Few years ago, during summer, I was on the way to a café in Kiyosumi Shirakawa where I visited often. I was surprised seeing “Fukagawa” which was the address of cafe. Fukagawa is the place where a movie director Ozu Yasujiro was born and brought up. Director Ozu is a specialism my study. I was so excited to have stepped inside Fukagawa town coincidentally where we could find old town atmosphere in Ozu movies. As I was not familiar to geography in Tokyo at that time, it was unexpected discovery because Kiyosumi Shirakawa and Fukagawa were very remote islands in my knowledge. I downloaded the application of geography immediately and visited “the place where Yasujiro Ozu was born”. Large scale condominiums alongside big roads may be different from the scene which Director Ozu has seen. But when I saw the scene standing on asphalt road in hot summer sunshine, l wondered why Director Ozu seems to be, more or less, close to me rather than historical figure. I hit my realization that my study of Ozu started here basically. My unexpected meeting with Ozu went one step closer to. Since then, so-called “Ozu Tour” was a theme of my studying abroad. I followed footsteps of Ozu that a bronze statue of Saigoh Takamori in Ueno Park, the Great Buddha of Kamakura, Ryoan-ji Temple in Kyoto and railroad in Onomichi. Wim Wenders, world famous German movie director, disappointed saying in his documentary movie “Tokyo Landscape” that there is no landscape like “Tokyo Story” (Ozu works in 1953) anymore. However, I found myself to be connected to Ozu a moment whenever I found something unchanged and felt everything has changed. Such moment, Ozu works in mono-colored changes to natural color in my mind. But soon absence of Ozu touches me deeply. When I come to the calm sea in Onomichi where same as that in “Tokyo Story”, I can share a look of Ozu. And, at the same time, it sheds light on the life of Ozu immediately.  “San-ma no Aji (Taste of Pacific saury)” (1962) is posthumous work of Ozu. There is a shot of vacant room upstairs after daughter gets married. Professor Masato Hase commented that this shot made audiences feel “the time spent together between father and daughter passed in an instantaneous”. This sense of time (passed in an instant) which applies to my “Ozu Tour” was emphasized in Ozu works by intentional omission of essential scene. It comes from blank space in his life where I had no way to go. I had strange and complicated sense of time which immersed in me with sparkling wave in Onomichi. I can express such sense of time with pain or vain only. Ozu tour was a repetition of meeting and farewell for me. Looking back when I entered Ozu world, I realize my curiosity about riddle of Ozu moviesguided me to my research world and his unshakable strength became an index of my research.My tour for Ozu world supported my study abroad life mentally as a source of vitality. When I was tired and frustrated doing my research, I collected my cluttered mind by following the tracks of Ozu which remained somewhere in Japan which made me evoke his existence or absence. Experiential resonance between reading his works and following his tracks colored the figure of Ozu and expanded my field of vision about Ozu. It was valuable experience for me to have studied abroad. Thinking about it now, not only my research but life in Japan for eight years also seems to have been guided by Ozu. How do I inherit his look which passed in an instant? This is an unsolved and lifetime question which impressed deeply in my mind.I would like to move one step ahead, even if it’s just a little.  SGRA Kawaraban 677 in Japanese (Original)  Koo Hye-won / 2020 Raccoon  Translated by Kazuo KawamuraEnglish checked by Sabina Koirala

 I read the Japanese novel “Hukai Kawa (Deep River)” written by ENDO Shusaku which was recommended by Japanese language teacher in my last year of high school. It was just after the year 1987 when we could buy any Japanese literatures translated to Chinese language at bookstores in Taiwan. (The Taiwanese Martial Law was released in 1987.) I, as a non-religious person, have been trying to find connotation in “Hukai Kawa” and it means I was the reader who drifted in the history of long river like Chiang Jiang.   One of these days, when I was going around bookstores with my classmate who was searching for annotation of Chinese novel “Hong Lou Meng” for mock exam, I found “Waga Hai wa Neko de Aru” (I am a cat) by NATUME Soseki as the title fascinated me. It was the beginning of my exam of Japanese literature and read “KOKORO (heart or spirit)” too and I left my hometown where I could enjoy warm sunshine and pleasant breeze and went to a University in Taipei to learn Japanese language.     The more I learn about the Meiji Era which NATUME Soseki lived and about a life in Taiwan which was full of social success and struggle for survive, the more I realized schooling-oriented society in Taiwan. The youth in Taiwan who study at a university in metropolis feel stress about not only high cost of living and bad residential environment but isolated human relations and social expectations also. The number of children who suffered from psychosomatic illness due to muggy climate in Taipei is quite a lot.    