On Japan and the physical

Lets talk about bodies; the physical manifestation of humanity. As someone who did a cross between social and biological anthropology at university, I of course am extremely interested in the body, both from a social and biological perspective, and how these two things overlap to create the human experience of the body (which is different everywhere because culture, but you should know that). Being here for four months now, I have become aware of Japanese physicality, my own physicality in contrast, as well as how foreigners (including myself) pick up 'Japanese' physical habits or behaviours. These experiences, and differences, in experience range from the my perceived difference in expectations of how someone else exists in their body, such as when other foreigners display outwardly Japanese bodily behaviours, or the noting of obviously different Japanese bodily habits, the importance placed on certain bodily 'chores', such as washing hands, and how my own physicality is in stark contrast to that of my Japanese peers, but at the same time is slowly melding towards a more Japanese expression of the body. Basically, I will be talking about Habitus, without ever mentioning Habitus (except for those two times just now). For any fellow anthropology nerds out there, please enjoy.

Look at these bods.

The first aspect of Japanese physicality, which started me on this pathway of actually thinking about this idea of physicality more deeply, is the little 'oosh' or 'oosha' noises when Japanese people are doing anything. People make them when sitting down, stretching, climbing stairs, picking up large-ish items... The typical Japanese back body bend/stretch is always accompanied by an 'oosh' or 'oosha' sound. The reason this actually came to the forefront of my mind is that I noticed my friends doing this, and in that moment where someone who I had coded as 'not Japanese' made that sound, it was such a contrast that I couldn't help blurting out 'wow, you're so Japanese'. Some of them had just recently caught onto making these noises, so I believe that this change in behaviour bought this behaviour to the forefront of my mind. It actually is a bit... weird to me as to why these noises would be made. I'm still in the process of trying to figure out whether that's because it's just different sounds to what I'm used to, or if this making noises while doing physical movements is actually something we don't do in New Zealand. I mean, I know that I sigh (a lot, thanks to yoga, though maybe I'm actually perpetually unimpressed), but I can't really think if I make any noises when doing anything like walking up stairs or picking something up. It's because of this perception of my own body as 'soundless', or lacking in voiced bodily experiences, that my initial instinct is  'please kill me if I ever utter anything similar to these noises because they make me cringe'. This is an obvious example of how small, weird cultural differences can make someone feel uncomfortable. I have the cultural norm of that only those who are getting older or are sick create voiced noises to accompany those physical actions, and so those who are young or fit creating similar noises for other reasons makes me feel uncomfortable.

Me, always sighing.

On the subject of picking things up, I've noticed that Japanese women find it extremely difficult to pick up items. I wonder if Japanese women are weak, or if that is a socialisation on the part of them being women that they 'cannot' lift such heavy things. At recent school events I helped to pack away the chairs and tables, and people often marveled at my ability to lift up four chairs. I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a strong person, but as a good person I want to help out when packing up and other chores, and to do so as fast as possible. At my Taiko group as well, when moving a drum around I always have someone rush over to me to help, even though I am quite capable of moving the taiko drums quite easily, but the men in the group are never given help to lift the drums. Perhaps it is a combination of the Japanese group think mentality to help out others by doing things together, as well as the much stronger patriarchy in Japan. I guess here then, I am frustrated by the higher level of sexism ingrained into Japanese society, which on one level manifests in expecting women to be weak. Not to say we don't have that in New Zealand too, but I guess there is an element of gung-ho that we all have in New Zealand, and there's an increasing acceptance of helping each other out and doing our part because we're all in this together. Whereas, women seem to have less expected of them in terms of their physical strength here, and therefore get the help it is perceived they need due to their physical strength.

