Shirahama (白浜)

From August 11th to 14th, a group with many Brazilian students went to Shirahama (Wakayama Prefecture). Including me.


What's in Shirahama? For the Brazilians there, the main feature that led them there can be said in one word: beaches. Good ones. But it turned out that there are astonishing landscapes as well.


Although some decided to use limited express trains, most gathered at morning on 11th to go from Kyoto to Shirahama using Seishun 18 Kippu. A 5~6-hour trip. Thanks to some people who previously checked the train timetables we got there safely and reached the beach house. It was quite old, and lots of insects around (some of them really big). But the rent was cheap and the location not bad.

After settling, we went to Shirarahama, the main beach of the place, said to have white sand imported from Australia. After spending the rest of the day there, during the night there was an event with candle lanterns and fireworks. All that at the beach was really a beautiful scenario...


Second day, we went to a beach behind the house. That one has more places to explore, with beautiful landscapes...

After that, the group splitted. Some returned to Kyoto, some walked around the beach... I went with some others to the "touristic spots". Namely 千畳敷 and 三段壁 (3 Step Cliff). The former has nice rocky points and the latter has a suicide spot and a cave used by pirates (or samurais... still don't know which one). But we were too tired to check the cave... plus the admission wasn't free...


At night, a barbecue by the beach... Perfect! What else can I say? Oh, maybe that the sky was clear enough for us to gaze at the stars... I'm still surprised about how the constellations are different on the Northern hemisphere. And there were shooting stars too! As if even the skies welcomed us...

Monday was decicated to leisure at the beach and walking around (and some more people returning to Kyoto). That was also the day then the weather tricked us. We decided to check the sunset at a place near a rocky point where it's possible to take good pictures (we saw that on postcards), but the clouds got in the way.


Also, while returning from Shirarahama it started to rain... So we decided to call a taxi. Since the six of us that were there wouldn't enter (drivers usually don't let it), two would have to go walking under the rain. I don't know if the driver felt pity for the two who were walking under the rain or if it was because our destination (the beach house) was a place linked to Kyoto University (meaning we were Kyodai students; and the university has a good reputation), but the driver let all six in.

The rain didn't stop another barbecue celebrating Cris's birthday. With champagne to make a toast to it! But it was still raining, so we had to do it close to the house this time... (It stopped after a while.)

The last day was also spent at the beach until we had to return...

Nice place, wonderful company and great memories of those days in Shirahama. If climbing Mt. Fuji was the best summer trip when I was living in Himeji, the trip to Shirahama will most certainly become the best summer trip of my first year in Kyoto.


Ah, have to mention the obasan responsible for the beach house, who appeared there every morning to wake everybody up at 8 a.m.. That, along with some other episodes, made some people angry at her... The ironic part is that one of who got most angry was one who got a ride from her back to the station. Guess she was just doing her job after all...

And we found other Brazilians around Shirarahama... Mostly dekasegis I think. No wonder that a good beach in Japan would attract other Brazilians around... But some were camping at the beach. Maybe someday there will be a sign there written "no camping"... in Portuguese.

Summer Festivals

There are many festivals in Japan during summer (well, not only summer). Most of them have one or more of the following: yukata, hanabi (fireworks) and "candle lanterns" (forgot the correct word in Japanese).

So I checked some of those lately. Too many to create a separate entry for each one. These are some of the events I went to.

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Tenjin Matsuri is said to be one of the Three Grand Festivals of Japan. So, with Gion Matsuri, that's two out of three... I wonder where's the other one?

It was held in Osaka on July 24th and 25th. As it seemed that the highlights would be on the 25th, I went there with Gaby on that day.

I didn't manage to see all the events. I lost a parade and whatever happened before that because I had a some sort of conference that day to attend. I was also "dressed for the occasion" of the conference, and that's not good clothing to use at a summer festival...

I managed to see the boats and the fireworks. Maybe it was enough, since I heard that the boats are the highlight of the festival.

The fireworks were a little disappointing... that's not a fireworks festival anyway. The boats were a pretty view... Although between Tenjin and Gion I stay with Gion, Tenjin was nice to see.

