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Blog 17

Zoto

1.) “Moreover, the Japanese are always supposed to bring gifts with them when visiting homes, expressing apologies, returning from trips, and so on.”

* I thought that this was interesting because, compared to all of the numerous gifts mentioned elsewhere in the chapter, these seemed very normal in terms of American culture.

2.) “Another example of a seasonal gift is that given on Valentine’s day, which is not a traditional Japanese event but is nevertheless very commonly observed today. On Valentine’s Day, February 14th, women (especially young women) are encouraged to give chocolates to the various men in their lives. It is a rather commercial event in Japan and has become a day to consume tons of chocolates. Furthermore, a day was created for men to give chocolates in return, called White Day. Both women and men tend to give chocolates as a kind of duty, or social obligation, however, and these are called girichoko, or “duty-chocolates”.”

* The part of this quote that I found interesting was the last sentence, which speaks to the fact that most of the candy given on valentine’s has no emotional value attached to it, but is instead given out of obligation. I found this interesting because it seems to entirely defeat the purpose (in American culture…) of Valentine’s Day: to give gifts to those that are close to you, especially romantically.

Soshiki

1.) “Kaimyo also have ranks related to the amount of remuneration given to the priests.”

* I thought this was slightly strange because, in my mind, it amounts to buying religion. If the kaimyo is descriptive of the deceased, it seems wrong to otherwise improve it based on money.

2.) “After the cremation, a pair of mourners put the ashes of the deceased into the urn with chopsticks that are made of bamboo, starting with the bones of the feet and finishing with the bones of the head.”

* I thought that this was interesting simply because of how strange it seems compared to American culture. While cremation isn’t the standard in America like it is in Japan, my understanding is that the family is far less involved in the actual cremation process.

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Blog 18

1.) The reason that they have two religions is because neither one of them is mutually exclusive in terms of the beliefs of the religions. As for the actual root reason that there are two major religions, the reason is that Shinto originated in Japan, and Buddhism was adopted by one of the emperors because of the civic values it promoted.

 2.) A scene that I felt showed the difference in importance between private and public gifts was the difference in reaction between when Daigo got the advance on his salary shortly after starting vs. when the grieving father gave Daigo and the boss food after fighting at the funeral.

 3.) A nokanshi is an “encoffiner,” or what we would refer to in America as a mortician: they tend to the bodies of the dead before the funeral. As for how they’re viewed, it’s a job that carries a negative stigma, being seen as filthy and abnormal, which contributes to Daigo’s initial feelings about the job. However, over time, Daigo comes to see his job as a positive thing, ultimately taking pride in his work.

 4.) In my opinion, the biggest difference is the participation and presence of the family during the work that the nokanshi does. In American culture, the same basic steps might be taken, but the family wouldn’t see the body till after it was already completed. The body would be taken shortly after death, and the family wouldn’t see the body till the calling hours/funeral.

 5.) The stone represented a Japanese custom, of giving someone a stone, and the qualities of the stone represent the giver’s feelings.

 6.) In a way, yes. He did not meet his father until after his father was found dead in the fishing village where he had been working. Ultimately, he preformed the encoffening ritual for his father.

 7.) One of the concepts that I saw in the movie was gambari, in the sense that even though Daigo hated the job initially, he still worked at the job as hard as he could, regardless of his own feelings about the job. This developed further as he found a passion for his work, ultimately taking pride in his work.

 8.) One of the things that I felt like I learned about Japanese culture from the film was the intense stigma attached to certain jobs in Japan, which I don’t think is necessarily present in America. While there are jobs that are seen as less desirable in America, like fast food work, the people that do those jobs aren’t looked down on in the same way that Daigo was.

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Blog 15

Danjyo Kankei

1.) “while men were openly allowed to keep mistresses in order to have sons and maintain the ie system.”

* I thought that this was interesting because it links to another term, and slightly brings into question the value of marriage. If sons born outside of a marriage were part of the ie system, what then was the point of being married (for men)?

2.) “In Japan, it is common for husbands to make important decisions in the family, rather than husbands and wives working together as a team. However, this does not mean that married women are always subservient to men in their homes. In fact, they usually have a significant role in managing the family…”

* I found this interesting because it seems to be contradictory. If men are the ones that make important decisions for their household, then how is it that women have a significant role? It seems that both of these things can’t be simultaneously true.

 litoko Dori

 1.) “People in Japan often find themselves in the unusual position of believing in two or more religions simultaneously.

* I found this interesting because it seems to me to be, if not impossible, then very strange…In my mind, the purpose of religion is to serve as a reason or explanation of why things exist as they do. But, if you accept two different ones, which do you truly believe?

 2.) In other words, in Japan, even if people know that something is wrong, it is sometimes difficult for them to defend their principles, because rather than being absolute, these principles are relative and are easily modified, depending on the situation and the demands of the larger group to which people belong.”

* I found this interesting because it makes me question whether or not they actually have principles to being with. If their principles are so easily shaken, and so malleable, are they actually principles in the first place? In my mind, the entire point of principles are that they are you most strongly held beliefs, the ones that you continue to hold in the face of trouble

 Ikuji

 1.) “When the Japanese are asked to judge the behavior of others, they often attach importance to the personal background behind the behavior rather than specifically on what the person has done.”

* I found this interesting because it seems to go against the idea of concrete right and wrong values. It would then seems to agree with the term above, in its analysis of principle beliefs among the Japanese.

 2.) “From a critical point of view, the Japanese concept of ‘good child’ places too much emphasis on adaptability to the society or group, resulting in adults who tend to indecisive and leave problems to other people, often avoiding personal responsibility and giving in to others.

* I found this concept interesting because it seems to go against other Japanese cultural tenets. By this, I’m referring to the idea referred to earlier in this chapter where it reinforces that other people’s feelings should be considered before all else… If work is being left for others to do, I would see that as fostering negative emotions, but maybe that’s just my American upbringing.

 Ryosaikenbo

 1.) “These attitudes are also responsible for the rising divorce rate, as well as a reduction in the birthrate.”

