Monthly Archives: June 2019

Farewell, Japan!

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By: Shon Xiao

Hi! I’m Shon, a rising junior at USC. It’s been such a good three weeks here in Japan with the USC and Meiji students, it’s hard to believe it came to an end. In all honesty, the fact that it’s over still has yet to hit me, even though I’m already out of Japan while I’m writing this.

Our last day in Japan was a bit hectic, needless to say, but was still a wonderful memory. Around noon, Joe and I went to TeamLab Borderless, a recently established digital art museum with marvelous displays that constantly change as the day goes on. The museum had several rooms, most of them hidden behind curtains that blend into the wall. The sheer scale of the displays in the museum made the experience ethereal.

Projectors cast glowing displays on makeshift lily pads at TeamLab.

Joe and I returned to Sakura Hotel with only a little time before the Farewell Party at Meiji University. All of us USC students gathered in the café at Sakura to write cards for the Meiji supporters. Thanks to Jessica and Thomas, who organized the card-writing and bought the materials, each pair of USC students wrote a letter for each of their Meiji supporters. Krystal and I wrote messages for our supporters Ara-chan, Yuto, and Mizuki. I was lucky enough to bond with these three over the course of the program, particularly during the Kiyosato retreat. I also wrote a few letters for other Meiji supporters I bonded with to show my thanks. With only ten or so minutes before the Farewell Party, I regret not being able to buy more gifts and write more letters for the Meiji students. I definitely left out a few people that I was lucky to meet.

Taryn and Kenny showing off their beautiful letters.

The Farewell Party truly made the trip feel like it had come full circle, being held in the 23rd floor of Liberty Tower. We cheered, much like on the first day of the program, and began feasting. After finishing our meals, we heard several speeches from faculty and students from both USC and Meiji, all expressing messages along the lines of ‘time flew by fast, but we will never forget this experience.’ I’m sure that many of us resonated with this message. It was strange acknowledging that the program was coming to an end and that we would soon split apart and go our separate ways.

Professor Katada giving a speech at the Farewell Party.

After the speeches, the USC students and Meiji supporters exchanged gifts. USC students gave letters while Meiji supporters gave shikishi, a small board filled with messages from each Meiji supporter. It was so moving to see the amount of effort they put into their present and all the sweet messages written on the board. I promised them I’d treasure the gift forever and place it on my desk.

Unfortunately, many Meiji supporters were unable to make the Farewell Party because they still had classes to attend. However, the majority of the Meiji supporters made it to the second party that Tatsuya so kindly organized for us. I was happy to be able to say a final goodbye to all the Meiji students. We sang, danced, and overall had a wonderful time. I was able to bond even more with a few supporters.

USC and Meiji students celebrating at the second party.

In the middle of the second party, I stepped out onto the smoking terrace to get some fresh air. Out of curiosity and whim, I followed the stairs up to the roof of the building. There was a view of a quiet neighborhood of Tokyo, and I could faintly hear the blaring music and singing voices from downstairs. Detached from the party scene, I was really able to take in the moment and say a final farewell to the city of Tokyo. Or, at least, a final farewell to the program. I spent my time up on the roof reflecting on my time here and the friends I’ve made, despite not expecting to. I came into this program with little to no expectations in fear of being disappointed, but EASC Japan has been more than I could have hoped for. I’ve come to Japan once before, but for the first time I became close friends with Japanese locals and learned about more niche Japanese minority groups. While it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to Japan, I know for sure that I am coming back to learn even more. Thank you, GEA Japan, for giving me this opportunity to experience Japan in a unique setting. Time flew by fast, but I will never forget this experience.

Night view of a quiet street in Tokyo. I’ll miss these clean streets and tall buildings.

Thank you, Japan!

