SCHOOL LIFE: Final for Intercultural Communication, Japanese

多文化コミュニケーションについて、一番大事なところは理解である。文化は違う人が話すや、喧嘩する、間違えするなどの時には、賛成が出来なくても、文化について何が違うのが理解が出来たら、多文化コミュニケーションには成功である。理解は情感よりロジックから出来るので、文化の違っているところを理解して、激情や、憤慨などの気持ちを修理するの可能性があると思う。私は前の日本に居る間では、文化の違いで日本人を怒らせたことであったが、今文化の違いがほとんど慣れている。今でも時々文化の違いにイライラするが、文化の違いが理解しているので、日本人と話す時に問題が出て来ても、文化の違いにとって正直にコミュニーケションをすると問題がたいしたことではない。このレポートについて、私は日本に居る間ではどの風に多文化コミュニーケションを明らかになったと話したい。

初めて日本に来た時、私は１７歳であった。高校生の交換留学の関係で一年間日本に住んでいた。コミュニーケションの問題は主にホストファミリーの人と同棲した時であった。一回目と二回目のホストファミリーとたくさんのコミュニーケションの問題や、喧嘩などが起こった。一回目のホストファミリーは私にとてもきびしく、私の考え方に合わなかった。当時私は幼く、まだ勇気が持ってなかったから余りホストファミリーの家から一人で出かけなかったから、そのホストファミリーは私が日本をすっきりエンジョイしていないと考えられた。毎日私の性格を批判されていた。私は自然にほかの人の私に批判や、意見などには反対的だから、当時そのホストファミリーのことに嫌がっていた。しかし、今そのホストファミリーの考え方が明らかにしている。確かに、そのホストファミリーの考え方はとても日本的な考え方だと思う。一遍にそのホストファミリーの息子が私に「私たちブレイクの考え方を私たちのように変えたい！だからそうだったらブレイクはいい人になる」と言われた。そのホストファミリーは私の前に何人もホムステイーに来たことにも、私とそのホストファミリーがもっと性格に合った留学生に比べることをされて、「そのような人になって！ほら、このビデオその人が楽しんでいるよ！」と言われた。そのホストファミリーは日本の中の「日本のメインストリム」じゃない人（オタクとか）に嫌がることもよく言い出した。ホストファミリーの息子は「私は完全に日本のメインストリム」とよく言われて、そのホストファミリーの考え方で私は日本の文化に最初の印象が良くなかった。

そのホストファミリーとコミュニーケションもよく出来なく、考え方にも合わなかったからホストファミリーは一週間早めに家に出された。ホストファミリーの人は当時の学校の先生何回も電話して文句を言い出したが、仲なおりが出来なかった。今多文化コミュニーケションの授業にとって、どの風にそのきびしいホストファミリーともっと上手にコミュニーケションが出来たのだろうか。今でもそのホストファミリーの考え方に全く賛成が出来ないが、文化の違いが理解しているからもしもその時に戻ったら、もっと上手にコミュニーケションが出来るはずである。一番困った時は大体にコミュニーケションが余り出来なかったから、理解も出来なかった。一遍に私はホストファミリーの「日本のメインストリム」の考え方に反対して、「アメリカでは人々は他の人の生活とか気にしない！皆個人的に好きにやれる」と言って、ホストファミリーの母が「アメリカ人は他の人のことに気にしないの？つめたいね」と答えられた。今、そのホストファミリーの母の答えにとって、意味が理解しているが、当時理解が出来なく、文化の違いが問題になった。ホストファミリーの意思は悪くなかったと思うが、ホストファミリーのコミュニーケションも私に通じることが出来ず、大変なことになった。

二回目のホストファミリーの間にも文化的なコミュニーケションの問題もあった。そのホストファミリーの人は３２歳の女の人だったから、まだ成人じゃない人と同棲したことがなかった。この人の考え方は一回目のホストファミリーに比べてかなり違っていたが、文化の違いから喧嘩とかあった。ホストファミリーの人の家は田舎であったので、家はその辺の電車駅に歩けなかったから、ホストファミリーが駅に私を向かえに来なければならなかった。一遍に私は街の方に遊びに行っていて、ホストファミリーの人からの携帯メールが「何時帰ってくる？」と聞いて、私の返事が「まだ決めていない」であった。その人の返事が「福岡から帰って来たのことで疲れているけど、何時でも帰って来ていいよ」と書いてあった。そして私が二時間後ホストファミリーの家の辺に帰って、あの人が迎えに来るのが結構遅れて、ついに来た時にはすごく怒られてびっくりさせられた。その人がどうして怒っているの説明が、「何時でもいい」と言っても、その前に「疲れた」と言ったから私はすぐ帰るべきことに分かるはずということであった。私は「アメリカではその願いあったらはっきり言うよ」と答えて、喧嘩がまた強くなった。この問題は確かに日本の直接じゃないコミュニーケションに関係あった。そのホストファミリーの人と似ている喧嘩もあったが、最後まで仲がよかった。だから文化の違いの問題や、コミュニーケションの問題などがあった時には、その人に自分の気持ちをちゃんと教えて、お互いに私たちの気持ちを理解した。

