Since I'm in Japan for a year and I wanted to post some photos I've taken, I figured I'd just make a new thread for it! If anybody wants to ask about it, feel free.

First of all I'll post some pictures from the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, and then some others from things I did before.

__________________

Beautiful, arren, thanks...

I don't have to say which Ghibli film was brought to mind by photo #3,... lol

__________________

Traditional Japanese gardens are so pretty. Their old architecture is cool too.

__________________
Isakaya High School Roleplaying Info

"An old man like me stands no chance fighting against a high school girl in her underwear" - Oshino Meme, Nekomonogatari (Kuro)

I suppose it makes sense to share photos from one of the first places I went to after arriving. I visited Fushimi Inari with some other students from the dorms a few days after I got here, before classes began. Turns out climbing up a mountain with people you don't know is a pretty good way to make friends!

__________________

How cool! I love the fox statue. Where exactly are you studying in Japan, arren?

Also, how goes about making friends there? I've always wondered, when I go, since I'll likely be a teacher how difficult it will be to make friends. While most of my friends now at school are international students from Japan, I've been worried how I'll make friends there. haha

Lovely photos.

Oh wow nice! Thank you, Arren! This definitely makes up a little for missing my chance to visit the palace.

What are your friends like?

__________________

The dippers in the one photo... I forget, are they used for washing the hands or for drinking???

__________________

Good question, Husky... I seem to recall that they were for washing hands. But at Kiyomizu temple, there were similar ones for drinking. Arren, do you know? Are you meant to drink from those long-handled cups?

__________________

I believe, based on what I've seen people doing at various temples, that you're supposed to wash your hands with the water in the cup, but you may also drink the water out of your hands.

The fountain at Kiyomizudera you're definitely supposed to drink from, but they also have a really advanced system for keeping their long-handled cup thingies sterilized.

Anyway awesome photos Arren! Sounds like you're having a really good time.

__________________
I like tea!

Okay, now to answer questions!

FFF: I'm at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. Most of my friends are other students on the same exchange programme as me. Getting opportunities to meet Japanese people is a bit tricky, but the university has a kind of buddy system so I've made some friends through that, but hopefully I'll get better opportunities soon! As a teacher, I'd expect you would make friends with other people in your position, and you'd probably end up meeting others together.

Mush: As I mentioned above, they're mostly made up of others on my exchange programme. I'm friends with nearly everyone in my dorm, and I know students from other accommodation through the classes we take. They're from all around the world, but in particular there are quite a few from the US, Australia and France. In general they're pretty nice!

husky et al: They're for washing your hands. There are often separate fountains for drinking, but ones like in the picture tend to have signs telling you not to drink from them.

__________________

quote:

---

Originally posted by arren18

FFF: I'm at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. Most of my friends are other students on the same exchange programme as me. Getting opportunities to meet Japanese people is a bit tricky, but the university has a kind of buddy system so I've made some friends through that, but hopefully I'll get better opportunities soon! As a teacher, I'd expect you would make friends with other people in your position, and you'd probably end up meeting others together.

---

OK, I think I've heard of there. Most people I know are studying at a university in Hyogo prefecture, since my school is heavily affiliated with that university, although we're also affiliated with Senshu university in Tokyo and a women's college in Kobe. Ahh, yeah, I know it can be hard as an exchange student to make friends with Japanese students. If I did it, I'd already know quite a few students (although it would depend what campus I was on...).

I already know a few people planning on applying for JET, but none at the same time as me. XD Although I would be more interested in meeting Japanese people. I wish I could experience being an exchange student.

So did you have to pay for all the costs? A friend of mine went to study in Japan for a year and both universities covered everything and even paid her to go to school. It was insane.

With exchanges, you pay the same tuition as you normally would, to your home university. The idea is that they send each other roughly equal numbers of students, so both universities still get the usual amount of money for the number of students they have. In my case, that means it's free! I also have a student loan from home and a Japanese scholarship to cover rent and other expenses.

Do you remember what the Hyogo university is called? I don't think we have partnerships with any there, but it's possible I've heard of it at some point.

__________________

Kwansei Gakuin University. And tuition in Japan is extremely cheap compared to tuition here in Canada. lol Although my best friend thinks it's too expensive to study in Japan.... so she came here. Those who apply to study at KGU for the entirety of their third year (or even after they've graduated) can have all expenses paid if their GPA is higher than others who've applied. I think we're partnered with two of the bigger known universities in Ontario for this too. We can also go to Senshu University, but it's a half term.

