if this is cliché or not. But in the end, I don’t really care. It’s my choice and I want to write about something I’m interested in.

I’ve been interested in Japan my whole life. And when I was 11 I somehow found out about a Japanese guitarist/singer named Miyavi. At the time he was a solo artist who would be in the genre of Visual kei. And since then I’ve only been listening to Visual Kei.

But I’m not just interested in the music, I also find the artists themselves interesting. The whole idea of Visual Kei is to have a sort of persona when performing which is usually accompanied by outrageous outfits and have. I think that the easiest way for me to describe it is and updated version of 80’s rock in the US. Big hair, crazy outfits, and crazy make up. Visual Kei can be a darker kind of music, and musicians can look like Marilyn Manson or they can be poppy outrageous characters like Lady Gaga.

One other reason I find Visual kei interesting is because almost every Japanese person I have met knows about Visual Kei and some of the bands (and will ask me if I know __________.), but no one will admit that they themselves like it (even if they can sing a band’s song). I’ve even had Japanese students tell me that they don’t like it because they are afraid that it would turn them into bad people.

Visual kei may seem silly or stupid to many people, but I don’t care. I find it to be an interesting part of Japan and I recommend that people give it a chance and look into some bands.

Pictures are From a Visual kei concert that I went to. the one is the band's truck, and the 2nd one is of fans waiting to buy tour goods.

What do Japanese people do?

Since I don’t want to just go off of what I’ve seen I figured I’d ask 5 Japanese friends what they would say they do.  and just use their quotes to show what some Japanese people might do…

Koki-“I like to play sports and work out. But I think that I like karaoke best. It is the thing I like to do the best. When I go, I get to be with all my friends, and we drink and sing until morning.”

Yuriko- “I don’t know what Japanese people do. But I would say that I like to go to Izakaya with friends and I also like to go to karaoke on the weekends. But during the week I like to stay home and help my mom around the house when I am not at work.”

Yuki- “all I do is work. And if I have free time I sleep.  I don’t know what Japanese people do. But I don’t think that sleep is one of them. Cuz they always sleep on trains.”

Toru- “Since I’m poor, I only go out drinking once a month. Other than that I go to work and school. But I think that drinking is one of the most common social things to do in japan.  Everyone goes to the bar.”

Manato- “hands down, when I have the free time, I go to karaoke! I don’t trust anyone who hates karaoke! Because it is the most fun for everyone!  And it is best for school year. Because it gets rid of stress.”

From what my friends said, I’d say that it’s safe to say that quite a few Japanese people go out for social drinking, and karaoke in their free time. But are usually rather busy doing school work, or just going to work.

(didn't really want to use pics like these, but i couldn't think of anything to use. and i thought that they went well with the situation.)