そのホストファミリーの家に出た後、留学の残りの時間に三個の違うホストファミリーと同棲して、喧嘩とか、コミュニーケションの問題とかが全然起こらなかった。一回目のホストファミリーと色んなコミュニーケションの問題があって、最後まで仲直りが出来なかったが、二回目のホストファミリーとその前のコミュニーケションのレッスンを考えて、多文化コミュニーケションが成功であった。現在に日本に居る間では、最初の時に比べて文化の違いからの問題はかなり少ない。しかし、今でも、日本人とコミュニーケションをする時にはたまにその日本人が私の言うことには反応が恥ずかしがったり、嫌がったりのことを気づく。こんなことが気づいたら、その話相手にちゃんと自分の性格的なこと、正直なことを説明して、それからほとんどの時で大丈夫になる。日本人に多文化コミュニーケションの授業と似ているように自分の文化的な、個人的なことを説明してみて、もし合わないところがあったら、そんなことにもちゃんと話して、理解が出来る。

まとめは、私の日本の経験にとって、日本人では多文化コミュニーケションが出来るようになった。日本の文化の違いを理解して、日本人とカルチャー的な喧嘩は余りしなく、何かがあっても、関係を修理することが出来る。多文化コミュニーケションのレッスンは、自分の文化でも使えると思う。だから、文化の違いより皆は同じ人間ので、お互いの気持ちもあるから仲よくすることは可能性がある。これは多文化コミュニーケションの最強なレッスンだと思う。

SCHOOL LIFE: Final for Intercultural Communication, English

(I haven't edited this because I plan to translate it into a Japanese version, so pardon the sloppiness or dullness of the writing)

The most important aspect of intercultural communication is of course understanding. When people of different cultures interact and have cultural clashes or misunderstanding, they may not agree, but if the differences that cause the disagreement are understood, it is enough. Since understanding comes from logic rather than emotion, there will be less anger or frustration from cultural clashes with proper cultural communication. During my time in Japan there have been many times where I have offended others because of cultural misunderstandings. Now I understand a lot of these cultural differences, even if there are times when living in another culture can be frustrating. But by understanding why Japanese people may behave a certain way, I believe I can overcome cultural barriers by appealing to people through honesty. What I want to discuss in this report is how I have come to understand intercultural communication and use my own communication skills to solve problems that rise out of of interpersonal relationships I have had in Japan.

The first time I was in Japan I was 17 years old, and was still very immature. The problems with cultural communication that I had mainly arose from interacting with host families. I had many arguments with the first two host families I stayed with. The first family was very strict in their pressure on me to enjoy Japan, but I was still young and unwilling to explore on my own. They criticized my personality and actions. I understand now that their thinking was very Japanese. This host family had hosted dozens of different exchange students before, and they wanted me to behave like the exchange students they liked. The son told me "We want to change your thinking to be more like us, because then you will be happy." By nature my personality rejects this; I do not want to change myself to please another person. Because there were communication problems, my ideas were not able to be expressed and there were arguments. They talked to the teacher at my school during the time but their problems with me were unable to be resolved. They requested I leave their house a week earlier than planned and I stayed with a teacher from school during that week.

Now having taken the class on intercultural communication, I wonder how I could have resolved the situation. Even now, I do not agree with their thinking. I did change and mature but it was not because of their words. The sense of individual right that I had made me resent the family even more. This was not a good way to start studying Japanese culture. The son of family would always claim "I am Japanese mainstream" and say that his family are the perfect example of good Japanese culture. I later evaluated the family's thinking as a demerit of Japanese culture, and still consider it so today. 

