I grew up in a multicultural city which actively promoted the idea of a meeting of cultures where each could be preserved, accepted, and understood by the majority who in turn were also part of different minority groups. Although it is difficult to maintain a culture when you have immigrated to a new country where you make up maybe 1 percent or less of the population, I knew many people that did this, preserving cultural traditions, food, celebrations, traditional way of doing a wedding, limiting their diet or fasting, and so on. I am somewhat disappointed in comparison by how quickly a lot of Japanese people are letting their traditions go at a rate that seems nearly impossible since Japan is nearly all Japanese and most Japanese people don't even have one close friend that grew up overseas. I think international communication is about expressing yourself and being understood, being able to pass on positive ideas and traditions to others and of course learn from them too. Too often, I find "international" in Japan just means basically becoming American.
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コメント(12)
>> I am somewhat disappointed in comparison by how quickly a lot of Japanese
>> people are letting their traditions go at a rate that seems nearly impossible
There are always changes in a culture. I am pretty sure the American culture is quite a bit different than that of the 19th century. Also, remember that one big factor that contributed to the rapid changes of the Japanese culture is the huge American influence after WWII. The U.S. basically attempted to Americanize Japan, ranging from fashion to food. They've certainly done a good job.
>> people are letting their traditions go at a rate that seems nearly impossible
There are always changes in a culture. I am pretty sure the American culture is quite a bit different than that of the 19th century. Also, remember that one big factor that contributed to the rapid changes of the Japanese culture is the huge American influence after WWII. The U.S. basically attempted to Americanize Japan, ranging from fashion to food. They've certainly done a good job.
I also find this to be unfortunately true...change isn't always for the better but i doubt there is any realistic way to prevent it. I personally think Western ideals are to blame(especially seeing how imperialistic we were/and still are; its just called "Spreading Democracy and freeing the people" now).
I tend to agree with you but cultures will always change and progress or digress, however, the important thing is to preserve traditions, but at some point in time the older traditions will be overtaken by newer traditions.
How you as a culture decide which pathway is the one you want to take. Some may say Japan was brainwashed and in some form that may be correct but as a democracy each person and the country had an obligation to maintain those traditions and cultural aspects you hold most dear. If these things define you as a people then let no one or group stop you from holding on to them.
How you as a culture decide which pathway is the one you want to take. Some may say Japan was brainwashed and in some form that may be correct but as a democracy each person and the country had an obligation to maintain those traditions and cultural aspects you hold most dear. If these things define you as a people then let no one or group stop you from holding on to them.
I don't think it's all that big a deal. I'm sure when the emperor
first ceded his power to the bakufu many people thought their cultural
traditions were slipping away. The geiko were originally the vanguard
of what was modern and hip, now they are one of the last vestiges of
"old" Japan.
Even the beautiful 1000 year old shinto shrines are constantly being
rebuilt.
Maybe you could say constant renewal is very culturally Japanese.
first ceded his power to the bakufu many people thought their cultural
traditions were slipping away. The geiko were originally the vanguard
of what was modern and hip, now they are one of the last vestiges of
"old" Japan.
Even the beautiful 1000 year old shinto shrines are constantly being
rebuilt.
Maybe you could say constant renewal is very culturally Japanese.
Ian, I really liked your comment, and agree.
One thing to note about this topic is that on the surface the culture is changing: people wearing western clothes not Kimono etc; working for a company etc. But that is just on the surface, like a coat of paint. Japan has taken on what it wants/needs, but really deep down it has an extremely strong culture, language, customs that it does hang on to, although this is evolving. Just because some elements look western doesn't mean the country has been "Americanized,"that is a bit naive.
The Japanese company experience is not like a western company experience - you dedicate your life to it, it comes before everything else including your family. That is nothing like I have experienced before, work is different, family life is different, relationships are different.
