Cuteness Obsession

Yes, it's finally here, the topic you've all been waiting for (or dreading). This time, I plan on addressing the Japanese fixation on cuteness, though my own field of specialty would be anime. I guess that, without realizing it, I've begun to appreciate other various forms of cuteness primarily pioneered by the Japanese as well. Call it an infection.

Of course, pretty much everyone is familiar with Hello Kitty, and perhaps even the infamous Hello Kitty vibrator. While I can't say that I saw omnipresence in the latter, the former does pop up quite often. The Sanrio stores are full of all the Hello Kitty goods you could ever want. Surprisingly, when it comes to trinkets like keychains and various mascot accessories, there was a TON of Disney that shows up. I can't say I'm a fan myself, but among schoolgirls, especially, you can see tons of Mickey, Stitch, and others. It's not the first image you get when you think of Japan, but they do fall for "cute" Western things. I guess it's quite logical though, considering their general love of all things cute. All forms...they even have a word for "creepy cute" (kimokawaii).

My specialty, as I mentioned, is anime. I could inundate this post with a billion examples of cuteness as it pertains to anime, but I'll refrain. I wouldn't say that anime is quite as prevalent in Japanese culture as some American fans would have you believe. Sure, there are satellite channels dedicated to it, and it does show up on TV, but it's not like everyone watches it (though manga, graphic novels, are extremely popular among many demographics). In fact, most of the decent anime (read: what I watch) airs late at night, sometimes with creepy adult ads in between, so it is still pretty niche. Don't get me wrong, it's not like there isn't a mainstream prescence--it's just that overall it is a somewhat subdued prescence. There are some cute kids anime series that you'll see more widespread, and there are a few series which really break into more mainstream culture (i.e. Death Note, which got 2 live action movies, as well). I'm getting sidetracked, though, since Death Note isn't exactly sacchirine sweet, as you might have guessed from the name. Overall, anime is more of a subculture than a major part of the society, though it embraces the same love of cuteness. Whether it influenced societal values, or societal values it, I don't think anyone could rightly say. Regardless, cuteness is just a part of life there.

AKB48


You might be wondering, does it really show? Aside from anime and other little trinkets, is it really there? Yes, yes it is. Take a look at the idol side of things. Rather than explain the Japanese use of the word "idol", I'll just direct you to Wikipedia for simplicity's sake. Idols are huge in Japan. I like to use examples like Ogura Yuko or the band AKB48 when talking about cuteness. If you already look at the video and were wondering: yes, there really are that many members in the group. The number fluctuates from time to time, but Wikipedia says it does currently have the namesake 48 members. I know it used to be lower a while back, and some sources actually say a few more than 48. Either way, it's full of a ton of young girls basically being cute. It looks like the youngest member was born on November 22, 1995, so that would make 11-going-on-12, while the oldest current member was born in 85. I won't even try to describe Ogura Yuko, but instead will give you a video. I think you'll find it kind of funny even if you don't understand Japanese at all. On a side note, I just noticed I've been referring to her in Japanese name order this whole time without thinking about it. In English, we would say her name is "Yuko Ogura".


Yes, she has a tendency to act like a small child.

Of course, I could go on further to mention things like cosplay ("costume play", usually dressing as characters from video games and anime) and maid cafes as well. Those are both great indicators of the further influence on culture. Of course, not all cosplay is cute, nor does it always attempt to be, but it is most definitely there. I guess you could look at it as being a slow bleed of cuteness into mainstream culture or, even further, as a whole subculture slowly working it's way into the mainstream. Who knows, even anime may yet become part of mainstream Japanese culture.

Some people might see something wrong with that, but I think it's sweet and, well, cute.

Bonus Ogura Yuko video, because I love her!

And then there was...screaming

I have been feeling a lack of inspiration in terms of writing this blog recently, so I decided that I'll move into various topics that I find interesting, but may or may not be as interesting to everyone else. Yes, the topic of anime is coming, but for today, I plan on covering Japanese music a bit, especially "visual kei", or visual style music. I listen to a few groups quite regularly and, you may notice, that my clothes somewhat reflect that fact. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to take many pictures of visual kei groups, as the venues were generally unfriendly to photography, not to mention that the lighting is pretty prohibitive anyway. You'll have to deal with pictures I gathered from websites instead. Oh, and enjoy the videos!

Visual kei is a niche within the genre of rock and/or metal, characterized often by lots of screaming, both in terms of instrumentation, as well as vocals (and a lot of grunts). There are many, many bands in this field, so how do they differentiate themselves? Looks. There is an incredible range of different styles they go with, sometimes reflecting their music, sometimes not.

Phantasmagoria


These bands are almost exclusively male, though there are times when you honestly can't tell the difference. I can't tell you how funny it is when people comment on Mana (guitarist of Moi dix Mois, better known for his role in Malice Mizer), saying that "she" is hot or some such thing. I hate to break it to you, but...anyway, I figure that's why the fanbase of visual kei is primarily female. I speak from experience, having gone to quite a few concerts while I was in Japan, and it is very true, most concerts had relatively few guys. The only exception I can think of is Onmyouza, but personally, I don't really consider them visual kei. Their style is more of a rock/traditional fusion, and they wear suitably traditional Japanese clothing to go along with it. I know most people would disagree with me, but there are a number of cases where, since the band keeps a look that "suits" the music, I don't really consider them visual kei. Moi dix Mois, for example, has a look that entirely complements the music, so I don't consider them visual, though many would.

