Japanese Studies Program
@ York University
JP1000 Introduction to Japanese
Culture and Society
Part I: Observations in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology
The periods of the imperial reign
|
令和 |
れいわ |
the Reiwa Era |
2019 - |
|
平成 |
へいせい |
the Heisei Era |
1989 - 2019 |
|
昭和 |
しょうわ |
the Showa Era |
1926 - 1989 |
|
大正 |
たいしょう |
the Taisho Era |
1912 - 1926 |
|
明 治 |
めいじ |
the Meiji Era |
1868 - 1912 |
0. Possible sources of misunderstanding
- Lack
of information and ignorance
- Stereotypical
views: samurai,
geisha,
kamikaze,
harakiri
(seppuku), ...
- Lack
of personal contact with Japanese
- Japanese
attitude, behaviour, mannerism,
appearance, ...
- Racial
prejudice
- International
trade and business: Japan bashing
1. Culture and its manifestations
Culture
:
psychologically real configuration [gestalt] acquired
[internalized] subconsciously in terms of various parameters
Language : reflections of culture and
psyche
Arts
:
Haiku, Tanka, Cha-no-yu, Noh, Kabuki,
calligraphy, brush painting, ...
Martial Arts : Kendoo,
Juudoo, Karate, ...
Religions : Shintoo, Buddhism,
Confucianism, ...
Business
: corporate organization,
human relations, business practice, decision making, ...
Education : goals,
expectations, policies, ...
2. Two fundamental constraints on Japanese
culture
Peaceful
coexistence:
harmony, cooperation, interdependence, extended family, being
humble and inconspicuous, ...
Culture of have-nots: simplicity, frugality, making
the best out of what is available, sense of vulnerability,
self-sacrificing, ...
3. New trends: Emerging conflicts of values in an
affluent society
|
Mukanshin |
apathy |
むかんしん |
無関心 |
|
Mukiryoku |
inertia |
むきりょく |
無気力 |
|
Sogai |
alienation |
そがい |
疎外 |
|
Tsukaisute-jidai |
throwaway
age |
つかいすてじだい |
使い捨て時代 |
|
Han-taisei-shugi |
non-conformism |
はんたいせいしゅぎ |
反体制主義 |
|
Ijime |
bullying |
いじめ |
虐め |
|
Kyooiku mama |
education
mother |
きょういくママ |
教育ママ |
|
Juken-jigoku |
examination
hell |
じゅけんじごく |
受験地獄 |
|
Ochikobore |
dropouts,
misfits |
おちこぼれ |
落ちこぼれ |
|
Boosoo-zoku |
motorcycle
gang |
ぼうそうぞく |
暴走族 |
|
Takenoko-zoku |
bamboo shoot
tribe |
たけのこぞく |
竹の子族 |
|
Shin-jinrui |
new human
beings |
しんじんるい |
新人類 |
|
Nure-ochiba-zoku |
wet-dead-leaf
tribe |
ねれおちばぞく |
ぬれ落ち葉族 |
|
Manyuaru-ningen |
manual human
beings |
マニュアルにんげん |
マニュアル人間 |
|
Shiji-machi-ningen |
instruction-waiting human
beings |
し
じまちにんげん |
指示待ち人間 |
|
Washi-zoku |
washi
tribe |
わしぞく |
わし族 |
|
Narita-rikon |
Narita
divorce |
なりたりこん |
成田離婚 |
|
Dankai-sedai |
lump
generation |
だんかいせだい |
団塊世代 |
|
Dokushin-kizoku |
celibate
aristocrat |
どくしんきぞく |
独身貴族 |
|
Pakkeeji-rikon |
package
divorce |
パッケージりこん |
パッケージ離婚 |
|
Asshii-kun |
plural boy
friends |
アッシーくん |
アッシー君 |
|
San-koo |
three highs - education,
height and salary |
さんこう |
三高 |
|
San-tee
|
three lows - 'low
attitude', low risk, low maintenance |
さんてい |
三低 |
|
Bunsan-ren'ai
|
'diversified' love affairs
- a married woman with multiple partners |
ぶんさんれんあい |
分散恋愛 |
| Hikikomori |
(voluntary) shut-ins |
ひきこもり |
引き籠り |
|
