Some days ago, a high school kid was identified with the disease. Yesterday the number had climbed to 46 (http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200905180029.html), all in the Kobe/Hyogo area just next to Osaka. The national authorities have responded and closed almost all schools in the area. At least 530 schools notified of closing yesterday, today many more, including my university. (You should notice, that Hirakata, the city I live in, is on the other side of Osaka, and it takes around 2 hours in a train from Kobe to Hirakata. This is not much in Japan, where 1-2,5 hours to school or work is normal. Many of our students come from Kobe too.)

Indeed, our university has also decided to close its gates from 13.30 today until next monday. It is quite unfortunate, since we are supposed to have our final exams now. Also, our Completion (graduation) Ceremony, that was scheduled to take place on saturday, is cancelled. What a shame, I was really looking forward for the ceremony, and also to the exams.. no joke. The school will decide today how we are to be graded. If my teachers are reading this, don’t bother to think too much: I’ll have all A’s, thanks.

Because of H1N1, some japanese girls + an american exchange student felt they needed a mask for .. protection. Taken today after our school announced it will shut down for a week.

Now I’m not an expert on influenza. I can not say what should be done, but I can say that it seems like over reaction here in Japan which escalates when the ‘information’ spreads. For example, according to the Asahi Newspaper, Health Ministry officials have advised that people should avoid peak-time public transportation and to wear masks on crowded public places. Our school sent us an urgent email and made announcements via public speakers before closing the university today. They advised: “We would also like to urge you to stay at home/dormitory and avoid
going out. When you have to go out, please make sure to wear masks.” You see the difference? Now this is just a small thing, but it shows how misinformation spreads when every turn someone cuts corners.

My school, Kansai Gaidai, said: “we are trying our best to secure the safety of our students”. Well, the best thing would be to prevent panic. Spreading fear doesn’t help. In the midst of fear people don’t think rationally (bad). In their notice by our school, we weren’t reminded how important washing of hands is. It reminds me of a study done, where a bunch of people played poker. Some of them had a flue and all players got infected. The only man present who didn’t get the infection, was a guy who sat at the table but didn’t play, he just watched. Thus even though he was breathing the same air, he was not touching the cards and got of easy…

Anyways, so many kids were wearing masks here. Oh, Japanese just love those masks.. they may help with (pollen) allergies, and they may be required by the culture to be used when the person himself has a flue, but I don’t think it has been confirmed that those paper mask prevent you from getting the influenza.

I understand that the authorities are worried with diseases. First of all, thats what Japanese do, they just love to worry about everything, including nonsense… secondly, people live very tightly. They travel long distances to work and school every day in trains jam-packed. At stations and in down town you just can’t avoid being in crowds. If you think about handles at staircases, doors, elevators etc. you can just imagine how many people touch the same surfaces every day. If a really dangerous an easily spreading disease were to spread, I can see that it could travel fast in here. For example, the south side of the main island is like one big city – if you travel by train, the houses along the track never end.

However, im not sure if this H1N1 is as dangerous as some people are keen to fear, for example compared to normal flu, which for example kills 36,000 people in the US every year. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8031761.stm) Most people don’t get seriously ill because of swine flu, luckily. Many who died in Mexico were healthy 25-40 year olds, bad for me.. hahah.. no seriously, I’m not worried at all. Just pissed off about all the fuzz.

With my friend Norman, (のーちゃん）we wanted to go and see some SUMO-action. Woke up at 5.00, took the first trains at that weekend day and hurried to the end of the long line. We were there just after seven, wishing to get two tickets from a pool of 250 that are sold only during the morning, from 9.00. We were maybe 10 min too late, the last tickets were given to folks just a few meters in front of us in the row. Too bad, but at least we got some entertainment and taste of the SUMO feeling, hearing the trummers pounding away in this tall tower, and seeing peaks of the refridgerator slash mountain – in the shape of a man – sumo players.

Waiting for tickets to see SUMO with Norman. At this time, its around 7.40 in the morning and 40 min already stood in line.

Without tickets, plans changed. After some family guy, we decided to go and explore the island in front of Tokyo, and after that day looked into the shopping heaven GINZA has to offer. This picture is taken on the way to the island. One funny thing: on the island there was a place called “Teleport station”. This is Tokyo, after all.

One of the many subways in Tokyo. This one seemed very new, and high tech. Actually, the carts seemed to run partly on tires. The view over all the houses and to the sea was magnificent.

On the island in front of Tokyo.

Ginza. One of the most famous places in Tokyo to go to buy some Luis Vuitton bags etc.

Ginza take 2. No cars. This is the way to go...

