I have a better understanding of what is going on around me, but every day I fall more  in love with Japan. Even as the passing days are bringing along colder weather, the clear sky, the changing leaves, everything just captivates me. If I was asked if my impression of Japan changed, I would say ‘no, it strengthened’. My impression of Japan was ‘beautiful’ and every day Japan finds a way to show that it is indeed beautiful and getting more beautiful as I discover more of it.

One aspect I enjoy about Japan is that the traditional and the modern blend perfectly together. The beautiful temples and shrines accompanied with the stunning architecture of modern buildings take my breath away. Out of all the places I have seen in my life, Japan is truly unique. I enjoy how this aspect is not only included within cities, but also within popular culture. For example, including shamisen within pop songs or having a small shrine at the top of a modern building:

At the top of Umeda Sky Building, the small Love shrine.

This imagery seems to hold the perfect contradiction in my opinion, pure opposites existing in perfect harmony. It reminds me of art, and how contrasting colours, patterns or images can perfectly compliment each other.

I am glad I was able to come to Japan. I got a chance to see a country that I had always just seen photos of, and could only imagine it. I was even more glad that when I got here, I discovered that in real life, everything is more beautiful. I look forward to seeing more of Japan, watching the seasons change through winter to spring. I hope to learn more about the beauty of this country.

I have found out that many sweets, omiyage (souvenirs) and decorations
illustrate the autumn colours, and display the beauty of autumn through their presentation.

This was an omiyage I received when I attended a Tea Ceremony in Kyoto. We were served autumn-themed sweets before the tea was offered, and afterwards, we received this as an omiyage.

I decided to go along to one of the special autumn events that Japan has. So I went to Kiyomizu-Dera during their illumination of the kouyou (changing leaves). While walking up to the temple alone, I saw many decorations on the shops had changed to match the season and the event.

There were autumn leaves and colours everywhere. I was surprised as it was something that you don’t often see in England. Usually in England, the autumn leaves aren’t even regarded, often seen as a bit of a nuisance. I always thought they were beautiful, so I was glad to find out that Japanese celebrate the turning of the leaves.

Arriving at the temple, I was astounded by the beauty of the colours that were visible from anywhere within the temple. The sheer beauty of it made me understand a little why the Japanese honour the seasons, since each one is so unique and breathtakingly beautiful.

I would like to return to the temple during spring time to see the cherry blossoms.

Johnny’s Entertainment caught my attention. Johnny’s boys are everywhere, in my opinion. So I started to look a little closer at the magazines around me, taking note of who appears and how it compares to what they do for a living.

I decided to look at one band called Kanjani8. They are a band managed by Johnny’s Entertainment who are originally from the Kansai region of Japan. Not only are the members singers, but also actors, radio presenters, talk show hosts and models. I have found them on the cover of magazines, when I turn on the TV and even on sweets in the shops.

Unlike in the West, the Japanese music industry is mostly reliant on TV rather than on radio (Chris Campion, 2005), this is most likely the reason for the amount of visual appearances of popular Japanese idols.

One aspect I did find rather interesting, was that within magazines, large colourful page spreads would appear, interviewing the band members about all sorts of aspects.

But when it came to promoting their new album, the magazines seemed to only mention it near the back of the magazine. This wouldn’t usually be seen in English magazines, the band’s album promotion would usually be near the band’s interview itself, and often the interview would be about the album rather than about the singers’ lives. This aspect I found interesting.

(Magazines: Duet: December 2011, Potato: December 2011, Wink Up: December 2011, Poporo: December 2011)

The number of magazines astounded me, and when I checked their media schedule, I was shocked by the amount of appearances they make.

(Magazines: TV Guide: 11.19→11.25, TV LIFE: 11.12→11.25, TV Pia: 11.12→11.25, Songs: Vol. 108)

Despite this overwhelming focus on the people rather than the music, what surprised me the most was the sales of their new album. Within the first week of their release, FIGHT sold over 253 500 copies, making it number one on the Oricon Charts for album sales.

(The three editions of FIGHT)

Girls, or rather the majority of those I see, tend to dress fashionably. Following various trends and styles as a form of expression. I decided to take a trip down to the large shopping street of Shinsaibashi-suji in Osaka to see what kind of fashion style I could find out on the streets.

Compared to England I noticed one large difference in the focus of the fashion. In Japan, clothing tends to be chosen as an emphasis of the legs, showing them as thin and long. Whereas in England, the general style is though the emphasis of the body’s curves and shape. This difference leads to two rather different ways of dressing.