* I thought that this was interesting, simply for the fact that there is an intense irony present: that the ideals established so long ago towards the purpose of improving marriage ended up leading to the decrease of marriage in Japan.

 2.)  “In addition to paying attention to fashion, mothers expect their daughters to do housework but rarely force their sons to do these chores, because they want their daughters to be ‘good wives’ who serve their husbands.

* I thought this was interesting because I have trouble understanding how the Japanese, whose culture is supposedly built on the idea of harmony with others, could encourage what seems to me to be harmony breaking double standards.

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Blog 13

1) An example of this was, in my opinion, when Kurokawa and the president were meeting with Jiro in the café to ask him to take on the new fighter plane project. It seemed to me that both the boss and Kurokawa had already come to the conclusion that Jiro would take the project, even though they hadn’t met with him yet.

2)  The strongest example of sempai-kohai dynamic that I could find was between Jiro and his boss, Kurokawa. I felt that this was shown in a few ways, starting with how Jiro was always respectful to Kurokawa, even when it wasn’t necessarily reciprocated. Another example can be seen in the way that Jiro communicates with his friend who had been at the company longer, refusing to use the flat rivets he’d created but instead allowing him the honor of being the first to use them in his own design.

3) I feel that there are is one major cultural concept that contributes to Kurokawa’s reaction: that of Omiai. Omiai defined what a traditional Japanese marriage should be like, and it tended to have a fairly unyielding structure. Cohabitation was nowhere to found in the strict rules of omiai, and as such Kurokawa felt wrong allowing it to happen in his house.

4) I feel that, at the end of the day, Jiro married Naoko because he loved her; I don’t think their relationship being arranged would have changed that. As for whether or not it made him happy, I imagine that it did, in a way, but that it was ultimately bittersweet: a mix of happiness and sadness.

5) I think that it was different because the meeting that was portrayed between Jiro and the engineers was far less formal in nature, meaning everyone present felt more free to share their opinions.

6) She went back to the mountain-top sanatorium, according to the letter left for Jiro’s younger sister.

7) She told him to live. I believe she said this to him because she saw suicide as a threat to him, considering that his planes were used for war and she had died, giving him less to live for.

8) Personally, yes, I would. His planes were still marvelous works of engineering, despite their final purpose. Plus, he had to realize that if he didn’t design the warplanes, somebody else surely would; thus, if they’d exist anyways, he could design them to the best of his abilities, if for no other reason than to protect Japanese pilots.

9) Among all of the terms that we’ve learned thus far in the class, I thought that this movie showed an excellent example of gambari. The fact the Jiro stayed as late as he did every night, and then brought his work home with him showed his passion for his work, and the total devotion that he gave to it.

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Blog 14

Choose two Japanese Terms

1.) Shudan Ishiki

2.) Honne to Tatemae

Choose 2 questions related to Japanese terms:

1.) what is the importance of personal freedom/political correctness in Japanese culture? What kind of role do you think it plays in American culture?

2.) What’s the importance of individualism in Japanese culture? What kind of role do you think it plays in American culture?

Choose 2 questions about Japanese culture

1.) popularity of anime there as compared to western media

2.) what’s the opinion in Japan of Japanese people that are really “into” western culture, as compared to the opinion of American people in America that are “into” Japanese culture?

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Blog 12

Nemawashi

“First, the Japanese generally decide things by unanimous agreement. Although the boss has nominal decision-making power, in fact, everyone must agree.”

I found this quote interesting because it seems to call into question the role and need for a boss in the first place. If everyone else needs to agree for anything to be done, why bother saying somebody is in leadership in the first place?

“Secondly, the Japanese tend to make most decisions before discussing them at a meeting because people attending meetings often feel uncomfortable being too open and forthright or find it difficult to state their own opinions frankly.”

I found this quote interesting because it seems self defeating, in my opinion. What I mean by this is that, in my mind, the point of a meeting in the first place is to convince others to support a product or decision. If everyone has already decided before getting there, what's the point of going at all? At that point, it's nothing more than a formality, to publicly announce what was already decided... in other words, to me, it seems like a waste of time.

Sempai-Kohai

“In Japanese companies, in particular, people put more emphasis on age than ability because the system of wages and promotions is based on seniority rules.”

I found this quote to be interesting because it's the opposite (in my opinion) of how things work in America, or at least how they're supposed to... Ideally, I think that most american companies consider themselves meritocracies, where you move up based on your ability; to move up solely based on rank tied to age seems like it would be inefficient, and result in companies being led by people who aren't necessarily the best for the job.

“Such horizontal relationships are not the norm in Japanese society, however, and vertical hierarchies dominate.”

I found this quote interesting because it seems to go against what we've learned up to this point about Japanese society. In the past, the idea has been stressed that many of Japan's cultural elements revolve around peace with others and amicable relationships; perhaps it's just western individualism, but I personally don't understand how peaceful relationships can occur when everyone is fixated on a ranking system that makes some people “better” than others.

Omiai

“If they decide to get married, an engagement called yuino takes place, at which time it is then customary for the man to send gifts, usually an engagement ring and a certain amount of money, generally amounting to three months' salary, to his prospective bride and her family.”

This quote stood out to me because it's so notably different from the way things are typically in America. To me, the idea of sending money and the ring to her family seems horribly impersonal; in American tradition, the man would propose to the woman and personally present the ring to her and her alone... the idea that it would be sent to her family seems to completely remove her from the process.

“Omiai includes parents in the process of selection, thus avoiding later conflict.”

I found this to be a strange idea, and one that stands starkly against the norm with respect to American traditions. While the input of both the man and woman's family is often very important in marriages in America, at the end of the day it has little true power over whether or not the marriage will happen. The idea that parents would control the wedding so tightly also calls into question the very idea of what being an adult means in Japanese culture.

Haragei

“Haragei is seen as both positive and negative in Japan. On the one hand, one can “read other people's minds” by using haragei, or guess what others are really thinking, allowing it to be used as a kind of social lubricating oil to avoid arguments. On the other hand, there is a negative side to this concept in which people hide their real thoughts and feelings, and it is often said that haragei is used in business and politics as a deceitful means of communication in which people hide their real motives in order to gain power and advantage.”

