SCHOOL LIFE: Monday- Private Law, Chinese Communication, Technical Japanese

 While fairly awake for the first period of the day, being alert and ready to learn did little to help me cut through the density of legal jargon (in Japanese, at that) that trailed off into space throughout the professor's lecture. Sitting back several rows from the front of the room, where I have sat before, also made it more difficult to pay attention, because everyone else in close range wasn't paying attention either. Whether they were sleeping, playing cards, playing handheld game systems, sending text messages, talking, whatever, everyone seemed to be just as lost when it came to the lecture. It really begs the question: where and when do Japanese students learn? Of course, there are several students who sit in the front and pay close attention and take notes. But then there's the greater number of students who act like it's a chore to be there. One student in particular, that I mentioned in a previous blog post, who fits the Japanese stereotype of "Gal Otoko", continuously drew the irk of the professor who called him out for being disruptive, mocking his appearance and passively telling him to leave. I understand these students need to take this class for credits, and some of them may not wish to be there. But the kind of attitude displayed really contrasted to how a lot of college students in American schools tend to behave- as adults. The fact is that they are all putting money into taking these classes, which makes me wonder exactly how much college is taken for granted in Japanese society. If a college education becomes so universal, does it deteriorate the motivation of both students and faculty to put effort into education? Is the process of graduating high school and entering a university so common in a country with such universal wealth that many students seemingly take it for granted? Maybe the system just isn't compatible with this younger generation of Japanese, a generation more Westernized and less interested in taking on a life of study, leading to employment until death. Whatever the reasons, I couldn't very well focus with this exchange between the professor and student. So while my ears lost the lecture, I stuck with translating an outline sheet for the quarter, translating questions like "Why were mortgage protections put into place?" among other enthralling subjects. I thought strongly about how I might have been too hasty to pick this class, but the schedule has been committed to and I can only go along and learn what comes through.

 Following this class was Chinese Communication. Nothing much to say here. It was reviewing stuff I have learned in Chinese classes many times before, and while there was plenty I had let slipped I did feel as if I was in the wrong place. The students in the class were very vocal when they spoke in Mandarin out-loud, differing from the previous Chinese class I had taken at the University of Hyogo. The other class was nearly inaudible when they spoke out loud, but this class consists of mainly first-year students, and the instructor does a much better job of inspiring a comfortable atmosphere for students to speak. I do learn a bit of Japanese in the explanations of language points, but I still won't qualify this class as Japanese learning in terms of earning credits for the Evergreen contract.

 Third period was Technical Japanese. The class read two hand-outs about Japanese traditional systems of hiring labor and other work forces. There was a discussion of whether skill or experience is more important in the Japanese (or any, I suppose) work system. I mainly looked up the numerous (nearly all of them) words that I didn't know in the article. With the purchase of an electronic dictionary, this has become the bulk of my in-class studying.  I'll port more details on the language-learning process later.

 I understand that the majority of my posts lately are somewhat mundane day-to-day recordings of classes. I will get to work on the posts that involve music in Japan as well as blog posts similar to the ones I did during the Spring quarter. One problem is I'm at a loss for a good camera, as the one I was using has broken, but will try to remedy the situation in due time. Please stay tuned.

CULTURE: New York Times article on Japan's decline

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/world/asia/17japan.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

 I thought this was an interesting read and worth writing at least a bit about. The article paints a dreary picture of Japan, particularly the Osaka area. The article is filled with distortions of the reality of things, however. While most of what the columnist describes is the truth, it's hardly the die situation that he makes it out to be.

