Ethnographic Observations 3

Restaurant:  Ramen Shop

*My pictures didn’t want to transfer over and I couldn’t find them on my computer!

I decided to write about a ramen shop in Kichijoji, because it was delicious and I’ve gone there multiple times.  I always went with friends, but the first time was in a big group and the second in a smaller one.  While we pretended to know what was going on the first time, the second time we knew what to do.  It was an interesting system that they had set up.  You put money in a machine and chose which ramen you wanted.  After that, you gave a ticket that came from the machine to a worker.  So, in this system, no money was exchanged between the employees and the guest.  Also, when we went both times there were only two main people working- one woman and one man.  The woman would take the orders and tell the chef, get guests water, clean the table, and help with some cooking.  The man cooked behind the table-bar thing (see first picture).  The first time we went however, there was one other man cooking in a different part of the kitchen but I couldn’t tell what he was doing.

It was interesting, because we all ate pretty fast, but we were still beaten by most of the others in the shop.  For example, a few times business men would come in the shop after us and finish eating before we were close to being done.  We definitely stood out in this way, but we also stood out because it was a tiny shop full of all Japanese people.  We were the only foreigners both times I went.  I also think the woman working recognized us because we were so different from the rest of the usual customers.  However, once we had ordered and sat down, we blended in to the shop just like everybody else.  I found it hard to make slurpy noises because I’ve been taught that that is rude, but here, you’re supposed to.  So I would almost fake making noises because everyone else was slurping so loud.  It was also difficult because the noodles were so hot, but it was definitely worth it.  Also, I loveeee their eggs!  Mmmm!

 

Museum: Third Trip

We went back to the Kichijoji Art Museum but talked through the art this time.  It was a bit unfortunate this time though because there were not many people at the art exhibit.  This time there were only older people, mostly men, who were reading through the different explanations of the art work.  We talked a lot about why we liked certain artworks more than others and which exhibits were our favorites.  In the end, we liked one exhibit  the most, but then had random pictures throughout that we each liked.  Some of the art was very simplistic, but it was interesting to see how un-simplistic it could be to make that artwork.  For instance, the vase print I mentioned in my other observation.  The different processes were shown and seemed like a lot of work, but the picture was a line and a vase with flowers in it.  So, at first glance some of the art could be seen as simple and easily done, but the exhibits and the way they were set up showed that art, no matter what kind, can take a very long time.

 

Environmental 3: Tray Return

One thing new I noticed about the tray return was the addition of a worker by the belt that brings the trays into the kitchen.  Although I noticed him other times, I watched him even closely this last time.  It seemed as though people were a little intimidated by his presence, just as I was.  He didn’t do anything but stand there, however, everyone slowed down what they were doing to make sure they recycled the correct way.  He even told some people how to do it the right way, and in my case, took my bowl off my tray when I forgot to put it in a separate bin.  He was not harsh or anything, he was just there as a friendly reminder to make sure that people took time when putting their tray away.  It is kind of like the people at St. Olaf who sit by the tray return to make sure you don’t bring food out, but he was standing closer to make the tray-washer’s job a lot easier.

Ethnographic Observations 2

Restaurant: Udon Shop in Shinjuku

 

We chose this spot because we had all been there before and loved it.  The food was delicious and the atmosphere was unique as well.  The second time we went, the whole experience was different and it was fun to see both times.  The first time we went, the lunch rush had passed and we were able to sit with each other and take our time through the experience.  However, our second visit was a bit rushed as it was the lunch rush and men in business suits were rushing in and out, eating quickly and moving on.  Most of the people who ate there were middle-aged men in suits, however there were a few men who looked to be in their twenties or so.  Also, there were very few women in the restaurant and only two out of the five or six working were women.  We were the only women our age in the shop and the only foreigners as well. In fact, a seat opened up near me and it seemed that no one wanted to sit by me until there were no other seats left.

 

Even though the lunch rush attributed to the amount of people talking to one another, that was not the only factor.   Another was that the entire shop was made into rows so that you were not sitting at a table with other people, you were at one long table, like in a ramen shop.  The way you got food was also in a kind of line like you would get in a buffet.              

 

Both are looking at the shop from the back.           The man farther away is where the line begins.

 

We were a bit confused at first about how everything worked because there are three different doors to get into the shop, and the main entrance looked more like a fire exit.  When you walked in you had to order what kind of udon you wanted but then you could grab additional tempura along the way such as crab, croquettes, chicken, and vegetables.  We kind of figured out what to do, after ordering the noodles, by watching everyone around us and how they used trays/chose the foods.  On the second try, we all knew what to do and chose seats separated from each other, because there was no room.  We stood out because we were foreigners, but we also became part of the scene once we began eating and became more voices in the chorus of slurping.