After many conversations even after living at the host family's house, I understand why they wanted to change me, and why they thought they are the ideal Japanese culture. In their minds, because they all cooperate as a family and are busy, they are happy, and therefore if other Japanese people lived like them, they would be happy too. They would tell me they look down upon people like "otaku" or anyone who is different from Japanese mainstream culture. Their idea was likely that if these people aren't the mainstream Japanese culture, they will not be accepted by all Japanese, and therefore will not find happiness in Japanese society. They justified this thinking by saying they care about such people and want them to be in the mainstream so they will be happy. When I told them that Americans don't care about how other people live their lives, they thought that it's cold and uncaring. In a sense I agree with them; however, the Japanese way that pressures people to be the same also harms people in the same way that not caring about the lives of others does in the United States. Other host families that I am on good terms with tend to sympathize with my situation, as often times they are considered to be "different" in the eyes of mainstream Japanese, in regards to religion or lifestyle. I have found that on a personal level I am on better terms with these host families rather than the first host family that I had so many problems with, and to me this is an example of how understanding different cultures through intercultural communication can bring understanding, but not necessarily acceptance or making a better relationship. The important thing is now I think I understand the thinking of my first family even if I don't agree with them.

The second host family I stayed with had problems as well. Because my second host family was a single 32 year old woman, that in itself created problems because she was not used to taking care of someone who is not yet an adult. The cultural clashes that occurred however were between my American culture and her Japanese culture. Although she had an open-mind as an individual, her cultural identity was still strong. This was an example of how even people with their own individuality are still grounded in their ow culture. The biggest problem came because her house was far away from the only train station in the area and she had to drive me to the station herself. One time I was in the city and she asked me when I was coming home. I said I haven't decided yet and she said "I'm very tired but come home any time you like" and so I stayed a bit later, and when I returned back to the train station she was late in picking me up and was very furious when she did. She explained to me later that when a Japanese person says "come home any time you like" after she said she's tired, it means to come home soon. She said this is indirect communication, and that I should have understood her intentions. Certainly, this discussion helped solve the problem at the time but there were other problems that came later. A lot of it might have been her personality, but the cultural differences were definitely a cause. However, I believe that the problems that were solved during my stay with this family was because of successful intercultural communication. Instead of who was right and wrong we discussed our feelings that we could reach a mutual understanding on.

If the first family I stayed with had intercultural communication problems that could not be resolved at the time and caused them to make me leave their home. The second host family, however, had even more problems, but through communication everything was resolved. Following these two host families I lived with three more, and there were no serious problems with any of them. Because of my experiences with the first families I was able to understand intercultural communication enough that I could forge better relationships with my other host families.

Now, living in Japan again, I have found things a lot easier. There are no real moments of culture shock, and I am able to communicate like a Japanese person does which makes making friends a lot easier. Even now though, I notice cultural differences that make things difficult. There are times when I speak openly and honestly with Japanese friends and they seem uncomfortable. I notice this, however, and explain to them why I speak in such a way and what my feelings are. I do this in the same way that the intercultural class teaches students about communicating. I think it is no problem to communicate in a way that's natural to your culture as long as you explain your intentions to people of a different culture.

When becoming good at intercultural communication, I believe it is possible to not only solve problems that arise from communicating between different cultures but also help solve problems between people of the same culture that you recognize as a cultural problem. For example: in Japan, if someone in a group does something that is considered wrong or offensive to the group as a whole, the problem with that person will not be discussed in order to avoid conflict. I notice instead of discussing the problem, people will let it die silently, but with the problem dying often the relationship dies too. Understanding this, and also being from a different culture, I feel I can mediate between Japanese people in these situations. There are other Japanese I have met that do the same, as they understand these weak points about their own culture. I think that even if it does not help the problem, it is good to make the effort. On the other hand, understanding communication in Japanese culture also makes me think about my own culture, and how I can use skills in intercultural communications when I encounter problems within my own culture.

In conclusion, from my experiences in Japan and what it taught me when living with host families, I was able to become better at intercultural communication in Japan. Furthermore, this time I am able to use that knowledge to communicate on another level as someone who communicates in Japanese culture but also has qualities from my own culture that can solve problems that Japanese would normally not discuss in their own inter-personal relationships. However, there may also be problems that arise from this type of communication on my part. Either way, I will continue to develop communication skills. Overall, the most important thing I learned from intercultural communication, whether from my experiences or what was learned in this class, is that regardless of culture there are mutual human qualities that can be appealed to in order to create understanding and possibly even acceptance. This to me is the ultimate lesson that practicing intercultural communication can teach.

SCHOOL LIFE: Thursday, July 15 and Friday, July 16, Tuesday July 20, Jeff's going away party...

