Working Hard & Playing Hard

During my few trips to the Gaidai University library, I have noticed students fast asleep on the tables, chairs, and sofas. While these sleeping sessions are universal pastime of all students, I have come to realize that taking naps is a common activity in Japan, as you can easily find many people fast asleep on trains, in Starbucks, and even by store-fronts. Hence, I want to explore and question the effects of Japan as a "gambaru-culture."

If you look past the railings, you can see a man sleeping; probably passed out from a night of drinking.
Taken in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

 The deep-rooted gambaru ideals motivate Japanese people. From young ages, Japanese people are placed under great societal pressures to do well and succeed with long days at school followed by cram school sessions and topped off with part-time jobs. After partial or full completion of their education, they are placed into various jobs within society, and the idea of "gambaru" is expected to be applied to everything that they attempt. Of course, like any society, some jobs are more advantageous than others, but in Japan, everyone is constantly rushing to their destinations, trying to be on time, and doing their best, ganbatte-ing. While my friend Kaylee's father, a Keihan bus driver, wakes up around 4am in the morning to start the first bus rounds, my host father, a high positioned businessman in his company, may not be out as early, but is always working so late that he has to catch the last train. These overtiring daily lives not only explain to me the reasons behind the many people fast asleep on trains but also the large amount of entertainment outlets available in Japan.

Busy streets of Namba, Osaka.

You don't need to walk into Umeda or Namba to find a Pachinkos or any other places to spend time leisurely. Entertainment outlets are very popular in Japan, and perhaps it a result of the stressful daily routines. On weekends and holidays, the trains and streets of popular areas are always packed with young people and families out enjoying their day-off together or shopping. It seems that the constant gambaru attitude creates a need to find ways to indulge, whether it is through shopping or other ways to appreciate or enjoy their jobs. Shopping may offer temporary comfort through material pleasures, almost as a way to reward themselves. Also, places such as Pachinkos, karaoke bars, and even host and hostess clubs, are places of rest from their daily obligations; hostess clubs seemingly make jobs more bearable as company meetings would be held in such places.

Take your pick of entertainment.
Taken in Namba, Osaka.

The existence and popularity of these and many other forms of entertainment in Japan seem to suggest that there is great deal of pressure in upholding the gambaru ideals of Japanese society. Furthermore, it seems to me that working hard and playing hard have become so deeply entwined and cyclical in Japan that it is hard to determine which enables the other...

Modern with a Hint of History

Namba, Osaka at Night

Foreigners, such as myself come to Japan because we are each drawn to various aspects of Japan, be it the traditional style houses with zen gardens and tatami mats of older Japan, or the array of colorful lights from buildings in the underground shopping areas that resemble Times Square, New York. While we enjoy the coexistence of Japan's new and old customs and society, the worry of traditional Japanese culture "nearing extinction" prompts us to question how deeply entwined Japan has become with its modern counterparts, despite efforts to preserve older Japanese culture. 

Garden in Kyoto Imperial Palace

Japan has always held great pride in its history and customs, but its assimilation into the modern world is slowly creating a dominantly modern society within Japan. Among other countries, Japan is probably one of the few with bits of its historical aspects still present amidst the modern cities. Next to railroad tracks or beyond and between apartment buildings lie traditional Japanese houses, home to generations of families. Castles, temples and shrines still exist and offer a glimpse into Japan's past, through a museum-like experience.

Kyoto Imperial Palace

Nevertheless, as a thriving country in the modern world, Japan has made compromises between older customs and modern lifestyles. Samurais, for one, no longer roam Japan, rather it's salarymen working in offices, women running small shops, and youths doing part-time jobs, as they are the ones to uphold the economy in the modern Japan. Furthermore, many aspects of modern Japanese lifestyle are no longer unique to Japan. Perhaps every now and then, you can catch a glimpse of unique Japanese culture, such as a person in a kimono or a yukata, but that is no longer much of a norm in everyday life.

Perhaps this modern Japan is inevitable, but I appreciate Japan for its balancing act of staying updated with ideas coming in from all over the world while maintaining bits and piece of its past, which are easily accessible.

Osaka from a Ferris Wheel

Upholding Traditions through まつり (matsuri)

As the music cues, the group members of the Danjiri start to tug the ropes to get the shrine moving.

"Wow... How do they have the energy and strength to pull such a heavy cart in this hot weather?" was one of my earliest thoughts as I observed the 50-80 people tugging at a coarse rope, which was the only tool used to move the 4 ton shrine. As I watched people of all ages participating in the Danjiri festival, my ethnocentric gaijin surfaces for a moment and my prior knowledge of American festivals clouded my understanding of the nature of matsuri.

Throughout Japan, you can find many lingering old practices co-existing with the modern Japan, and among them are matsuri, which are tightly held onto by Japanese people. Most matsuri have an intense history and tradition in the ways in which they are carried out; often they are honoring a certain custom that has been upheld for decades and even centuries. The Kishiwada Danjiri matsuri I attended, began in the 18th century and was initially intended as a presentation to a god for good harvest, but continues to live on today, serving as a spirit of the older times. Some festivals have a much longer history, like the Kurama Fire Festival in Kyoto; its roots trace as far back as the year, 940, when the emperor relocated a shrine in hopes of peace. When they did receive peace, this tradition of celebrating the shrine with torches of fire was started and continues well into today. 

People admire the fire from a far with their eyes and even zoomed-in camera lenses. 

Perhaps, the thing that shocks me the most about these festivals is the amount of participation and energy of the people in their determination to carry out these sacred ancient traditions. In America, many of our festivals are a colorful display of costumes, mechanical floats, and people sitting in or walking alongside the float. If you have ever seen a Thanksgiving Parade in New York City, you will know that festivals are highly appealing and entertaining to the spectators, who are anxious to see what the next balloon float character will be. In Japan, however, it seems that the people who enjoy the festival the most are the ones involved in the festival, as spectators can easily be tired out from watching and listening to the restless movements and shouts. Furthermore, matsuri are more for the people in the festival than the spectators, who, are nonetheless, more than welcome to observe. 

Balloon of Garfield during Macy's 2004 Thanksgiving Parade.
Borrowed from: http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/citywide/thanksgivingparade/index.htm

As Japan attempts to maintain age old customs, festivals have become a way of keeping alive some traditional values and practices, which Japanese are not ready to relinquish. Although meaning "festival" in english, matsuri cannot be equivalent to many festivals elsewhere as it reflects a distinct way in which Japanese people attempt to uphold and protect their history. 

Thanking the leaders of the Danjiri group by presenting them gifts; illustrates that the festival is  a celebration for the group.

If you would like more information on the Kurama Fire Festival, please visit this site: Kurama Festival