Contradiction Society

Thinking in culture, we have many strange things in japan, and in the last days I was making a list of contradictions found in the japanese life. In fact they aren't reeeeeally contradictions, but conflicting customs and opposite ideas. Behold!

1. Tecnology x Tradition
   This is the most obvious, strange and beautiful thing in Japan. We are surrounded by temples, big buildings, houses full of plasma televisions but with futons instead of beds. One case was a restaurant that I went other day, very family style - no employees, just the family members making delicious food and serving it in a very cozy way. We have this all around the world, but not in every place these restaurants have automatic doors with motion sensors. Also, maybe Japan is the only place where you can see salarymen in temples to bless their laptops for the new year.
   
2. Religion Customs x Religion Faith
   Speaking in temples and stuff, Japan is a mistery of religions. They mainly have Buddhist, Shintoist and Christian traditions. And mixed! That is, one can have a Buddhist baptism, Christian marriage and Shintoist funeral. I asked some japanese what they really believe in religion, most of them say that they don't believe much, but all of them follow the traditions.
3. Lack of Love x Perversion (hentai stuff)
   That is a strong and sad thing. It is known that the japanese culture doesn't demonstrate love as the western one (at least compared to the brazilian culture), but sad cases are very common here. For example, parents that stop loving each other, but because they have children, they still stay together just for the sake of them. Stay together, in this case, is just live in the same house - normally in different rooms, and barely speaking to each other. I wonder if kids prefer these parents or divorced, happy ones. On the other side, Japan's porno market is bigger then you imagine, you can find all kinds of weird stuff here. Maybe the sad family guys deviate from the normal living way to the porn market because of the lack of love. Whatever...
4. Big television sets x Crappy programs
   Thats a simple and funny one: you can find all kinds of giant high definition TV sets, but the programs passing on the tv are almost always of bad taste (this is my viewpoint). I still need more time or alcohol to understand the japan humor, and the actors are terrible. At least the commercials are very crazy, this is cool ;)
5. China: Inheritance x Disdain
   Japan copied much of its culture from China, from the kanji to the food. However, they act with the chinese with indifference, often making worse the quarrel between Japan and China. Even the Japanese prime minister refused to ask sorry for a massacre made by japanese soldiers in chinese lands in the past. The funny thing is that recently a north american pilot that threw one of the atomic bombs back in 1945 came to japan to see the post-war museums, and also refused to apologise.
   
6. Low violence rate - High suicide rate
   Japan is one of the safest developed countries, and the crime tax is really low here. The bad thing is that people suicide a lot, mainly the young people. The japanese stories tells many cases of double suicide or killing the partner and then suiciding as a way to 'be together forever'.
   
7. High Education x Bullying and strict teachers
   Its not by change that this small country became one of the first world potencies, everything is based on the education. And on this aspect, we observe many prodigious minds in a strict education system, where bullying is common, teachers don't have power to control students, and at the same time they are strict and rude with the students. This often causes depression, traumas and can end with suicide.
8. Infra-structure for the old and deficient - Where are the benches???
   As a country with high life expectancy, Japanese ojiisans and obaasans (old people) can't complain about infrastructure - everything is built based on them. So we have elevators, ramps and special pavements for the blind everywhere and braile inscriptions even on stair's handrails. However, its difficult to find a single bench in places like malls, subways and stores. It seems that the government doesn't want people to rest even if is just a little... as a result, we have many japanese girls squating by the walls or sitting on normal stairs.
   
9. Infinite digital cameras - Strict picture prohibitions
   Along with the mobile phones, the digital cameras are a must here. Everyone has its own digital camera, and people really love to take pictures. On the other side, they are forbidden in many places such as museums, shows, concerts... don't tell me about copy protection, I can easily get a full resolution of a painting in a trusted site on the internet, so it's not a issue here. Also, I heard that in some places in Europe you can freely take pictures and videos of almost everything. I remember when I went to a Van Gogh exposition in Nagoya, and I couldn't even send a e-mail by my mobile phone!!! WHY? The use of mobile phones is also forbidden in some places like trains.
   
