Learning Japanese

Rather soon I will be boarding an airplane at 6AM in London Heathrow, and landing in Tokyo at 7:30 the next day. Of course, with a four hour stop in Vienna; just enough time to check out duty free. I am excited that my trip is getting ever closer, but I am also slightly terrified. This is because I fear being in Japan without the ability to speak an ounce of Japanese,

That’s why for the past few weeks I have dedicated a lot of my time to learning about Japan’s history, culture and it’s language. As someone who has attempted to learn a language several times in the past, without much luck; the last task seemed impossible.

I'll be spending a while looking through duty free in Vienna

It seemed so daunting; tasked with not only a new language, but a whole new alphabet. After a quick glance at the alphabet I leaned that they actually use a combination of alphabets. Surely, I will never be able to get a grip with any of them. So what is the point of even trying?

I quickly pushed this thought aside. Too often, English tourists travel abroad with little to no inclination to learn the local’s language. We have become accustomed to finding that the majority of people speak English as a first or second language. This has made tourists rather lazy when travelling; something that only becomes a problem in times of emergency. By which time it’s too late, leaving them left rather stuck and confused.

With this as my incentive, as what not to do; I began studying. I am pleased with the progress I have made in as little as a week. Already I know the symbols for the vowels on sight, and I am beginning to see a pattern in the alphabets. As you can see from the charts on this post the alphabets are mostly the vowels coupled with a consonant. So, once you have got a grasp on the vowels it becomes a matter of recognising them with a paired consonant.

I took the opportunity of a recent trip to Japan Centre in London, to pick up some Japanese newspapers. I am currently slowly pouring through its pages translating the articles on a separate piece of paper. The activity is rather similar to code cracking games I played as a child, the type often found on the back of cereal boxes. The additional benefit to learning how to recognise words is that I am also picking up on what is current in Japan at the moment.

To me learning the language is like a complex one of these.

As far as speaking Japanese, the phrasebook Say It In Japanese is a godsend. That’s not saying it is easy, getting into a habit of pronouncing words phonetically is tricky. Once again the English can be rather lazy with pronunciation, often letters are skipped over when said aloud. Japanese tends to be more phonetic with the words sounding as they are written. I am finding that the best way to tackle saying a new word is to break it down at the vowels. For instance the word America, I would break that into A-mer-i-ca. By doing this I ensure I hit every letters sound and avoid mixing words.

Already I am making good progress. I can introduce myself, wish someone a good day and ask them if they don’t mind repeating themselves. I am hopeful that with a few everyday phrases and keeping the book with me, that I won’t go too wrong.

Overall I have found that learning Japanese is an example of a task that at first seems Herculean. But, once you begin, it becomes more manageable. So, Arigato gozaimasu, Itte kimasu (that should mean thank you and good-bye).

Duty free shop from 1bag1world, Hiragana chart from Kanaquest, Code cracking puzzle from education

The London 2012 Legacy

I remember standing in this exact place two years ago, so why does it feel like an  alien planet to me? Gone are the crowds, the music and the vibrant party atmosphere - replaced, with an eerie stillness. It's hard to believe a location can have such a dramatic change in such a short space of time.

That is all I can think, however as I walk across the bridge towards a park which two years ago held the London Olympics. Back then I was caught up in the flow of the crowd and the magical atmosphere. Even someone like myself, who isn't patriotic couldn't help feel proud of the event London had put on. I got caught up in woops, cheers and the beat of life; egged on by the  Olympic stewards, known as Gamesmasters, sat upon their umpire chairs, loudhailers blaring. Now the atmosphere is so still, almost serene, the only sounds are the birds above and the cars below passing under the bridge. My mind can't quite handle the dramatic shift in appearance as I try to place any familiarity. Clearly, I thought at this point, the Olympics is already a distant memory.


This is how I remembered it.
A stark contrast to now.

