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.

Mental Illness in Japan Part 4: Sick Classmates

Warning: Triggering

She rolled up her sleeves and showed me the slashes there. Not just a couple of slashes either, but red slashes, cut over and over each other. I froze for a fraction of a section to collect myself. I felt shocked. A classmate who I loved and cared about was in pain.
I can't go into more detail because I don't want to expose this lovely girl's identity. 


Another classmate in Japan would frequently break down into tears. Her Grandma had died and due to the difficult economic situation  her best friend had to move to Hokkaido. She often looked tired. She would play with her food and plough through it wearily. She was in this state for a couple of months. Now, that I look back, I think she may have been depressed.

Yet another classmate had anorexia nevosa and anorexia. Her cheeks had concaved and the skin hung from her arms and legs in folds. She could not jump. Her classmates would loudly proclaim about how delicious their food was - a passive way of trying to encourage her to eat. But, I didn't see anyone actively go up to her and encourage her to eat. Her condition was the saddest I'd ever seen both on and offline - because her physical condition was the sickest I'd ever seen (and I have been inside an intensive care ward) and because she was such a beautiful, kind person on the inside.

There were no Qualified Counsellors available at the two highschools I went to on long term exchange.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Mental Illness in Japan Part 3: Suicide

Warning: This may be a trigger!

The cherry blossom is not only a pretty flower but it is also a symbolic flower within Japanese history. For those who aren't aware, cherry blossom trees only flower for a short period of time each year. But, when they do blossom the look is awesomely beautiful. The cherry blossom trees tend to blossom at once and are covered in cherry blossoms like a stick covered in fairy floss (candy cane). The cherry blossoms then fall to the ground with gusts of wind...like samurais.

Why are they like samurais?
●The Samurai lifespan also didn't tend to be very long. Many died in battle or committed suicide if they lost the battle (harakiri/seppaku). There were mass numbers of samurais dying just as mass numbers of cherry blossoms fall after they bloom.
●When the Samurais committed Harakiri they would slit open their bellies, exposing the contents inside.  It was partly a way of showing, hey look, I'm a human being ~ on the inside I'm the same.
*That was a very vague description and thus could be misleading. There could be a lot more discussion about this topic.*

Not cherry blossoms but similar looking. 

But, what I learnt from Japanese history is that within Samurai history, suicide was not stigmatized as much as within UK Christian history. In fact, suicide may instead be seen as a kind of remorse, honour or redemption by some in Japan. But, within UK history, suicide was often  seen as a form of murder by a number of Christian followers. Having been influenced by Christian morals, I find it challenging to accept suicide as a positive thing.

I don't think that within modern Japan, suicide is seen as such a positive thing. But, I think that little aspects of history have some influence till this day. Two or three times my train was late in Japan because someone had committed suicide on the tracks and they needed to be cleaned off.  I was told that the train stations charge the family with the clean up job in order to try and deter Salary men from jumping.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Mental Illness and Stigma in Japan Part 2

THIS  study (which was published on the website of the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine) predicts that 46.4% of people will experience mental illness in their lifetime in the USA.
I think these findings have serious implications for Japan, given that the suicide rate in Japan for every 100, 000 people is higher then the suicide rate in the USA, according to the WHO website. If almost 50% of USA citizens will experience a mental illness, then how many people in Japan will experience one?
This is something that I wonder about.
I think there are also some serious implications for the rest of the world, keeping in mind that there are many countries which have a much higher suicide rate then in Japan.

My first exposure to Mental Illness and suicide in Japan happened at a highschool in Ibaraki  on a short term exchange (yes, technically, I have been to three Japanese highschools in total). When I was shown around at the highschool in Ibaraki, the Vice Principal pointed to train tracks outside of the school grounds and said very seriously, "There is a popular suicide spot!"
I felt sad but impressed that the Vice Principal was so open about a very serious issue like suicide. I thought that this showed some respect and awareness about the issue.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Through One Ear and Out the Other

"It went through one ear and the other," I said flippantly.
My Chinese Language Partner stared at me with surprise. "What does that mean?" He wondered.
"Oh." I wondered if this was a new expression or phrase for him. "If someone isn't listening properly or paying attention, then what you said to them has gone through one ear and out the other...I guess because their mind isn't present and so there's an empty space in between their ears..."
My language partner nodded enthusiastically. "It's the same as in China."
"Ehh, really?!" What a surprise!
The word 'walk' doesn't exist in all languages, but a strange expression like 'Through one ear and out the other' does. What a funny world we live in...