 The other night I was in front of a convenience store in Kobe. A man driving a Porsche had parked his car in front of the convenience store, window open and engine running. The car sat their idling for a good five to ten minutes. This isn't uncommon in Japan, but unthinkable in a country like the United States. Japan is by no means anything less than one of the wealthiest societies in the world, and even with increasing poverty and a declining financial structure, while nothing less than dismal, is still a stark contrast to what the Times columnist describes. Someone reading it with half a mind might even be inclined to ask if Japanese people are living in boxes, in reference to the bit about concrete apartment structures with tiny-sized bedrooms and kitchens. From my experience in Japan none of these things strike me the way certain areas of my hometown Tacoma look, which can resemble third-world countries (a bit dramatic, but in comparison to many areas of Japan this seems all too true in my eyes).

 Take this bit from the third page of the article:

     "There are vending machines that sell canned drinks for 10 yen, or 12 cents; restaurants with 50-yen beer; apartments with the first month’s rent of just 100 yen, about $1.22. Even marriage ceremonies are on sale, with discount wedding halls offering weddings for $600 — less than a tenth of what ceremonies typically cost here just a decade ago."

 First off, the exchange rate is incorrect; I'd be happy as hell if a hundred yen got me more than a dollar. The rate is closer to 85 yen to a dollar- meaning every thousand dollars you exchange in Japan loses 15-20%, or $150 or $200. Second off, I have never seen a ten-yen vending machine in Osaka. 80 yen at the cheapest, and that's for small cans of coffee. I'm sure they might exist somewhere, but this article makes it sound like Japan is operating on the Chinese yuan. 50 yen beers? Let me know where they are, because beer runs at 300 yen plus nearly any place you go. You have to really dig deep to find places as cheap as this columnist suggests they are.

 The most offensive bit of the article came with this paragraph on page 2:

     "When asked in dozens of interviews about their nation’s decline, Japanese, from policy makers and corporate chieftains to shoppers on the street, repeatedly mention this startling loss of vitality. While Japan suffers from many problems, most prominently the rapid graying of its society, it is this decline of a once wealthy and dynamic nation into a deep social and cultural rut that is perhaps Japan’s most ominous lesson for the world today."

 This type of language makes it almost sound like the columnist is writing in revenge rather than objectivity- exaggerating the decline of a once ever-threatening economic power. Japan's culture and society might be taking relative downturns to how it used to be; I have written about these social issues before through a previous contract at Evergreen. But to say that these social downturns are any worse than the polarizing and obnoxious social problems in the United States, or England, or any other country, and even worse, to claim them as an "ominous lesson" for the rest of the world, sounds condescending and misguided. The financial collapse in the United States more resembles an ominous lesson to the world, and in many ways, the world has already learned these lessons even while getting dragged down into it. Japan still maintains an incredible infrastructure and social services in comparison to the United States, and yet the columnist claims the United States still has a greater chance of pulling out of recession than Japan. In my mind, both situations are seemingly helpless, but to put the United States at greater chances than any other struggling nation comes off as ignorant, and by my experience in Japan, this columnist certainly fits that category. While the columnist makes relevant points about Japan, the overall picture he paints of the current state of Japan can be equally countered. Asking Japanese people is often little validation, either. Many will undoubtedly claim Japan's situation as a mess, and while it's important to take them at their word, it is also necessary to understand that Japanese tend to look upon themselves more critically than other nations. Ask an average American if the United States can be pulled out of recession simply through free market ingenuity, and if the response is a resounding "Yes!", you can judge how cultural attitudes can distort the reality of situations. Japan has a chance to get a lot worse, but I also believe there's enough of a chance for a stable recovery of Japan's economy; nonetheless, Japan as it is now barely fits what this columnist describes.