Jakunen-kodoku-shi |
|
じゃくねんこどくし |
若年孤独死 |
|
Bankon-ka
|
late marriage tendency |
ばんこんか |
晩婚化 |
|
Mikon-ka
|
unmarried tendency |
みこんか |
未婚化 |
|
Konkatsu
|
partner hunting |
こんかつ |
婚活 |
|
Sooshoku-kee-danshi |
herbivorous male |
そうしょくけいだんし |
草食系男子 |
|
Nikushoku-kee-joshi |
carnivorous female |
にくしょくけいじょし |
肉食系女子 |
|
Kuriimii-kee-danshi |
creamy male |
クリーミーけいだんし |
クリーミー系男子 |
|
Rikon-shiki
|
divorce ceremony |
りこんしき |
離婚式 |
|
Kodoku-shi
|
lonely death |
こどくし |
孤独死 |
|
Arafoo
|
women around 40 |
アラフォー |
|
|
Bibungu
|
beautiful stationery |
びぶんぐ |
美文具 |
|
Roogo-hinkon
|
old age poverty |
ろうごひんこん |
老後貧困 |
|
Erabi-zukare
|
fatigue due to too many
choices |
えらびづかれ |
選び疲れ |
|
Teenen-josee
|
women who retire at the
fixed retirement age |
ていねんじょせい |
定年女性 |
|
Oitsume-joshi
|
women always keeping tabs
on their men |
おいつめじょし |
追い詰め女子 |
|
Kanshi-kamera-joshi |
surveillance-camera women |
かんしカメラじょし |
監視カメラ女子 |
|
Danshari
|
decluttering, minimalism
(from Yoga) |
だんしゃり |
断捨離 |
|
San-mitsu
|
3 Cs (Confined spaces,
Crowded places, Close contacts) to avoid COVID-19
infection |
さんみつ |
三密 |
| Hirame
ningen |
flounder
human being, sycophant |
ヒラメにんげん |
ヒラメ人間 |
4. Key notions and related sociological phenomena
|
Culture of Shame |
Haji no bunka fear of losing
face, high self-esteem, vindictive, ... |
はじのぶんか |
恥の文化 |
|
|
Vertical society |
Tate-shakai |
たてしゃかい |
タテ社会 |
|
|
Gratitude & obligation |
On, Giri |
おん・ぎり |
恩・義理 |
|
|
Patronage & submission |
Oyabun-Kobun 'boss-henchmen' |
おやぶん・こぶん |
親分・子分 |
|
|
Loyalty & filial piety |
Chuu-Koo |
ちゅう・こう |
忠・孝 |
|
|
Dependency syndrome |
Amae |
あまえ |
甘え |
|
|
Extended family |
Ie, in-group identity,
company man, ... |
いえ |
家・イエ |
|
|
Interdependence |
Kanjin-shugi, mutual trust,
group orientation, |
かんじんしゅぎ |
間人主義 |
|
|
Consensus-seeking |
Gooi least common-denominator
approach, lack of individualism, regimentation,
conformism, ... |
ごうい |
合意 |
|
|
Public eye |
Seken 'people, world, society' |
せけん |
世間 |
|
|
Proper behaviour |
Chanto 'properly' |
ちゃんと |
|
|
|
Equal opportunity |
Kikai-kintoo standardization,
middle-class identity, ... |
きかいきんとう |
機会均等 |
|
|
Culture of jealousy |
Shitto no bunnka avoid jealousy by being
humble and inconspicuous |
しっとのぶんか |
嫉妬の文化 |
|
|
Culture of octopus trap |
Takotsubo-Bunka,
sectionalism, ethnocentrism, ... |
たこつぼぶんか |
タコつぼ文化 |
|
|
Japanism |
Nihonkyoo, ancestor worship, code
of behaviour
acceptable to the Japanese clan, adoption and
transformation of alien values, systems, religions,
... |
にほんきょう |
日本教 |
|
|
Structure of Iki |
'chic' [appropriately
stylish] |
いき シック |
|
|
|
Simplicity & frugality |
Wabi 'taste for the simple
and quiet' |
わび |
|
|
|
Intuitive communication |
Haragei 'gut approach' |
はらげい |
腹芸 |
|
|
Prearrangement |
Nemawashi
'root-binding' |
ねまわし |
根回し |
|
|
Single-visioned |
Tanshigan-teki monolithic view |
たんしがんてき |
単視眼的 |
|
|
Pragmatism |
Junnoosee adaptability |
じゅんのうせい |
順応性 |
|
|
Escapism
|
Toohishugi catharsis |
とうひしゅぎ |
逃避主義 |
|
|
Discrimination |
Sabetsu Capital-city snobbery,
Koreans, |
さべつ |
差別
|
5.