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The aikido circle decided to do a hanabi at the Kamogawa on July 27th. It seems that it's going to be forbidden from next year, so some people were looking forward to that.

Note that those kinds of hanabi are different than hanabi festivals. People usually get together and buy some fireworks at convenience stores or such, get to some place and have fun. It's somewhat common in summer (the "fireworks season" in Japan).

Thanks to my laziness to read all the group's messages (in Japanese) I found out about the event by luck, when some people commented about it on the afternoon of the day it was going to be held.

Those fireworks are not so impressive as the ones in festivals, but with other groups around doing the same thing, anyone can enjoy everyone's fireworks sparking. And since the group is setting off the fireworks instead of watching them, it allows more interaction with the group you came with.

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On August 8th there was a hanabi festival held at Biwako. That's one I wanted to see, and thankfully some other Brazilian students too, so we went there to watch.

It's said that the fireworks reflected on the lake is an amazing view, unfortunately we didn't manage to watch it that close (we couldn't see the lake). Even so, we got a nice place to watch it and it is the most impressive I've seen in Japan so far.

Interesting that, even though we decided to return before the end of the event (and sadly before the most beautiful ones were displayed) to avoid the rush after the event was finished, we still could see quite well even from inside the station... That's why fireworks festival is democratic. It's possible to appreciate it even if you're not close.

Unfortunately, I still don't know how to take proper pictures of fireworks...

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There was the Uji River Hanabi on August 10th. It's said to be the largest inside Kyoto Prefecture, since setting off fireworks is forbidden in most parts of Kyoto City because there was an accident where an historical monument was burnt because of fireworks. Couldn't check the story, but it makes sense to forbid fireworks display in a city full of Cultural Heritage Sites and such...

Anyway, that one was close from where I live, so why not check it? I was decided to go even alone, but didn't need to. Fortunately, K. and T. decided to join with T. "dressed for the occasion" with a yukata. There we met also R. and V. by chance. And also by chance we managed to find a good place to watch. Worse than the one at Biwako, but good enough to see the fireworks. Those were good, by the way. Too bad that the smoke was in the way sometimes...

The weird situation of the day was when T. asked a lady with a kid to sit down because they were obstructing our view. Her answer was to mind our own business... WTF!? To be fair, they sat a little after that.

And I was so happy to think that I could go back home walking, after seeing the crowd gathering at the closest train station when the event was over...

A Matter of Acceptance

I read today an interesting Japan Times article. There are many discussions about if foreigners are accepted in Japan and to what degree, never as a Japanese. Many times I've heard that foreigners are accepted to certain limits, and that is one of the reasons that makes foreigners get along most with other foreigners.

While that's true to a certain extent, it's not the absolute rule. And it depends on both sides.

Anyway, two points of the article concerning that point drew my attention.

"virtually all the non-Japanese people who feel this way are not Japanese citizens. Therefore, they are not Japanese, as the sole definition of "Japanese" rests on Japanese citizenship."

"I asked two friends — one Japanese, the other Swedish — what it takes for foreigners to be accepted into their societies?
My Japanese friend replied, 'They must adhere to our code of behavior.' My Swedish friend said, 'Once they speak Swedish pretty much like us, they are accepted as Swedes.'"

The latter quote has an interesting possible explanation, which may also help to understand the "acceptance" issue. Check the article to read it.

One question remains though. What if one behaves like a Japanese, but can't speak the language? Will that person be accepted in Japanese society? Or is the language fluency implied in the "code of behavior"?

There's also the issue that Japan is probably one of the best countries in treating visitors in the short term. The "acceptance" problem is one that affects long term residents. Also, don't we "accept" different individuals in different degrees (not only regarding nationality)?

Prejudice may be the real problem. And we can't expect to be accepted by everyone anyway...

The article is transcripted below. The original can be seen here.

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Sunday, July 22, 2007
COUNTERPOINT
Outsiders, or not; that is the question
By ROGER PULVERS
Special to The Japan Times

I wish I had a yen or two for every time I've been told: "You will never be accepted in Japan."

