Postmodern Youth in Japan

I hope you enjoy these pictures. I think they speak for themselves. I saw this couple in Ikebukuro. They seem to capture at least a stereotypical glimpse of what being "postmodern" in Japan is all about. The "PM" word is a label, by the way, that gets applied indiscriminately sometimes (like I'm doing here). I started reading a book once about postmodernism in Japan. The authors suggested that Japan was never "modern" but skipped directly to "postmodern." Furthermore, they said, postmodernism may be a natural fit for Japanese people, because the culture is already geared that way.

I don't know. It sounds interesting. The book was translated. I think the translator/editor tried to reach the pinnacle of academic language with the result that it was almost impossible for me to comprehend, so I never got past the first chapter.

I'm writing this post from a cybercafe in Singapore. We've spent the last week here and in Indonesia attending a conference and enjoying a quick vacation. As of yesterday, I had eaten so much spicy noodles that my internal system went kaput. I tried for a quick fix by eating a huge bowl of bran at the hotel yesterday and again this morning. All I can say is it's working. I'm sure you don't want to know all this, but hey, you've got to eat when you're in Singapore! Tomorrow we're going to Little India and Chinatown, so more bran for breakfast in the morning.

Being in Singapore certainly puts Japan in another perspective. I must say it's really nice here when you're not drenched in sweat. It's seems like everything is so new -- even the people. Singapore is constantly under construction. In fact, our Singaporan friend says that few historical buildings remain, and that the entire city is constantly being recreated. The thing I notice is that the city is build for people to get out there and live in it -- eating, mixing, walking, etc. My wife and I went out on a "date" today and ate alongside the river.

Ok, my time on this computer is almost up! More on Singapore when we get back to Tokyo...

Youth in the Flow of Culture Change in Japan

Some time ago I was watching NHK and they had a special about a guy who sits on a stool in Shibuya and listens to people. He has a crate in front of him, on it's side, with a sign on the side that says, "I will listen to your story." He had orange hair. His name was Kazuhiro. And he was good at listening. One time he waited an hour in silence for a twenty year old girl to speak. Finally, she opened up and said, "It feels like I'm losing perspective and getting lost in the flow." I thought she must speak for many people here then.

Young people in Japan face all kinds of pressures. Some enter college, but most (I think) enter the working world straight out of high school. Then the pressures increase. But where do they learn who they are and how to make their way in life? From their parents?

For most, I think, life is an extended effort to learn these lessons, fit in and do well (full of contradictions). On top of this, I learned somewhere that the current young generation in Japan (in their 30's now) was the first to experience a generation gap with their parents. Some see this as an opportunity for the culture to change, while others see further breakdown in the rules and standards that hold Japanese culture together. Will Japan become a country of individuals finding themselves and then learning to move out in life on their own? Is that what needs to happen?

In one picture above, you see a mom and daughter out for the day together in Tokyo, walking side by side but worlds apart. In the other, a focused young woman pushes toward some point in the future. I'll let the pictures finish speaking for themselves.

As for me, I'm leaving for Singapore TODAY for the next 10 days. All five of us are going (myself, my wife and three kids). I'll still manage to post a couple of times (some nice pictures, too). I'll have to create a Singapore gallery when I get back, because I'm going to have a lot of fun with my camera over there.

Making Udon and Friends

A couple of months ago I signed up for an udon making class through one of the community centers near here. Yesterday, the day arrived. I admit that I wasn't exactly looking forward to it. My Japanese is just reaching the point where I can communicate, but I knew this class would be a challenge. Well, I'm glad I went. Not only did I have a great time making my own udon noodles, but it was a chance to connect with Japanese people and maybe even make some friends.

The pictures above show: 1) the udon we ate together as a class, 2) the udon we ate at home last night using my noodles. For more pictures and a running commentary see my udon making pictures gallery.

Most of the people who signed up for the class were retired Japanese men, but there were also a few younger guys closer to my age. I managed to meet one of them and exchange information. He's also a dad with a one year old, like me, and he lives within walking distance. So one of these weekends soon we're going to take the kids and hang out together.

I'm heading to Singapore in a couple of days. I'll be there with my family for ten days. I was able to shoot a bunch of good photos this past week, so I'd like to post several before we leave. I'll also try to post a couple of times while we're on this trip.

