「KCJS Year」カテゴリーアーカイブ

Aelita Parker: DESA (Salsa!)

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Aelita Parker

At salsa, aside from the dancing part, which is consistently enjoyable and has quickly become what I look forward to most on my Friday’s, I’ve gotten such an incredible opportunity to observe an entirely different side of Japan and Japanese. Here there’s no keigo, no bowing, and no real boundaries between sexes. Sometimes I’ll see two women dancing together or two men, and when I see a man and woman dancing it’s a completely different world of interaction. Even when people don’t know each other there’s an immediate familiarity and comfort that you can see in everyone’s complete lack of abashment. It almost feels like a different country in the drastic differences. My understanding of Japanese male female relationships (in a complete simplification) was one where the women sit at different tables then the men when there’s a gathering, where the woman cooks and washes dishes (for the most part), and when you meet someone new you do so with a bow and 「はじめまして」. Not to say that I see no love or joking between couples, but the inequality almost feels built in many times, especially with older adults. Café Rumbita however, has given me such a completely different view, one that expands my view not only of this group of individuals, but also of Japanese and Japanese society in general.

I think in our human need to define and explain, to make sense of people and situations, many think of Japanese and Japan in very narrow terms. We associate collectivism with a lack of uniqueness or personality, and while I didn’t need Salsa to tell me that’s a false and unfair label to place on a whole nation, Salsa gives me proof of that untruth every week. Because the stereotype of Japanese adults is one that can be hard to break, I’m so glad I’ve been in so many situations that completely contrast my previously conceived notions. Here there’s no hierarchy, just lots of spinning and Latin music.

Normally when I meet adults in Japan I get really nervous, trying to review all of the keigo I know in my head before I’m forced to say it. What I’ve noticed here though is that even with people I’m seeing or meeting with the same time, the interactions are much freer and more natural. Sometimes I dance with friends from DESA and we joke in Japanese and spin around with no attention paid to form, and other times I dance with 45 year old men who’ve taken their share of classes. No matter who it is though I don’t think I or they feel any apprehension, or think twice before asking to dance. It’s interesting that something you might peg as being outside of most people’s comfort zones, is the most comfortable place I’ve found myself in Japan, and I think other regulars would agree with me.

Because the context that we see adults in (even in America) you generally have to know someone on a pretty intimate basis to really get below the surface, to see more than a house wife or a salary man. Again I’ve gotten to see thoughts and motivations behind certain decisions from family and my host family in japan, gotten opinions on topics ranging from teenage pregnancy to testing in high schools, but for the first time I was able to see the completely carefree, the completely honest side of adults here. One of my favorite regulars is one of the most proactive and brave women I’ve seen, and it makes me wonder if she carries the same attitude with her back home. Is she as demanding, as enveloped in her life outside as she is in salsa? I see Japanese men dancing the Cuban “sexy” style, men in suits with such grace and precision that I can’t believe they’re not doing this professionally.

The other weekend I spoke to a woman who’s maybe in her forty’s for 20 minutes about the differences between LA, New York, and Cuban styles, after which she taught me a few new steps and we danced the marchata. An interaction I never would have believed would happen in Japan if I had not come here. I’m shy as well, so this has been such a great opportunity for me to break out of my shell and completely unfurl.

When I went this past Friday, for the first time, I danced with the teacher Masanori. Maybe an irrelevant side note but that moment was added to my top three favorite moments of my trip so far, and added to my already inexpressible love of salsa and café Rumbita.