I first heard it from my relatives. None of them knew any Japanese people, nor had they ever heard of pachinko, sushi or the Katsura Detached Palace in Kyoto. In fact, they had never lived outside the United States. Yet they were intent on convincing me that settling in Japan was tantamount to self-banishment: instant and eternal alienation.

"What is the business of acceptance anyway? Accepted as what?" I asked one of my relatives after I had spent my first year in Kyoto.

"Accepted as a Japanese," he said. "They will never let you into their circle. You will always be treated like an outsider. Take it from me."

Though such warnings were offered to me many years ago, the beliefs underpinning them are still entertained by many non-Japanese people, some of them long-time residents of Japan.

What does it mean "to be — or not be — accepted?" That is the question; although in reality, virtually all the non-Japanese people who feel this way are not Japanese citizens. Therefore, they are not Japanese, as the sole definition of "Japanese" rests on Japanese citizenship. Non-Japanese people who naturalize become Japanese. At least on paper.

This may not ensure that those new citizens are viewed as "one of us" by certain natives. There are many Japanese who stick to the notion that only so-called racially pure Japanese are true Japanese. Such folk are, in fact, out-and-out racists. Acceptance by them, on any level, is categorically impossible; and seeking acceptance from them implies recognition of their bigotry as something rational and normal.

But what of the hundreds of thousands of non-Japanese who have chosen to live and work in Japan without becoming citizens? Are we condemned to be perpetual outsiders?

Civility in social intercourse

I asked two friends — one Japanese, the other Swedish — what it takes for foreigners to be accepted into their societies?

My Japanese friend replied, "They must adhere to our code of behavior." My Swedish friend said, "Once they speak Swedish pretty much like us, they are accepted as Swedes."

I think these two answers are very telling and representative of the general feeling in Japan and Europe on this issue. The Japanese, on the one hand, are terrified that non-Japanese will come into their midst and destroy their civil way of life. Civility is the key quality governing social intercourse in Japan, and formal politeness and studied decorum are what maintains it. A non-Japanese who can live within these social rules is invariably highly praised, admired (as Japanese, too, labor under these strictures) and, in general, magnanimously welcomed.

As for the Swedes — or, for that matter, the Dutch, French or Germans — the ability to function peaceably in the society, whatever the person's origin, background or faith, seems to be the critical factor, at least as a working ideal. Most Europeans (with apologies for the gross generalization) do not expect everyone to be the same in order to be conferred acceptance. The tolerance of difference is much greater than in Japan, where toleration is not notable even among the Japanese themselves. If gaijin (non-Japanese) are discriminated against because they are different, then they may merely be just another category of such people, Japanese included, who are treated differently because they are "not like the rest of us."

Here lies the crux of the problem. Who is speaking "for the rest of us" in Japan?

When my Japanese friend cited "our code of behavior," was she implying that approximately 126 million Japanese all agree on what that code requires? Japanese people may invoke the majority in order to humiliate or ostracize a person; but, by doing so, these Japanese are actually using the prop of a "norm" to further their own selfish interests. I have been on the receiving end of this several times, when someone has tried to embarrass me publicly to justify their own ends. Such behavior exposes the nasty pock of vengefulness under the thick powder of decorum.

So it sounds as if my relatives were right when they warned me off settling here. Yet, I have lived and worked in Japan for the better part of 40 years, married (to a non-Japanese) and brought up four children here, putting them through the Japanese school system, both public and private. Do I feel unaccepted? Not at all. Perhaps I don't expect to be accepted by everyone all the time, as I wouldn't wherever I lived. (In fact, as a non-native-born Australian, I have had more unpleasant "non-acceptance" moments there than in Japan.)

Bigots wielding great influence

As for Japan, I do not accept that the bigots, some of them wielding great influence here, to this day represent the Japanese norm. They are clinging to an outdated and very pernicious notion of race that, when taken to its extremes, can only lead to violence, both domestic and international. Their bigotry must be exposed and denied. Non-acceptance by those people should be worn like a badge of pride. It is they who are not acting like "the rest of us."

Countries with a long history of accepting immigrants, such as the United States, have been historically open to non-citizens. In addition, speaking English is and has not been a requirement for fitting in. The American ideal in this is truly praiseworthy.

