Monday, May 27th, 2019 9:43 AM
Foreword: While it is difficult to venture so far eastward, it is essential for one’s growth and to fully understand the varying degrees of culture. I used to believe I understood the world; the vast intricate networks of language, custom, and culture. But to have this predisposition is to be ignorant. I went to the beautiful country of Japan in the summer of 2019. Here are a few snippets of what I learned, felt and most importantly, ate. I will be differentiating this post by the songs I listened to on my journey.
“The Passenger” (Iggy Pop)
We rarely think about travel between destinations. At least that’s how they portray it in pop culture, television and film. One can tell a lot about a country by the outlay of their public transit and airports. Arriving in Tokyo’s Narita Airport on May 13th flung me into the culture almost immediately. The languages and accents you hear through the tunnels under the tarmac on your way to the train help adjust your cochlea to the new and unfamiliar sounds. My biggest love in this world is the efficiency of public transit, (when done properly). Tokyo gets this. Their public transit systems could make me cry tears of joy. While bustling, packed to the brim and rendering claustrophobia to some, I loved this. Each train, subway, and bus, on time and precisely where I need to go. I will never get over this. Thank you Tokyo, you can keep the money I dropped on your rails.
“Born at the right time” (Paul Simon)
We spent roughly a week and a half in Tokyo, specifically the village or Shibuya/Harajuku. In between two local trains, we spent days in and out of the University of Tokyo and two days at Azabu University. The education system here is accessible, world-renowned and centered around the betterment of the individual. Costs are feasible and everyone feels as though the can access the finest knowledge Japan has to offer. Subsequently, what I learned is that, similar to the states, Japan values its single-sex education. I attended an all female high school and I love the sisterhood and individuality that these institutions establish. However, as empowering as Japan is to its budding young female students, I can’t help but question whether or not that the society subjugates equity and equality across all boards. You hear the horror stories all over the world of harassment and cat-calling. America is no better or worse but I wonder if this kind of treatment is open to criticism by the Japanese female cohorts here. Which makes me grateful for the society I live in where I know that I can reprimand any kind of said behavior. Being a woman, you cannot help but think about such things!
“Ohio” (Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young)
Between Itai-Itai, Minamata disease, and probably other historic man-versus-corporate-greed stories, I’d like to believe that when provoked, Japan has a fire in its belly. The emotions I felt in between transit from Toyama to Fukuoka kept my heart beating a little faster. Some of the worst acts in human history have dealt with the pollution and mass murder of humans and their homes. I can’t help but find common ground here. We’re still in that war and I feel as though we’ll be in this war until we die. The distinction between the people who worked at and for Fukushima and those at the mines in Toyama and Minamata is that they took ownership of their screw-up. In Minamata, the man won at the cost of thousands of lives and promising futures. Japan recognizes this history and at each museum, we visited the message stayed clear; let us not repeat this fatal mistake.