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| Exploring Kansai International Airport |
The moment I stepped into Kansai International Airport, my excitement died off rather quickly, as I absorbed in the modern Japan, one that can be much like my home. I made sure I explored everything new to my eyes in the airport, from vending machines with a variety of bottled and canned drinks, to the toilet stalls, to the kanji, katakana, and hiragana characters everywhere. After an overwhelming while, I started to feel that I had not wandered far from home with certain familiarities, such as english words, visible everywhere. Nevertheless, I was convinced that my fading interest was merely a result of my stay in the airport for 3 hours. Hence, I woke up the next day waiting for the reminder that I had left America to hit me, but for a long while, the only things that convinced me that I was in Japan were the fact that the buildings were shorter, the streets were narrower and the vending machines were everywhere.
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| The first vending machine I spotted in the airport; American vending machines are never this diverse. |
It wasn't until I visited Kyoto that I was having the feeling that I was in Japan. In Kyoto, I saw the older Japanese style houses and streets hidden away from the busy, bright, high-tech, and kawaii modern society, just a few streets away. Perhaps it is the gaijin in me talking, when I admit that seeing the older buildings and shrines in Kyoto was the first time, since I landed, that I really felt that I had left America. Furthermore, even after exploring the other side of Kyoto which is full of city-life, I was still able to convince myself that I am, in fact, in the city of Japan. Perhaps I just needed to see something that I had expected to see in Japan, such as a glimpse of its historical past, to really believe that this is Japan. But, after seeing Kyoto, I think I am starting to grasp and appreciate the present Japan, in its balancing act of its maintaining its unique past while rushing into the inevitable future.
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| Streets of older Kyoto |
When I first came to Japan I was struck by the old and new standing side by side: modern building and technology right next to temples and shrines. I think all of us foreigners are at least a little guilty of having orientalist expectations of what Japan should look like. And Kyoto usually offers us that old, traditional image. But as you are finding out, Japan has it all, old and new. Kyoto has often been described as somewhat schizophrenic in that it embraces its old traditions but yet promotes new, progressive ideas. You write and express yourself very well. I look forward to your future posts and observations. Nice pictures, too.
ReplyDeleteI also like your blog layout. It is very bright and interesting and the white space makes it easy to see and read your text. This is very picky, but you are missing the creative commons logo. can you recopy and repaste the html code into your layout?