Japan Economic Foundation's Japan SPOTLIGHT (#158) Special Interview: "Intersection Between Language & Culture: Probing Japan’s Deaf/deaf Society"

Japan SPOTLIGHT, November/December 2024 Issue #258 Vo. 43 No. 6

Link: https://www.jef.or.jp/jspotlight/backnumber/detail/258/

Click the link above and scroll down to:

Click, or follow the link below for the whole special interview: https://www.jef.or.jp/journal/pdf/258th_Special_Interview.pdf

The Japan Economic Foundation (JEF) was established in July 1981 with authorization from the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to deepen mutual understanding between Japan and other countries through activities aimed at promoting economic and technological exchanges. With this goal in mind, JEF engages in a broad range of activities; it provides information about Japan and arranges opportunities to exchange ideas among opinion leaders from many countries in such fields as industry, government administration, academia and politics in order to break down the barriers to mutual understanding.

Link: https://www.jef.or.jp/en/

VAoJ is grateful for the JEF interview and the opportunity to bring the Japanese Deaf research to a broader audience.

VAoJ S2023RT Arc: Yokohama Chinatown at Night: Selected Shots (6/26/23)

BONUS VIDEO! (a shop in Yokohama in Japan plays a melody of western Christmas carols...)

SEE ALSO!

"Yokohama Chinatown: Selected Shots" on VAoJ, 9/1/19: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/09/yokohama-chinatown-selected-shots-and.html

Kinda related:

"This Chinatown is divided by a freeway. A bold project could reunify the community" in The Guardian (5/5/23): https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/05/a-freeway-tore-through-this-chinatown-decades-ago-now-a-new-threat-looms

VAoJ S2023RT Arc: Sometimes a short diversion helps to put research matters into different contexts - Yokohama Bay Cruise (6/26/23)

This was my second trip to Yokohama. The first in 2019 was only an afternoon in Chinatown. This time I thought exploring the bay area would be good. But the 10-minute water bus trip to nowhere didn't do much for me. The Akarenga area where I was left off didn't have much except two old brown-brick buildings now filled with craft/souvenir shops and over-priced, poor quality food shops. I asked a some people (including a wandering police officer) a few questions: Is there anything interesting around here? ("No.") Is Yamashita Park or Chinatown close by? ("No.") Is there a train station close by? ("No.") Where can I catch a taxi? ("...".)

It was hot. But there were benches and a nice, small breeze from the bay. Upon further investigation, I found out that the pier was host to a large cruise ship and that the next cruise would be in three hours. The water was still calling me. So I waited by going to one of those over-priced shops, drinking a weak lemon chu-hai and eating the worst chijimi I have ever had. Finally, I bought my ticket (and paid a little extra for a real drink) and got on board for a 90-minute early evening cruise around the bay. It was pleasant and relaxing.

Afterwards I was again left off at the Akarenga Pier. I was able to get a taxi and asked the driver where he thought I should go - Yamashita Park or Chinatown. The driver said that the only interesting thing at the park was a giant Gundam robot. So I went to Chinatown, as you will see in the next post... (I will have to save Gundam and the Anpanman Museum for the next trip...)

BONUS VIDEO (CAUTION - RAW VIDEO):

VAoJ S2023RT Arc: Water Bus to nowhere... (6/26/23)

My idea was to check out the Yokohama Bay area. So I took the train to Yokohama Station and then walked a long distance to the Sea Bass Water Bus with the plan of taking it to Yamashita Park and then walk to Chinatown. But the Yamashita Park Pier was apparently under construction so I could only take a 10-minute trip to "the Akarenga commercial complex which consists of two historic red brick warehouses that have been converted into shopping and dining facilities." In other words a tourist trap in the middle of nowhere... What did the anthropologist do then? Stay tuned to VAoJ...

Source (definitely not an endorsement...): https://www.yokohamastation.com/yokohama-sea-bass-water-bus-service-between-yokohama-station-yokohama-bay/

VAoJ S2023RT Arc: Work continues after the game (6/25/23)

The first izakaya... A neigborhood shop catering to Baystars fans. I wasn't so fond of the menu (lots of pork liver and other intestinal dishes) or the atmosphere...

But I did like this altar of sorts...

Note: Yamato Maeda played for the Hanshin Tigers from 2009 to 2017 and was very popular. His cheering song included the melody from the anime classic Space Battleship Yamato (宇宙戦艦ヤマト, Uchū Senkan Yamato; known to me as the English dubbed Star Blazers growing up the USA). He started playing for the Baystars in 2018 and is popular there, although he doesn't play as much these days.

Disclaimer: This photo is modified, doctored or changed (whatever term you want to use). The original button was white and I couldn't get rid of the glaring light on it in the photo. I couldn't find a photo of the button, so I used a different one. Is visual anthropology an art or a science? Both. And the visual anthropologist should be honest. Even if the photo was modified for artistic purposes it is still scientific data. I beleive the meaning and symbolism of the photo and what is represents is still pretty much the same.

The second izakaya... Even though this is a chain shop, it was still pleasant, comfortable, friendy, delicious and seemed to have many regular customers 8 as well as some new ones who attened the baseball game earlier. I was given free edamame when I got there. The mayo yaki soba was especially good.

VAoJ S2023RT Arc @ Yokohama Stadium: Hanshin Tigers vs. Yokohama DeNA Baystars (6/25/23)

So after I disembarked the bullet train, I made my way to my hotel (very close to the stadium), dropped off my luggage and went to the game. I sat in the recently added (and inexpensive) wing seats (designed for a more extensive view, in other words, the nosebleed section...). I was happy that most of the people around me were Hanshin fans (often with interesting comments in Kansai-ben). Unfortunately, Hanshin lost. But it was a great time with lots of fodder for research. Much of the special Baystars food products were Chinese dishes. In fact, the whole stadium smelled like Chinese food. Check out the links at the end of the post for information about the game, the problematic starting pitcher for the Baystars, the wing seats and food items.

I was given this flyer with a menu and instruction how to order on one's smartphone.

Game details at NPB.jp: https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2023/games/s2023062501095.html

Info about the Baystars starting pitcher: https://nypost.com/2023/07/02/trevor-bauer-throws-tantrum-on-teammates-in-japanese-league/

Information about the Yokohama Stadium wing seats: https://hamakore.yokohama/yokohama-stadium-left-wing-seat-report/

Baystars Original Foods: https://www.baystars.co.jp/foods/

BONUS VIDEOS (CAUTION: RAW DATA):

See also: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/c3Pz9NHv5ik

BONUS PHOTOS (if you are still here...):