Becoming Cultured

Trip Start Sep 23, 2008
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Trip End Dec 21, 2008


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Flag of Japan  , Kanto,
Sunday, November 2, 2008

I'm learning so much about Japanese culture everyday! Sometimes I'll look in the mirror and be surprised that I haven't accquired any physical evidence of becoming Japanese (yet). The Culture aspect of my program is every other Saturday (so we've had two) but this week had an additional one and we got to experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. It wasn't really the real thing because they were teaching us what to do along the way, but we got a feel for it- especially in our legs because we had to sit on them for 20 minutes! It was very painful for the American students, but our Sensei could sit for 2 hours which is how long a typical ceremony lasts! Sweets were passed around, as was frothy green tea. It was fun to drink and with the last bubbly sip we got to make a loud slurp to let the person who made it know we drank every bit it was so tasty. It was quite bitter, even though they gave us the sweetened version. I hope to attend the ceremony at the end of term that is run by students that have been in the Sado (tea ceremony) class.
Early Saturday morning we met for lecture, which was titled, "Analysis of Japan yesterday, today, and tomorrow." The lecturer was Mr. Koji Yagino and he is fantastic. Yagino sensei is an older gentleman who came back to Japan and Tokyo after the air raids of WWII transformed the city. He saw Tokyo as a pile of rubble and therefore has a very different and unique perspective of the city and culture. His English is not perfect, and he admitted that he is embarrassed of this (as all Japanese are. It is next to impossible for them to pronounce letters like b,f, v and th without studying in America). He told us his passion is baseball and is a  little league coach in his hometown. He played baseball from the time he was 14- when he learned from American soliders stationed here after the war- up into college where he played left field for Waseda University. Yagino made a lot of silly comments about Japanese people and told us that McCain, translated to Japanese (makain) sounds most like makeru, which means to lose. hehe, fingers crossed. [I can't believe the election is just days away... I'm going to a very famous temple tomorrow and will pray. hard.]
After the lecture we took the subway to Central Tokyo and saw the National Diet (Legislative), Imperial Palace, and major Japanese buisiness office buildings, and finaly the so called "shoppers paradise," Ginza. There were hundreds of people everywhere we went because it was a beautiful weekday afternoon. It is also an important destination being the central hub of the entire city. Even saw Tokyo Tower which I'll be going to the top of in two weeks from today! The Prime Minister of Japan and his family resides in the Palace and the grounds inside the moat are only open two days out of the year; his birthday (Dec. 23- two days after I leave) and New Years. On both days people can come in and the family goes out on the balcony above the crowd and waves (like in Aladdin) every hour on the hour. I'm sure they take a break at lunch, waving could become exhausting. The area was gorgeous and Mr. Yagino told us the Imperial grounds has over 150 professional gardeners!! Also, the palace and moat is 400 years old and used to be called Edo Castle when the city was Edo.
We walked through Ginza and a huge street (chuo-dori) was closed off for shoppers and walkers; only on Saturday and Sunday! We saw a huge demonstraton here too: Hundreds of Japan Railway employees. I was shocked to see so many Japanese people using free speech.  Recently, seven JR employees were fired and teh company could not produce reasons why, so the union is pissed. I looked down the street and the procession spanned many many city blocks. I hope their message was heard. We also visited a famous department store that has everything you could possible imagine, including an entire basement floor of sweets, and another of really nice, traditional savory foods. They even had wheat bread!! It was an amazing sight and I became very hungry but held off for a home made dinner. From Ginza, I rode the subway to Shinjuku and then the train home to Nishi Kawaguchi. I was exhausted and am loving today (Sunday) because I have nowhere to be! I can relax, blog, study, sleep and do homework before I go to Nikko all day tomorrow!
The weather has finally become much colder. It is clear and sunny, but brrrr... I've had to bring my sweatshirts out of hiding. A few students in my class and in the English program are sick and struggling to keep up with homework and tests and I am thankful everyday that I am staying healthy and hope this continues as the air gets colder and the midterm gets closer.
Thursday night the whole family went out for sushi dinner at Reiko and koichi's favorite place~ supposedly the best in Kawaguchi. Eight of us in all all sat on cusions around a low table in a tatami room (very traditional setting). our waitress was wearing a lovely kimono- it was great! The sushi was heavenly and although it was hard to be actively apart of the conversation, I felt welcome and even apart of the family. (yay)
It made me miss my REAL family a little though...
Love, Meaghan
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