Day 2 – Start of work proper and more on Akiba…
Posted on | March 3, 2008 | 8 Comments |
So,
Here I am in the Kameda medical centre computer room, attempting to type fast on this stupid Japanese keyboard (the spacebar is so short I keep hitting the keys either side…and I don’t know what they do. And apostrophe is SHIFT-7. WTF.) Today has been not a particularly fruitful day on the sightseeing front. Woke early and sleepily (having waited up til past midnight when they unlock the big sento bath on the top floor of my hotel) and ambled down to Tokyo station. People who:ve been there should know that the only thing to see around the station is the Imperial palace.
After a half hour long traipse involving finding coin lockers for rucksack, finding kiosk to get change for coin lockers, finding my way through the ridiculously confusing maze of tunnels under Tokyo JR station, I arrived at the Palace, only to remember something that the Japanese lady told me in the plance the day before – the gardens are closed on Mondays and Fridays…and the other gates are guarded by some scary looking guards with stern expressions. Darn. Then spent another 20 minutes searching for a coffee shop amongst rows and rows of swanky restaurants on “Kitchen avenue”, almost going into a “rare ale” pub that served beer at 5 pounds a bottle before finally finding a Starbucks. If anything, I think I know my way around Tokyo station better than most of the locals now…
If you wanna look at my Flickr page I have some photos of my room. I have my very own apartment door! And an ofuro! All to myself! And a fish grill! It’s just so exciting…Am a bit concerned about uploading pics and things on these computers, but the doctors sitting near me don’t seem to mind.
So, what of my thoughts on today? I was thinking about manners. I was talking about it with the director of my elective, and he thinks the same.
Ever since I touched down in Japan, knowing what I do, the thing I am most scared of is accidentally offending someone. It:s one thing coming into Japan a gaijin and disrespecting customs, but it is another thing entirely coming into a country looking like a Japanese person and disrespecting customs. I opened a door for an old lady today and was surprised to read later on in my Rough Guide that it might be thought of as rude by the passers by. I blew my nose in public, no doubt fatally offending several other people and no doubt some of my bows were either too shallow or too short.
The most annoying thing about it is that you really get no indication from the person you are offending whether they are actually offended – it’s really up to you to go away and learn thing long list of things to do and not do and do it yourself. Scary.
Hmm…I had other things to say, but they’ve slipped my mind, so I’ll just skip back to my thoughts on Akiba.
As I was saying yesterday, Akiba is the home of otaku. Their general home, anyway – barring that rare weekend where they all migrate south for the winter (and summer) towards Ariake and the Tokyo Big Sight for the Comic Festival. As you walk around the many shops in Akiba, there is one overriding and pervading thought above all others: why are there no fucking ramen shops in Akiba while there are millions everywhere else? When you fancy a simplw bowl of ramen, why is it so goddamn difficult to find??
OK, maybe not that thought.
Akiba is mainly populated by males of a certain variety – they are usually either overweight or slim and greasy – usually with a shoulder bag of some kind (for storing swag) and they shuffle around the shelves with the same festinant gait, avoiding everyone’s gaze. Somehow, they always have a camera to hand (useful, I guess, to quickly snap up any photo opportunties or spontaneous cosplay). They fawn over rare phonecards and gundam models and gawk at girls in cosplay and maid uniforms. But what’s wrong with that?Â
Standing in MelonBooks under the Hey! game arcade I started feeling like Saki out of Genshiken…Even though I am inside perhaps no different from these men, I somehow had this persistent fear of becoming a part of this society.
To sum it up in a phrase – Otaku are generally uncool. Although I quite like being uncool in the UK, there is just something distinctly strange about Akihabara inhabitants that elevate them above mere social rejection. Strangely, being a Japan otaku is almost cool in the UK (I emphasise the word “almost”, though).
I think the difference between the two forms of otaku are that in the UK, the lay-person knows almost nothing about being otaku. At the very most, they’ll ask about tentacles, or even Pokemon porn if you’re lucky, but as soon as you’ve denied all knowledge of the above, it’s pretty much plain sailing…
However, the Japanese otaku suffers from the negative image of his kind – Although normal people are similarly ignorant of the full depravity of the great bulk of otakudom, there is at least an inkling that they might well be into something not entirely wholesome. Probably involving tentacles. And Lolicon.
As I was walking round, I thought to myself – “Do I really want to be a part of this culture and be like these people?” Looking back on myself, it was a little unfair. Otaku are the same wherever you go – Just men indulging in their genetic urge of obsessions. While some prefer to indulge in weapon collecting or support of their favourite football team, others prefer entertainment of the 2-dimensional variety. Just because they have the physique that goes with a life of the indoors, doesn’t mean they aren’t nice people…
And the moral of the story is : Never base who you like on what they like.
Yuribou – over and out.
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8 Responses to “Day 2 – Start of work proper and more on Akiba…”
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March 3rd, 2008 @ 1:53 pm
Sweet, first comment. Back on subject, I was getting scared for you for a second yuribou, you sounded like you were doubting yourself for a second there, just remember, if you ever have feelings like those again just pick up a yuri like Strawberry Panic or something and everything will be ok.
March 3rd, 2008 @ 8:31 pm
[...] Another fellow blogger added an interesting post today on Day 2 – Start of work proper and more on Akiba… [...]
March 3rd, 2008 @ 8:38 pm
Very nice journal you’ve been writing of your trip so far. Keep it up! I just have to comp with previous comment, when doubts arise, just put some good anime in your player and enjoy. Things like that will wash it up soon :)
I’m keen to find out more of how you manage with your Japanese. I studied the language back at university for 2 years, but I feel like I still lack the confidence to actually speak it with anyone else than my sensei…
Keep writing of what shows up in there!
March 4th, 2008 @ 2:38 am
morical: well, generally not managing is what I’m doing…especially when I’ve got morning brain (asa-no-atama ^-^) Resorting to English when I’m stuck and gestures are the way to go I think…
March 4th, 2008 @ 10:33 am
I’m more interested in the ratio of how much you can say to how much you can understand. Having learned all my Japanese from anime I pretty much cannot speak at all, even if I can understand a fair amount. I really think the only way to properly learn a language is to be in the proper language environment (in other words join Yuribou).
March 5th, 2008 @ 6:40 am
These posts are great in so many ways! Not only are they entertaining, but I think they can help prepare people who have never gone to Japan (including me) but who want to go and dont know what it will be like! Keep up the great work, Yuribou!
March 5th, 2008 @ 11:20 pm
Pillowcase: actually finding that I can speak more than I can understnd – mainly because my vocabulary is very limited and when Japanese people are talking fast it’s difficult to understand…I realise that this is a strange way round for it to be!
Post about my hospital shortly I think…
March 6th, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
I can definitely understand about looking Japanese but being foreign and winding up in a series of cultural snafus. I’m in the same situation.
I used to think nose blowing was taboo but pretty much everyone except me blows their nose in public. They’ll do that but then rush outside when their cell rings. Hmm.