Say What? (Gray)

For this blog post I was asked to learn a bit of the local dialect and then talk about it, so I went about trying to learn at least a little bit of Akita-ben, the accent native to the prefecture. I don’t have friends who are from Akita, so I had to go outside native speakers to learn. This led me to the internet and our school’s library. There is not a comprehensive dictionary of Akita dialect, as even within the region it can vary, but there are plenty of examples and even a small flashcard booklet I saw in a souvenir shop at the Akita Airport that compares “standard” Japanese phrases and their Akita-ben counterparts.

The first buttons I saw in the airport. 

The dialect is notoriously impenetrable, though through the use of one to one comparisons to phrases I already knew, it became easier to simply switch words out. Some of the nuances of the specific vowel pronunciations that are different from the Japanese I was taught are still unfamiliar to me, but I think that listening to native accent speakers could help me become more accustomed to it.

Another interesting thing I found at the airport’s souvenir shop was a variety of buttons with Akita-ben phrases and their English equivalent with a cute Akita dog character on them. What I found most interesting is that the translations were in English, not in “standard” Japanese. I asked myself if this was an attempt to appeal to the relatively few international tourists who make their way through this further northern region, or just an aesthetic choice as the phrases are common enough in English that ESL speakers would be familiar with them.

Some more buttons featuring Akita-ben

In conclusion, the dialect of Akita is a little harder to seek out than perhaps in regions like Kansai where the accent is more well known. Even with the difficulties in finding resources to learn, I found that I enjoyed learning about how it is similar and different from the Japanese I’d learned before and the ways that it is used both in the region and out.

Akita Dialect (Zowie)

This is at the Namahage Museum. During the performance, they used heavy Akita Dialect. 

Over the past few weeks, I have been trying to learn Akita dialect from classmates, online, and from first-hand experiences. Akita Dialect is known for its relaxed pronunciation being compared to a “lazy” way of speaking. There can be subtle differences, for example, instead of “taberu” (to eat) they would say “daberu” sounding less clear. There are also a lot of words and phrases that are completely different from standard Japanese. One explanation, I read, about why Akita dialect takes on a relaxed pronunciation is because it is so cold in Northern Japan which makes it difficult therefore leading to an unclear pronunciation. While I don’t know how accurate this is I thought it was an interesting explanation for the variation in the language compared to standard Japanese.

“Damagonabe” also known as “tamagonabe” is a soup dish that contains rice balls, various vegetables such as burdock root and spinach, and meats such as beef or chicken. 

While visiting Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture with one of my classes, I got to experience native women speaking with heavy Akita dialect. During a cooking session where local women taught us how to cook a local dish called “Damagonabe” a type of soup, one of my classmates, from Tokyo, (where they speak standard Japanese) expressed how she could barely understand what the women were saying. Personally, I could only notice a few instances when the dialect was prominent because my Japanese is not at a level where I can tell the difference yet.

Akita dialect also has several sounds such as ne and ke that can be used for several different meanings. Here is a list of ne examples which is one of my favorite things I learned!

ない＝ね(ne) = no

ないじゃん＝ねね(nene) = isn’t it?

寝ないじゃん＝ねねね(nenene) = I will not sleep

寝れないじゃん＝ねれねね(nerenene) = I cannot sleep

寝なきゃ＝ねねば(neneba) = I have to sleep

寝なきゃいけないじゃん＝ねねばねね(nenebanene) = I have to go to bed

A Tourist's Perspective - Namahage (Zowie)

On October 12, 2018, I traveled to Oga Peninsula with Professor Furukawa and Gray. During our time there we visited Godzilla Rock, Akagami Shrine Goshado and climbed its 999 steps, the tip of the Peninsula to eat lunch at a delicious restaurant, and the Namahage Museum. Even though Oga is only about an hour away from my university I felt like I had been transported to a completely different place.

The shrine allegedly has 999 steps that were built by the Namahage 

The trees that grow up the side of the mountain appear to be stripped of their leaves and the buildings were dusted with rust from years of salt water eroding the metal. These harsh weather conditions are a reflection of how Oga was formed as a landscape, as a people, and the traditions that came about. And yet, there is still something absolutely breathtaking about this area regardless of its rugged appearance.

Godzilla rock stands fiercely next to the sea.

While in Oga I wanted to look into how the Namahage traditions are being kept alive, as the population decreases. Specifically, I focused on how Oga is marketing to tourists and what has changed as a result of trying to preserve this tradition. While the Namahage has a few different stories about their origin their main purpose is the same. During the New Year Holiday, they come down to the villages to scold and threaten lazy children and sometimes even family members. They come into the house scolding the lazy people and try to take them back to the mountain in a sack. Many kids cry to their parents in fear and run into their protective embrace as it can be quite frightening. However, after eating and drinking sake the Namahage leave good wishes for the family and leave the house only to return again the next year.

