Changing Impression of Japan

My impression about Japan has not been changed very much. Rather than being changed, based on what I know, more toppings has been added up during this semester. While I was in Japan, I could see what I expected to see, but I also could see the things that I never imagned before. Before, I come to Japan, what I expected to see in Japan were the colorful, splendid cosplay outfits and many cute, little hand-made crafts.

Since I have seen through media that Japan is so famous for animations and cosplay, that was the early image that I had about Japan and I could actually see several cosplay outfit shops in Nanba, Osaka. It was just unbelievable to see all those outfits in real that only animation character's wear. In side shop, the shop keeper was also dressed in some very colorful costume with very heavy make-ups. It was just so interesting that the customers inside also seemed so serious about about what they are doing. But, my friends and I felt so weird, funny and embarrassing to see all those very unique clothes.

In addition, I thought Japan is good at creating and designing delicate, cute, colorful, little things. Back in my home school, when I studied about SONY during marketing class, the products were made in so many colors and designs. So I decided to buy some cute hand-made crafts for souvenir.

Sony Walkman mp3 player

Hand-made crafts that I bought in Kyoto. So delicate and cute that attract customer's eyes right awawy.

But, there are also some things that I newly discovered about Japan. The first discovery was the Japan where tradition and modern coexist. Especially in the city of Kyoto, the tradition and modernism were so well harmonized together. When I think about Korea, there seems to be not many efforts to keep the tradition, but here in Kyto, the traditional things are so well kept and being used as tourist spot! I was so amazed by this.

Giant Tori gate in the middle of the big load. Can definitely be seen only in Japan!

A little shrine in Gion street. The shirine was just in the middle of the busy, modern shops in the Gion street. At first, I thought it was a shop, but later I realized it was a shirine. Usually in Korea, temples and shrines exist deep in the mountain, but here shirines seem to be so close by.

Very traditional looking narrow street that my friend and I found in Kyoto. From the big, wide, busy road, we just turned to left and suddenly this kind of street appeared in front of us. It was so nice.

The other interesting thing that I found about Japan is that Japan has so many kinds of sweets and crackers. Every place I visit in Japan, they were all selling so many different kinds of cakes, mochi or sweets, which just natuarally makes me to guess that Japanese people must love to eat sweet things. So many diffent color, shape and taste just make my eyes so big.

Sakura pudding that I had when I was in Nikko. The smell and taste was like I am eating a shower gel or shampoo which has sakura scent.

This is Kitkat chocolate series that my roomate is collecting for her friend in the USA. She said she has never seen so many kinds of Kitkats in her life and until now she collected 10 flavors. I have also never seen so many kinds of flavors like this and actually there are more than 70 flavors are still out there in Japan. I guess I better go to Kyoto to get some green tea Kitkat as sovenior before I go back to Korea!

So, my counclusion is that Japan is so smart about creating things that attract tourists' attention and take money out of their pockets. All those splendid, colorful, cute designed product naturally make tourist to spend their money and also the places where modernity and tradition are well harmonized are also best tour spots.

2nd picture from

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/digitalmusic/0,39031219,37,00.htm

The Sakura Dance : Miyako Odori

The city in Kyoto, Gion is famous for Geisya and the beautiful cherry bloosoms all over shirines and temples in April. And the Sakura Dance called Miyako Odori by Geisya makes the sakura blooming month even more special. Miyako Odori is an annual dance performed by Geiko and Maiko (junior Geisya) based on the theme of sakura. The period of performance is only from begining of April to the last day of April, so if you miss this chance, that means you need to wait another year to see the performance. So, on the almost last day of April, which is 29th, my friends I watched the dance and it was just unforgettable.

This is the theater called Gion Kobu Kaburen-jo located near Yasaka shrine in Kyoto.

The first performance of this dance was held in 1872 as part of the Exhibition for the Promotion of Domestic Industray, as a measure to promote prosperity in Kyoto after the city's decline as a result of the capital having been moved to Tokyo in 1869 (information from here). And now it has became an annual event and this year is their 138th presentation of the dance.

