April – Another Day in the Year

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I can hardly believe that a month has already passed! It feels like I am still getting to know my roommate and the people living at i-house. Because even though it has been more than a week since I left i-house to do my own traveling, it honestly just feels like I’m on another homestay visit. My mind can’t grasp the fact that I’m not going to wake up in my dorm room on Monday, shuffle to the shower (all the while trying not to wake up my roommate) and then run to class. I think I adjusted to life in Japan a bit too quickly; when I return back to Canada, the transition back is not going to be easy.

Our group blog was focused around social issues, and I think this has kind of opened my eyes towards somethings. I was lucky to have a chance to become friends with someone who is very critical of society (not just Japanese society, but societies all over the world) and how humans just tend to fall into certain collective habits. Hanging around them made me realize the benefits and faults of living in a certain society. For example, when it comes to job-hunting in Japan, fourth year students are usually forced by their peers to start looking for jobs, even before graduating. In Canada, companies will not hire you unless you have already graduated university. However, for both countries, companies that hire young people usually offer little to no pay internships. And these internships usually have these young people doing grunt work or “chores”, as I like to put it, such as fetching coffee for superiors, or translating small PowerPoint Presentations. Reflecting back on the blogs were wrote here, we should have done a greater focus on comparing AND contrasting the social issues of different societies.

It has been a pleasure to study and travel Japan. I hope to be back soon!

April Grace Petrascu

エイプリル・グレイス・ペットラスキュ

Deylan – Experiencing more in Japan

           This time in Japan is the third time I have had the opportunity to come here. Every time I come here I have more and more friends to visit which I am so thankful for. I get to really experience the culture that way and my friends show me around to places that I may not have found otherwise. My Japanese friends that live in various cities around Japan really make the whole experience for me. I have got to meet more amazing people, test out my Japanese, visit universities and learn more about life here. Each time visiting Japan gets better and better for me. I don’t do many touristy things because I would rather spend time with people.

An amazing experience this time was after the Senshu program was over, I went to Toyohashi to visit a friend I met in Kanazawa three years ago. This friend speaks no English but we managed to stay friends and I visit her every time I come. But shockingly in the two years I haven’t seen her, she has become a mother and wife. She welcomed me into her home for two nights. She was so amazing and drove me to a beautiful onsen and took me to eat delicious food. Then before I left back to Tokyo we met up with her mom, who I also have not seen in three years, and it was so nice to be able to actually communicate with them this time. I am excited to see how well I can the next time we meet.

Then when I got back to Tokyo I was visiting a friend who is American but had lived here for four years and is now fluent in Japanese. He is gay and brought me out for a night with his good Japanese friends – who are also gay – and I got to learn a lot about the gay community of Japan. His friends told me a lot about what it is like to be Japanese and gay while living in Japan. It was an amazingly fun night and I am glad I got to make more Japanese friends.

I really can’t wait to come back and visit everyone again in one or two years from now. It is so sad to have to say goodbye to everyone for possibly long period of time. But I am so thankful to know all of them as well.

Karmen – Time to Say Goodbye

Final Blog Post – June 17th, 2018

One month in Japan went by very quickly. There were ups and downs, laughter and tears. We all went to Japan for the same purpose, but all had a different experience. We made new friends, we practiced Japanese, we shopped, ate delicious food, got sick, got hurt and many other things. However, we all had a very memorable ending.

Many things happened in the last week. On Wednesday, we had our final exam, therefore most of us were busy studying on Monday and Tuesday. The final exam was worth 43%, therefore everyone was sitting at the lounge helping each other study and practice for the interview. After the final exam, everyone had different plans to celebrate. Some went out to eat, some went out for all you can drink and some went out with friends. I went to an onsen by Yomiuri Land with some friends to relax. It was my first time at an onsen in Japan and I really enjoyed it even though it was raining that day. It was shocking at first to see how Japanese don’t wear swimsuits to onsen. They undress at the change room first, wash their body and hair next and then go in completely naked. There were indoor and outdoor onsens with different functions. At the onsen, I also tried a steam room with ginger. It was very different from the steam rooms in Canada. There was salt in the room for skin exfoliation and the steam was ginger scented. 温泉はとても楽しかったです。Next time I travel to Japan, I will definitely go to an onsen again. I want to go to the smaller cities that are known for the onsen.

