Obama’s upcoming visit to Hiroshima

Following the two day G7 summit at Ise-Shima, US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be making a joint visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on May 27.

http://visithiroshima.net/world_heritage/a-bomb_dome.html

As the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, this could go down in history as an important and symbolic moment in Obama’s legacy. It has been made very clear that Obama will not be apologizing for the decision made to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the summer of 1945, but will instead highlight his continued commitment to removing all nuclear weapons and emphasize the strength of U.S.-Japan relations.

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/hiroshima-70-years-after-the-atomic-bomb-1438725242

Some survivors feel an apology is necessary, but most feel the visit itself is a significant step. There’s hope that Obama will meet with survivors, say a prayer at the memorial site, reflect on the effects of the bombs, and continue to work towards eliminating nuclear weapons from the world. The atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and later Nagasaki on August 9, cost the lives of over 210,000 by the end of the year. Many died gruesomely from the blasts, injuries, and radiation sickness. If you’re in Japan, I highly recommend a visit to the Hiroshima Memorial Park to reflect on what happened. 

So, while Obama’s visit has been received positively, there is one thing the Japanese media has covered that I haven’t seen in the Western media. It’s about the black briefcase that never leaves Obama’s side when away from command centers. This bag contains items that enable the U.S. president to authorize a nuclear attack. To bring such an item to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and declare your commitment to eliminating nuclear weapons is a little ironic and brings mixed feelings to some Japanese. If he leaves it behind (highly doubt it), that would really send a positive message.

Japanese will be watching carefully what Obama says and how he spends his time in Hiroshima. I hope to write about that this weekend.

Traveling with the pooch

As a dog owner, I can’t help but write about the recent campaign by All Nippon Airlines (ANA). On May 20, ANA flew Japan’s first domestic charter flight that allowed owners to sit with their dogs in the cabin. The campaign was called “Wan Wan Flight in Hokkaido.” In Japanese, “wan wan” is the equivalent of “woof woof” in English. With 87 passengers and 44 dogs, the two hour flight left from Narita Airport and landed at the Kushiro Airport (in Hokkaido Prefecture). All dogs were in crates placed in the window seat, and were allowed out when the seatbelt sign went off. The final destination was an onsen (hot spring) hotel near the Akan Lake (阿寒湖), which was rented out for the group. A dog park, boat ride, car rental, and foot baths were among the dog friendly activities available for the guests.  Here’s a news clip covering the story (in Japanese): http://news.tvasahi.co.jp/news_society/articles/000075255.html.

Akan Lake: http://itnov11.seesaa.net/category/1964894-1.html

Japanese airlines require that all pets, excluding service dogs, must be checked in as cargo. Until 2006, small pets (cats and dogs) were allowed in the cabin, but to avoid disturbing other passengers, the airlines decided to change the rule. I hope the campaign was a success and that they’ll reconsider the pet policy or provide more pet friendly charter flights.

If you’re looking for pet friendly activities in Japan, check out the following sites (in Japanese):

• http://www.jtb.co.jp/kokunai/theme/pet/.
• http://wan-bus.com/

 

The gaijin bubble real?

The other day, I was talking to an American girl who’s teaching English in Japan and she mentioned the term, “gaijin bubble.” I had never heard of the term, but she explained it to me as a situation where native Japanese refuse to stand or sit near a foreigner (gaijin) on the train. I’ve never experienced this “gaijin bubble” before when by myself, but maybe I just didn’t notice it either. When there’s a group of foreigners, things can get loud, so I completely understand when Japanese look for a spot in the train away from the chatty and energetic foreigners.

If there is a “gaijin bubble” forming wherever you go, you may want to consider the message you’re sending to those around you through your body language. Here are a few questions to consider when riding the train:

• Are you sitting with your legs wide open and hogging more space than you need?
• Are you sitting with your legs crossed?
• Are you trying to claim your personal space with your body?
• Are you eating smelly food on the train?
• Are you talking loudly on the phone or with friends and family?

There are some things we can’t always control, such as how Japanese get nervous around westerners because they’re worried we’ll speak English to them, or how our outgoing personalities and larger presence can be intimidating to some.

