Reaction #2 Video Conference

This video conference went much smoother than when we first met. Due to the fact that we did not face any technical difficulties, I was able to hear the Swedish students much more clearly, and thus have a more complete conversation. I thought that the smaller groups were much more effective in terms of actually learning about the topics and concepts.

            During the small group discussion, we spent most of our time talking about “cool Japan”. I had actually never heard of this concept and neither did the other two U.S. students in my group. Therefore, the Swedish student did most of the talking, while the U.S. students were able to ask him questions using the messaging tool so we did not interrupt his lecture. He was extremely detailed in teaching us about this concept and actually gave about a five minute lecture on the basic facts of what this cultural concept means, and his own opinion of the trend. Due to the fact that he was giving us so much information at once, I was  not able to fully grasp all of the various aspects that are included this overarching theme: “cool Japan”. However, I did get a lot out of what he was saying and was able to come up with some questions to ask him.

            I felt as though because we were able to have a more effective conversations due to the lack of technical difficulties, that we were able to draw connections with a variety of other themes we had learned in the class that semester. For example, Dan, actually reminded me of my show and tell topic from the beginning of the semester, when I wrote about Japanese clothing. I realized then, that some of the clothing trends in Japan were directly related to the themes we were discussing in the video conference such as “cool Japan” and “cuteness”. I then mentioned this to the Swedish student and we were able to smoothly transition from the small group into the big group to discuss the topic of “cute Japan” and “cuteness.” 

            Overall, these video conferences are definitely enjoyable and it is always interesting to have a conversation with an individual from a different country. Considering this is a class about culture, it is definitely important to get a cross-cultural perspective in regards to various aspects of Japanese society. In both video conferences we normally discuss the themes and concepts of Japanese culture with a comparison of U.S. culture. However, with the Swedish students, we are able to compare and contrast Japanese culture with the Swedish culture as well, which is definitely an interesting view point and one that is unfamiliar to us. 

11/19 Show and Tell

After viewing the documentary on Geishas in Japanese society, I became extremely interested in the subject and decided to research more on the topic. Before this class, I was unaware of the status, roles and responsibilities of a Geisha in Japanese culture. After researching, it is clear that Geisha girls are performers, entertainers and servers for high- class citizens hired in extremely formal situations and environments. Geishas will perform at “ryotei” or high-class traditional Japanese restaurants. Additionally, there are specific Geisha districts in which these kinds of parties occur called "ochaya", or banquet houses where Geishas can entertain various customers.

            I was unaware of the particular roles and responsibilities of a Geisha previous to this research. The terms “entertain” and “serve” may give outsiders the wrong impression as to what a Geisha’s true responsibility is in carrying out her job. The movie “Memories of a Geisha” did not necessarily portray an accurate depiction of the current traditional rituals and roles of these women. A Geisha may often be thought of as one who is sold by her family into a life of something similar to glamourized sex slavery. Such accounts even include young girls being sold for their virginity to a high bidder. Although in some instances this has been the case in the past, these kinds of practices in the Geisha world have been abolished. I think it is important to understand the current tradition and position of the Geisha girls in Japanese society to better understand not only the life of a Geisha, but also to understand Japanese culture, ritual and tradition as a whole.

            After reading about the Geisha girls and after watching the documentary in class, it seems that the Geishas are highly respected and well taken care of. They seem to have strict daily schedules and many members of their community to watch out for their well-being. Not only do they have trainers and leaders, which create rules and regulate their time, but they also have big sisters as guardians and role models. It seems as though this kind of environment is anything but unhealthy and far from any stereotype that history and the media has created for these women and their jobs. 

Becoming a Geisha: Movie Reflection

The film “Becoming a Geisha” allowed me to gain insight into the lives of the Geisha girls. This film gave information that I was completely unaware of before, and I am truly fascinated by the culture. The life commitment, attention to detail, and overall culture and tradition of the Geisha is extremely interesting.

