Brazilians in Japan: No Moderates

When I first came to Hamamatsu two years ago, I was surprised to find so many Brazilians.A Japanese friend told me then that there are many Brazilians and other foreigners in the area because of the numerous car factories based in Hamamatsu.  The city center is overflowing with them. There were other nationalities too- Filipinos, Indians and other Asians but the Brazilians are the most noticeable. They don't blend in and they don't seem to try to blend in. They just stand out.

credit: http://web.mit.edu/fll/www/newsletter/2012/02/20/

I didn't have the chance to be friends with Brazilians in the area. Most of the Brazilians I met cannot speak English. I'm also kinda overwhelmed by their personality. (No racism intended. I'm just really overwhelmed.) They're so full of character. There was also this one time when a group of young Brazilians were asked to leave Saizeriya. They were so loud that the other customers complained. Interestingly, they didn't argue and just left the place without a fuss. 

Fast forward to present time, I'm suddenly in the midst of many Brazilian junior high school students. Six percent of the school population I currently work for are Brazilians. This means there are about 2-3 Brazilians in each class. In a few months that I've been teaching them, I noticed that Brazilian students in Japan are either the class leaders / the coolest in class or the problem students. There are no moderates. It's either of the two. As a teacher, I can neatly categorize which Brazilian students I like and which I want to avoid. 

The Alpha Female

All of the Brazilians who are class leaders are female. And I think they are really good leaders. They have strong personalities that even the male students follow them. In my school at least, there are no male Brazilian class leaders. I wonder why. 

The Cool Male

There may be no male Brazilian student leaders but they dominate the "cool" category. These are the male Brazilian students who are well-liked by their peers. They can set the mood of the class or amuse the class. Interestingly, there are no female Brazilian students who are considered cool by their peers, even the class leaders. 

The Problem Student

If a Brazilian is not a leader nor cool, he/she is probably one of the difficult students. This is just my experience, so far. Some Brazilians are considered difficult because of their indifferent and non-participatory behavior in class. They'd just stare down at the teacher the whole time. They don't do seat works and worksheet exercises. They sleep in class and they just don't care. They are the most annoying Brazilians for me. 

Some are difficult because they are bullied or being left out. I feel that they want to learn and be part of a group but they are seen differently by their peers. Because of these, they have a hard time with the lesson and they don't seem happy to be in school. I have about 5 or Brazilian students who are being made fun of all the time. Two of them are having difficulty in Japanese. I feel bad for them. 

Wikipedia has an interesting entry for Brazilians in Japan. It was stated there that Brazilians in Japan, although mostly descended with a Japanese blood, are greatly prejudiced and discriminated. There's also a big dropout rate of Brazilians from Japanese schools. A few years ago, the Japanese government offered cash incentives to Brazilians who wanted to return to Brazil. Those who participated cannot return to Japan anymore. This program was initiated because the Brazilians did not assimilate to Japanese culture as the government expected. 

I'm not surprised with the non-assimilation of the Brazilians into the Japanese culture. Japan has a very subtle and understated culture that seems to be a total opposite of Brazilians' personable and strong culture. They are one of those people that you either want to be around or try to avoid. As I've said, there are no moderates. Either you love them or hate them. 

More on Brazilians in Japan: 

Life as Dekkasseguis: The Brazilian Community in Japan

Japanese-Brazilians: Straddling Two Cultures

Mixing Sushi and Samba- Meet the Japanese Brazilians

Japan to Immigrants: Thanks, But You Can Go Home Now

Why There Are So Many Japanese People in Brazil

The Golden Week and Hamamatsu Festival

The best thing about May in Japan is the Golden Week. It's a week of consecutive holidays (April 29, May 3,5 and 6) which means no work. For the hardworking Japanese, this week is indeed golden.

In Hamamatsu, this is also the time of the Kite Festival and the local Festival. Hamamatsu Matsuri is a 3-day long event filled with revelry of the entire city. Morning festivities are concentrated in Nakatajima Sand Dunes where gigantic kites battle for victory. Late afternoon to late night celebrations shift to the city center and various chos or towns. The whole 3 days is just filled with happy chaos.