LAST PUSH! 6/6/19

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By: Kenneth Wong

What a wild couple of days it has been! The last few weeks have flown by and this Maymester is coming to a close. This blog post is for June 6th, two days before the end of the program. I started off the morning by sleeping in until 9am! I feel like I am finally getting used to the time difference in this country just in time to fly back to the States. I started off the day singing in the shower so I know I’ve become too comfortable living here! Today, I went to a small cafe named Streamer in Naka-Meguro. The public transportation in this country is remarkably efficient and easy to use… after a few mishaps. Despite how directionally challenged I am known to be, I find that traveling around the big city has become a luxury rather than a nuisance.

Beautiful day in Naka-Meguro! Perfect weather for work in the morning and walking around at night.

Streamers Coffee Company was not meant to serve as a breakfast and hangout session. Three Global East Asia Scholars, myself included, worked diligently to finish the big final paper rough draft! After waking up at 9 o’clock, I had a little less than 24 hours to finish my draft and submit it to Professor Katada. The goal was to complete the rest of the project to free up the remainder of the day. After several drinks and one banana, I was able to finish! Even when faced with a deadline, I was still able to enjoy the aesthetic and beauty of working in Japan.

After the cafe visit came editing with my research partner, Thomas, back in Jimbocho. The majority of the day was set as the backdrop for students to finish working on their projects. We were able to finish the project relatively quickly, so I went to Shibuya later that night! Most of this trip has been traveling in large groups, so moving in a group size of 3 had its own challenges. The temperature was 87 degrees Fahrenheit, significantly warmer than the previous few days. This gave the night a fresh feeling and made night walking down the streets of Tokyo remarkably comfortable.

View of the famous Shibuya crossing from the train station! Much more hectic at night!

I no longer feel stressed roaming the streets of Tokyo! Being unable to speak the language has been an issue, but it has pushed me to come up with creative solutions to not being able to communicate effectively. I am effectively a foreigner in this country with a limited understanding of the Japanese language, but I have not let that hinder my enjoyment and workflow in this foreign land.

It has taken three weeks, but a rhythm has been very much established in my daily life in Japan. Whether it be onigiri from the local conbini (Convenience Store), Pocari Sweat from the vending machine, or going sightseeing in the busy streets of Shibuya, this research process has gone by in the blink of an eye. Spending the morning at the cafe was a much needed calming of the storm, but this last push towards the finish line has been sensational!

Sushi and the Korean Identity

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By: Thomas Kim

Hello there!

My name is Thomas, and I’m a rising senior majoring in International Relations with a minor in Environmental Studies. Welcome to the June 4th edition of What and Where Has Global East Asia: Japan Eaten and Been to Today! On today’s edition, we indulged our taste buds in sushi followed by a personally interesting visit to a Korean school.

After a late night of working on my final paper draft, I woke up, hungry and ready for sushi. I held out, mentally fortifying myself against the thoughts of warm toast and butter in the lobby. In what seems like an eternity later, we finally made it to a revolving sushi restaurant in Shibuya.

Heaven on a Conveyor Belt

Growing up, my grandparents owned a sushi restaurant, so to see my childhood favorite, tamago (egg) sushi, made every bite even more wonderful. The food exploded with flavor, and we spent a blissful hour there, stuffing our faces with wonderful sushi and our eyes with little trains delivering orders across the restaurant.

Tamago sushi

Marinated Salmon sushi

Now to the big event from today: our visit to a Korean school. For some background, the ethnic Korean population in Japan is referred to as the zainichi, and they are historically treated as second-class citizens within Japan, even today. They originally came to Japan for economic opportunity when Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945, and now the zainichi population has been here for several generations. Post-World War II, the respective North and South Korean governments began funding schools for the Korean diaspora that continued to live in Japan. Fast forward to the present, and there are only 9 such Korean schools left around Japan. In this time frame, the North Korean government has financially supported many of these schools.

