(Un)changing impressions

     The ideas that had originally written about, for the most part, still hold true. The more I explored Japan, the more often I would see pairings of modern convenience with traditional styles. This picture used to strike me as a bit odd. Seeing architecture in such a traditional style would have, before coming to Japan, made me feel as if I had gone through a time warp. Expecting all of the other elements to be relative to this architecture, the car seemed incredibly out of place. But seeing this type of "contradictions" on a day to day basis has led me to not even think twice about the extreme differences; it has become common place and expected.
     As for the organizational tendencies of Japanese society, that has only been further reinforced. Japanese people highly value presentation and the visual aspect of things which leads to their great attention to detail. This scrutiny is a catalyst for the organization (and often bureaucracy). If you ask someone why things are done in what appears to be a complicated manner, they won't be able to give you much information. It's seems to be simply the way things are done.

     This post is supposed to be about changing impressions of Japan, but in all honesty my impressions have not changed much at all. That is why I chose to simply reflect upon my thoughts from the initial post. Before coming to Japan, I did not have unrealistic expectations of what it would be like here. From what I've heard, many people have the idea that all of Japan is like Tokyo. That wasn't what I was thinking of expecting. If nothing else, living here has just confirmed my opinions such as how kind and friendly people are. My interactions on a daily basis have been nothing but positive; which is a big difference from what I am used to. My observations and experiences with my home society had led me to lose faith in people. Coming to Japan has restored my belief in the notion that there is goodness inside of everyone. Whether or not my experiences in Japan were real or superficial, they have left an impression on me and how I see others. While my opinions of Japan may not have changed much, I feel as though I have grown and changed as a person.

     This last picture I chose to include is a scene I captured from my balcony at sunrise of my neighborhood. Having enjoyed my time here more than I can express, I know I will be sad to leave. This picture is important to me because I do not want to forget the wonderful experience I had in this quiet town called Hirakata.






(Most of my posts have, at this point, been completed.)