This weekend, we decided to go see a movie in Japan! The one we settled on was called “Tsure has become depressed” or “What do I do about my husband Tsure’s depression?” which drew my interest a while ago. Since movies are fairly expensive in Japan, this was a good time to actually go out and see something, especially since going out to theatres isn’t really the thing to do here in Japan; there was almost no one in the theatre itself, for that matter, and many of the Japanese students I’ve spoken to rarely do this sort of thing either.

In terms of the movie, it was lovely. It told the story of a real couple. They had both gone to art school, but the husband gave up his dream so that his wife could pursue her goal of becoming a mangaka instead. However, he’s hit with a very serious bout of depression. The end is rounded off with the husband, Tsure, recovering and both of them finding general happiness while the wife publishes a manga based on their life and her husband’s struggles.

The cinematography was fantastic, and the soundtrack and acting very fitting. While there were definitely some parts where I didn’t entirely understand what was going on, it was encouraging to find that I did, in fact, follow a good portion of the dialogue, even if it was through picking up only a word or two and using context clues.

I also especially enjoyed how utterly realistic their depiction of depression was and what it does to a person, as well as how the movie reflected upon Japanese society so much. How everyone insists that you should try your best (ganbatte!) when times are tough when in fact, sometimes it’s okay to just let go and relax, and that doing everything you can to make things better isn’t always the right way to go about it. It was also a good reflection on many of the pressures on Japanese, and how recently, it’s been going around that men are becoming weaker/more effeminate, or “vegetarians.”

Another interesting way to pick up on Japanese culture is to explore its nightlife. For about a month now, my friends and I have been going every Saturday to Club Ozon. It’s a rather small sort of club. It has two bars and a dance area, as well as an upstairs sort of sitting area, and it also happens to be on the fifth floor of a rather large building. We’ve been going here mostly because girls usually get in for free, or if not, we only have to pay 500 yen for a drink. There is a supreme lack of foreigners here as well, which is what sets it apart from the most popular club in Nagoya, ID, which is apparently always swarming with foreigners.

As it so happens, we’re started getting noticed in this little club of ours. The bartender already vaguely seems to know that I never get anything alcoholic at the bar with my drink voucher. I forgot my ID this past Saturday, which would technically bar me from entering as I cannot prove my age, but the bouncer knows me as well and let me in anyway.

Familiar faces have started popping up amongst the regular club-goers as well, and Steff and I have practically memorized the play-list because they basically play the same songs every weekend.

That being said, we are still clearly sights to behold. We are constantly stared at, and if we happen to sit by the bar area, it seems like everyone who passes by insists on glancing our way. At any moment in time, it’s usually fairly clear that people know where the foreigners are situated in the room, and if we’re dancing, a lot of people like to come up to dance with us only at the insistence of friends or on a dare. It’s a strange feeling to stand out to such an extent, especially since most don’t think we can speak English and insist on trying out their broken English on us instead.

Another day, another experience.

Location: Sakae, Nagoya, Japan