 

Juan Carlos Lozano: English Assistant + Wushu + Nico Nico Tomato Volunteer

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So far this semester I’ve participated in more activities than I’ve expected, but I’m more than grateful as one rarely gets the chance to be a part of the Japanese community. The first CIP I chose was volunteering as an English teaching assistant at Kamigyo Middle School. I have considered for quite some time now the option of being a teacher as a career path so this opportunity was definitely one I couldn’t pass up. To my surprise, the first-year middle school students I was set to teach were extremely energetic and pounced at the chance to answer my questions in English. I also received an overwhelming amount of surprised looks when they heard me speak in Japanese, and without fail, I would here 「日本語が上手」. Of course, I responded with the humble phrases I was trained to give in return. I also noticed many of the students’ English conversation skills were pretty focused on set questions such as “Do you like sports?”, “What is your favorite food?”, and “Do you like food?” etc. This made me realize that around this stage of learning English most students’ English has been focused on conversation starter questions or 日常会話.

Also, as the rumor spread that there was an American teaching in one of the classes many of the students on the rest of floor gathered around my teacher and I as I walked through the hallway—it was as if I was a rare species just being discovered. Each student was very shy when speaking to me, but still very excited to learn. In fact, I found their eagerness to learn surprising as I look back at my middle school memories in which students would constantly dodge the teacher’s questions. I also found it very important to encourage (smile and say something like よくできた！) the students whether they answer correctly or not, as it motivates them to try to answer even more English questions. All in all, the students at Kamigyo Middle School have been incredibly endearing and make me excited to volunteer and learn something new every week.

However, since most students are out for the month due to Spring Break, I added the title of CIP to my Wushu (Chinese martial arts) circle. Every Friday I go to Higashiyama to train Wushu with two awesome teachers. One of the sensei claimed the 1995 Wushu World Cup title and is a great teacher! Usually I’m the only participant on Fridays so I’m very lucky to learn one on one. As Wushu is a martial art, respect for each other is definitely emphasized and is expected that students use Keigo with their sensei. Sometimes I feel very relaxed talking to my sensei that I almost forget the formalities altogether. Culturally, I believe respect and 上下 is very important in this type of setting. Also, thanks to my sensei I’ve painfully become more flexible that I ever thought possible!

Finally, I have also started volunteering at Kyoto University’s hospital Nico Toma. Nico Toma has so far been a fun experience that has shown me how much care hospital volunteers put into their work. Although most of the volunteer work has been arts and crafts oriented, every little aspect of our work has gone toward bringing a smile to the kids in the Pediatrics section. However, this week we got to play with one of the kids while we held a bazaar of donated goods and it was extremely fun, although I think I was probably more into the “Breaking the Tower” game then the little boy was. I can’t wait to continue my experience at Nico Toma and hopefully get to meet more kids!

Fengsheng Zhu: Volunteering at NICCO

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I have been volunteering as a translator/translation editor in NICCO (Nippon International Cooperation for Community development), a Kyoto-based NGO that has initiated and operated humanity support programs both within Japan and in poverty-stricken regions of the world. While my work does not directly relate to NICCO’s field work, reading and translating web posts and publications actually became an opportunity for me to follow up closely with NICCO’s activities.

Although it is my first time working with an NGO that is involved in international-wide activities, not to mention that it is a Japan-based NGO, NICCO did not strike me as being much different from the domestic NPO’s I have worked with in the States. All the staff are really nice, and the tightly packed office room adds to the cozy atmosphere. And it feels like that they experience the same problem as their American NPO counterparts- heavy workload that keeps them busy throughout the day. But to say that all staff do in the office is working is lying. The social atmosphere in the office is quite relaxed. Maybe also because I volunteer at the office on Friday afternoons, staff tend to chit-chat while snacking on some omiyage-food later in the afternoon. One interesting thing I noticed in inter-staff communication, is that whenever someone leaves the office briefly through the day (for example, to send a mail in the post office), the rest of the staff will say いってらっしゃい, and お帰り, upon the staff’s return. The use of these expression gives a homey feeling to the atmosphere within the office, and which I can take as a sign showing that every staff is recognized as an integral member of the organization.

Since one of the goals of CIP is for the student to become and be recognized as a functioning member of the group that he/she chooses to join, I will talk briefly about my status in this organization. A KCJS 23 Senpai who volunteered at NICCO last spring commented how she still felt like an outsider due to the limited number of work hours as a volunteer as well as a sense that she did not share the same dedication as the staff. Maybe my state right now is not too much different from hers when she wrote the post, another set of wording more accurately describes my experience.