At the Namahage Museum you can see the different types that are located in this area. Some Namahage masks are intricately carved while others are made from paper mache or even wood bark.

Fast forward to today, the purpose of the Namahage has shifted in numerous aspects in order to adapt to the new conditions which mostly comes down to the lack of people. Apparently, there are only a dozen, or so, children in Oga and they probably won’t stay to carry on the tradition. Therefore citizens in Oga are forced to adjust the tradition or watch it fade away along with the people. There is a divide between many citizens, some want to create a nicer version of the Namahage as a way to attract tourists and check on the elderly during the winter months; however, some refuse this and would rather have the tradition stay within the community.

I bought a keychain souvenir with the cuter image of the Namahage. This image can be seen in numerous products when marketing to tourists.

The nicer Namahage image popped up often as we traveled around the peninsula. There are cute versions posted on fliers and items such as souvenirs are paired with popular characters such as Hello Kitty and Tamago making them appear much less terrifying then they are intended to be. Even during the performance I watched which is supposed to replicate a night with a Namahage, they didn’t act as they would during a local home visit. They greeted me with good evening and didn’t act out trying to take someone from the home. It was much less fearful than I thought it would be. The other tourists seemed to be smiling and laughing, enjoying the performance, rather than feeling afraid.

There are numerous reasons behind the attitude shift towards how the Namahage should be presented to “outsiders”. But it is apparent that the nice Namahage is the most popular. In the future, I wonder if the Namahage tradition will be sustained as there are less people to take over and what other aspects the community is willing to change in order to keep it alive.

Goshado Mountain Trek (Gray)

We went to the Oga penninsula this week on a field excursion, and decided to climb the 999 steps of the famous Akagami Shrine Goshado. The shrine is built into a mountain, with three large shrine buildings at the peak, along with a holy well and a small building where you can buy good luck charms and fortunes. The main feature of the shrine is the long stone path carved into the mountain. It is nearly vertical in places, but has a couple forgiving slopes. It was used for ascetic training when it was founded as a Buddhist temple in 860, and was converted into a Shinto Shrine in 1860. 

There a five identical shrine buildings at the top, with the center one being larger because it houses the head god of the shrine. 

The shrine also holds interest for those looking to learn about the possible origins of the Namahage, the ever present spirits that are a mascot of the peninsula. According to legend, a Chinese emperor in search on immortality brought ogres to Oga, where they terrorized the local populace. The locals made a deal where if the ogres could build a thousand stairs to climb the mountain up to the shrine in a single night, they would be given a maiden every year as tribute. If they failed, they must never descend upon the village again. The villagers trick the ogres into thinking sunrise has come by making a rooster sound and the steps remained unfinished. This is just one of the many theories as to where the Namahage ritual comes from.

It was quite a trip to the top!

The experience of climbing to Goshado was interesting due to many factors. At the bottom of the mountain there was a basket full of bamboo and wood walking sticks that had clearly seen some use, so our party each decided to take one, yet none of the Japanese climbers had one. It also struck me as strange that there was a whole party of men in dress shoes going up what was very rough terrain without the assistance of a walking stick.

As is typical of most shrines, there was a small building to buy good luck charms that was closed when we arrived. It was very different to the high traffic shrines I had been to in Kyoto and Tokyo and provided valuable perspective on what these historical sites look like in more isolated regions such as Oga.

My Trips to the Grocery Store (Zowie)

A sweet treat from Aeon Mall.

Over the past month in Akita, the place I have become a frequent visitor to is the grocery store. It is about a 15-minute bus ride from Akita International University and located in the basement of Aeon mall. Every Sunday without fail I head to Aeon around 9 am or 11 am. While a grocery store may seem like a lackluster place there are plenty of new foods to buy and samples to try (during the morning hours). Every week I feel like I find a new section of the store I’ve never seen before. The main reason is there is only a limited time before the next bus comes so I try to get in and get out as efficiently as possible, but every week I try to buy something I have never had before. For example last week, I discovered the section that sells pre-made goods like fried chicken, grilled pork on a stick, and seafood. It is similar to the deli section at Walmart that has pre-made food, but at Aeon, there is a larger variety of delicious food to choose from. As funny as it sounds, I was overjoyed and relieved that I could buy something to eat after returning to campus without having to cook first.

Like most stores, it has a separate alcohol, fruits, vegetables, meats, cereals, hygiene products, sweets, and pre-made goods sections. However, something that I don’t see in the United States is the gift section. They have sweets like cookies, cakes, that are packaged nicely and some have cute designs specific to Akita, like Namahage, which is a type of mythical creature that is like a demon, mountain ogre, or spirit.

