Steinberger, Aimee Major - Japan Ai: A Tall Girl's Adventures in Japan

[oyceter]

Steinberger is a geek girl: gamer, cosplayer, shoujo manga fan, Volks doll fan. Ever since she got into the Volks doll scene, she's been dying to visit the Volks store in Tokyo. One day, she writes to Volks and gets an enthusiastic reply; they actually know of her through her doll articles in the US! So she and two friends head off to Japan. Their plan: dress as geisha, go see Takarazuka performances, dress up in Tokyo, eat, and go see dolls!

This is more of a sketchbook rather than a comic; there's some sequential art involved, given that it's a trip, but most of the art is not in the form of panels. It's also incredibly fun to read. Steinberger's art is extremely friendly and round and happy, and she notices odd things that I enjoy. One of the slightly unfortunate things is that she can't read or write Japanese—I'm not sure if other people will care, but I really wanted to know what the Japanese on particular drawings was.

I am still not sure what to think of dressing up as a geisha. On the one hand, it is something I would love to do. Also, there's the factor that it's being done in Japan, probably making money for the Japanese people running the business, in a context in which people know a lot more about who and what geisha are. On the other hand, I do not know.

Some other parts of the book occasionally hit my "please do not make fun of Engrish" button, from the making fun of Engrish to Steinberger getting annoyed at being stared at. For the latter, I completely don't begrudge her getting annoyed at being stared at; it's probably annoying as hell. However, I still have a kneejerk reaction of "Yeah, welcome to my world!" inherited from homestay in Japan with two tall white guys who were all "We stick out! We miss American food!" after I had gone through a year of depression and lost a lot of weight thanks to a combination of culture shock, homesickness for Taiwan, and literally not being able to eat all the non-Chinese food. But I digress! Although I spend a lot of space here writing this reaction up, I didn't really hit it that often. Much of this is because you can tell Steinberger loves it there, and the overall feeling I got from her excitement wasn't "OMG this is so exotic and foreign!" but "OMG I have heard about this for forever and FINALLY I AM HERE!"

Instead, I had a lot of fun through most of the book. It made me remember being in Japan and exploring Harajuku and Shibuya and Akihabara, it made me miss the food and the public transportation, it made me wish I had had enough money when I was there to buy awesome clothes at Harajuku and the like. It also interestingly made me incredibly homesick for Taiwan. A lot of the things in Japan are different, of course, but a lot of things have either been imported to Taiwan or are shared characteristics, from the squatting toilets of DOOM and ladies on the street handing out advertisements on tissue packets to sock stores to the food. I miss the food so much!

Most of all, I loved all the geeking out, from cosplaying and Takarazuka and dolls (not my areas of geekdom) to assorted manga and anime references. I laughed so hard when they visited Tokyo Tower thanks to CLAMP, although they went because of Magic Knight Rayearth and my friends and I went because of X (sadly fortunately, when we went, no necrocuddling was involved). I am also extremely jealous that she got to see Takarazuka! Some day...

Also, if you read this, check out the omake as well! Actually, check out the omake even if you haven't read it; it's a pretty good preview of what the book itself is like. Cute and fun.

Comments

[thistleingrey]

Re: toilets of DOOM, if they're the kind where you might step into them accidentally, they have some in Korea, too. At least, they did in 2002, at some not-recently-rebuilty touristy venues outside of Seoul.

This book does sound like a lot of fun!

[oyceter]

Yes! They are much less common now in Taiwan, now that bathrooms have toilet seat cover things, but restaurants going for an old-style look sometimes go for them.

[octopedingenue]

I have been curious about this book! Maybe I will spring for it with my GoComi freebie coupon, since I don't think there's anything else coming out from them soon that I need. Though apparently they have a Cosplay Ai from Major coming out later this?/next? year too!

I don't know what I think either of Major dressing up like a geisha, as I would also love to do it, and yet would also be inescapably Yet Another White Woman Dressing Up Like A Geisha. While feeling guilt over it! But probably still doing it!

IIRC there's a short but interesting bit in Kickingboxing Geishas (which I really need to reread/buy already) about the geisha industry's sideline-industry that caters specifically to Japanese and foreign tourists who want to dress up like geisha, and the experience of the author (a non-otaku African-American woman) in being thus dressed up.

[oyceter]

OMG I want Cosplay Ai so much now that I know of it!

Also, oooo, Kickboxing Geishas. How is it? Is it worth the read?

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I hadn't seen the omake and am very glad to know what is up with the golden poop.

[oyceter]

Hee, me too!

[rachelmanija]

I want to read this while I'm at your place.

I think I would be uncomfortable dressing as a geisha. Though I have quite happily dressed in a kimono, both times it was because a Japanese person went, "HEY! Let's see how this kimono looks on you!" Maybe I'd do it if I was with someone Japanese who also wanted to do it.

My indelible moment of visiting X landmarks was Rainbow Bridge. Largely because I had first attempted to read the manga in Japanese and, due to the very small furigana, misread it as "Rainbow Porridge."

[rachelmanija]

Er, not to say that only geisha wear kimono, of course! Just imagine a transitional sentence like "But in terms of wearing another culture's traditional clothing but not dressing as a specific cultural role..."

[oyceter]

Ok! Will remind myself not to return it to the library yet.

Rainbow Porridge! Awesome.

[wintersweet]

Well, the dress-up-as-a-geisha/maiko industry is aimed at both domestic and foreign tourists. The same studios cater to both groups, and Japanese people will ask to take pictures of both Japanese and foreigners dressed up as geisha/maiko. The people in the industry, well, it's my impression that they view it both as a nice lucrative thing to do and a chance to promote the dwindling profession and educate foreigners and young Japanese about it. Lines are drawn to keep things clear that you're not the real thing; a handler from the studio wearing a t-shirt with their logo accompanies you on walks, and so on.

At least, that's my impression of things. :)

Anyway, I have not yet looked up how to do usernames here, oyceter, but I have the book on hand so if there's any Japanese in there you want me to *attempt* to figure out for you, let me know :P

I just met Aimee a few weeks ago; her costumes are amazing! (She's aimeekitty on LJ.)

[wintersweet]

Duh, you meant Japanese that didn't get into the drawings in the first place, as I realized as soon as I got up the stairs and away from my laptop. :p (I have no "eheh" icon on DW.)

[oyceter]

Heh, no prob!

Thankyou!

[(Anonymous)]

^_^ This is Aimee. Thanks so much for taking the time to write what you felt about the book! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I always like hearing what people related to, that sort of thing.

Re: Thankyou!

[oyceter]

No problem! It was really fun reading it, and I'm looking forward to Cosplay Ai!