In this section of
I
will try to uncover some of the more specific aspects of the Japanese
philosophy. How
do these socially defined elements make Japan distinct from other cultures and
countries? Misconceptions, misunderstandings and mistakes are often how most gaijin
come to understand Japan. In
SURVIVING
I hope to give you foresight by learning from another’s
misjudgments (i.e. mine)…
Chronology : A brief history of Japan *
Social concepts of Japan:
Amae : Dependence
Danjko Kankei : Male and female relationships in Japan
Gambari : Japanese patience and determination *
Giri : Social obligations #
Honne to Tatermae : The private to the social *
Itoko-Dori : Adopting elements of foreign culture *
Omiai : Arranged Marriage
Shúdan Ishiki : Japanese group consciousness *
Zótó : Custom of gift giving *
* Work in progress...
# NEW ADDITION!!
Please take note that apart from a few historical and social accounts (also see Bibliography)the content of these articles is in the majority the opinion of the author and should be treated as such. Any remarks on the accuracy of these articles is greatly appreciated. Please contact me with your comments.
Ancient (Kodai)
Jómon Period (Neolithic)
8000 BC – 300 BC
Yayoi Period (Agricultural)
300 BC – AD 250
Kofun Period (State Formation)
250 - 646
Nara Period
646 - 794
Heian Period
1794 - 1185
Medieval (Chúsei)
Kamakura Period
1185 - 1392
Nanbokuchó Period
1336 - 1392
Muromachi Period
1392 - 1603
* Early Modern (Kinsei)
Edo Period (Tokugawa Shogunate) 1603 - 1868 *
Modern (Kin-Gendai)
Meiji Period
1868 - 1912
Taishó Period
1912 - 1926
Shówa Period
1926 - 1989
Heisei Period
1989 – Present
* Early Modern (Kinsei)
Edo Period (Tokugawa Shogunate) 1603 - 1868 *
This was undoubtedly the most influential cultural and social era of Japan's history. Its outcomes define modern Japan in ways even the Japanese are not consciously aware of. This period was characterised by the rule of the Shogun who, without going into explicit detail, shut off the borders of Japan to ALL foreign influence. The close knit nature of Japanese society was set in stone and for all intents and purposes this was the period when Japanese culture flourished. Here then is a chronology of that period in more detail:
1603 - Ieyasu is appointed shogun and establishes the Tokugawa government in Edo (Tokyo).
1614 - Ieyasu intensifies persecution of Christianity.
1615 - The Toyotomi clan is destroyed after Ieyasu captures Osaka Castle.
1639 - Almost complete isolation of Japan from the rest of the world.
1688-1703 - Genroku era: popular culture flourishes.
1792 - The Russians unsuccessfully try to establish trade relations with Japan.
1854 - Commodore Matthew Perry forces the Japanese government to open a limited number of ports for trade.
The long term effects of the Edo Period on modern Japan cannot be underestimated. The strong national consciousness and shared goals of its people are prevalent today. The concept of Itoko-Dori possibly also stems from the way in which Japan was for so long isolated from the rest of the World. It is purely astounding to think that from being a basic and isolated rural country Japan became, in a space of less than 100 years, one of the World's biggest superpowers.
SURVIVING
This concept draws in many elements of Japanese culture. At first glance it may seem from a gaijin perspective that Japanese people are less independent than their western counterparts. To live in a Japanese town, or more likely village, requires a very strong sense of each other (see also Shúdan Ishiki), but on the other side of the coin there is a necessity of reliance on each other. One must be able to assume another member of the social order around you will provide guidance and support in times of need. The history of Japan is one of bonding together to overcome great odds (see also Giri). The remote location of the island of Japan and the harsh landscape to be faced within its borders meant in past eras Japanese people had only each other to rely on to survive, and survive they did, by assuming this dependence on each other. The dependence of Amae can be understood as the kind of dependence a child has for its mother - In the beginning this dependence seems one sided, but as any parent or child knows the dependence between mother and child grows to be more mutual as time goes on - One can assume that in Japanese social relationships the same pattern occurs (for perspective on Amae and its role in the family also see also Omiai). How this is different from the western perspective is obvious as soon as you arrive in this country. To be invited for dinner or have a caring member of your new town give you a gift (see also Zótó) as soon as you arrive is not just a sign that people are acknowledging your presence, but more an establishment of the obligation you are now expected to have with that person or persons. Dinner in Japan is a way, in the nicest terms, to say 'You can rely on me in any way I can help - I can also now rely on you to uphold this relationship mutually'. Any gaijin, fresh faced from the west, can thus fall into socially related problems when for some reason unknown to them they break this mutual bond.
