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B#18

1.     When they are asked about their religion, most Japanese answer they are Shinto and Buddhist. Why do they belong to two religions at the same time?  Why don’t they think it’s contradictory?  Explain why you think so. They can take the best ideals of two religions through the concept of Iitoko-Dori. They pick the parts they like and follow them. 2.     Considering Zoto, “Public and Private” and “giri” have deeper relationships. Thinking about those two concepts while Japanese people do “Zoto”, which scene of this film is a good example that “‘Private gifts’ that are not considered as important” (p.240) ? The nasty food that they were eating after the one funeral. 3.     Daigo was a cellist, but his orchestra was dissolved, and he takes a job as “Nokanshi.”  What kind of job is “Nokanshi”?  From the film, what is the general perception of this job? How does Daigo feel about his job? Describe the transition of Daigo’s wife perception toward his job. He was a funeral guy. He was grossed out by the job at first but then he liked it. She did not like the job at first and when she was pregnant she still tried to talk him out of it. I think she finally accepted it when she watched him prepare his fathers body. 4.     Japanese funerals have many rituals and customs.  In your opinion, what is the biggest difference between the Japanese funerals you saw in the film and the kind of funerals you have been to?   In the funerals I have seen I did not watch the funeral directors prepare the body with makeup or clothing or stuffing. 5.     Movie—What does the stone that Daigo has mean? His father gave it to him and they were supposed to exchange them every year but only did the one year. At the end his father was holding the stone Daigo gave him when he was young as he died. 6.     Movie— Was Daigo able to meet his father? What kinds of situation was it? He knew him when he was very young but did not see him again till over 30 years later when he died and Daigo prepared his body. 7.     What other PRIOR Japanese key concepts do you see in this film? Explain what and why you think so. I believe Wabi-Sabi has some value during the funerals. Washing the bodies and putting them in white kimonos could show appreciation for simplicity. Otherwise they might wear bright colored designer kimonos. Also I believe there was a lot of Haragei in the movie because Daigo's wife could tell something was wrong with him basically by noticing the way he was saying things were not typical. 8.     What did you learn about the Japanese culture through the film?  What do you think about the movie overall? I learned that Japanese families spend alot more time with their dead during their funeral and observe more of their preparing. I learned that from the text we read too but it was much nicer to be able to see it being performed. I didn't think I would like the movie but I actually did like it. I liked the humor in it and the ending made me feel good.

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Blog #17

1) Zoto

Zoto seems like it could be a very stressful tradition. Getting gifts for 43 to 85 time a year for people every year seems like so many for me who doesn’t typically give gifts out that often. I noticed one thing that I can relate to that is uncommon for United States but happens in Japan and in my home country. ”For example, when a baby is born, the parents give gifts to the doctor and nurses to thank them.” I remember my father telling me that when my mom was about to give birth to me he had given money to the doctor as a sort of gift and to make sure that he takes extra care with the delivery because there were some complications with it. I also remember when I was little and my mom was in the hospital pregnant with my younger brother that my dad had offered that doctor money in a similar fashion then too. One thing I thought was strange reading this was how the Japanese view receiving money at funerals. “The Japanese give gifts in order to carry out giri, and interestingly, some people attending funerals “going to giri,” and holding funerals is known as “receiving giri””. I feel like if you call a funeral you are hosting receiving giri then it is a bit disrespectful to the person who died and sounds like instead of honoring their death you are more concerned with the money you will collect. That’s probably not how it is actually viewed in Japan but the way it is made out to sound just seems disrespectful.

2) Soshiki

Funerals in Japan seem very different than what I am used to. Their idea of what happens after death also is very different. “...It is thought that the deceased will be reborn in one of the six worlds according to his or her behavior during life [and] it takes forty-nine days after death to be judged”. This is very different from the Christian teachings. I’m not quite sure where they came up with the 49 days number. “On the last anniversary of death, it is aid that the dead person loses his or her personality and is able to protect the house, so the last anniversary is the end of the condolences, and the mortuary tablet in the family Buddhist altar is taken to the family temple.” The idea that dead ancestors would gradually lose their powers to protect their household also seems strange and foreign to me.

