Still Waiting

Just waiting to go home now. Since I have stopped working I have grown a beard and ressemble Zangieff from Street Fighter two, although my stomach has still a bit to go to match his.

One thing I have noticed about Japan is that makes me appreciate the value of true wealth. Sure Japan is the second richest country in the world in terms of GDP but this figure is in someways misleading. Japanese live in small cramped aparments, work for large fascist (and after working for one I dont think its an exaggeration) corporations who often pay them a pittance for double the work　（i.e the office lady). But most of all after observing the way that the cogs and wheels of this incredible society turns in motion I notice more and more that in some ways all Japanese people are enslaved, not so much in th literal classical sense but they are slaves to the wants and needs of a crushingly constrictive society that strikes out at any attempt of meaningful individualism. I see it on the faces of people every day, there is a word in Japanese "ganbatte" that often is translated as chin up or hang in there, but often the real meaning is "endure." I particularly see this on the pained face of many mothers , they endure life, they may smile but it is often painfully executed, they may laugh but it is from nervousness and anxiety. Even when I have attended formal parties for example all the mothers are desperately anxious that everything should be just right and maintain harmonious face, smiling nervously again obligating them selves to the usual Japanese rituallisaiton of events. Never mind the party stinks! Thats not important! People endure but dont enjoy life, in fact I think a lot of people dont really no how to enjoy themselves. I go to night clubs sometimes and people are dancing like theyre in a morgue bopping up un done with a slow, dull sense of ryhthm. I then proceed to do my wolffie thing (which to all that know of it will contest is like no other) and people stare at my enjoyment like I am some kind of alien (which I often am I guess.)

The whole education system is a perfect example of how you can totally miss the point in living. School kids study study study and then study study study untill late at night. I have no doubts hard work can lead to greater oppurtunities but theres no balance. They are all work and no play and quite frankly that doesnt encourage interesting and enterprising young people. It sickens me when I see young school kids coming out of a juku at 10pm on a saturday night I want to tell them to go home and piss about. In fact if there were more kids pissing about and doing other things apart from rotememorising a mass of facts (which is pretty much what education means in japan) there would be more entrepeneurs, more critical thinkers and more inventors and less anal bureaucrats who display about as much initiative and lateral thinking as a peanut (for a great account of this read miyamotos straitjacket society.) In short there would be a more self assured dynamic society.

Im sorry to moan so much, but blogging is in essence cathartic and therefore rantish, but i do think its important to talk about the negative issues facing Japan, face up　to the realities of Japan and not the crazy people country that its reduced to on Tarrants TV, or the Geisha, mysterious postcard Japan, or frenetic corporate Japan. Too often Japan and the people have been patronised ridiculed and misunderstood. Even living here to understand the country takes time to uncover and I have met people who have lived here for a long time but they live within an expat gaijin syndromed world where they live for the tatemae of Japanese life. To appreciate the honne, takes time, a hell a lot of patience and an open mind but i feel I have got to a very important stage here and feel ive learnt a lot about human beings and myself. Its good to go back now to england, see family and old friends who I have missed very much and take stock of all that has happened here and get some fresh perspective.

And enjoy the reverse culture shock!