Why People Dress Nice in Japan

Japan is a culture that thinks of others over themselves. Most people are thinking will I be a bother to other people before taking action. This way of thinking applies to a lot of different aspects of daily life in Japan. But for today, I'll be discussing the dressing habits in Japan.

It is well known that Japan is famous for its fashion. These seasonal fashion trends can be most commonly found in Shibuya prefecture in Tokyo, Japan. The reason Shibuya is known for its fashion is because of its hundreds of stores with the latest fashions. A popular department store in Shibuya is Shibuya 109. It features 10 floors of clothing stores and restaurants. It's a very busy places with crowds of people looking for the popular trend that's out. It's a great place to visit as a tourist if you are into the more modern lifestyle of Japan.

Shibuya 109 building.

If you venture out into other cities in Japan there won't be as much hype for fashion, but looking good still exists. Previously mentioned, it is important to present yourself in a clean, respected manner. This includes the way you dress. I've briefly discussed this topic in another blog post of mine titled Japanese Pop Culture. I'll have the link to that post at the end of this one. Anyway, There are guidelines on how you should dress. For females, it is acceptable to show as much leg as you would like but it is necessary to cover the chest. Japan is a country of modesty which is why the chest needs to be covered. It is also common for females to where heels. There's no strict reason for this. It's a combination of looking taller and fashionable. For males, the desired look to aim for is cleanly dressed. Fitted clothing accomplishes this desired look. Now there are exceptions to these guidelines. Older adults will still dress nicely, but it'll be in a more comfortable way. So instead of heels they may wear tennis shoes since walking is a common activity in Japan. Also living in a more rural area gives room for compromise, as it may not make too much of a difference to dress up in a low populated area. There's also going out to tourist attractions. If you know you're going to be walking a lot from place to place it might not be reasonable to dress up.

Touristy area in Kyoto and a ton of stairs. Dress in comfortable shoes in you plan on walking a lot.

Now, it is not required to dress up in your own house in Japan. In privacy, it's okay to be more relaxed. But if you're going out to the grocery store or the post office, little errand like that, you should consider following the dress procedures I mentioned above.

I personally love this way of thinking. Yes, it can be seen as annoying to most people who just don't care about their appearance. I'm sometimes guilty of not caring and going out looking like a slob. But it would be nice to dress up without having a reason to dress up. The most common look where I'm from is a shirt, some shorts, and flip flops on your feet. In my home of New Orleans, its not common to dress up on a daily basis, unless your job requires this of you. In my case, I work in a back office where no one hardly ever sees me except for the occasional potty breaks and whatnot. On rare occasions I like to try to look nice, and people notice I'm looking nice but then they ask me, "What are you all dressed up for?" I can't dress up just to dress up? There has to be a reason? This is not fair in my opinion. There shouldn't have to be a reason. If I want to wear heels I should be able to wear heels. If I want to wear a dress, I should be able to wear a dress. I wouldn't get this kind of reaction in Japan because it's just natural for everyone to look nice.

Shopping in Kyoto's shopping district.

What do you think? Would you like to live in Japan and experience this lifestyle for yourself? Try dressing yourself up on a random day and see if you get any reactions like I got.

Link to my other blog post: japantherapyneworleans.blogspot.com/2015/06/japanese-pop-culture.html

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Manga in Japan

Manga are Japanese comics, referred to in America as graphic novels. Manga authors are the most populated authors in Japan, publishing many manga each year. When you go into any bookstore in Japan you can be sure there will be lots of manga on the shelves.

I will talk about manga's role in America at a later time but I'd like to first introduce manga from Japan's standpoint. 

Manga is a common type of book in Japan. Imagine a bookstore in your country. You have your common literature section and then the books start to branch out into sections like young adult, poetry, science, sports, etc. If you've taken notice, literature will most likely be the largest section of all the sections at the bookstore. Now think of that literature section and turn it into manga. That's how it is in Japan. Bookstores in Japan have sections too but manga is the biggest section.

Manga series called Tokyo Crazy Paradise.
Not licensed in America.

