RANT 'N' RAVE
Making sense
of Roppongi
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| Illustration by Marco
Mancini |
I have been in Japan for almost one year now, and in my sunnier moments I like to think that I've integrated into the culture. I can converse somewhat in Japanese. I know the difference between the children's stories Momotaro and Urashimataro. I can use chopsticks. I know that Ichiro Suzuki now plays baseball for the Seattle Mariners. And most of all, I know what I don't know about Japan. Yet I'm still a regular visitor of the place that expatriates in Japan either love or hate, Roppongi.
Every time I go to Roppongi I come home telling myself that I won't go again. Yet I inevitably go back. Ever wondered the same thing yourself? Ever wondered why? Despite its bad press, Roppongi's charm is simple and universal. It thrives because of the human need to be able to understand their surroundings. And in Roppongi it's possible to do this. One can converse freely in English with most people, one can have their favorite hamburgers from home, and one need not worry too much about linguistic problems. Let's face it, Japan is a difficult country to understand.
There is no one key element that explains this terrific yet baffling country. Perhaps that's why there are so many generalizations about Japan and Japanese people. But at Roppongi we're on safe ground. It's something that we can get a hold of. While foreigners often feel confused in Japan, Roppongi offers a rare moment of clarity in a sea of uncertainty. I've never seen too many expatriates seem lost or confused about directions in Roppongi. Have you?
If, as Plato said, the three pillars of desire, emotion and knowledge govern human behavior, then Roppongi offers the whole package. Human desire is plain to see at any nightclub, especially given that in other clubs around Tokyo and Japan displays of public affection are not nearly as common. Emotion, the pull of the heart, is plain to see merely by observing all the things that remind you of home, from the hamburger store to the drug dealer. This can help explain the attraction of other famous expatriate places like Amsterdam or that haven for many traveling Australians, London.
Finally, knowledge - the need to comprehend - finds its place too, as Roppongi is one place in Japan where you can listen in on other people's conversations. So, in short, don't berate yourself or your friends if you keep going back to Roppongi. Maybe I'll see you there next week.
Many thanks to Nabil Dabbagh for this Rave.
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