Now that's expensive!

Living in a foreign land usually involves using foreign currency. In Japan the currency is yen. 

It is often hard to take yen seriously because compared to American money because it looks like monopoly money. This is a problem because it's easy to spend it like it's fake money. Our dollar to the yen is usually weak but the recent economic crisis has made it worse. Great time to study abroad, it is so expensive to live here.

 To give you an idea about how expensive it is, I bought a six pack of 160z crap ass beers for 1640 yen. Seeing that I have a tattoo on my left wrist that says, "Do the Math," you would think I would've stopped dead in my tracks before making this purchase. Why? Well, 1640 yen is $17 American dollars. If I am paying that much for a six pack of beer it better be good. Sadly, it is not. It's the equivalent of Budweiser.

Issues.

I forgot to mention that a couple weeks ago I saw four mormon dudes on bikes near my school. I remember thinking too myself, "good luck with trying to convert a Japanese person to mormonism." Today, as I was waiting for the bus, I saw two of them walking towards me, bibles in hand. I do what I always do when I want to avoid someone, especially when it comes to someone who is on a mission to convert me, I pick up my phone and act like I am receiving a very important phone call. This always deters people. However, every once in a while the person(s) are completely oblivious and still try and talk to me. Then I say, "um, can't you see I'm on the phone?" I don't care if that's rude, I am on the phone and you're still trying to talk to me? Now that's rude. Leave me alone! 

When it comes to religion in Japan, almost 90% of Japanese people follow either Shinto or Buddhism. The other 10% is a mix of atheists, non-religious groups and religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism, bear in mind these are minority religions and their numbers are rather small. I was approached by Jehovah's Witnesses when I was in Hiroshima. And it seems as if the Mormons are trying to establish themselves here as well. Japan does allow religious freedom but it's interesting that most people do not convert considering how small the minority groups are.

The fact that this isn't a Christian country can account for some of their beliefs that foreigners, particularly the West, might have trouble with. One example is abortion. It's simply not an issue here. Birth control wasn't legalized until 1998 in Japan but even now it's rarely used. The most common form of birth control is abortion. The abortion debate in other countries is based off moral beliefs, i.e. religious beliefs. In Japan abortion is not a moral dilemma, it's just birth control. I'm all about "it's a woman's body and it's her choice" but using abortion as a form of birth control cannot be good for your body, especially if it's a common occurrence. Most Japanese people don't understand why abortion is such a heated issue in the West, especially in America.

On the other side of it because safe sex is not preached and rarely practiced, Japan is the only industrialized nation with a steady rise in HIV cases.  A lot of men do not use condoms here and the women don't seem to question it. Why would they? They aren't really educated about the risk of STDs or pregnancy like we are in the states. If they get pregnant they either have the kid or have an abortion, adoption is rarely an option. In Japan people have held a deep aversion to adoption because so much emphasis is put on blood relations so for some Japanese, another persons child would never feel like your own. Also, surrogacy is illegal. Someone cannot carry a child for you, which I think is completely wrong and is an example of the 'state' basically being in your bedroom. Too close for my comfort.

Another thing that is not an issue here like it is in the West is being gay. Like abortion, most people argue that the bible says it's wrong so therefore it's wrong, end of story.  Marriage is between a man and woman and blah fucking bullshit blah. Being gay is not an issue here morally, however culturally it's not something you talk about. The common attitude is, if your gay then your gay but just keep it to yourself. This may not be that much better than the states but at least here someone isn't going to hold up a sign that says, "God Hates Fags" or "You will burn in hell!" which by the way is one of the reasons I despise most religions. 

I am all about religious freedom however what gives anyone the right to think they can tell anyone how you should live your life and who you can sleep with or better yet who you can marry? Are you fucking kidding me? That is such a violation of the so called "freedom" Americans pride themselves on having and is why they think America is the best country in the world. These people are so full of hypocrisy and shit it makes me sick. Why can't people just live their lives they way they choose without being judged by someone who assumes that their religion and their beliefs are right?  

It's no wonder that Japan sometimes looks at the West with confusion when it comes to social and moral issues. The idea of an abortion doctor being murdered or members of a church standing outside of the cemetery of a gay Army soldiers funeral cheering his death saying it was God's punishment on America for tolerating homosexuality is just as perplexing as adopting or carrying someone else's child.  And at the same time the West looks at various social and moral issues in Japan with the same question marks above their heads. It's good to be critical and even better to vocalize it but it's also important to realize there's no right way to do things, there's just different ways. Even you don't always understand or agree with it, shouldn't you at least respect someone's right to do it differently?

I wonder...

How different my experience studying in Japan would be if I was between the ages of 18-20. I hate to make age such an issue. I always believed it didn't make that much of a difference, with most things, but after this experience I have to say that age does matter. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, for example if you go through a lot of shit at a young age you're usually a head of the rest but at the end of the day what it comes down to is this: No matter how smart we may be, in general it's our life experiences, good and bad, that are supposed to make us smarter, stronger people. We build from these learning experiences, hopefully, and become better people. 

The shit these kids are going through here I cannot relate to at all. Yes, I went through similar trials and tribulations but that was ten years ago. I don't relate to the person I was ten years ago, at all. It's just been hard not being able to relate to people here. I am the type of person who can find a common ground with anyone but I guess that's because I am not usually hanging out with 19 year olds who are spoiled and have never had to endure anything in life except for when their Japanese girlfriend, who they dated for 2 weeks, breaks up with them over a text message or even better, their rich parents told them no about staying in Japan this summer. 