This quote stood out to me because it seems, in my opinion, to be contradictory. If haragei is seen as a way of deceiving people, you would think that it would lead to a constant paranoia about everything that everybody ever says, instead of a way of “reading people's minds” as the book phrases it.  If it's expressly known that people might be saying things that they don't actually agree with/think, why would it make sense that you could use their words to guess their true feelings about anything?

“The Japanese also cont on the passing of time to help resolve problems in communication. In other words, they think that things can be worked out with time, and often wait for a consensus simply to be arrived at among participants without open discussion.”

This stood out to me because, again, it seems terribly inefficient as a way to come to decisions.

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Blog 10

1.) I think that the geisha maintain several parts of traditional japanese culture. One of these things is the wearing of kimonos, which has become somewhat rare in the rest of Japan. Another thing that they might be helping keep alive culturally is the idea of ceremonies, including the traditional tea ceremony, among others. To many Japanese, these things are either totally gone or reserved for special, serious occasions.

 2.) I think that an example of this is beginning to more fully appreciate something when you realize that the thing won’t be around forever. A concrete example of this is my friendship with my housemates. I knew that at the end of the semester, they’d be graduating and moving out, while I wouldn’t be. As that gets closer, my friendship with them and spending time with them begins to mean more to me, because I know for a fact that it won’t last forever. Just as a cherry blossom will eventually wilt and fall away, my friends will someday move on. Thus, it makes the time I have left with them before that happens means that much more.

 3.) No, I don’t necessarily think it did. I feel that listening to a movie in my native language can allow me to focus more on the events of the film, and less on reading subtitles. So, while I think that it’s possible for certain subtleties to be lost in translation, it’s a tradeoff, and in this instance I think that I gained more than was potentially lost.

 4.) Kisetsu is the Japanese sense of the seasons, and a attached appreciation of them. In America, we certainly have holidays that always fall in a certain part of the year, but I don’t think we quite celebrate seasons for their own sake the way they do in Japan. For example, Christmas and New Years both fall in the season of winter, and I celebrate on both of those occasions, but I don’t know that I ever just celebrate winter for the sake of it being winter. Another example might be that we celebrate the 4th of July in the summer, and I love and celebrate the holiday, but I don’t ever celebrate summer for its own sake.

 5.) I feel that a scene from the movie which embodied otogibanashi was towards the very end, when the main character was working to make silk by the river. The aware comes in because you pity her, in a sense: that once, she was the most desired geisha in her town, but now she’s doing physical labor, just like everyone else. However, there’s also a certain dignity to it, in the way that she does the work without complaining, which also lends itself to the sense of tragic beauty.

 6.) wabi-sabi in my own words would be beauty in simplicity. From it, I feel that you can derive the idea that something can be seen as beautiful without being flashy or fancy. I think that this is a huge difference between American and Japanese ideals of beauty. This being said, I also feel that it’s worth mentioning that I don’t necessarily think America has a single unified aesthetic, unlike Japan. That being said, I think a good example of the difference is Las Vegas. It’s covered in flashing lights, and it’s probably the exact opposite of the concept of wabi-sabi.

 7.) The scene in which I saw wabi-sabi was also the scene I mentioned above in which I saw aware. The scene towards the end where she is working with the others making kimonos by the river. I saw wabi-sabi in it because of the contrast between that life and the life of a geisha. However, even without all the ornate finery she had before, chiyo still presented a sense of dignified beauty, despite (or because of…) the simplicity of the life she was living.

 8.) In the end, Hatsumono wandered off into the city as chiyo and the other geisha were trapped in the burning house. As for Sayuri’s relationship with the chairman, they clearly rekindled their feelings at the very end of the movie, with the chairman serving as Sayuri’s Danaa. As for whether or not Sayuri’s happy with this, I think it’s hard to say. On the one hand, she loves the chairman fully, but she will never be his actual wife. However, the kind of relationship was exactly what she’d trained towards as a geisha. So, in the end, I feel it’s fair to say that she was ultimately as happy as she could be, given the circumstances.

 9.) In the end, Okaasan adopted Sayuri as her successor. As for pumpkin’s life, it’s clear that she adopted western ideals as opposed to the geisha ideals she’d trained towards for so long. Her actions at the end, bringing the chairman to Sayuri as opposed to Nobu, showed what might be bitterness over the fact that Okaasan adopted Sayuri as opposed to her.

 10.) I think that the concepts most clearly illustrated by the movie were probably gambari and a mix of wabi-sabi, aware, and bigaku. As for gambari, I feel that it was shown through the fact that Sayuri trained for years to become geisha, but never once stopped, complained, or quit. This unflinching work ethic was, in my opinion, a good illustration of gambari. As for the mix of wabi-sabi, aware, and bigaku, I felt that this was displayed all throughout the movie. These terms, in my opinion, make up the bulk of what could be called the Japanese sense of beauty. The geisha, the primary topics of the film, were to be living works of art, the very embodiment of beauty. Thus, every thing they did would be a living example of the above terms.

 11.) Personally, while I liked the movie, I can’t say that it was my favorite. I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the change of pace that it was in English, but the plot honestly failed to really grab my interest in the same way “The Last Ronin” did, which to this point has been my favorite movie that we’ve watched.

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Blog 11

What makes me American? I feel that that's a complex question... I don't honestly think that it's just one thing. I feel that it's a sum of several different things, starting with citizenship. I feel like citizenship as part of being american is kind of a one-way street; by this I mean that I think that you need to be a citizen to be american, but you don't necessarily have to identify as american, even if you're born here and have citizenship. I will say that, for the second part, I feel that having citizenship and not feeling american only really happens if you're a dual citizen, or grew up in a different culture. Another thing that I feel adds to what makes somebody american is cultural. Our country was founded based on a constitution, and that document framed certain rights and ideas as central to what makes america unique. I feel that the biggest part of being american is the internalization and support of these ideals. The ones that spring to mind are, in no particular order: freedom of religious expression, freedom to bear arms, freedom of the press, and others like these things. I think these things help define (for me) what it means to be american; however, I'm not blind to the fact that opinions on these kinds of things can vary wildly... For me at least though, being american comes down to being a citizen of this country, and agreeing with the ideals that the country was founded on.