Hamamatsu Kite Festival
photo credit: http://www.inhamamatsu.com/recommend/cat2/5/hamamatsu-festival.php

(For my last year's experience of the festival, click here)

So, if you're around the area and no definite plans yet, drop by and join the party at Hamamatsu Festival!


(For more information of the Hamamatsu Festival, click here)

Tips When Attending a Tea Ceremony

Tea ceremony is, in my opinion, one of the most cultural things you can do in Japan. As far as I know, only Japan has this kind of ceremony. It wasn't not in my bucket list of things to do in Japan though. Why? First, I'm not a fan of tea. I just got used to it since it's daily served in my school. Second, I heard some negative feedback about it. And yes, I'm easy to be influenced sometimes. Last, I just didn't get the chance until last Sunday.

While most people are tucked in their houses because of the rainy weather, a couple of my friends and I are in a tea room sipping fine tea, nibbling on Japanese sweets and sitting on our heels. A Japanese lady volunteered to host a free tea ceremony for us. I haven't even met her until that day. Sweet, sweet lady!

Chado is the Japanese term for tea ceremony. It means the Way of the Tea. I'll just describe briefly what happens in the tea ceremony. For a more detailed description, I suggest the entry at Wikipedia. It's more informative than what I can write. 

So here's  how it usually goes.

Tea Ceremony Room
credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_tea_ceremony

1. Guests enter the tea ceremony room on their knees. 

2. Guests walk in front of a scroll and look at it. Then look down at the vase and a rock-like thing below the scroll. 

3. Guests proceed to look at a tea "equipment" - the tea container, kettle and water jar. 

4. Guests sit around the room in a circular fashion. 

5. The hosts enters the room, say something and the first guest say something again. (I can't figure out what they're saying.)

6. The hosts offer the first round of Japanese sweets. 

7. The hosts make the tea and the guests get their tea one by one. 

8. Guests say a bunch of Japanese words to the person on their right, on their left and to the host before drinking their tea. 

9. When consumed, guests have to look at the bowl and admire the design on it. 

10. Return the bowl. 

11. Repeat from 6-10. 

Gosh! I didn't realize there's so many steps. During the whole time, I try to be focused on what the person before me was doing and saying. No wonder it's called a ceremony because it's very "ceremonial." 

(More on Japanese Tea Ceremony, here)

Now for the tips: 

1. Allot 3-4 hours of your day if you're planning to attend a tea ceremony.  

I didn't realize that this tea thing will be that long. When I agreed to come, I just thought that it's like hanging out in Starbucks drinking coffee and I can leave when I feel like it. This is not the case. The guests don't drink the tea simultaneously. They drink it one by one. There were 7 of us last Sunday. Imagine if there's more. 

2. Prepare to sit on our heels for a long time. 

I don't know how and why the Japanese sit on their heels, but they do. We, foreigners, just have to respect that and go with it the whole 3-4 hours of tea ceremony. It's not easy and I don't know how to prepare yourself for this. Just be mentally prepared, I guess. My legs were thankfully still okay after this ordeal. 

Tea Ceremony
credit: http://www.insidejapantours.com/fully-tailored-japan-holidays/i-ac04/tea-ceremony/

3. If it's your first time, don't be the first guests in line. 

There were seven of us and I was the 3rd in line. I wish was 4th or 5th or even last so I would have had more time to observe the procedure. Also, there were Japanese phrases that we have to say. I only remembered "Osakini." The other phrases, I don't know how I was able to utter them. 

4. Observe, observe and try to appreciate. 

As I've mentioned, the procedure in the tea ceremony is very specific. Even how you hold the bowl and place your bowl should be properly done. So your observation skills will be tested. 

As for the try to appreciate part, it was something I had to keep in mind. The main thought in my mind was this "What's the big deal?" In my gaijin mind, the tea ceremony is just actually a way to hang out with other people. The very specific, and even rigid,  procedure seemed to rob off the joy of being with others. But this is just my opinion. 

More than the tea ceremony and all it's drama, what I appreciated is our host's hospitality and generosity. Never mind the sore legs, I got to experience a very cultural thing, filled myself with tasty food and drink and met some nice people. I just don't think I'll do a tea ceremony again.