I'm not trying to be harsh but seriously people, there are bigger concerns in the world but I guess not when you're 19. I know it's easy for me to say all of this knowing what I know now but I was never this spoiled or clueless when I was their age. There are a few people here who make the time here better so I guess I should just be thankful for them. I can't wait to come home. Made it three months, one more to go. This has been hard but its been amazing. I have learned so much about Japanese history and that's what I came here to do. 

DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying every 18, 19 and 20 year old is like this or is stupid, just a lot of the ones I have met in Japan. 

Fun, excitement, danger lurking around every corner...

well not really. Although on the way home from school today I did see some kids run out of a clothing store, which by the way is across the street from the police station, with a basket full of clothes they did not buy. One of the employees, who was a tiny little girl, ran after them right past me. I was in arms length of the thieves and thought about making an attempt at tackling them to the ground, but I figured this wouldn't help my ankle heal any faster. Then, this random dude on a bike sees what is happening and goes after the culprits. They turned into the park and I limped as fast as I could to see the action. By the time I got around the corner all I saw was the dude on the bike holding the basket of clothes talking to the employee but the thieves were no where to be found. I thought about yelling, "I've been to a Japanese prison, it's not worth it!" but I stopped myself. This was exciting seeing how nothing ever happens here. 

The city I live in has to be the most boring city in all of Japan. Seriously. There is nothing to do here except for karaoke and that gets really old real quick. I mean, I am good and all but even I get sick of hearing my own voice. There's not even a local bar to drown your sorrows in. If you want to drink it has to either be in the park, at karaoke or illegally in your dorm room. This is fine considering that I don't drink much here anyways but still. If I was a local business owner, I would open some type of bar in this neighborhood because it would attract hundreds of students. 

But the again maybe that wouldn't be a good idea seeing that more than half of the students here are between the ages of 19--21 and cannot hold or handle their alcohol, at all. The ones from the states are the worse because the drinking age is 21 so they haven't been tainted yet but all of the other students are from countries where the drinking age ranges from 16-20 so a lot of them have already pickled their livers. Nonetheless, if they're seasoned drinkers or not, this school is full of idiots and any amount of alcohol makes it worse. There are a handful of people that are an exception but you wouldn't believe some of these people. It's real disheartening sometimes especially when they are sober and in class.

There are so many times when I am class when one of the little pip-squeaks raises their hands and a collective sigh is heard throughout the room. The shit that comes out of their mouths is mind-blowing. My history professor, who I have for three classes, tries to just ignore their hands being waved in his face hoping and praying that either they will take a hint or maybe their hand will just fall off. Neither of them happen and we're often blessed with their stupid comments. I usually want to slam my head into the desk or better yet, slam their heads into the desks but I refrain. I'm not just saying this because I am older or because I think I am better, it's just that they are seriously lacking in common sense and some brain cells. I am not sure where the brain cells went, if some traumatic event occurred or if they were just born stupid but its alarming. 

My professor has addressed these concerns with me one day so I know I am not being too critical or judgmental. "If this kids are the future, we are in trouble," he said to me one day with his hands in his head. To make matters worse, the people I am talking about are always from the United States, besides this one girl from Canada who thinks she is 100% French and knows everything about France (even though she's never been there) because she's from Quebec. It's Canada not France, sorry not the same. The United States, as you can imagine from the great amazing job G.W. Bush and his administration did, is not looked upon in a positive light by a lot of the world. These imbeciles only add to people's negative views of America. 

I am constantly getting into conversations about how 'bad' America is and if you are from there you must be 'bad' too. This of course is not true. I love living in America but does that mean I agree with the decisions the government makes on behalf of the American people? No. In fact, since the beginning of our 'great' nation I would say I disagree with a lot of policies, foreign and domestic, adopted and implemented by the government. But that's a right I have as an American, the right to disagree and vocalize and even write about it without being persecuted and in the case of some countries, lose my life over it. 

There's a couple guys here who love Japan so much that when the America bashing starts they happily join in. My problem with this is, you can be critical, in fact I encourage it but if you really hate living in America so much, then fucking move because I guarantee there is someone who would gladly take your place. Do I think that America is the best place in the world?  No, but it has a lot to offer. It has many flaws but what country doesn't? Name a country that has equality for all of its citizens, doesn't have internal and external conflicts or corrupt politicians. If there is such a place, let me know so I can move there. It doesn't exist. Every country has its good and bad sides, you just have to pick what side you want to be on. 

Some more of your favorite subject...History!

       Japan’s march towards modernization and imperialism was done with remarkable speed. They went from a little island to the East to a world power in forty years. Like most people in positions of power, the Japanese government and military became overconfident an had an insatiable desire to dominant Asia, no matter what the cost. The crimes they committed against the people of Korea, China and Taiwan, to name a few, are horrendous and despicable. For six weeks in 1937, after the invasion and takeover of Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China, the Japanese military destroyed the city, raped women, brutally killed civilians and prisoners of war with no mercy. The number of people massacred is debated amongst historians but it's around 300,000. That is more casualties than both of the atomic bombs used on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945 and is why a lot of victims of Japan's aggression have the mentality, "so what," when it comes to Japan being victims of war. 