But it is unfair to compare the U.S. with countries that have traditional indigenous cultures. Americans decimated their indigenous culture, as did white Australians, before creating a tradition of openness. Countries like Japan, where an entrenched culture has existed for centuries, cannot be expected to be as open to outsiders on such broadly liberal terms. The building up of tolerance, on both sides, takes time, patience and mutual understanding.

As for me, I go about my life ignoring, as best as I can, the bigots whose days of majority influence are, I believe, numbered. I think of some of my Japanese friends, with whom I have more in common than they have, by their own admission, with many of their own compatriots.

We all live together in Japan in 2007, and we are all accepted to a greater or lesser degree on the basis of what we are and what we do here. If some Japanese people don't accept that, it's their problem — not mine.

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Added onAugust 17th
You know... the "code of behaviour" asking foreigners to behave "like the rest of us [Japanese]" mentioned above can generate bad results when the fact that people are different isn't taken into account. Imagine a child with a natural hair that's different than the kind of hair usually associated with the "Japanese race". So imagine schools ordering that child to dye his/her hair to meet the "Japanese standard"... Unbelievable? Actually, this other Japan Times article says that it has already happened...

Outside Enemy... Enemy Within...

I've mentioned some problems I have with nationalism before. Well, it's not that I hate it entirely. Unfortunetely, we don't live in an ideal world, and one of the bad things that usually happens is that governments use "nationalism" to make people submit to their will. Or, quoting Aldous Huxley in "Brave New World Revisited", "first to move the masses and then, having prided them loose from their traditional loyalties and moralities, to impose upon them (with the hypnotized consent of the majority) a new authoritarian order of his own devising".

In the book, that sentence isn't about nationalism but it's about Hitler and his aims. Anyway, the message fits, and Hitler was one who used it for the reason I said above.

As a sidenote, it's interesting to notice the influence that authority has over people. Claus once mentioned an experiment that revealed a high rate of obedience towards people with authority... That entry is worth checking.

And it looks that we're having a nationalism wave... and not necessarily a good one.

I don't even feel like looking for a link about the United States. Most people should know what has been happening since 9/11... in the US and in Middle East...

Daniel wrote about a youth movement in Russia called Nashi that supports the government. He also linked to this video explaining a little about the movement. Some points are scary... although we have to be careful about the veracity of all it's shown there, as Daniel himself says. The anti-americanism is an obvious choice, though.

Closer to my reality, Daniel also linked to a video about Japan in another of his posts. The video is about the recent proposal that Japan develops a full-fledged army. Currently it has only a "Self Defense Force". Part of the reason for that are the growing threats from North Korea (that always reminded me of a Japanese friend that thought that South Korea is "worse" than Iraq... I only imagine how Japanese media portraits both countries...) and China. The ironic point is that the only country in the world that was atomic bombed has politicians considering developing nuclear bombs...

And one thing in common I've noticed in those movements, Hitler included, is that they point some "external enemy" they "have to" fight against.

Well, having a common enemy is surely one of the things that can unite a group. For Brazilians, just imagine when the country is most "patriotic"... During the World Cup, when we have "common enemies"... Of course that's only one of the factors...

Plus, the more people believe that "enemy" threatens them, the more they would accept (almost) anything that they believe would help them against that "enemy".

But who's the real enemy? The ones pointed or the ones manipulating the hatred?

Considering all that, that campaign of the Brazilian government that was so criticized, "Eu sou Brasileiro e não desisto nunca" ("I'm Brazilian and I never give up". A campaign that had as aim improving the population's self-steem by showing Brazilian people who have overcome great misfortunes), doesn't seem so bad. At least it doesn't propagate nationalism through hatred, reviewing (i.e. manipulating) History or such...

Except that it was probably done to help undercovering some of the government's wrongdoings... A good example from them would be better.

Cotas para quem?

Sorry for those who doesn't understand, but it's time for another post in Portuguese. It's about some "affirmative actions" taken in some Brazilian universities, and an interesting (but somewhat expected) twist that appeared, demanding such actions for a group characterized by their job... or rather, their parents' job.