Omote Sando, one of my favourite place in Tokyo. This picture is taken from a film crew shooting the two ladies on the left.

Yep, as you know, in Tokyo there are these young kids who want to dress up in cartoon / computer game etc. uniforms and they hang around this tiny bridge for people to take pictures of them. Well, that is one way to get attention I suppose. The funny dilemma about big cities is that, even though there are hundreds, or thousands people around you, it can be lonely. Actually, more strangers around you, more lonely it can feel. No wonder people find ways to interact with others, like this posing / picture taking hobby.

Those otakus..

One of the less interesting looking posers.

More Otakus. (The one on the left was actually a bloke..)

The otaku-bridge from above, after "business hours"..

Next to that bridge there is a very beautiful temple area. A peaceful forest in middle of this enormously busy city.

torii

5 yen coin, anyone?

Here and there you could see these old buildings in between modern mansions.

How many bikes can you, really, fit next to a train station. I wouldnt want to forget where i put mine.. haha

On the other side of this road on the right one of the places to meet some homeless people. And as said before, these men are gentlemen, really.

How narrow building can be build? I really wonder where the limit goes... Japan is full of this, and still, there is always a small gap between the buildings.

Such a nice day.

This was actually taken on the first evening in Tokyo. The city was full of mist. Left is the east gate to the outer part of the Emperors palace. To the right is the main police station, if i remember correctly. In Japan there are many places where you can see the new and the old at the same glance.

Hirakata park, ice skating

The sight is quite absurd. See, the winter in Osaka means, especially the last weeks of February, that sometimes the air can be cold with chill all the way to the bone, but the next day can resemble the average Finnish warm spring day. That kind of a warm day was when we went to the park. Outside the skating arena, there were some people with almost only a shirt on, but on ice everyone had to wear gloves. For protection, as the rule was. Maybe if you wish long and hard enough, the cotton gloves do protect against the blades.

Next to the skating arena there was a area for children. For the price of approximately 5 euros, you could let your offspring wet their pants on – you guessed it – snow. The happy screams of the children was worth those 600 yen many times over.

Playing in Snow. For 600 yen.

Skillfulness really depends on the comparison. In Finland I am not a good skater by any standards, but here was a completely different story. In bright contrast to most of the Japanese who took their first slides that day, was a maybe 6 year old girl, on full ice-hockey gear, from hockey pants to NHL shirt and helmet, who was more eager to get on the ice than a cat out of a washing machine. She skated like pro i have to say. 

The Amusement park was kind enough to give advise to its customers….

Waste please

Hirakata park

Marjukka and Pauliina, thanks for the cards. The black and white-one still on my table. And folks back home, thanks (again) for the Christmas-candy, some still left, stashed in that red Marimekko box.

Home.

Thanks to the frequent requests of my friend from Espoo, my bathroom. Timo, this one is for You.. I will tell the story of that shower sponge someday! haha..

The east-wing of my home.

This picture is from my campus. On the left side you can see the second home I have – the library. I just love the place. Not only because of the company, the place is suited for some serious reading and not so serious leisure: the library has its own multimedia facilities, where you can watch even brand new Hollywood films with your friends. Las t week I saw a french film about a guy going to Erasmus-exchange. Great timing, since many of my Japanese friends have just found out they get to go abroad.. (and Mai to France, way to go! ne!)

Kansai Gaidai, main campus

A better photo of the library:

Das Library

All of our classes are held here, in CIE. The first floor has a comfortable lounge for hanging out and making new friends. Im sure that the lounge has been a lifeline for many exchange students.

Center of International Education

Once you enter the campus, walk past the relatively newly built western style buildings, on the spotless tiles of the campus (cleaned every week by the most hard working staff I have ever seen cleaning an university for a living) and go past the main administrative building (the tall one in the middle in the first picture) you end up to the main cafeteria, serving traditional, though modern Japanese cuisine. When you, one of the many visitors here, are about to enter for your well earned lunch, you might take a random look over your left elbow and what do your eyes fixate on, before your jaw drops down on amusement or disbelief..

..the campus McDonalds! Way to go KG.. what a disgrace. I’ve eaten once in there, tastes just as bad as every one not addicted to grease knows. The Japanese kids – and Henrik, the German guy who’s stomach requests for a hamburger or four a few times a week – just love that shit. The life expectancy of people in Okinawa has been the highest in the world for a long time, but recently, thanks to the oh so wise American military who brought (among other not so positive things) all the fast food restaurants with them, the expectancy of the Okinawans’ has plummeted. The same is happening around other parts of Japan. I will have to write more about the local food and the controversy of the Japanese health someday, but this is not the right time for that, because I dont bother to.