I thought the theater is going to small, having just one floor, but the theater was actually way bigger than I expected, having upto 3rd floor. There was 3 types of ticket, 4500 yen, 4000 yen and 2000 yen. With the 4500 yen one, we could have reserved seat and Geiko tea ceremony, but since we were students we just chose 2000 yen one with free seating on Tatami mats without chairs on the 3rd floor. Our seats were very interesting and not that bad. I have never seen a seat like this before in a theater.

This is the stage I saw from 3rd floor

This the free seating area on Tatami mats on 3rd floor. It was so interesting!

The performance was composed of 8 scenes in total, depicting scenes of 4 season starting from spring, summer, fall, winter and then spring again in one hour performance. Because of my low Japanese ability, I could not understand the whole flow of the story, but I can surely tell that every scene was so beautiful and delicate. For the spring scene, the wall and ceiling was fully covered by sakura. And the geisya were all dressed with sakura design kimono, holding sakura branches.

Spring Scene

Night scene in Summer

Fall scene with maple background

Winter scene: the door of the room was opened and could see the winter scenery

Every stage was so delicate and beautiful. It was said that the Kimono for the performance change every year and all of thems are order-made, which takes 6 months to produce the full Kimono and Obi sash.

Sakura, so special in Japan

When it comes to spring, it seems that the most important issue for both Japanese and also for foreigners is ‘when will the sakura bloom? Around the end of February and beginning of March, I was able to see a map of Japan covered in pink very often during the TV weather forecast program. Well, the map is called sakura - jean sen (桜前線) and it is about cherry blossom schedule forecast during the year’s spring season. Like this, I heard that every year, when spring comes, The Japanese meteorological agency makes predictions of when and where the cherry blossoms will bloom. With this predicted dates, people wait for the moment that they can enjoy the full blossom.

sakura - jean sen (桜前線)

During the early April, many of my friends including both Japanese and foreign friends were excited about going to hanami and were busy talking about it. But, I was indifferent about it because I just thought that hanami is going to be seeing a few crop of sakura trees and that is all. Wow, but what I experienced during the hanami period was a lot more than that. I was surprised! During the season, everywhere I go, I could see information about sakura blooming. Every station I go, I could see leaflets and advertisement about hanami places. Our Kansai Gaidai library was also showing out many books about beautiful temples and shrines which have great cherry blossoms.

In the early April, I went out with my friends so often to enjoy sakura trees. I went out as many times I can, so that I do not regret missing this one life time experience. Amazingly, sakura was blooming everywhere, not only inside temples, shrines, but also at hirakata river bank, on the street and even inside our school.

A shrine in Kyoto, Heian Jingu Shrine, it was so crowded and

I was even able to meet Korean trourists who came to see sakura too.

Hirakata river bank, I see people sitting under full bloom sakura tree.

On they way to Hirakata St.,Street near our school, bunch of sakura trees were standing in line.

When my friend and I was taking picture, I could also see other people taking picture too, who could not just pass by this beautiful scene.

Sakura tree near the main gate of Kansai Gaidai.
Since it is standing in the corner, nobody seems to really notice it.

I knew the national flower of Japan is the sakura, but I seriously did not know that hanami is really big event in spring and Japanese people keep this flower so close by them. According to my experience, in Korea, even though the rose of Sharon is the national flower, I do not see them very much. But, here in Japan the national flower is all over the place in spring. My friends told me that the sakura blooming time also has special meaning since it matches with Japanese people's start of work, entrance of school, and graduation. So, sakura which bloom fast and fall at once is usually compared with meeting of new people and seperation. It seems that every important starts and knots of Japanese people's life, sakura flower was always with them.

first picture :www.jal.com/world/en/guidetojapan/seasons/spring/

Japanese people and Religion

This time, I want to talk about a very interesting experience which showed a hidden side of Japanese culture that I would have never known if I just did a normal tour like everyone else. During the spring break, together with my friend and Mari san who is my friend’s host mother, I went on a trip to Nikko (日光). But this was not just a normal trip and I did not notice this was a religious trip until I actually got there. Through out the trip, I could observe the realistic side of Japanese that they believe in many gods and their teachings for their sake of needs.

