Living in Japan after 4 months

After being here for a number of months, some of the fascination and "cool factor" have worn off and reality has set in. One thing to note for those who are wanting to come or live in Japan, or are thinking about it. Is that Japan is not what is in Anime and Manga, I have found that many students here from other countries expected to see the fascinating and animated version of Japan that they have grown up with or love from watching anime or reading manga. Unfortunately for them, it is quite different. than portrayed in media. Japan is a land very different than my home in northeast Kansas in the U.S. with rice farms and major metropolitan cities, it can seem like living on another planet at times. However, after living in Nagoya for about four months now I have come to understand that underneath the stylish Asian rooftops and between the ramen shops on every other corner, Nagoya is just like every other major city. Albeit with about a 98% homogeneous population, the city can seem like any other I have visited. This is because I did not realize how much western influence has affected every aspect of Japan, from construction and building, to having almost as many McDonald's as Udon or Soba shops (udon and soba are types of Japanese noodles). While the people and culture are somewhat different, the city seems almost familiar with its sky scrapers and busy streets. With a Starbucks on every corner it wouldn't prove difficult to compare the similarities between downtown Nagoya and New York. ![DSC00501.JPG]
() Now once out of the city, the differences between Japan and the west get much clearer, with many smaller towns in more traditional style populating the valleys between the Japanese alps, the sound of the trains going by, and the very distinct architecture of a much older time. ![DSC00344.JPG] () It is a much more obvious remnant of a vastly different culture that has flourished for many generations. The beautiful scenery at the temples and seeing the monks can almost seem unreal or even movie like in appearance.
Finally, I guess what I want to say is that not everything is like on tv or in media. To truly learn and understand, we need to experience. Not everything in life can be found in a classroom especially a single classroom. To understand the world we need to witness it.