Why Japan

For those of you that don't know... I'm sick. Ha ha... I've been walking around these past few weeks wondering why the heck half the population is wearing flu masks... I think it took awhile because my immune system was still acclimating... but my allergies finally hit. Unfortunately this is a country full of allergens... so there's really no hope escaping it... and worse yet, the concentration is quite high... so... as far as I can tell... the allergies are hitting pretty hard.

Back to the topic that I never got to...

The girls upstairs that I've taken to hanging out with are all 18 yo (fresh out of high school) and for the most part... they're addicted to Detective Conan... its kind of funny... especially since the whole anime/manga thing is supposed to die with age. I don't know if that will happen with this generation as the target audience for most anime is expanding... or maybe its just because i'm getting older.

We do have a self-proclaimed otaku in our group... but this proclamation comes with a few caveats... well really... just one... he's 17 (as he so proudly claims). Now why would I even care? As far as I am aware... the term otaku carried (and still does even after densha otoko probably granted to a lesser extent) a very negative connotation. Another japanese word to describe otaku: maniac. The english doesn't really have a comparable term to describe an otaku as the old connotations for geek and nerd have more or less been thrown out to be more fashionable to today's tech savvy youth. Even the word otaku has been stripped of its negative connotations in the west, but I wouldn't be caught dead calling myself an otaku, however I feel like I walk a fine line between normalcy (whatever standardizes normal) and just being really informed... ie. geeky. This topic can be a rather deep and egocentric one so I'll go ahead and skip on to what I want to talk about...

Why Japan? I've met tons of people that have gone abroad since my high school days... and maybe its because of my status of being overseas chinese... this whole lack of national identity thing... but I feel slightly disgruntled when people harp on other countries... saying how much another country is better than another. It used to be much worse than it is now... and perhaps the fact that I care about how another place is better than my home means I have national pride... I don't know. I don't care much for America's reputation or what "my country" means to everyone else... but it kind of pisses me off when people start talking about how much better it is over there... because then it feels like they're putting down my home... maybe its that reincarnated japanese soul of mine (ie. you don't say today's weather is nice... you say today's weather is also nice (just like any other day)). So why did I choose to want to study in Japan oh so long ago? I did this before I joined taiko... so my only exposure to Japan was through what I saw in anime. In a way, how I started to become interested in Japan (in a more extreme case people would call it being a Japan-o-phile... I don't feel like I'm at that point... but I may very well be) was due to what I'd like to call my otaku past. I've never quite been ok with the whole "yeah... Japan Japan Japan... everything Japan is cool" school of thought. In fact I was a bit discomforted by it... especially since a number of my friends were all gung ho about Japan.

As time dragged on... and I became more involved with taiko, my approach to culture slowly changed as I learned more and more about the history of this region (which is painfully neglected by our high schools... or maybe its because I simply didn't study hard enough) and while I did got through the China phase a few times, I don't think modern China has peaked my interested quite yet. But in essence, my interested in Japan has developed far beyond simply what manga and anime has to offer. Ironically, I probably watch and read about as much as I used to. Possibly a little less now because I spend a lot more time doing other things, but when I'm in the burnt out mode... that's all I really do... So does manga and anime represent anything intrinsically Japanese to me? no... not really... for what they are to me now... they're just stories and a preferred format... It's something I've grown up doing, so I prefer it over most other media. Is there anything redeemable from this particular media? no... I don't think so... the only series I ever got anything worthwhile from... was 12 kingdoms, and that was more a part of my own development as a person than anything.

So why Japan? When anime and manga aren't even really a reason to be here at all? I don't list anime and manga as an interest anymore because they've stopped being anything more than stories to me. I've recognized that Japanese and American Taiko are different and as far as I can understand, they are different entities with the same root, but like the homo-sapien and chimpanzee... their common ancestor probably looks nothing like either. I admit, taiko is a major reason for me being here. Its one of my interests, and I feel diversifying my taiko portfolio will greatly develop my taiko ability or artistic skill, talent, whatever you want to call it... but I can just as easily do that back in the states by hunting down taiko internships with portland, san jose, or the taiko institute...

One part of it is... like just about every other youngster getting ready to hit a major turning point in their lives... the desire to see the world and explore and try those new wings that we've worked so hard to obtain. But wanting to see the world is a pretty common desire applicable to anywhere... but really my interests can only lead me to two other places... China (which is a no because I don't agree with China's current political environment) and hong kong (which is still part of China... so I'd rather not if I could help it). I have no real interest in England, or France. I have close to nil experience with Germany... and while I'm on a relatively Vietnamese diet... I'm pretty unfamiliar with the culture.

America is a pretty good place to get to know a number of different cultures... fortunately most asian cultures are included in the whole "its not a bad place to get to know.." Islamic cultures are a bit harder to come by in America, especially at this point in time... but for now I don't know much and am not interested (the ignorance feeds itself), which leaves how many countries do I want to deepend my understanding of? Language also plays a large role too. Since most of the stories I really like are in Japanese... the natural language to pursue... Japanese (its not about the means... its about the end in this case)... I decided long ago... Japanese reading comprehension first... Chinese can come later... listening and speaking Japanese and Cantonese can be concurrent, Mandarin will have to wait.

Its all about deepening my understanding. It great to go and check a new place out... which is great if you're going to be there for temporary stay... but to do anything long term, I feel having as much of a foundation as you can muster is the best way to milk the most out of your experience.




So why Japan? The answer is simple... to deepen what I already know...





because the more I get to know it... the stranger it becomes. I certainly feel that way about the language... the culture is right there beside it... as are the streets (the streets near my home are very windy... and physics... well... the deeper you go... the stranger it gets... quantum mechanics only gets harder after your infinite well, pauli exclusion, and heisenberg uncertainty...