It is common to read manga in Japan. There are many Japanese people who read manga whether it be for enjoyment or passing time during their day. Manga is known as the original content to anime, so manga is a great way to get into anime. Nonetheless, in Japan, if you read manga it doesn't mean you like anime. The reason for this is because manga is the common literature in Japan. It is literally everywhere and easy to obtain. This makes manga a popular source for reading material. Anime is still considered a Japanese cartoon no matter its projected audience, so if a person has no interest in watching a cartoon they won't watch anime. Yet, that anime could be derived from a manga. So to restate, just because a person in Japan reads manga doesn't mean they like anime. The two don't equal up in Japan. They are two separate interests.

Manga is a great source of enjoyment in Japan. Of course a Japanese manga is written in Japanese, so you would need to know how to read Japanese. To read Japanese manga you can get by with knowing only hiragana which is the easiest form of reading, in my opinion. There are kanji used in manga but many manga have tiny hiragana next to the kanji so it's a great way to study the language. You'll also have to have a good vocabulary in order to understand the words. If not, you can always have a Japanese to English dictionary on hand to assist you when needed.

Japanese version of the manga Reimei no Arcana (Dawn of the Arcana).

If you ever get to go to Japan I suggest taking a stroll through a book store. It is a sight to see. Maybe even pick up a manga. Even if you may not understand the contents of a manga it can be a great souvenir to bring back with you. And yes, I own a few volumes of Japanese manga.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you liked this one you should check out of few others I've done. Thanks for reading!

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My Study Abroad Experience- Part 4

My Japan Study Abroad Experience

Part 4: Field Trips

Program:
UNO-Japan: Study at Doshisha University
Studying in Kyoto, Japan
To Learn more go to inst.uno.edu/Japan or contact them at UNOJapan@uno.edu or (504)280-6388.

One of the most exciting things about going to Japan is traveling. Japan has many sights to offer with the intermingling of modern and rural areas. There will never be a time where you have nothing to see.

Studying abroad is an easy way to travel through Japan securely. Some people are naturally adventurous while others may not. And both kinds of people are fine. When I studied abroad and went to Japan for the first time I was scared to venture out and explore on my own. I was glad that the program I went on gave the opportunity to see other places in Japan.

At a game center with friends.

The program was stationed in Kyoto, Japan. We had school Monday through Friday but only from 8 a.m. to 2 p. m. After class, everyone would go explore the city of Kyoto. At first I only went to the shopping district, but I eventually explored out in the further corners of Kyoto.

Group picture from Kyoto field trip.

Three weekends were dedicated to field trips. The first was a mandatory field trip in Kyoto. The Kyoto field trip was what the program director thought all the students should see while in Japan. It included landmarks such as Nijo Castle and the Kiyomizu Temple. The other two field trips were to Osaka and Nara. These field trips were optional for the program. I wanted to see as much of Japan as possible, but I didn't want to do it alone. These field trips let me accomplish this. I got to see Osaka Castle, eat Okonomiyaki, and pet deer in Nara.

Deer in Nara, Japan.

There was one free weekend on the program. This was open to other travel plans or exploring more of Kyoto. I stayed in Kyoto due to the lack of funds, but there were quite a few students who went to Kobe, Tokyo, and other cities in Japan. I would've joined if I had the money but I was happy to stay and enjoy my last week in Kyoto with my new found friends.

At Monkey Mountain in Arashiyama district of Kyoto.

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Continue to Part 5: http://japantherapyneworleans.blogspot.com/2015/10/my-study-abroad-experience-part-5.html

For more Study Abroad Experience:
Part 1: http://japantherapyneworleans.blogspot.com/2015/08/my-japan-study-abroad-experience-part-1.html

Part 2: http://japantherapyneworleans.blogspot.com/2015/08/my-study-abroad-experience-part-2.html

Part 3: http://japantherapyneworleans.blogspot.com/2015/08/my-japan-study-abroad-experience-part-3.html

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How to Get Around in Japan

I apologize for the lack of posts on my blog in the last week or two. There should be no excuse but I've been busy. One of the things I've been busy with is getting my husband a new car. In New Orleans, it is necessary to have a car because it's not easy to get around on bikes or safe enough to walk and the public transportation isn't the best. So I'd like to take this time to discuss transportation in Japan.