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Blog #16

1. Considering iitoko-dori, the textbook mentions that “the process of iitoko-dori, which has given rise to relative rather than absolute ethical value system, has also result in serious negative consequences” (p.130). Did you find a scene that explains it well? Describe the scene and write the reasons why you think so. I think a scene that depicts negative consequences from iitoko-dori could be when Suzu found out that Syusaku wanted to marry Rin but didn't because she was sold to the red light district. If he could have gotten past that they probably would have been a better match but because of the value system he married Suzu instead. 2. Considering Ikuji, how do you see Keiko (Suzu’s sister in law) child bearing? Use the citation of textbook and explain the DIFFERNCES between textbook and Keiko. Explain why you think so. A difference was she let Suzu do alot of the parenting instead of her. Keiko was busy with her own life or taking care of her family far more than she had time to spend with her daughter. This may be because her husband was no longer with her. "Japanese mothers seemed to change their policies depending on the circumstances in order to avoid creating any mental distance from their stances in order to avoid creating any mental distance from their children." Keiko did not really go to this length to stay close with her daughter. 3. Considering Ryosaikenbo, in the movie, there are much the Ryosaikenbo concepts, for example “In Japan, it is still believed that boys and girls should be brought up in different ways” (p.181). Did you find a scene that explains it well? Comparing with American culture nowadays, do you feel it is fair or not? Explain the reasons why you think so. A difference that I saw was that Suzu had to learn how to cook and clean after her husband while the husband had his career to focus on and provide for the family. She probably would have enjoyed being an artist more if she had the time for it instead of being a good wife. It is very different from Amercian culture nowadays. Women are must more free to pursue their own dreams rather then being locked down into fitting a form of a typical servant wife. 4. Considering Danjyo Kankei, unlike the tradition of Danjyo Kankei, did you see in the movie that men (husband, father in law, or good male friend) are subservient to females (wife, mother in law, sister in law, prostitute friend)? Explain the scenes and why you think so. I'd say that the women are subservient to the men in the movie as discussed in the Danjyo Kankei chapter. One scene that this was very apparent in was when Tetsu came to visit Suzu. First she had to ask permission for him to stay the night. After this, her husband decided that Tetsu had to stay in the shed without discussing it with his wife. 5. MOVIE- Why did Suzu lose her right arm? She lost her right arm when a bomb exploded and killed the little girl and took Suzus right hand. 6. MOVIE- What was the relationship between Syusaku and Rin? Rin and Syusaku grew up together and he wanted to marry her but she got sold to the red light district. 7. What do you think the meaning of her right arm? I think her loosing her right hand symbolized how much the Japanese people lost during the war. So many people had things taken away from them and had to somehow deal with that and move on with their lives however best they could. 8. My grandfather who just passed away was 100 years old. He was 1 km away from the ground zero. My grandmother was in Kure and she saw the mushroom cloud like Suzu saw. Do you have similar story in your family? If you do (would have), can you see the historical facts differently or not? Explain the reasons why you think so. My great grandfather was a slave for the Nazis. They worked him as slave labor in the fields. Most people think the Nazis were bad mostly to just Jews but they were actually bad to alot of different groups of people. 9. What Japanese key concepts that you have learned before (other than current 4 concepts) did you see in this movie? Explain why you think so. I saw chinmoku in scenes when Suzu was talking with Keiko. Especially when Keiko told her that she could go back and stay with them after visiting Hiroshima at the end of the movie. Kisetsu was also seen when they went to see the cherry blossoms blooming.