 

Museum: Kichijyoji Art Museum

< Map of the Museum

After having bad luck at our first museum, we found a new one that could take it’s place!  This was the art museum of Kichijyoji.  Another small museum that also did not allow photos to be taken, however, the exhibits were a bit more extensive and telling about the artists/ culture.

 

For instance, it was clear that the museum cared a lot about presentation.  There was one display that had things set up so that it looked as though the painting had just been done.  It was on an easel and had fake pieces of scratch paper as well as empty paint tubes glued to the easel.  Another exhibit had the artist’s process laid out in a series of glass cases.  The process of making a print of a simple table and vase of flowers was shown in a number of steps.  It also showed what he had done with the print after making it—ie, colored pencil shading, ink, pencil, reversed image, etc.  I also noticed that much of the artwork in the museum was nature-based.  This ties in to the haikus we studied in first semester which kept nature as a focal point.  In the art we saw, many of the subjects were Mount Fuji, flowers, sea life, or landscapes.  Humans were only in a small number of the paintings and if they were, they were in a large landscape.  Another thing about the paintings was that the first set we saw were very unique.  They were a blur of colors when you looked close, but the farther you got back the more of a picture they became.  This was an interesting thing to see.

 

Unlike western museums, most of the art was not behind glass.  The frames were very ornate and almost like a whole work of art by themselves, but they did not have a glass coat covering them.  Another thing I found odd was that there was a piano/choir rehearsal room near the exit of the museum.  People were practicing a song when we walked near it, which was strange to me.  I would not expect a rehearsal room to be in a museum or at least not on the same floor as the museum.

 

The people in the museum were sometimes almost as interesting as the art.  Most of the people there were older women or older couples, but there was one man in particular that stood out to me.  He was dressed in distressed jeans, a black beret, and a black coat.  He reminded me of  the stereotypical artist from cartoons, such as:

Of course, not this exaggerated.  But he did have a goatee and was carrying around a wrapped package that looked like canvases.  But, this man aside, most people, if they came in groups, would split up to look at the art, but then meet at the end and talk about which ones they enjoyed or what they found interesting.  That was also fun to watch and try to understand what they were saying about the art.

 

 

Environmental Observation: Tray-Return

First off, I didn’t realize this was exactly what Tess was doing!  I misunderstood her and thought she was doing a different set of recycling bins, not the tray return, so if I need to change it at all, please let me know!

 

One thing I noticed was that even though the tray return has an area of non-burnable (もえないゴミ）and burnable （もえるゴミ）as well as food scraps, most people would use the other recycling bins near the door instead of these ones.  I don’t know if they needed the other bins located by the doors or if it was the convenience of the door being closer to their tables, but if they didn’t have a tray to put away, they would use the ones by the door.  They also would use the bins outside the lunchroom even if they were not leaving the building entirely.  So they would go into the bin area and come back to the table by their friends.

 

On the other hand, the younger children around because of their parents, would use either ones.  They did not seem to pay as close attention and would throw things away without really checking to make sure it was correct.  This could be that their parents told them which color they need to put it in or that they know which color means which kind of garbage, but it was interesting to see even the ones not old enough to read interacting with the cans.
However, it seems that everyone that enters the cafeteria understands how to use both the regular recycling bins and the tray-return area.  Either they know what to do because they have done it enough or because there are instructions in those areas.  It would be interesting to see how people who don’t speak English or Japanese would react to the bins.  I don’t know if they would know the instructions are on whatever they’re recycling or if they would look at the pictures on the cans and guess.

Ethnographic Observations 1

Restaurant One: Starbucks

We chose to go to starbucks for a few reasons.  One, was that we wanted a relaxing day around Musashi-Sakai, and decided to relax and do homework in a coffee shop, rather than being stuck in our dorm.  Another was that we wanted to see the difference between American and Japanese restaurants.  Initially there really wasn’t any difference between the look of the shops.  The colors were a similar mix of browns and reds and the same set up of the menu boards and specials.  The people were all similar to those in an American Starbucks as well, except for the fact that they were Japanese.  Most were either reading, studying, or on their computers.  I was a bit surprised that many of the people that walked in were alone.  There were only two or three groups of people, and maybe three couples.