National Theatre of Japan

On Thursday, it was our last group event before we all separate on Friday evening. We went to watch Kabuki at the National Theatre of Japan. The first part of the Kabuki was a lesson teaching us what Kabuki is, and the second part was an actual Kabuki show. To be honest, most of us fell asleep. I had the English translation so it kept me awake for most of the 2 hours. After Kabuki, we went to the Tokyo Bay Intercontinental Hotel for dinner. It was a 5-star hotel buffet with a variety of western and Japanese food. We ate so much that we started to joke about looking like 4 months pregnant. After dinner, we all left to see the night view of the bay and the Rainbow Bridge. It was the most peaceful and beautiful moment I experienced in Japan.

Closing Ceremony

The last day was the closing ceremony. We all dressed in yukata and everyone looked great. After everything was complete, it was sad seeing people leave. But I know this is not goodbye. I will see them again in Calgary and I will visit Japan again. I will try my best to stay in touch with my friends in Japan, especially Yuika and Riki. Next time, I visit Japan I want to go to Osaka, Kyoto and Okinawa with my family. To show them how beautiful Japan is. Goodbye for now.

 

 

 

カーメン

Karmen Ou Yang

Final Blog: Kabuki and the Dinner Party!

As our program was coming to a close, our group was able to experience one more event. Together, we went to watch a lesson in kabuki theatre. Although the first act, or, educational session was informative, I did find it a bit boring and hard to watch. But when the actors came to perform a small bit of kabuki I was extremely intrigued by it. I do not know much about kabuki theatre; only that it flourished during the Edo/Tokugawa period and that it is performed by men only. Throughout this program, I have thoroughly enjoyed viewing traditional arts of Japan such as when we went to the Tokyo museum and now the kabuki theatre. Japan’s fine arts culture is rich and unique, and I have enjoyed every moment we were able to experience.

After our day in the kabuki theatre, we were able to enjoy a dinner which over looked the Rainbow Bridge. The dinner was fantastic – it was a buffet, so we were able to eat to our hearts content. During our dinner, I was able to have about two plates of food. It was delicious, but food was even better when we were eating amongst friends. As well, the RA were there so we were able to celebrate the ending of this program with the people who helped make this program possible. Although we did not eat traditional Japanese food, like we have during this whole program, we were able to enjoy a fusion of Japanese/Western food. Overall, the night was enjoyable and unforgettable!

When dinner finished, and some of us parted ways, myself and others went with sensei for a ride around Rainbow Bridge. The train didn’t seem like it was operated by anyone, in fact, it looked like the entire train was operated by a separate system. As we travelled back and forth, a small group of us were able to experience the night views surrounding the port and see the Rainbow Bridge at night!

 

Overall, I think it is the small moments like this which makes these events unforgettable. On top of all of these moments, it is also the small moments like sensei forgetting to get off the train which makes me look back at the fond memories. The struggles, the happy, and the little moments are what makes every journey unforgettable. But personally, for me it was the fine arts which have left a great impression on my ever since coming to Japan. In the future, I wish to see more Japanese fine arts such as Noh. Even looking at the pieces of arts have been extremely enjoyable such as the Tales of Genji or the samurai swords which have been crafted. Once more, I would like to come to Japan. Maybe it will be during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, or maybe it will be even sooner than that. Whenever I do come back to Japan, I will definitely look back at the moments which were created and here. Thank you for everyone who helped made this trip unforgettable.