Recently TV drama titled “Children are not your possessions” which criticized society became a topic in Taiwan. I think such acceptable drama should be produced earlier. I grew up under the parent who were not concerned about social status and have been keeping strange feeling about educational system in school. Especially when I talk with the youth who comes from metropolis, has increased my awareness that the youth who grow up in utilitarian atmosphere in the society, live up to expectations of “love” by their parents and teachers. The youth are impatient thinking that “being personage” rather than “it is enjoyable to challenge”. Such common issue in the East Asian countries where academic histories are regarded highly should be pursued continuously hereafter in the field of education.    At the beginning of my doctoral course, new educational system which considered practical utility to be important like in the United States started together with promotion of national security alliances between Japan and the U.S. Exclusion movement of social sciences in Japan affected educational system in Taiwan. One of my colleagues who was translating Japanese contemporary novels confused saying that “what is the good of novels?” One junior of mine decided to be enrolled in go to a good college. But he felt frustrated about how he would be considered after taking doctor’s degree. The causes of his frustration are low birthrate in Japan, sharp drop of the post in universities and unstable employment. Tragedy or political failures follows. Unbalance ratio between demand and supply in the field of social science which came from increasing of the number of students of doctoral course, social looking down on the unemployed despite their high educational background, loss of self-identity of postgraduate students etc. I was feeling depressed after coming to Japan. I have been bullied through social media by my senior who came from Taiwan. When I said I would like to attend an academic conference, I was treated inadequately and rumors spread around the people among same field. When I shared my private living on Facebook, snide remarks were made. I was accused falsely saying I have disrupted the future of others. When I made my research presentation, I was told on through teacher. I was introduced to a male who was looking for marriage partner saying that it is difficult to find jobs for foreign students in Japan and Europe and a female should marry. I think they are in the “co-dependency” relations. Desire of others is own desire. The end justifies the means. They betray immediately when they have conflict of interests.        I recall “Hukai Kawa” which guided me to Japanese literatures. A hero in this novel made a long trip to India in search of meaning of life. I have been living in the life of unbelieving and uneasy human relations. I like to ask myself what shall I trust? My world of existence in Japan is quite different, blessed with nature. I was told this area was developed recently but my heart was calm surrounded by big and calm forest at the night before exam. I saw spiderweb was shining in gaslight near a bus stop. At bookstore, there was a section “enjoyable living with forest and birds”. On a clear day, parents and children relax running around fields and feeding fish and ducks. One of my junior studying graduates said jokingly “since many foreign students here purified by nature, they are all gentle and kind”. The reason why we feel relaxed when we read SAIGYO and BASHOU is we travel with SAIGYO and BASHOU in our hearts.By the way, before studying Japanese literature I heard people go travel when heartbroken.I wonder why? In Taiwan, when they are heartbroken, they go to drink or for songs. The world of Japanese culture which I became familiar is too classy and its interesting generation gap among parents and brothers.    SGRA Kawaraban 676 in Japanese (Original)  WU_Ching-wen/2020 Raccoon, Assistant Professor of Japanese Literature at National Taiwan University  Translated by Kazuo KawamuraEnglish checked by Sabina Koirala

 I will start this essay with the surprises that I experienced in Japan as a student studying abroad. I lived in Beijing first and then moved to Tokyo. It means that I moved from the capital of China to the capital of Japan. I was surprised at beautifulness of Tokyo. And it is a safe city. Particularly I was surprised with the politeness and quick response of the   restaurants. Waiters brought me water immediately when sat at a table　and it was always iced water. (It took some time for me to get habituated to take cold iced water as being from China.) When I was ready to place an order, waiter would immediately come to take one before I call him. He takes good care of customers and moves around kitchen and table inside. The response remains the same if I order food of Yen 500 only. I thought within “you don’t need to do so much”. I do not care whether a glass of water is cold or not and do not even care also to be left alone. Is it the only me who comes from China and is surrounded by unfriendly waiters?  As the time passes in Japan, I began to have a feeling that even Japanese feels “hard to live” in such peaceful country where everything is perfect.  I was vaguely aware before the pandemic that everybody moved around expressionlessly as if they were chased by something. They could not enjoy peaceful life and were deprived of freedom of moving around the street by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Foreign tourists disappeared and “Mask Police” appeared. They tell each other not to go out without mask or and to citizens who do not cover their noses by mask. It is a shame that people in Japan made their society hard to live by themselves.  