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Blog 9

1)      Bigaku

a.       “In contrast, Japanese art focuses not on what is logically considered beautiful, but on what people feel is beautiful. The Japanese aesthetic is very subjective, and there are no absolute criteria as to what this should be.”

                                                              i.      I found this passage interesting because it seems to stand out from the earlier characterizations of Japanese culture. It seems, in my mind, to suggest a level of individualism that seems to contradict the group-oriented thinking that seemingly pervades the rest of traditional Japanese culture.

b.      “Aware is thus connected to feelings of regret for things losing their beauty, and paradoxically finding beauty in their opposite.”

                                                              i.      I found this interesting because, to be honest, I don’t feel like I really understand it. The concept itself, finding beauty in something’s lack of/ loss of beauty seems, as the quote put it, paradoxical. Maybe there’s additional subtlety tied into the term that’s more readily apparent to a Japanese mind, but within the lens of my western culture, this whole concept makes little sense.

2)      Kisetsu

a.       “The modern Japanese have inherited these attitudes from their ancestors, which is why the seasons are still closely connected with contemporary Japanese life, and this sense of the seasons has had a great influence on Japanese lifestyles, annual events, and literature.”

                                                              i.      I found this interesting because I think, to at least some degree, it’s paralleled in America. We have seasonal holidays that contribute to American culture as a whole, like Thanksgiving in the fall, and Christmas in the winter. However, I think the difference is that, in American culture, the holiday itself comes first, and the season comes after that, which seems to be different from the Japanese perspective.

b.      “It is important to express the feelings of the seasons in these expressions, and many books are published in Japan that provide ‘set phrases’ for accomplishing this goal.”

                                                              i.      I found this passage interesting because it seems to me that it shows an example of people missing the point. What I mean by this is that, if these expressions are so important, wouldn’t it mean more to the person getting the letter if it was actually thought up by the person writing the letter, as opposed to a phrase out of a book? It seems to me that, in the pursuit of making sure that he phrase is “right,” they lose part of the meaning behind the phrases in the first place.

3)      Otogibanashi

a.       “As described in this story, Japanese heroines are often tragic figures and have to endure grief.”

                                                              i.      I found this interesting because of the difference it has compared to American/western folk stories. While American stories often tend to have sadness or grief present, they typically don’t end there. Instead, they (typically) end with joy/happiness, as the hero/heroine finds some way to overcome the source of the issue. Thus, I find it interesting that, if folk tales describe the culture they come from, that Japanese culture shows more of a tendency to endure, while American culture shows a tendency to fight for change.

b.      “In other words, a woman’s sadness plays an important role in finishing these stories, and this sadness is an important element in the Japanese sense of beauty.”

                                                              i.      I found this interesting because it seems extremely sad to me, and in a sense, strange. By strange, I mean that, at least in my view, sadness is seen as a negative emotion; it seems strange to me that any idea of beauty would be based on negative emotions. I personally would sooner think to describe beauty using joy, as opposed to sadness or grief.

4)      Wabi Sabi

a.       “People require mental disciple for real understanding of beauty because in this way of thinking, beauty emerges from inside objects.”

                                                              i.      I found this interesting because it seems to contradict part of what I feel defines beauty. In my mind, if something is truly beautiful, that beauty is immediately self apparent, and is almost harder to not notice. Thus, the idea that one must apply themselves to find beauty in things calls into question what beauty really means.

b.      “As a consequence, rejection of apparent beauty and affluence is the ideal condition for enjoying wabi-sabi, which does not indicate definite features but is a quality recognized by the heart.”

                                                              i.      I found this interesting because it seems to go against the quote directly above it, which is from the same paragraph of the same chapter. Above, the author speaks about the need for mental discipline in order to see the true beauty of things, but immediately after speaks of beauty as being devoid of specific things, but instead being felt by the heart. Maybe it’s just western culture, but in my mind something of the heart by definition can’t also be something derived from mental conditioning.

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blog 8

1.) I thought that one of the zen philosophies displayed in the movie was the idea of 'empty-mind' that Miyabe seemed to display in the very end of the movie, as he was flying at the american carrier

2.) The first time that they met, the meeting was obviously strained, to the point that they were sternly ordered to leave the premises. I feel that he icy reception that they got was due to the fact that Kageura knew full well that Miyabe wasn't a coward, and it disrespected him to continue referring to him as such.

3.) During the war, he was seen as a coward by the other soldiers, and was even considered a disgrace to the whole imperial navy, due to his reluctance to lay down his life for the emperor.

4.) The reason that Miyabe was in the kamikaze after trying so long to live was because of, in my opinion, several reasons. The first was that the lives of his students were beginning to weigh more and more heavily on Miyabe's conscience. I feel that the other major reason was that he felt that he could trust Kenichiro to look after his family.

5.) I think that Izaki reacted the way that he did because he saw Miyabe's will to live as weakness. Izaki saw it as an unwillingness to die for the empire, which was a severe breach of Izaki's understanding of bushido.

6.) I think that the negative effect of groupism was the fact that the Kamikaze missions were normalized and seen as acceptable among the Japanese soldiers. Even if a particular individual was unsure about going on a suicide mission  for the empire, the peer pressure he would feel from others was so intense that he wouldn't even consider saying no. Even Miyabe, who for so long talked about his will to survive the war, eventually gave in and died in battle, partially in my opinion because of the pressure he felt from those further up the chain of command.

7.) I think that bushido was present in this film, in a sense, but I don't think it was the exact same as it was in The Last Ronin. In The Last Ronin, the warriors died for their specific lord, but not all the samurai in all of Japan needed to sacrifice themselves, because the bushido was specifically focused on just their lords. In WWII, the sense of bushido was expanded to the point that, instead of serving your lord, you were serving the country of Japan as a whole. As far as the impact this had, I think that it certainly prolonged the war, and probably led to many times more deaths on the part of the Japanese than would've occurred otherwise.