 

Anita Linares

4B: Foreigner in Japan

Blog Post No.4 – June 4, 2018

For the past week, our group had engaged in new experiences and stress. Some of which was going to our host family over the weekend of May 25^th-27^th. Although each of our group members had their own unique experiences, there is no doubt that we all were able to experience a new perspective of Japanese culture. Culture which exists outside of a school and dorm setting. From that weekend, our group was able to experience culture shock. Most of the members of our group are of an Asian decent – but obviously not everyone from our group is like that. Therefore, they had their own unique experiences which they had to face.

Japan has limited immigration policies and therefore, seeing a foreigner in Japan is not occurrence. Therefore, as a foreigner who visits Japan, it may be hard to adapt and assimilate into the culture. As for our group, we were no exception to this, especially during our host family stay. As a foreigner, families and students here have a completely different culture which is not remotely similar to the culture we are used to in North America.

Therefore, we would like to share the experiences we have had in terms of culture shock – and how maybe Japan could be more welcoming to foreigners in the future. Especially for the upcoming 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Japan must be ready not only for the amount of people who will be here, but how Japan will adapt to the amount of foreigners who will be in Japan to visit the Olympics.

 

For the last blog post, we are going to talk about what it is like being a foreigner in Japan in the past 30 days, or more specifically what it is like being Deylan at the Senshu University and in Kawasaki-shi.

In Canada, we are known to be very multicultural. We have immigrants from all over the world. Therefore, seeing someone that looks different from us is very normal. In fact, we don’t look at them as being different or exotic because we are all Canadians. The only time we recognize someone as a tourist is when they are taking photos at a tourist attraction. Even then, we wouldn’t know if they are just from a different city or province in Canada or from a different country. However, as Japan is known to be a very isolated country with very minimal immigrants, being a foreigner here really stands out.

As I (Karmen) am Asian I don’t stand out as much as others in the group here, but I still get looked at because I speak a different language and dress differently. Whenever I hang out with our group member Deylan, I realize how the Japanese just stares at her. This happens more commonly when we are at the university or walking around Kawasaki-shi. It is a lot better when we are at touristy areas like Shibuya, Shinjuku and Harajuku, as there are many other tourists as well. Every time we walk out of the I-house, Deylan gets an extraordinary amount of attention from the locals. Attention as not in subtle looks, but literally side glares, full body checkouts and comments in Japanese. Although, the people are just curious and of course our Deylan is very pretty, it can still be very uncomfortable and awkward. As the comments are usually just “可愛い” or “アメリカ人” it is actually kind of funny, especially when we can understand. I find it interesting how they quickly associate Deylan as an American because of her appearance. Deylan has also gotten other special attention such as, a camera crew showing interest in having her in whatever they were filming and interview request.

Karmen & Anita

カーメンとアニタ

 

4A: Disabilities in Japan

In Canada, there is an emphasis on accepting individuals with physical and mental disabilities. However, in Japan, we have noticed that a lot of people avoid or discriminate these individuals. In fact, it is quite rare to see someone with one. A few days ago, I was on the train by myself and an albino Japanese man got on the train. Albino people are pretty rare in Canada too actually, and this was my first time to see a Japanese one. Right away I noticed the reaction of the Japanese people around me. Either staring or avoiding eye contact, as if trying to pretend that he is not there. The train at the time was quite busy and he came to end up standing next to me. I, myself (Deylan) already get stared at quite a bit so now with us standing together there were many eyes on us. People would also seem to avoid standing near him on the train, whereas in Canada we are a bit more accepting of differences.

On another occasion, there was a blind man who boarded the train and accidentally walked into a woman. The woman’s reaction, rather than to help him find a safe place to stand or a seat to sit in, was to run away angrily. I feel that in most cases in Canada we would have offered a helping hand to this man.

One interesting thing I (April) noticed while walking through Shinjuku station is that there was a wheelchair lift (I’m not quite sure what to call it). There are rarely any escalators in train stations, or if there are, they are very compact. Even in the average train station, escalators are also hard to come by. Majority of the time, stairs are the way change floors. So when I saw someone using the wheelchair lift, my friend and I were equally surprised to see that something this accommodating existed in Japan. The person also had to accompanied by a train attendant, which completely removes any sense of independence. But I guess rather than build ramps in an already tightly packed area, I guess these wheelchair lifts safe space where space is needed the most.