Salarymen and Homeless Shogi Players in Ikebukuro

I was in Ikebukuro yesterday and saw a group of men gathered in the open square below Tobu Department Store. As I got closer, it seemed to be a group of homeless men playing chess. They were sitting on plastic stools with a box or crate holding the game for each pair. I've seen groups of men playing chess in Central Park, and it was a similar (though smaller) scene. I could see folded cardboard shelters and other signs of homelessness. But it wasn't that simple. First, they were playing Shogi, a.k.a. Japanese chess. Second, some of the men appeared to be salarymen, clean cut and wearing nice suits, while others were obviously a mix of homeless men and (possibly) retirees. Like the chess players in Central Park, they all knew what they were doing, and there was plenty of attitude to go around. The man in the top two pictures periodically cracked a huge smile, all gums and gasping for air. The player on the left in the two bottom pictures would wait a few seconds after moving and then start yelling: "Faster, faster! What are you doing?! Move it!" The large faced man at his shoulder tracked every move with a fixed gaze and leaned in as the intensity grew. They made an amusing pair. Clearly, playing street shogi with that crowd is not for the faint of heart or mind. Someday I want to go back and talk to a few of these guys and get their stories. Maybe even sit down and play a game of shogi with them, if I can figure it out.

Furita Futures for Japanese Youth

Here are two pictures that display different outlooks on life, but you can never go by appearances alone.

Yesterday there was a special on NHK about "Furita." The word comes from "Free Arubaita" and refers to a special class of part time workers. Furita work part time without attachment to any particular company. Thus they freely move in and out of jobs as need arises.

I personally get upset thinking about salary jobs in Japanese companies. I'm used to the idea of eight hour work days, regular vacations, overtime as the exception, and just having a life outside of work. But here I see Japanese kids growing up without having their fathers around, and that bothers me.

The TV program was asking why there are so many Furita (about 250,000 now in Japan). My instant analysis was: young people don't want the kind of life that you get in a company job. Maybe that's partly true, but I think I don't get it yet. Today I met with my friend who is a self-described Furita. He's about my age, intelligent and capable. I've always thought he's satisfied with his situation in life, but I was wrong. He would love to work full time in a Japanese company if he could find the right position, but it's not so simple. Japanese companies hire most new workers straight out of school (high school, college, trade school, etc). Then the companies form this raw material into trained employees who are expected to give their loyalty and service in return. Once that initial hiring window passes for you, it becomes much harder to get in to a good company job. There are exceptions for some skilled workers who are highly in demand, but many who don't get hired right away (or who get laid off, quit their jobs, etc) end up on the outside looking in.

From my friend's standpoint, it's a hard life. Adding insult to injury, being a Furita means he doesn't have "chii" when he goes to work. "Chii" roughly translates as status or personal standing. A person without "chii" has no rank or status. They are beneath everyone else, like a tool, as another friend explained. You appreciate chii when you've got it, but even more when you don't.

By the way, Japanese companies are hiring fewer people. That means many graduates who actually want jobs aren't getting them. But companies are turning around and hiring them as Furita instead. Furita get less pay for the same work, no benefits, and they're easy to hire and fire at will.

Kids, Ideals and Yochien in Japan

Comme Ca Du Mode stores always have mannequin kids lined up like plastic infantry. It's kind of disturbing, though not as bad a the crying baby posters at Gap stores. What's up with that? My daughter is about to start Yochien (Japanese preschool), so the school gave my wife a list of items she'll need -- complete with precise dimensions and colors for everything. Each item starts out the same, but then the mothers personalize them. Otherwise the kids won't be able to tell their little baskets and bags apart. The Yochien showed some examples of what past moms have done: like painstakingly sewing fabric lining on a wicker basket (inside and/or out). The real glory for the moms -- er, the kids -- is the smock. Kids smocks can be decorated with anything from a couple iron-ons to a full color universe of Disney characters. Some of these moms have a lot of time on their hands.

The two kids in the second picture are my daughter and her friend, Tomo-kun. Tomo-kun is also starting Yochien soon. We met Tomo-kun's family when we lived in Yokohama, and they recently piled into a van to come visit us!

Lottery Players and Power Shopping Babas

I just spent all day working on my taxes, so I'm not in the mood to post certain favorite photos that I took this week. This Wednesday I actually had a great time meeting my friend in Shinjuku and walking around with my camera. I'll post more of those pictures later. I really liked this picture of a woman buying lottery tickets, especially the lighting; although I find the content somewhat sad overall. The second picture, which I'll call "Babas," features older women out power shopping. This generation grew up in austerity as Japan rebuilt itself after World War II. Now many of them are making a name for themselves by getting out of the house and spending with vigor on food, stuff and travel. They can be somewhat of a terror to their husbands, many of whom have not retired yet to enjoy the fruits of their own sacrifices. Anyway, this group seems to fit the mold.

Recently, speaking of power shopping, I upgraded to a Canon 300D with a couple of lenses. I was able to buy it used from a photographer here in Japan, and I've been pretty excited to get out and use it.