Neighborhood Hirakata

In my brief time as a resident of the city of Hirakata, I have observed people from all walks of life participating in various activities in and around the community that surrounds my current residence--Seminar house 4.  In particular, the park located across the street is heavily used by the community as a gathering place for families and also serves many other functions.  the park consists of much wide open grassy areas, some playground equipment, a series of water fountains in which kids play on the particularly hot days, physical exercise equipment, and a walking path.

Prior to arriving for the fall semester, Kansai Gaidai University sent an email to exchange students concerning the use of this park and the reputation that previous exchange students have made as a result. the notice indicated that students typically gathered at the park to drink beer and often became rather loud and disruptive in the process.  Upon arriving I soon understood why the park appropriately referred to as "beer park" attracted students--located across the street from the park is a liquor store with a beer machine standing at the corner.  The seminar houses are also in the direct vicinity, which makes it a convenient spot to meet with friends and maybe have a cold one.

This year is no exception to the trend in popularity--having visited the park on several occasions, there are frequently various groups of students that gather on the benches near the beer machine to socialize.  Each time I have gone, I try to observe the general reactions of the local residents but have found that they largely ignore these "gaijin" gatherings.

On a daily basis, I have noticed a large number of residents walking their dogs in and around the neighborhoods.  Being a dog owner myself, I have had short interactions with residents as a result of their dogs.  In my neighborhood in Hawaii, a good way to meet or start a friendly conversation with neighbors is through their dogs--a common point of interest.  Similarly, I have had the opportunity to speak briefly with local residents who, if it were not for their dogs, we would most likely not have even made eye contact.

On route to school everyday, I pass by many local businesses and shops.  There are a few places that have security guards stationed at the entrances to the parking lots and or the company facilities.  These guards stand at the entrances and offer assistance to any vehicle entering or departing from the facility while also ensuring pedestrian safety.  In my short time in Hirakata, I have come to recognize the guards simply from passing who, if you catch their attention, will always give a polite nod and say "ohayou gozaimasu" or "konnichiwa".  These pleasantries may be minute and insignificant, however it has shown me that even with strangers, it does not hurt to be courteous and or friendly.  It may lead to future interactions.

Early Impressions of Japan

My first impression when I arrived in Japan during the summer to visit relatives was from the window of the Narita Airport Express train.  As the train departed the airport heading towards Tokyo, it was startling to notice the contrast between the countryside and the sprawling metropolises.  Since space in Japan is hard to come by in the large cities, every available space is put to good use.  I was surprised to see rice patties in the middle of Tokyo.  Many small back allies like this can offer an array of miniscule food and retail shops that are “off the beaten path”.

As we neared Tokyo, my attention was drawn towards the myriad of neon lighted signs and billboards that dotted the horizon, each trying to advertise their product or establishment in as flashy and concise wording as possible.  The majority of the signs were in kanji, but a surprising amount were written in katakana.  As I read the signs to myself, I could not help but chuckle at the content of the signs—it is almost like a game to read and decipher the katakana into the intended English words.

Arriving at Kansai Int. Airport for orientation week, I once again had the opportunity to view the sights of Japan from the window of the school shuttle.  After having been in Japan for just over two weeks, I am continually looking at every sign and have found that be able to read katakana is a valuable skill and helps with anything from ordering food on a menu to understanding just enough information to get by when all other print consists of kanji. 

I was also intrigued not only by the amount of foreign words that have been integrated into the common vocabulary in Japan, but also by the slightly altered meanings that they possess as well as the abbreviations that the words have undergone.

The pronunciation of the adopted words must also be pronounced in the Japanese syllables, otherwise the people might understand what it is that you are referring to.  A humorous facet of adopted foreign words into Japanese is the tendency of the words to be shortened to the point that the original word is almost undistinguishable.  One such phrase is derived from the English language but is entirely in the style of Japanese abbreviation—the term “costume play” refers to a group of individuals that like to dress up in costumes for fun.  This phrase seems to be a Japanese usage of English and is known as “cosplay”.  

A rather humorous store name.

And of course one cannot help but chuckle and be intrigued by the interesting English phrases that are everywhere from signs to t-shirts that have been humorously dubbed “Engrish”.  It is my take that of the most outrageous captions I have seen on articles of clothing, the people wearing the clothes must not truly understand the full meaning behind what is written on their clothes.  In truth, some must not even understand any of it. 

The caption on a shirt my sister bought for me at a store in Japan