Cultural Course

About the Experience

The first part of my study abroad included a cultural course. Before studying abroad, I read and studied about Japan’s soft power and how culture ties heavily into the economy, both domestically and internationally. During this course, we were able to travel around Japan and experience various aspects of culture all while observing how particular cultures influence Japan’s soft power. My group decided to study traditional Japanese fashion, specifically the kimono and yukata. During our stay in Kyoto, my group went to rent a kimono for the day. This is an increasingly popular activity in Japan, especially in Kyoto. We went to a shop near Fushimi Inari shrine, and there was no shortage of Kimono-wearers. Overall, it was interesting how kimono rentals are tailored more towards creating an experience and an aesthetic rather than a quality product, since it is only rented. The process for putting on a kimono is rather complex, as it required multiple belts and technique to get the shaping right. At the shop, we ran into some struggles with the language, since the employees did not know English, and we were still at an intermediate level of Japanese. However, through gesturing and over-explaining, we overcame the language barrier enough for us to get our kimonos and schedule a return time. Once we finished getting dressed and our hair done, we took a walk around the shrine and took some pictures. Also in Kyoto, I visited Nishiki Market to eat some street food and explored around the station mall.

We departed from Kyoto and went to Kanazawa. This town is not particularly popular for tourism, but it best known for gold leaf crafts. Additionally, there is the Kanazawa gardens and Kanazawa castle. We visited the gardens and learned how Japanese garden aesthetics are the complete opposite of western gardens. In Japanese gardens, the emphasis is on asymmetry and embedding meaning into small aspects. For example, a pebble could represent a mountain, whereas western gardens focus on a polished, symmetrical look. Walking around the gardens with this in mind made the experience tranquil and made me curious about the meaning of everything around me. Later, we made gold leaf crafts with a local craft shop. I decided to make a plate with a crane and the kanji of Kanazawa. I would definitely recommend visiting Kanazawa for a break from the hustle and bustle of the cities and for the peaceful environment.

Our next location, Shirakawago, boasts natural beauty and small-town charm Nestled in the mountains by the Sea of Japan, Shirakawago was one of the first World Heritage Sites established in Japan. Since expansion was difficult due the mountains, most of the town was unaffected by industrialization. The preservation of its culture is why Shirakawago is a World Heritage Site. Even today, there are few trains that run to Shirakawago, so the best way to get there is by bus or car. We roamed the town and tried some of the famous beef skewers. I could tell that this town was different culturally than the rest of Japan, but it honestly felt very similar to where I grew up. There was an emphasis on small craft shops and local businesses, preservation of nature, and the town felt welcoming. We hiked up the mountain path to the observatory, then headed to Takayama for the night. Takayama, similarly to Kanazawa, has a suburban, homey feeling to it. The residents were very kind and took the time to talk to us, even if we sometimes could not exactly phrase what we wanted to say. In the morning, we visited some of Takayama’s markets and enjoyed some crane games at the game center.

One huge cultural difference between Japan and America is Japan has many Onsen and public bath houses. We departed Takayama for Gero to experience a traditional Onsen. Gero, deep in the Gifu mountains, is one of Japan’s three famous Onsen locations. Onsen are separated by sex, but everyone bathes together. Before someone is allowed in the bath, they have to sit and shower so that they are clean. The hot water is healing and soothing, but it is hard to sit in the bath longer than 5 minutes because of how hot it is. While we were at the inn in Gero, we also got to enjoy a multiple course meal. This included soup, shabushabu, tofu, various vegetables and small plates, various fish, and dessert.

We made the trip to Himeji to visit the famous Himeji castle. This castle is well known throughout the world and is another of Japan’s World Cultural Heritage Sites. The day we went was raining but made for a nice environment and less people. We only had time to visit the castle and not the grounds because we arrived close to closure. The castle architecture was impressive, and we even had to take our shoes off inside, which made climbing the incredibly steep stairs a challenge.

Our final destination for the cultural course was Hiroshima. We spent two days here, one visiting the peace memorial and the other going to the island of Miyajima. The city of Hiroshima as a whole is quite lively with plenty to do all while not having as many tourists. However, there is a melancholy tone to the city, especially after visiting the Peace Memorial. Within the memorial, there is a museum and various outdoor elements. The museum places a heavy focus on the victims, especially students, and educating about the immediate and lasting effects. I firmly believe everyone should visit the museum at some point in their life, and while it is emotionally daunting and uncomfortable, it puts a lot into perspective. The museum also did a good job of showing the hope of the human spirit, with major restoration efforts in place once the bomb dropped. Outside, there was the dome, the eternal flame, a prayer area, etc. The dome was both near ground zero and one of the only somewhat intact buildings left after the bomb. The Eternal flame represents nuclear weapons and will not be extinguished until all nuclear arms are dismantled. The next day we visited the island shrine at Miyajima, Itsukushima, another famous location. It’s near Hiroshima and is also a World Heritage Site. This shrine is famous for its large red gate which is on the shore and this shrine is featured in many video games and media. We explored the shrine and the surrounding town, drank some lemonade and street food, and met some local deer. Overall this portion of the program exposed me firsthand to the culture shock and differences in Japan, and I gained experiences I would not have been able to gain without this program!

Cultural Research

For this course, students had to research a cultural topic in Japan and how this cultural aspect influences or does not influence Japan’s soft power. My group decided to research Japanese fashion, specifically the kimono and yukata. The Japanese kimono and yukata used to be worn on a daily basis, however in recent years due to the rise of more women working, these clothes are now mainly worn on special occasions. These can include graduations, birthdays, weddings, festivals, etc. As far as the differences between the kimono and yukata, kimonos are more elaborate and tend to include thicker fabrics, embroidery, and more belts. The yukata is worn more in summer, as it is cooler, and tends to be cheaper. In Japan, kimono rental services are becoming quite popular, making it a “bucket list” experience in Japan. The kimono rental places emphasis on creating an experience rather than making a quality product, which allows for it to be popular amongst tourists and locals alike. These kimono rental services serve to increase Japan’s soft power greatly in few ways. Firstly, kimono rental services generate short term interest by having their “service” walk around popular tourist destinations. For example, as mentioned we went to Kyoto for our kimono rental, and it was packed with people wearing kimonos. Other tourists see this and want to participate, thus generating short term interest. The long-term interest, and probably the most impactful, is generated through social media. Often, kimono wearers will take pictures of themselves to post online, which generates people’s long-term interest in going to Japan. Kimono rental services know this because at the shops, they will often have photo packages or include a free photo op before leaving the shop, encouraging customers to post and share these photos. Although people may not go to Japan solely to rent a kimono, it becomes this “you can’t go to Japan and not do this” activity.