            Firstly, it is amazing that the Geisha trainees are required to leave their families and are forbidden to have any contact with them. This is described and shown as being difficult for the girls, and often, because of this strict rule, girls will drop out of the training program and return home. In one scene, Yukina is showing the viewers various pictures of her friends and family. We can see that it is very hard for her to be separated from her family, and after two months in training, she has become lonely.

            The life commitment of becoming a Maika is also extremely important and interesting. It is described that they must drop out of school, and that every day is a part of training. Although this may be seem as though they are giving up everything in their lives, it is explained that after they have become a Geisha, they will receive many privileges such as access to the best restaurants and a chance to meet very important people.

            Throughout this film, the attention to detail that the Maika’s must learn during their training is fascinating. The way in which they hold a trey, the way they walk, the way they play the drums, is all taught and assessed according to the smallest movement. In one scene, we see Yukina must practice walking into a room with a trey multiple times as her instructor believed that the first time she did it, she walked too fast and did not hold the trey in the precise proper manner. Additionally, when Yukina goes to pick out her Geisha name, her name is chosen according to the amount of strokes it takes to write that name. They chose 15 strokes for her because they believed it would appeal to customers. It is amazing that such small details cause have such a great influence.

            Another important aspect of this film that I noticed is that Yukina’s mother did show concern about her pursuing this career. Her mother feared she would act more as an escort for men, and be forced to participate in sexual favors. Yukina’s teacher reassured her mother that Yukina would not be forced to participate in anything she did not feel comfortable with or want to do. She explained that Yukina had the right to say no to customers. However, we later learn in part 2, that Yukina’s “older sister” was forced to drink with clients. Her “older sister” was described as recovering from a late night with clients in which they forced her to drink an abundance of wine. She explained that she did not enjoy wine at all, and did not get drunk easily, but this simply meant that the clients would make her drink more. Although she did not seem to mind, and said this in a humorous manner, I am slightly confused by a Geisha’s role now. Is this occupation mainly about entertaining men? And how much control do women have in deciding what they will and will not do without offending the clients?

            Lastly, it seems that the Geisha girls are almost viewed as celebrities in their community and in the larger Japanese community. While I was viewing the film, I saw many people on the street staring at the Geisha girls in interest. Also, listening to Yukina and her “older sister” discuss parties, watching their weight, and being called beautiful regularly reminded me of this kind of celebrity values and culture in the United States. 

Movie Reaction

The movie Departures touches upon some of the most essential aspects of Japanese culture, specifically regarding their values and beliefs. This film depicts the struggles of a man who is shunned by his friends and family for his new career. Diago hesitantly begins a job preparing the deceased for an afterlife. Throughout the film, the rituals and specific steps in which the dead are groomed and appreciated are depicted. It is clear that Diago’s job is extremely important as he is in charge of cleaning the body, dressing the body, painting makeup on or shaving the face of the deceased, and then placing the body into the coffin. All of this is done in front of the family, so it must be done in the most respectable and careful of ways.  It is clear that this event is an essential way in which the family members of the dead can grieve and get closure. Additionally, it is clear that the reason the dead are so carefully groomed is because it is believed that if they look physically beautiful before they are placed in the coffin, they will be eternally beautiful or clean.

            Firstly, it is important to understand the reaction of Diago’s family to his career path in regards to the Japanese culture. Diago’s wife so disapproved of his choice to continue in the job, that she left him, only to return when she became aware of her pregnancy. Even after she returned to her husband, she eagerly begged him to quit his job because she did not want her future child to have a father with “this kind” of position. Clearly, the job is socially rejected. After studying some aspects of Japanese religion and culture, it is apparent that for many, death is viewed as “unclean” or “impure”. Possibly, this kind of belief would lead to a stigma of this particular job as well. In other words, it is an “impure” or “polluted” career path.

