Tokyo, Japan

Group in front of Meiji Jingu Shrine
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I arrived in Japan last Sunday May 17th. It was great! The plane ride wasn’t so bad and we even get our own hotel rooms. Tokyo is an AMAZING city. Of course I had sushi and sashimi using chopsticks and even got to go to a few traditional restaurants where you sit on the floor. The first couple of days we visited Meiji Jingu Shrine which was amazing because it was not only beautiful but also such a peaceful place put in the middle of a city. After the shrine we got to see Sumo wrestling. It was all I expected and more! Yes they wear the diapers and kick up their legs and stomp their feet. However, I also learned there are many rituals that go into the “bout,” which is equivalent to a round in boxing except they only fight once. Rituals include cleaning their mouth with water when entering the stage, throwing salt into the ring before they enter, and they enter and exit the ring several times before they actually fight. We also got to see Mt. Fuji, Kamakura (Temples and Shrines with a very large Buddha), and the fish market. With all the site-seeing you’d think we don’t learn academically. We but we visited the #1 and #2 Advertising agencies in Japan, Dentsu and Hakuhodo. We’ve mainly been learning about QR codes, which are bar codes in which Japanese cell phones take a picture of the “bar code” and they receive information on their phone. They can get a link to a url, voucher/coupons for stores like McDonalds, and even send business card information to be stored on their cell phones. This opens up another marketing scheme for the advertising world. All in all Japan was by far the best experience I’ve ever had. I’m learning so much about their culture and seeing so many places that I have already decided I want to go back.

Some famous sumo wrestlers
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BELOW ARE THE NOTES I POSTED ON FACEBOOK THAT I DID FOR MY CLASS

Note 1: Sumo Wrestling On the second day of our trip in Japan we attended a Sumo Wrestling Match. We went around 3:00 p.m. because the more famous people wrestle from 3-6 p.m. We approached the building and people were lined up to see the Sumo wrestlers enter and exit the ring. We kept walking and saw large colorful signs that had the names of some of the sumo wrestlers. On the outside of the building were ginormous pictures of Sumo wrestlers and of course our group took pictures since we take a million pictures with just about anything. Then we went through the Sumo wrestling museum, which was interesting to see the interpretations of sumo on pictures and scriptures from the past. Afterwards we entered the venue. The venue itself was amazing and different than anything I’ve seen in the US. The ring is on a square platform in the center. A small temple construction hangs above the ring. The best part is the bottom floor is rows of square flat pillows, which a few people sit on in traditional Japanese style without shoes. The upper decks were cushioned seats like most stadiums in the US. Then we actually sat down and watched a few of the bouts. They called the rounds or matches of sumo wrestling bouts, in which two sumo wrestlers perform rituals and then fight each other. They did do things as expected such as wear diapers (not sure about the technical term) and fight each other until one hit the ground or fell out of the ring. They also had the fancy hair “topknot,” and they raised their legs and stopped them on the ground. However, I found the rituals the most interesting part of the entire experience. The wrestlers would approach their corners on stage to prepare for the bout by washing their mouths. Then they walk to the ring and throw salt in the ring before entering. The pamphlet says they do this because “salt has been believed to possess purifying powers….wrestlers toss salt in the air…purifying the ring as a sacred place.” Once in the ring they squat and do hand motions. They approach the center and squat several times and kick up their legs like you see in images growing up in the US of Sumo wrestling. Then they squat some more and look like they are going to fight but they return to their corners. The process of salt and motions are repeated. They come back to their corners and get all pumped up and everyone cheers. They return in the same ritual and then actually fight. Bouts are done in a few seconds. The winner is awarded an envelope. The wrestlers exit the stage bow in their corner and leave. Then a man comes to the center and sings a really high-pitched song. I can’t tell if this is introducing the next round or acknowledging the last bout. The entire sumo experience was amazing. I expected the images that we get from the US, large men with their hair done stomping their feet and pushing each other in diapers. Instead it was a cultural experience I will never forget. I was really interested in the history about the actions and rituals that they performed. If you’re ever in Tokyo you must see a few bouts of Sumo Wrestling. Did I mention a few of us got pictures with some sumo wrestlers!!!!!!!!!!

# 1 ad agency in Japan
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Note 2: Technology

I knew Japan was technologically more advanced then the US but I didn’t realize the vast difference between the two. This week we’ve been introduced to several knew technologies, QR codes, virtual worlds through ID codes, and Ferica, which can be very helpful to the advertising industry. We were first introduced to the QR code (quick response code) at our first advertising agency visit at Dentsu. The QR code is a square bar code in which people use their cameras to capture the image, similar to taking a picture, and then instantly receive more information. I’ve learned throughout the week that this QR code allows people to store business card information in their phone, receive a URL link, tell how many calories are in a product, receive coupons/vouchers, receive advertisements, get songs and games uploaded to their phone.

Mt. Fuji
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A company called Denso created this QR code and then the advertising agency Dentsu used the QR code last year in a campaign across Japan. The campaign was structured around an anime comic book. In subway stations, pillars were covered with a digitalized photo of an anime character. Each square of the photo was an individual QR code that people could photograph and receive information on their phone about the anime series. This prompted a widespread use of the QR code.

NTT Docomo Center introduced a virtual world through ID codes. An ID code can be as simple as a sticker. Everything would have a code attached to it such as food, furniture, clothing, etc. Every object with an ID code would be interconnected through a network. For example, while shopping for groceries you could scan a milk gallon and it would access the refrigerator in your house to see if you needed milk. They also introduced a virtual world with robots in which the robots can express emotions of people. For example, a father at a conference in Japan could virtually hold his daughter in the US through a robot. The robot would give all the emotions and feelings of the father. Lastly, they introduced more technological objects like 3D picture frames and enhancing the QR code by accessing the QR code on a mobile phone through sound waves.