8.) Haragei is the notion that, often times, idea's can be conveyed without necessarily speaking, and they instead are learned by implication. Honestly, I saw several scenes in the movie that strongly showed, in my opinion, a lack of haragei. One example was how, despite being a commanding officer, Miyabe was punched in the face by one of his men. Another scene that showed what I thought was a lack of haragei was when the grandson spoke to the first veteran, who'd lost his arm; he told him, in no uncertain terms, exactly what he thought of Miyabe, and why. This forwardness seems to me to be a complete lack of implication, but instead simple explicit communication.

9.) Miyabe switched his plane with Kenichiro, because he knew that it had an engine fault, and would therefore be unable to fly all the way to the target. Thus, Kenichiro would be forced to land, and would therefore survive, to look after Miyabe's family.

10.) Kageura

11.) I thought one of the most strongly displayed was Bushido; the entire concept of the kamikaze pilot missions was that they put their loyalty to the emperor above their own lives.

12.) Something that I thought was interesting from the movie was the idea that not all kamikaze pilots were entirely willing to die. While they all went ahead and followed the orders given to them, they didn't necessarily do so with the zeal that I had previously associated.

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Blog Entry 7

1.    Hedataru to Najimu

a)    “In Japan, relationships are not built by insisting strongly on one’s own point of view but require time, a reserved attitude, and patience

•  I found this interesting because the book seems to present it as something peculiar to Japanese relationships, but instead I think it’s paralleled fairly closely in American relationships as well.

b)    “People in Japan believe that giving gifts shortens the distance between them”

•  I found this interesting because it seemed to me to be wrong. In my opinion, viewed through an American cultural lens, this would be almost offensive; it seems like you’re trying to buy someone’s friendship.

2.    Shudan ishiki

a)    “Unlike in Western countries, Japan is a society in which conciliatory, cooperative attitudes are more highly valued than strong, unyielding insistence.

•  I found this interesting because, not only is it correct, it’s not something that I’d ever really noticed before. I think we as Americans put so much value in independence and insistence, it probably does end up hurting our ability to work together in the long run.

b)    “These three categories, two uchi and one soto, are said to be formed by one’s twenties and seldom change.”

•  I found this interesting because it poses what I feel is an interesting question. If uchi means people that you’re close to/friends with, is it really true to them that they don’t make any new friends after 20? I would find that hard to believe, but taken literally, that’s what the text would seem to suggest.

3.    The Do spirit of Japan

a)    “After long years of repetitive practice in this state of mushin under the direction of a master, the disciple perfects ‘the way’ and is permitted to go beyond the forms and develop new patterns and approaches.”

•  I found this interesting because I think there’s a major problem in it: I think that it could very possibly kill off creativity, since only masters are given the chance to change things. While this isn’t applicable in all circumstances, there are certainly times when the best ideas don’t always come from the established masters of any activity.

b)    “The spirit of do continues to pervade Japanese culture, and people in many walks of life can be seen seeking after perfection in certain basic patters as a means of acquiring spiritual satisfaction in their lives.”

•  I thought this was interesting because it seems, in a way hopeless. I feel like this would end for most people, at least within American culture, in depression, seeing as perfection in any thing is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

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Blog Post #6

1.) Magoza demonstrated bushido more than once throughout what we've seen of the film thus far. One example was the fact that he carried out his Lord's orders, even though he knew they would bring dishonor upon him, and make others see him as a coward. Another example of Magoza displaying bushido was the scene at the bridge, where he refused to attack the other samurai, even though he could have.

2.) I feel that the main difference between the japanese idea of giri and the western notion of obligation is that giri has a sense of honor or purpose to it, which is not necessarily present in the western idea of obligation. To the american mind, the idea that you're doing something out of obligation means that you have little/no personal investment in what's happening; you're only participating because you have to. While this is true in part for the idea of giri,I think that giri also carries an additional piece: honor. The idea that, if you're doing something because of giri, you're doing both because you have to, but also to honor the other person, and to preserve harmony with them.

3.)  Bushido is the system by which a samurai lived their life; specifically, it almost always came back to the specific loyalty they had to the lord they served. This was reflected by the unerring loyalty and obedience samurai showed towards their lords, even at the cost of their own honor. A specific example of this in the film was Magoza following his lord's orders, even though he knew it mean being seen as a coward by the rest of Japan. Giri, on the other hand was a more general idea of doing things out of obligation, but also as sign of respect to others, and as a means to preserve harmony, regardless of personal feelings about the matter. An example from the movie of Giri might be Kane assenting to marriage, even though she doesn't actually want it, as a means to preserve harmony with Magoza. In a sense, Giri is a a part of Bushido, but it clearly isn't all of it.

4.) A scene demonstrating the ie system would be when Lord chaya is speaking about the marriage of his eldest son to Kane. He speaks about “making her beauty his” in the sense that she would be brought into his clan. This demonstrates the ie system because it's ultimately portrayed as Lord Chaya's decision, regardless of what Kane thinks about  the matter.

5.) A contradiction of the ie system is seen between Magoza and Kane when marriage is first discussed between the two of them. Kane is effectively the adopted daughter of Magoza, and as such the ie system says that she should obey his orders without question, as a sign of the respect that Magoza is due. However, when Magoza first brings up the marriage with the eldest Chaya son, Kane refuses, thus breaking the ie system.

6.) I think that , given what we've learned thus far in the class, it would be fair to say that, compared to America, there is less gender equality in Japan. While the codified ie system is no longer enforced, the echos of it still seem to affect Japanese culture today. In contrast, women in America today are, with a few exceptions, seen as the direct equals to men, to the point that discriminating against women for the fact that they're women is often pursued legally. As for the reason for this disparity? I think it goes back to the Japanese desire for harmony/peaceful relationships. While we might sue each other in America relatively quickly, in Japan this wouldn't even  be considered, at least by a good number of people. Thus, because nobody wants to upset others by speaking out the status-quo is preserved.

