Amazing, Deceptively Complex Japan

Today coming back from the city after spending a full weekend there enjoying the castle, time with friends, and the sometimes bizarre nightlife, I saw some things that reminded me of what I often forget during the weekdays in my tiny village.

These things I saw were details. Like the k-truck that had been fitted with neon lights (k-trucks are 3-cylinder trucks that are about 2/3 the size of small pickups in the USA). I also saw this oldman with wispy facial hair sitting by the road by the aqueduct who looked stoic and rugged while smoking his cigarette except that he had a perfectly groomed lap dog decorated with ribbons sitting inside his jacket. I said "konnichiwa" to him, he said "konnichiwa" back and then whispered to his dog, after I had passed him, something along the lines of "who don't you say 'konnichiwa' as well?" in a cute, loving voice. I turned around then, smiled, and nodded and he said "konnichiwa" yet again. If I had had a camera with me the man and his dog would have been the most memorable subjects I could ever capture here in Japan. Instead I have my memory and words.

And last night I was at a crazy little Japanese restaurant where my new friend Wada-san, a 35 year old dude who works in the gym I workout at, ordered a couple hundred dollars worth of the most wacked out seafood you could imagine. Fish guts, sea slug, whale, and plenty of octopus (which by now I have gotten absolutely used to eating). Oh yeah, and don't forget the lower intestines of horse. I unfortunately tried all of the above meats. I truly wish that I had known the whale was whale before eating it so I could've avoided eating it. (In case you're curious, it tastes like chicken.)

Why deceptive? Because the schools and mass media feed the people so much propaganda that seems to make everyone the same but there is actually a whole lot of different kinds of diversity here (and I am part of it). But the culture of homogenization here is incredibly powerful. It makes you and many Japanese people think that Japanese people really all are the same. When people start reinforcing the stereotypes you see on the tele then you start to think that the steretypes are representative of reality. They are not. But they sure have a way of making you think they aren't just stereotypes.

There are some things that seem pretty universal here. I have a first-hand view into the most powerful cultural mover in Japan--the education system. I can tell you that it at least seems to be true that kids are, from a very young age, taught to conform to strict rules and behaviors and to not challenge the system either by rebellion or by asking questions. So critical thinking is not promoted. Actually it is stunted very forcefully; though that doesn't mean that some people don't break the mold. They are very heroic people and they often seem to suffer for their digressions. I am very impressed with those few and I encourage it as much as I can, yet I still have a lot of respect for the ways things are done here. They do do wonders.