It is a little frustrating to me that when people compare Japan and America, they nearly always come to one of two conclusions. The two countries are entirely opposite. The two countries are nearly the same. Obviously there are many other countries to compare, and many more specific topics to choose, but this particular subject gets a lot of attention. Most people are of the opinion that Japan, and Japanese people, are quite a distinct entity when compared to America, or Americans. I, being a true liberal, prefer to straddle the fence.
One problem that most people seem to make is comparing Tokyo to America. I am from a small town, so when I came to Tokyo, obviously there were some differences to encounter. However, Tokyo is not Japan. I have often heard that Hokkaido (the northern island of Japan that was never really developed until after the war) is similar to America, or at least similar to the America that I know. There are wider streets, lots of cows, cold winters, etc. However, I have never been to Hokkaido, so I can't confirm these claims.
However, I did have a chance to travel to a semi-rural town in Chiba Prefecture this past weekend. There is nothing of particular interest in the village of Tomisato. Its location is best described as being near Narita Airport. My host mother happens to be from there, so in honor of the seventh anniversary of her father's death, we went to the countryside to visit the family grave.
One of my favorite theories after my first trip to Japan was concerning the abundance of trains and subways. I would explain that Japanese people were fond of public transportation because they were groupy people. Americans, for their part, are obviously more suited to personal transportation of cars, because we are individualistic. This theory seemed quite logical and fit the traditional stereotypes about both countries. I think I convinced many people of a false anthropological theory.
The fact is that most people in the countryside have to use cars to get around. While there are more buses and whatnot available than in America, there are places that just are no good for public transport. Furthermore, if one spends much time in Manhattan, he or she will find that subways and buses are the best way to get around there too. Obviously there are differences between the countries, but I often have to remind myself that Tokyo is not Japan. After comparing Tokyo and Manhattan or Paris, I get a better idea of what is unique about Japan, or Tokyo, or Japanese people.
Despite the fact that I hadn't been training at all, I decided to run a 5km race yesterday that was held on the Sumida River near my house. I have often run races like this for fun in America. However, I was a little worried that I would be in for a rough race here in Japan. The general theory is that when Japanese people do something, they do it full-hearted. For instance, my friends in the Badminton Club would all buy the perfect gear and whatnot and then spend hours practicing every detail of the game until they master it. Anyway, this didn't seem to be the case for runners. There were twenty-three runners in my race and I placed fifth. As I was running I talked to one of the other guys. He was a former student of Keio University and seemed to have practiced about as much as I had. We enjoyed the run together.
Perhaps the average jogger is not a typical Japanese. It seems there are not a lot of Japanese people who exercise on their own. If they are not on a team or in a club, then it is not for them. So, the truly unique part of yesterday's event was what is called an Ekiden Race, or a long-distance relay. It seems to be an event distinct to Japan. It is usually a race of 20-200km in which a number of runners (5-10) run varying lengths consecutively. The lengths are not all the same like a track 800m relay. Anyway, it seems like a fun event. Though I have never competed, I have seen many of them on TV. The necessity of depending on the group members seems to make it a more "Japanese" sport than the individual marathon runner.
At any rate, Japan is not so different that the foreign visitor cannot enjoy himself. Though we are in the middle of our short winter term of school, I find time to enjoy life here in Tokyo. If you want to entertain any personal theories on the uniqueness of the Japanese people, feel free time email me any time. Until then.