As far as I know, the visual kei movement kind of originated with a band by the name of X Japan back in the day, and has grown from there. I don't think X Japan's look would be particularlyJapan shocking to most people these days, but rather would be reminiscent of some strange mix of various glam/hair-metal bands of the 80s. Then again, I doubt they were ever trying to be "shocking" really, but just to really differentiate themselves from all the other bands of the genre. Most bands do that to some extent, but visual kei really ups the ante. Even the worst of bands may gain popularity because they look great.

Kibouya Honpo


I would guess that the most popular visual kei group these days is Dir en Grey. If not, they're at least up there and used to be the top. I'm not really a fan myself, but I definitely still see their influence, judging by the number of bands that I saw violently clawing their chests and pretending to cut themselves on stage. None were brave enough to actually do it, though I hear Dir en Grey, back in the day, used to do so. Recently, they have changed their look a bit and aren't quite as violent, I hear.

Nega

Yeah, this one is pretty creepy.

You might wonder, what do visual kei fans think of the classic American "shock rocker" Marilyn Manson? Well, judging from people I talked to at concerts (as well as the fact that one of clubs I went to was playing a number of his songs as pre-show entertainment), they do enjoy him. Another popular group, surprisingly enough, was Slipknot. I honestly have no idea why, but nearly every girl I talked to at the concerts asked if I was a Slipknot fan. I'm assuming they asked because they were fans, as I see no way my clothes could somehow make people think I was a Slipknot fan. I also haven't heard their music recently, so I couldn't judge how similar they sound or look compared to visual kei bands I'm familiar with. If you're interested in looking into that, I'll leave it to you, as I really have no interest in Slipknot and, well, most American bands. It's not that I just toss them aside outright, but rather that the American music scene has stagnated, so I favor various bands from around the world, specifically Europe and Japan.

Though not visual kei, I really enjoy a Japanese female duo by the name of Kokushoku Sumire, whose genre I couldn't even begin to try and name. Suffice it to say that Yuka plays accordion, piano, and does vocals, while Sachi primarily plays violin, though judging from their latest album, she has also picked up trumpet. I got to see them twice and even had the priviledge of having dinner with them! From these experiences, I can say they are not only are they a great group, but they're really cool, too. I only wish I had been in the Tokyo area so I could have seen them more often.

If you have any questions about my experiences or something that you would like to know in more detail, please let me know! I know about plenty of things, but I tend to take them all for granted (having lived there for a whole year), but outside observers might find something really interesting.

Left to Rot

Now here's something interesting for you. Now, I have said how Japan is amazingly crowded, crammed into big cities as a result of the mountainous terrain. You would assume, then, that no space would be left wasted, right? Wrong!

Abandoned places are a personal interest of mine, as even beautiful places are often just left to decay. The fact that even Japan, where space is at a premium, would just toss aside perfectly usable space is incredible! The above shot is a picture of the so-called "Gunkan Apaato", or "Battleship Apartments". This was a large group of apartment buildings near Nipponbashi in Osaka, nicknamed "battleship" due to the unusual chimney structures on the roof. From what I have heard, they were built in the 30s and were said to be the oldest concrete structures left standing in Japan. I would assume the "left standing" was there to indicate that there had been others, and I am guessing those probably were destroyed by US bombing in World War II. Unfortunately, I can't seem to track down the date of abandonment, but I recall it having been for a rather significant amount of time, which would seem strange considering the lack of available space. You'll notice, however, that I have been using past tense. Yes, as of the spring/summer of 2007, the buildings have been leveled, surely to make space for a more modern structure. I was fortunate enough to have been able to visit there a number of times to take pictures, and just enjoy the atmosphere, but even on my first visit the actual buildings were already barricaded and boarded. A passerby was kind enough to try and help me get to the rooftop of one of the nearby high-rise apartments so that I could see the namesake chimneys, but unfortunately the landlord caught us and made us leave (I blame the camera in the elevator). What was funny, though, was that the guy who tried to help me actually asked me a few questions about the old apartments. I ended up trying to climb the stairs of a nearby shorter building, but unfortunately the rooftop was locked on that one, so I never did get a shot of the top.

I ended up running into a few abandoned houses and shacks elsewhere, which was fun. When I went to Kobe (west of Osaka) to visit a friend of mine who is teaching English there, we stumbled upon one on a walk in the mountains. On our way back down, we went through a small residential area where we found a rusty, unsturdy bridge leading to a small shrine and an abandoned house. It was fairly obviously abandoned, considering the doors were all collapsing, books were left rotting, and there were far too many spiders for comfort. There didn't seem to be any signs of homeless people living there, so aside from mold, various crawling and slithering creatures and collapsed flooring, it seemed pretty safe to go inside. I can't really judge just how long it had been abandoned, but they sure must have left in a hurry. There were a number of little trinkets lying around, a few old New Years decorations, quite a few books and magazines. I would love to have known the story behind it.