Given that the product of my volunteer work is closely integrated into NICCO’s work, I do not consider myself an outsider. At the same time, however, I do not feel that I fall under the category of “member”, either. For one reason, I am not a formally employed staff, and likely have been in the office for a time period shorter than everyone else in the office. Another reason is that I have trouble locating a proper definition of a “member” in the NICCO office. If being an employee is a more literal and physical definition of a “member”, then the more figurative definition- what it means to be a “member”- is more fluid. The first criterion that comes to mind feels somewhat similar to the literal definition- dedication to NICCO’s work. And the rest seem quite common for an NGO office setting- whether one fits in the atmosphere and the social scene in the office. For the first item, I do not think that the homey environment in NICCO even requires time to fit in; the second item is more difficult to judge, since people naturally form little social groups, and it is hard to say where a conclusive social group even exists, the criterion itself is rendered obsolete in some sense. The criteria listed so far do not form a distinctive guideline that separates members from non-members, yet all of them seem to qualify as reasonable standard for making such judgment. Maybe there are other criteria that I am yet aware of, but nevertheless give me the feeling that I am not a member of the group. It is also possible that nobody qualifies as an absolute member of the group, due to the various criteria that apply. Regardless of the question of membership, I am still grateful that I have been able to fulfill the “functioning” part of the goal, that my work generates at least some value to the organization’s operation.

I consider my CIP experience a good one, given that NICCO is a welcoming organization. Although translating work might seem mundane and it does not require much communication with the staff around me, I still had fun doing the work. NICCO is a good place to experience the professional office setting in Japan, but probably not as suitable for those who seek a lot of on-work communication with Japanese people.

Julia Hirata: Kitanotenmangu Taiko Group

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     In the past month I have started to play taiko at Kitanotenmangu shrine. Taiko practices and gatherings have been the highlights of my time here in Kyoto so far. All of the members are Japanese and don`t speak any English so it is a great opportunity for me to improve my Japanese, learn more about the cultural customs, and interact with more Japanese people in a social setting. The members consist of mostly middle-aged men and women and their children. Spending time with a group of people ranging from 5-50 years old has really made me understand the stratification of Japanese communication. For example, when our teacher speaks to his 10 year old daughter he uses casual form and is very expressive in his tone. However, when he speaks to the supervising monks at the temple, he immediately switches to keigo and often bows throughout the conversation. One thing that I was surprised at was how quickly the other members came to use casual with me. I noticed this more with the female members and young children. The taiko teacher’s wife even began calling me Julia-chan. I thought it would take a while to break down social barriers and speak as friends, but after one lesson they invited me to a dinner party and welcomed me in with open arms. The group teacher’s wife added me as a friend on Facebook and showed me videos of her daughter dancing. I sat by her the whole night and we chatted about taiko, school, her daughter and the drunk people around us. At the party, everyone drank and laughed and spoke very informally to each other while joking around. I felt so lucky to be included in the group and treated as a fellow member.
One cultural difference I noticed was the social involvement of the monks at the shrine. When I see the head monk at the shrine during practice, he is always dressed in traditional garb and is always nice but extremely formal. At the party, he came dressed in a western suit and joined in all the festivities. When people got particularly rowdy or drunk instead of sternly lecturing them, he would tease them and speak informally to them. I was surprised that the monk interacted with us so freely in a social setting. I was so happy to talk to him and get to know him over nice sake and good food.

 

Sara Allen: DESA (Doshisha International Student Club)

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Since the Japanese school semester finishes in mid-March, I unfortunately had to end my CIP as a volunteer at a Kyoto Middle School. For the rest of my time in Japan, I decided to join DESA, a Doshisha University international exchange club. During my first few weeks in Kyoto I had attended a few DESA events so it was a natural fit for me to become involved in DESA.