 These two days of class were nothing extraordinary. Thursday first period is Japanese class, and we went into a lengthy discussion about the need for convenience stores to be open 24 hours a day. It's obvious that a convenience store is only there to be convenient; having them close early defeats the purpose. As this class is made entirely of Chinese students they were very outspoken during the discussion. Some argued that convenience stores use up too much electricity; however, I asserted that there are a multitude of things that use electricity on a 24-hour basis. There was also the point about food that is wasted every day because people don't buy them (an argument just as applicable to McDonald's). Either way it was a mildly enthused debate mainly due to the fact I had sufficient language skill to take part in it. In the end I said that the thousands of vending machines in any given area of Japan could be a better way to reduce electricity costs than convenience stores.

 The second period on Thursday was Chinese class. I don't really remember learning anything but there was a long discussion about wedding licenses in Japan, China and the United States. This is the one class that I'm unsure of continuing next term... unless I really step up learning Chinese. It might be time for a Chinese girlfriend... (that's the only way to motivate me for anything sadly enough).

 Friday was Jeff's class. People worked in stations to learn about Japan's national parks and America's national park history. Everyone completed their tasks with ease so I had little to do during the class period. The next class after this would be Jeff's very last.

 Tuesday the first period was Jeff's last class. He mainly talked to all the students about what they learned about national parks and wrapped up his lessons, taking pictures of the students for his going-away party that would be held that night.

 The second period- intercultural communication. This was also the last class for this term, and the teacher gave an explanation of what will take place in the continuation of the class next term. I will certainly take the class again, as it's one of the only classes I'm capable of understanding. The teacher explained the details of what will be developed on it intercultural communication, and gave the idea that this first term was just an introduction. I hope a lot of the same students continue the course.

 Later that night was Jeff's going away party. The amount of friends him and his wife had gathered in their around-4-month stay in Japan was impressive, and all the students in his class made a grand gesture in his farewell. Everyone wrote individual letters in English, and the whole night was covered in sap that's expected in any Japanese farewell. It's something that Japanese people often feel obligated to do, regardless of the genuine relationships they forge. There was a general lack of crying, however, which usually entails such occasions.

 That's a summary of the last week or so of classes, and soon they are coming to an end and summer vacation will begin. This is the real challenge of how to manage my time and explore cultural situations. The Folk Song summer trip is coming up, which is called "gasshuku" (合宿 which means a training camp, traveling together, boarding together, etc). Apparently it's all music and boozing during the trip, so I'll have to prepare my kidneys and of course, my brain so that I can remember the cultural merits of the experience. Until then I'll keep you all updated.

 

SCHOOL LIFE: Tuesday, July 13 Post

 The classes I had on Tuesday consisted of Natural National Treasures, a class taught by an Evergreen professor, Jeff Lapp, on exchange to the University of Hyogo, and Intercultural Communication, a class in Japanese that explores communication between different cultures.

 As Jeff's class is nearly coming to a close, most of the time in class is being spent wrapping up what has been explored. The class teaches about national parks in the United States and how the system was created, along with teaching Japanese students about Japan's national parks. The class has been very educational for me, personally, in learning about how important national parks are in the United States. The Japanese students who attend the class also seem to have been moved by the lessons, and were often unaware of the existence of national parks in their own country. As the class is all in English, some students struggle through the lectures and videos, but seem to get the overall idea. As with a lot of Japanese students, there is a tendency to withhold questions even when they are totally lost on the lesson material. Talking to students in private, they often say "I don't understand what's going on at all!" but they nonetheless sit there during class with a glazed look over their eyes. The idea of a class entirely in English seems intimidating to some students, as there are few students who came to the class regularly. Next week has the final class for Jeff, and then he will soon return to Evergreen. His impression on the students has been immense in his (sometimes overly-) kind approach to teaching students in another language. In class today we finished the video about American national parks and did a general wrap-up of the program before the final classes.

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 In Intercultural Communication I started the class by singing a rendition of "Ashita No Joe", a theme song to an old Japanese animation by the same name, which is sung in dramatic enka-style Japanese singing. I was singing a random song when the teacher asked me to sing for the class. That was my method of intercultural communication!

 Usually the class entails me shouting out comments about what's being taught and the occasional assertion from the Chinese girls that sit up with my in the front (it's like we divide ourself into race- foreigners in the front Japanese in the back- unwittingly of course), and the silence of the Japanese students behind us. Whether the subject is boring to the Japanese students or they just don't want to put their thoughts out when it comes to examining their own culture, or it's just the typical way of passive Japanese education, I don't know... but I do know there are a lot of good looking girls in the class, which enthuses me to assert myself even more in the pursuit of intercultural communication!