Being of a smaller build with a shy personality, I’ve tended to blend in well with the Japanese culture growing up, but there are moments when my Japanese friends gently remind me of the importance of being conscious of my surroundings. I do get animated and expressive when with close friends, which can lead to embarrassing moments such as knocking over a box of fish flakes all over the floor of a restaurant. You don’t have to completely conform to the Japanese way if you’re not comfortable or interested, but it can be a kind and respectful gesture to the Japanese if we can be a little more self aware about our surroundings, especially when in confined public places.

We can sure learn more about grace and self awareness from the Japanese culture.

Other non-animal themed cafes

 

Besides the animal themed cafes, you can find an abundance of other themed cafes that have fun, cute, or interesting concepts. Today, I will be introducing a few to give you an idea of the range of the themed cafes in Tokyo.

1. Mahika Mano: This cafe replaces all chairs with hammocks. A perfect place to relax, read a book, or just sway in your hammock as you enjoy the ambiance of the cafe. If any hammock catches your attention, you can even buy one.
2. Moomin Cafe: Moomin is a character from a novel written by a Swedish speaking Finnish author, Tove Jansson. If you go by yourself, you can sit across from a large Moomin stuff animal so you don’t feel alone while you enjoy the Moomin themed dishes.
3. Detective Cafe Progress: If you’ve been wanting to meet a real-life private detective, this is the cafe for you.  You can ask them questions about their job and participate in activities, such as fingerprinting, getting special effects makeup done, or finding wiretaps.
4. The School Lunch Lady: If you want to experience what it was like eating lunch at a Japanese elementary school during the late Showa Period (1965-1989), this could be a fun cafe experience. They serve many popular lunch items and you eat in a classroom setting as if you went back in time to when you were in elementary school. The only downfall is that they only accept groups of 3-10 people.
5. Butlers Cafe: This is a cafe not many foreigners will be interested in visiting. For Japanese girls, it’s a perfect opportunity to interact with the foreign male staff (“butlers”) and practise their English. From the tiaras, roses, strict rules for behaving like a princess, the cafe aims to make girls feel like a princess. If you so desire, you can even have a butler carry you like a princess.

This list isn’t even the tip of the iceberg, but it’s a start. I’ll continue to introduce more as this blog progresses.

Being a responsible tourist

This is a little off track, but since my last post was about a cat cafe, I wanted to take a moment to discuss about the usage of animals in businesses. Whether it’s lion cubs in South Africa, elephants in Thailand, or animal themed cafes in Japan, there seems to be a sizeable market for people interested in interacting with animals they wouldn’t usually have the opportunity to do so. As an animal lover, I get super excited about such opportunities, but I’ve recently been reminded of the importance of researching about such places before visiting.

There have been several heartbreaking stories about how animals have been mistreated for profit. One recent example is in South Africa, where businesses are taking advantage of lion cubs. While they say the cubs have been “rejected” by their mothers, many places actually purposefully separate them at a young age so that tourists can interact with them while they are cute and little. Some cubs are drugged up so that humans can pet and take photos with them without stressing the cubs out. The saddest part, is when the cubs are grown and accustomed to humans, they’re sold to parks that offer westerners the opportunity to hunt them down. Not all the organizations practise this in South Africa, but you have to be careful and do your research before hand.

There are many similar stories around the world of drugging, forcing, and stressing animals out for the purpose of profit.  As tourist, are we making educational decisions before putting our money into such tourist attractions?  Humans can get so caught up in thinking that we can bend or domesticate wildlife the way most convenient for us, but instead, shouldn’t we be taking up the responsibility of defending them and respecting their natural state? If we can’t, who else will?

So far in Japan, I’ve heard of themed cafes with cats, dogs, rabbits, hedgehogs, owls, goats, and reptiles. I’ve also heard of a bar with penguins. I genuinely think that there are businesses around the world that take care of the animals, but if not checked and regulated, things can get out of hand. So next time you come across an opportunity to interact with animals, please look into the organization first. We should be responsible tourists by not putting our money where animals are mistreated for our own pleasure.

The land of cat cafes

Recently, my Japanese friends and I decided to go to a cat cafe in Ikebukuro (池袋). It was a first for all of us, so we chose one with high reviews. The name of the cafe is “Neko no iru kyuukeijyo 299” (猫の居る休憩所299), and it’s located on the fifth floor of a building four minutes away from the station.

