Changing Impressions on Japan

hmm…I feel my impression on Japan didn’t “change”, instead I got new impressions on Japan.  There are two things that I newly discovered as I get to spend more days in Japan.  First, the pop culture in Japan is not anime nor purikura; it’s “Hanami”.  Second, I also feel Japanese are more attach to the sound as some of my friends and I noticed.

 

Hanami?  What’s that?  I’ll have to tell you it’s the most popular thing to do during the Spring time.  It’s the Cherry Blossom viewing!

(Above, the light-up sakura in Nijou Castle in Kyoto)

Back in the US, there were Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C. every year.  I have been to the Cherry Blossom viewing in D.C. before (I have even been a part of parade before, twice), but I’ve never seen the flowers blooming at the right time. >”<  They were always wilted when I got there and that’s why I didn’t know they were actually this awesome and pretty when they are fully blossom!

So what do Japanese people do when it’s the season of Cherry?

Politics in Japan

When talking about the politics in Japan, it always reminded me of the political organization formed around neighbors.  ”自治会(じちかい)”, I think this is what they call this kind of organization in Japan; it’s literally “self-governing association” in Japanese.

Above is an image of a bulletin board of Shimokami’s Neighborhood Association.

These organizations, according to Wikipedia, are usually voluntarily formed by neighborhood residences.  They gather to discuss and take care the things around the neighbor and to promote a “harmonized” neighbor.  By saying “harmonized”, you will have to recognize how the society of Japan is form; Japan is more of a collectivism country than individualism.  Which means, Japanese people emphasis the values or beliefs as a group rather than individually.  Things out of the normal norm will be tag as uncooperative very easily (see below for reason why I believe this deep in my heart~XD).  

Above is a warning sign warning littering people from the Neighborhood Association.

Sports in Japan

【熱血】 (ねっけつ)

I am not a big fan of sports.  But even a person like me is touched by their devoted passion for the sport; this is how I felt after watching the film “Koukouyakyu”.

(Photo grabbed from 綠野上的捕風手.)

When speaking about High School Baseball in Japan, you will have to mention the name “Koushien”.  It’s not a name of a person but it’s a name of a stadium.  Koushien is the stadium where all the high school baseball players dreamed to be; it’s called “Hanshin Koushien Stadium” in full.  Every year, the stadium host two main tournaments.  One in spring called the “National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament” and the other one in summer called “National High School Baseball Championship”.