Reaction #1

What makes culture so fascinating are the many different traditions and characteristics that make up that culture into its own unique society. This culture then socializes generation after generation to think, behave and live in similar ways to past generations and to each other. I spent 8 days in Japan in 2007, and this was not an adequate amount of time to absorb much of the Japanese culture. Although I was able to try interesting foods, and enjoy the landscape, staying with an American family, I did not get to truly understand or know the Japanese people. I was unable to experience how they lived, I was unable to familiarize myself with their daily interactions amongst each other, and thus, I could not study their values, societal norms or traditions. However, in this Japanese Studies class, I have learned through readings and through films, many essential aspects of Japanese culture. Now, when I am able to go back to Japan, I will have more of an understanding of Japanese culture and society.

            Firstly, the concept of Uchi and Soto are essential aspects of Japanese culture that have now been explained to me. This concept of “inside” and “outside”, “clean” and “profane” are significant to Japanese lifestyle, and a piece of some of their most important beliefs. This tradition explains, what many people already know, about Japanese individuals taking their shoes off before entering certain spaces. We now understand an in depth analyses of why this kind of norm exists. In other words, the outside is where the strangers and germs exist, and these elements should not be brought into the clean home.

            Additionally, Tatemea and Honne are extremely important notions. Different from Western behavior, there is extreme emphasis put on how an individual behaves in private versus in public interactions. This concept of “protecting inner feelings” from outsiders is essential to their culture. As stated in Understanding Japanese Society, “it is in choosing the appropriate ‘face’ or ‘wrapping’ for a particular occasion that one is able successfully to fulfill one’s social role in the world.” (45) This shows that through daily interactions amongst Japanese people in society, their culture is exceptionally unique. This societal custom shows the way in which individuals interact and see society, which seems to be viewed very differently than the way we interact and participate in our daily interactions. While in Western society there are particular situations where our feelings must be suppressed because it is simply inappropriate to express them at a given time, there is not this stress of deviance in sharing our emotions with others, but rather, it may even be promoted and rewarded. These kinds of societal norms are essential to the way the Japanese people are socialized and the way in which they go about living their lives.

            There are just a few of the topics discussed in the readings that I found to be essential to Japanese culture and society. 

Hikikomori in Japan

Hikikomori is an extremely interesting yet severe problem facing some adolescents in Japanese society. Hikikomori, translated in English means “pulling inward” or “being confined”. In other words, there is acute to extreme social withdrawal from society or social life for longer than six months, and in some cases, may last for many years.  Individuals who suffer from this mental illness do not participate in education or employment and have little to no relationships outside of the home. While many may picture Hikikomori as an individual who never leaves their room, there are various ways in which a person will express the illness. Some will leave their house for extended periods of time, for example in the morning, to walk around their neighborhood to make it seem to others as though they are going to school or to work but will then retreat back to their rooms. In this case, they have the disease but do not want to suffer any social repercussions for their illness. 

Although there are many possible causes of this particular disorder, there are some Japanese cultural explanations for the psychological issue. The New York Times stated, “only in the last decade and only in Japan has Hikikomori become a social phenomenon. Like anorexia, which has been largely limited to Western cultures, Hikikomori is a culturebound syndrome that thrives in one particular country during a particular moment in its history.” In other words, this disease seems extremely unique to Japan. Just like there are pressures in American society that spark anorexia, there are also pressures in Japanese society which spark this particular disorder. One of the main causes researchers and psychologists tend to believe provoke this disorder include the academic pressure imposed on young adults through the education system. Failure to succeed, failure to keep up academically with classmates, and concerns about future careers are especially stressed in Japanese society. The education system is taken extremely seriously and the programs are exceptionally rigorous. Many students, as early as 12 years old, must begin preparing for entrance exams into higher levels of education. In order to prepare for these kinds of exams, supplementary education is provided often significantly exceeding normal school hours. Thus, a potential reason to develop Hikikomori would be trying to meet overwhelming academic standards and goals.