Car

Japan is the total opposite of New Orleans, and probably America in general, when it comes to transportation. There are not many people in Japan who own cars, for several reasons. One being that the traffic is really bad. Two, there are a ton of tolls on the expressways in Japan. And three, there's just not enough room to park cars in Japan. Sometimes cars can't even be used. Some high schools in Japan will not allow their students to arrive at school in a car. Cars are just not as convenient in Japan.

Taxi

Taxi cars have the same problem as everywhere else. It's going to be expensive. It's good for a desperate time when all other means of public transportation is not running. It's great to experience a taxi drive though. Most of the taxi cars have doors that open and close automatically. Once you get into the taxi you will notice the cleanliness inside. The seats have covers on them and the taxi driver will be wearing white gloves. It all feels fancy.

Train

Next are trains. There are shinkansen which are bullet trains. These trains go really fast and cut travel time in half from ordinary trains. Shinkansen are great for people on a time constraint or are doing a lot of traveling from far distances. There are passes you can buy in advance for the shinkansen. The passes are worth buying if you plan to travel through Japan a lot. Other than shinkansen, there are regular trains that go to different cities in Japan. Buying the tickets from the machines can be difficult at times but there is usually a help desk that can guide you through the process if you ask.

Subway

They remind me of trains in a way. The tickets are bought in the same manner as a train. I've only used the subway once in Japan. I'm from the south so I've never really experienced a subway before so I never really used it Japan. Think of it like a bus, but underground and no traffic.

Bus

This is my favorite mode of transportation. The bus is best used when you're staying in one city. Using the bus is cheaper than using a taxi and you'll get to be a part of the Japanese society. It's usually about 250 yen for adults which is pretty cheap. If you plan to go around the city, using the bus multiple times, it might be in your best interest to obtain a bus pass. You can inquire about a bus pass at the train station. If you plan to use the bus or any of the above modes of transportation you should know some rules of etiquette. It is polite to stay quiet on the bus in respect for other people's time. That means no talking on the phone or talking to your friends next to you in a loud voice. If there are seats available you may sit but don't take up the priority seating for older people and pregnant women;that is considered extremely rude. That is my favorite form of transportation to use in Japan.

Bicycle

The most popular form of transportation in Japan is a bicycle. There are more bicycles than cars in Japan. Bicycles are convenient to use because there's no sitting in traffic and it is cheaper in the long run. Bicycles are like cars in Japan which means it has laws. There's no drinking while riding a bicycle. Another law for the bicycle is there can't be a passenger riding. These two laws exist for the safety of the people and pedestrians in the area. If you're riding a bike don't be alarmed if a policeman stops you. He'll be asking to see some kind of bike license. This is common in Japan to make sure who the bike belongs to. Just like cars, bicycles have parking spots. There are bike rakes on every major street corner or populated area. If your bicycle isn't parked properly it can be thrown into bike jail which is a yard of bikes taken due to rule breaking. Most people don't retrieve their bikes because they will be admitting to breaking the law. Sadly, bicycles would not be the way to go for me because I don't know how to ride one. Never could learn to ride one. I would get too scared of the height, being off the ground, and the balancing required for riding a bike. I prefer walking or using the bus.

Walking

It's not a bad idea to walk to places in Japan. There are a ton of benefits to walking. One, you'd be able to get to see places you would have missed if you rode a bus or subway. Two, it's good for you. Three, you can interact with people you come across. I love walking in Japan. You will discover so many great places you never intended to find. If you do plan to walk I suggest wearing comfortable shoes.

That's it for this post. I hope you enjoyed the informative side of it. I will be getting back into the groove of things again. Once again, like always, thank you for reading my blog. I hope to make this grow into something great. Please support me!

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