7.) I feel that he best concept that explains  this scene would be bushido. Bushido is the way that Samurai are supposed to conduct themselves in all facets of their lives; in the case of Magoza, Bushido dictated that he should have gone to battle, fought, and even potentially died, all for the honor of his lord. Thus, the fact that he “ran away” the night before the battle was in direct contradiction to bushido, especially given how close Magoza was to their lord.

8.) Given the fact that  that Magoza's mission was completed, in the sense that Kane survived to adulthood and was at least considering marriage, I believe strongly that Magoza will, in the end, commit sepuku. I believe this because of all his recent life has been seen as dishonorable by those around him; he was continuing to live primarily because of his lord's orders. However, now that his mission is finished, he is no longer bound to continue living. Thus, with his mission complete, he could now choose sepuku, as a means to restore the honor that he had been missing for the last 16 years. Connected to this, I also suspect that Kane may also end up committing sepuku, if Magoza does so. I am less confident about this second prediction, but one of the reasons I believe it may happen is that she was clearly in love, in a romantic sense, with Magoza. If he ended up taking his own life, she may follow suit, if for no other reason than the grief she would all but certainly feel. A reason from the film that I feel supports this is the repeated importance placed on the play throughout the movie. The play is stated by Magoza to end in a double suicide, because of love. Thus, with the play being shown repeatedly, I feel that it may be used as foreshadowing to the end of the movie, referencing Magoza and Kane. A quote from the textbook that I feel supports the case of Magoza committing suicide is as follows : “Bushido means the determined will to die”. Another applicable quote is “.. the relationship among retainers and their master was based on absolute submission and self-sacrifice. They were tied together with feelings; the lord presented lands to his vassals out of appreciation, and the vassals sacrificed themselves freely for their lord.”

9.) I feel that one of the concepts used most effectively in this film was, actually, gambari. What I mean by this is illustrated by Magoza's life after taking the order from his lord. Even though he was ordered to live what would essentially be a life of dishonor, he still agreed to do so, and then he seemed to (in my opinion) live his life as well as he could, and tried to be the best father he could be to Kane, despite the negative circumstances. It's this idea of doing whatever you're doing to the best of your abilities, regardless of circumstances, is a good illustration of gambari.

10.) At the end of the day, one of the things I found the most interesting abouyt the movie was the seeming diversion of the plot. What I mean by this is that, at the very beginning of the movie, the plot seems centered around Kichi traveling across Japan, visiting the families of the Samurai who died in the vengeance mission. However, after Magoza enters the story, it seems that his story, as well as Kane's, takes over as the main plot of the movie.

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Blog post 5

Bushido “The shogunate believed Zhu Xi’s philosophy to be enormously useful in justifying or ideologically legitimizing the feudal structure of state and society” *I found this interesting because, in my opinion, it calls into question the intentions of the “believers.” Was the zen followed because they thought it was true, or because it served a useful purpose? It would seem to be the latter, at least from the given quote... “Bushido, as a Japanese trait, seems to be at a turning point, and it's relevance to Japanese life today depends largely on the individual. ” *I found this passage interesting because it was a first; by this, I mean that it seems to be the first time the book has a presented a cultural tenet that wasn't portrayed as universal. Given how homogeneous Japan is, it's interesting to consider that not all things are universally agreed upon. Giri “if you receive a present from someone, you should return something which is of equal value ” *I found this interesting because, in a sense, it seems...wrong. In my mind, the whole point of a gift/present is that it's given without expectation of repayment. If anything, receiving something from someone after giving them a gift would make me feel almost guilty. “On valentine's day, women give giri choko to men they may not have any particular liking for as a means of preserving the harmony of human relationships; on the other hand, they give honmei choko to men they really care for. ” *I found this passage interesting because I don't really get it. I understand the actual event, but the point of it is lost on me. If the end goal is maintaining harmony, a gift essentially proclaiming that you don't matter to the other person seems worse, in my opinion, then not giving any gift at all. Japanese Ie system “...the law allowed parents to control the lives of their children because they needed the consent of their parents when they married, divorced, took part in adoption, or engaged in business or other occupations.” *This passage stood out to me because it poses (in my mind) an interesting question:where's the switch over? If children are bound to the will of their parents, how do they balance this with the relationship between them and their own children? When is a child enough of an adult to be a parent? Can they ever actually reach that point while still living under the control of their parents? “On the other hand, women still tend to avoid eldest sons when they marry, because the eldest son has to take care of his parents in the ie system.” *This passage stood out to me, mostly because it strikes me as both ironic and unfair. Ironic, because the ie system supposedly promoted patriarchy, and yet has led to negative consequences for the eldest sons. Unfair, because at the end of the day, it's something that's completely outside the control of those that suffer its effects.

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Blog Post 4

1.) aimai, or intentional ambiguity, was used (in a sense) in the bus scene early in the film, when Endo and Kirishima are discussing the cd that Endo lent to Kirishima. Kirishima lies to Endo about the disc, to avoid letting her know that she didn't actually listen to it yet. While not necessarily ambiguous, she demonstrated a change of tone/message to preserve Endo's opinion of her.

2.) One scene that aimai was used in, between Endo and Kirishima, was when Endo was by the side of the road after her summer trip. Even though she's lying, she uses intentionally vague answers to avoid letting Kirishima know the truth; this in turn was to prevent hurting Kirishima's feelings.

3.) One key difference that I noticed was that the students seem to have more independence in a sense than their american counterparts, even to the point that Endo abruptly left home and went to stay with her ex-boyfriend; while her parents were concerned, they were still (in my opinion) less concerned than American parents might have been.

4.) I think the scene that best portrayed this concept was when Endo was in the nurse's office. Even though she's friends with Kirishima, she's closer friends with Nakano, to the point that she tells the truth to Nakano, but not Kirishima.

5.) I feel that it was a mix of aimai and Honne to Tatemae. She didn't tell the entire truth, in order to preserve her relationship with Endo.

6.) Throughout the film, there were several long, almost awkward pauses in dialogue, and they (in my opinion) served to reinforce the uncertainty in Kirishima's relationship with Endo and her other classmates.

7.) an art school in Tokyo

8.) Kirishima pursued her goal and went to Tokyo, while Endo stayed back in her hometown, and eventually sent her a video tape of the ocean, with the caption that it was all she could do.

