From my brother Jason in America: Buddhism, Homogeneousness, and other Non Sequitur Thoughts

It has now been nearly one week since I returned from Japan.  After catching up to the speed of life, addressing all that had changed while I was gone (change being all that ever really happens,) and spending a precious few moments in my own domicile, I have a few minutes to write. 
It is something of an honor to write a guest entry for a blog that gains new readers daily (or so the word is on the street,) and I am thankful for the opportunity.  I want to briefly share some of my thoughts regarding the trip with Julie before it begins to shrink in my mental rearview mirror (along with my 30th birthday.)

In addition to being able to post a blog, I am also thankful that I had the opportunity to visit Japan and my sister, who is remarkably living and finding her place there.  I learned a little about that place.  I met her charming friend, Hiro.  I met her English tutor and friend, Etsuko, as well as some of Etsuko's family members and their friends. They were all very kind and helpful throughout our trip. Julie and I discussed many things during our week of travels together, had some good laughs, and rekindled some familiar sibling annoyances.

What else should a good trip be?  As a wise man might have said, had he thought of it, "If left uneaten at room temperature, the ice cream cone will melt."   As it was with our trip - we were determined not to let the trip melt before we ate it. It certainly was full of activity the whole way through. (Actually, we could have just put the ice cream cone in Julie's frigid apartment and it would've kept just fine.  And if you know what any of this has to do with anything, please post the explanation.) I will add that Buddhism has taught me that all life can be related to the various stages in the life cycle of an ice cream cone.

Because Julie speaks some Japanese, because she speaks English fluently, and because she has established some connections there, I was able to see many things I never would have otherwise: a happy-go-lucky child of 6 or 7 smiling at us in a restaurant and innocently referring to us as "gaijin," loosely translated to 'foreigner' but with a distinct hint of "outsider." [From Julie: he shyly said "Konnichiwa," and they blurted out loudly in Japanese: "Are you foreigners?!"]. A traditional home-cooked meal at the traditional home of a friend's mother's house, complete with Japanese museum-style everything, but the aura of an everyday household.  Even a discussion about Buddhism from the inside
with an insider – a rare opportunity, indeed.  Perhaps I will write more on the topic of Buddhism on another day, I have been giving that subject more thought of late.

Another insight on being foreigners: moving through Japan, it felt at times as if we were shadows in a crowd.  A crowd which seemed to be knowingly oblivious to us, as if we were invisible, yet somehow imposing.  I suspect that most Japanese who caught sight of us were keenly aware of our presence.  Japan is a most proper society and we are latecomers to their archetype.  Part of this unique character comes from its homogeneousness, both historically and today.  In fact,
to say that Japan is a homogenous country is a gross understatement. Only in the most risqué sections of Tokyo and at the major tourist attractions in Kyoto did we encounter any significant diversity, and by that I mean any at all.  And by "any at all," I am referring to any people who are not of the Japanese race, living in Japan, and speaking the Japanese langauge.  It's a bit different than being American, where you just have to want to be American enough, and if you have the means, you can do it.  A Japanese can certainly become an American, but an American can never become a Japanese.  Now how did things get that way…But what is this?  A history lesson?  Another blog entry?

Ok, I realize that there are too many ideas for such a short blog, so I will conclude this overview of our trip across Japan before it gets more muddled.  I hope it provokes a thought or two, even if it is sporadic - I wanted to get something out today!  Perhaps I will yield to the motivation to write more in the future…

The Other JT