I think they can live their life more casually. It will be OK for you, as far as you wear mask and sterilize your hands even if others do not. It would be hygienic enough if you compare with other countries. I remember one of my fellow international students from India told me that he had a feeling that Japan is the most beautiful in the world after returning from academic conference from other counties and his home country. I think Japanese in Japan made their society harder (to live) and hard by themselves.    There is one Japanese who raised the question, why it is so hard to live in Japan? His name is WAKASHIN Yujun. He is the Manager of Company and a Specially Appointed Associate Professor of KEIO University. He pointed out that people in Japan seek “correctness” too much and make themselves harder to live. When people enter restaurant, waiter serve cold water. It is “correct” and common sense in Japan. It is very convincing for me. Now in Japan, everybody wears mask when going out. “Mask Police” came from the reason, why Japanese seek correctness too much. There is no sign to stop seeking for correctness and the society becomes harder to live.    I think it better to change the society which seek “correctness” more.For example, it is quite common not only in China but in Europe and America that, trains delay sometime. There are no announcements made on how long the trains will delay and passengers do not care. In Japan, however, there is an announcement made on how long the train will delay even if the delay would be for a few minutes only. It will be a kind information for passengers who are waiting. I am used to wait in other countries but in Japan and I have a question why station attendants in Japan try so hard to excuse for the delay. I think the stress of station attendants or companies might be relieved if the number of announcements will decrease. The most important thing for passengers is that they should not care if there would be a few minutes delay. Five minutes will pass quickly if you watch the phone while you wait for the train.  Prof. WAKASHIN is researching the communication between people and organizations and likes to establish “allowable society” in the end. He suggests such society that can allow the mistake of consumers by relaxing standards of their daily life.  I agree that we can live our lives in the society more relaxed by allowing others. Such thinking is “effective” in other countries than Japan and it is “necessary” in Japan.  The future of Japanese society will be possible to be bright as far as there would be the people who like to change, and not running away, from the present “hard life”. I do not care to be served lukewarm water or served foods with water at the same time.  SGRA Kawaraban 673 in Japanese (Original)  XIE Zhihai / Associated Professor at Kyoai Gakuen University    Translated by Kazuo KawamuraEnglish checked by Sabina Koirala

 I was often asked about the reason why I started studying Japanese. Perhaps it was my destiny to enter the Department of Japanese language, even though it wasn’t my original intention. Or perhaps it might have originated from my mother’s love of YAMAGUCHI Momoe and MIURA Tomokazu.   I did not initially choose “Japanese language” when I was filling out my university application, because I had no intention to major in foreign language. But there was a question in application form that says, “Do you still intent to enter the University, even if the major you desire is unavailable to you?” and I answered yes. I was accepted to the university of my choice, Nanjing University. But unfortunately, I couldn’t get into the major that I wanted. I was instead made to change into Japanese Language major, which was still available for enrollment at that time. I thought about taking a year off, because this switch was quite unanticipated. But it was my mother who encouraged me to enroll in Japanese Language course. She even joked, “when you learned how to speak Japanese, you can take me to Japan, and even interpret for me when I meet Momoe and Tomokazu.” My mother has been a big fan of Japanese movies since her young days in the 80s. During that time, a lot of Japanese movies were imported to China. A lot of Chinese, including my mother, became fascinated by the actors in these Japanese movies. As a result, I would hear about these movie stars’ names over and over again during my childhood. So even though I had no clear idea what I would do by studying Japanese language, at least, in my mind, it might be helpful someday when my mother gets to meet these movie stars. Once I started to learn Japanese, I found myself enjoying language study more than I expected. The more I learned about Japan, the more I was drawn toward Japanese culture. I was grateful to have enrolled into Japanese language major despite not being my first choice. When I was a junior in university, I accepted the invitation from Japan-China Friendship Association to homestay for a week in Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture. It was my first visit to Japan. I stayed with a Japanese family, and got to participate in the local town festival too. It was a valuable experience for me to learn about Japanese culture in such intimate way. It made me realized the limitations of learning only from textbook, and as a result, I decided to continue my post-grad education in Japan. Despite having decided to come to Japan, I had a hard time choosing which field of research I should advance. Some of my classmates majored in Japanese language because of their love for anime or Japanese idols, but I had a hard time searching for a field of study that I would be passionate about. At that time, Soushoku-Kei Danshi, or “Herbivorous men” in English, had become the hot topic in Japan and China. Someone in my class joked