9.) I feel that they used aimai, mostly for the fact that I don't get it. There may have been certain clues that I missed, but it just felt... hollow. The ending as a whole was certainly bitter/sad, in my opinion, especially given the scene where they're walking down the road, discussing their possible future together in Tokyo.

10.) I honestly had trouble with the ending. I understood that Kirishima went to Tokyo to go to art school, and I understood that Endo stayed behind in their hometown. But, the thing that escaped me was the video that Endo sent to Kirishima. I'd assume that there was aimai involved, as well as chinmoku; both of these things put importance on context, rather than what was said.

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Blog Entry #3

1.) Aimai

A.) “In order to live without creating any serious problems for the group's harmony, people avoided expressing their ideas clearly, even to the point of avoiding giving a simple yes or no answer.”

This passage struck me as interesting because it seems to be a paradox. I would think that, if you know that everything said might not be someone's true feelings, the paranoia and uncertainty would create more strife than simply speaking your mind in the first place. Constantly parsing second and third meanings from everything everybody says (and doesn't say...) seems like an extremely inefficient way to communicate.

B.) “In Japan, however, if you go against someone and create a bad atmosphere, your relations may break off completely. People tend to react emotionally, and most are afraid of being excluded from the group.”

This passage stood out to me because it seems, within an American cultural context, to be extremely sad and bleak. The idea of disagreement and debate among friends seems completely normal to me, so the inability to disagree with someone would be, in my opinion, terribly boring. While American culture still values tact to a point, we also enshrine the idea of “agreeing to disagree.”  

2.) Uchi to Soto

A.)“...the household itself was considered to be far more important than its individual members. Individual opinions were not valued, and every member had to consider the harmony of the family first and foremost.”

This passage seemed to have a similar tone to the chapter on Aimai, but it further emphasized the idea. Maybe it's because of the strong sense of independence that seems to pervade American culture, but this concept seems alien, at least in part. While families will hopefully never strive for disunity, the idea that the unity is more important than anything else seems wrong.

B.) “The notion of uchi/soto also dominates human relationships throughout Japan, and people make strong distinctions between inside and outside in order to feel a sense of security within their groups.”

This struck me as interesting because, at the surface, it's very consistent with other observed cultural trends in Japan. However, upon closer inspection, I think that this facet is mirrored, at least partially, in American culture as well, especially in the younger generations. The idea that you would form exclusive groups, potentially at the expense of the emotions of those outside the group, is in my opinion more and more common in America today. And, with social media growing as exponentially as it has, I feel that we'll see these groups getting even more insular.

3.) Chinmoku

A.) “The Japanese have long treated silence as a kind of virtue similar to truthfulness.”

This stood out to me simply for the fact that I can't understand it. If someone says nothing, than... just that. Nothing was said, nothing was added to the conversation. Therefore, with nothing being added, how is truth present? Maybe it's just me, but when I think of someone having a reputation of being truthful, I can't help but picture them SPEAKING the truth.

B.) “In addition, to show off one's ability or knowledge openly makes a bad impression on others in Japan, and such people are considered thoughtless, impolite, and immature.”

This spoke to me, again, because it seems to go against so many things that I learned growing up. An example is this: in class, if a teacher asks a question, I would tend to feel proud if I quickly knew the answer, and would equally respect someone else if they knew it faster. The idea that they were 'showing off' by answering wouldn't hold any negative connotations in my mind, apart from maybe a hint of jealousy if they knew it faster than I did.

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Blog entry 2

1)      The approach Jiro took to the business, in the context of his relationship with his sons, was in my opinion, somewhat cold. Jiro said that he trained his sons more strictly than any of the other workers, out of concern for their future. However, part of me wonders if this was almost selfish: what if he was really more concerned with the future of his business? His older son talked of dreaming to be a fighter pilot, or a race car driver; instead, he has worked all his life in his father’s kitchen. Jiro also spoke of the side effect of his gambari: to his own children, he was more of a stranger than a father, because he always spent more time at the restaurant than he did at home.

2)      In all honesty, I think it would be extremely difficult for his son to ever truly step out of his father’s shadow. This was, in my opinion, perfectly characterized by the scenario surrounding the Michelin awards: Jiro seemingly got all the credit for the sushi, even though his actual role in its production was, self admittedly, small. With this as a template, it would then be that much harder for Jiro’s son to ever be seen as Jiro’s equal.

3)      The scene that I feel illustrates kenkyo more than other scenes would most likely be when it shows Jiro’s younger son going off to start his own restaurant, and his older son staying behind. As I was watching, my first reaction was one of anger; it didn’t seem right that the younger son should ‘cut in line’ and get (what seemed to me) to be a better role, while the older son continued working under his father. However, Jiro’s older son goes on to say that, because of respect and expectations, he stayed because he knew he would eventually take his father’s place. This idea, of valuing tradition and respecting one’s father, instead of pursuing his own future, seemed to me to show kenkyo.

4)      When Jiro’s restaurant got the 3 star award, Jiro himself admitted that he hadn’t prepared any of the sushi that was served to the judges. Yet, he seemingly got the glory. This, I feel, shows that Jiro himself isn’t necessarily as important to the restaurant; instead, I think the thing that was made important, was the idea of who Jiro was, and potentially the standard he had set. Even though he hadn’t made the food, he received the award. But, had the same food been served elsewhere, I feel that it wouldn’t be as highly praised.

5)      I would say that there was more enryo present, as compared to amae. I feel that, instead of really depending on his son, Jiro instead trusted him to be able to do things himself. I feel this is reflected in the scene where Jiro and his second son were sitting in a booth, talking about the sendoff that Jiro gave to his son. He essentially told him that he had no choice but to succeed, and that there would otherwise be no home for him to return to. I felt that this showed a certain level of trust, and that he wasn’t depending on his son to succeed: he expected it.