“Tokyo Korean Middle and High School”

Junior High and High School Building

As soon as we walk through the gate, the buildings loomed a little ominously. What could we expect from a school that has received financial support from the North Korean government? Our guide for the visit escorted us into a conference room where he introduced the school and some of its history. The school, Tokyo Korean Middle and High School, is the largest of the 9 Korean schools still in Japan, with about 113 middle school students and 358 high school students. Established on October 5, 1946, the school is celebrating its 73rd anniversary, and most of the students are 3rd or 4th generation zainichi. The students’ nationalities are split between South Korean, North Korean, and Japanese. Our guide mentioned that the school is not geared academically towards funneling its students to college; rather, it seemed like the school wanted to bring athletic prestige as he rattled off the rankings of its various sports teams. Officially, the school has 3 pillars: Intellect, Ethics, and Athletics, and its main goal is to nurture the spirit of Korean culture by learning its language and history. Students are not allowed to use Japanese while at school, except for the younger ones who enter because they would only know Japanese. The students also come from all over Tokyo; some take a 2.5 hour commute because they take it seriously on behalf of their parents’ passion for them to better understand their heritage.

Student art depicting a chima-jeogori

After this general orientation, he took us to various classrooms in the junior high (7th to 9th grade) and high school floors (10th to 12th grade). I do not know what I expected, but I did not expect the students to look at us in the hallway and start smiling and waving at us. It could have been the traditional chima-jeogori that female students were wearing as well as the more elaborate ones that female teachers were wearing. It could have been the portraits of deceased North Korean dictators Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il hanging up at the front of the high school classrooms, or the teachers speaking to their students with a clearly North Korean-dialect. This showed me that even though the teachers themselves are zainichi, the North Korean influence is visible. Interestingly, the junior high classrooms did not have the Kim portraits, and the junior high English classroom was full of laughter and fun. Keith, who wrote about our earlier visit to Miyajima Island, was brought up to the front for the students to practice a conversation with a native English speaker! But as we traveled between classrooms, there were signs everywhere saying the same thing: “우리말”, which basically translates to “Our language”. This refers to their policy of using only Korean at school.

“Let’s use Our Language very well!” aka: USE KOREAN

After touring several classrooms and many waves and smiles later, we returned to the conference room, where our guide brought 8 high school students. The 4 guys and 4 girls split the table, so that they were separated by gender. Then began an awkward attempt at questions and answers from between our two groups, as the language barrier made it so Kyohei, Professor Katada, and our guide had to translate and facilitate conversation. When asked about how they, as zainichi living in Japan, see the North vs South Korea issue, they stated that they feel sad because all three groups of Koreans are all one ethnic group. They have a strong desire for reunification and seek to help play a role in that future. Because my project with my partner, Kenny, focuses on the immigrants’ perspective on living in Japan in the context of discrimination and anti-immigrant sentiment, I asked how they felt about discrimination as zainichi. The captain of the girls’ basketball team said that when they play against Japanese schools, sometimes the Japanese teams are normal and amicable, while others could seem cautious and wary about them because of who they are. She later went on to say that once she revealed her zainichi heritage to her Japanese friends in her youth, some stayed friends with her while others became fearful and hesitant to talk to her after that. She even experienced some bullying from it before she entered the Korean school.

At the end of our visit, we took a group photo and gave our thank you’s for the opportunity to learn about the school and talk to the students. I personally could not articulate how I felt. Even while sitting in the hotel and writing this blog post, I cannot find the best ways to phrase this tension that the visit gave me. As a Korean American, whose grandma fled North Korea when the Korean War broke out, I was honestly never super patriotic about my Korean heritage. This was made worse by living in South Korea for four years, a place I do NOT miss. Yet as a Korean American who had lived in South Korea before, the heavy North Korean influence bothered me. However, what I saw and heard from the guide and students was a completely different worldview. If anything, my perspective of South Korea as the “right” side because of my past and my knowledge of South Korea as a key American ally felt wrong. There was no North vs South. It was all one Korean people, living in an unfortunate and difficult situation to where our people are pitted against one another. These students are roughly half North Korean and half South Korean by geographic heritage, yet they do not feed into that notion. They consider themselves Koreans, albeit Koreans living in Japan. For me, as someone who still struggles with his Korean American identity at times, seeing these Korean Japanese students confirm their identities as simply Korean astounded me. Additionally, seeing Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il’s portraits at the front of the classrooms made me feel conflicted. Some of these students are proud to have North Korean nationalities, but it seemed like they had no idea about the plight of the North Korean people under these past dictators and the current dictator. Yet they are not the cult-like devotee citizens that we in America are taught about.