     In Korea and Taiwan, the Japanese military were not as brutal physically, meaning it wasn’t an all out massacre, but inflicted just as much damage. They forced Koreans to learn Japanese and adopt it as their official language, take on Japanese names and dispose of their traditions, culture and national identities. They enforced a strict policy of kneeling down every morning facing the East and bowing to the emperor, who was in Tokyo. If you did not participate and often even collaborate with the military, even if meant turning against your neighbors, you and/or your family would feel the repercussions, which sometimes meant do or die. Women were forced into prostitution, referred to as comfort women, who provided services to the Japanese military. Japan enforced a lot of these policies in Taiwan as well.  

       With the success Japan had achieved with it's attempt at modernization, which led the way for their imperialist goal to rule all of Asia, they felt there were untouchable and could take on any "enemy" both large and small. To understand Japan's brutal path towards imperialism and their eventually demise one has to understand why they justified their imperialistic march.

       Considered one of the founders of modern Japan, Fukuzawa Yukichi did not discriminate against the Chinese and Korean people when it came to his view on Sino-Japanese relations, but was very critical of their governments and their failed attempts in joining Japans path to modernization. Fukuzawa believed that in order for Japan to distinguish itself from a backward Asia they must enact strong policies against their Asian neighbors. He believed the war against China really stood for a war for civilization, professing, “a country which is trying to develop civilization and a country which disturbs the development of civilization.” He wanted to instill a sense of personal strength amongst the people of Japan and hoped that by modernizing they could build a nation that would rival all others. He wrote often about what it meant to be civilized and believed that civilization furthered education and knowledge.  

       In Fukuzawa’s editorial, “Datsu-A-ron,” he compares the spread of Western civilization to the spread of an epidemic. Although nothing can be done to prevent it he asserts that people should promote it so that they may enjoy its benefits. He felt strongly that Japan should disassociate itself with the rest of Asia rather than embrace it, thus creating a new ideology. He points out that although Japan, Korea and China were very similar to each other, their unwillingness to modernize would essentially lead to the demise of their nations. Japan wanted to gain equality with the West and Fukuzawa felt that they could never do so if their neighbors didn’t share their same aspirations. Korea and China were seen as weak. They were in no position to further Japan’s enlightenment, in fact Fukuzawa believed their stance could hurt Japan’s progress and could even affect Japan’s image with the West. 

Japan’s modernization likely came from the fear that if they didn’t they would be colonized by the West. Fukuzawa took the same stance towards Korea and China and help implement these policies in Japan. He felt Japan would have to deal with its uncooperative neighbors in the same way as the West, which helped fuel Japanese imperialism. Fukuzawa was not only a propagator of ideas on public policy but he sets up the climate for war giving an ominous prophecy of what was yet to come. With this ideology, their victories over China and Russia and their successes as colonizers, Japan felt they could take on the West-and win. 

How about some Japanese history!

       When Japan began to modernize in 1848, the West was aware of their attempt at modernization however no one took them seriously until they defeated both China and Russia.  The Sino-Japanese and the Russo-Japanese wars can be viewed as turning points because they produce victorious outcomes for Japan, elevating their international status.  After the Sino-Japanese war Japan becomes a colonial empire and after the Russo-Japanese war Japan becomes a world power. 

In the eyes of the Japanese, their victory over China was evidence that they were successful in their attempt to be the first non-white, non-Christian, non-Western power to modernize. This would put them on the road to imperialism changing political policies both internally and externally. The victory over Russia was viewed as impressive because they were able to defeat the largest land power and managed to reclaim territory and power that they were forced to give up earlier. The outcomes of these wars justified Japanese expansionism and imperialism. The elite preferred to conform rather than take a principled stand on new policies and personality became more important than character. The road to China and Russia make the road to Pearl Harbor much easier.

       Japan’s government was dominated by the military who was hell bent an establishing an autonomous empire. They embarked on the project of building an empire and the Meiji Restoration that began in 1868 helped pave the way for these goals. China saw Japan heading towards modernization and they feared that if they didn’t befriend their neighbors then Japan might side with the West. China’s unwillingness to change moral, institutional, political, familial and intellectual authority patterns would only hinder modernization in China and fueled Japan’s belief that if their Asian neighbors didn’t join them in modernization they would be colonized. China’s inability to modernize was due to many factors some being the lack of effective leadership, political weakness and corruption and no stability economically, setting the stage for rebellion and setting up the climate for war. 

Japan’s real interest lay in China’s tributary, Korea. Japanese policymakers, in both wars, believed that dominance over the Korean Peninsula would ensure their national security. Although Japan was considered a  “little weak country” and China a “big strong country” the Japanese were able to achieve success due to position, preparation and the “dash and willingness of the commanders to take risks.”  Japan’s victory over China did not earn them first class membership in the concert of powers but they were recognized as a rising world power. Their days of being colonized were over and they took the position of territorial imperialists.

        Japan’s modernization brought sweeping changes through the country. The overthrow of Tokugawa feudalism gave way to new institutional changes on the basis international example and national tradition. Unlike their predecessors, the Meiji leaders had no problem in reaching out to the West and felt that learning had to be sought “throughout the world” and not just limited to China. Japan sent many government leaders to Europe, Russia and the United States to learn the ways of the West. What they saw and experienced while they were abroad solidified their belief that they had a long way to go before the West would even considering revising their position on the unequal treaties that plagued Japan. 