I found DESA to be an invaluable experience. Although I was able to practice Japanese at home with my host parents, I felt that I was able to talk more candidly with the Japanese students in DESA. Moreover, it was interesting to learn Japanese slang, as well as being able to hear Japanese university students’ thoughts on global issues. Most of our outings were to nomikai’s and izayaka’s (all you can eat and drink restaurants), which are large part of Japanese nightlife. This was a great way to familiarize myself with Japanese drinking culture and also provided a relaxed and friendly atmosphere for us all to get to know each other.

It was interesting to see the differences in nightlife and drinking culture. American university students usually frequent bars and clubs and Japanese students tend to go to nomikai’s in small groups. This more intimate setting allows people to get to know each other since nomikai’s are more relaxed and quieter than the clubs and bars in America.

However, since Doshisha was not in session at the time I was attending DESA meetings there were not as many meetings as usual. Even when there were meetings, the number of international students greatly outnumbered the number of International students.

That being said, the people I did meet, both international students as well as Japanese students, were all awesome people. All of them enriched my time in Kyoto in some way.

 

 

Yejing Gu: Social Dance & Calligraphy

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Luckily, I have two CIPs, Kyoto University’s Amateur Dance Circle and Kyoto University’s Calligraphy Circle, and I love both of them.

I participated in the Kyoto University’s Amateur Dance Circle for the first half of the semester. This Amateur Dance Circle focuses on social dances, which I had no previous experiences of. Although I learned Chinese dance when I was young and I took dance lessons in college, it was difficult for me to remember step sequences in a fairly short time and dance on high heels. Taking the challenge, I practiced at home by learning basic steps on YouTube and I think I did much better later on. The best thing about this Amateur Dance Circle was that it provided a wonderful way to socialize with local Japanese students. While practicing in pairs, I got to know almost every member in the circle. After dancing, I usually stayed for lunch and talked to them about dances, Kyoto University, tourist attractions, and etc. I think lives of Kyoto University’s students are very enjoyable because they have such interesting circles.

It is a pity that during the latter half of the semester, the practice’s time for the Amateur Dance Circle shrank from three hours to only one hour, which is even less than my commute time. Instead, I joined the Kyoto University’s Calligraphy Circle. The practice in the Calligraphy Circle is very flexible, for I can write whatever I want for however long. I learned Chinese calligraphy before, so I was very interested in their differences. One thing I noticed is that Chinese usually write calligraphy on a table while standing or sitting on a chair, whereas Japanese write calligraphy on a low table or on the ground while doing seiza, which is challenging for me. My legs were usually numbed after the practice. But I appreciate that experience because now I can do seiza for much longer. Calligraphy is probably not an ideal CIP because calligraphy requires the person to be quiet, which makes it hard to socialize. However, it’s not a problem for Kyoto University’s Calligraphy Circle, because they have another activity room for meetings. I usually stay in that room before and after the practice. Circle members always took the initiative to talk to me when I came into the room and invited me to join them. Maybe because I am a junior and most of them are freshmen and sophomores, they use the polite speech form to me. I was confused which form I should use until I met a senior who talked to me in the short form. The experience of this kind of Japanese upperclassmen-underclassmen relationship is interesting and useful.

Based on my CIPs’ experiences, my advice for future KCJS students would be, your CIP should be something you are good at, and it should be easy to socialize.

Good Luck and Have Fun!

Jerome Molasky: EMBG and DESA

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As I said in my previous blog, it has been very difficult to have a regular CIP activity this semester due to the fact that school was not actually in session the majority of the time. I have been to my CIP from last semester, the Kyoto Daigaku music circle EMBG, once this entire semester (I had another chance to go as well, but I happened to be sick that day). They are starting again next week, so I will probably go again and with any luck it won’t be too awkward.