 

One thing my group and I noticed was the reactions of the customers when an older couple came into the shop.  There was only one area with a table open, but the table had only one chair by it.  One man sitting near the old couple was reading and had his backpack on the chair across from him.  When the couple came closer he immediately offered to move his backpack and give the chair to the elderly couple.  Another girl, probably in her twenties,  offered to move entirely by switching tables with them.  The couple refused both of these gestures, even after the separate individuals insisted.  I was with Tess and Laurel, and it wasn’t until we brought a chair over to the couple that they accepted help.  They were going to sit by each other on a bench near the table had we not given them one of our chairs.  It was interesting to see the respect the younger people had for the elderly couple as well as to see how the elderly couple reacted to these gestures.

 

I felt like we stood out at first in this coffee shop.  In fact, one barista noticed we were looking at the menu (trying to decide what we wanted) and he figured that it was because we couldn’t read the menu, so he gave us an English one instead.  In that respect, I believe we stood out to the staff working there.  However, once we sat down and began working on our computers, I felt less outside of the place we were in.  I would definitely feel the looks of people who walked in, but soon they would simply focus on whatever it was that they needed to get done and ignore our presence.  We also seemed to stick out a bit when we went to throw things away.  The garbage was split into paper cups, plastic cups, silverware, trays, and plastic.  It was a bit confusing when you first walked up to the area, but after reading the signs, it was a lot like figuring out the recycling bins around Tokyo.

Museum One: The Sword Museum of Shinjuku

We chose to go to the sword museum because it sounded very interesting and unique.  I also really wanted to go because I have been interested in Samurai culture for a long time now.  Unfortunately, the museum was not what we were expecting.  It ended up being more of a exhibit type of museum rather than an actual museum.  Online the museum boasted about having 300 swords, however, when we went only 20 or so were on display.  The museum section was not very different from museums in the U.S.  The room was dark (some soft lighting) and temperature controlled, with the swords behind glass.  The descriptions of each sword were in Japanese and included who had made the sword and who it belonged to.

 

One thing I found particularly interesting was that all the swords had Japanese descriptions, but only a few had descriptions in English.  They had chosen swords that had been the Emperor’s or a famous Lord’s.  However, all of the names of the swordsmiths were written in Romaji.  As far as the people go, our group of three were the only foreign-looking people we saw.  Everyone in the room was taking their time reading each description and taking the time to admire the swords.  Most of the people there were male and elderly.  We were, I believe, the youngest people there, except for a man and woman who looked to be in their 20s or 30s.  There was only one couple who stayed by each other the entire time and left together.

 

At this museum, we definitely all stood out.  We were the only caucasian people in the museum and it was a very small room with only about ten people total.  If we had decided to keep this as our only museum, we would have definitely intruded on the atmosphere of the museum and the reactions of those around us.  Already, the museum worker gave us all English maps and descriptions when we tried to take Japanese brochures.  If we had gone back three times, it would have been hard to not interfere with the workings of the museum.  And there didn’t seem to be a large amount of staff, with only three people working the whole time we were there, so they would have recognised us if we had gone back.

 

Environmental Observation 1: Tray Return Area

I decided to do the tray return area of the cafeteria because I found it very interesting.  I found it interesting because it is a lot different than the return area at St. Olaf.  I thought it was cool how they decided to split up the different things you might have on your trays.  They have a place for chopsticks, burnable wastes, non burnables, food scraps, forks and spoons, cups and chinese soup spoons.  At St. Olaf we only split up our trays by tray and utensils.  It is also very chaotic.  I haven’t been in the cafeteria of ICU yet when it is very busy, but it still seems a lot better organized and helpful than the one at St. Olaf.  Also, people seem to understand the system, even if they are new to it, and the people I have run into have been very helpful about what to do if you do not understand the system.
I think I was pretty visible at first when I went to try the tray system for the first time.  I wasn’t sure exactly what to do, and watched other people for a little bit before i actually attempted it.  I did feel pretty visible and uncomfortable at the school cafeteria, until I saw other foreigners.  I think it helped that we are on an International campus, but the trying to figure out everything initially was a little hard.  Most people also paused when they went to the tray return area to make sure they were doing everything correctly, so it wasn’t strange that I had to take a moment and figure out everything that was going on with it.  I wouldn’t call myself a master at it at all, because Laurel just showed me the other day that I am oblivious to the signs they have.  I had been putting my tray in the wrong way, even though there was a sign that told you how to do it.  My blonde moment of my time in the cafeteria, but oh well, now I know.