            Also, it is interesting to see the cross-cultural differences between funerals that I am familiar with and the events that are portrayed in this film. Family and friends do not normally witness or participate in the preparation of the body in many funerals in the United States. Professionals prepare the body for burial or cremation privately, and family and friends will view the body only in the case of an open casket. However, many do not choose to have an open casket as only the casket will be revealed to those attending the funeral. Personally, it was shocking for me to see that family and friends gathered in a private home to spend such an extended period of time with the deceased individual. At the funerals that I have attended, the casket is placed at the front of the room, and family and friends can approach the casket to say some final words and pray.

            I think this was a very important movie to view in our class because there are so many differences in the ways in which families and friends say goodbye to their loved ones in Japan versus the United States. Through viewing funerals specifically, we are able to see a broad range of rituals, beliefs and societal norms apparent in Japanese culture. 

Movie Reaction

I found this movie to be extremely effective in describing the tragedy in Japan. I was uneducated and uninformed about the tsunami that disastrously destroyed many homes and took many lives. First and foremost, what I found to be extremely interesting was the way in which the film was able to grasp the emotional responses of numerous individuals. In class, we have learned so much about the concepts of “honne” and “tatamea” which create norms to control emotions in public environments. Although the individuals hesitantly cried, (some began to laugh or smile when they began to tear up) they did show emotion to the interviewer. This shows the magnitude of this catastrophe and the influence this tsunami has had over so many lives. This film showed that due to the catastrophic degree of events, people were unable to hold back any emotion.

            Also, I was extremely shocked by the extent of the damage caused by the tsunami. The film showed multiple scenes of completely destroyed houses, cars and belongings. One interviewee described her familiarity with her street, and that she knew where her house used to be located, and yet, there was no neighborhood left standing. She also explained that some of her neighbors and friends did not survive. Additionally, she expressed amazement towards all of the cars and belongings that had piled up amongst debris in various areas. She wondered how things may have been different if people had actually evacuated. She explained that many people did not believe that the tsunami would have such a significant impact, or they did not believe it would actually affect their neighborhood. Due to this doubtfulness, lives were lost. She expressed extreme regret and sorrow over the idea of this.

            I think it is truly amazing that our school systems failed to inform students more fully about this event. It was not until this video that I truly understood the magnitude of the event and the negative impact it had on so many lives. I think to be educated on this tsunami through the personal perspectives of individuals facing the outcome of this disaster is an effective and important way to learn about the unfortunate event. I am glad that I was able to view this film and develop an appreciation for the shocking conditions others are still facing in Japanese society. 

Reaction Paper 10/29/12

It is very interesting to see the many concepts and terms we have learned in class come together as an interdependent explanation of Japanese culture. We have studied the cultural concepts of  “kenkyo”, “aimai” and “honee and tatemea” just to name a few. All of these concepts work together to create a unique kind of society and culture for the Japanese people.

            Firstly, this idea of “the nail that sticks up gets hammered down” is apparent in Japanese society. All of these various concepts we have learned seem to stem from this cultural component. “Honne and “tatemea” for example, are cultural norms which socialize individuals to manage emotions according to particular situations. “Honne” is a concept used to describe one’s true emotional feelings that are normally only shared with close friends and family, while “tatemea” is the feeling and emotion one shows to the public. In other words, one is discouraged to draw attention to their feelings in public situations. It is understood that displaying emotion in public is putting one’s emotions on someone else and is completely inappropriate. Again, this can relate to the overarching concept evident in Japanese society: that the group is more important than the individual. An individual’s feelings are not appropriate to share with the group for the sake of the general population.