This motivated Japan to speed up its process of modernization where they implemented campaigns for the expansion of the military, universal education, nationalism, and political participation from the masses. A Meiji Constitution in 1889 was the finishing touch to the institutional reforms sweeping Imperial Japan. All of these reforms changed the political climate in Japan, who were trying to maintain Japanese spirit with Western technology. Even with all the blatant evidence of change that Japan displayed to West, it still was not enough to force the West to budge of the unequal treaties, making Japan’s eastern neighbors the outlet for their frustrations, which led to Japanese expansionism in East Asia.

      Although the Sino-Japanese war helped Japan expand their overseas empire by acquiring Taiwan and the Liaotung Peninsula, Russia, Germany and France forced them to give back Southern Manchuria to the Chinese, “for the sake of the peace of Asia.”  This infuriated the Japanese but also made them more determined to not back down from the challenge of the West.  When Russia began to menace Northeastern China and Korea, Japan saw this as a way to take back their territory and power they felt was taken from them years before. When Japan went to war with Russia in 1904 they still hadn’t gained full membership in the inner circle of world powers but they desperately wanted to be. It’s safe to say that most people saw a Russian victory so when Japan defeated Russia, it sent a sensation across the world. Japan had finally grabbed the attention at the world stage and achieved equal status with the West. A non-white nations defeat over a Western nation was shocking to the West. 

Japan was determined to never feel the humiliation they felt in 1895 at the Triple Intervention and this probably motivated them for a swift victory over Russia, it was a narrow defeat however. Japan was able to regain power and territory, first from China and now from Russia, expanding her Northern borders and leading the way for Japanese control over Korea, without interference from the West. Although Japan wouldn’t be free of the unequal treaties till 1911, the victory over China and Russia was pivotal in shifting the world’s view of Japan as well as Japan’s view of itself.  The defeat over Russia also gave Japan a huge boost of confidence in the power of their nation’s capabilities but also to power of their military. It seems Japan became a bit overconfident and “too big for their britches” so to speak paving the way to Pearl Harbor.       

Capital Punishment in Japan

The death penalty is only handed out for murder and treason however it's rarely handed out for a single murder. Most people in Japan support the death penalty but the amount of executions per year are low, especially when comparing it to the U.S. Just to give you an idea of how many people have been executed in the last five years:

2004-two

2005-one

2006-four

2007-nine

2008-eleven

2009- four, so far

In the U.S. three people are scheduled for execution in the month of April.

Death row can't be a desired place in any country and Japan is no exception. They're kept in detentions centers and there are seven of them in Japan. The inmates are not considered prisoners by the  Japanese justice system since they are awaiting death and therefore they cannot be held in prisons, hence the detention centers. They are treated much harsher than prisoners. They are kept in solitary confinement and are only allowed out for exercise twice a week. They are rarely, if at all, allowed visitors and are not permitted to read books, watch television or talk to their fellow inmates. The length of time an average inmate is on death row is five to seven years, a quarter of the inmates have been on death row for over ten years and some for over thirty.

The executions are carried out by hanging. But you never know your date of execution, it's kept a secret till the morning of your execution. You wake up everyday not knowing if this is your last day on earth. That alone is part of your punishment. Can you imagine the torture of waking up everyday of your miserable life and not knowing if you'll see tomorrow? Then again, life is so bad on death row maybe they don't care about dying, I wouldn't. They tell you in the morning and before lunch you are allowed to pick your last meal. They inform your legal representatives and family members after you have been executed. 

As for as the execution goes, in order for the guards carrying out the execution to have a clean conscience, at the same time two of them push a button that releases the floor beneath the inmate. Therefore neither knows who actually carried it out easing any guilt. It seems like Japan scares the shit out its citizens from committing crimes and it seems to be one reason why crime is so low. I feel safer in Japan than I do in the states but I'd much rather go to prison in the states than in Japan. 

Doing Time

Japan is an island of 127 million people. It has the lowest crime rate out of any industrialized country in the world. Yes, crime does happen here but it’s probably the safest country you could possibly be in. I feel safer here than I do back home, without a doubt. With that in mind let’s talk about the prison system in the safest country in the world. The prison population in Japan is about 70,000; in the state it’s over two million. As we approach the gate it’s hard to believe that this building is a prison. It looks like most government buildings in Japan; sterile, boring and stale but with barbed wire. We are escorted to a room that bares a massive Japanese flag. We are told that the warden is heading are way where he will talk about the prison, then we will watch a short film, take a tour and then come back to the room for a question and answer segment.

 The warden looks like a warden; stiff, serious and by the book. This prison holds 706 male prisoners but is past its capacity. The youngest is 24 and the oldest is 85. Most of the prisoners are first time offenders and crimes range from theft (the most common crime committed in Japan), sexual crimes and murder, all them live together no matter how serious or minor the crime. First of all to get to prison doesn’t seem easy. The justice system seems to give you numerous chances before actually locking you away; obviously the nature of the crime is a factor. In Japan, they don’t hand out lengthy sentences. Most sentences range from 8 to 11 years, no matter what the crime is, and life sentences are rarely handed out (only three were handed out last year). I’ll talk about the death penalty later. So a thief, rapist and a murderer could relatively serve the same amount of time. The prison system is structured to resocialize, rehabilitate and reform the prisoners. But the fact of the matter is, life in a Japanese prison is not good. I remember one of my peers saying that he felt safer in Japan than his own country but he would rather go to prison at home rather than Japan. At the time I didn’t really think about it but after this visit I began to understand why.

