Ainu or Utari?

'Ainu' is a world used to describe the Indigenous people of Japan. Ainu people are an ethnic minority within Japan.

In history class I was taught that 'Ainu' is a derogatory word. I was taught that the world 'Utari' is more respectful to use then the word 'Ainu'.

However, after discussing the words 'Ainu' and 'Utari' on the internet, I felt puzzled.

A Video Blogger had informed me that 'Ainu' is not a derogatory word. The Video Blogger said that 'Ainu' simply means human.

So, what should I say?

Which word can I use that will not disrespect a Japanese person who is Indigenous?

Grandma's Garden

My Grandma lives nearby her son. Grandma lives alone, in her own house.

She lives in a cottage. The cottage is in a quaint costal town that is nearby the sea. And, the costal town is nearby farmland.

 

Around Grandma's cottage is a beautiful garden with many flowers. She planted the garden mostly by herself. There are strawberries and limes in the garden.

 

Grandma has survived 'WWII' and 'the Great Depression'. 

Grandma isn't wasteful; She will clean her used baking paper so that she can reuse it.

 

I often think about how different the world would have been when Grandma was a small child.

Just imagine: all of those years ago, there was no television or electric ovens or mobile phones or computers for Grandma to use. Grandma used to use a big black bowl for cooking; it looked like a witch's cauldron. Societal ideas were different back then. When Grandma was a small child, the idea of Gay Marriage was not so popular. 'The Stolen Generation' occurred in Grandma's time. Also, Perhaps slavery still existed in the U.S.A. But, gradually, Grandma has come to think differently about the world around her.  Therefore, I wonder, how current ideas will change in my future.

 

What will it be like in fifty years time? What about a hundred years time?

Is there anything new that I will learn to accept?
Am I too rigid?
How much will the world change?

 

 

 

Uniforms in Japan

Rules regarding school uniforms. Some high schools in Japan have a kind of strict dress code.
This was the dress code at one of my high schools:

Your hair must be natural - no hair dying, straightening or curling.
You must not wear jewellery - including necklaces, piercings and friendship bands.
You must not get piercings or tattoos.
You must not roll up your skirt or shirt sleeves.
You must not wear a hat.
You must not wear make up.
You must not wear stockings.
You must make sure your tie is in the shape of a bow at all times.
You must pull your socks up high.
Your skirt must be no more than 7cms above your school skirt.
If your hair is longer then shoulder length then you must tie it up.
You must use a hair tie that is the same colour as your hair.
You must wear the summer and winter uniforms from the correct dates and not before or after.
You must have indoor shoes, outdoor shoes and gym shoes.

The high school dress code in Japan was very different from my high school in Australia. At my high school in Australia, students didn't have to wear a uniform. However, at my cousin's high school in Australia, the dress code at her high school was similar to my high schools in Japan.

Pros of Wearing a Uniform:

-A uniform looks neat and presentable.
-It's easy to decide what to wear in the mornings.
-A sense of pride (the uniform was used on mobile phone accessories).

Cons of Wearing a Uniform:

-It's not so comfortable. During the winter months, snow would fall onto my legs. Also, the outdoor shoes would cut into my heels, causing them to bleed (I have a theory that this is why many teenagers will bend their school shoes down and walk on top of them).
-Uniforms are expensive.
-Less Self Expression.

Japan - The Strange Country

Japan - The Strange Country (Japanese ver.) from Kenichi on Vimeo.

What do you think of this video?

I felt sad after I watched it :(

War and Propaganda

On September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks murdered many people in the USA.

Can we trust them? They might attack us! If they can't adapt to the Australian way of life, they must leave! Get rid of the Burqua! They will bomb Dawin!
As conservative politicians repeated these slogans, I began to feel a little afraid. Bomb practice alarms were set off frequently where I was working.
"Do they really want to attack Australia?" I worried. And then, I thought, "Whose 'they'? Why am I so afraid? I have met many people in my life who were Muslim and they were just ordinary people".