One thing to note about this topic is that on the surface the culture is changing: people wearing western clothes not Kimono etc; working for a company etc. But that is just on the surface, like a coat of paint. Japan has taken on what it wants/needs, but really deep down it has an extremely strong culture, language, customs that it does hang on to, although this is evolving. Just because some elements look western doesn't mean the country has been "Americanized,"that is a bit naive.
The Japanese company experience is not like a western company experience - you dedicate your life to it, it comes before everything else including your family. That is nothing like I have experienced before, work is different, family life is different, relationships are different.
＞＞The Japanese company experience is not like a western company experience - you dedicate your life to it, it comes before everything else including your family.
Hence the many social problems today, caused by parent/child
relationships in Japan. Especially father/daughter.
For example, I don't know of any country where so many girls are
involved in some aspect of prostitution (yes, hostessing is prostitution or at bestone step beneath), where it's not out of dire necessity.
I attribute it to poor father/daughter relationships. Due to
fathers not expected to being around/involved.
Hence the many social problems today, caused by parent/child
relationships in Japan. Especially father/daughter.
For example, I don't know of any country where so many girls are
involved in some aspect of prostitution (yes, hostessing is prostitution or at bestone step beneath), where it's not out of dire necessity.
I attribute it to poor father/daughter relationships. Due to
fathers not expected to being around/involved.
>Too often, I find "international" in Japan just means basically becoming American.
I basically agree the above observation as a personal behavior of Japanese. However, I think there is bright side.
Such Japanese people’s efforts to be American are now conquering America. For example, there are two very American sports, which were conquered by Japanese.
One is baseball. Japanese team became the champion of first World Baseball Classic in 2006. Moreover, Ichiro Suzuki became MVP of 2007 MLB all star game.
The second very American sport is Hot Dog Eating. Takeru Kobayashi kept his championship of Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition from 2001 – 2006.
Toyota is now bigger than GM and licensing its hybrid technology to US automobile company. In some US cities, Sushi bars are annoyingly many like McDonald’s and/or Starbucks.
As a result of Japanese people’s accumulated efforts to be American, America is now turning into Japan.
My wild guess is that, some day in distant future, US Constitution will add “Article 9 of Japanese Constitution”and people will say
“Ah, Takeru Kobayashi was just a beginning of this.”
I basically agree the above observation as a personal behavior of Japanese. However, I think there is bright side.
Such Japanese people’s efforts to be American are now conquering America. For example, there are two very American sports, which were conquered by Japanese.
One is baseball. Japanese team became the champion of first World Baseball Classic in 2006. Moreover, Ichiro Suzuki became MVP of 2007 MLB all star game.
The second very American sport is Hot Dog Eating. Takeru Kobayashi kept his championship of Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition from 2001 – 2006.
Toyota is now bigger than GM and licensing its hybrid technology to US automobile company. In some US cities, Sushi bars are annoyingly many like McDonald’s and/or Starbucks.
As a result of Japanese people’s accumulated efforts to be American, America is now turning into Japan.
My wild guess is that, some day in distant future, US Constitution will add “Article 9 of Japanese Constitution”and people will say
“Ah, Takeru Kobayashi was just a beginning of this.”
I think the changes is good. We have to consider the rules with the times.I think that Japansese people will wear tradtional clothes and start holiding traditional ceremony often and care for a moral code. However there are precious cultural assets and we somehow keep them to take over.
"becoming international (american)" and " lost cultural identity" are very difficult issue.
We have to think about how to keep balance of "international soceity " and "ethinic identitiy" It means that we may think about what is Japanese culture. We can't go back to old times, so we have to discuss the difinition of Japanse culture.
Thereseさん's comment gave me a chance to think about that.
"becoming international (american)" and " lost cultural identity" are very difficult issue.
We have to think about how to keep balance of "international soceity " and "ethinic identitiy" It means that we may think about what is Japanese culture. We can't go back to old times, so we have to discuss the difinition of Japanse culture.
Thereseさん's comment gave me a chance to think about that.
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