 After being sentenced they are separated by gender and sometimes by the severity of their crimes and placed in certain prisons to meet their individual needs. Upon arriving, the resocialization, reeducation and reform process start right away. You have to take an aptitude test so that can place you into the right job, which is what you spend most of your sentence doing, working. You meet with a counselor and discuss the nature of your crime, showing that you fully understand what you did and that you are remorseful. If you display neither, you are immediately sent to solitary confinement, which as you can imagine is a small room in the depths of hell with no window, filled with bugs and a dingy mattress. From 7:30 a.m. till 5:30 they have you sit Japanese style on the cold cement. You are not allowed to move and are only given a bathroom break when the guard sees it necessary. You stay there until you can demonstrate to the proper officials that you recognize your crime and are committed and open to your rehabilitation.

 It seems like prisons in Japan are like labor camps. You wake up at 7 a.m., eat breakfast in your cell and head to work. You wear a prison uniform that eerily resembles the garb concentration camp prisoners wore. On your way to work, you stop in a room and strip down in front of the guards and change into your work uniform, which is a light melon green color. You work all day every day, whether it is in the factory, the classroom or with a counselor, with a lunch break and then return back to your cell. You have to pass through the room again and change back into your prison uniform, walking past the guards naked to make sure you aren’t hiding any weapons. You eat dinner in your cell and have a little free time to read or watch TV and then it’s lights out at 9 p.m. After this time you are not allowed to talk to your cellmates. Guards patrol the halls of the cells all night long and anyone caught talking will be sent to solitary confinement. The cells are small and house seven prisoners. There are single cells but are set aside for people with special circumstances i.e. they are a danger to others.  The cells do not have air conditioning or heat, no matter if the prison is located in the North where it reaches below zero temperatures all winter or in the South where the summer heat and humidity is unbearable.

 The cost of keeping someone incarcerated in the United States is about $40,000-50,000 a year but in Japan they try to make it as cheap as possible so that taxpayers aren’t stuck with a huge tab. The warden couldn’t give us an exact amount but said it cost about $4 a day to feed a prisoner and they use the cheapest products available so the cost is lower compared to the U.S. The prisoners are paid 2,000-3,000 yen a month for their labor, which is $20-30 American dollars. The work they do in prison is not like in the states where they make license plates. It’s more like weaving, sewing and woodworking. It’s extremely intricate, time consuming and painstakingly detailed. They are not allowed to bring in personal items from home when they arrive, everything is provided by the state. They are allowed to purchase 3 magazines or books per month ad there is no underground black market trading system. Cigarettes, alcohol and drugs are not a part of prison life, seriously though they are not.  As far as visitors are concerned, you are only allowed 3 visits a month by immediate family members only, no friends, for 15 minutes. If you don’t have a family then you are not allowed any visitors. There is limited contact with your visitors so conjugal visits are not allowed. You are allowed to attend religious ceremonies, Buddhist and Christian priests visit the prison weekly. They have sporting events, like baseball and have entertainment nights where they can sing karaoke. They are allowed to observe and participate in national holidays.

 In the summer they get to take three 15-minute baths a week and in the winter they get two. The shower/bath house fits 90 prisoners at a time and is obviously patrolled by guards. What I find interesting about the guards is they don’t carry weapons, nothing not a gun, a billy club or even pepper spray. While there are at work there is one guard per one hundred prisoners. This was shocking to me. This would never happen in the states, if it did there would be serious consequences like riots and murders. Last year at this prison in particular they was never an attack on a guard by an inmate. There is violence amongst the prisoners but it’s rare because no one wants to go to solitary confinement. For the most part, homemade weapons are rare and their cells are checked everyday. The warden did not mention this but Japanese prisons are somewhat known for abusing and/or torturing their inmates when they violate prison rules. Japan has been cited by Amnesty International for their abuse of inmates but who knows how effective the citation has been.

 When we walk through the different factory type rooms the guards yell at the inmates to not look at us as we pass through. Of course they do though after all we are foreigners. It felt weird to pass by these men knowing that some of them had committed rape and murder. I made eye contact with a few of them. Some of them had sad eyes and others were evil. We passed through four rooms filled with prisoners and I couldn’t limp fast enough. We saw all aspects of prison life but I couldn’t help wonder how hard they had prepared for our visit to make sure everything was exactly as it seemed.

 The question and answer section was totally controlled by the warden and he had a good way of dodging questions or just straight up lying. Of course we didn’t know this till later because he didn’t speak English and our professor was doing the translating. As soon as we got back on the bus our professor informed us of the wardens brilliant ways of getting out of answering questions completely, at all or truthfully. Of course he is not going to make Japanese prisons look bad to a group of foreigners. So a lot of what he left out our professor filled in the missing pieces.  An example is homosexual activity. Someone asked if it happened and the warden answered with a stern “No” because it was forbidden and prisoners don’t break the rules.  Now it may not be like it is in the states, with the joke about not dropping the soap in the shower, or becoming someone’s “bitch” but does he really expect us to believe that it never happens? Seven men to a cell and no homosexual activity takes place, at all? But he was adamant and quickly moved on to the next question.

 The objective of making prison life miserable is to ensure a low rate of repeat offenders. Most people who commit a crime in Japan and serve a sentence don’t often reoffend because they know that prison is no holiday. This may contribute to low crime rates in Japan but another reason is shame. The family structure in Japan is extremely important and sacred and when you go to jail you bring shame to your family and its name. This may not be an ideal we can relate to but it’s extremely important to Japanese people. Another reason why crime is so low is because Japanese people do not bear arms. I am not saying that no one has a gun in Japan but it’s pretty rare. After their defeat in WWII, the allied occupation disarmed Japan and they haven’t, as a society, embraced arms again. Of course you have your exceptions, like the Yakuza (the Japanese mafia) and of course law enforcement.