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Blog #15

Iitoko Dori(p.127) Iitoko Dori makes sense but I feel like it takes away some of the meaning from  a lot of ideas. “On the one hand, there is very little religious confilict in Japan, and even if the Japanese are exposed to new concepts, they do not reject them outright, because they have the ability of iitoko-dori, in which the best parts are adopted and used.” I feel like if you just pick and choose what parts of a religion you like, then you lose some of the important values from each religion so then what is the point of even following any of them? “Even if they know that bullying is wrong, they are not willing to stand up for their beliefs, because they are afraid of speaking out individually without a group consensus to back them.” This is a great example of how avoiding absolute ethical values can backfire. If you just pick and choose what’s the easiest values to follow then what is the point of even having values. Ikuji(p.135) I find the way Japanese raise their children very interesting and definitely see some advantages to it. “With time, it is difficult for children to go against their mothers’ expectations, and they even consider it shameful to do so.” I think this is a great advantage of the Japanese style of parenting because then the children will have great respect and honor for their parents. In America I see many kids who do not respect their parents or what they expect from them. “In Japan, people are expected to consider others first and foremost, and this is a prerequisite for proper behavior in society.” In America I think that children grow up thinking of what is best for themselves first and others second. Ryosaikenbo (p.179) I feel like the social expectations of women in Japan are very similar to many other countries, even here in the United States until maybe a century or two ago. "Such discriminatory stereotypes comes from a long tradition of division of labor in which men worked outside and women stayed inside to look after the home." In Serbia the men are usually found out working in the fields or with the animals while the women are at home cleaning or preparing food. "Anorexia nervosa, or binge eating, which young women especially suffer from, would not be exist if it were not for the womanliness which advertisements exemplify and men require." I think up until not too long ago the United States also promoted women to look thin and slim so that they would appear more attractive. Some women would develop eating disorders from trying to fit that image. I do not think that is as prevalent now as people seem to promote more of a healthy thicker body image. Danjyo Kankei (p.61) Male and female relationships in Japan seem very similar to how they are in older European cultures that I am familiar with. One small difference I noticed was when it said "An old Confucian adage says, for example, that a woman should in youth obey her father, in maturity her husband, and in old age her son." I feel like that is a bit different from Western cultures because we are generally brought up to respect our elders and listen to them, not have them listen to us. One big similarity I notice was when it said "Frankly speaking, most of them seem to want a kind of substitute for their mothers, in order to have wives do their housework like their mothers." In older American and European culture that's a common thing men looked for when seeking a woman for marriage.

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Blog #15

2 terms that I will be focusing on:

1)Gambari

2)Giri

2 questions related to terms:

1) What is the most extreme personal example of Gambari in your life?

2) Do you enjoy Giri or does it feel more like work or just an obligation? If someone gives you a birthday gift do you feel obligated to give them back an equal gift?

2 questions that are related to Japanese culture

1) Do you follow American pop culture more than Japanese?

2) How comfortable do you feel when meeting new people at school, work, or social events?

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B#13-Questions 4 Wind

1. Considering Nemawashi, the textbook mentions that “important decisions have been made well in advance through the process of Nemawashi” (p.161).  Did you find a scene that explained it well? Describe the scene and write reasons why you think so.

I think a scene that explained that well was when Jiro had asked his future father in law for his daughter in marriage. He knew Naoko wanted to marry him and he knew that German man would support the idea and he already knew the father in law liked him by that point so it was not much of a surprise that the proposal went well.

2. Considering Sempai and Kohai, Sonkeigo, Kenjyogo, and Teineigo expressions are shown in the oral conversation. However, nowadays it is shown by attitudes how to interact with other people (sempai to kohai /kohai to sempai), for example “third year students have great power in junior high and senior high schools” (p.191).  Watch the relationships between characters and describe the relationships that explain Sempai-Kohai relationships well.

The relationship between Jiro and Kurokawa demonstrated sempai kohai very well. Jiro greatly respected his boss which showed because his boss gave him an assignment that he didn’t want to work on. He wanted to work on his own idea but instead he finished the project for Kurokawa and also presented his own idea. Kurokawa showed respect for Jiro by hiding him from the secret police and taking care of him when they were looking for him. Jiro and his father in law had sempai kohai because he had to ask for the permission of his father in law before he could marry his daughter. His daughter also asked him for permission.

3. When Jiro asked Kurokawa to borrow his in-law-suite in order to spend time with Naoko, Kurokawa said “I can hardly approve of an unmarried couple living together”. Which Japanese concepts Kurokawa depended on to say that? Write the reasons why you think so.

I want to say Bushido let him to feel this way. This is because Bushido represents the Japanese honor system so for two people who are unmarried to be sleeping in the same house together would not be honorable for his household. I think Hedataru to Najimu could also contribute to his reasoning because he could be thinking that since they are not married their relationship is not far along for them to be sleeping in the same house.

4. Considering Omiai, Obviously Jiro and Naoko were not Omiai. If their situation were Omiai, do you think they would have married? Because of their love, Jiro ended up to be a widower. Is this happy ending for him or not? Explain why you think so.

