Namja Town

Last weekend, my friend told me he wanted to go to a theme park called Namja Town. Technically, it couldn't actually be considered a theme park, since it was so small and inside of a mall. (Which made Namja Town harder to find.) From the outside, Namja Town looked like a place for children to play and to enjoy themselves. Once inside, we discovered that there were also many attractions that involved food. One of these food attractions was the gyoza town. All of the tiny shops inside this area served only gyoza and drinks. We even found gyoza shaped into characters from the anime, "Bleach." 

As we explored Namja Town further, we found an area that had only icecream vendors. Each place served exotic and baffling flavors of icecream, such as: soy sauce flavor, ramen flavor, octopus flavor, cow tongue flavor, ungai flavor, and many more. 

The attention to detail was amazing. The ramen flavored ice cream had miniature bamboo shoots and pink fish cakes. The unagi flavored ice cream even had a separate package to put spices on the ice cream. 

This place, to me, is the epitome of modern Japan and it's obsession with "kawaii."

This blog is for educational purposes only; as such it is a capitalism-free zone. The views, images and opinions expressed here are those of the author only, unless otherwise noted The author does not necessarily share or endorse any of the views or contents of linked sites. All responsibility for "Visual Anthropology of Japan" lies with the author and not any institution he may be affiliated with. Peace.

Ice Bar and Whale Restaurant

For my friend's birthday, we decided to go out to the Ice Bar in Ginza, Tokyo to celebrate. Upon first entering, we were greeted by the employees and given a set of gloves and a large coat. Then, we went through a separate chamber in between the outside and the freezing inside. The inside decorations and furniture were all made of frozen ice. Even the cups that the drinks were served in were made completely out of ice.

After going to the Ice Bar, my friend whose birthday we were celebrating wanted to go to a certain restaurant. This restaurant turned out to be one that only served whale. We ordered whale bacon, whale sashimi, whale yakiniku, and whale yuke. My friend from America was bewildered by the fact that we were dipping our raw whale meat into raw egg. Everything tasted great. Ironically, I watched The Cove the next week for my visual anthropology class. I don't regret eating the whale, but the movie did make me think about the banning of whaling and the Japanese culture. Some say that the Japanese getting around the banning of whaling is just a sign that the government let itself be overpowered by major corporations' wishes, although whaling may just be a part of Japanese culture.




This blog is for educational purposes only; as such it is a capitalism-free zone. The views, images and opinions expressed here are those of the author only, unless otherwise noted The author does not necessarily share or endorse any of the views or contents of linked sites. All responsibility for "Visual Anthropology of Japan" lies with the author and not any institution he may be affiliated with. Peace.

Halloween

For Halloween, my friend and I decided we wanted to dress up in "kigurumis." I chose to wear the rirakuman, a Japanese cartoon bear character, kigumrumi and my friend chose the penguin pokemon kigurumi. My other friends also dressed up and we all gathered together to head out. We were going to the Temple University Halloween student party near Roppongi. Once we got to the club, there were so many people dressed up in various creative costumes. I was surprised to see so many Japanese students there as well because I didn't think that the Japanese celebrated Halloween at all.

After leaving the party, my friends and I walked back to the station. It was hilarious to see everyone we passed staring, taking pictures, or telling us, "Happy Halloween." We also got quite a few people stopping to talk to us and take pictures with us. I noticed that while in the kigurumis, my friend and I were asked for our IDs for the first time since entering Japan. Halloween is definitely a western celebration that came over to Japan and it is further spread through commercialization.

In various ways, Halloween can be considered an American festival that is held nation wide.


This blog is for educational purposes only; as such it is a capitalism-free zone. The views, images and opinions expressed here are those of the author only, unless otherwise noted The author does not necessarily share or endorse any of the views or contents of linked sites. All responsibility for "Visual Anthropology of Japan" lies with the author and not any institution he may be affiliated with. Peace.

Sophia University Festival

Since my friends, Nathan and Atsushi, attend Sophia University, they invited me to the Sophia University festival. It was somewhat bewildering when I entered the Sophia University campus. Going to class at Temple University, I usually see students of ranging ethnicities and ages. Once inside Sophia University, I was surrounded by only Japanese students who were all around my age. Coming to Japan from America, I had to adjust from being in a multi-cultural society to being surrounded by only Japanese people who would stare at the "gaijin." Although at this time I was already used to being in that kind of situation, the number of Japanese students that were all my age took me off guard.

Most of the booths were selling food for their clubs. Many of the students were dressed up in various costumes, walking around with signs attempting to advertise their booths. I went to Nathan's kendo group's booth and help him there for a short period of time shouting, "Takoyaki wa ikaga desu ka?" After going to Nathan's kendo group's booth that was selling takoyaki, I went to a classroom where Atsushi's club was performing. Atsushi was in the jazz club, so he performed a piece on the saxophone with his peers for the visiting audience. I found it interesting how the group would always say, "Kiite kudasai," (please listen) before each of their songs. When I watch my younger brother's jazz band perform, they usually just say the name of the song and then being. I enjoy observing the differences between my culture and the Japanese culture. 