We think that Japan has a long way to go in accepting people with differences, especially in the case of having mental or physical disabilities. However, even Canada, as accepting as we are as a nation, also have a long way to go in regards to accepting the disabilities of other people.

Deylan & April

デイランとエイプリル

 

3B – The Women of the Tea Ceremony

Blog Post No.3 – May 21, 2018

 

We continue to have amazing experiences in Japan as we traveled to Kamakura on May 19^th.  We traveled to Kamakura together with Senshu University students who were our guides for the day trip. The journey to Kamakura began with an early meetup time at 8:15am. From then until roughly 11:00am was a long journey to Kamakura. When we arrived, the town was filled with many tourists. The weather was always hot and sunny, which was the perfect condition to explore Kamakura. While in Kamakura, there were many things to do such as eat various levels of matcha ice cream to eating delicious korokke. As for the things to see and do, there are many things but probably the most popular destinations to visit are daibutsu, hokokuji, and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. Out of all of these places, I believe Tsurugaoka Hachimangu has the best view at the very top of the hill. From there you can overlook the city of Kamakura. As for witness some aspects of Japanese culture, look no further than to daibutsu temple! Although all of these places are embedded with rich culture, we were able to see aspects of Japanese tea culture at the daibutsu temple.

It was an interesting sight to see; the tea ceremony behind the daibutsu. Unfortunately, we did not get a picture of the ceremony out of respect for the people attending the ceremony. But there was something else stranger than seeing a tea ceremony behind the daibutsu. It was that the tea ceremony’s participants were all women; absolutely no men in sight. I was really surprised. I knew that the tea ceremony was started by Buddhist monks in the 16^th century, so I thought that like many other Japanese traditions, the tea ceremony would be practiced by men. But I guess I was wrong.

When we arrived home that day, we did a little bit of research on modern Japanese tea ceremonies to see if this ceremony at the daibutsu was an ordinary or extraordinary experience. Actually, it is quite common to have tea ceremonies to be attended solely by women. That’s because, around the 20^th century, wealthy women and the wives of medical doctors were the first women to study tea. Then as the economy improved, more women were able to access household appliances and have free time to do such things. The tea ceremony quickly became linked with domesticity because of this. Even though women are focusing more on their careers, it seems that single, working, independent women are learning the tea ceremony like they learn yoga or English, as a way to self-cultivate.

 

Anita and April

アニタとエイプリル

3A – The Occupied Priority Seats

Blog Post No.3 – May 21, 2018

Priority Seats Area 

After 10 days here in Japan and many train rides later, throughout Tokyo and other locations, we have noticed something. Japan has sections in their trains called “priority seats”, and these seats are for the disabled, the elderly and mothers with young children. However, we have noticed that anyone will sit there and if someone who falls under the category for priority seats gets on the train, people will pretend that they do not see them. They will look down at their phones and not give up the seat. In addition, in other areas of the trains, people are extremely reluctant to give their seat up to others who may need them more. Ignorance seems to be quite bliss in this area.

 

This fact was quite shocking to us considering the emphasis on respect towards elderly here in Japan. In Japan there is a significant amount of elderly, approximately 27% of the population, so perhaps the younger generations are becoming less concerned with giving up their seats due to this fact. In Canada, generally everyone is quite quick to give up their seats to someone else. We have even seen two or three people offer at once in some cases. If we see someone who needs a seat more than we do, we are more than willing to give it up. But in Japan, this is not the case. Recently I (Deylan) was speaking with a Japanese friend who lives here about this very topic, but he didn’t seem to notice this. He told me that he is always quick to give up his seat on the train. But, he also had lived in Canada for 2 years, so I do begin to wonder if this has had some influence.