Also, this concept of conformity becomes an issue regarding academia. If a student feels as though they are not doing as well academically as their peers, they feel as though they cannot conform to the educational values and standards of Japanese society, and may feel ostracized thus acting on those feelings and physically and literally ostracizing themselves from society entirely. From a very young age, Japanese children are not taught the concept of individuality the same way that western children are taught. In America, children are taught to express their own ideas, to stick out amongst the group, and speak up for themselves. Almost the opposite is true for Japanese culture. Children are taught that the group is more important than the individual and if the individual is to attempt to stick out, or bring unwanted attention to themselves as an individual, amongst other members of the group, it is considered deviant behavior. It seems as though individuality has negative connotations. Thus, “as students progress through the education system, such lessons in conformity are reinforced. The goal for each student is to master an established standard rather than applying his or her own interpretation of that standard or infusing creativity.” Therefore, the students who do not or cannot conform to the academic standards may feel differently both on a personal and academic level. This in turn may cause experiences of negative emotional responses amongst young adults regarding this sense of inability to conform. If conformity is such an essential aspect of Japanese society, anyone who feels “different” on any level, not just academically, seems as though they may suffer from this disease.

            There are many other cases in which members of Japanese society may suffer from this illness. This particular discussion of Hikikomori only touched upon young adults, but it also affects older people as well. The same cultural characteristics of Japanese society carries into the world of employment where adults will feel similar pressures in different ways.

I found this particular subject to be extremely interesting because I am a sociology major and we often study the concept of cultural relativism. It is amazing that one culture due to its values, traditions and norms, can create unique psychological disorders. In America, through our standards and values, we have created serious societal and psychological issues such as eating disorders. While on the other hand, in Japan eating disorders are most likely less prevalent. However, in the United States, Hikikomori is not an issue of concern.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/magazine/15japanese.html?pagewanted=all

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-954X.2008.00790.x/full

www.prismnet.com/~tcm/etwr2379/guides/copyedit0.doc

http://blog.al.com/birmingham-news-commentary/2011/04/my_view_japanese_conformity_he.html

Men's Fashion and Body Image in Japan

The New York Times presented an extremely interesting article regarding the fashion for Japanese men in Japan. Japanese male fashion seems to be completely contradictory of U.S. men’s fashion. As discussed in the New York Times 2007 article, “In Japan, it’s the men who want to be skinny and cute” male body image and men’s fashion are discussed. In the United States, it is clear that women strive to be thin and fit. It can even be assumed that American women are obsessed with being or becoming thin. However, Japanese culture seems extremely different according to this article. Rather, it is not the women who are obsessing over body weight, but rather, the men who want to remain small, skinny and “cute”. It is stated that men ages 18 to 30 are the thinnest in the population, weighing in at about 125 pounds. Not only that, but most are happily at 5 feet 8 inches tall and claim they want to become even skinnier despite their height. The essential question, is why? Apparently, the gender roles have been reversed in this particular aspect of Japanese culture. Men in Japanese society believe that they are more attractive to women the thinner they are. There is this apparent fashion trend occurring that somehow men need to be “fed by women”. There is a fad that men are starving for a “women” and this particular style is considered sexy in the fashion and romantic relationship world. As Junichi Shirakwa states, “being really skinny is essential, not just for fashion and work purposes but also because girls seem to go for thing guys.” Men seem to not only be accepting of their girlfriends larger and stronger physical characteristics but feel a sense of protection when they are with their girlfriends (something that most U.S. women would describe when being their boyfriends). Men admire the fact that they can for example, “lift heavy things and go out drinking until dawn.”

            The younger women of Japan seem to have a very different perspective on body image as well, especially in comparison to the United States. Currently, one of the most popular relaxation sports for single working women is “boxercising” (a combination of boxing and aerobics). This builds not only strength, but also muscle, making the women larger in size and essentially, more fit than men. Although U.S. society aspires to be fit and admires physical activity, it is less common for women to want to gain muscle in the same way men want to build their bodies.

It is also discussed in the article that women are not as interested in dressing to impress men, but rather for their own satisfaction. The article states, “Indeed, it seems that Japanese women have reclaimed sexuality as their very own and now dress to enhance their self-esteem rather than to please the male gaze, which was what a big part of street fashion had been about.”

            In addition, what is an essential part of this article is the idea that Japanese men are comfortable wearing their girlfriend’s clothes. The fact that they are able to fit into the women’s clothes is attractive. Hirayama said: "For young men, wearing women's clothes has almost become a status symbol - a confirmation of being slim and pretty and, therefore, desirable.”