Photo credit: Stacey Bird

I’m glad we chose this cafe, because there was more to it than just petting cats. The space was set up like a living room with couches, coffee tables, blankets, desks, book shelves, game boards, cat beds, and scratching posts. It seemed as though most customers were regulars and were there not just for the cats but for the atmosphere. I saw people taking naps, playing games, or reading the comic books provided by the cafe. There were a few incidents where newcomers or tourists were chasing cats, crawling under tables, or trying to hold them (against the cafe’s rules). One thing about cats is that they aren’t afraid to let you know when they’re not interested in you, and it’s good to make sure that we’re not stressing them out by forcing ourselves on them. I was relieved to see how the staff regularly checked in on the cats and removed any that may need some time out.

After 40 minutes of failed attempts at connecting with the cats (I’m more of a dog person), another regular came in. To me he looked like a cat whisperer, because the minute he walked in, several of the cats walked up to him. I instantly approached him wanting to know the secret to winning a cat’s heart. He introduced me to all the cats (all rescues) and shared each of their personality traits. Within five minutes I was interacting with several cats. I felt the business could do better if they had an awesome ambassador like this man I befriended, to educate newbies about the cats and how to correctly interact with them. I could definitely come back here to just relax and read a book while enjoying the company of the cats.

A few things to consider when visiting:

• Cats love their naps, so if you want to play with them, you may want to go when the store opens at 11 a.m.
• The busiest time is from 2-6 p.m. It can get a little crazy around the entryway when a lot of people are coming in and out, so I would try to get a spot on the couch across from the front desk.
• At 8:45 p.m., the cats will care less about your existence, because there is only one thing on their mind…DINNER!
• The male cats are more affectionate than female cats, so try approaching them first.
• Don’t push yourself on the cats. They sense desperation, so just wait patiently for one to approach you.
• The cafe provides cat toys, but you can also bring your own as long as they’re approved by the staff when you arrive.
• There is a simple drink machine at the cafe, but if you were hoping for a proper cafe experience, this may not be the right place for you.
• Children under elementary school are restricted from this cafe, but not all cat cafes have age restrictions.

Personal space? What personal space?

One thing you learn to let go of when taking Japanese transportation during rush hour is the concept of personal space. Even if someone is awkwardly pressed up against you or you’re being swept away by a wave of people exiting and then entering the train, you just have to take a deep breath, stay calm, and go with the flow. The more you fight to maintain your personal space, the harder you make it for yourself and everyone else.

Living in the U.S. for the past nine years, I was recently reminded of this when taking a train home on the Denentoshi Line (田園都市線) around 6 pm. With more apartments going up along the line, the trains have become even more packed during the peak hours. While I was getting crushed by an incoming wave of hungry commuters wanting space on the train, I knew frustration wasn’t going to help the situation. Many Japanese seem to be numbed by the woes of commuting during rush hours, as though personal space is more of a mental concept that they access even when crammed into a train full of people. If this happened in Boston, it would get ugly. Not to say there aren’t rude Japanese riders and Japanese who show disapproval towards these rude people, but I’ve never experienced a fight or disagreement on the train.

So if you find yourself in Japan during rush hour, here are some tips:

• Try to find a spot further inside the train car, parallel to the seats. There can be up to three rows of people, so don’t be shy to squeeze in.
• If you have a backpack, carry it in front of you or put it on the rack above the seats.
• When people are getting off the train and you’re in the way, don’t fight against the crowd, go with the flow, get off, and stand to the side of the door until everyone who needs to get out has gotten off.
• Don’t be shy to gently push as you enter the train. People will slowly adjust to make room as more people get on the train.
• During the colder season, you may want to take your coat off because it gets pretty toasty.
• It’s best if you can find something to hold onto, but if not, don’t worry. Everyone is so crammed into the train that you will all be swaying back and forth relying on each other to stay up.

Welcome! ようこそ！

Photo credit: Stacey Bird

Welcome to my blog, where I’ll be covering topics related to travel, cultural tips, and social and political issues in Japan. As an American who grew up in Japanese society from the age of six, I hope to provide you a unique perspective of Japan.

When asked whether I feel Japanese or American, I always answer “neither.” While on paper I’m an American citizen, I’ve always felt outside of the box of each culture. Hence why I decided to name my blog, “Bird’s Eye View.” My last name happens to be Bird so it’s a fun double meaning, but I’ve come to feel that growing up outside of the box of each culture has given me a unique perspective of the world.

Hope you find this blog informative and feel free to be in touch with comments or feedback!