Changing impressions

Although this is the 2. time I live in Japan, I always find something new and interesting things or events in Japan, which I did not know about from before.

My fall semester in Kansai has been rich of experiences and good for my future way of thinking.

China Town in Kobe

The thing which really fascinates me, is that where you live in a country, can make a big difference. Although this is my second time in Japan, the feeling I have about living here now is totally different from last year. The feelings I had last year were filled with depression, and the realization that I never wanted to go back to Japan ever again. I really did not like the area I lived in, and neither the people- as I had some difficulties with finding friends in Tokyo area.

A Japanese person taking pictures of  Autumn leaves.

Now my feelings have totally changed. I can imagine living in Kansai area for several years, if I had the possibility. The Japanese people here are warm hearted and interested in meeting you, and listening to your stories. I can really feel the difference between Kansai and Kanto area. It is so strange that there is such a big difference between two areas in the same country.

Osaka

I've also learned that all the things people say about Japanese people is not necessarily truth. I do see people kissing and holding hands here, although that it's not very common. Also people do talk a lot about their feelings- which is said to not be very Japanese. It might also be the fact that Japanese students at Kansai Gaidai gets influenced by the foreign students, and changes a little from the general Japanese people.

Capsule Hotel in Osaka

It is very hard to come to think of how my impressions of Japan has changed, as I take every thing of Japan in to my heart and accept it, and don't think much about it. I do love Japan more than I ever did before. And from being a horrible experience, I now feel that Japan is a wonderful place on earth- with it's irritating rules and way of thinking. But that is what makes Japan to Japan.

Wasabi ice cream.

The population that loves diett.

2 weeks ago, I did a research and asked 20 Japanese girls about diet. They were all between 19-22 years old.

If you ask people all around the world, they would say that Japanese people are one of the people which eats healthiest in the world. Which might be true, considering that their food contains a lot of fish and soy products.

Tofu with soy sauce

However, I have lived in Japan for a while, and I have seen these skinny girls and men eat a lot of not healthy food. Including cakes, daily trips to MC Donalds and other similar- not healthy food.
Although their food is healthy is does consider some few things which are not that good for your body. They fry a lot of their food, although their oil is said to be healthier than any other parts in the world. They also eat a lot of food like potatoes, rice and food containing salt, which is not very good. 

Macarons

However, they are still very skinny. And although they are this skinny, they consider themselves fat when Americans and Europeans don't consider them fat at all. So if you take a look in the magazines in Japan, you will find that almost every magazine contains articles about loosing weight. So I asked these Japanese girls how many times they had been on a diet.

7 of the 20 girls had been on a diet 3 times. 3 had been on a diet 4 times and one girl 5 times and another one 7 times.
I also asked what kind of diets they had heard about, where they said; water-diet, tofu-diet, morning-banana, don't eat after 6-diet, don't eat rice-diet, don't eat dinner-diet, don't eat breakfast-diet and apple-diet. Only one person mentioned working out and being active as a good diet.

It's very common to find all kind of food
and drinks, which have less calories.

 

 

 

I'm am trying to understand the need for being around 45 kilos when you already look healthy at 50-55 kilos (considering your height of course).
It seems like the men does not want to be big, they want to be skinny. Then again, the girls does not want to be bigger than their men, so they do some drastic dieting to be as skinny as possible, according to my 36-year old Japanese friend.

Sweets Paradise- Eat as much as you want.

Also, my friends sisters child calls her mom, which seems skinny to me, fat. Because all the other mothers at school are thinner than her mom, which made my friends sister stop eating breakfast and drinks some kind of shake in the morning instead.

I ask my self, is that a happy life? To always starve yourself to look this skinny? It seems like Japanese people are obsessed with being thin. Yes, they look great- until they take of their clothes- because they lack of muscles (and yes, I have seen Japanese women naked when going to onsen.)

It is very good to think about being healthy as in not being overweight, but does not the meaning of being healthy (when you are skinny) disappear in their unhealthy ways of dieting? My personal opinion is that you should not go on diets unless it's necessary for your health due to overweight. And if you choose to go on a diet, it's not good to stop eating or similar diets like above mentioned.