The other people who went the trip together were members of a religious movement called ‘Happy Science’ where my friend’s mother also acts as a member. It was very interesting. I have never seen or heard of such religious movement before. Happy Science is a religious movement ‘based on the universal teachings from Master Ryuho Okawa, was established in Tokyo, Japan in 1986 (Happy Science Homepage)’. Mari san said that people in Happy Science learn how to be happy solve conflicts. It was also written in the homepage of Happy Science that their unique teaching cause positive influence and attract people from all backgrounds like Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or others.

Master Ryuho Okawa, founder of Happy Science, reborn of El Cantare

Symbol of Happy Science

People believe in Happy Science follow the teaching of Ryuho Okawa, who is the recent reborn, existence of the supreme god called El Cantare. According to this religion, the reborn of El Cantare has continuously been existed in different time as different form, and for instance, one of the Greek God, Hermes and the founder of Buddhism, Gautama Siddhartha were also existence of El Cantare. Mari san said that Ryuho Okawa was born on the same day that God was said by fortuneteller to be reborn and the reason he was born in Japan is because Japan at that time was poor and suffering from the atomic bombs. And when I actually went into the temples, some temple had statue of El Cantare, and some other temples had Buddha or Hermes statue inside. In some entrance of temple, on one side of entrance there was statue of angels with white wings, but on the other side there was statue of bodhisattva.

Could see angels with white wings, bodhisattva again in other statue!

Temple which has the Budda inside. I was so shocked when I saw this by my eyes.

This is one of a school building that they completed building this year. It reminds me of Greek god temple and I could see the symbol of Happy Science on the top of the building.

By following Mari san, I could go into a wide hall decorated by various colors and listen to the priest's speech. But I had no idea what he was talking since it was all in Japanese :) During the trip, I got the feeling that this religious organization has a lot of funding. Because on the way back to Hirakata, we visited a place where this organization has branch offices, more temples, and has just completed building a middle school and a high school. When I got there I thought I was in Thailand or Cambodia or Greek. It was because all the buildings had so unique shape that I have never seen in my real life, which gave more curiosity about what kind of religion this is.

After the trip, what I felt that Japanese people are even realistic at religion and follow the rule of utilitarianism. Unlike Korean religious culture, where people believe in one god and one teaching, Japanese seems to believe in many religions and adapt acceptable parts moderately depending on situation. What I also felt was, while other people pray for the life to come, Japanese pray and believe in god for the happiness in present life. I could learn many things through this trip and also met many people. I am so glad that I could had such interesting experience.

Group picture all together!

1st picture www.happyscience-fl.org/

2nd picture www.happyscience-fl.org/

3rd picture from me

4th picture from me

5th picture from me

6th picture from me

Essay on Annie Leibovitz and James Nachtwey

Annie Leibovitz and James Nachtwey are both photographers who make their living by taking pictures with cameras but what they see through lens is totally different from each other. Annie Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer and James Nachtwey is a War photographer. While Leibovitz sees the whole life in general through her camera lens, Nachtwey’s camera is more focused on capturing images of wars, conflicts and critical social issues.

The motivation, which made both of them to hold camera and start shooting pictures was not the same and I guess that is why they see different things through the same camera lens. Annie Leibovitz studied painting before she become interested in taking pictures and with her enthusiastic personality, she developed her skill and started her work in Rolling Stone. Her job is to portrait celebrities. Leibovitz’s works that she made by working with famous celebrities and shooting their pictures seem to be very beautiful, attractive, unique, dynamic and creative. Those modifiers would not have been applied if there wasn’t her inspiration and carefully considered ideas. She creates greatness out of normal, plain situation which could have been really boring. After watching all the process of works that she had gone through with Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Bette Midler, Patti Smith, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg and so on, I could sense that she has some magic power that makes people comfortable and then brings out their inner characteristics, personalities, humor, irony but also insecurities. Bette, John, Demi, Whoopi and all the other people could have said “no” to Leibovitz’s difficult demands, but they were all willing to give out their essence to her.