These are Namahage (https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_of_Namahage_,_なまはげの像_-_panoramio_(1).jpg)

Aeon isn’t as big as large chain retailers in the United States, but it has everything I need and more. The workers who are giving out samples always have a smile on their face. There have been a few times when they tried to hold a conversation with me, but I only could pick up less than half of what they were saying. But we were still able to communicate through gestures. Also, I have noticed that I am used to hearing my professor speak clear concise Japanese but most of the students and locals speak fast and somewhat unclear.

Even though this is the place I have frequented the most I hope to find other places to go to over the next few months I am here. There are so many things I want to do, but transportation can be extremely inconvenient when trying to plan a trip off campus. But I am hopeful I can travel off campus more frequently on the coming months.

Yokoso, YouTube! (Gray)

My prompt for this week was to become a “fan” of something. Though I am a regular at the campus conbini, I decided it would be interesting to take my research to a digital space: YouTube! In the course of my time in Japan so far I have picked up several Japanese YouTube channels that I watch regularly, though I had started watching one while I was still in the U.S. The ones I’ll be talking about, because I watch them most regularly, and have participated in their comments section, are a prank/comedy channel called SUSHI RAMEN [Riku] and a cooking/vlog network of channels run by Rachel and Jun, an American/Japanese married couple living in Japan.

Banner from Rachel and Jun's main channel, where they mostly post in English about life in Japan. Jun has a cooking channel of his own.

The general flow of consuming these videos is dependent on if a new one has been uploaded. While some channels have a more regular upload schedule, others are more scattered in their upload times. When a new video was uploaded, I would watch and comment, usually in Japanese but there were some channels with majority English comments. The content of the videos on these channels varies but I’ll give an example of a recent video by SUSHI RAMEN [Riku].

Thumbnail and description from SUSHI RAMEN [Riku]'s most recent video.

By the thumbnail and editing you can tell that he takes a lot of inspiration from Japanese comedy variety shows, with colorful subtitles in Japanese as well as general absurd video concepts, like building a slide from the front door to the living room with guitars attached to the sides so he can play a song when he comes home from his part time job. This, while patently ridiculous, is enjoyable because of [Riku]’s personality and his unique editing style. 

The majority of comments on [Riku]’s channel are in Japanese, with the occasional one-off English comments remarking on how “Japanese” his videos are. My attempts to engage in the comments were mostly in Japanese, garnering a couple likes but no replies, which I in general expected. The comments section of a Youtube video is not the best place to have conversations with other fans as there are a lot of comments and it is easy to get lost in the shuffle.

I think in future I should also ask my Japanese friends and my roommate what YouTube channels they watch, so I can watch the same things and have discussions with them from that. I was particularly interested in investigating a form of pop culture created by the individual instead of by larger companies and industries. It was interesting to see how the content on YouTube borrows from more traditional mediums like television, and the cultural specificity of those references. But all in all, I encourage my fellow students and blog readers to check out Japanese YouTube! You never know what you’ll find!

Navigating Unfamiliar Territory (Zowie)

ワン (one) - The friendly, Akita dog, mascot for Akita International University stands outside the entrance of the cafeteria.

Over the course of the past few weeks, I have made numerous new discoveries about the area that surrounds and encompasses Akita International University. Even though AIU is a small campus and the area surrounding the university is rural, there are many things to notice and experience. Sometimes you just need to miss the bus back to campus or go a little out of your way to find them. 

To better understand AIU and the area around it, I drew three maps based on my personal observations. The maps were created during the first few days, 5 to 7 days, and 12 to 14 days after arrival. When drawing the map for the first time, I realized how little I actually knew even though I had been to AIU before. I had a general understanding of where the main buildings were and where I lived, but I did not know the names or what a lot of the facilities were used for. As I progressed into the start of classes and clubs my understanding of AIU became greater and I was able to identify the location of each building and more of their uses. As I drew the second map, I was able to add a few more buildings that I did not notice before and label old areas, from the first map, with the correct names. By the end of the first week, I felt more comfortable on campus and finding my way around. I even found myself helping other international students finding their way around campus.

This is a square section of trees that stand tall in front of the library; it is a hard sight to miss when entering the AIU campus.

When I drew the final map I added to areas beyond AIU since I had been to the mall and had to go to the Immigration Bureau both of which require public transportation. When I returned to the train station from the immigration bureau, I walked back to campus with a few people since the bus only runs every few hours I would have to wait for the bus. This was a good opportunity to get to know the area better. On the way back, I found different landmarks I could use as a reference if I ever decided to walk around the area or from the train station again.