See, we usually have one or two students that go to KGU a year (since it's an entire school year, instead of a half term like KGU students spend here). KGU students come here and take three separate English intensive programs that're unique to our university. I'm involved with the students from that university that come here (all second years, except winter term ones who study here over their winter break, most are first years) and help them with their English and adjusting to Canadian culture. My partner doesn't have a roommate so I've been doubling as sort of a roommate and English conversation partner despite living off campus.

There's around 40 students from KGU who come every fall term. But it's super expensive for them to study in Canada.. It allows them to submerge themselves in complete English while living in a small town environment with English speaking roommates. So it's pretty intimate for them.

I just find it interesting how different other exchange programs are from ours. XD

EDIT: Haha, your university is actually mentioned on their Wiki page, but it has to do with football.

Oh wow, that is very different! I'm surprised there's a set-up like that where one university sends so many more, and for such a different programme too.

And actually KG was one of my options. One of my classmates is there now, so maybe I'll go and visit some day... I think when I selected my preferences it was fairly high up, but the Kyoto universities were top for me.

__________________

quote:

---

Originally posted by arren18
Oh wow, that is very different! I'm surprised there's a set-up like that where one university sends so many more, and for such a different programme too.

And actually KG was one of my options. One of my classmates is there now, so maybe I'll go and visit some day... I think when I selected my preferences it was fairly high up, but the Kyoto universities were top for me.

---

Yeah! XD And the other funny thing is, there's the same number of students from my university who go to Senshu University on exchange as those who come here on exchange from Japan. Except the ones from my university stay only a term, and the Japanese exchange students stay the full year. They're also granted to take normal classes, while those from KGU have to take the summer English intensive program in order to take regular classes here for a term.

Oh cool! I didn't know how well known their university was. haha I'm actually interested in possibly becoming one of the ESL teachers for the students who come here in the future. I really like the program and find it interesting.

but...but... you can't teach ESL, FFF, you speak Canadian!!!

__________________

quote:

---

Originally posted by husky51
but...but... you can't teach ESL, FFF, you speak Canadian!!!

---

OH NO!!!!

I've broken FFF!!!!

Quick, the smelling salts, mercurochrome , and bandages...

We'll fix her up...

__________________

Some more pictures now! These are a bit more mixed so I'll give some explanations too (I think I'll actually stretch it to two posts).

One day I went to a shrine which it turned out had just finished having a festival, but at least I got photos!







That last one was from a performance by what were I believe trainee shrine maidens. They did quite a long dance in front of the main shrine building where there was some kind of ceremony taking place.

On another occasion I went with some others on an outing to go to various temples, though in the end we didn't manage to accomplish everything. Anyway, this is where we started:







The rest will follow in the next post.

__________________

The whole approach in Japanese life to religion is so very different there than in the west. In Europe and N America I have the sense that for a huge chunk of the population religion is entirely irrelevant and an anachronism, a residue from an earlier age when men had less ability to understand the world around them and needed faith as a crutch to support them. On the other hand there's a minority who have faith and believe strongly in God.

Japan would seem to have neither of these extreme polar views but the majority pays at least some respect to a spiritual past and people generally observe religious festivals, events and holidays and many seem to pray on a regular basis. Many homes appear to have small shrines in to a departed family member and while I imagine some people see religious festivals as just an excuse to have a fun time (very much like much of the west treats Christmas and Easter now) I do get the sense that a lot of Japanese people still have a sense of a spiritual link to Shinto or Buddism, whichever they follow.

Maybe Arren and Orphic could comment on this perception. I confess its one I have picked up from watching a lot of anime that has a contemporary and slice of life setting but seeing these photos, and Orphics pictures on your blog, there's a strong tradition with maintaining many temples and shrines, far more numerous than churches in Britain (for example).

I know that major religious buildings in Britain, like St Pauls cathedral in London attract a huge number of people simply because its a tourist site, is that also mostly true of temple-rich environments like Kyoto as well? What about small shrines and temples in out of the way places off the tourist path? I get a sense that members of the community maintain and respect these with an attitude rarely seen in the west.

__________________
Isakaya High School Roleplaying Info

"An old man like me stands no chance fighting against a high school girl in her underwear" - Oshino Meme, Nekomonogatari (Kuro)