EY Y02 L39 Japanese Islands

  1. Which Japanese island do you live on? Were you born on this island? If not, where were you born?
  2. What is the most remote part of Japan that you have visited? Did you like it there? Why?
  3. Which of Japan’s islands do you wish you could visit one day? Why?
  4. Different regions in Japan are famous for different foods. Tell me about a food that comes from a specific island or region in Japan.
  5. It is often said Japanese people have an ‘island mentality’. What is meant by that? Do you agree? Do you have any examples?
  6. Many former fishing areas in Japan suffer from underpopulation. Do you think future generations of Japanese people who are living in the main cities will return to the islands and the countryside?

Question 1

I live in Kyōto, on the island of Honshu. However, I was born on the island of Java, in Indonesia.

Question 2

The most remote part of Japan that I have visited is probably Miyama (美山), roughly 30 km away from Kyōto city. I visited it 6 years ago with some of my friends who all lived in Kyōto at that time. It felt like a completely different region of Japan as the atmosphere and scenery were just looked out of this world! The houses in Miyama had thatched roofs; something that I have actually never seen before. I took a lot of photos from different locations and angles to capture the beauty of the unique rural area.

Question 3

There is one island that I wish I can visit in the near future. It's the island of Tsushima. This island was the first island that the Mongolians invaded back in the 13th century. I played a game last year called "Ghost of Tsushima" and realized how stunning and beautiful the island is. This game deepened my interest in Japanese history and definitely made me want to visit Tsushima!

Question 4

Sanzoku-yaki (山賊焼き) was the most recent famously known food that I tried during my trip to Nagano. The chicken is marinated in a special garlic tare sauce and grilled over charcoal. More spices are added after the grilling process is done and I can't describe how tasty this dish really is!

Question 5

Island mentality refers to the belief that a certain community holds true when it comes to their superior status to the rest of the world. I believe that the answer to the second question varies from one generation to another. I have met some of the most open-minded and humble people who were born in Kyōto, the city where I live in. However, there are also some people (mostly older generations) who seem very haughty and proud of themselves. I live in an area called Nishijin (西陣) and some argue that people from that area can be rather fake and condescending.

Question 6

With our world saturated heavily by globalization, I think it is only natural for people to seek better opportunities in metropolitan areas that are much more developed than the countrysides.

Tough Vocabulary