Looking back on the maps now, I realize that some of the streets and locations of buildings began to shift as I became more aware of my surroundings. However, there are still buildings I see every day, but still, do not know their purpose. There are also areas I have not explored yet. As I begin my third week on campus, there are times when I feel comfortable with where I am, but there are also times when I find myself feeling like a stranger even in the apartment I now call home. In the coming weeks, I hope to explore beyond the campus boundaries more often to gain a better understanding of the area around me, as well as, learn more about how I influence my surroundings and how my surroundings influence me in my everyday life.

Finding the Way (Gray)

In the first couple days of my exploration of AIU and the surrounding area, I realized how close together most of my initial “points of interest” were. In the beginning I was looking for the essentials: where did I have class, where could I buy food and what the fastest paths across campus were. As I continued to look beyond AIU itself, through word of mouth I found things a little bit further out, like shrine about a 20 minute walk from campus, or the far edge of the prefectural public park. Just a short bus ride away was the Goshono area, with its variety of shops, gargantuan mall and a convenient shuttle into the main station of Akita City.

First map I made of the area.

Despite the diverse locations I’ve become more familiar with, a constant about Akita more generally is that there is an immense amount of greenery. When I walked the perimeter of the large mall in the area, I found that the other side of the road, if not small shopping centers, was largely overgrown green space. At the edges of AIU campus itself are forests of the cedar famous in this prefecture. I think that coming from American Suburbia, the amount and inescapability of the greenery here is very different from home.

AIU campus is home to lots of these crows.

In the beginning I felt more and more like an outsider the further I went from campus, with my height and very visibly foreign face setting me apart. Though as time progressed, although the situation did not change, I found myself caring less that I stuck out, as if my growing familiarity with the area, as well as my residence status, gave me as much as a right to those public spaces as any other person. I don’t think I will ever truly feel inconspicuous outside of AIU campus, but I’ve come to terms with that. AIU campus feels like a bubble, with everything I need for the semester contained inside it, so I can see how it would be easy for an international student to stay on campus most of the time.

Overall, throughout my journey in exploring and mapping my neighborhood thus far, I found that, unlike my small time in Tokyo earlier this summer, there are liminal spaces between “neighborhoods” here in Akita. Here, between larger more developed areas are stretches of farmland and residences that feel disconnected from what I consider to be in my “neighborhood”, so that the areas I do feel like are my “neighborhood” are small pockets inside of a larger structure that is less accessible to people without cars, as public transit only goes to certain places. I was surprised, all in all, that I did as much exploring as I have, and look forward to exploring even more throughout the semester.

Onwards into the unknown!

Expectations and Challenges while Abroad (Zowie)

The Beloit bell

As I set off on this journey I hope to learn about numerous things and develop new skills. A large goal of mine while I am abroad is to become self-sufficient while traveling especially since I will be traveling in Japan 3 weeks early, alone. Coming from Beloit College and living in Beloit my entire life I have had few chances to explore far from my home. I have only traveled far from my small town of Beloit once and it was not alone. The first time I left the United States was when I went to Japan earlier this summer, I was apart of Landscapes in Transitions project. This research project introduced me to rural Japan as it was located in Semboku City located in Akita Prefecture. During this time I didn’t get to directly experience much of the farmer's life so I look forward to going back to the same area I studied for study abroad. When in Japan I hope to learn how to use the transit system, practice my Japanese, learn more about Japanese culture, learn more about the landscape, rural Japan, and art. I hope during this time I am able to learn more about myself and what I am capable of on my own.

The rural countryside has mountain terrain which is significantly different from the glad Midwest where I live.

Furthermore, I do expect to be challenged culturally, socially, academically, personally, and in ways I have not even thought of yet. I feel my greatest challenge will be practicing my Japanese in my daily life. Since my classes are taught in English and the school is international I may end up speaking English more than I planned. I will constantly have to push myself to practice my Japanese at every opportunity I get. Even though I was able to experience Japan for a short period of time I feel very clumsy when I was trying to adjust to cultural differences and when speaking Japanese. I also am very hesitant to try new things because I am not sure what is the “correct” way to do them. I understand it is okay to make mistakes while I am here, but I do not want to do things that come off as rude and not notice. There are many differences between the way I grew up and the way that society is in Japan.

Additionally, I know I will get lost more than find the right way the first time, I can barely get around Chicago’s transit system successfully. Becoming better acquainted with public transportation can open up many more opportunities for me in Japan because of how extensive the transit system is. During the three weeks I will be conducting my own project, I will have a great opportunity to get great use out of the rail system. I hope by the end I will become more confident in traveling alone.