Annie Leibovitz - Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rob Besserer, Cumberland Island, Georgia, 1990.

Annie Leibovitz has a magic power to make celebrities into her slave without offending them.

Annie Leibovitz - Arnold Schwarzengger, Sun Valley, Idaho, 1997.

Annie Leibovitz tells Arnold Schwarzenegger, "Cold, pain is short term, but the great shot is permanent!"

On the other hand, James Nachtwey studied art history and political science and then he was evoked by images of the Vietnam War, which made him to choose this dangerous path War photographer as a job. His job is to picture the reality at battle zone and let the rest of the world to know, be aware of the incident. In the battle zone, conflict zone, he captures cruelty, sadness, pain and poverty into pictures. People in his picture also do not say “no” to him, as he shows sign of respect and make the subject comfortable. Besides, for them, having pictures taken by Nachtwey is way to give their voice out to the world. Nachtwey, he himself, also seems to have strong belief that he can convince the world with his photos as form of communication and the photos become powerful antidote to war.

James Nachtwey - Haiti Earthquake, Jan 2010.
Earthqueak, Pray, International Aid...

Pushing the limit, Being close enough!

He says, “If your pictures are not good enough, you are not close enough.” While it can be said that Leibovitz tries to get close to the individuals, what Nachtwey tries to do is getting closest to the event, incident and the victims of the incidents.

In the way of pushing the limit, both photographers seem to have common point. When shooting, Leiovitz push her limits and demands bigger and bigger things to celebrities, which seem to be almost impossible to make, but she eventually achieve what she wants. In the case of Nachtwey, actually, there seems to be no limit. He just jumps into battleground and starts to shoot and then comes out with best shots. In addition to the point of pushing the limits, the two photographers also seems to know how to control their emotion and how to handle the situation or event that they care about. When Susan Sontag died, Leibovitz did not turn away from the reality, but took picture of the dead body and showed her own way of love and respect to her loving one. Nachtwey, also, in front of countless dead bodies and crying woman who lost her son in crisis, he just took picture without being emotionally stirred. He just expresses all his sadness and emotions through his photos.

Annie Leibovitz - Susan Sontag, Leaving Seattle, November 15, 2004.
I wonder what kind of mind she had when she took this picture.

James Nachtwey

It is my hobby to collect magazines and journals like ‘Times’ or ‘Newsweek’. Whenever I read them, I can see the pictures of movie posters or news about crisis and massacres. I have never thought about those images so seriously. I just took the images for granted or sometimes ignored since I had no idea how those pictures were being taken. But, now I know, so, sorry for taking the photographers' passion and inspirations as a granted! I now know that their great works are living well inside the magazines and journals!

Reference

1st picture is from
http://www.npg.org.uk:8080/annieleibovitz/exhib.htm

2nd picture is from
http://www.iphotocentral.com/andrewsmith/search/detail.php/256/Annie+Leibovitz/0/AL-1405

3rd picture is from
http://viiphoto.wg.picturemaxx.com/webgate/index.php

4th picture
http://fotophil.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/what-we-do-to-get-the-shot/#comments

5th picture
http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/10/sides_of_susan_sonta_1

6th picture
http://www.oneworldinschools.cz/index2en.php?id=286

Japanese People

I do not even know what kind of characteristic people in my nation has. I just thought the characteristics totally depend on person to person, so we can not really generalize it. But, here I met a Japanese girl who knows about her own nation people’s characteristic and had deep thought about how people from outside of Japan think about it.

This is one of my closest Japanese friends, Marina Ikemoto. Marina is the first Kansai Gaidai student whom I got to know, even before I come to Japan. We became to know each other because of each other’s friends’ introduction. One of my friend who went to Finland as an exchange student met a Kansai Gaidai student there and the Kansai Gaidai students introduced Marina to me. What a small world, all linked together!