Later, when I went on a date with my potential boyfriend, we discussed it over two steaming cups of delicious butterscotch hot chocolate, and he said that the same expression exists in Arabic too. He is a citizen of a country in Africa and the Middle East called Libya.

It amazes me that an expression like this can exist in three different languages and in three different areas of the world.

Gender Roles vs Individualism: Japanese Husbands

 

"The husband will feel ashamed if his wife has to work; people will look down upon him."

 

This isn't the exact wording, but the general gist of a conversation I had with a Japanese husband and wife (some of my host parents). I was curious as to why all of my female host parents had written on my forms that they were house wives; whilst, all (except one) of them had some other kind of job also. For example, they had jobs as Dance Instructors or as Office Reception Staff.

 

"Do you help with the house chores?" I asked  the husband, curiously.

"Oh no," his wife interrupted, happily, folding the washing. "In Japan, that is the wife's duty."

 

The next morning the husband was complaining about how his wife leaves him to do all of the housework. "Shougenai ne". He then proceeded to prepare breakfast, hang out the washing and do the dishes.

 

Some things are the same no matter where you live in the world!

Australia; Japan: Asian or Western Countries?

In Australia students are taught in school that Japan is an Asian country. But, I have seen newspaper articles in Japan debating whether Japan is an Asian or Western country. I've seen similar articles debating whether Australia is an Asian or Western country in Japan.

This year, the Opposition Leader of an Australian political party came up with a plan to make Australia the food bowl of Asia if he is elected. There has been some academic talk about whether Australia is an Asian or Western country. I think if you asked most Australian people, they would say that Australia is a Western country. But, the first time I heard of the debates about whether Australia is an Asian or Western country, I was a little confused because I had an image of an older Western USA, with cowboys in mind when I thought of the word "western". There are not many cowboys in Australia.

Yesterday, I was hanging out with a friend who has heritage ties with Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey. He asked me if I'd ever eaten Asian food before.
"I just told you that I'd lived in Japan," I laughed.
He thought seriously for a moment. "I thought that Japan was a Western country," he said.
My Chinese Tutor is also under the impression that Japan is more of a Western country than an Asian country.

Is Australia or Japan an Asian or Western country ~ what do you think?

War Australia and Japan

War isn't something that I am particularly fond of because I feel that there is great sadness in war.
So, when a work colleague invited me to a World War II tour I was a little reluctant to go. However, this was an important project for her as she was writing an article for a Japanese newspaper and so I wanted to support her. I also wanted to know how to be supportive for those who survived the war and later developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

An Australian soldier who survived 'the Bombing of Darwin' came with the tour group as well as a Japanese civilian who had survived the air raids in Japan as a child. It was interesting listening to their stories and to see no resentment or animosity between the two fellows. Our host was enthusiastic about piecing together an honest account of what had happened during World War II from the perspectives of Australian and Japanese people of that time. I found the tour forgiving, warm and honest. I recommend it!

 

I've also been to the Hiroshima Museum and the Hiroshima Peace Park before. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a digital picture of that for the moment. But, I was impressed about how the plight of other countries was acknowledged in the museum and I felt moved by the stories of hardship that many people had to endure as the result of the atomic bomb, particularly the stories of wounded children. :(

 

In War movies there is often a "good guy" and "the enemy". This is not the impression that I got from my World War II tours. Of course, I was not alive during World War II, so my views may be a little ignorant or naïve. I found that all of the people I met and learnt about seemed to be warm hearted, kind and forgiving human beings.