Situation: Your neighbour has you over for a lovely dinner of recently deceased fish and soon after you leave the rubbish outside your house for several days.
In the west: So what? I've got a forgetful/dirty neighbour. Maybe I'll mention it next time I invite them for dinner.
In Japan: The mutual obligation could appear to have been broken. The rubbish being cleared away is for the good not just of you but also of your neighbours, your whole community. You've made a social boo-boo and you didn't even know about it.
Solution: The best way to grasp and fully be aware of Amae during your life in Japan is to follow the age old mantra: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember though that in Japan this mantra spans to a much greater extent. If someone has shown you kindness, if someone has helped you with a problem, however small, then show them some mutual dependence back. Help them with their English, give them a gift, invite them over for dinner and you shall surely be in pure Amae balance.
Firstly, to understand how males and females are seen in Japan one must venture back into Japan's quite colourful history. In some of the more distant Eras of the pas Japan was a matrilineal society. Women had the ultimate right to succeed men to the head, and therefore ownership, of the family. There were female leaders in Japan hundreds of years before the west started to recognise women as equals. By the end of the Heian period though men had exerted their dominance over society and this structure was to stay in place well up to the present day. In the closed off Edo period of Japan women were segregated to the 'inside' of society, in that socially and personally they were treated as inferior to the men (men outside - work, fight, pursue their life. women inside - house, family, pursue their husband's and son's lives). Women were even taught a more delicate form of the language, one which always assumed they were less important than the men they talked to. This idea of women on the 'inside' and the dominance of the male version of the language still have echoes in today's Japan, although the intensity is quickly decreasing.
How then does the modern Japanese woman compare to the old? In times gone by in Japan the women were assigned into obedient and delicate members of their husband's society. Able to hold up the family unit as the men went to work hard on the fields/as a samurai, whatever their societal role might have been. Men were expected to learn their way into the world, be it farmer or samurai, and stick with it, working incredibly hard, for life. Today this model still has its obvious similarities. Men are spoiled when they are children, for it is known that they will devote themselves completely to their job when they come of age. Women on the other hand are encouraged to become independent and worldly wise so that they have the best chance of finding the best husband. This used to work towards the structure Japan is best recognised as having, but in modern Japan, with the domestic life becoming easier (rice cookers, vacuum-cleaners, washing machines, mass manufactured clothes, food etc) women have a lot of time to spare and most men still don't. A dichotomy between modern men and women in Japan is thus arising. Men with no time who work their entire adult lives, and women who can follow independent pursuits more readily. The women of Japan do work very hard too, but it's not expected it's for life, what with finding a husband, kids and so forth. So they are encouraged to travel, learn a language, get hobbies, friends etc. conclusion: a country of more shy, quiet, reserved yet hard working men, and more independent, strong, confident and bilingual women. A recognised outcome of this at the moment can be seen through the Japanese wedding and all its ceremony. In Japan the custom is to sign the marriage papers AFTER the honeymoon. What has been happening more frequently is that a couple will wed, whether in an arranged marriage (see also Omiai) or a 'love marriage', and fly on holiday abroad. The woman has good grasp of English, is confident to meet new people, can get herself around easily and has a generally good knowledge about the said country they are in, whereas the man is shy, more reserved, has few or no language skills, and knows much less about the country they are in or indeed the wider world - outcome: the man is intimidated by the woman he thought would be a more quiet and reserved wife/mother, and the wife sees the husband for the first time in a much more negative light (of course please remember that I'm generalising here. There are always exceptions to any social ideal.). The not so happy couple come home, close to hating each other, and don't sign the marriage papers. It is a recognised, but still quite hidden problem in Japan at the moment and it says so much about how this modern country works. As a consequence of this, and other social instances, there is a growing stereotype, mainly among gaijin, that Japanese women crave the love and attention of western men. To go further into the truth is treading on unsteady ground, needless to say that western men alone can not hold the crown for strongest males in the Japanese eyes. South Korean culture is gaining in popularity in Japan, helped in no small part by a very popular Korean soap opera which has taken Japan by storm. Korean men, much to the disbelief of Japanese men, are seen to be freer with their emotions and able to express their inner desires more readily. Perhaps the social freedom, the extrovert emotion and shining lights of the west do appeal to the Japanese consciousness, but I do believe that in not too long a time this will diminish as Japan becomes a strong globalised culture in the same way it has been a strong globalised economy for the last half century.