On top of the McD. on the 2nd floor we have a combini (food as stuff) and 3rd floor a bookstore (books and stuff). Convinient.

Campus McDonalds

As a desert, some national pride. Among the many flags, you might want to count ..wait, 1,2,3.. 4 (!) flags from the right.. the blue and white of Finland. I have to say, this day was perfect for photography. Actually, it was a normal day here.. To all people in Finland, きをつけてね.

Multimedia hall and the flag of Finland, among many others

Another: One anonymous Japanese lady described herself with these words: “My looks is younger than my age. I like sight seeing. I’m agressive and honest.” You got that honest part right. Respect!

vending machine

Next to the vending machines there was a stall, selling all the usual stings a stall in a station is supposed to sell. Boring. The interesting thing for kaijin eyes was behing it. The two lovely ladies who had sold me the whitest bread ever had, before going to work, taken their shoes of and left them outside the stall. Inside is for slippers only. How else?

Shoes outside a snack stall. Osaka winter.

Kävin hakemassa Dendentownista jouluaattona uuden kameran. Tinkaaminen ei onnistunut, mutta ystävällinen kiinalaismies möi kameran kaijinille (ulkomaalaiselle) taxfreena ilman kysymyksiä.

Lopputuloksia voi käydä katsomassa  Flickr.com:ista.

Antin Suomesta lomailemaan tulleiden ystävien kanssa käytiin katsomassa Saksalaista Joulumarkkinoita Umedan Sky-View:llä.. Jotenkin lapsi-Jeesus seimessä pisti hieman silmään tässä kontekstissa. Vieressä meetwursti, 1000 yen. Japanilaiset osaavat arvostaa kaikkea kaunista. Markkinoiden Joulukuusi ei ollu pettymys, tähtiä hipova ja peitettynä valomerellä.

Uusivuosi on jotain muuta kuin Suomessa. Normaali nuori menee aattona ystävien kanssa pyhättöön rukoilemaan hyvää onnea, myöhemmin illalla takaisin kotiin tai juhlimaan. Seuraavana päivänä toinen kierros pyhättöjä perheen kanssa. Vuoden ensimmäinen ja ehkä toinenkin päivä pyhitetään suvulle. Perinteisissä perheissä nuoret pistävät tumman puvun päälle (tytöt myös) mummon ja papan luokse. Jos suomalainen perheenäiti stressaa jouluruuista, japanilainen saa samat paineet uuden vuoden pöperöistä. 1. Tammikuuta perheet syövät samaa ruokaa kolme kertaa päivän aikana. Aamupala, lounas ja illallinen. Tosin tarjolla voi olla useaa kymmentä erilaista pienen pientä annosta. Ja pöydässä voi olla muun muassa kokonaisena suolavedessä keitetty kala. Herkullista.

Niissä perinteisissä kodeissa vuoden ensimmäisen päivän pyhättövierailulla käydään ostamassa nuolta muistuttava onnenkalu, kuten kuvan pikkupojalla kädessä, vanha tuodaan samaan paikkaa. Tarjolla useita kymmeniä eri tarpeisiin, riippuen miltä halutaan kunakin vuonna suojautua.

Sain itse kunnian viettää uutta vuotta jujutsuopettajani kotona. Kävimme kiertämässä pyhätöt, yhteensä kolme kappaletta. Jonotusta. suitsukkeiden tuoksuilla hyvää onnea. kolikon tarkkuusheittoa pyhätön arkkuun. läpsäytys ja kämmenet yhteen, oman hetken mittainen hiljentyminen ja seuraavan 12 kuukauden hyvä onni turvattuna. Tuntuipa hyvältä..haha.

Japani, joka normaalisti on auki 24 tuntia viikon jokaisena päivänä, oli yllättävän rauhallinen uutena vuotena. Aattona osakan kadut näyttivät erilaisilta, ilman normaalia tuhansia mustatukkaisia muurahaisiaan. Paikoin lähiöissä näky oli kuin maailmanloppujen elokuvasta, tiedättekö niistä I am Legend:in tapaisissa joissa ‘sankari’ kävelee täysin hylätyllä kaupungilla yksikseen. Tuuli viheltää ja muovipussi leijuu täydessä hiljaisuudessa. Kaikki tuo rauha muuten muuttui pari päivää myöhemmin, kun alennusmyynnit alkoivat.. Yht’äkkiä Osaka oli taas täynnä muurahaisia, ihan kuin joku olisi kaatanut litratolkulla hunajaa keon viereen.

