"On Becoming Japanese" - thoughts and reflection.

 A fantastic series of videos ensued a couple of months back on the topic of "Becoming Japanese." They spread like wildfire across the youtube scene and culminated in an eruption of opinions, feelings and insight that was probably quite confusing to anyone who didn't know where it was all coming from. I felt quite luckily to have first stumbled across this whole situation through Gakuranman's Website in which he wrote a quick article that features some of the key videos as they were posted in a neat little time line blog post. Before you read my thoughts, I ask that you give Gakuranman's post a look and try to watch at least most of the videos in that time line.

 Thanks! See you in like 30 minutes....If you're too busy to spare the time right now I apologize. I know the videos are quite long but they are also very insightful and I feel they're worth the time it takes to watch them all.

Welcome back!
 So, here is the response I have to all of this:

 Admittedly I am a relative newcomer to Japan, and have only been here just under a year if I add up my various visits plus recent (more permanent, career based) move to Tokyo, but I feel like I'm starting to see some of the cultural layers peel away in my daily interactions with others - particularly through daily life at my work and graduate school. As an anthropologist, I try really hard to listen to everyone's feelings about identity, home, culture and place, and then form somewhat of an understanding about the cultures and subcultures around me... but this is something that any anthro student or professional is told can and will take YEARS to come together for you. Since I have some years to spare, I'm trying to be patient and just let the big picture come together over time. I don't want to become Japanese - but I do enjoy living among Japanese people and making a positive difference in the community around me (I'm okay with participating in things like trash cleanup days and I think it's helped me to be at least recognized as a positive part of the community).

I have to say, Hikosaemon's account on being Japanese and whether or not that is a desirable goal really has a lot for people to think about and really digest intellectually (and I've been thinking about it for the past few days). Honestly, I think he had a lot of really helpful things to say, and I tend to agree that keeping my identity as my own, rather than forcing new definitions or restrictions around it constantly, is something that is very important to me. Observing the general social code is of course important when living in another country and usually makes things a lot easier for you and those around you, but your identity is something you always have control over. If you are a generally unhappy person where you are living now and you want to come to Japan thinking that will make you happy - it probably won't work out (another J Video Blogger has said this as well).

 I get a lot of emails from people who want to move to Japan because they love what they've learned about Japanese Culture and have formed this very defined picture of Japan in their heads...(I think this happens to everyone to some extent. Even I admit to having some defined notions before I came! I wanted sooo much to live in Japan and see what it would be like!) but I try to remind them that at the end of the day we're all just human - eating, working, sleeping and living in the space around us for better or for worse, AND that what many of the Japanese Video Bloggers have been saying is quite true (I'm paraphrasing here but you get the idea) "Everyone who comes to Japan will have a different experience."

 It's wonderful to travel and experience new cultures and ideas, but remembering who you are and why its special for everyone to have their own sense of identity, culture and happiness in life is quite important. That's what I honestly feel. Maybe it's because I've been thinking a lot lately about who I am and why I've come to Japan, but I've really changed my overall feelings about living here and it's definitely been for the better. I'm a lot happier lately with who I am and all the things I'm doing in my life and I think that's what's important for me right now in my life.

 In other news, I was shopping in my local grocery today when I heard NSYNC playing on the radio. As I thought I was about to hear the lyrics to "Larger Than Life" I was instead surprised to hear a Key-tar (that's an instrumental keyboard that sounds like a really cheesy guitar) replacing all the singing! I swear...I laughed so hard I nearly dropped the pastry I was carrying and I think everyone around me thought I was nuts when I was trying to quell my giggles...
 Enough blogging for now, I'm supposed to be writing a paper about different kinds of English teaching syllabi in a second language context! Phew, that's a mouthful even when it's typed!
 Lady Jones