Epiphanizing

Howdy there. What's up? How's it going? Done anything cool since last we spoke? Yeaaah, I am pretty much amazing at icebreakers. I practice them every day in the mirror. Step out of the shower and BAM ICEBREAKER TIME. Can you tell?

So last week, I mentioned that I had come to some epiphanies. Really, there's one important one which has suddenly explained a lot of Japan to me. But a few weeks ago I had another epiphany which, on further reflection, turned out to be only a small epiphany that tied into a previously held belief. It did, however, reveal something else. So...

Epiphany #1: Japanese people out here in this part of the country are essentially just like small town, suburban people back home.

I came to this epiphany at the mall in Kurashiki. I'd gone down for the day to pick up a few important items for my home and life in general. An electric kettle, for instance, so that I didn't have to boil water in a pot on my stove every morning, which for some reason I find hugely unappealing. I also needed a light for my bike, because my previous light (a motion-sensor thingie that I don't pretend to understand) mysteriously stopped working

Anyway, I was walking around and I realized that it was a scene I had seen before. Though I didn't understand most of the words that people were saying around me, I did recognize the social dynamics, the tones of voice, even the underlying feeling in the way everyone was dressing. Parents were just like suburban moms and dads back in Canada/America and the kids were exactly like the kids I had known in high school. (Side note: my high school was in a small town that was sort of like the central hub for all the surrounding towns which were even smaller.)

This lead to the further understanding that I had been thinking of Japanese people first as Japanese and second as people. That might be understandable. The first thing you say to yourself when you get off a plane in Japan is "Sweet, I'm in Japan." The second thing you say is "Hey look, everything's in Japanese." And finally, you say to yourself, "Check it out, everyone's Japanese."

So when you are in this foreign country, you automatically distance yourself from it. You become an observer and everything around you becomes something like a reality TV show. This is fine, but when you distance yourself from the people around you, you create an Us And Them scenario that tends to dehumanize the Them. No longer are the people around you people, they're Them, the Japanese People.

This was something I had already known might happen, so I wasn't too surprised to notice it. Thus why Epiphany #1 is really only a small epiphany that builds on what I already know; people around the world are ultimately the same - they're just people.

I remember being about sixteen and speaking to an older friend of mine who was in the military, serving in Afghanistan at the time. He told me something that I've never forgotten, mostly because it is simply so true. "People in countries other than America aren't any less stupid than Americans, they just speak a different language."

Epiphany #2: The uniqueness of Japanese culture is derived from an obsession with details.

I came to this realization not too long ago and it explains so much about things that are considered to be traditionally Japanese. Kimonos, ikebana, calligraphy, karate, everything. It also extends to things like their reputation for being amazing at math, for producing consistently high quality electronic goods and cars, etc.

Now, before I'm accused of making a sweeping claim of an entire people, let me forestall you: I'm only talking about a cultural point of emphasis. I'm not saying that every Japanese person is detail-obsessed. I'm saying that most of the things that make Japanese things seem Japanese are all about being detail-oriented.

I don't know how to explain the logic behind this one other than making an a priori argument: it is simply what I see every day.

The other day, for example, I was inside a house that I regularly go to. This house is a marvelous work of traditional Japanese culture. The construction, the grounds, the garden, the decorations, everything about it is Japanese. In the genkan (entrance where you take off your shoes), there is a flower vase. It is quite well arranged and placed in a pot that is itself rather nice. So I asked the lady of the house if it was ikebana.

Her reply, which I admit I only partially understood, was that it was not ikebana. But the reason it wasn't ikebana was that the details were slightly off. The angle at which this stem sat, the number of flowers in it, the fact that there were plants instead of flowers, etc. She listed several reasons, all of which seemed to be saying "This is not ikebana because the details are wrong. Ikebana is not just the arrangement of flowers in whatever pretty formation, you ignorant lout."

Well, she didn't call me an ignorant lout. She was actually quite nice about the whole thing. But I started to look around realize that everything the Japanese do seems to emphasize getting the details right.

If you wear a kimono, you better damn well make sure that every fold is perfect. Make sure the left side crosses over the right side, or damn you to hell and back. Make sure the collar at the back of your neck exposes just the right amount of skin, or your life ain't worth one yen. And if you get the bow wrong in any way, God help us all.

Judo is seemingly slightly more lenient, but the emphasis is on slightly. (Oh My God, you mean there's more than one way to tie a Judo belt?) In practice, the main point is to use what you like, when you like. But, of course, whatever you choose to do must be done perfectly. Feet placed at the perfect angle, head turned just the right amount, torso twisting exactly to 15 degrees - any more and you'll fly off your feet, as I've embarrassingly done several times before. There are so many little details that have to be perfect, and I haven't even mentioned the greetings, the seat assignments, and even the way you're supposed to move between drills.

I could go through probably every Japanese cultural activity I mentioned and point out how detail obsessed it is. But I won't bore you with that. Look for yourself. It's more amusing that way.

Anyway, I can totally understand now why Japanese people are also so obsessed with the enkai (after work party). Every day, all day, they put their all into making sure every little detail is perfect. That has got to be exhausting. Never thought I'd say this, but thank God I'm not Japanese.

~Jeffles