            Also, “kenkyo” or, modesty, is yet another concept that demonstrates the idea that the group is more important than the individual. “Kenkyo” is the concept used to describe the way in which individuals interact with one another, with a sense of modesty or humility. For example, Japanese are often uncomfortable receiving a compliment, and will not eagerly accept the compliment they are given. If one is told that they are a good writer, it is polite to say “oh no, I am not a good writer at all.” Again, we see this trend that to emphasize the individual is not socially appropriate.  It is clear that individuals are uncomfortable when the spotlight is on them, such as receiving a compliment. We see this kind of behavior in schools as well. While in America, the students are motivated to excel and compete, in Japanese schools, academics are very much about the general group rather than the individual. Students are expected to remain on the same level, in a vigorous and egalitarian academic setting. For example, students in the U.S. will ask many questions, until each student fully comprehends the subject. Each student is taught to succeed at their own level, regardless of others abilities, and classes are conducted in some way in which there is personal attention, time for questions, and help on an individual basis. However, in Japanese society, students are culturally expected to remain silent and refrain from asking questions. Asking questions individually is seen as a set back for the group overall.

            “Aimai” is another way in which Japanese society maintains the general group by placing cultural norms for interaction between individuals. Aimai is the way in which one expresses oneself ambiguously or indirectly. Again, it is discouraged for one to straightforwardly express their individual feelings and thoughts. Rather, one must articulate their thoughts and feelings in an indirect manner in order to avoid conflict and offense to others. The idea of the “rule of unanimous” is carried out through this cultural facet. There is a need for strong emotional unity in Japan, and going against this means going against the group. Therefore, individuals must be discreet in their individual expressions as a means of maintaining harmony. For example, one must disagree in a roundabout way in order to preserve relationships, and keep a positive public environment.  Again going against this would violate a key social norm of Japanese society, often described as: “The pheasant that keeps its mouth shut is least

likely to get shot.”

            It is apparent that through the many specific aspects of Japanese culture we have come to learn of this greater societal theme regarding the group versus the individual that so greatly influences every feature of Japanese society. 

Japanese Etiquette

There are some very interesting aspects to dining etiquette that is unique to Japanese culture. Could you ever imagine holding your fork in a particular way that it would be believed to cause bad luck? In Japanese culture, chopsticks are an essential aspect of the dining experience, and must be used in the correct manner. There are surprisingly, many rules regarding how one may use their chopsticks. A few of these rules include, “When you are not using your chopsticks, or have finished eating, lay them down in front of you with the tips to left”, and “do not spear food with your chopsticks”“. However, chopstick dinner etiquette has rules regarding chopsticks and their association with funerals and bad luck. For example, “do not stick chopsticks into your food, especially not into rice. This is only done at funerals. with rice that is put onto the altar” and “do not pass food directly from your set of chopsticks to another's. Again, this is a funeral tradition that involves the bones of a cremated body”. During a funeral in Japan, in almost all cases, the body is cremated. During the cremation aspect of the funeral, the relatives of the deceased pick the bones out of the ashes and transfer them into an urn using large chopsticks. At times, two relatives may hold the chopsticks together and transfer the bone. This is seen as the only time that it is proper for two people to hold the same chopsticks at the same time. Thus, using chopsticks in the same manner at the dinner table would be associated with death and therefore, may be considered bad luck and a “social faux pas”.  

            I found this particular fact about Japanese culture to be extremely interesting. I cannot think of anything in Western culture that is equivalent or even similar to this dining etiquette. Of course in Western culture, we have dinner etiquette that includes the use of silverware, and how to use the various silverware during various parts of the meal. However, if one were to accidently use the wrong silverware, or hold the silverware in the wrong manner, although it may be seen as improper, rude or offensive to other people at the dinner table, it would not be considered bad luck to the individual or to the group of diners. Also, in Western culture, we do not truly have something that is considered bad luck for all people that it would then become integrated into society and culture. Belief in bad luck varies greatly from individual to individual. For example, some people may hold their breath driving past a funeral, not walk under a ladder, or conversely, to find a penny with the head facing up may be considered good luck by some. However, not everyone believes in these various superstitions. I think this is an important concept that this idea of bad luck has established importance in Japanese culture. 

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2039.html