SCHOOL LIFE: Thursday- Japanese Language and Culture, Civic/Private Law, "Interchanging Societies", Seminar

 Japanese Language and Culture, the first class on last Thursday's muggy morning, continued the outline of the semester. The focal point of the course for me and other students is giving two presentations throughout the semester about one's background and about Japanese culture (at least from what I gathered). The lesson then moved into watching recorded news reports that are designed for Japanese children (a little embarrassing as the sound from the TV blasted incredibly loudly, announcing the program for all other classes in the hall to hear until a teacher from a neighboring class told the language instructor to turn it down). The news stories consisted of the story of Japanese nobel prize winners Eiichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki, the maritime dispute between Japan and China in the Senkaku Islands, Japan's plan for banks to reset interest rates to zero, and another story about a Japanese soccer player that the class didn't get to before the end of the period. Being that the majority of students in the class are Chinese, the story about Japan and China's quarrel could have brought more tension; when the news story discussed the agreement between Japanese and Chinese officials in Brussels, the instructor asked the students what they thought about it, and one particularly smart-aleck student said "It's a lie!" prompting another Chinese student in front of him to turn around with a glaring look of disapproval. Unlike the Chinese students, however, it might be difficult to yield any kind of response about politics from Japanese students. Politics may as well be a totally different universe from a good amount of young Japanese. Coming from the United States where politics is equally redundant but ultimately louder and more polarizing, there's little wonder as to why people would not want to care; little wonder, but numerous consequences.

 The next class was a mental exhaustion. I had decided to ditch "Public Law" on Monday mornings in order to take the 4-credit, twice a week program Private Law. The class runs on a relentless lecture from start to finish. The professor never shows a hint of boredom in his own lecturing- and that's not to say he's incredibly vigorous about it. He simply stands and delivers with the utmost seriousness. While this is by far an impressive feat compared to some of the more disinterested professors, in no less becomes exhausting, even for Japanese students who speak the same native language, to try and understand. At the end of each class I hear the voices of students behind me expressing their absolute cluelessness as to what was taught. This class mainly consisted of introducing various civic and private laws, mainly in regard to corporate entities and their private rights, and how these rights reflect rights held by individual people. It talked about renting and buying rights between companies and banks and I get disinterested even typing that much about it... However, my philosophy on the class is that I can even understand and retain some amount of what is taught, it will increase my Japanese language proficiency. Using an electronic dictionary I purchased (leaving me in a bit of a rut this month financially) I translate the key words and somehow manage to catch the gist of the topics even without knowing the smaller details. After all, I'm not getting credit for the class. I can only get as much as I put into trying to understand a difficult and tedious subject in a foreign language.

 Following lunch period was Ueno-sensei's Interchanging Societies. I must have some kind of bug lately because the fatigue I feel during the daytime makes staying awake and alert a real challenge. It could just be the changing seasons. Nonetheless, I stayed awake to listen to the professor talk about the perils of Japan's ever-decreasing birthrate and the overwhelming size of Japan's senior generation. Thinking about it certainly makes it seem a bit terrifying in the face of a dwindling race of people; at least they aren't reacting like certain white fundamentalist Christian groups are with theories on how all of Europe and North America will become racially Arab in the next twenty years unless white people reproduce in large numbers. Japanese merely blame people for being "too lazy" to have children. The fact of the matter is that in order to succeed in Japan, one must work far harder and focus more on career than raising a family. Now that women have largely entered the work force and stay-at-home moms are becoming a thing of the past, the construction of Japanese families becomes a more and more difficult task; this idea was included in the professor's lecture. However, I think some of the worries might be a bit exaggerated- the work system in Japan is deteriorating, and I think that more Japanese people will reproduce at higher rates within the next twenty years as Japanese society changes into a less of an economic power-house and more of a self-sustaining nation (I base this theory on nothing but my own arrogance of gut reasoning). This was the only real thought-provoking bit from this class, aside from the large amount of students who were asleep on their desks.

 Fourth period was Seminar. Nothing really to say here; students presented books on what they had researched, this time about fair trade and domestic food production. The food production led to some lengthy conversations between the seminar professor, who loves to speak, and the other students. Apparently many foods labelled as domestically raised or grown are actually grown elsewhere through loop-holes and all that. It might be like "Organic" as a tag-line in the United States, a meaningless phrase. Still, I refuse to buy U.S. beef in Japanese grocery stores even when it's relatively much cheaper. Just like the seminar discussion, I don't know where the food in my own country comes from either.