Tokachi Station

I think my biggest personal challenge will be meeting new people and creating lasting relationships after I leave. I find interacting with people mentally and physically exhausting. I need to be with myself the majority of the time otherwise I find it difficult to focus and keep going every day. In Japan, I do not have the same support system as in Beloit so i will have to be very intentional with what I do and how I spend my time as a means to maintain my well being. I plan to join some extracurricular activities but I do not plan to spend much time going to side events or social gatherings just for the sake of meeting people.

Overall, I plan to make the most out of my abroad experience. I know I will be challenged in many ways while I am here whether it be culturally, socially, academically, or personally. As this is the first time I have truly been on my own, and it is in a different country, I hope to learn more about Japan and about myself during this abroad experience.

Journeys, Goals and Packing Up (Gray)

As I set out on this journey, I feel as though no preparation I could possibly do would adequately prepare me for what I’m about to do. I am a nervous traveller, easily flustered by the smallest trevails, and though I’ve been studying the language for a long time and can get around alive, am awkward and stilted in conversation with native speakers. Where I am now as a student of the language is a strange position where I still need to work on my memorization of kanji and translating what I want to say into coherent statements. I am only shakily sure of my ability to navigate the interpersonal relationships I will have to create when I arrive, as existing in a culture I’m not native to may be a challenge. I’m hoping to learn more of the academic phrases in Japanese and the cultural terrain of AIU as it compares to the rest of Japan and to Beloit, with the hope that I can bring things I’ve learned outside the classroom back to Beloit in the spring.

My other home away from home.

I think that the key to getting over the homesickness I’m already feeling is to throw myself at studies and clubs, and try to fill up my time as much as possible. I want to be productive and make the most of my time there, so I’m hoping that I will have opportunities that I can seize, including field trips and the ability to get out into the community.

I think it helps that I have been to Akita before, earlier this summer, so the lay of the campus isn’t a complete mystery to me. The area around, going towards Akita City proper, feels like a world away based on the short time I was there before. I hope to learn as much as I can about how the city and surrounding area are different from the places my classmates are studying in, as well as how the other students at AIU navigate the community differently than I do.

I will be happy to be back in Japan!

Here's the the start of a new journey!

Summer Firework Festival (Millie F)

I consider myself lucky, because three days after I came to Akita, I had the honor to take part in the Omagari Fireworks Festival. 大曲の花火 literally means “Fireworks of Omagari.” It is a historic nationwide fireworks festival competition that has been held since Meiji 43 (1910). It is not just a little local affair; fireworks team from throughout the country compete with each other to put on the best show for audiences. More than 700,000 visitors are expected for this one of the Tohoku region’s biggest fireworks festival.

The unique things about this competition are that the firework artists launch fireworks that they have made themselves. The whole show lasts about two and half hours. Before we arrived the show　ground, we ate a lot from the station which we left to the main venues. There are many market stalls to sell the delicious local food on both sides of the streets. Since my friends and I didn’t bring anything for a seat, we only can sit on the ground. However, we still enjoyed viewing various kinds of colorful shapes and patterns formed in the night sky.

Market stalls, photo by Millie

I really like the competition with many creative fireworks; I saw the cartoon at the beginning, smiling faces, even these star patterns are the image of a star- shaped firework. The extraordinary part is these fireworks displays were choreographed to popular music. The fireworks rose into the sky one after another and then explored into beautiful patterns making people couldn’t close their eyes. 

Fireworks, photo by Millie

There is another summer festival named “Omonogama River Fireworks” in Akita too, but I didn’t have the opportunities to see it. The summer means fireworks in Japan. It is an annual Noryo festival; Noryo means, “evening cool” in Japanese. It represents kind of folkways in Japan which people loves short-lived beauty such as cherry blossoms in spring which best for only a couple of days. It is not only an exciting moment for local people here, but also a very fantastic moment to the visitors likes me.

The Experience of Oga Peninsula (Millie)

The weather becomes colder and colder. Autumn has come, the leaves turn yellow and to leave his motherland. Although the weather is cold in this week, the campus is full of vigor and vitality. Yes, that is because of AIU Festival. I spend the whole day enjoying the festival: listening to the concert, eating the delicious food and even joining the games with my friends. But, that is not enough. I have something more important to do – go to the field trip with Furukawa Sensei (and three other professors from Beloit).

Our destination was Oga. However, our first stop was Ogata which located in northwestern Akita Prefecture. Ogata was a beautiful, quiet Japanese town. I could see thousands of scarlet sage along the path.

Scarlet sage, photo by Millie

Firstly, we went to the Seitaikei Park to enjoy nature. The park was quite big, to follow the schedule; we didn’t stay for a long time. However, the scenery here is as beautiful as a landscape painting.