“Put your hand to your heart!” A message on pride for your Korean heritage

If anything, this visit truly opened my eyes to another worldview. I was raised in a North vs South Korea ideology by my Korean relatives and the American education system. To see another view, one that speaks to the Korean people as a whole, held with such strong conviction shocked me. While I still need some time to consolidate my feelings, identity, and thoughts after this visit, I can say that this visit was one of the most impactful events thus far on my Global East Asia Japan journey, as it shook me to the core, rattling my perception of my identity as an ethnic Korean. But why else do we travel if not to challenge our own preconceptions on identity and worldviews?

Mount Fuji

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By: Momo

Hi friends!

Today our team had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Mount Fuji. Departing from Meiji University, the drive to the iconic volcano was filled with vibrant energy as we connected with our Meiji supporters. From Tokyo, the drive took a little under three hours. This put the speed of the Shinkansen into a new light as we had zipped by the beautiful mountain in what seemed like just half an hour the week before!

As we ascended the mountain, a heavy fog shrouded the windows, only adding to the anticipation. Professor Katada then announced that if we listened carefully, we would hear the music of Mount Fuji. I had never heard of this before, but the whole bus went silent in an attempt to hear the mountain’s song. The faint chimes coupled with the fog created a mystical atmosphere that had me in awe of Japan’s natural landscape.

Winding around the mountain, Professor Nelson from Meiji informed us that we would stop at the 5th station, which was bustling with tourist shots and (hopefully) a good view of the summit. Passing by lush evergreens, a clearing finally opened for a brief second, and we could see just how far we had driven. Then, we parked at the fifth station and disembarked the bus to observe all the location had to offer.

Getting off the bus, the fog thickened, and an icy cold enwrapped our bodies. After just experiencing a heatwave in Tokyo, I was thrilled by the refreshing cold and crisp mountain air. We could not yet see the summit, so our group decided to explore.

Walking into the main store, I was taken aback by all of the delicious goodies the vendors had on sale (I am sure you’ve heard this before, but I will say it again— the food, especially the sweets, are so good in Japan.) My eyes were first drawn to these scrumptious Mount Fuji Melon Cakes that were stuffed with custard. Since we could not yet see the actual mountain, a few of us purchased the little cakes, which proved to be a delicious alternative. As the yogi in me randomly decided to be healthy, I kept looking for a snack that would satiate my desires and commemorate the moment. After passing by rows of candies and pastries galore, I found a vendor at the back of the store selling apples. Fuji apples to be precise. Since Japan is an island, fruit is hard to come by and proves quite expensive! In fact, each of these apples cost the equivalent five US dollars! Since I had been craving fruit, and since the pun was just too good, I decided to splurge a little, and let me tell you, the apple was juicy, fresh, and delicious.

Mount FUJI Apple :^)

Fuji Cakes. Yum!

After the group finished wrapping up their purchases, we exited the store to a beautiful sight. The sun had broken through the fog for a brief moment and we were able to see the stunning beauty of the mountain. Tourists swarmed to get pictures in before the fog overtook the snow-capped summit. I quickly pulled out my phone to try and sneak some shots, but alas, the fog once again returned. At this point, it was time to head back to the bus to continue our journey to the Kiyosato retreat. Despite only seeing the summit for a brief moment, the aura of the environment, coupled with Mt. Fuji’s physical beauty, has me yearning to return to hike the mountain in the future. Until then, I cannot wait to experience the rest of the sights Japan has to offer. 

