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My Time at Bison
My Time at Bison
Even though the 8 short days I've spent at the Bison village are a small fraction of how long we've been in Japan, the experiences I've had here have been some of the brightest highlights of studying abroad. From meeting community members during workshops, to learning how to use reclaimed materials in construction, and to sitting down and talking with Nishimura-san about his work (and life), my time at Bison has shown me a segment of Japanese culture that isn't often visible.
Above all, what stood out to me was the ability for Bison to bond strangers together in order to achieve a goal. Yes, a workshop may be primarily about learning to build a fence, or plaster a wall, but the impact that workshop has is far beyond just gaining knowledge on renovating a house.
Rather, where the Bison community shown brightest was in its ability to bring strangers together from Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, and even cities outside of the Kansai Region. At Bison, it truly felt like there was a place for everyone, even four Americans whose knowledge of Japanese was limited to "This, that, nice to meet you, and thank you."
Things I did!
Before I got to work, I toured Nishimura-gumi's current projects to get a feel for what they did and how they did it
During both of our stays at Bison, I went to multiple ongoing worksites and helped Nishimura-gumi employees work on projects
There's no better way to learn about another culture else than just spending time with people. So that's what I did!
My Focus
My Focus
My primary interest in coming to the Bison village was learning about the culture of the community. Coming from a writing and rhetoric background, a lot of the work that I do focuses on not just what I write, and how I write it, but also the audience that I'm writing for. And with that, I've developed a more intricate understanding of the idea of "lenses": Perceptions that individuals use to view the world around them, which were created by their lived experiences and personal values.
Before we arrived in Bison, it was clear that the members of its community held outlooks on life that differed than the stereotypical Japanese lifestyle. Even the village itself, where people lived in renovated abandoned houses that were decades older than us, stood out against the pre-fabricated homes that have become commonplace in modern-day Japan.Â
It wasn't until we arrived, however, that we could tell just how much color the village was full of. From the natural life growing in the village, to the splashes of art from current and former exhibits, and, most of all, to the people that have made Bison their home. Not out of necessity, but out of a passion for creating new life out of things that society had previously cast-off and abandoned.
What Did I Learn?
What Did I Learn?
Despite the stereotypical image of Japanese culture, there is a very real and tangible movement away from the mainstream. Mainly by groups who have grown frustrated with the limitations that mainstream society has put on them, or who have passions, like arts- or crafts-related work, that aren't often rewarded in Japan. Based on our interview with Miyako-san, providing a space for these people, or anyone else who wants to experience a different type of life, is a core aspect of why Bison has become what it is today.
However, while people have come to the Bison village because it provides an alternative to mainstream Japanese life, Bison exists as more than just a second-best alternative. The more permanent workers and residents have made it their home, one where they're excited to come home to at the end of the day, and not just escaping to because they're exhausted from Japanese life. It's clear, too, that whatever energy they put into the community is matched by what the community gives back to the groups around it; be that in the form of their Artist-in-Residency program, paid seminars, or the free workshops they host that anyone is free to attend at no cost.
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