10. Anime - Reality
    The last point is a trademark of japanese culture - mangas and animes. The japanese manga style of drawing depicts almost everything that the japanese are not: big eyes, tall characters, big boobs, coloured crazy hairs (they are getting close on this one, though).

Ahh I'm tired. I could write a lot more, but then it will take aeons to finish. Maybe someday I'll add more opinions on the comments or in another post... are there other good ones?

Expo Trip

The Expo is a world exposition, where people from all around the world gather in a different country to discuss about problems arising recently. This year's expo was held here in Aichi (Nagoya's province). I just had to go :)

These are Kikkoro and Morizo, the two mascots of the event. "Ki" means tree and "Mori" means forest, the places where these things came from. Some of my friends call them Yankoro and Gomizo. The first one comes from puke and the other, from trash. Just friendly nicknames ;)

At a glance, the event is just a biiiiiig place with many people and pavilions, ranging from technology and innovation to country-specific places to show culture and history of these places. This year's theme was "Global Harmony", learning to live with nature and stuff.

So I went there with my indonesian friend, because it was the Indonesian independence day, and she got free tickets \o/. We went by train to the place. Although the prefecture put many special trains heading to the expo, it was saturday... If I say 'japanese train' what is the first thing that pops in your mind?

Crowded wagons, of course! There is also the sexual harassment, but I guess that doesn't happen much in family trains like this.

Arriving there, we found that not only the trains were loaded; the main entrance gates, too.

This is the inspection area.

Security is tight, even in a safe country like japan. I was caught some times by the metal detector, so I had to be individually inspected. It was just my belt's buckle, though. I wonder... if I had a gun hidden behind my shirt in the same place as the buckle, I could enter in the place with it. Not that I'm into terrorism, of course, it doesn't give a decent career plan ;)

The first thing that got into my mind as I passed through the gates was the size of the expo site. Its really big, the staff provide even exclusive, environment-safe vehicles to go from here to there.

And also many little volunteers to help the ones in need.

Even without visible sun, it was a hot day. All the walking contributes to general fadigue and dehydratation.

So we have outdoor water streams and all sorts of benches to rest. \o/

We where a kinda late for the indonesian cerimony, so we rushed there. I was well received and got some presents like talismans and table towels. Nice!

After speeches from the important people of Indonesia and Japan, the entertainment began. With traditional dances first!

This dance symbolizes the eternal love between husband and wife. He protects her with the umbrella.

I don't remember the meaning of this one, but the guy wears a neat mask ;)

Difficult to explain this dance, but veeery interesting. Without music, the ladies are always making strange mouth sounds and moving in rhythm. Very cool! And bizarre too :)

They had other dances too, but I just can't put all 374 pictures and videos here... anyway, the most interesting part of the show was the interactive music. I'll explain it because it was totally unusual and fun for me. Its like that: wooden instruments were given to everyone in the theatre, and shaking the instruments makes a rattling sound. The catch is that many types of this instrument were distributed, each one making a different note (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do).

Mine was the "Sumatra", which gives a high tone "do".

So we potentially had a 500-person-orquestra, many so ignorant as me in music. Imagine the musical disharmony, it was worse then a typical rush hour. And we had to play together. But what every orquestra needs is a conductor... and he was there for us. Moving his hands and making symbols, he conducted the show. So, every one with a 'Sumatra' should shake their instruments when the conductor closes his hand like a fist and so on.

After some explanation he was using his two hands to "make" two different notes at the same time. Sugoi!

We started with simple note combinations, but soon we were playing worldwide known songs and even japanese traditional melodies. And in the end we were able to keep the instruments as a memento and to make some noise at home.