Her nickname is Mochu which her friends made out from her last name and here I can surely see Japanese people’s tendency to make words short, easy to call. These days she said that she is busy keep on doing job hunting, since this year is her last year in the university. She has been participating in many kinds of company seminars and has already send résumé to several companies. I am same age with her, and about this point, she really makes me to look back at myself now. Marina loves ko ta chu, sushi and the touching songs of 東方神起 (Dong-Bang-Shin-Gi: A Korean idol group). Including Marina, I have seen many Japanese girls who love 東方神起, and interestingly, most of them said that they not only like the song or appearance of the group, but also like about the close membership, relationship that the group keeps on having while they were working in Japan for five years. Not like playboy style, but the reliable (まじめ) side of the group may have touched Japanese girls’ heart.

Marina has very mature and emotional personality, but also having weak mind and shyness. She gets especially shy when she talks with other Japanese people whom she does not know very well. She said that she becomes more careful with Japanese people than foreigners. Even though there are some different behaviors or actions made while communicating with foreigners, it can be understood. The concept of ‘cultural difference’ makes the behavior understandable. However, if those different behaviors were made in front of Japanese people, they would definitely see him or her strangely. Marina also told me one situation that she experienced while she was in Australia as an exchange student. In Australia, she met a Korean boy who hates Japanese because he thinks that Japanese people have two sided face which brings confusion to the listener. Marina also agreed that Japanese people do have politeness and smile all the time, but those may not really come out from their true heart. According to her, speaking directly seems to be very rude between Japanese people, and even between close friends. Ever since there is some notion that advice can be given from higher status person to lower status person, Marina told me that friends, who are in same status should be very careful about giving advice to each other unless it can be regarded very rude.

In the end of conversation, I asked her what she thinks about those kinds of Japanese culture, and she said it is sometimes uncomfortable even for her, but she also sees good side of this culture especially in business world as there would be less argument without any direct talking.

First picture is borrowed from this website:

http://www.dreamstime.com/question-mark-box-thumb1317187.jpg

My Neighborhood Hirakata

Compare to the crowded, noise city back in my home country, Hirakata seems to be a small and quite town, where nothing special seems to happen or exist. Even though it is the street that I always pass through, I never got a real chance to pay attention to the things and people in Hirakata. Just busy rushing to school by bike everyday; I miss all the little details happening around me. But, thanks to this week’s assignment, I actually could have a chance to carefully look around and pay attention to my neighborhood. I even tried to listen carefully to the sounds that are being produced in my neighborhood.

This is Seminar House 4 where I am living now and the next picture is the street and houses in front of my dormitory. In the first picture, the spatial ground next to Kansai Gaidai University sign board is the place where number 12 buses finally stop and very firstly take on passengers. I also use this bus often and from my room, I can hear the bus speaker saying “This is the bus which goes to Hirakata station…” in Japanese and then without checking the bus time schedule I can get ready and get on the bus! Whenever bus stops and people get off, I can hear people’s cheerful voices saying “Arigato gozaimasu!” toward the kind bus driver.

This is picture of a shop (I do not know what kind of shop is) and beverage, tobacco vending machine located opposite side of my house. And the second picture is the upper hillside way which leads me to 中央 圖書館 (Central library) and also to East gate of our school. On the way to school, following this uphill, I can always see several guards who always speak out cheering words, “Ohayo!” with smiles on their face. Unfortunately, I missed a chance to take a picture of them, but one time I watched my Japanese friend talking to the guard. It looked like very funny and joyful conversation that I can not easily imagine having with guards in my home town or home school.

Even though it is a small village, I think Japanese villages mostly have parks within their village and most houses are also raising so many flowerpots in front of their yards and also .over their walls. This gave me an idea that Japanese people like to live close by nature and live harmoniously with nature. While I was walking around my dorm on Sunday afternoon, I found two parks near my dorm: one in opposite side of my dorm and the other one back side of my dorm. And this is the picture of the park which is in opposite side of my dorm. Since it was peaceful Sunday, unlike weekdays, there were many people, especially parents and children, people and dogs, taking rest and playing inside the park. Just like they got on a picnic, in the small park with the wonderful sunny weather, everyone seemed so happy. There is also a café inside the park and they sell really nice cakes which can only be found in this café.