LANGUAGE UPDATE: New Kanji since last post

 I decided to put a little more effort into these kanji entries. Although I review the characters off of the notebook in which I write them, putting their meanings here will provide a little more value than just the ambiguously putting the characters into entries.

(Since last post on October 1)

剃- shave

契- pledge, vow, promise

剖- divide, cut

剥- come, peel off, be worn off; fade, discolor.

剣- sword

剤- medicine, preparation

剛- strong, hard, rigid

帰- return

剰- surplus, besides

副- accompany, vice-, deputy, assistant

割- divide, separate, split, break, crack/split apart, ten percent, rate, comparatively

創- create, originate, make; wound, injury

剽- threaten

劇- drama, play; intense

力- power, force, strength

加- add, apply; California, Canada

功- merit, meritorious deed; success; credit

幼- very young, infant, small child

助- help; (as suffix) assistant, auxiliary; rescue; broad, dame.

励- encouragement; diligence

努- make effort; exert one's self; strive

劾- investigate, prosecute

効- be effective

勅- imperial decree

勁- strong

勇- brave, courageous, in high spirits, stirring

脅- threaten

動- to move; be perturbed

勘- perception, intuition, sixth sense; think over, censure

勤- work; Buddhist religious services; work for, be employed, serve; be fit/competent for

勧- recommend, advise, encourage; offer

勢- force, energy, vigor

又- again, also, moreover

叉- crotch (of a tree); fork (in a road)

双- pair, both

収- obtain, collect; be obtained, end

友- friend

皮- skin, hide, leather, pelt, bark, rind

叔- younger sibling of a parent

受- receive, catch (a ball), undergo (an operation); take (an exam), sustain (injury); be well received, be a hit; receptacle, support, prop; take (an exam); popularity

歿- die

叙- narrate; describe; confer (a rank)

桑- mulberry tree

叡- wise; imperial

冗- uselessness

写- be photographed, be projected (on screen); copy, transcribe, duplicate, photograph

軍- military, army

冠- crown

彙- classify and compile

亡- dead, die, pass away; the late, deceased; to destroy, bring to ruin

Kanji count this quarter: 100

Overall Kanji count: 440

A note on "School Life" entries.

 I don't know if I explained this properly in the independent study contract, but I will here: School life entries serve the main purpose of describing classes in terms of earning credit hours, for language-learning especially. These entries, however, can be related to cultural credit hours as well, as long as their contents have relevant cultural observations. If this is too vague, I will go back and properly mark the "School Life" entries as also being "Culture Studies". Maybe I will just do that either way. But the main purpose of the entries is to describe the contents of classes in order to prove I am attending them. If there are any concerns or things that need to be addressed please let me know via e-mail.

SCHOOL LIFE: Comparative Culture, Intercultural Communication II, Interchanging Societies

 In Comparative Culture, a class that examines cultural differences mainly in terms of behavior, the class mainly focused on the behavior of people riding in trains. There was a worksheet handed out that I was unfortunately unable to wrap my head around due to the language barrier and an odd feeling of fatigue in the morning.  The gist of the worksheet was to describe a likely scenario on a crowded train and how one responds to a train that is fully crowded to the point where people nearly overflow from the doors when it stops at a station. The main talking point of the lecture was groping on trains; this is a common occurrence in Japan due to the crowdedness of trains and the general unwillingness of victims to protest when they are being fondled. Japanese culture is often known for virtues of withstanding situations and being patient rather than asserting one's individual rights, and this paired with a situation of being in a completely filled train where calling for help would potentially become a great ordeal (though by moral standards it should not be a greater ordeal than the violation of one's body and space) facilitates a feeling of helplessness for victims of groping and molestation on crowded trains. The professor asked students if they thought groping on trains was more common in Japan than another train-heavy country, the United Kingdom. Students near-unanimously voted that Japan has the most cases, and apparently they were right. The professor explained the cultural differences in that women in the West are more likely to raise their voice or scream if someone touches them inappropriately. While I was aware of these cultural differences I had never given a depth of thought to groping on trains and how its frequency in Japan is culturally related. By looking at what was discussed about trains in Japan, this class brings about a clear cultural perspective, which deepens its relevance for the culture element of my study contract.