Seitaikei Park, photo by Millie

After visiting the Park, by 15 minutes walking, we arrived the Polder Museum of Ogata-mura. Here, I finally knew that this village consists entirely of land reclaimed from the Lake Hachirogata!! That surprised me a lot for its history and geographical theories. We watched the special movie introduction about this place from different aspects, such as nature, rice farming, wild birds, and even the life experience of local people, etc. It was interesting because you can learn a lot though this visiting process; especially one of the professors is from the geology department.

Sea level small "mountain," photo by Millie

As a consequence of lake reclamation, the mostly village is below sea level.

After the trip of Ogata, we came to our second stop – NAMAHAGE Museum. Here was the place where you can explore a wide variety of different Namahages from various part of Oga. There were different versions of the legends of Oga’s Namahage, but the main idea was “the Namahage threatens to tear off the spots as a form of punishment” (Foster reading) for people’s laziness. “Namahage is indeed always associated with the dead of winter “and “New Year’s Eve.” In the Densho Hall, we watched the authentic story of the Namahage. In order to experience more about Namahage, Professor Pablo and I changed into a Namahage! 

Namahage costume, photo by Furukawa-sensei

In a very traditional house, there was a show about Namahage. The performance was humorous; it was all about the banter between the Namahage and the household head. By entering the household, the Namahage’s task is to frighten the children. (Foster) One of the children cried actually. However, by avoiding influence other audience, the mother finally chose to leave the house to comfort baby. This point seemed to be a little confusion to me because it was not unusual for the frightened children to run and cry. In general, it was a great show although I couldn’t fully understand what they said in Japanese.

Namahage performance, photo by Millie

Finally, we saw the sea in Oga Peninsula. Probably because of autumn, the seaside temperature is lower than the land temperature on average. I felt my body was almost frozen with the cold wind. However, the sea still looks quite beautiful. On the return trip, passing through the top of the mountain, I could clearly see the whole view of Akita Prefecture. That was incredible to compare this view with the map which I saw in the museum. As a student, I learned a lot through this trip. Enjoy not only the view of this journey, but also some specified knowledge from each professor.

The sea, photo by Millie

Daily Consumption in AIU (Millie)

In the student hall first floor, there is the only one store on campus, named “AIU SHOP.” Nearby, the café which called “College Café” is the only place you can read here in a quiet afternoon with a cup of good coffee. These places become my favorite places in AIU.

AIU SHOP, photo by Millie

I fell in love with the Japanese snacks when I went to “Mitsuwa” (Japanese style supermarket) for the first time in Chicago. Since that time, every time I go there, I will buy a big box of snacks. It is so lucky for me to come to japan. Even if I can’t often go to the supermarket (because AIU located in the rural area) to buy snacks, I am still able to get a lot in AIU shop. For me, AIU shop is more like a convenient store, I can buy my food here for daily: the onigiri (rice ball), sandwiches, and even the box set. Especially, I love the onigiri most!! I don't know why, but the onigiri made at the AIU shop is better than any other one I’ve ever eaten. I have already had this for several weeks for my breakfast. (^ ^)

Onigiri, photo by Millie

College Café is close to the AIU shop, I usually buy an onigiri from AIU shop and then order a cup of cappuccino in the Café to start my new day. If you are lucky, you can even hear the band practice (two practice studios located opposite the café) in front of you. It’s also a good place to chat with friends, do some individual studies, and meet the group members, etc.

College cafe, photo by Millie

I’m looking for ways to provide relief and comfort when facing this unfamiliar environment. Fortunately, these two places offer a new space for me to blend with this new environment.

To Explore My Own Way in AIU (Millie Fan)

My story started from the 7th day when I arrived in Japan. It was the day that I left Osaka to go to Akita. It meant that I have to live in Japan by myself, without any parents, relatives and friends. Suddenly, everything seems untrue and there was a new world opening for me.

The views from the plane were… fantastic? Unlike awesome cities (Tokyo, Osaka, etc) full of skyscrapers, there was a wide stretch of land spread in front of my eyes. Oh, here we go. I was nearly in Akita!

View from the Plane, by Xiyi

It only took us 10 more minutes by bus to arrive AIU. Otherwise, it also showed that AIU is not close to the downtown city. Our neighborhood is quite small; only the university can be the central landmarks. Within my first 2 days’ mapping, I nearly draw nothing on it. I always lost the way even I was walking on the campus. Actually, the campus is not that big, it has the same size like Beloit. But the buildings here almost are built look similar. The most interesting part is that there are eight buildings connect with each other, I can’t ensure not to get lost in such similar environment.