The Olympic stadium ahead of me, still stands looking like a massive bowl - just calling out for some milk and cereal. I love the design; it has a  minimalist structure that is rather unassuming, yet lit up as it was in 2012 it couldn't fail to impress. It seems smaller than I remember and my tour guide informs me that the top tiers were taken off; so much seating is no required. It is now owned by West Ham football club, who whilst I'm sure have many fans, their numbers can't compare to the crowds of Oylmpic proportions. The worry in my mind that time has forgotten the event already is growing. Perhaps, I won't be recapturing some of the magic I felt before as I had hoped. I reason that whilst it may no longer look as impressive, at least it is still being used; and not left to rot.

Refreshingly this seems to be a theme of the Olympic park (now the Queen Elizabeth Olympic park), everything is either being reused or re-purposed in a bid to save resources. Many of the stadiums were dismantled and shipped to Brazil for their Olympics - in a fashion rather reminiscent of a childs construction kit. Whilst I agree in principle with the idea of recycling I am rather upset at the sparse land this has created. If anything my tour of the park showed me was that nothing lasts forever.


From the two pictures you can see why it felt so different.

However there is a force hard at work ensuring London 2012 lives on. The London Legacy Development Corporation  was formed to ensure that the Olympic park is utilised and not left derelect. My tour guide details an upcoming monument that will stand as a reminder that people from all over the world came together for the games. This gave me some hope; that at least the area won't return to the wasteland it was once before. Maybe, the Olympic impact will indeed be kept alive after all I began to hope.

The next part of my tour showed more of the benfits that has become of the legacy. The swimming pool, where Tom Daley set his record breaking lap, is now a sports gym with ties to both professional athletes and the local community. The spirit of the Oympics still lives on in this venue; helped perhaps by the amazing technology remaining. Above the swimming lanes is a massive digital clock - which displays lap times, temperature and other statistics. Anyone who takes a dip under that feature is sure to feel like an Olympic athlete themselves. Many in my group joke amongst themselves of taking a dip themselves, certain they could give Tom a run for his money.

It isn't all sports however, a small section of the park has been turned into a nature reserve. This is a rather refreshing - especially in a place that once was little more than urban wasteland. The trail is well designed and a walk around it can be very peaceful. I closed my eyes, taking in the sound of birdsong and the gentle trickle of water. Unfortunately, a deep breath shattered this illusion; there is no covering up that city central smell. Yet, any type of greenspace in a city is something to be praised. Too often nature is being forgotten about as we try to expand for our ever growing population.

The Olympics may be over now, and memories of it fading in my mind, but clearly it has still left its mark. I get a sense of how important the legacy has become; which is a welcome change. It can be so easy for places, to become derelict once their purpose is served. I realise that it is still a relatively recent event, and in time all of it could be changed; more so than it has already. Still it is clear, that there is a shared passion in ensuring the Olympics legacy lives on.


First Oylmpic stadium picture from Demotix, second Oympic stadium image from Dezeen,

What Turned Me Japanese-y

As mental preparation for my imminent trip to Tokyo, something that both excites and terrifies me, I thought it would be good to reflect upon my current view of Japanese culture.

Our personalities are shaped by the interests that we have, many of mine are often what many in a Western culture to be obscure. Things like anime, video games and popular internet images (known as memes) are often dissmissed as being geeky. Often in order to partake in these interests I need to actively seek out this subculture as it isn't prevelant in everyday life. I have been to London Comic Con in the past and will be attending this year's Hyper Japan; two examples of events that allow me to express my passions and meet others with similar interests. Many of these geeky franchises seem to originate from Japan, which has built a keen interest within me to experience the culture.

This is the type of merchandise I hope to find in Tokyo,
although my wallet hopes I don't

 Despite this, I am aware that what I have experienced so far as Japanese culture goes is only a snippet. Indeed, even my trip is limited to a ten day burst in Tokyo. I will not presume to have experienced all of the culture when I return - merely a brief glimpse of city life in Japan's capital. This will surely be an eye opener to me nevertheless, and my image of what Japanese life is like will change. Right now, my view is of a city not too dissimilar from London - filled with bright lights and loud traffic. Only with an abundance of all things 'kawaii' and geeky. My mind paints a picture of brightly painted anime characters dancing outside vast stores devoted to technology. Whilst I know that these places do exist, in reality they will only be in certain districts (such as Akihabara) and not scattered everywhere.