Fifth Station Store

Kiyosato First Day

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By: Lane Belton

After spending our first night in Kiyosato, and getting to experience what it’s like to sleep on a Japanese futon, we all got up bright and early for our group presentations.

Everyone got to do some really exciting fieldwork here in Japan, supplementing what we’d learned in our classes in Los Angeles with first-hand, on-the-ground-experience. Now it was time to share our findings with each other. People’s research methods ranged from roaming around Tokyo searching for subjects to interview, to participating in a traditional tea ceremony, to visiting gay bars and LGBT community centers, to sending out online surveys with the help of our Meiji supporters, and all sorts of other fascinating experiences and sources of information. The Meiji students also helped us prepare and deliver our presentations. They provided really helpful insights and perspectives. While each group came at the problem from a different perspective, we were all trying to answer the same kinds of questions: What does diversity mean to Japan? Where is the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation? What are the experiences of people who exist outside of the mainstream Japanese society? How is Japanese society changing, and in what ways is it resistant to change?

GEA scholars, Shon and Krystal, and Meiji students presenting their research

We presented our projects for a couple hours, broke for a delicious curry lunch, and then presented for a couple more hours. Once the final presentation wrapped up, everyone needed to rest their brains for a while. We used our free time to play some ping pong and badminton, catch naps, relax in the ofuro, and go hiking. The seminar house is in a beautiful area with lots of trees, greenery, and hiking paths, and while Tokyo has been a lot of fun, it was nice to get to spend a little quiet time in nature.

Beautiful area where the seminar house is located

Then we met for dinner—all that hiking and badminton had worked up an appetite. The previous night, the seminar house had treated us to standard Japanese dinner (one of the Meiji students mentioned that the food was a little boringly familiar for them, but it was cool to us!), but that evening they tried to make us feel at home with dishes like fried chicken, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese. After dinner, the Meiji students kindly gave us a calligraphy lesson and taught us how to write our names in kanji.

And then it was party time!

We had already gotten to know the Meiji students through shared meals, icebreaker activities, and working on our projects together, but it was really fun to get to hang out with them in a more casual setting. We took turns choosing the music, which was a great chance to talk about our favorite bands and artists, sing along to ABBA and Queen (apparently everyone knows all the words to Bohemian Rhapsody in Japan too), and bond over our varying levels of dancing skill.

After an early wake-up, the adrenaline of our presentations, and a late night partying, everyone finally crashed. Hopefully, now that we’ve had a chance to relax and let off some steam at the retreat, we’ll be ready to write our papers.

Leaving for Kiyosato

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By: Asha Rao

Today my roommate, Shon, and I woke up at a glorious 7:00 am to get ready for our departure to the Kiyosato retreat facility. The morning meeting time may not have been the most favorable for my coffee-depleted body, but I have been waiting for this chance to travel and bond with all our Meiji supporters! We get to experience the beautiful mountainside, the precious moments with our supporting students, and (of course) the gorgeous yellow and white facade of google slides. To head over to the retreat facility, we hunkered down road-trip style and all filtered into a giant bus. I was honestly surprised at how many people were able to fit themselves and their luggage into one vehicle, but perhaps that is my American mind speaking. I honestly wish I could report more about the bus ride itself, but I was insanely tired and passed out. From my few waking moments, however, I can attest to the incredible beauty of the Japanese countryside. The green is almost overwhelming; a huge contrast to my perpetually dehydrated lawn back in Texas!

This picture was taken at our first pit stop along the ride.

We took our first pit stop about an hour down the road and we were allowed to grab a meal. I had an enormous bowl of soba and some tempura on the side, and I feel like I must say that the Japanese portion size is not always smaller than the American one! If it’s even possible, I slept way harder on the next leg to the retreat center with all those delicious noodles in my stomach. Our bus finally pulled into the parking lot of the retreat center around 3:00 pm, and we shuffled into the building to get checked in.