 There has never been a successful prison escape in Japan, attempts yes but none of them were successful. Upon finishing your sentence or if your sentence is shortened, you are given a completion ceremony and presented with a certificate. Your family is allowed to attend. The objective behind this is to make the inmates feel that they have been rehabilitated and have accomplished a great feat giving them hope that they can be acclimated back into society.  Although I don’t agree with the torture, abuse and conditions of solitary confinement it does seem like Japanese prisons have a higher success rate compared to the U.S. when it comes to rehabilitation. I’m so glad I was able to go on a tour of a prison even if it was somewhat sugarcoated by the warden, it gives me a better understanding of the legal system in Japan. It's an experience you can't get from reading a book. That's one of the most valuable aspects about my time here, experiencing things like Hiroshima and doing time in Japan. For as hard as it has been for me to be in such a foreign land, it was been life changing and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. 

 

You know you've been in Japan too long...

When you become irate over the fact that you waited for the bus for a half hour. I'm spoiled, I know. I have never waited for more than 6-7 minutes top for a bus here. Something happened and screwed a few bus lines up and people were freaking out over it, including myself. When you  pay 450 yen for a jar of olives that contained maybe 12 olives at most. 450 yen is over 5.00 American dollars. When you get excited about finding cereal that you don't look at the price only to discover that it was about 5 bucks as well but only contained 2 bowls. It's like highway robbery living here sometimes. I just returned from my prison tour but can't write about it now because I have way too much homework. I haven't posted much on here lately because I have so much I want to write about but don't know where to start. Plus, I have a lot of work to do for school so it will have to wait.

I'm going to Prison

On Tuesday, for a field trip for one of my classes, we're touring a Japanese prison and then the warden is going to give a talk.  It's the only time in my life I'll be able to go to prison and leave the same day. I'll report back to you sometime after.

Ankle update...

still swollen and sore. I can't sleep at night, what's new though. I am still using the crutches and I am really happy about it. Why did this have to happen in Japan! It's week three and I feel like I'm missing out on so much because I haven't been able to go anywhere besides school. 

Don't fear the reaper, it's just the Ambien.

For those of you who don't already know this, I suffer from chronic insomnia and have since I was pretty young. I have tried everything but have never been able to alleviate my suffering. I have always refused meds because I didn't want to become dependent on a pill in order to sleep. About six months ago, I decided that maybe I would just get some type of sleep aid from my doctor just to see how it worked. He prescribed me trazedone, which is usually used to treat depression. It made me feel drugged out, a feeling I absolutely hate, but didn't help me sleep any better. Right before I came to Japan I mentioned that the trazedone was a failure to my doctor and he prescribed me Ambien. 

 I remember the commercials but couldn't remember much about it. As I was waiting for my prescription to be filled the pharmacists came over and told me she needed my ID and then needed me to sign some form for the pills. I just stood there looking at her with a confused look on my face. I've never had to give my ID or sign a waiver for a prescription before. She looked annoyed so I caved in and walked out of there with a bottle full of pills, actually more like a bag full of pills but that's another story.

 They slipped in a sheet in my bag with a bunch of information and warnings about Ambien. After reading them with my mouth open, I decided that the chances of me ever trying them were minimal but I threw them in my suitcase just in case. Here is what was on the piece of paper. 

“Some people using this medicine have engaged in activity such as driving, eating, or making phone calls and later having no memory of the activity. If this happens to you, stop taking Ambien and talk with your doctor about another treatment for your sleep disorder.

Ambien can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. You may still feel sleepy the morning after taking the medication. Until you know how this medication will affect you during waking hours, be careful if you drive, operate machinery, pilot an airplane, or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Do not drink alcohol while you are taking this medication. It can increase some of the side effects of Ambien, including drowsiness. This medication may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for.”

 They lost me at not remembering driving while I am asleep. I know that the drug company has to warn you of all possible scenarios so no one can sue their ass and in fact the % of people who actually experience these side affects is  low. I get it but it scared the shit out of me. So since I have been in Japan I haven’t touched them. That is until last week. As I mentioned before the painkillers here are like Ibuprofen. I was in so much pain that I couldn’t sleep so one night I caved and popped an Ambien. It was the best night of sleep of my life.

 The next night I was plagued with the same dilemma so I took another Ambien. Same results. However, when I woke up during the night the grim reaper was standing at the end of my futon. I swear I was fully awake too. I slapped my face a few times, turned away and looked again and he was still standing there. I must say he’s much shorter in person. I turned and faced the wall falling into a deep slumber. The next day I awoke really groggy and I realized it was because I slept 13 hours. I know when you’re body is hurt, it likes to sleep a lot so that you can heal but I couldn’t help but think the Ambien played a role in it. I thought about the grim reaper all day and even questioned my sanity a few times but brushed it off as an isolated incident.

 That night I popped another one and awoke in the middle of the night to the grim reaper again. I was like, “Look dude, it’s just my ankle. I’m not going over a stupid reason like that.” He just stood there and motioned for me to follow him but I respectively declined and went back to sleep. The next morning I was so freaked out about seeing this dude twice. I was thinking that maybe it was my time because why else would he keep showing up? I was awake both times and he was really standing there. I went to school very troubled. Later I looked up Ambien on the web and was quickly reassured that I am not going on a one-way trip with the reaper and that I was not crazy. One of the side affects is hallucinations. I was so relieved.  I haven’t taken a pill since. My ankle hurts like hell and I haven’t been sleeping again. Obviously, it’s 2:35 in the morning and I am writing a blog about the grim reaper. I’m sure Ambien does wonders for some but I’ll stick to my restless nights because I don’t ever want to see the reaper again.