(from Glamour Magazine UK)

I spoke to a few girls on the shopping street of Shinsaibashi, taking note of the type of fashion they were wearing and the trends they seemed to be following. I found a large number of girls in shorts, something rarely seen this time of the year in England.

It was even more interesting to see shorts paired up with slightly baggy tops, bulky jumpers and not any form-showing tops, another aspect which is not usually seen in England.

This image seemed to be being promoted in the Japanese fashion magazines. I took a look at the fashion magazine ViVi and noticed that the current trend seems to be shorts. I also noticed that animal print and fur seem to have also come into fashion here, which was in fashion a few years ago in England, this caused me to wonder if there was a delay in fashion trends when they spread to other countries.

   (Taken from the fashion magazine ViVi)

Upon noticing this I started to look around what the shops were also promoting, assuming that the trends and fashion style would be the same, which for some part I found was true.

(A shop mannequin outside a shop in Shinsaibashi)

Furthering my suspicion of the type of fashion travelling and spreading around the world, I found this, a fashion sense based on a past western trend. Is fashion really just going in circles around the world?

The station is rather small, having only two platforms, with only the local train and the sub-express train passing though it. After stepping out of the station, it was obvious that it was a local station, not one expecting tourists. The streets were narrow, the shops holding the necessities, or catering for students passing by and buying food.

The high school was a little walk away from the train station. Walking with the students though allowed me to find out that there was a special route for students to take which was a short cut. It ran between the train tracks and the housing. For a path to exist for this purpose makes it clear that the main visitors of the area are students.

On the other side of the station is the university, Ryukoku University. Like any other university, many students were hanging around, some leaving, some arriving. The train station was very close to the university, a convenient location.

One aspect I found rather interesting was the traffic cops that were located both near the school and the university. It was clear from watching them that they were managing the students as they left, heading towards the train station and making sure that no traffic issues arose.

Lastly, the train station had a small shrine, Sekiho-ji. It is located along the same road leading towards the high school, the entrance was impressive and elaborate, leading to the beautiful shrine and gardens.

Several times a week I find myself wandering down the shopping street of Makino. Which is where I do my usual shopping for food, my usual visits to my favourite place to eat and various other times when I just feel like taking a walk. Makino has the same feeling to me as the village I used to live in, its busy yet quiet, the people are friendly and the place just has a pleasant atmosphere.

Makino’s shopping street holds a large variety of shops that I never noticed the first few times I walked down it. You could get everything and anything you wanted there from bags of rice to a new pair of glasses. This variety of shops makes the place seem like the perfect little neighbourhood with women talking by the shops, smiling shopkeepers and great food. Not only have I gotten into the habit of walking right past the main supermarket to the other shops, but I’ve also started to buy everything separately, meat from the butchers, vegetables from the greengrocers and if there are any other items I need, I go into the small market half way down the street.

Off the side of the street are many houses with many little children playing in the street. This makes the whole place just appear safe and friendly to me. Even the cats that wander around caught my attention. They seem to be everywhere.

Even after walking around for a bit, I bumped into the owner of the restaurant I go to now and again, he was friendly as always, reminding me that I should learn kansai-ben and bring my friends to eat there again. He is such a friendly person which always convinces me to return and wander through the neighbourhood.

Beautiful.

I landed in Kansai International Airport, I stared out the window for most of it, watching the sun set, watching it reflected in the sea, watching the land slowly creep up round the side as we slowly approached the runway. I could easily say I was in love with the country from that second.

Passing through Osaka on my way to Hirakata was another amazing sight. There were so many lights that all I could do was stare out the window and comment on what we passed with the other tired students on the bus. But out of everything that I saw that first night. Nothing could prepare me for the next morning.

As someone who lived in Europe most of my life, the heat and humidity was rather a big shock. I was warned about it by my Japanese friends, but when I stepped outside that morning, I was consumed by an unbelievable urge to return to the shower and an air-conditioned room. But continuing my route towards the university proved to have been very beneficial and made me glad that I didn’t succumb to my first selfish desire.

I walk down a narrow road, surrounded by traditional style housing, apartments, vending machines, a couple modern buildings, a small shrine. Never before have I ever felt so immersed in another culture.

Just glancing around the area where I live, I feel a deep excitement of being able to explore the rest of the rich Japanese culture which is available.