This is my first time visiting the land of the rising sun [i]. Before coming here I just had some basic background about Japanese culture. Trying to be part of the society without in-depth knowledge or language skills makes it difficult, if not hopeless. Nevertheless, after two weeks I’m ready to share some early impressions from a gaijin [ii] perspective.
For those who haven’t experienced Japan before, I will try to focus on two common topics. The pictures above were both taken at Kiyomizu-Dera [iii]. The first one is showing a Japanese woman wearing a kimono. This wasn’t a rare occasion. Still many people are used to getting dressed in this traditional way. Although Japan is one of the global economic players and in many respects westernized, traditions and customs are still taken very seriously. To give an example: the golden rule in terms of behavior is to take your shoes off before entering a house, but believe me, that isn’t as easy as it sounds [iv]...
The second picture shows a bunch of kids with yellow hats. The dress code plays an important role in Japanese society. The uniform’s significance tells us much about the person wearing it. In this case the “yellow hats” are pupils. One advantage is that none of them is likely to get lost, but moreover the yellow color connects them as a group. Japanese people learn from a young age that living in the country’s society is only possible inside a certain group. That is the simplified reason why Japan is still being characterized with group-ism [v], while the neo-liberalistic spirit of individualism has captured the rest of the industrial powers [vi]. Hence, you can only experience the “Real Japan”, if you interact within a “network”, and not just by observing it from the “outside” [vii].
A concluding recommendation for gaijins and also non-gaijins: go and visit Kiyomizu-Dera in the cherry blossoms (spring) or maple leaves (autumn) season.
Endnotes
[i] Also known as Nihon (jp.: 日本)
[ii] People who are obviously not from Japan
[iii] A Buddhist Temple in Kyoto
[iv] For further instructions please look through the recommended reading
[v] Doi, Takeo (2002): The Anatomy of Self: The Individual Versus Society, p. 55
[vi] Though recent works are detecting a trend to individualism within new generations; f.e.: Sugimoto (2003): An Introduction to Japanese Society
[vii] cf.: Bestor, Theodore C. (2003): Inquisitive Observation: Following Networks in Urban Fieldwork, p. 315
Recommended Reading
Japanese Etiquette
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOooh, recommended reading... Very professional. :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting insights on the tendency toward/necessity for collectivism in Japanese society. How far "in" do you have to be to understand Japan? Is there a "too far"?"
*head explodes*
Thx Joe! That's a good question... Before I return to my country next may, I'm gonna answer your question... hopefully I haven't already turned into a nihon-jin then ;)
ReplyDeleteI think as long as you are not visiting the plastic surgeon, you will always have the status of a gaijin... so "too far" won't be possible for us... in my opinion.
You are off to a good start here in your blog and your early impressions include some complex questions of identity and belonging. I like how you are using class materials and other resources to supplement your ideas. You might want to consider that the term "individual" is defined differently in different cultures. And no matter how one defines it, I have seen some of the most extreme individuals in Japan. Do individuality and groupism have to be opposites?
ReplyDeleteWhy do you use gaijin rather than gaikokujin?
I look forward to your future posts.
Many thanks for your notions on my first entry, gonthros. It's hard to focus on such a complex theme in one single post. That's really a challenge....
ReplyDeleteYeah, in fact we are all individuals all over the world and of course you can also discover group-ism in western countries. I just wanted to start off with a random prejudice about Japanese, which was and still is quite common. Even some Kansai-Gaidai students I've asked supported this cliché. But you are absolutely right. If you go deeper individualism and collectivism are two parts of one coin. Nonetheless Japanese tend to the group-ism side. Maybe this is why you have experienced these extreme individuals. They attract more attention in a collective society.