A Portrait: Junko Oyama

Jun Representing her Favorite Color and her Love of Frogs

Junko, more commonly known as Jun, was one of the first people I met in Japan upon my arrival in August 2010. She will always be part of my immediate impression of Japan. On my first full day, Jun, myself and several others went into Osaka city. Initially Jun and I couldn't say much to one another because of language barriers. We used mostly gesticulations to communicate. After that first day we continued to interact, often at night in our seminar house's communal floor bathroom during hair drying sessions. We slowly but steadily got better at one another's language, and now six months later I am able to interview her in English.

Junko Oyama grew up in Osaka near the Hanshin Tigers baseball stadium. Having grown up close to the stadium, she became a loyal supporter of the Tigers at a young age. She is now twenty years old, attending Kansai Gaidai University and living in the international seminar house. Jun moved into the seminar house because she is interested in foreign culture and in making non-Japanese friends, with whom she can practice her English.

Jun shares with me some interesting details of her twentieth birthday, otherwise known as Hatachi. Hatachi in Japan is a special coming of age day, as twenty is the legal drinking and voting age. It is customary on Hatachi for women to wear kimono, traditional Japanese dresswear. In fact, Jun's mother is a licensed kimono dressing teacher. Jun tells me there are no major rules for wearing kimono, but that most are tight like corsets and only allow the woman to take baby steps. Jun laughs as she explains to me that this doesn't bode well for eating a large lunch. According to Jun, women wear kimono to temples, for traditional occasions, or just for fun. She invites me to her house to try on kimono with her mother, the professional.  She tells me that it's perfectly alright for non-Japanese to wear kimono.

Dressed up in Kimono, Photo Courtesy of Junko Oyama

Jun explains her two favorite Japanese traditions: Hina Matsuri and Setsubun.

Hina Matsuri takes place on March 3rd. It is the festival of dolls; a special day for young girls. Each year parents give their daughter a doll on this day. Jun remembers how lovely it was growing up and having this to look forward to.

For more information on Hina Matsuri: http://farstrider.net/Japan/Festivals/HinaMatsuri/

Setsubun takes place on February 3rd. This holiday celebrates the coming of spring. Traditionally the Japanese throw soy beans from rooftops and windows in order to ward away evil spirits. Jun enjoyed throwing soy beans at her friend last Setsubun, who pretended to be a demon.

For more information on Setsubun: http://muza-chan.net/japan/index.php/blog/customs-traditions-setsubun

Jun's outlook on life is positive. She does not yet know what she wants to do in the future, but she laughs as she tells me how much she loves Japanese toilets (which truly are above and beyond ours in the west). She smiles saying that maybe she'll try to get work with Toto toilets, one of the luxury lines. In the meantime, she plans to enjoy her time at Kansai Gaidai and to improve her English skills.