This blog is for educational purposes only; as such it is a capitalism-free zone. The views, images and opinions expressed here are those of the author only, unless otherwise noted The author does not necessarily share or endorse any of the views or contents of linked sites. All responsibility for "Visual Anthropology of Japan" lies with the author and not any institution he may be affiliated with. Peace.

Festival in Harajuku

      During the summer, my roommate invited me to go to a festival located in Harajuku. Since I was meeting her there, I got slightly lost and went to the wrong part of the festival. The festival that I first went to looked more like a advertisement gathering for musicians. There were pictures of Japanese pop artists everywhere and booths where tickets for their concerts were being sold. It was odd that there were also suspicious looking men standing around approaching people. When I finally called my friend I was able to find the correct festival that she was talking about. There was a large mass of people that I had to weave my way through to get to the middle of the event. It appeared that most of the booths were selling only food, but there was a gross variety of foods to be found.

This festival made me wonder for what reason Japanese people hold festivals. Where these people just here to advertise their restaurants? Or is there a background behind this festival? In America, the closest thing we have to the Japanese festivals, are carnivals, which are usually held just for entertainment.

This blog is for educational purposes only; as such it is a capitalism-free zone. The views, images and opinions expressed here are those of the author only, unless otherwise noted The author does not necessarily share or endorse any of the views or contents of linked sites. All responsibility for "Visual Anthropology of Japan" lies with the author and not any institution he may be affiliated with. Peace.

Mikoshi Festival

   My friends and I were on our way to the train station in Jiyugaoka, when we ran into a crowd of people. Parts of the road were closed off and we decided to discover what event was being held so near to the station. We noticed that a group of children were carrying a small shrine and chanting. This group was being followed by a group of adults who were most likely the children's parents. The man leading the group of children stopped them for a short while to chant and clap.  As we walked around, we saw various booths set up where people could play games or buy food. Also, we saw a group of adult men carrying a larger shrine, which made me wonder whether or not women could participate in this festival.

In front of the station, there was a group of people with taiko drums standing around another portable shrine. The entire area in front of the station was closed so that this performance could be carried out. Each person participating in this ceremony had on traditional garb. I noticed that many men wore what looked like the traditional sumo wrestling garb called a miwashi. This garment would be considered underwear in America and it would be highly unlikely that one would see someone wearing such a garment in America.

This blog is for educational purposes only; as such it is a capitalism-free zone. The views, images and opinions expressed here are those of the author only, unless otherwise noted The author does not necessarily share or endorse any of the views or contents of linked sites. All responsibility for "Visual Anthropology of Japan" lies with the author and not any institution he may be affiliated with. Peace.

Denny's

     When I first saw the Denny's that is located near my dorm in Jiyugaoka, Japan, I laughed.  In America, Denny's represents various things and of course, none of those things are luxury. Denny's is a 24 hour restaurant where truckers stop for a break on their long drives or old couples go to eat breakfast during the ungodly hours of the morning. Often times, teenagers go there late at night after prom is over to grab a cheap bite to eat and to hang out.  I know that my friends and I would go to Denny's only once it was 3AM when we were all hungry, but would not want to spend much. The food that is served at Denny's consists mostly of cheap breakfast food that is greasy and fattening. Not even the salads there can be considered truly healthy.

Although all Denny's are like this in America, Denny's in Japan are quite different.  The interior design and layout is more expensive; even the food is more luxurious. There weren't any breakfast foods in the menu.  My friend in America saw my picture of the Denny's interior and said, "That's the nicest Denny's I've ever seen." Perhaps this Denny's portrays the Japanese view of America and American food. In Japan, owning clothes from western clothing lines shows others that one is rich; furthermore, the embellishment of this Denny's may have been a reflection of this view.

This blog is for educational purposes only; as such it is a capitalism-free zone. The views, images and opinions expressed here are those of the author only, unless otherwise noted The author does not necessarily share or endorse any of the views or contents of linked sites. All responsibility for "Visual Anthropology of Japan" lies with the author and not any institution he may be affiliated with. Peace.