Because of the limited activities of EMBG this semester I have been participating in some of the activities of DESA, a cultural exchange circle at Doshisha. The only problem is that DESA does not have activities every week, leaving me with nothing to do. The several events I have gone to with DESA, including a nomikai and a video game party, have been very fun and I have had opportunities to talk to Japanese students, but nevertheless feeling like a true member of the group has been a bit difficult due to the lack of regular meeting times.

I think that in the future it might benefit KCJS to stress the high likelihood that daigaku circles might not be the best idea for second semester (especially to full year students like myself who may want, as I did, to continue their CIP from the first semester) because of the discrepancy between the American and Japanese school years. If I had known this at the beginning of this semester I may well have looked for a different CIP early on, rather than sticking it out and settling with a slightly less than rewarding experience.

Yeuting Wang: Kyudo & Taiko

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For my CIP, I had originally wanted to do Kendo, since I had just started learning at BU. However, I quickly realized that it would be too difficult, because most practices- at circles and dojos would be too high-level for me. So, instead, I decided to do a different martial art, Kyudo, and Taiko.

One of my friends from a previous KCJS semester (whom I did Kendo with at BU) highly recommended Kyudo, so I decided to try it out The atmosphere of the dojo was very relaxed and it seemed quite common for them to accept and teach beginners, so overall it seemed much more welcoming and comfortable. Since it is a traditional martial art, I was expecting it to be very intense and intimidating, however it was very much the opposite. The sensei is very patient and individually attentive. Although it is a “practice” it really seems more like a lesson.

In addition to Kyudo, I also joined a Taiko group that practices at Kitano Tenmangu. Since the practices aren’t regular, it is sometimes difficult to fit it into my schedule, but the practices are very exciting and fun- despite the fact that they are also very long. The first practice I participated in lasted from about 5:30PM to about 11PM. The practice time included preparation/clean up time- taking out the drums and putting them away, and also dinner time. The actual practice was very enjoyable. I don’t have much experience with Taiko, so picking up the pieces is difficult, but the group members are all very energetic (even if they are a little bit older), enthusiastic and eager to help.

In terms of becoming part of a community- feeling like part of a group, I guess Kyudo isn’t necessarily the best way. However, if you want to take private lessons and are interested in learning Kyudo, then this is a great choice. Because everyone is in the same boat, aiming towards the same goal, you feel more part of the team, rather than an outsider looking in. In addition, the dinner afterwards is a good opportunity to socialize with other members. Taiko, however is great. Everyone practicing together, and eating together afterwards is a nice way to meet people and immerse yourself into a genuine Japanese community.

In comparison to the school activities I was doing at BU, the Taiko and Kyudo were significantly harder to actually get involved in. Initially, it was kind of a shock for me to not have all these club responsibilities and leadership positions. Because of the short amount of time that I am here- just one semester, it’s really difficult to do all the activities I want to the extent I want. In addition to that, just by being in a completely different environment with significantly different societal rules and norms, fitting in and feeling comfortable in a group is a challenge in itself.

And just as a side-note, for any future students interested in doing Kendo, there is a practice held at Kyoto Fucho Center every Monday and Friday from 7-8PM. I’ve gone a couple of times, it’s considered to be a recreational practice and it’s not actually at a dojo. People who practice there are all very high level (I think the lowest rank is 5-dan), but they’re all very nice people and very enthusiastic about Kendo and teaching Kendo. So, it is a great opportunity to learn, if you’re not intimidated by the level difference. It’s 100yen every week.

Calum Galt: DESA/Gradations

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This semester I participated in both Doshisha’s exchange student group DESA and the LGBT circle Gradations that I joined last semester and was unable to continue for most of the semester due to the Japanese students being on break. Both circles were purely social circles which meant I was able to participate in a variety of activities, ranging from the obligatory drinking parties to mountain climbing and sightseeing, while forging and maintaining relationships with many Japanese students.

