Culture

After the melting heat during summer vacation, students now prepare to go back to school and enjoy the autumn feel. For kids and other junior high and high school students, September is to look forward to. Not just because of ‘back to school’ hype but also the highly anticipated Undokai or School Sports Festival.


Usually during the later part of September, students prepare for sports festival competitions. Mostly in school-life themed anime, undokai is cliché. It is the chance for not-so-smart class to leave behind the top class. Sports Festival is the time for kids to show off and make their parents proud. During this time, companies like SONY increase their hot released camera sales as parents spend a lot just to film their child’s steps to glory. Parents go gaga filming their kid while cheering them on various sports activities.
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In the absence of rice in a Japanese dining table comes Men-rui (noodles) to replace it. There is a wide variety of Japanese noodle cuisine. Ramen is but not the only Japanese noodle dish. If you only knew Ramen, please don’t blame Naruto.

Because noodles are one of the staple foods in Japan, it must cater people’s needs for the whole year. Cooking styles according to season were created. Some are served cold for the hot summer season while some are served hot for the cold winter season.
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July marks the start of summer in Japan. Removing their stuffy jackets and hoodies worn during the chilly cold winter and spring, people run ala Baywatch to the beach and release the summer heat.

Summer is a busy time for people in Japan. Though it is vacation for students, summer is the time for high school and college students to find their part time jobs and earn. Summer is also the time for university students to participate in internship programs or attend the exchange school programs. While the kids are busy with job hunting, parents are busy with preparations for Obon and snacks to bring in the festival.
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FIVE-MINUTE rail ride from Tokyo Station is all it takes to enter the world of gizmos, geeks and otaku.

Akihabara, literally means “Field of Autumn Leaves”, is the major shopping district of Tokyo catering both brand new and second hand electronic and computer for the geeks and gizmos as well as anime goods and stuffs for otaku. Wide variety of stores for PC-building such as tools, wires, electrical parts are lined in passageways. Foreigners visit Akihabara’s large stores especially Laox, open daily, presenting their passports to avail Duty Free discounts.
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Every school themed anime and manga always features Bunkasai in one or two of their episodes. Schools open their gates to showcase their achievements. With booths and stalls everywhere, the school is transformed into another dimension far from its scholastic image.
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In the streets of Japan’s large urban fashion districts Shibuya, Ginza, Odaiba, Shinjuku and Harajuku were mix of people wearing different subculture attires. Although people often only see these subcultures just for their unusual and sometimes weird fashion style, according to Optimus Prime “There are more things than meets the eye.”
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