In Front of the University, by Xiyi

Map of Campus

Finally, in the weekends, I have the opportunity to explore the local area. There are only two routes to get out of this place: one to the Akita city, another to the shopping mall. Due to the large areas in Akita city, the students prefer shopping mall to buying daily things. Of course, the shopping mall is very big so that it can satisfy almost everything you need. The mall becomes the area which I “mastered” in the weekends. By the way, the shopping mall only 10 minutes by taking bus.  ^6^

The Shopping Mall, by Xiyi

After 2 weeks (now), I am able to know all the ways on campus. I won’t get lost any more. In addition, occasionally I go into the “Akita Central Park”, the park which faces our school across the street. The park has lots of playgrounds, basketball courts and even a baseball field. If there are nobody walks with me, I won’t get into there. The park is too big for me which I afraid to lost myself again; it’s can be the “great unknown” place in Akita areas.

Akita Central Park, by Xiyi

Sadly, I haven’t been to Akita city yet. I hope it is the other wonderful place (except the mall) for all the international students here. However, as an inhabitant, I no longer be confused in this rural place. I am gradually familiar with my new school, my friends and even my professors. I think this is a new beginning for me in Akita, in Japan.

As I Set Out on This Journey... (Millie Fan)

As I set out on this journey, everything is going to be new and full of adventure. I hope I can learn a lot from this small university – AIU. Comparing with other exchange students who also go to japan, I feel that I am the lucky one. I don’t need to worry so much about my journey, I had been to Japan for several times and it’s near my hometown China. However, the biggest important thing – language still challenging me and make me awkward.

With the help of my best friend, I decided to go to Japan early for travelling. On the one hand, it increased my familiarity of this country. On the other hand, I would like to go to the big cities first to experience the different life which is differing from Akita. That’s where I am coming from, big cities in Japan, waiting to see an entirely different world in Akita. 

Ginza, Tokyo. Photo by Xiyi Fan

I went to Tokyo first to see the most busy and gorgeous place – Ginza. I was dazzled by the sights and high-rise building in the District. As other big cities’ look, Ginza is full of fashionable breath; this big circle in Tokyo already has became almost every tourists’ heaven.

When I left Tokyo to Osaka, I felt great differences between these two cities. Osaka is also one of the biggest cities in Japan but strangely I didn’t feel any pressure here. People would not walk so fast; the food is cheaper here; even you do not have to push people into the subways. In addition, there exits a lot of scenic spots and historical sites.

Osaka-jo, Osaka. Photo by Xiyi Fan

Fortunately, I also got one day off to go to the Nara by myself. (My friend needed shopping). Nara is a small city with thousands of cute animals – deer! You can see them almost everywhere and they have little fear of humans. This is the place where people and animals can get along with each other.

Nara Deer

Many friends in Japan told me that they think Akita is in remote regions. But this is a reason why I choose Akita. If you real want to involve into local environment, the small town always are the best choice. I am so glad I already went to so many cities in Japan to experience different cultures. I am going to Akita, a small small town with both international students and local students. I hope I can learn a different world which full of various individuals. 

A New Language (Sasha)

On campus the main people who seem to speak in Akita-ben are the men who work at the front desk in Komachi (usually referred to as Komachi-ojisan), the ladies who work at the cafeteria, and the man who runs the nearby convenient store, and the students from Akita, and usually the people in the first two groups do not use it when talking to students. Sometimes it is possible to eavesdrop on a conversation in Akita-ben, but for the most part, it seems locals only use it when talking to other people in their in-group.

I sat down with my friend, Yoh-san, who comes from Akita to talk about the dialect, and he was happy to answer my questions about Akita-ben and even taught me a few phrases.

Yoh-san!

The word ke evidently has three different meanings in Akita-ben. The first for meaning is a phrase telling someone else to eat. (The general word for to eat is ku). The second meaning is itchy, and the third is a phrase to tell some to come here. The meaning changes depending on intonation, context, and accompanying hand gestures. He also taught me nda nda, a phrase used to agree with another person, and seba, an informal word for goodbye. I found the dialect to be very casual, and Yoh-san said that Akita-ben tends to ignore the rules of politeness levels and puts people on equal ground. Adding su at the end of a sentence makes it more polite, but Akita-ben is usually used when talking to people who are about the same level politeness level or lower.

Akita-ben also has a lot of voiced consonance, which means the hiragana characters that can have their sounds changed (by adding little tentens on the right side), generally do. For example, iku (いく), the word for to go, is changed to igu (いぐ). When I tried speaking Akita-ben, it felt very odd. I was using a part of my mouth I don’t usually use and having one voiced consonant after another was very challenging.

When I asked Yoh-san how the local people feet about their dialect, he instantly referenced his parents. His mother does not like Akita-ben and considers it dirty, and as a result, his family does not use Akita-ben at his house. Instead of learning it from his family, Yoh-san picked up Akita-ben from his friends and mainly uses it with them. He said that learning Akita-ben felt like learning a whole different language, which comparing it to the hyoujyungo (normal dialect), which comes from Tokyo, the two dialects sound completely different.