6)      Gambari is, undoubtedly, a Japanese concept. It refers to a complex mix of ideas, but it has a few components that are universal: work ethic, striving to do your best, and determination, to name a few. However, it would be fair to say that while the above ideas do exist in American culture, Japanese culture and the idea of gambari tends to take these values further. So, what would happen if Americans decided to take gambari as far as the Japanese? One the positive side, more work might get done, and the work itself might be of a higher quality. However, another key American ideal is freedom, and also the idea of working hard in order to have a break/rest, instead of working hard for its own sake. Here is where I see an issue; I simply don’t think that kind of belief is compatible with the true heart of gambari. I think that, were gambari to be adopted, rates of depression and stress would go up, and overall satisfaction may go down.

7)      “Once you decide on your occupation... you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success... and is the key to being regarded honorably.”                                 I found this quote interesting, because I both agree and disagree with it. What I mean is that, clearly, this formula worked out well for Jiro, as he’s now among the most respected sushi chefs in all the world. However, I disagree with it simply because it seems to go against all that we hear in American culture. American history is full of stories of people who may have started out doing something, realized they didn’t love it, and then changed course towards something else. You can’t argue with Jiro’s success, but I myself don’t think his philosophy would work as well for me. That being said though, the quote itself clearly shows Jiro’s gambari: his devotion to being the best possible sushi chef that he can be, and then deriving pleasure and satisfaction from his mastery.

8)      Among the four concepts presented, I have to say that I feel amae is the hardest for me to understand. Kenkyo, or respect, is clear enough. Honne to Tatemae & Gambari, I can understand, if not necessarily agree with. But amae, I have trouble relating to. I read what the book had to say, I understood how it described it: a sense of dependency, tempered with enryo, or restraint. But, try as I might, I had trouble drawing good comparisons from my own life. However, I do feel that I grasp what may be the cause of this: American culture. American culture places a huge importance (in my mind) on independence and individuality. That, sometimes, if you want something done right, you do it yourself. This concept, so central to American culture, seems to stand in direct opposition to (my understanding of) amae.

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B#1

Blog entry 1

1.)    Amae

A.      “First, the Japanese have difficulty saying no, in contrast to westerners, who are able to do so more easily. The reason for this is that the Japanese relationships, which are based on amae, are unstable; that is, people hesitate to refuse others for fear of breaking this bond.”

·  I personally find this idea interesting because of the utterly alien nature of it to me. Perhaps the author is right, because within my American understanding, that kind of relationship seems strange. The idea that your relationship between yourself and others, especially friends, would be built on the exchange of debts, seems to remove the value of the very actions; that is to say, I personally feel that doing something for someone seems meaningless if done out of fear or obligation.

B.      “The word amae can also be used to describe the relationship between two adults. Dependency among adults is commonly seen in Japanese society, as in relationships between husband and wife, teacher and student, and doctor and patient.”

·  I found this thought strange, within the context of the mentioned relationships. The author is attempting to explain a concept that is supposedly unique to Japan, and then uses several normal relationships as examples; the strangeness, though, occurs to me because, in my mind, the examples he uses have little in common with each other. The idea that there’s similarity between a marital bond and the relationship between teachers & students is, frankly, odd. Perhaps my inability to understand the example merely reinforces the author’s point.

2.)    Gambari

A.      “…to have free time, to do nothing, or not to work gives the Japanese an unpleasant feeling. They tend to think that having free time is wasteful, even shameful, and feel uneasy.”

·  I feel that this is another example of cultural disconnect between American and Japanese culture, and perhaps a disconnect that runs to the very heart of the differences between the two: in America, the idea of relaxing, having free time, going on vacation, etc. is almost universal, while in Japanese culture the idea is shunned. However, even with this difference in thinking, there still persists the idea in American culture of the importance of hard work. Maybe, then, the true difference is a sense of balance.

B.      “The concept of gambari is now changing, and the expression is losing much of its traditional strength, especially among the young. According to many recent criticisms, Japanese children today are lacking in patience because they have often been spoiled and given all that they want by their parents and grandparents.”

·   I find this a somewhat humorous thought, if only for the seeming irony of the statement. It seems strange that the very idea of patience and sticking to things cannot itself endure without changes. And, to a certain degree, it could be probably be said that American children today face the same issues, which would somewhat conflict with the idea that gambari (or the failure thereof) is uniquely Japanese.

3.)    Honne to Tatemae

A.      “Although this distinction is not only found in Japan but is also prevalent in most other countries, the Japanese people make use of it extensively, taking honne and tatemae for granted in daily life because it is considered a virtue not to directly express one's real feelings and intentions.”

·  This is interesting to me because of, once again, the fact that it is utterly different from the values of American culture, at least at the surface level. Within the Japanese culture, it would seem from the above quote that the ability to be reserved is valued, while the same quality in America, if taken to a certain level/degree, would almost come off as disingenuous.

B.      “The Japanese do not like to express themselves in a straightforward manor for fear that it might hurt others' feelings, so they say and often use tatemae in order to get along well with others.”

·   This seems interesting because it seems to resonate with an idea that's very much been in the public discussion as of late: political correctness. The idea that it's sometimes better to modify your words for the sake of others' emotions, even if the change potentially confuses your original intent. Personally, I have to admit that it's not always a trait that I portray well, but at the end of the day I like to think it's tied to valuing honesty in communication first and foremost.

4.)    Kenkyo

A.      “Teachers often describe good students as sunaona iiko. This means that they are quiet, listen to what the teacher says, and ask no questions in class.”

·  This concept stood out to me because it seems in total opposition to the way American students approach the student-teacher relationship. The number of times students seem to hear that there are no bad questions, and to stop and ask questions whenever they're confused is without number.

 B.      “Moreover, it is common for company employees to use keigo in addressing their bosses, whether or not they feel any respect for the other on a personal level. As such, the use of keigo is a matter of form, regardless of one's actual feelings, and there is a strong tendency to speak on these levels as a kind of social etiquette.”

·   I found this idea strange, for essentially the same reason that I found the concept of amae strange: it seems at that point to be pointless. If the entire point of the grammatical variations is to show respect, but there is only the grudging respect of obligation, why bother? It would seem to me, at least, that feigning respect in spite of your own feelings is worth less than feeling no respect at all.