(Team member, Physician specializing in Gynecology/Obsterics)
What a wonderful opportunity to get to know Japan, I thought when I got the message that I'd been chosen to join the GSE troop. To prepare for my first visit in this exotic country, I started to study some history, knowing tradition was very strong there. As Kenzaburo Oe got the Nobel Prize of literature, I thought his books also might give me some information of modern life in Japan. At the same time the newspapers gave information about the terrible Hanshin earthquake and sarin-gas attacks in the subway. To tell the truth, after these kinds of sources of information I could not imagine what kind of country would meet us over there.
In my work as a physician I have seen and worked in hospitals on various continents. As every culture affects its health and hospital care, I was very curious of what was special with the Japanese system.
Looking back at my five weeks in Osaka, I'm not sure I really understood how the Japanese society could be so modern but yet so affected by tradition at the same time. So I don't think I came to "know" Japan in five weeks, I'm just a little less confused.
At arrival at Kansai International Airport, we got a warm welcome from the Osaka GSE committee. Their concern about us stayed very obvious through the whole visit. Beside a carefully planned week schedule with various activities they had been provident enough to let us stay at a very good hotel in the weekends. For me this arrangement was necessary to sum up last week and prepare for the next.
The program arranged for us covered a wide spectrum of the Japanese society, and had many highlights. The Keihan Electric Railway, Matsushita Co. and Kei-han-na Research Park are some visits that gave me a good insight of the Hi-Tech business. The explanation of how this compact city worked by means of transport at Umeda station, was also well done. The city is divided in 5 layers if you see it in a cross section. At the top runs the highways and monorail. Further down follows common roads, shops at level 3, service tunnels and finally underground trains at 4th and 5th level respectively (3 ,4 and 5 are underground). From this view it was interesting to visit Kobe only five months after the big earthquake. In contrast to the damaged roads the railway had been less destroyed and therefore possible for us to use. Our guides, an architect and one of the volunteers who helped the victims, gave a very broad perspective of what had happened. I was a little surprised to watch the construction of the world's longest suspension bridge in the same area. But of course, people living in this area must continue the planning for the future, in spite of the threat always present.
Apart from the interesting days in the historical cities of Nara and Kyoto, it was not arranged for so many cultural events as I might have thought. The special expressions of Japanese culture in music, dance or theater was not easily available as there were few performances at the time, I understood later. Instead I was happy to be a part of the special tea ceremonies, both arranged for the whole Group but maybe more authentic when the host families arranged it for me.
The lunch meetings at various Rotary Clubs often turned into interesting discussions about differences in Sweden and Japan. Especially when a questionnaire was sent to us before so we had possibilities to prepare the answers. When preparing this lunch lecture about Sweden before departure, I thought the interest would be focused on tourism and maybe our industry. I was surprised to find the Swedish welfare and the woman's situation to catch the interest of the audience. We paid a visit to Sonezaki RC where most of the members were women. At this club there were unfortunately no discussion put in the time schedule. I think it would have been a valuable experience to listen to these special women's points of view of the Japanese society.
Generally when speaking of the itinerary, I think all items had an important roll in learning about Japanese society. More of the visits had given us an even better insight though, if communication could be held at a little higher level. But it is always difficult to use a language that is nobody's mothers tongue, and therefore is not spoken perfectly by either part. This is an even bigger problem when talking in specialized terms when even a good interpreter would have problems.
As I work as a gynecologist, I was very eager to study women's health and situation in general in a country with traditions and customs so different from ours. At the vocational studies I visited several kinds of hospitals with the emphasis on maternity and gynecology. What struck me most was not the high technical and theoretical standard I found everywhere, that is really what I expected. No, all the small size units of hospital care, both clinics and university hospitals were much smaller (fewer deliveries/year) than I thought. What might be lost in efficiency is gained in comfort. It was also interesting to discuss differences in treatment and not the least habits of deliveries. How a woman acts in the delivery situation, I think it is closely related to her position in the society in general. The facts that pain relief seldom was used, back position was the only possible position and that the woman had few possibilities in general to tell her opinion about the delivery, makes it so different from our traditions. In my opinion, it says a lot of the woman's situation in Japan.
Language was not much of a problem at the hospitals and I felt always well taken care of. Dr. Inoue at Kitano Hospital really took his valuable time to show me around in two days. Visiting one hospital two times was no disadvantage. I got to know the doctors a little better and the relations went more informal. To feel such a personal contact makes of course a meeting more memorable and even crucial for this kind of exchange to be meaningful. A delicious dinner ended my stay with the team.
I experienced the same good contact at Osaka Medical Center for Maternal and Child Health and together with Orino-san, at his small clinic. He taught me some of his skill in ultrasonography that will be very useful for me in my future work.
When planning the vocational days, the GSE committee asked us in advance what we were interested in seeing, even special personal interests were possible for us to express. But it is difficult to know in advance what is not already in the program. My suggestion is that a few days could be left unplanned till we arrive. If something interesting shows up during the stay, you would not have to go without it.
I was lucky to be a guest in 5 wonderful families. Japanese tradition in hospitality became obvious to me in so many ways. Whenever a guest is invited all possible concerns are taken, a special proverb fitting the situation and the personality of the guest is put on the wall, the flowers are arranged with a thought and the tea is chosen to suit the occasion etcetera. The most typical Japanese tatami room was given to me, traditional food was served if I wanted (I sometimes hesitated, but I found the cuisine delicious most of the time) and in the free time several interesting activities were arranged for me. At Sakai's they showed me their treasure of wonderful kimonos, taught me how to dress in one and how to drink tea in the ceremonial way. With the Okuma's and friends karaoke was performed and I was taught how to make sushi. One evening Mr. Okuma played the shakuhachi, a wooden flute, and I felt like sitting in a forest listening to the sound of the wind in the tree tops. At Orino's I was lucky to share their interest in golf. I tried the famous "several stories driving ranges" and I even got the exclusive opportunity to play at a course. Mr. and Mrs. Kitamura showed me wonderful restaurants and downtown at night. Finally Mr. Hanada and his wife who showed me fireflies and took me to Mie prefecture to see the beautiful Ise shrine and the Mikimoto pearl production. A fantastic trip to the countryside that I will never forget.
I do not think I can thank these families enough for their great hospitality and generosity. I hope they will accept my invitation to Sweden so I will have the opportunity to give something of our best back to them.
To get a closer contact with somebody who is not speaking your language takes time. Maybe the family stay arrangement was the most important thing in the exchange program, it served to give a little deeper knowledge about this country at the opposite side of the earth.