            This article discusses essential information especially regarding the concept of cultural relativism. The way in which men are described in Japan in this article would be considered extremely deviant of Western cultural norms. Men in the United States for example, aspire to be muscular, strong, wish to be taller, and often strive to be the dominant protector in a relationship. Additionally, men often do not feel comfortable wearing their girlfriend’s clothes, or tight fitting clothes at all. Heterosexual men may feel uncomfortable dressing in these particular “feminine” ways because of societal pressures regarding sexuality and sexual orientation.

            This is an important article to consider because it allows readers to understand a part of Japan that is not typical of the “Japanese stereotype”. I believe people will often think of a traditional Japan, as many aspects of Japanese culture are still very traditional in gender norms. Men may hold a more dominant role in certain aspects of Japanese culture. However, it seems that in the younger Japanese generations, through fashion and body image, gender roles are clearly changing and women have become dominant not only in their relationships but dominant in their physique as well.

what does this mean for the concept of gender inequality in Japanese Society? rather than men and women considering each other equal in a relationship and in society, are the gender roles simply reversing? 

References:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/style/19iht-fslim.1.8387017.html

Personal Introduction

Hello. I'm Alexa Shelden. I am a senior at Gettysburg and a sociology major and religious studies minor. I am from a small town in Connecticut. I am currently taking this Japanese studies class because in 2007 I traveled to Japan to visit family friends. I had an amazing time visiting the country, however, it was an extremely short lived experience. I was only there for about 8 to 9 days and feel as though I was unable to fully absorb the culture. I have taken an interest in Japan ever since my vacation, and I am interested in learning more about the culture and society through this class. 

Island Disputes

Tension, collaboration efforts, and territorial disputes are just some of the ways to describe one of Japan’s most current events. According to a recent article from CNN, “the Japanese government is in the final stages of negotiations to bring a hotly disputed set of small islands in the East China Sea under ownership”.  The debate over the ownership of these islands has lead to extreme uncertainty for multiple countries; Japan, China, and Taiwan have all claimed ownership over the islands in the past, all having different names for the archipelago. According to multiple sources, Japan and China refer to the islands as Senkaku and Diaoyu, respectively. This ongoing territorial dispute has recently reemerged with news of a potential purchase by the Japanese government.

The archipelago consists of eight islands, all of which are uninhibited, and have a total area of approximately 7 square kilometers (BBC news). A Japanese family, the Kurihara family, currently privately owns them. The most recent news stories have revealed that the Japanese government will soon buy the islands from the Japanese family for a total of 2.05 billion yen (which is approximately $26 million US dollars) (Reuters).

While there are several reasons for desired ownership of the islands, their location is perhaps the biggest reason. Not only are the islands close to imperative shipping lanes, but they also hold the reputation for abundant fishing grounds and possible oil deposits (BBC news). The unexploited natural resources that are supposedly among the islands would be of great economic benefit to Japan. While China is irritated by this purchase, the Japanese argue that their plans for the group of islands are better and less destructive than other competitors’ plans, which included large development plans. 

While both Japan and China have been making claims regarding ownership and historical dates to go along with their arguments, there is now significantly more tension as each side tries to prove proprietary rights. Not only is this territorial disagreement harmful to the relationship between Chinese and Japanese governments, but also their lack of discretion in public statements about one another is arguably harmful to both of their reputations. The following statement was made at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

"The Japanese side should take concrete actions and meet the Chinese side halfway, and jointly manage the crisis so as to reduce tensions and promote China-Japan strategic and mutually beneficial relations," said Qin Gang, the spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry said at a news briefing Saturday.

The remarks made at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit were made during discussions of economic, trade, and security issues. In recent news, it has been said that occasional violent acts of public protest have occurred in connection to the political disagreement. Hilary Clinton recently traveled to Beijing with the motive persuading both governments to use more discretion and “calm regional tension”. Third parties have become involved, hoping to gain the cooperation of both countries and ease the overall strained relations.

Sources

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15215132

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11341139

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/05/china-japan-islands-idUSL4E8K545720120905