With the end of the cerimony, we became free to roam around and try to see as much as possible before the end of the day. I'll repeat that those samples are just a taste of every picture I took, and all my pictures are just a portion of all the nice things in the Expo. Anyway, we started going to the Indian pavilion.

Veeeery cool place, it's art everywhere.

One of those cool gods with many arms.

Brunei was a cool place too, but nothing special.

I'm wondering his armor class rating...

This ship is from the Thailandese pavilion, a small but very beautiful place.

Now, to the indonesian pavilion!

Essentially we have prehistoric animals...

...and some hewed heads. But these are not the best masks, as we'll see in the next pictures.

The Pacific Islands should be a place to rest...

Indeed, it's pavilion reflected this fact.

And we always have the chance to meet one of these creepy natives ;)

This is a kind of granary, similar to the one used in Indonesia (there is a picture here)

Camboja! The palace is one of its postcards.

I bet she could type VERY fast in her time.

This is a passageway arc. Shall we go in?

Even with a model, the palace's looks impressive.

Not just the pavilions are nice, the overall decoration and garden work are also very well done.

Lets use this break to show some of the transportation methods.

Its a veeery slow electric bus. the guy walks in front of it asking to the people to clear the way.

That is the famous unmanned car that runs in defined tracks.

And of course the tricycle! Note that it's a taxi ;)

Now lets go to Egypt! I really love the old egyptian culture, but this place was VEERY crowded, and had one of the biggest lines of the expo.

Where is her eye? This is creepy.

Just the expected things here. I was disappointed :(

Now lets go to Africa! I know that egypt is in africa, but they treat the other unkown african countries as one. Note the portuguese pun too...

Now THAT'S something new to me. I wish the media would show those different landscapes of the countries, not just the same stereotypes that many believe that it's the only truth.

Many statues with biiig tits. I wonder if the japanese girls envied that.

They come in all shapes, too!

That's why they are so abundant...the feeling of procreation is very strong here.

The japanese are always seeking new styles...

Enough of Africa, lets travel north!

Stupid robot playing with kids. It just says Konnichiha and tries to move (in vain).

Italy, one of the most beautiful pavilions of the Expo.

The big blue ball reflects the water and everything else in this mystical room.

This face is just another cool light trick.

Different from the african ones, these are made of brass and copper.

This is the symbol of the italian pavilion. Its the third creepy thing of the post, in my opinion.

One more outdoor shot, because Mexico is far away from here...

Arrived! This is a surprisingly beautiful place.

We can't see here, but this is magical. Projected in the stream of water, we could see aquatic life in movement and grace.

And we could also dress like mexicans! What else could we ask?

Switching to the Dominican Republic, we see the cool masks. Take that, brazilian carnival!

Another surprise... I could never imagine to find a high-tech place here.

The country and the computers are one.

Lets not forget the oil, where most of the money comes from.

Ahhh cool weapons at last.

Speaking in good technology, this is the Lithuanian site, with technology and art twisting together.

Speaking of bad technology, this is a multimedia terminal in the same place, with some brain damage.

We were almost going home when we decided to buy some drinks in a nearby combini. In the cashier line, an old japanese lady saw the sumatra in my bag and started to talk with me. How unusual, I thought, but I was happy. She knew about the indonesian day, so I explained about the instrument and taught her and her 7-year-old son how to play it. The kid liked, so I gave to him, he would use and have more fun with it then me. The mother was startled, she wasn't expecting that, I think. In retribution, she gave me an Expo brooch, and I couldn't refuse. Cultural interchange is always fun :)

Well that's it. I didn't went to many places like the japanese pavilions, for example...just lack of time. And I was reeeeally sad because there was no brazilian pavilion. Its strange, since Brazil has one of the richest natural resources and beauty. Nobody could explain me about the brazilian absence, though. Zannen.

Anyway, from morning to night, it was a very tiresome and yet pleasant trip. The expo is over now, but maybe I can go to the next one, in Shangai, China, in 2010. See you there, then.

I'm going home by cable car... mata!