with me by calling me such term, and through this exchange, I got myself very interested in “Gender study”. Just as I had this realization, I coincidentally crossed path with a lecturer, who was presenting movie analysis from the gender viewpoint, at the annual intensive joint course held by Nanjing University and University of Tokyo. Instantly I made the decision to major in gender theory and film studies, and that lecturer would later become my current academic supervisor. I finished my undergraduate thesis under the title “Herbivorous men” and was subsequently accepted to post-graduate program in Tokyo University, which I am still continuing currently. Every time I was asked about the reason why I came to Japan, I get a renewed understanding of how I get to where I am was the result of series of unpredictable occasion. These unplanned events changed my life course beyond my expectation. Even though these paths were not my initial choices, I believe I am heading the right way. Amidst all the unpredictability, I am grateful to my mother for pushing me toward taking this path. Someday, I would like to bring her to Japan to enjoy the sceneries she once saw in movies. And if by a miraculous chance we get to meet YAMAGUCHI Momoe and MIURA Tomokazu, I would try my best to be the prefect interpreter for her, and convey her love and admiration to the couple as clear as possible.  SGRA Kawaraban 672 in Japanese (Original)  YU Ning / 2020 Raccoon, Researcher of Gender Research Center at International Christian University  

 I am a Uyghur and I come from East Turkistan (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region), where is 4,348 Km away from Japan in fair distance. When I was a child, I had great impression about Japanese advanced knowledge and technology because of the popularity of Japanese home appliances and automobiles among us. Furthermore, my interest in Japanese manga and animation which started form elementary school had deepened my impression of Japan and Japanese culture.  We, living in the areas where is the furthest region from the sea in the world, know the world better by expansion of internet at the late 1990s. Since as a young kid in high school, I have had a dream to be a good doctor. And I realized that in order to achieve my dream, I have to learn top and advanced knowledge in medicine, which is the major reason why I chose to study medicine in Japan eventually. Because Japan is widely known by its advanced knowledge and technology not only in the manufacturing and production, but also in medical science. It was the year 2015 that I made my first step to achieve my dream.   I would say that my school life from the school of Japanese language to graduate school in medicine and my <semi-worker life> as a part-timer was overall quite enjoyable. And my imagination about Japan before I came here was mostly same. For example, how beautiful and developed country Japan is. And the manner of Japanese people. I can say that Japanese is the politest people regarding social manner and relationship in the world as far as I know. I was impressed by their attitude of honesty and conscious. The typical Japanese Yamato race as expected, What a people!  Of course, there was a little discrepancy as well. For example, before I came to Japan, I was told that Japanese love readings and they read books and newspapers in trains. Then I found that just only few people still do it especially elderly people. The young people mostly have stick to smartphone instead of readings as imagine.  What surprised me most is the decreasing rate of marriage and population in Japan. It seems the young do not care about their marriages so that population keep dropping. I wonder what would be the Japanese population in 50 years? And this made me worried about existence of this remarkable nation.  During my life in Japan, I have faced many barriers and difficulties such as culture, language as imaginable. And I knew that I have to overcome those difficulties, which I had been prepared to be faced to as a foreign student. I did my best to turn these difficulties and feeling of loneliness to my motivation to learn and accumulate experience. Just like the saying < Endeavor never betray>, from school and part-timer life, I have learned not only about my major knowledge in medicine and also Japanese culture. I also made some Japanese friends during the part-time job. Fortunately, I got my scholarship after trying for several times. Then I stopped doing part-time job and I was able to dedicate my all effort and time to my studies and other activities. I would say that the scholarship gave me opportunity to enjoy my school life more and helped me to finish my Graduate school smoothly.   The best impression I have in my six year’s life of studying aboard in Japan that when you encounter any difficulties, the most important thing is try your best, attain your effort and face it bravely, rather than give up or escape easily. Things do not always work out as we expected. If we could compensate every shortcoming and defect that we had this time, we would be able to do anything next time.  My advice to those who are thinking to study abroad, you may encounter various difficulties in the beginning, such as language, culture, economic even emotional difficulties. But do not give up. If you overcome those difficulties, such experience would become your treasure of life.Try your best! Do not forget your goal.    SGRA Kawaraban 671 in Japanese (Original)  Mardan Nurmuhammat: 2020 Raccoon, The Uyghurs, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University