[A work in progress]
Giri at first glance seems like the notion of Amae and even Zótó, but although related in part to the two concepts Giri has its own defining aspects. Giri in the main is principle, that of moral duty, rules in social relationships and obliged behaviour. The principles upheld within social construction exist in all societies. Whether it is the western custom of sending cards at Christmas or the Japanese custom of giving gifts at new year, to not obey these principles, however much one dislikes them, is to risk breaking apart relationships. In the rice farming communities pre-medieval Japan, it became an upheld principle that during seeding and harvest cooperation from all members of a community was required. To help your farmer neighbour was expected, but it was also expected that the farmer would show his gratitude to thank you for your help. The principle works both ways for to work for the farmer was to presume before hand that you would receive something in return. The return of goodwill thus became engrained in the social harmony of Japanese life, and still continues to this day in many forms. Gifts and cards are given at new year (oseibo gifts), in summer (ochúgen gifts) and more recently on Valentines day. To receive but not give a gift is seen as being ignorant of your social obligations (returning the gift is called okaeshi). Exceptions to this rule occur around February and March when on Valentine's day women will give gifts of chocolates to men and on March 14th men will return the obligation. Women will often give small gifts to men they have no interest in out of social obligation.
In modern Japan this would seem on the surface to be of little interest or outcome, apart from possibly emptying the pockets of the Japanese, but it is easy to see past the higher value of such harmonious gestures. A recent TV program in Japan presented the interesting fact that the overall cost of ochúgen and oseibo gifts each year in Japan is almost equivalent to the USA's expenditure on justice. Keeping harmony in your relationships has the same value as mediating your legal disputes. Giri then seems to have a crucial part in modern Japanese life and will continue to do so for a long time to come.
[A work in progress]
[A work in progress]
Omiai - Arranged Marriage
To understand men and women's roles in Japan (see also Daniyo Kankei) it is also important to grasp the concept of the arranged marriage (Omiai). In the west arranged marriages are seen as restricting and cruel in many senses. Japanese society though treats them quite differently and even in modern Japan the arranged marriage has its place. Normally the Omiai is seen as more than a bond between two people. Two families will also be joined in the ceremony and ensuing relationship. A meeting will be arranged between a couple and if they get on and would like to pursue the relationship further it is up to them. But it seems that many young Japanese people see Omiai as part of the dependence culture (see also Amae). To join two whole families together has surely a greater outcome than two people in love alone would have. Although 'love marriages' are on the increase in Japan, the arranged marriage still has its place and the idea of Omiai is still quite prominent today in Japan. The much busier, modern lifestyle of many young men and women does not allow ample time to find love and companionship in the more western way and so Omiai still has its role outside the family.
Shúdan Ishiki - Japanese group consciousness
[A work in progress]
Zótó - The Japanese custom of gift giving
[A work in progress]
The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture - Roger Davies, Osamu Ikeno
A Traveller's History of Japan (The Traveller's History) - Richard Tames
All the lovely people I've met in Japan or talked to about Japan and have generally known lots of interesting things