Prominent characteristics of Japanese psyche
Empathy-demanding |
agreement-seeking |
|
|
Source of energy |
enhanced by conflicts, constraints, |
|
|
Intuitive approach |
based on mutual understanding |
|
|
From form to spirit |
martial arts, fine arts, ... |
|
|
Vulnerability complex |
strength by Kiki-kan 'sense of urgency'
|
ききかん |
危機感 |
Mixture of complexes |
inferiority and superiority complexes, |
れっとう・ゆうえつかん |
劣等・優越感 外人コンプレックス |
Mentor-seeking |
Oyabun-Kobun, Sensei, Senpai 'senior', ...
|
おやぶん・こぶん |
親分・子分 先生 |
Reciprocal dependency |
Amae, On, Giri, Okaeshi 'return', ... |
あまえ・おん・ぎり・ |
甘え・恩・義理・ |
Guilt-trip tactics |
imposing guilt on others |
|
|
Clan-oriented |
overriding importance of individual's |
|
|
Confrontation-avoiding |
Nemawashi, ...
|
ねまわし |
根回し |
Knowledge is power |
basic operating principle, eternal seeker |
ちしきはちからなり |
知識は力なり |
Transience |
Mujoo, relativism, non-religious, ...
|
むじょう |
無常 |
Volatility |
when pushed too far |
|
|
6.
Globalization and Japan
Impact
of globalization on Japanese language and culture
Part II Cultural differences
observed in linguistic contexts
1. Language and cognition
Prominence
Parameters
Cerebral dominance
Some characteristics of the Japanese language
1) Word order: S O V
2) Vowels
3) Onomatopoeia
4) Classifiers
5) Answers to negative questions
6) Adversative passive
7) Topic-Comment structure
8) It's the case that S
2. Characteristic differences in tendency between Japanese and English
observed in linguistic contexts
|
JAPANESE tends to be:
|
ENGLISH tends to be: |
|
[cognitive/discourse/textual] |
|
|
holistic |
analytic |
|
general |
specific |
|
descriptive |
explanatory |
|
situational |
less situational |
|
context-dependent |
context-independent |
|
elliptical |
exhaustive [redundant] |
|
[sociolinguistic/pragmatic] |
|
|
formal |
informal |
|
indirect [indecisive] |
direct [decisive] |
|
rank-conscious |
egalitarian |
|
submissive |
independent |
|
concessive |
self-determined |
|
agreeable [understanding] |
competitive [challenging, provocative] |
|
appreciative |
less appreciative |
|
apologetic |
self-righteous |
|
modest [reserved] |
boastful [proud] |
|
responsive |
less responsive |
|
less exclamatory |
exclamatory [exaggerative] |
|
less derogative |
derogative |
|
less rewarding |
rewarding |
|
[psycholinguistic] |
|
|
introversive [inconspicuous] |
extroversive [conspicuous] |
|
collective |
individualistic |
|
subjective [intuitive] |
objective [logical] |
|
emotional [sentimental] |
rational |
|
pessimistic [negative] |
optimistic [positive] |
|
retrospective |
prospective |
3. Interface between language and culture
Male vs. female speech
Politeness phenomena: honorifics, donatory verbs,
formal-informal style, ...
Case study: DONATORY VERBS
SPEAKER says, "Father gave a camera to my younger sister."
a. Chichi wa imooto ni kamera o | *agemashita.
[ageru]
b.
| *yarimashita.
[yaru]
c.
|
*kuremashita. [kureru]
father top
sister to camera obj gave
"Father gave a camera to my younger sister."
Solution:
d. Imooto wa
chichi ni kamera
o moraimashita.
[morau]
sister top father from camera obj
received
"My younger sister received a camera from father."
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Jews, Yamamoto Bookstore.
Benedict, Ruth (1946)The Chrysanthemum and the Sword:
Patterns of Japanese Culture, Boston.
Burnstein, Daniel (1988) Yen!:
Japan's New Financial Empire and Its Threat to America,
Simon
and
Schuster.
Christopher, Robert C. (1984) The Japanese Mind, Pan.
Doi, Takeo (1971) Structure of Amae,
Kobundo.
Gakken (1985) Japan as It Is, Gakken.
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the Study of Human Issues Inc.
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Hall, Edward T. & Mildred Reed Hall (1987) Hidden
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New
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MIT Press.
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Minami, Hiroshi (2006) Discussions on
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Nakayama, S. et al. (eds.)(1974) Science and Society in
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Ota, Norio (2003) ‘Impact
of Globalization on Japanese Language and Culture: Will
Japanese adopt
new
identity?’, Proceedings of the Changing Japanese Identities in
Multicultural
Canada
Conference, University of Victoria, B.C., 2003.
_________(2011) ‘Wakon-Yosai
(Japanese spirit, Western learning) and Globalization’
(revised version),
in
Holroyd C. and K. Coates (eds.)(2011) Japan in the Age of
Globalization, Routledge.
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to each other, Tokyo: Kinseido.
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Spirituality, Iwanami.
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VIDEO LINKS:
Living
Lonely and Loveless in Japan | Foreign Correspondent (YouTube
Feb. 17, 2022)
©
Norio Ota 2022