How to Show Regional Pride by Giving the Wee Ones a Lovely Fright (A Marvelous Adventure)

First, I would like to apologize in advance for the length of this blog post, because the title might be longer.

Giant Namahage Featuring Fabulous.

To show you all how Akita prefecture records and celebrates its regional stories, I’ve chosen to talk about the Namahage museum in Oga. While the origins of Namahage are unclear, one cannot deny the influence that it has in various parts of the prefecture.

These White Men Are Dangerous...(Well, were they wrong?)

To clarify, Namahage are young and unmarried men who masquerade as ‘demons’ and visit houses around the prefecture during New Year’s. As they visit houses, the men take on the role of their characters and attempt to steal children from their homes on the claim that they’ve misbehaved and dishonored their parents. The children, who are under the impression that they are really in danger of being snatched away, struggle and plead for their parents to rescue them from their fate. The parents are aware of the ordeal and attempt to hide their laughter as they save their children while assuaging the ‘spirits’ with prospects of food and sake while the children ensure both their parents and the Namahage that they’ll behave and honor their parents’ wishes.  Curiously enough, this event helps inspire faith in the parent and strengthens the bond that they have with their children, fostering a sense of filial piety within the children, a key concept in Confucianism.

As to be expected of a museum, the entrance leads directly to the gift shop where one can find all things Namahage, from hand towels with names embroidered on them, to sleeping masks. But once you’ve had your fix of gifts and souvenirs, you enter a hall filled with an assortment of Namahage costumes that are still used in the ritual to this day, however, to preserve the sanctity and unique essence of the Namahage, it is requested that pictures not be posted on the internet.  Once you’ve exited the hall of spirit shells, there is an actual hallway, depicting the various origin stories of the Namahage on one wall, and on the other, the interpretations of the ritual not only in Akita, but also similar experiences in other parts of the world, mainly Slovenia.

Namahage, Amahage, and Nagomehagi. We Are All Part of the Same Tradition.

From there, you come upon an open room with more costumes lining the wall to create a sense of authenticity as a film plays on a large screen in the front of the room, detailing a contemporary Namahage event in Oga.

The museum, while lacking any magnificent size or grandeur, does a splendid job of telling the tale of one of the region’s traditional tales. Truthfully, the size and appearance add to the importance of the substance of what the museum houses, rather than needing to have a glossy finish or special gimmicks to explain its story and importance in the prefecture.

The Many Faces of Akita (Ari)

When I first arrived in the Akita Prefecture, I ended up staying with my parents by Lake Tazawa, the deepest lake in all of Japan. It was quite beautiful, as it was nestled amongst the green mountains dotted with hot springs, and neighbored a historical Samurai village, Kakunodate. Of course I was bewitched by this place’s renowned natural and historical beauty, but what caught my attention in particular was the mascots. Everywhere I looked, I could find chibi art of Namahage and Akita Inus, so I simply assumed that these were the prefectural mascots. 

The most adorable mountain god to ever terrify children.

I really believe that this should be the mascot--I mean, the dog breed even has "Akita" in its name.

However, prefectures generally only have one official mascot, so I decided to research which was the official one and discovered that it was a. . . Cedar tree? 

The actual mascot.

As one can imagine, I was sorely disappointed. I suppose it makes sense, though. Cedar trees are everywhere here.

This was my first step in understanding what Akita is all about. A few days ago, I passed by the Akita prefectural hall to find a large sign above the building that had “nda” scribbled across it like splatters of paint, and I could help but giggle at the sight. Akita is infamous for its thick, unintelligible dialect -- a dialect so impossible to understand that even native Japanese speakers cannot understand it. I first experienced this when an old woman was asking for my help (I think) at a bus station about a week ago. If you have ever seen Finding Nemo, when Squirt tries to instruct Marlin and Dory, and Marlin says, in a sort of anxious confusion, “He’s trying to speak to me -- I know it!”, then you probably understand what I experienced. Of course I wanted to assist this poor little old woman, but first I had to decipher through her peculiar Japanese code to understand what she wanted. I still feel guilty. But I suppose that is why Akita’s dialect is the butt of everyone’s jokes -- it is nice that even the prefectural hall can take the time to laugh at itself.

But even with all of its natural beauty, its scrumptious rice, and its amusingly enigmatic dialect, I have found that what I love the most about Akita is its people. While I was in Tokyo, I often was given demonizing stares and treated as a burden. But here in Akita, I am treated as a welcomed guest. Here, people will help you if you are lost, and you do not have to feel embarrassed asking a stranger a question like I have felt elsewhere. People here are kind and forgiving. They treat me like I am human, and I am extremely grateful for it.

Bonus picture: Namahage night mask, because prefectural pride is important.