Jewellry

Whenever my friend's Mum comes back from Indian, she brings back beautiful trinkets of jewellery with her. My friend and I would fawn over the treasures like pirates. I find it so interesting to hear the stories of how each piece had been introduced to India.

The history of jewellery in India goes back thousands of years and different societies' and cultures have made their mark on each jewellery type in their own unique ways - from the Persian (Mughal) inspired jewellery to Indian Aboriginal inspired jewellery. Some types of jewellery are made of gold and sparkling stones whereas others are made of organic materials, such as dried seeds (which have a spiritual significance).

I feel amazed, sitting back and listening to stories of remote family clans who aren't in contact with the digital world, and of villages made up entirely of men or women. One day I would like to visit India and see the bridges that are made of tree roots. But, realistically, I think that it probably won't be as mysterious as what I envision in my imagination...that is, if I ever do get to fulfil my dream of travelling to India. The unknown can sound fantastical and magical from afar. But, after living in another country for a while, the mysterious starts to seem ordinary.

The Love Umbrella

Do you have a crush on someone?
There are some teenagers in Japan who will draw an umbrella when they have a crush on somebody.
At the bottom of the umbrella, on one side, they will write their name and on the other - their crushes name. I don't know whether it is common to do this or not in other places around the world, but I've never seen anyone do this before in Australia. Instead, a heart is often draw. Inside the heart some teenagers in Australia will write their crushes initials and their initials. So, it's a pretty similar action even though an umbrella isn't drawn.

But, be careful with your love umbrella. Once I read a manga in which an evil umbrella went about murdering everyone. It was so unexpected!

Japanese and Mandarin, English and German

留学生	留学生
可爱	可愛い
大学	大学
年	年
一、二、三、四、五、六、七、八、九、十	一、二、三、四、五、六、七、八、九、十
家	家
介绍	紹介
医院	病院

Knowing how to write in Japanese definitely helps with learning how to write in Mandarin (a Chinese [Sinitic]  language). I think you can understand why if you look at the table above.
How these words are spoken; however, is totally different from the way they are written. The spoken words are not that similar at all.

The table below is of English and German. These words look more different compared to the Japanese and Mandarin words, but sound much more similar. It's kind of ironic!

Learn	lernen
School	Schule
Friend	freund
music	musik
wonderful	Wunderbar
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday	Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch, Donnerstag, Freitag
Blue	Blau

Love Fast Food

 

Control your portions sizes! Fat free ice-cream! Guilt Free Juice!

 

One of the things that I liked about living in Japan was the number of people who weren't ashamed to express their love for food. One of my classmates said that each weekend she would go out with her Uncle to eat different Ramen. She was a hobby Ramen eater. She proudly told me that she could eat the largest Ramen size. A teenager at my other highschool finished off more than fifteen plates of sushi and a vegan host family that I lived with would eat cake every second day. The big, piled up plates and cheerful mood would remind me a little of Dragonball Z (a cartoon in which the Super Sayan characters eat a LOT of food).

 

One of my Host Father's said that food has been a traditional form of entertainment in Japan before the introduction of TVs and computers. Some people will spend a couple of hours just to prepare a single meal. Yet, these generous servings of food didn't seem to cause massive weight problems. I think it's because even to get to work or to walk to school often requires a lot of exercise. You're constantly climbing up stairs.



 

 

 

 

 

 

How Does Your Environment Make You Feel?

Here are some pictures that I have taken on my mobile phone in Australia.

Aren't they beautiful?

When I'm surrounded in environments like these I feel at ease, vibrant and beautiful.

I want to eat lovely foods, walk around, run around, laugh, sing, ride my bike at high speed and enjoy the gloriousness of life. Fortunately, nature's beauty exists all over the world.

How often do you deliberately stop, take a breath and smell the flowers?

How does your environment make you feel?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glowing Water

I was feeling tired tonight, so I bought some dinner at the cafeteria and some glowing water.

There's a small button at the bottom of the plastic container with three modes of glow. There's glow, fast flash-glow and slow flash-glow.