I actually went out to the countryside once in order to track down a few abandoned amusement parks, of which there are a surprising number in Japan. Unfortunately, I ended up taking the wrong train and wasted a pretty long time getting there, so I never was able to track them down. Well, that's not entirely true, as taking the wrong train actually led me to one of them, but it was in the middle of the city. I figured that, being a foreigner, trying to sneak into an abandoned amusement park in the middle of a city on a weekend would not be an easy task. Granted, I wasn't that close, so I couldn't really judge, but I didn't want to risk it. Instead, I tried to go for the easy pickings (or what I thought was easy pickings). I had heard of one that was on the edge of a golf course, left to be consumed by nature. When I finally got on the right train and made it, I wandered my way there. Finding the golf course, I didn't see anywhere they could be hiding an amusement park. This is where I made my mistake. Seeing that the map was indicating it was on the far side of the golf course, and not wanting to risk sneaking through the country club, I walked the road, assuming it would go around. Well, it did. Sort of. Only, I forgot to take into account that the world is 3D, and the area was in the mountains. Very big mistake. I wandered the road for a good hour before deciding I should probably make my way back. Interestingly enough, I met an old man who was walking the opposite direction who asked me where the closest station was. I guess I just look knowledgeable.

Upon returning to the entrance of the country club, I decided that, given the effort I had put out to find this place, I wasn't going to give up. Yes, I snuck up the service roads around the golf course, attempting to make sure I wasn't seen. What can I say, it was a lot of fun. I got sidetracked a couple times, as there were a few paths into the forest that had "no trespassing" signs and what choice did I have but to explore? It was unfortunate that I never did find the amusement park (though I have seen pictures), but it was a great experience. I did end up being seen by at least one person as I was leaving, as they were driving out as I was making my way back to the entrance. I just did my best to look clueless, turning around as they drove by and offering a little wave of my hand. Not entirely unsurprisingly, they didn't stop, but I made my way out all the quicker since I had been spotted. I did stumble upon a few abandoned cars, full of various personal effects and now overgrown with plantlife.

Nearby I also found a few piles of abandoned children's backpacks and toys. I tried not to look too deeply into that as I walked back to the train station, sun long since set.

Living History

It seems to me that modernizing is often associated with pushing the past aside. I feel that was the view held by the US until recently. Back when we went for soup over salad, there was a feeling that people had to integrate into society, rather than holding onto their old cultural values and history, instead embracing what it was to be "American". I think that has come back to bite us in recent history. When we are faced challenges and influences from other countries, not to mention the feeling of alienation that can come with ever-advancing technology, we begin to think about what we are, where we came from. Our identity. The problem is, whereas many of the countries in the world have a real national culture and history to cling to, the US does not. I think that is part of the uneasiness that we begin to feel now that America has become the "salad bowl", seeing others now bringing their culture, history, and values into our country, or even as we look overseas to understand either friend or foe, we struggle to find our own. I consider this an inherent weakness to the original "melting pot" and, on top of this, our country is so young in the grand scheme of things.

Japan most definitely has a history behind it. Their history and culture is so ingrained into their society that, by this point, they are inseparable. Wherever you may visit in Japan, you can be fairly certain that there is only a short distance between you and the nearest shrine or temple. In both places that I lived in Japan, it was perhaps a 5 minute walk to the nearest Shinto shrine. Interesting to note, most Japanese people don't consider themselves "religious", but will make occasional visits to shrines. One major time to go to a shrine is for "hatsumode", the first shrine visit of the New Year, which many people do at midnight, much like the Western practice of staying up and partying. There are no major fireworks displays for the New Year, though fireworks are amazingly popular during the summer months. In terms of other religious practices that most Japanese will have, there are also Buddhist funerals. Indeed, Japanese people are not consciously "religious", but there are many religious practices that are so much a part of their culture that they do not even think about it. The cities of Kyoto and Nara are excellent places to see both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, as Kyoto was the capital before Tokyo, and Nara was even before that. Thus, they are both full of culture, and beautiful cities at that. Neither city is nearly so tall as nearby Osaka, and they feel much more relaxed in pace. If your goal is to get a feel for the culture, and you don't have much time in Japan, I would recommend heading to these ancient capitals. Though I never had a chance to live in Kyoto, I visited there quite often. Despite its large size, it just doesn't feel "big".

It is amazing to think about the history that is surrounding you when you are in Japan. From thinking about the fact that you are walking the footsteps of a samurai in Kyoto or exploring the passages of an old castle, it really is awe-inspiring. One of the most famous castles in Japan is Himeji, pictured at the top. West of Osaka, it rises sharply, contrasting with a rather quaint-yet-modern city around it.

I honestly think that our own lack of real culture to cling to is part of the reason that other countries like Japan and China are quickly surging to approach our place in the global economy, as well as overall influence. The solidarity of cultural belief and values brings strength.