 The next class was Intercultural Communication. Taught all in English, as I said before, the class explored the effects of culture shock. The class, while in English, focuses more on activities rather than dialogue. Students first explained their experiences of culture shock; many of the students in the class are Chinese, so it was easy for them to describe what was culturally shocking to them upon coming to Japan. One of the most recent exchange students from a university in China which operates an exchange in the same way that Evergreen and the University of  Hyogo does had an interesting perspective; she said she finds it difficult to discern romantic couples in Japan, because many boys/girls and men/women don't hold hands or engage in other displays of affection in public. She said in China couples are always holding hands; I found this a bit odd, as I had not noticed too much more physical contact when I had studied in China before. I believe there are very similar ideas about physical displays between Japanese and Chinese culture, but who was I to argue with a genuine observation from a Chinese student? In Japan, physical displays are of course more common than they used to be, but there are couples that do not display affection often if at all in public. This was the only really relevant cultural lesson of the class; other culture shock experiences were differences in table manners and speaking dialects, yielding the typical culture-studies response that cultural differences are never right or wrong, etc. The class moved into an activity where students walked other students around the room while one of the partners had their eyes close, to simulate how it feels to be in a new environment and to guide people who are in a new environment. The main lesson was that cultural differences in language and customs can make one feel intellectually inferior and cause one to lose confidence. When the stress from these situations accumulates it can be debilitating to people in a new culture. I offered my thoughts on this kind of culture shock; in many cases when I have been in Japan, if things are not going well, particularly in terms of interpersonal relationships, I not only lose confidence in myself and feel alienated from Japanese culture, but also feel the distress permeate throughout all aspects of being in Japan. I become resentful of cultural traits and customs that I once accepted and even admired. This might be a response unique to certain individuals, but it differs strongly from the kind of culture shock in, for example, seeing yet to be potty-trained toddlers defecate on the street. This might make one feel strange but it does not necessarily create true shock of being out of one's element; true culture shock, in my opinion, is an overall complete disconnection or resentment of the culture itself. In my cases though, I have always found that overcoming these stresses of living in another culture leads to a deeper love for the culture and a great personal growth.

 Third period was the course by Ueno-sensei, "Interchanging Societies" (I still can't think of a better translation for the title of this course, so I guess that it will stay). Mainly the professor discussed differences in geography and forest density between the United States and Japan. The class was a difficult one to sit through; due to the professor's disuse of a microphone, his voice, while audible, was soft and lulling, and a quick glance at other students in the class shows many students with their heads down. This is something I never really see at Evergreen; the way many Japanese professors lecture is a traditional lecture, and Ueno-sensei is a traditional teacher (no hats on in class). These lectures do not always actively engage the students, and even when they do, many students stay silent unless addressed directly. Students were advised to write down their impressions of the course, and I advised Ueno-sensei to use a microphone. On Thursday (writing Tuesday's post on Friday, today), he started using a microphone and many more students seemed to pay attention.

 That wraps up Tuesday's classes. I joined the Folk Song Club later that evening for a dinner with only the first year students, and in spite of no alcohol consumption, the noise level and horseplay was effusively there. Sometime: a cultural entry on how Japanese college students behave at meals. And remember, cultural differences are not good or bad, just different.