Em português, é sobre o sistema de cotas. Até hoje esse assunto rende muitas discussões. Minha opinião pessoal é contra esse tipo de sistema. Não vou entrar em argumentos e razões porque não é o objetivo dessa vez, mas só aceitaria esse sistema em casos de emergência e necessidade absolutas. Ainda assim, isso dependeria dos grupos beneficiados. Além disso, seria absolutamente necessário um prazo determinado para ser suspenso, sendo que esse prazo não possa ser maior que dez anos, não possa ser estendido e não possa ser repetido em um período menor que uma década (pelo menos). Afinal de contas, é uma medida emergencial. Não pode se tornar a regra. Eu até penso que o período em que ele não pode ser implementado novamente é muito curto...

Além disso, essas ações deveriam ser obrigatóriamente acompanhadas de ações concretas para a melhoria do ensino público (a verdaderia origem do problema), em um compromisso que apenas com essas ações as cotas começariam a ser implementadas.

Enfim, minhas opiniões sobre o assunto não são a razão deste texto, mas sim algo que eu temia desde que esse sistema começou a ser elaborado. É claro que, estabelecido o privilégio para certos grupos da população, outros grupos também vão alegar ter direito a esse benefício. E, sob sua lógica, eles têm razão!

Por exemplo, um artigo que li recentemente... A reportagem completa pode ser encontrada aqui.

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Cotas para filhos de policiais mortos gera polêmica
Ter, 07 Ago, 01h24

Uma lei sancionada no governo de Sérgio Cabral, no mês de julho, modificando a lei de cotas universitárias, está causando polêmica no meio universitário do Rio de Janeiro. Segundo a lei nº 5074/07, cujo projeto é de autoria do deputado Álvaro Lins (PMDB) as universidades devem reservar vagas para filhos de policiais civis e militares, bombeiros, inspetores de segurança e de administração penitenciária que tiverem morrido ou tenham ficado permanentemente inválidos em serviço.

Segundo o autor da nova lei, cerca de 1,3 mil policiais militares morreram nos últimos 10 anos no Rio. Lins afirma que se inspirou num fato ocorrido durante e após a 2ª Guerra Mundial, quando filhos de combatentes tinham preferência tanto em estabelecimentos de ensino de todos os níveis.
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Era óbvio que isso ia acontecer cedo ou tarde... só nunca pensei que fosse ser com essa categoria. Mas isso é sério? Eu pensava que fosse demorar um pouco mais pra outros grupos reclamarem o direito às cotas...

O problema é que, a partir do ponto que um outro grupo conseguir esse direito, a coisa pode progredir como uma bola de neve... Por exemplo, um trecho no mesmo artigo diz que:

"O Sindicato dos Servidores do Departamento de Polícia Federal do Rio vai exigir que a lei se estenda também para filhos de profissionais dessa categoria."

E eu já vejo os concursos pra policiais, bombeiros, etc. ficando bem mais concorridos com pais (ou futuros pais) que assim esperam garantir um futuro melhor aos filhos... de uma forma distorcida, mas que pode se tornar permitida pelo sistema.

El Chavo

If it's really nice being in an international environment, meeting students from many countries. On the other hand, sometimes you miss having some common background to talk or make jokes.

But sometimes you get surprised on how much you have in common...

Yesterday was one of those days. By luck, I heard some days earlier that some students from Latin American countries were organizing a "video session". About what?

El Chavo... or in Portuguese, Chaves.

In short, that's a TV comedy show that was very popular when I was a kid. And still has many fans. So that the channel that broadcasts the show was never successful in removing it... It's some sort of classic.

So, that show seems to be popular in other places in South and Central America. Enough to gather students around their mid-twenties who laughed and reminded their childhood. Including me.

As expected, it was in Spanish. Althgouh that was the first time I've heard it in Spanish, it was amazing how most of the voices look alike (in original Spanish and Portuguese dubbed). Most of the famous phrases maintained the same "feeling", something that's sometimes lost when, for example, dubbing from English or Japanese.

We're considering repeating the "El Chavo afternoon marathon" someday... and I'm looking forward to that.

Tinha que ser o Chaves de novo! Or, in the original,

¡Tenía que ser el Chavo del 8!