Opened Doors – Access Granted

It has been a very very busy few weeks. New incoming students have been filing in and going to orientation. This period is usually always hectic, and I’m thankful I don’t have to go through orientation again. It’s so interesting to see this process through the eyes of someone who has already experienced the initial shock of being in Japan. What is today’s post about? Well initially it’s a sorry because I’ve been so busy that I have had little time to properly continue informing those who are interested in Japan or study abroad. I haven’t had the time to do any proper videos or sit down to write something thoughtful. Secondly and more importantly is that I feel that my time in Japan has opened my eyes. Well, of course this may seem as inevitable. Being abroad will open anyones eyes. Anyone is willing to learn and have their eyes opened anyway. What I mean is it’s given me a sort of knowledge that I otherwise wouldn’t have acquired.

Recently during winter break  I went to Nagano to snowboard with a few friends. It was freezing, up in a mountain, and there were quite a few families who were on vacation and decided on Nagano. Most of them were Australian and British. It has been awhile since I’ve seen foreigners who don’t have a good understanding of Japanese culture. Other students at Kansai Gaidai usually know something about Japanese culture even if it is a very basic level. Seeing these people who were in Japan simply on vacation made me realize something that will separate those who have a worldly awareness and knowledge versus those who don’t have any at all. These vacationing individuals seemed unaware of how they came off. They were yelling out curse words at each other on the mountain. “Hey faggot!!! HEY!!!” for example. One person was snowboarding down and was trying to tell a group of Japanese children who were training to move. “Hey, move. I’m going to bump into you, uh oh. Yes I am.” That would be more normal in a western country where it’s a little more acceptable to be playful in such a manner. I felt embarrassed to see them act that way in Japan though. They didn’t know how stupid they were coming off. They didn’t realize that their loudness was not something that is common in Japan. The way they expressed themselves in conversation was written all over their face. They were such exaggerated expressions that one seldom ever sees on a Japanese person’s face. They seemed ridiculous. They were ordering at the restaurants purely in English without any attempt at trying to say anything in Japanese, not making any effort. What happens in the United States if someone goes up to a cashier and starts speaking in Spanish or French or whatever language it may be? You’ll have someone somewhere in that room say, “That person doesn’t belong in this country.” The Japanese put on a mask of politeness and maintained their composure no matter how confusing things would get. They replied with a smile at all times when inside they probably were thinking of how tired they are of people visiting their country and having everyone cater to them in English.

Many Americans believe that Japanese people eat sushi every day(more like once a month..if even) and that they are a timid and insecure ethnic group which is so far from the truth. However, because Westerns (in general) see Asians as smaller and only having intelligence you can see that reflected in their actions. The foreigners would hold themselves more highly, as if they were to believe that they were all around better and more able. They would ask for things in English boldly and in such a manner that I almost felt they were trying to show the Japanese that they were a stronger and larger race. I’ve recently criticized Japanese for being spoiled but this made me realize that Westerners are equally as spoiled but in different ways. If you are in Japan it is better to show humility and respect. After being in Japan for almost seven months, I’ve grown to feel that I am the one that is slightly less in this society. Japanese aren’t less. What makes a Westerner think that they can come to Japan and act as though they are higher? The Japanese aren’t stupid and chances are that a cocky and ignorant Westerner will come off more as a fool than a strong, bold, and amazing person. The Japanese also have their aspects. They are polite but if you think that you can walk over them then you are wrong. It’s outrageous to even hear things from Westerner’s mouths like, “Asians have smaller penises.” What does penis size have to do with anything? Excuse the vulgarity but the size of a sexual organ does not justify one race having dominance or power over another. A statement such as that clearly  exemplifies the mental capacity that a person can possibly have. What Westerners should focus more on is the things that Asians and Japanese have that they don’t. Japanese are rarely overweight, have clear skin for the most part, a culture that will make you feel stupid in seconds, patience that others can only dream of having, and the dedication that people would envy. Dedication is at the very core of Japanese culture. On the hand Japanese have gangs, kill each other, make mistakes, build their bodies in the gym, and some can even can be egotistical. What makes them less? They are capable of doing everything and anything that a Westerner can do. What makes an Asian weaker and less able? I don’t understand it. They have an advantage though because the Japanese know when to keep their mouths shut while Westerners do not.

As I’ve mentioned, all of the new spring 2010 foreign exchange students have already arrived and finished orientation and started courses at Kansai Gaidai. Many of these students still haven’t developed the worldly cultural awareness and sensitivity that most of us gain during our time abroad. Giant groups of exchange students will travel everywhere together when Japanese streets aren’t made for groups of people. These streets are very narrow and you can hear everything. Once again everyone has gone wild and gotten drunk practically everyday since they’ve arrived in Japan. People have already peed over bridges, thrown up publicly, or approached a Japanese person while drunk to say something foolish. A Japanese person will do their best to ignore that public display of ignorance. If it was any other country someone would have gotten hurt and a fight would have broken out. There are many awkward individuals who are happily in the clouds now that they are in Japan and have yet to calm down their excited feelings. There are the many proud students who have just arrived and already are bragging about how amazing their Japanese skills are and how well they are able to communicate in the Japanese language. Once they find themselves having a real conversation in Japanese and realize that things aren’t as easy as they thought I am sure that their opinion will change.

Studying abroad has given me the skills that I will need to continuously assure good communication with people from different background and cultures. I have learned that it is better to sit and observe. I’ve learned to take my time to observe how things are done in that country that I may be in. One cannot go somewhere blindly and expect things to be the same as back at home.  I’ve learned that I can’t have any expectations from a country because I will continuously be proved wrong over and over again. I will defend Japan and the Japanese if I ever hear anyone speaking lowly about them once I am back in the United States. Japan isn’t perfect and there are a lot of things wrong with it. I am not throwing a pro-Japan campaign. Japanese aren’t perfect and I will quickly state that in any conversation. However, Japan and the Japanese are not less. They are not weaker. They deserve respect from those who go into their country and equally from those who have never been to Japan. Japanese would help anyone if they had to. If you are lost I am sure that most of the time a Japanese person will walk with you directly to where you need to be or do everything in their power to help you get on the right track. You try learning their language before you think of judging them. You try living a few months in their shoes before you think that they are less. Let go of the ethnocentricity and open your eyes to the glory that another country withholds.