Japan: the center of technology

Or not ..?

A lot of times when a foreigner things about Japan they think about a couple of things. The most common being technology and Anime.


(my amazing heated toilet!)


This is just my experience but, I feel as though Japan is actually quite ghetto, when it comes to technology. One look around my office work place already lends to my experience. The use of wireless, even in the work place is often unheard of. Inside everybody uses a line to hook up to the internet. There is no AC, and although they all have computers most of them are old, and malfunctioning. Also, most things are done on paper, filed away and then also done on the computer.

Than there is home life. Some ALT's have no plumbing. Instead they have a drop tank that is picked up when it gets full. I am lucky to have plumbing but, I have an ancient shower to make up for it. To turn on my shower there are many steps, one of which involves cracking on the gas. Oh, and all my cooking and heating is done by gas and kerosene. There is no central heating, expect in the new expensive homes in Japan and very few have AC. To have internet at home is slowly becoming more popular but, for the most part everybody goes to internet cafe's or uses their phones for internet.


(my only source of heat in the winter, it this kerosene heater and I live in Hokkaido, some of my friends on Kyushu and Honshu don't even have this).


(My gas store on which I cook food)


( My ghetto shower/bath)

Than there is the doctors offices. I recently went to an eye doctor in Japan to get new contacts. It was culture shock the minute I walked in. Instead of a machine which clicks around to find how strong your glasses/contacts need to be, a person holds up different lenses to your eyes and has you read a chart. The X-ray equipment is so old it pints off a tiny picture on a Polaroid machine. They don't usually dilate your eyes to see if something could be wrong either. As for regular doctors its pretty much the same. SUPER old equipment and what seems to be no confidentiality. Oh, and when you get an X-ray you have to ask for a vest, they don't even think about it no matter how close your X-ray is to that area.

There are many other ghetto like things hanging out in Japan. So can you really call it a center of technology ???

Nikki~

The amazing world of Taiko

Its been a long time since I updated. This time I wanted to talk a bit about Taiko drumming. Taiko drumming, or Japanese drumming came to Japan in the Yayoi period from China. Although the Taiko drums of today are distinctly Japanese the concept came from the traditional Chinese drums. Modern Taiko was started in 1951.


There are four major drum types. One is the Odaiko, the biggest of the drums. This drum is usually horizontal so that two people can play it on either side. There is also the Kodaiko, this one is a smaller version of the Odaiko and is placed on the floor, so only one person can play it. Shimedaiko, is the smallest of the major taiko drums. It can be played on either side but again this one is only played by one person and stands straight not horizontal. The last is called the Hiradaiko. The Hiradaiko is about half the size of the Kodaiko and is only played by one person, usually.



Taiko to me is a high energy drumming art. To play the Taiko you have to use your whole body, including your voice. Often in the middle of songs, at the beginnings and at the ends of songs words are shouted out, which raises the tension and performance of the songs. Also, how you move your body and how you team moves their bodies can make or break a piece. Therefore when playing taiko, you have to do more than drum, you have to become one with the other drummers and create a wonderful play throughout the song.




It takes years and years of practice to even play the simplest songs well. In Japan kids can start playing Taiko when they are 3 years old.
Every time I go to my Taiko group I am amazed at how fast the kids can learn new songs and how quickly they understand when to move their bodies. I have been playing Taiko for about 6 months now and I am just understanding the basic movement and I only know 2 songs, neither of which I play well. After practice I am always drenched in sweat. Taiko drumming is seriously a full-body workout. And I LOVE IT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7jXFAVZ3xs

(This is me and my group playing Taiko at a festival in town.)