Japanese Fashion

    The first time I went to during the daytime Shibuya with my friends, I was overwhelmed.  We wanted to see what shopping in Shibuya was like, so we decided to go to Shibuya 109. This decision was based upon the fact that it is a big tourist site and many people told us that Shibuya 109 is where all the teenagers shop for up-to-date fashions.
    I have always been into Japanese fashion, but I had never gone to a place like Shibuya 109. The best word that I could use to describe it is "ridiculous." Everything was packed so close together and the number of styles was so vast and different. I had a hard time concentrating on one thing at a time. I feel like everything was "over-the-top."
     Also, I noticed that fashion changes here more quickly than it does in America. I feel like people here take it more seriously. Although I might just be self-conscious about the fact that American fashion is more casual and I feel like I'm always underdressed here. When it comes to revealing skin, I also feel like the Japanese are more conservative. I always see my friends going around in tank tops during the summer, but here I see women who cover themselves up with long sleeves and layers.
     I once discussed Japanese fashion with my friend, Stephanie, and she said, "I feel like they're more innovative here." Perhaps as foreigners, we aren't used to the different cultural fashion or maybe Japanese fashion is just more excessive.

This blog is for educational purposes only; as such it is a capitalism-free zone. The views, images and opinions expressed here are those of the author only, unless otherwise noted The author does not necessarily share or endorse any of the views or contents of linked sites. All responsibility for "Visual Anthropology of Japan" lies with the author and not any institution he may be affiliated with. Peace.

Akihabara

      For my digital photography class, my friends decided that they wanted to buy brand new cameras. One of my Japanese friends, Chiaki, said that Akihabara was the best place to buy electronics. We decided that it would be a good idea to meet in Akihabara. Even though I did not personally desire a new camera, I wanted to see more of Japan and what Akihabara was like. When I got to Akihabara, it took me awhile to find my friends even though I had a cell phone and could contact them. Fortunately, I found my blond friend while I was walking around. It's a good thing she stuck out so much, otherwise I feel like I would have been searching for hours.
       Having gathered everyone, we headed off into the streets of Akihabara. I noticed that there were many shops that involved "geeky" products. For instance, I saw a Gundam Cafe where the servers dressed up as characters from the Gundam anime. There was such a wide variety of electronic stores, that I would have had no idea which one to enter if my friend had not been there with me.
   The camera store we entered had a wide range of cameras, even used cameras, and my friends quickly found what they were looking for.
      As we headed back to the station, I was intrigued to see a girl on the street in a maid uniform. My friend told me that she was promoting the maid cafe that she worked for.
     Overall, my experience in Akihabara was filled with colorful lights and new sights.

This blog is for educational purposes only; as such it is a capitalism-free zone. The views, images and opinions expressed here are those of the author only, unless otherwise noted The author does not necessarily share or endorse any of the views or contents of linked sites. All responsibility for "Visual Anthropology of Japan" lies with the author and not any institution he may be affiliated with. Peace.

All Night Karaoke

The weekend after arriving in Japan several of my dorm-mates and I were taken out to Shibuya by our Japanese friend, the Mayor (imaginary nickname), who we met that day.  Our group was fairly large consisting of maybe 8 or 10 people.  Unfortunately, the Mayor arrived late to meet us at our dorm and we arrived at Shibuya later than we had expected.  Also, we were still new to Japan and didn't realize that we were missing the last train back home.  We ended up going to a bar and participating in "nomihoudai" (all you can drink) for two hours.  Since we had missed the last train, we decided that it would be best to do karaoke until 5AM, when the first train starts.  

A few hours later, we headed back to the train station.  It appeared that many other people had missed the last train and were either heading towards the train station or sleeping outside of it on the street.  As we followed the Mayor to where we could buy our tickets, one of our group, Rob, gets into an altercation with two, suspicious looking Japanese men in their early twenties.  Most of the yelling was done by one of the suspicious looking men.  The Mayor then went over to attempt to reach an agreement between the arguing men.  Although the discussion appeared to just get more heated.  When it it seemed as though the arguing was done and the groups were separating, the Mayor turns around, flips off the young Japanese men, and spits on the one nearest to him.  The young Japanese men then motion to the Mayor to take him outside and fight.  Only once one of the girls from our group pulls the Mayor away, does the dispute end and we head towards our train.  As we get on the train the Mayor starts laughing and says to Rob, "Yeah, I think that was actually your fault."  

Rob had attempted to buy his train tickets at the wrong ticket machine.  Usually, this wouldn't matter at all except the young Japanese men had been using the machine and left it for a moment.  Rob pressed a random button and that was when the young Japanese man began yelling at him.  

Ironically, I visited Shibuya at a later date and I witnessed another altercation involving a foreigner at the same exit. Except this time, the foreigner was the furious one.  He even went so far as to yell at a group of policemen.  

Perhaps this sort of thing happens so often in Shibuya because of the amount of foreigners who go to visit this area. Since these tourists do not know Japanese, then it is only natural that they would experience misunderstandings with others in the foreign country they are visiting. 

This blog is for educational purposes only; as such it is a capitalism-free zone. The views, images and opinions expressed here are those of the author only, unless otherwise noted The author does not necessarily share or endorse any of the views or contents of linked sites. All responsibility for "Visual Anthropology of Japan" lies with the author and not any institution he may be affiliated with. Peace.