Check it

I wrote something  for my schools education abroad website and they actually posted it. click here.   I wrote it over a month ago. I am also in the process of writing something for the education abroad newsletter, which is a challenge because they want me to talk about why others should study abroad, in 400 words or less. I am having a hard time with the length because I have too much to say. It's due the 15th so hopefully I can get it done. I'll post a link on here when it gets published. 

No gawkers

Can I just tell you how nice it is, as a woman, to walk by a construction site and not feel like crawling out of my skin because of the looks and comments made by construction workers. That never happens here. In fact,  Japanese men seem to be terrified of foreign women so I never get harassed like I do in the U.S., they barely make eye contact let alone undress me with their eyes.  I love it. That's all for today.

Little Red Buckets

I think I have mentioned this in a previous entry about how I haven't seen any pregnant women or any bugs since I have been in Japan. I saw a pregnant lady the other day who looked like she was about to burst. I still haven't seen any bugs, not one, however on this lovely spring evening I can hear some type of insect singing outside on my balcony. I do not like bugs nor would I say I miss them but you get used to sharing the earth with them so it's kind of weird not having them around.

I may have been a bit too ambitious yesterday thinking I could frolic in the sun on one crutch. I think I may of put too much weight on my ankle too soon because last night it was killing me. Today has been bad to. My flat mate looked at me like I was insane when I said I was going to attempt to go grocery shopping. She insisted on doing it for me which was very nice of her. I received an awesome care package today from home filled with goodies, I love getting mail here but not that many people have sent me any. Hint Hint. Come on, I know a package is too expensive but it only cost 94 cents to send a letter or a postcard! 

I forgot to mention something I thought was funny about the hospital. Well, first of all, the fire extinguishers here aren't enclosed in glass cases. They are either sitting on an open shelve or just sitting on the ground against the wall. My theory is, in Japan you don't have to worry about some asshole pulling the key and spraying it everywhere like someone would in the U.S. So, I was sitting in the hallway waiting to be called back to see the doctor and I looked over and saw the fire extinguisher sitting on the floor. BUT, sitting right next to it was a red mop bucket filled with water. So, you're telling me that if the place is burning up in a blaze of glory you want me to throw a measly bucket of water on it? I thought this was so funny. When I had to head to another wing of the hospital I noticed that these buckets were strategically placed around every corner. 

I asked my translator to explain because surely I was wrong. Nope, she confirmed, "If there is fire, throw water on fire to put fire out. Then call for help if needed." I mean yeah if it was something small like some old dudes hospital gown or a pillow but if a room or wing of the hospital is on fire, those little buckets of water will not do shit. It's cute but a little naive. It seems to go along with the idea in Japanese culture that you never want to inconvenience anyone so you go out of your way, refusing to ask for help fearing that you might put someone out. Do they think they're going to annoy the firemen who are stationed right down the street? I don't know but it's one of the cultural differences that I will never understand. In the U.S., if you need help, you ask and for the most part we don't view as an inconvenience unless we dislike the person or if it's an outlandish request. On the flips side of it, the Japanese are so polite and accommodating, they will help you, the foreigner, with anything even if it is an inconvenience to them and they will never let you know you put them out either. In the U.S., we usually don't do things that are going to inconvenience ourselves and if we do we have a Not so subtle way of letting the other person know it either through body language or from our big mouths. I know this is a bit of a generalization but you get the point.

After the rain, the ground hardens

Well, after a really bad week of being temporarily disabled, feeling sorry for myself, being discriminated because I was in a wheelchair and just overall very unhappy with my situation, things are starting to look up. I had a check-up with my doctor on Friday where he took another x-ray. Everything looked normal and he said I was healing remarkably. I decided that I was over being pushed around in a wheelchair and made it my personal goal to get out of it as soon as possible. I stayed in all weekend, writing three papers, seriously I didn't leave the house at all until Sunday night when I attempted to buy a bottle of wine from the corner market but sadly they were closed. I kept my foot elevated and iced and I slept a lot. 

By Sunday the swelling had went down and I could actually put weight on my foot. So yesterday I decided I was going to ditch the wheelchair and use the crutches, not like you're supposed to use them but rather as a way to hold me up and keep me balanced. I put some weight on the foot and some on the crutches and was able to get to, around and from school yesterday. My foot ached a little last night but today it looks and feels the best its felt since the injury. I can even sort of put my shoe on, just not all the way. Hopefully I will be fully recovered by next week.

I was thinking about how we all endure trials and tribulations in life, no one is from exempt from them and some experiences are worse than others. We have a choice when faced with these tests-- we can either pick ourselves up and try again or we can give up. Although giving  up is so much easier than trying, I have always been up for the challenge to make it back from the bottom up. It's not always easy and there may be a pity party here and there but in the end I somehow always make it back. I don't know why I have this driving force or even where it comes from but I am glad I have it because if I didn't I would've given up on life a long time ago. 

