Culture of Japan: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 01:32, 14 January 2006
After several waves of migrations from the Asian continent and nearby Pacific islands, followed by heavy importation of culture from China and Korea, the inhabitants of Japan experienced a long period of relative isolation from the outside world until the arrival of the "Black Ships" and the Meiji era. As a result, a culture distinctively different than other Asian cultures developed, and echoes of this persist even in the modern Japan of today.
For example, as Ruth Benedict pointed out in her classic study "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword", Japan has a shame culture (external reference standard) rather than the guilt culture (internal reference standard) that is more familiar in the West. Again in Japan, inter-relationships between people are heavily influenced by "obligation" and "duty" in a way that is no longer true in the more individualistic and free-wheeling West. Finally, generalised conceptions of morality and desirable behaviour are relatively under-developed in Japan, where particular obligations to family, school, and friends tend to guide behaviour.
The Japanese language has always played a significant role in Japanese culture. Nemawashi, for example, indicates consensus achieved through careful preparation. It reflects the harmony that is desired and respected within Japanese culture.
While Japanese are better known for their physical comedy outside of Japan, they have intricate and complex humor and jokes. Because this humor relies so heavily on Japanese language, culture, religion, and ethics, however, this humor is generally considered to be very difficult to translate.
Clothing
Kimono (Japanese: 着物 literally "something one wears") are the traditional garments of Japan. Originally the word kimono was used for all types of clothing, but eventually came to refer specifically to the full-length garment that is still worn today on special occasions by women, men, and children.
Creative Arts
Literature
Books, manga, magazines and newspapers are also a part of the Japanese culture. Even though TV and other entertainment have led to a decline in the time spent reading, book stores are everywhere and public libraries offer a huge store of books. Local municipalities offer reading sessions of writings like 'Genji monogatari' (The Tale of Genji) and poem classes. There are also second hand shops dedicated exclusively to selling used books, magazines, and music software cheaply. The Kanda district in downtown Tokyo has been famous for selling second hand books for over 80 years.
Music
For many outsiders, Japanese music is associated entirely with cheap, disposable bubblegum pop, of which there is plenty. However, many distinct styles and innovative artists play folk and classical music, much of it very intense, and others play distinct forms of rock, electronic music, hip hop, punk rock, and country music. Examples include famous punk rockers Boredoms led by Eye Yamitaka, noise pioneers Masonna and Omoide Hatoba, native Japanese Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda's duo Cibo Matto, mainstays like Loudness, Yellow Magic Orchestra, The Alfee and Hound Dog, and fad sensation ukelele duo Petty Booka.
Food
Through virtue of a long culinary past, highly influenced by Korean and Chinese practices, the Japanese have developed a sophisticated, yet simple cuisine highly customized to the change of seasons. Modern Japanese enjoy a variety of traditional Japanese food, including many seafood dishes (sushi and sashimi for instance), as well as a multitude of foreign cuisine. One can easily find Chinese, Korean, and Thai dishes as well as non-regional American, French, and Italian foods. Japanese cuisine is a product of its environment and people. The ease of acquiring fresh ingredients led to sushi, high temperature and humidity led to varieties of pickled and fermented food like natto and soy sauce, and an adaptation of foreign cuisines led to ramen.
Language
Understanding Japanese is essential to understanding Japanese culture. Both traditional Japanese culture as well as the modern popular culture are based on spoken and written Japanese language.
Japanese is known to be related to the nearby Ryukyuan languages, forming the Japonic language family. An earlier theory that it is a language isolate related to no surviving tongues is a popular misconception. However, beyond that, its classification remains controversial. The most widespread theory is that the Japonic languages are not related to any other language family; however, other theories have tied it to extinct languages from the Korean peninsula, to a Ural-Altaic superfamily (along with Korean and the Uralic languages such as Finnish, Hungarian, and Samoyedic), or to the Austronesian languages of the South Pacific. Although it is not thought to share a common linguistic ancestor in Chinese, it has borrowed a great deal of vocabulary from that language. The Japanese writing system itself was developed from contact with Koreans knowledgeable of Chinese writing. This process began around 400 CE.
The habit of modifying Chinese symbols to suit themselves, however, resulted in what the Japanese called wasei kanji, and continues today as they modify English (or European) words, which they call wasei eigo.
The Japanese writing system is actually four writing systems used in tandem: kanji, which are logograms adopted from Chinese writing; the two kana syllabaries, hiragana and katakana, which developed from kanji; and the Latin alphabet, called romaji when used to write Japanese, is also common.
Media
Japan has about 100 million television sets in use, and television is the main source of home entertainment and information for most of the population. The Japanese have a wide variety of programs to choose from, including the various dramas (police, crime, home, and jidaigeki — "samurai" dramas), anime, news, game, quiz, and sports shows provide by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (Nippon Hoso Kyokai--NHK) general station, the NHK educational station, and numerous commercial and independent stations. The violence of the samurai and police dramas and the satirical humor of the cartoons draw criticism from mothers and commentators.
Popular culture
Japanese popular culture not only reflects the attitudes and concerns of the present but also provides a link to the past. Popular films, television programs, comics, and music all developed from older artistic and literary traditions, and many of their themes and styles of presentation can be traced to traditional art forms. Contemporary forms of popular culture, like the traditional forms, provide not only entertainment but also an escape for the contemporary Japanese from the problems of an industrial world. When asked how they spent their leisure time, 80 percent of a sample of men and women surveyed by the government in 1986 said they averaged about two and one-half hours per weekday watching television, listening to the radio, and reading newspapers or magazines. Some 16 percent spent an average of two and one-quarter hours a day engaged in hobbies or amusements. Others spent leisure time participating in sports, socializing, and personal study. Teenagers and retired people reported more time spent on all of these activities than did other groups.
In the late 1980s, the family was the focus of leisure activities, such as excursions to parks or shopping districts. Although Japan is often thought of as a hard-working society with little time for pleasure, the Japanese seek entertainment wherever they can. It is common to see Japanese commuters riding the train to work, enjoying their favorite manga or listening through earphones to the latest in popular music on portable music players.
A wide variety of types of popular entertainment are available. There is a large selection of music, films, and the products of a huge comic book industry, among other forms of entertainment, from which to choose. Game centers, bowling alleys, and karaoke are popular hangout places for teens while older people may play shogi and go in a parlor.
Geinōkai
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The Geinōkai (芸能界) is the world of Japanese entertainment, encompassing everything from movies and television (including talk shows, music shows, variety shows, etc.) to radio and now the internet. Geinojin (芸能人) is a term, often used interchangeably with tarento, to refer to members of the Geinōkai. Tarento is an adaptation of the English word 'Talent' and refers to a rather large group of people who appear on television from night to night, but can neither be classified as actors, singers, or models (and are thus given the more vague appellation of "talent" instead). Tarento usually appear on variety shows and talk shows and may later move into acting or singing based on popularity and success.
Sports
Main article: Japanese sports.
Popular professional sports in Japan consist of both traditional sports like Sumo wrestling and imported sports like baseball and football (soccer). In addition many amateur sports are popular in Japan, such as tennis, volleyball, basketball, golf and rugby. Popular amateur sports native to Japan include martial arts like kendo and judo.
See also
References
- Japan
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External links
- electronic journal of contemporary japanese studies
- Japanese Classical Lit at Bedtime A free 5-10 minute Japanese audio book podcast
- Japan SAQ (Seldom Asked Questions)