 Throughout the class today we did an exercise in pairs, where one took the role of a foreigner employed in a Japanese company who is not good at team work, and the role of a Japanese section manager who wants the foreign employee to be moved to another empty position. The point of the exercise was the foreigner wanted to work where he/she wanted and the Japanese manager wanted the foreigner moved, because that is how Japanese companies manage. Instead of strictly clear-cut designations of employment for workers, Japanese companies function as groups that are made up of a group rather than cooperative individuals, meaning that in Japan people all share each other's burdens, meaning that if one cog in the machine stops turning than the machine as a whole surely can't function. This is where I became clear on the Japanese expression when they finish a job: "Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu!" (お先に失礼します, or "Excuse me for leaving before [everyone else leaves]"). In America or other Western countries, they don't have such an expression for finishing the end of a work day. Everyone has their job and they finish it. Both the Japanese and Western working methods have their strengths and weaknesses- in the Japanese system, harmony is key to a functioning work group, so if someone has a problem, they might not bring it up in fear of disrupting the group harmony. The Western system, however, has one fundamental flaw in my mind: because businesses are built into separate lower and higher divisions, the clear-cut jobs for workers can create a sense of inequality between top and bottom, such as when cost-cutting leads to removals of unnecessary job positions. In the Japanese system, if a job position loses its value often times the workers will be relocated rather than laid off. Also, in the Western business system, there can be a tendency to climb-the-latter rather than value a lower position- people will want to be on the level of CEOs rather than taking responsibility and pride in a lower position. Listen to Elvis Costello's song "Senior Service" about how businesses in Western society can become self-devouring and self-destructive. The Japanese system might share some of these cut-throat tendencies, but in accordance to Japanese society, Japan's structure acts as a whole group instead of a group of individuals. The exercise in class was meant to show how these cultural differences can create problems, and the conclusion to how to work on such culture conflicts was, regardless of a resolution, to create a mutual understanding through intercultural communication!

 That was it for Tuesday's classes. Final exams before Summer break start next week. I don't know what that means for me but I'll give it the old college try.

Sorry it's been awhile...

 From now on, I will try to post every day I have classes in order to give some credit to my words about being a student. These posts will likely be a matter of going through the motions,but I will try to infuse them with some life and keep them brief. 

 Before going into mundane daily reports, I'd better give a gist of what's been going on these last several weeks. I'm alive but just barely. I never knew a three-week hangover until now, but I am taking a much-needed break from drinking. For at least another day or two. While I had a few less-than-shining moments on the three week binge of drinking, the experience overall was worth whatever damages to my reputation or brain it might have done. Pardon the blunt embellishment on this academic blog, as well.

 The last three weeks two friends of mine from Tacoma stayed with me in what used to be a spacious apartment until the piles of luggage and futons covered the floor (I made sure it was alright with the apartment managers for them to stay beforehand). At the beginning we behaved like scheduled human beings, but the staple foods and meal preparations soon faded from the shopping bags (leaving space for more booze, of course). Through good connections that until then I hadn't been totally aware of and some good planning the first two weeks were culturally enthralling for both of my friends. One had been to Japan before through a Japanese girlfriend, the other a shaky virgin moving into the open arms of the rising sun (I guess he was a bit more nonchalant than shaky, but it paints a better picture). After the first couple of weeks, though, it became more about fun than culture, and it didn't come with many complaints. My friend who's formally a member of the Folk Song Club (whom I will now refer to as Mr. K for the sake of explanation), who introduced me to Jam Jam Cafe, and the other places, became fast friends with my American guests and showed us around Osaka and Kyoto. They also came to school with me every day I went, and managed to learn about Japanese teaching if their eyes weren't fixated on the countless pretty young students.  They saw the Folk Song Club in action, even slept through some of my practice sessions.

 There was the school festival, too, a small summer festival that had students arrive in yukata, or traditional Japanese summer garment, pictured below (I hope I can't lose credit for looking like a prick):

 There at the festival I did a show for Folk Song Club in the most rock and roll way I could imagine, in that I don't quite remember performing the whole set. The rest of the night was a blur.

 Over the weekend we saw a performance by Mr. K, who played a small set in an Italian restaurant in Sannomiya. His music consisted of one cover song that he sung and the rest his instrumental songs. There were some other acts too and it was a truly inspiring night for music. Seeing Mr. K on his guitar makes me understand why he left a club where even senior members will struggle their way through an Oasis guitar solo.

 The next day was the Summer Concert by Folk Song Club. It was pretty much the same as I explained in the other entry about the Spring Festival by Folk Song Club. However, it was the first show that the new club members played in the club, including myself. While I performed at the school festival with the Folk Song club, it wasn't as official in terms of the mechanics of the club. I performed in an Oasis cover band and it went off well.

 So the next day my friends left back to the States, and I'm now trying to salvage what remains of a normal life in Japan. More to come soon!