Eating fresh fish at the fish market
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Waseda University further explained Japanese mobile phones. (Yes they call them mobile phones more than cell phones.) We learned they have a program named Ferica, which allows them to use the advanced devices on their mobile phones of QR code, Internet, and television. We also learned you can use your cell phone like a credit card. You just tap your cell phone to certain objects to do things such as buy your subway ticket, purchase a coffee in Starbucks, or get a coke from the vending machine. You can also use your cell phone to receive and use vouchers at stores like McDonalds. It’s very similar to the Visa tap but made even easier with your cell phone.

Virtual World
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All of these technologies were eye opening to another side of technology. This technology opens up a whole other market for the advertising industry. Specifically with the use of mobile phones as credit cards, advertisers can reach people on their cell phones in a different way. I think the best part about this is the promotional advertisements through vouchers and coupons. These are easily accessible at restaurants, stores, and online. It is more interactive and companies have a better chance of people using or consuming their products through these vouchers. I think this technology is the wave of the future and the US better hop on before they’re left behind. Technology is constantly changing and the advertising industry needs to take advantage of these changes to reach more people in quicker fashions.

Visiting Japanese students.
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Note 3: Culture

I’ve visited Europe and Mexico before on spring break and short family trips learning bits and pieces of culture while navigating the cities. Only now do I truly know what it means to be culture shocked. The best part about this trip, and any other study abroad trip, is learning the culture of your host country. Being half Japanese I took great interest in noticing cultural aspects each day and night. I’ve never been more intrigued in my life. Here are most of the things I noticed and I know I have not learned them all.

The buddha at Kamakura
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1. People are ALWAYS on time. 2. Commonly known by the US it is true they use chopsticks instead of silverware and there are some traditional Japanese restaurants where you take off your shoes and sit on the floor. 3. Staple foods are mainly noodles and green tea, and then sushi, and sashimi. They do NOT have California rolls, or any other crazy rolls that we’ve come up with in the states. 4. The driver sits on the other side of the car and they drive on the other side of the road. (I still have not gotten used to this and cannot understand why looking both ways still doesn’t work) 5. Most people do not cross the street until the signal changes to green. (Some people in my group, cough cough joe, had trouble with this) 6. On subways no one really talks. We’ve been shushed several times. They also sleep on the subway trains but we heard sometimes people pretend like they’re sleeping to avoid conversation. 7. Tokyo is the biggest city in the world and is impeccably clean. The streets, windows, sidewalks, etc. 8. They do not have trash cans everywhere. This is so that you take much of your trash home and recycle it in 20+ different ways. If there are trashcans there will definitely be a combustible and a bottle recycle can. I also heard they recycle a lot because they are an island and have to be very useful with their resources. 9. Vending machines are a big business here. They even have ice cream vending machines! 10. As part of the no trashcans they do not use many paper towels either. Not only do restrooms only have air dryers but they are “jet dryers” which are much more high powered and dry your hands quickly. 11. The toilets have a million buttons (ok more like 5-10), which include a front and back wash of water. My personal favorite is the toilet seat warmer, which reminds me of my dad’s old Cadillac seat warmers, kind of odd. 12. You see a lot of clothes hanging on lines while driving in the city because people air dry a lot of things rather than have dryers. (Thank gosh our hotel has a dryer) 13. Driving towards the outskirts of Tokyo you will see cemeteries on the sides of the highways. I couldn’t tell if these were for locals or for people who live in the cities. My own conclusion was both. 14. Driving on the highway their rest stops are more like mini markets than a restroom and vending machine. They had soft serve, food, vending machines, restrooms, and a small supermarket. 15. Site-seeing outside of Tokyo I noticed the beautiful mountains. Yuki (our graduate student guide and the nicest person ever!) told me the mountains are very distinct because they are “softer” than most others such as the Chinese mountains. They look like large rolling cumulous clouds rolled over the mountain. 16. Jobs are very important here. You usually enter them right out of college and stay with the same company for your entire life. 17. They don’t care about advancing in their companies because they have job stability. 18. People are paid based on their age more so than skill. 19. They don’t really do internships during college to build up their resume. 20. They work long hours. Normally they work 9:30a.m. -6ish p.m., but the most extreme in certain situations work early in the morning about 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next day. Sometimes it is common to see people pass out in the office. 21. They get 3 years for maternity leave. 22. Giving business cards to people is like presenting a small gift. Hold the card with two hands and present it to the other person while bowing is very typical. 23. Men and women do not look each other in the eyes that often while speaking. 24. Men most always wear business suits, including the jacket. 25. Women are more conservative and cover their shoulders. Also, our generation’s fashion is truly amazing. Both men and women of our generation have the coolest style. 26. The housing market is crazy here so many families live in very small apartments where many family members share rooms. College students usually live at home. 27. Their smallest bill is 1,000 Yen equivalent to $10.00 28. You must be 20 years old to drink (although not once was anyone carded) 29. It’s not as common for people to get ridiculously drunk but many business men get drinks, and food, with co-workers after work. 30. To sign their names sometimes they use a stamp of their last name. (I got one that says Morey, my mom’s maiden name) 31. They LOVE karaoke. 32. Women do wear Kimono’s

Kamakura
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The list goes on and on but these are just a few things I noticed about the Japanese culture. I’ve grown to love Tokyo and am sad that we will be leaving. I hope to return one day and have many more cultural experiences.