Kuten näistä kuvista näkyy, jonotus on näinä tiettyinä päivinä taitolaji. Otan sen kärsivällisyysharjoituksena. Ei ihme että Japanilaiset pienestä odotuksesta yleensä ole moksiskaan.

Oheisessa videossa vähän maaseutufiilistä, kuvattu bussista:

Luontopolku Takatsukin metsistä

Riisin niittämistä

Peltoja.. Riisi miehen tiellä pitää.

Kukkulat nousee eteen kuin seinät

Kei on väsy, frisbeen heittely on raskasta

Japanin rikollisuudenpelosta pitää joskus kirjoittaa enemmän. Onsenissa pelot näkyvät siinä, että tatuoidut vieraat käännytetään kohteliaan epäkohteliaasti ovelta.

"jos huomaamme henkilöllä tatuoinnin, heitämme hänet ulos."

Onsenrakennus oli kolmessa kerroksessa, ja kuumat kylvyt jatkuivat aina katolle asti. Katon suuressa kylvyssä maatessa ja seuraten kuinka iltapäivä vaihtuu illaksi ja taivas vähitellen tummuu sitä muistaa kuinka kaunis tämä maailma on. Pari tähteä pilkottaa jo, aika lähteä takaisin kotiin.

Ruokailu onsenin alakerrassa. Japanilaiseen tapaan, vitriinissä esillä muoviset, realistisen näköiset mallinnukset vaihtoehdoista. Pitkän harkinnan jälkeen rahat syötetään masiinaan, ja henkilökunnalle kiikutetaan pieni lipuke. Ihan kätevää, ravintolahenkilökunnan ei tarvitse käsitellä rahaa ja aika jää enemmän ruuanlaittoon.

Vitriinissä vaihtoehdot

Rahastuskone

Tummat silmänaluset monen tunnin kuumien kylpyjen jälkeen.

Koulu vie elämästä täällä luvattoman suuren ajan. Maanantaista perjantaihin istutaan luennoilla, japaninkieltä on päivittäin tunnista kahteen ja aineopintoja siihen päälle. Luennot kestävät päivästä riippuen lounaaseen tai 17.20 asti. Suurin piirtein joka viikko on tentti ja kotiinviemisiä (läksyjä) tulee varsinkin japskista aina. Olenkin huomannut opiskelevani täällä enemmän kuin Suomessa, mikä ei kielen oppimisen kannalta ole ollut ollenkaan huono juttu – tosin raskasta.

Kuten vaihtarit yleensä, myös allekirjoittanut on viettänyt aika aktiivista elämää. Viikonloppuisin on tullut käytyä aina jossakin, Kansain lähialueella on seikkailtu ristiin rastiin ja Osakakin alkaa olla jo aika tuttu kylä. Se on muuten aika mielenkiintoista, kuinka kaupungit kasvavat ja kehittyvät. Vaikka Osaka on aikalailla, sanotaan vaikka Helsinkiä suurempi noin ihmismäärillä mitattuna, itse kaupunki ei ole vastaavassa suhteessa suurempi. Osakaan on kehittynyt eri tarkoituksille omat keskuksensa, jotka on varsin kompakteja, ja sitten palvelevat tolkutonta määrää ihmisiä päivittäin. Yksi lempijuttu onkin flanööri, tarkkailtavaa riittää kun silmien välissä vilisee valehtelematta tuhansia ihmisiä. Tosin ulkopuolisuus saa säröjä kun muistaa että itsehän pyrkii olemaan osa tätä yhteiskuntaa, jollain tasolla.

Arki on kiireinen ja sitä tarvitsee jotain mikä irroittaa ajatukset koulusta ja kielestä. Meikäläiselle tuo irtiotto on täällä ollut jujutsu. Treeneissä on tullut käytyä 1-3 kertaa viikossa. Aikaa matkoihin kotoa menee tunti tai kaksi, joten kahden tunnin harjoitteluun voi helposti mennä yli 6 tuntia. Suurkaupungin veroa. Onneksi kampuksen punttisali on paikallisen villikissan metsästysmatkan päässä, eli ihan vieressä, joten energiaa pääsee purkamaan kotikonnuillakin.

Parin viikon päästä alkaa tenttiviikko. Sinänsä huvittavaa, esim. Japanese TNC operations kurssilla on ollut jo kolme kahden esseen tenttiä.. tenttiviikko siis jonkin näköinen kliimaksi. Sen jälkeen alkaa joululoma, jonka aikana olisi tarkoitus käydä kiertämässä tätä maata kauempana. Okinawa, Hiroshima, Tokyo.. saa nähdä mihin sitä päätyy.