An example of Tokyo's bright city life.

Like many modern childhoods, my Saturdays began with sugar-coated cereal and morning television. Growing up, my favourite shows to watch were Pokémon, Cubix and Digimon (all of which I still have a slight obsession with). They all depicted the lives of Japanese children, which struck a chord with me. The towns they lived in seemed much simpler and yet more exciting than my own. Cubix especially, as this displayed an image of a robot-obsessed world where it was possible to have your own robot friend. How could my town compare? All it could offer was a musty library and a park that got burnt down every few months.

When these shows weren’t on I indulged in video games and, once again, often my preferences were  brightly coloured offerings from the East. Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog games were my first introductions to the gaming world. Many weekends were spent playing Mario Kart with my brother on our N64, and these are some of my fondest memories. It's little wonder then that I embraced an idealistic view of the land they originated from.

This sums up my childhood.

Due to my enjoyment of crafting, I also developed a keen interest in origami, the Japanese art of paper folding to make objects. I am quite proud of my origami skills; there is something about watching the precise folds turn into amazing creations. I find it calming, and that it creates a sense of real accomplishment.   

Even circumstance seem eager to encourage my ever-growing obsession with Japan. In Primary school, we started to learn Japanese in year three. Now, it seems odd to me for our school to expect young children to be able to take on and understand a language that is so alien to our own. Yet, reflecting on this, I can remember really enjoying learning the language and displaying a certain aptitude for it. One which weirdly I haven’t been able to replicate, demonstrated by how I am currently struggling to learn little bits that will enable me to get by during my trip. I recall learning numbers from one to ten, how to write my name and memorising the alphabet (I am unsure if what we were taught at the time was Kanji, Katakana or Hiragana, Japan's three main alphabets).

Some of my origami creations

The highlight of these lessons came when we took a visit to Canterbury University, where the students had put on some form of Japanese experience day. I remember walking round their campus revelling in the examples of culture around me. Getting to try katsu chicken kebabs, making delicate kites small enough to fly using a desk fan, being introduced to haiku and painting our names onto thin parchment using  a brush called a fude. It appeared I had a certain knack for the latter, as my attempt won me a book of haikus. I felt so proud of myself and treasured both the book and the poetic form of haiku. To this day, despite a certain lack of enthusiasm to all things poetic (especially non-rhyming ones) I still love haiku. I enjoy reading these for their seemingly simple structure, and the contrasts they create.

More recently in life, I have continued to be drawn to Japanese culture. I have recently developed a passion for amigurumi (a form of crochet to create soft toys, often game or anime characters), which I hope to be able to sell on Etsy. I was also very fortunate that I have found a like-minded partner - my amazing girlfriend, Amy. I don't doubt that anyone else would deem me too insane to give the time of day to. But not her, oh no. Instead, she showed an equal obsession and introduced me to all things ‘kawaii,’ and taught me what the word actually means and how to spell it. I in turn have taught her some origami and together we rediscovered haiku. We also enjoy exploring Japanese cuisine together. Whilst we are both hesitant towards sushi, we never shy away from a good yakisoba (pan fried noodles) and I fear that an argument over the last mochi or dorayaki (traditional Japanese sweet treats) could be the thing that may eventually separate us!

Some examples of my amigurumi projects.

Overall, my life seems to naturally deviate towards certain aspects, probably the ‘geekier,’ ones of Japanese culture. I realise in reality that anime, video games and cute critters isn’t what Japan is about. There is also a rich, spiritual culture, evident in the many festivals and shrines they have. I hope to immerse myself in these during my stay. In highlighting my presumptions in this post, I will hopefully be more inclinded not to focus too much on what I want to experience in Tokyo, but instead seek out new experiences as well. Indeed, whilst I am there people will be celebrating Obon, a summer festival devoted to remembering ancestors.

I hope my trip will be eye-opening. and allow my love for Japanese culture to flourish. I also want it to enrich the knowledge I have of the culture in a way that will give me a greater understanding of it and my own interests.


Merchandise image from illustrators lounge, Tokyo image from The Telegraph, Nintendo image from Theology Gaming