Tokyo Subway Interior

Now by no means we are suggesting that no one gives up their seats here in Japan, in fact we have seen many acts of kindness. From moving over to allow friends and families to sit together etc. However, it does seem that more often than not, an elderly person is left to stand on the train. During those rush hour times we feel concern towards them because it is extremely crowded and it may be harder for them to keep their balance.

 

Deylan & Karmen

デイランとカーメン

2A – Museums in Japan and Canada

Blog Post No.2 – May 14, 2018

こんにちは!

Our blog post today will be based on our experience at the Tokyo National Museum (TNM), which we to on Friday, May 11^th. It was our first day exploring the area outside of Senshu University in Kanagawa; actually, it was the first time most of us experienced Japan in general. Due to our limited time that day, we were only able to go to one exhibit at TNM. As a group we decided to go to the Heiseikan exhibit, where it displays Japanese archeology and holds special exhibitions. On this particular day, we were able to see “Echoes of a Masterpiece: the Lineage of Beauty in Japanese Art,” where we saw things like Buddhist artifacts, arts that are national treasures, and important national properties. We were most specifically interested in “Fugen Bosatsu Riding an Elephant”, “Cranes in Pines” and “Beauty Looking Back”.

Echoes of a Masterpiece: the Lineage of Beauty in Japanese Art 名作誕生－つながる日本美術

As we explored Heiseikan, we noticed a big difference in demographic of the people going to the museum that day. For example, if you were to go to Glenbow museum in Calgary, in the first place, there would be little to no people there on a weekday. Second of all, the people visiting would most likely be the younger generation, usually young parents and their children or students on a school trip. What we noticed in Heiseikan was that there were a lot of people walking around, and it didn’t seem like they were tourist either. The majority of the people there were Japanese citizens, seniors in particular. We found out that there might be two possible reasons for the large amount of Japanese senior citizens exploring the TNM. One reason could be that because it is a special exhibition that appeals to seniors citizens, since seniors usually have time to spare on weekdays as they are retired and out of work. Another reason might be that because there is a lack of activities that are provided for seniors, there are limited choices but to go to these exhibitions.

We will try our best to continue to explore these social issues as we continue our journey in Tokyo.

Karmen & April

カーメンとエイプリル

2B – Trains Stations in Japan and Canada

Blog Post No.2 – May 14, 2018

Hello! こんにちは！

Transit cards used for Japanese transit. [Suica & Pasmo]

During our first week in Japan, our group has travelled to many locations in Tokyo – such as Meiji Temple and Asakusa to name a few. Because our group travelling together to these locations is quite large, we had to be wary about losing people in our group. Each train station we arrived at was extremely busy – definitely busier than any train station in Canada. Another one of the differences at Japanese train stations is the form of payment for transit. In Japan you would tap your Suica or Pasmo pass at a gate to enter the train station, whereas in Canada you would simply carry a monthly, student, daily, or hourly pass with you while you ride the train or bus. These are some of the few differences between Japan and Canada but one of the differences which stood out to us was the use of gates on at the station platforms.

Train station entrance in Japan.

 

These gates are placed at the entrances of the stations and work in providing a barrier between riders and the train platforms. One of the – and more serious – reasons for these gates are to prevent individuals from committing suicide in Japan. Japan, compared to the rest of the world, has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Therefore, to prevent people from taking their life, Japan has installed these gates in basically all major cities’ stations in Japan. In Canada, there are no such gates to prevent people from jumping in front of trains, this leaves the trains vulnerable and accessible to anyone nearby. Although there are no such preventative measures in Canada, we believe that implementing such a system in Canada will be helpful for citizens in the future. Not only will it prevent people from riding the trains illegally but it will also help prevent accidents involving people and trains.

In comparison with Japan, Canada is leagues behind in enforcing an efficient system. Although it is understandable that the conditions in Canada are much different than Japan in regards to size, weather and need.

Deylan & Anita

デイランとアニタ