Even though, Australia was not attacked by Islamic Terrorists, some Islamic Sports Stars felt the need to explain that they were Muslim. They felt the need to explain that they were Muslim to challenge the prejudices that were forming.
Islam is one of the most popular religions in the world. The terrorists were a small minority of people.


From my experience of the September 11 Political Propaganda, I have learnt that Politicians can influence how we think about other people. Politicians can make people feel afraid of other people.

I lived in a city in Darwin with a large population of Chinese Descendants. The city was very safe. My friend's Mum would leave her car unlocked whilst we all went swimming. My parents would leave the door to the house unlocked when we weren't home. However, as more people came to Darwin, the crime rate went up. The influx of people were not Chinese people. Darwin became the city in Australia with the highest crime rate.

In Japan, two of my host families commented, "Be careful. There have been a lot of robberies lately. It must be because of the Chinese people that moved in recently."
I felt confused. When I lived in Darwin (when I was little) there were many Chinese people; however, it was a very safe place to live in.
But then, I heard some political propaganda in Japan.
Foreigners are raping Japanese women. China is polluting Japan. Chinese people don't like Japanese people.

From my experience, I have met people from China in Australia who love Japan and would like to go there one day. I have Facebook friends from Japan who love China and who have been to China. So, what I would like to say is that if you are afraid or feel negatively towards a group of people, please ask yourself: Why?

The Devil's Sign

 

This sign was banned from my primary school. I never did know why until one day B told me not to make that sign.

Does it have a meaning? I asked curiously, straightening my middle fingers.
"Yeah," he said. "It's the devil's sign in Arabic countries".
"Oh, so it's like a swearing sign?" I puzzled.
From his expression I got the impression that the devil's sign has a stronger connotation.
Oops.

In primary school, many people used that sign, not knowing that it might be offensive in other cultures. We had copied the sign off of rap videos.

An internet trending topic is that when Eminem used this sign over one eye, he was imitating an Illuminati symbol. Call me old, but I am a little confused as to how the Illuminati relates to selling one's soul to the devil and people who have Jewish faith (as rumoured). I ran a quick google search but yet I still don't understand. The internet talk concerns me, however.
It concerns me because I know that there is tension between Israel and Palestine somewhat regarding differences in faith, and that there are large numbers of people who don't believe that the Holocaust occurred. And, by a large number of people, I don't mean one or two conspiracy theorists in Australia or the USA or shell shocked elders in Japan or Germany. I wonder if there is or isn't any politics at play behind these Illuminati rumours.

Mental Illness in Japan Part 5: Stigma

I have met three exchange students who experienced depression whilst on exchange. They all lived in different areas of Japan and felt that there were some misunderstandings about mental illnesses and more limited treatment options. A fourth student (I heard about through word of mouth) had attempted suicide. Other students on my exchange program and the Japanese Coordinator mocked him, which I found to be disturbing. But, perhaps that experience was unusual?

During my research about eating disorders in Japan I did find a documentary, some posters and medical information about anorexia nevosa in Japanese. (Interestingly, if the fat to muscle ratio is not right, showing symptoms of anorexia nevosa, then sometimes exercise is prescribed by Japanese Doctors). I don't think that there is total ignorance about mental illness in Japan. After all, there has been a lot of talk about depression and suicide in Japan.

The Japanese Prime Minister also recently pushed for a plan to put mentally ill people first in order to try and end discrimination in the work recruitment process - which is ahead of most of the countries in the world in terms of trying to end mental illness discrimination in work recruitment and is a very progressive step.

Unfortunately, the Japanese Economy is in serious debt at the moment. I had a Japanese friend who wanted to become a Psychologist in Japan, but due to the economic situation - she thought it wouldn't be possible. If anyone has experienced mental illness in Japan then I would love to hear your views. How do you think the situation can be improved and what were the positives and negatives of your experience?

P.S. here's a website about mental illness in Japan.