Perhaps not surprisingly, some of the most valuable experiences I’ve had with my two circles have been nomikais, or drinking parties. I found that the underlying purpose of drinking in Japan is fundamentally different from that in America, at least among the younger student population. In America I get the impression that many people drink purely for the sake of being intoxicated, probably the result of a puritanically based culture that never really came up with a healthy way of integrating alcohol into the social sphere. In Japan, however, alcohol is used in a different way, more as a tool to mediate and deepen  relationships between friends as well as maintain relationships with friends you rarely get to see. It also allows one to escape the boundaries of what is considered socially acceptable to talk about or talk openly about how one feels, creating a much-needed pressure release valve of sorts for drinkers. I’ve been lucky enough to have conversations about love, life and worries for the future with my Japanese friends over drinking, which definitely made our relationships feel more meaningful. I’ve found that my relationships in Japan were strengthened by time spent drinking with good friends, of course with moderation, and I’m very glad to have gained another cultural perspective on alcohol culture. That being said, of course I realize that many of the things I said above about Japan’s drinking culture could just as easily be said about American culture, and that not all Americans drink simply for drinking’s sake; I just think that in Japan alcohol’s role as a social lubricant takes on a deeper meaning.

Of course I had many more valuable experiences outside of drinking. With DESA I was motivated to see and experience parts of Kyoto and Kansai at large that I may not have gone to by myself; I definitely benefited from having a circle of locals who knew where to go, and when. As I mentioned in my previous post, one of my favorite events was climbing Mt. Daimonji at night and seeing the best view of Kyoto from above, but we also explored Osaka and saw sumo, saw the yearly burning of the hills above Nara (a beautiful and very hot festival whose original purpose is vague), and sightseeing around Arashiyama in Kyoto.

As for Gradations, my LGBT student group, I had very little time with them this semester due to the break for Japanese students, but what little time I had was much better than last semester. There were more new members, and a new president, which maybe contributed to me feeling a bit less like an intruder on someone else’s club. Our first outing was an all-you-can-eat party at a ninja-themed desert restaurant followed by ping-pong and karaoke, an interesting choice for an event but one that definitely made me feel like I was a normal member of the group. The one regret I do have about Gradations is that I don’t feel as though I’ve gained much of a perspective on what it’s like for Japanese LGBT youth. We never really talked about what it was like being a sexual minority in Japan, and the overwhelming impression that I got was that most people were closeted and unwilling or unable to come out, understandable given the sometimes oppressively heteronormative culture of Japan. I wish we could have been a bit more than just a social club and maybe talked about what it meant to us to be part of such a marginalized community. Despite this, my experiences with Gradations this semester have been much more enjoyable than last semester.

My CIP experience has been somewhat inconsistent, as my CIP last semester was less than satisfactory and I was limited by students being on break for most of this semester, but it was still a valuable experience that encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and extend ties with people I wouldn’t have the opportunity to interact with in America. I’m glad to have been given this opportunity.

 

 

Kamuela Lau: English Assistant, Kaiseichuu, Klexon

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I have chosen to be an English teaching assistant as my main CIP for this semester. Due to the discrepancy between the American academic calendar and the Japanese academic calendar, I was unable to continue volunteering at Kaisei Junior High School, and thus I joined an English-conversation circle (club) in Kyoto called Klexon.

I went to Kaisei five times. The first time, I felt that the class period was quite long, and by the last time, the it seemed that the class went by extremely fast. The most rewarding aspect of this experience was the conversations I had with the students; although during the class period, I mainly spoke English, before the class (during their lunch break), I spoke and shared my experiences with them in Japanese.

Interestingly, the Japanese students learning English in a classroom setting appear to have similar difficulties as English speakers learning Japanese. For example, verbs like ageru, morau and kureru, which all have a deictic fuction often marked by a preposition in English, are often difficult for students learning Japanese. Likewise, the students in the class appeared to have trouble with the prepositions in English.

I have only gone to Klexon twice, but I have already found it to be a good experience. The Japanese people in the circle are all there to improve their English ability, and thus they are very open with foreigners, and are happy to make new friends. For example, after the first meeting, I was invited to get some food with some of the other members.