Filtered or straight

We have expounded on the benefits of living abroad and the importance of language and expertise, but does one really have to constantly experience the day-to-day to know a country?

I knew that I would be destined to be a Japan/NE Asia regional specialist. No matter how hard I tried to expand my experience to other countries, my language proficiency and on-the-ground experience would always bring me back to Japan. At first I disdained it, now I accept and even enjoy it.

When you are watching Japan from the outside you get homesick. There are many good things to miss and you want to go back. Unfortunately when you do go back you get caught up in all the daily crap, which can be demoralizing and interfere with your passion. Adam from MutantFrog said the other day, “I was more into blogging about Japan when I wasn’t here. Now that I live here it is all so uninspiring.” When you are looking at Japan from the outside you get a filtered view, which can be beneficial. But it may also be detrimental. To what degree do you have to be on-the-ground to cover a specific topic? If you are covering popular culture I think there is no substitute. Defense policy on the other hand does not require day-to-day interactions with the people (unless you are covering popular views of defence policy). Access to personal contacts, print and broadcast media, with periodic trips for research and conferences I think is more than enough to keep you in the loop (Think of all the Western academic analysts Angel, Samuels, Hook, Hughes, etc.). As long as you have language and previous personal experience on the ground you can be successful (right?).

Anyways, I been thinking about this a lot lately as I near the end of my studies (Skip over the following if you don’t want to hear me whinge on about my own pathetic existence)

I have been back in my home country for about a month now. In all I have spent about 5 years living in Japan. My intense interest in Japanese medieval history took me there at the tender age of 18. I bounced back and forth over the next decade and finally had my identity removed from Japan after a year in grad school in eastern Canada. That was an interesting personal evolution for me. Now I am experiencing something else.

Even though I am thousands of miles away, my days are filled with Japan. I am not talking about animé or porn, but my graduate thesis (which took a backseat while I was a bunker agent). Each morning I wake up and voraciously devour books, articles and news on Japanese politics, military affairs and energy security. It is something I enjoy very much. In fact, I had a good conversation about it once with Curzon while in Edo. I remember telling him that I used to be all about following “dangerous places” (Iran, Tajikistan, etc.) and how I found it surprisingly interesting to delve into the great power politics of an advanced nation.

I do enjoy analyzing the politico-military issues in Japan. The complex security dynamics of NE Asia, the normalization of Japan’s military power and the dual-hedging between America and China are all fascinating to me. What I don’t enjoy is the daily grind of living in a place like Tokyo. Actually, let me qualify that: it’s not that I dislike living in Japan (it is actually pretty fun) it is that I prefer living in Canada close to all my friends, family and Salt & Vinegar chips (not to say there aren’t good friends or food in Japan). If I could move everybody from here to over there, and get a decent job doing what I like, I would immigrate in an instant. Cake in hand and mouth please! But we all know that won’t happen (at least, not in the short term) so choices have to be made.

Economics obviously calculates into the decision. There are a million and one defense pundits/analysts in Japan. My experience is worth more here. On the other hand, demand here is pretty low (esp. with all the focus on the ‘Ghan and COIN). And what do you do if you want a job that the market does not demand? Get a PhD of course! Unfortunately I am in too much debt and need to take some responsibility for my life to attempt a PhD at this point.

Another issue is “international marriage.” When you are a gaijin and your partner is Japanese, and you are both professionals, it can be extremely difficult to choose which country to live in. Especially if you are interested in Japan, and they aren’t particularly interested in your country. Maybe you should move there, so they can be successful in their own career. But life would be better for both of you in your country. Each couple has to make their own decision.

Priorities and preferences are what it comes down to I guess. But those may change over time. You have the rest of your life to have your cake and eat it too. Do what needs to be done to make yourself comfortable and set yourself up for the next stage, when you may change your location or career. The one thing to remember is that the game is long, and there is no rush to have it all right now.

Whinge over.