I honestly can’t believe that we were given the opportunity to spend time in such a gorgeous building. It is so spacious and peaceful, and the amount of natural light makes it look even larger. My roommates are named Haruno and Kaori. They aren’t the supporters for my project, but I’m really looking forward to getting to know people outside my immediate reach. Learning how to bypass this language barrier has provided such valuable lessons, both in my deliberateness with speaking, but also my creativity in explaining things! I have, of course, been constantly in awe with Japan and the opportunities this visit has offered me, but I think something about sharing a home with this crazy, diverse lot has really struck me. I will absolutely cherish my time here in Japan, and although we have a week left, I’m already starting to miss it.

The inner courtyard of the Kiyosato retreat facility!

After being served a strikingly DELICIOUS dinner, our entire group went outside to celebrate the start of the retreat with some sparklers and fireworks! I never imagined trying to light sparklers on fire could be such a social activity, but I think we really began to bond while shoving flammable fire sticks in each other’s faces. Once the fireworks finished, we headed inside to work in our groups to finish and/or polish our presentations for tomorrow (eek!). I imagine I’ll have to stay up late to finish my preparation work, but my excitement from finally seeing everything my friends have been working on these past couple weeks is giving me the energy to stick it out. I hope tomorrow is a collective win for all us USC and Meiji students!

Sparklers at the retreat

GEA Japan scholars and Meiji Students enjoying the sparklers and fireworks

A Day Roaming Around Tokyo

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By: Taryn Akiyoshi

The biggest Starbucks Reserve in the World!!

Today marks the second free day we have in Tokyo! I still haven’t adjusted to the time change so I wake up at 7:00 in the morning. On any regular day, waking up that early in the morning would have been met with fatigue; however, it works in my favor as I now have more time to explore the city. Having some work to do for class, three of the other Global East Asia Scholars and I went to the largest Starbucks Reserve in the world located a few stations away in Naka-Meguro. As I walked down the street I encountered a beautiful, four-story, wooden building, dressed with hanging plants and guarded by security. To my surprise, this is a Starbucks. Walking into the doors opened by the guards, I was in awe as giant coffee roasters embellished with copper cherry blossoms fill the air with the scent of coffee. Each floor of this Starbucks had a different theme. The first floor was for coffee, the second for tea, the third for cocktails, and the fourth for lounging. The pastries were gourmet, providing spectacular savory and sweet treats that were incomparable to those I received on my way to class each morning. Every area of the cafe was filled with the natural lighting provided by the large glass windows, making it a fantastic place to study. I ordered a Hazelnut Latte and a prosciutto croissant and was ready to finish my presentation.

After finishing some work, I went to Meguro station to meet my friend from USC who was studying abroad at Tokyo International University. I have not seen her in months, so we caught up as we walked along the Meguro River. The river was pristine and lined with vibrant trees. In addition to being a beautiful place to take an afternoon stroll, it was also accompanied by cute boutique stores and cafe shops. My friend and I biked down the riverfront, explored the city and bought several souvenirs to take home to LA.

Tonkatsu Tonki in Meguro

Working up an appetite from the day, we went to eat tonkatsu at Tonkatsu Tonki. I was amazed by the layout the moment I walked through the door. A carefully crafted wooden bar faced an open kitchen that allowed diners to experience the efficiency with which the restaurant was run. Each person had their own task. One chef would only take orders, another would only cut the tonkatsu. It amazed me to see how many of the restaurants in Japan do not serve many dishes but rather specialize in one. The tonkatsu was perfectly golden served with pickles, rice, miso soup, and cabbage salad. It was easily one of the best meals I had ever had. Despite having a full and satisfying meal, I made a stop at Family Mart before heading to my home away from home. Here I bought water and a waffle ice cream. The waffle was crunchy, lined with dark chocolate and filled with rich vanilla ice cream inside. Satisfied after dessert and tired after a long day, I went home to rest and plan my activities for the next day.