These past two months have been really hard but they have given me insight about my life and the people in it. I feel stronger and wiser and you're never going to believe this but I actually have figured out how to relax. I've never been a mellow or relaxed person, in fact, I thought it was impossible because I have always been on level 10. However, being here away from everything and everyone has made me realize something about myself, I am the only who holds me back and I am the only one who can change it. I have always known that but never really believed it until now. For so many years I just accepted that I was high strung and a stress case feeling that it was just how I was and there was nothing anyone could do to about it. I  just accepted  it. I hated always being that way. I have always been the type of person who stresses about things that I had no control over, yet I would let them consume me. After 29 years, it was getting old. I don't know why being here has helped me work through so much but it has. This may be a too bit introspective for you all but I wanted to share it with you. I just feel like I have made so much progress within myself since I have been here. 

On the really hard days where I feel like giving up and coming home, I remind myself of this Japanese proverb, "After the rain, the ground hardens. After a storm things will stand on more solid ground than they did before." Adversity builds character. Life isn't always easy but it's what I live for. It has and always will be what I am the most passionate about. Living life without fear, regret or inhibitions. When life gives me lemons, I don't make lemonade rather I make a delicious margarita on the rocks with salt. 

29 is the new 50

Leslie has the body of a model. She is from New York and I suspect she comes from money. She wears expensive attire and accessories, short skirts and designer boots, has thick unmanageable curly hair and bad skin. She is cute though. She has personality, very charming and outgoing. I have her in one of my history classes and for the first month of school I could see her sizing me up. For what exactly, I am not sure. 

After a month or so she started saying hi to me in passing and then eventually moved her seat closer to mine. Like a fourth grader, I sit in the same seat every time in every class and I get really pissed if someone takes it. She started chatting it up with me before and after each class, mainly talking about herself, which is fine because I am a good listener. One day we both arrived to the class a bit early so the class that's before ours was still in session.  The first thing she says to me as she walks up is, "Did you get your haircut or something?" I say no, I just straightened it. You see, I am in Japan to learn not to look cute or to impress anyone because I have someone at home who loves me very much,  so really I don't care about my looks much here. I put my hair up every day and wear jeans and a t-shirt. On this day I wore my hair down, straightened and I guess I looked cute.

"You should wear it down more often because, girl it looks sooooo good. Damn, I wish I had you're hair!" 

I tell her thanks. She then proceeds to drill me on my life in and outside of Japan. Asking me questions about which Seminar House (dorm) I live in, who are my roommates, do I like them, blah blah blah. When I tell her I have my own room she demands to know why.

"Well, two reasons. One is that I have chronic insomnia and living in close quarters with someone wouldn't be a good thing. Two, I am 29 and have been living on my own since I was 16, I am not having a roommate now." 

Before I could even finish sentence, she grabs my arm and screams, "29! You're 29! 29??!!" As she is doing this her face is so close to my face that I can feel her breath, she pulls my arm again, looks me up and down, analyzes my boobs, looks behind me at my ass and looks me up and down again screaming, "29!"

"Damn girl, you look soooooo good for being 29! I hope I look that good when I am 29."

"I'll be 30 in July." 

"Whhhhhatttt, 30!!! Oh my god! I cannot believe you're going to be 30 in July!"

She then repeats the process of checking my ass, boobs and well, the whole package and grabs me by the arm again asking me what my secret is.

I stand there a little confused. What are you supposed to look like at 29? Sagging boobs and a big ass? I'm not sure.

 

"You must work out a lot. You don't have kids do you?"

" I'd say I am active but I definitely don't have a work out plan and I definitely don't have kids."

She steps back and checks me out again shaking her head. This is hilarious to me because 29 is not old but then again she is 20 so maybe 29 and 30 is old. At my school I get this a lot, minus the checking out of my boobs and ass, from people when they find out my age. I guess I should take it as a compliment because for a 29 year old I guess I have a banging body and look smoking hot because the other day Leslie screamed hello to me across the courtyard while she was sitting with all of her friends. Then she yells, to her friends but loud enough for me and anyone else near by to hear, "Can you believe she's 29, almost 30?! I hope I'm hot and have a banging body like her when I am 29!"

So everyone proceeds to check me out and I couldn't walk fast enough. Thanks Leslie.

By the way, I am the oldest female at my school. A guy from Australia beats me at 44. 

Being a Broad in Japan (Ha, get it?!)

I stumbled across this masterpiece in the library as I was doing research for a history paper. The title is genius so I flipped through and realized that the content is genius too. I wish I would've found this book before I came to Japan. I was really excited and wheeled myself up to the check-out counter only to find a sign that informed me that I wasn't allowed to check out books on this particular day. There was no real explanation. The librarian was sitting right behind the stupid sign and gave me the Japanese death glare sensing that I might inquire why there was no check-out service. I backed down and returned the book in the book drop-off. I'm going to go back on Monday and hopefully I can actually use the check-out service because this book looks awesome. Japan never ceases to amaze and confuse me.

Radio

I received an email from my advisor asking to me to contact one the hosts of a radio show called, Think Out Loud, which is on OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting) and broadcasted through NPR (National Public Radio).  They were doing a show titled, "Amercia's Image Abroad," and wanted to book people for the show who are or had recently traveled, interned or studied abroad to see how people across the world view America these days. Because of the time difference I wasn't able to email him in time to be a guest but I wrote a brief comment on their website about people's perceptions of America in Japan and my friend emailed me saying they read it on the radio. Sweet! I'm still not famous though. Ha!

Here's the link to the comment I posted, not the actual broadcast.

http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud/shows/americas-image-abroad/

Scroll down to the comments part and you'll see mine.