 

SCHOOL LIFE: Thursday- Japanese Language and Culture, Civic Law, "Interchanging Societies", Seminar

 Today was the fullest day of class that I have had at the University of Hyogo thus far; it almost made me feel like a real student here. Due to a scheduling problem, however, one of these classes will be cut out from Thursdays. This will put the amount of classes at about nine per week, with no classes Wednesdays (as last semester) and none on Fridays. While this makes the week seem somewhat short, it actually numbers as more classes than I took last semester.

 The first class of the day was the same as last semester- Japanese Language and Culture- only this time it had a different instructor. Before was Matsuda-sensei (I think this is the first time I've used names in a blog entry, because of the Human Subjects Review but I don't think names really violate not having fulfilled that), who mainly teaches Japanese to foreign students. She still teaches Monday's class "Technical Japanese" but for this class a younger female teacher is fulfilling her role. With an almost saccharine-sweet demeanor, she brought an entirely different attitude to teaching, similar to what a kindergarten teacher might do in the United States, but this is nothing out of the ordinary in Japan. Culturally, cuteness is acceptable at any age in any setting (including signs that warn about sexual predators [will post a picture at some point]) and my all-Chinese classmates seemed thrilled with her renditions of monkeys playing the piano and scuba-diving to show what her hobbies are. In spite of my cynicism she is a breath of fresh air, and her attitude shows a feminine side of Japanese culture that would likely be ostracized by American feminists who are clueless about cultural differences in gender. The class amounted to self-introductions and an open attitude to how the class would be taught in the future (in particular, abandoning essay-writing for conversational practice).

 The next class is the one that may be dropped from the schedule, but I am moderately intrigued in the possibility of challenging myself by taking it. Civic Law, as I believe it to be called, is a twice a week course (the other day the class is on conflicts with the other law class I mentioned, one that's probably much easier to understand and handle) with a stern professor who called out two talkative students and ridiculed them in front of the class (both male students, one fitting a Japanese stereotype known as "Gal-Otoko" [ギャル男、Gal-man] placed on men with bleached-blonde hair and flamboyant dressing styles, which could be misconstrued as a style for Japanese homosexuals [though many of them undoubtedly are] but usually embodies a shallow, hedonistic facet of modern Japanese culture; perhaps a post on these stereotypes is in order?). While the lecture left no room for playing around, it definitely invoked a sense of confidence that what the professor was teaching IS the real deal, and for anyone interested in pursuing law a necessary course, as the professor explained that anyone with only economics credentials on their college transcripts would be dismissed by any potential employers. Being that the University of Hyogo is an economics and business school, this seemed to me a powerful statement. The professor repeatedly expressed the seriousness of the course, and with the huge amount of students that were in attendance, it seemed a bit more inspiring than the other law course which contained relatively fewer students. I'll mull it over in my head over the weekend on which path to take, but if I did partake in this course it would put the number of classes to 10 per week and require a higher degree of self-determination.

 Third period was filled with a class that also takes place twice a week, taught by the exchange faculty who was at Evergreen a year ago, Ueno-sensei. The class revolves around his time in America and how American society contrasts with Japan. While it looks to be a glorified travel-log (much like my entire exchange itself), Ueno-sensei engages me frequently in class, drawing the eyes of other students and effectively feeding my ego. In terms of a cultural experience, it should be a sufficient-enough look at American and Japanese society. In terms of its language-learning value, there are many segments in English, making it a bit difficult to claim it as a language experience. Nonetheless, it's a normal class for Japanese students, so it will provide adequate practice for speaking and reading Japanese.

 The final class of the day was seminar, as it was last semester. Students presented written reviews of books they had read according to research topics. The point was for students to practice writing so they can some day produce a thesis for graduation or post-grad education. I am expected to do this assignment, which means reading a book in English or in Japanese. When I complete this (I can say that with some degree of confidence) I will post it here and explain it in detail.

 Thursdays look to be a tiring day this semester, but considering it's my last here, I had better make it worth something. Once the schedule is finalized I will have it posted here in the next week.