Now, the serious bodily health issue; people don't wash their hands here. Well, they rinse them... And often don't dry them. Just today, I saw the school nurse come out of the bathroom, rinse her hands and then just leave... THE SCHOOL NURSE!!! Thus far I have yet to be sick (apart from what I would like to call 'foreigners flu', where after your body realises it's in this new country for the long haul, it kind of gives up a little bit for a few weeks, so you get a sore throat on and off or other minor viral symptoms), but I am so worried that one day I'll get the proper flu here, or something else major, which could have easily been prevented by hands being washed more consistently. But it's not like I can lurk in the bathrooms at work and jump out at every teacher who does not wash their hands and spray them with soap. I have mentioned the lack of hand-washing in my previous blog post, and I think this kind of lack of emphasis on washing your hands properly with soap is the idea of tidiness as opposed to cleanliness. There's not that same emphasis on the sanitation of everything as what I'm used to in New Zealand. But I still just can't understand why they don't just wash their hands! I see the posters telling the kids and staff to wash their hands, there is soap in the bathrooms, we all carry hand-towels with us... Why can't they just wash their hands!? This is one of those points where I don't think I can understand and be accepting of this habit (or lack of) because illness isn't great, and increasing the chance of spreading illness or contracting illness is not great. Can't reconcile that one, sorry.

WHY CAN'T THEY JUST WASH THEIR HANDS!?!?!

To move on to myself, my physical form within and of itself is something that I have become much more aware of. I feel... Large? I just feel taller somehow than everyone, even though I am within the normal range for Japanese women. Though this sensation has decreased to an extent over time, there are instances where I just feel a little bit bigger, which is an odd sensation. I think this can also be due to the physical spaces around me in relation to my physical form, not just in contrast to others around me. I do notice myself hip-checking desks as I walk through them, or whilst doing yoga in my bedroom whacking my arm on the light. I feel like walking around my apartment I end up being quite loud sometimes and worry about my neighbours downstairs. I have become so used to this sensation of being larger, that once I was standing quite close to a guy who would be considered of normal height in New Zealand and all I could think was 'wow... he's tall', which I would have never noticed in New Zealand. Things are just a little bit smaller here. I am wider, taller, probably louder, than the average of Japan, and so these small elements of  discrepancy between my body and what the Japanese design of space thinks is an average body jump out at me because I am so used to being in a space that is made for someone like me, if not larger than me. Which is such a peculiar sensation to me; it really makes me question what IS my physical form? Has it changed or is it the same? We will never know...

My own bit of Japanese physicality that I've picked up is batsu. The crossing of the arms to create an X to mean 'no' or 'muri' (impossible). I have yet to pick up the maru arm gesture, but in saying that, most people don't really do that as a gesture, so would be a bit silly of me to start doing that. Batsu is not actually a common gesture for Japanese people to make, but it is a very well understood one, and I have to rely quite heavily on body language to get my point across, which is where the constant batsu-ing comes in. I also bow at everything, which is a little more 'traditional' Japanese physical action. I finally switched to only bowing at cars that stopped for me the other day instead of putting my hand up as a thanks like I would in New Zealand. It's all fine and good when you are interacting with Japanese people who see these behaviours as normal, but you suddenly become hyper aware of yourself when you're around other foreigners, especially when they are here on a trip as opposed to living here (as those who live here cut you some slack, because they probably do it too). When my parents came here, they noted on how I no longer pointed at things, but outstretched my arm and palm towards said object as if they were on display. They also said I bobbed like a pigeon sometimes when interacting with a Japanese person in a more formal context, such as at my school. But I guess that's what happens when you situate yourself in a different culture, my monkey social brain wants to copy and be part of the group.

Batsu and maru arm gestures. I only do the batsu...

It's so fascinating to think about my oppositions, and elements of acceptance of the Japanese cultural body experience. My experience, thus far, has revealed parts of Japan I would have never thought about prior to coming and living in a tiny little town teaching English. It has taught me about what kinds of bodily actions and expressions mean to me, my frustrations of how the body may be seen through gender, what kinds of things my culture has taught me to find inherently 'wrong' in relation to the body, and how my own perception of my physical being in the world, and how I use my body physically, has changed. I am such an anthropology nerd, that I am honestly enjoying experiencing my body in this new context, and the little cultural norms I have learned over the years becoming so stark to me. Being here in Japan has thus far taught me some really strange things about myself and Japan, and I am thankful for that.