I don’t think they would have gotten married. They fell in love because the circumstances of disaster brought them together and Jiro showed how much he would work to help someone. If they had just gone out on dates she probably wouldn’t have saw that. I think it was a happy ending for him because he was still able to spend time with a women that he loved very much.

5. Considering Nemawashi, the textbook mentioned “It is particularly difficult to take a totally opposite stance in Japan since opinions and emotions are often taken together as a whole” (p.161). It seems a little different in the movie when Jiro had a meeting to discuss the newest airplane” Why do you think it is different from what the textbook described? Think about the relationships between people in the meeting.

Jiro did not discuss the planes ideas with the employees in that room ahead of time. His plane offered many new revolutionary ideas that these people had not heard before and were not expecting so they assumed it would probably not go well. The only person that had some idea was Kurokawa.

6. Movie—What did Naoko do when her health got really bad?

First she went to a hospital then went to go move in with Jiro but they had to get married first. She lived with him up until before she died.

7. Movie—What did Naoko say in Jiro’s last dream with Mr. Caproni? Why do you think she says that to Jiro?

She told him that he had to live. I think she told him that because she had already left him and none of his planes returned so maybe he was feeling that he didn’t have much to live for anymore. Her as well as Mr. Caproni urged him to live on so that he could probably find new dreams to chase.

8. Jiro ended up creating his Zero fighter airplane used for the War. If you were Jiro, would you pursue your dream even if it would use for the bad situation?

That’s a very difficult question and it has been discussed before in an ethics class that I took at the University. The debate is that if you don’t create it then someone else probably will. Thinking from that aspect I suppose I still would follow my dreams but I can’t say for sure.

9. What Japanese key concepts that we have learned before (other than current 3 concepts) did you see in this film? Explain why you think so.

I noticed wafuku when characters were wearing kimonos and Jiro was wearing those sandals that were made from wood. I also noticed Gambari when Jiro was working long hours and very hard even by his wifes bedside so that he could finish his work and do it well.

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3/15 B#12

①Nemawashi(p.159) When I was working as an electrical engineer co-op I attended many big meetings. I can safely say they are pretty different than the Japanese business meeting style of Nemawashi. "So if one presents an entirely opposing point of view, no matter how logical or effective it might be, it will be seen by others as losing face and insulting, and such behavior in public is generally avoided." In many meetings that I have attended if there were issues with work that needed to be done or someone thought that there might be a better way to do it, they usually spoke out about it which was considered by the people attending. It did not usually come off as insulting or rude. "Nemawashi is widely used in Japan, but it often has a dark and negative image since it takes place behind the scenes." I agree with thinking that it is dark and negative because if two people were to present opposing viewpoints in a meeting it could seem like one is trying to manipulate against the other person. ②Sempai-kohai(p.187) I appreciate Sempai-hohai for still being prevalent in Japan today. I see too many young people being extremely disrespectful to people who are much older and wiser than them. "Vertical hierarchies have existed since the beginning of Japanese history and are still prevalent in daily life, especially in schools, where seniority rules are important". In my high school I feel like teachers weren't respected as much by students as they should have. Especially substitute teachers. "Many companies have begun to adopt the principle of "ability first," and lay off older workers if they cannot fulfill their job responsibilities satisfactorily." This makes sense to me because they are costing more money than younger people but maybe aren't as beneficial to the company as a younger person who works harder or smarter could be. ③Omiai(p.165) I don't think arranged marriage is generally the best way to find a partner. I feel like anyone could put on an act so that they seem like a good fit during the short dating period, and then turn into their real sometimes unattractive self afterwards. "To begin the process of omiai, a nakodo (go-between) helps make an initial exchange of information between two individuals and their families". I wonder what information is exchanged at this stage. Is it financial background or family background. It didn't really explain. "Through omiai, people can learn in detail about a large number of prospective partners." I wonder if since this book has been written if internet dating has taken over a large portion of people that would have otherwise used omiai. ④haragei (p.61) I think I would be quickly annoyed with this concept of haragei if I had to go do business in Japan. "In high-context cultures most of the information lies either in the setting or people who are part of the interaction. Very little information is actually contained in a verbal message." This would be frustrating because I could easily have trouble understanding something very important due to vague messages being given to me. "Silence, as a response, can be translated in many ways. It could be "yes," "no," or "I do not know," depending on the context." I think this also would be frustrating for me if I asked someone an important question and they just lingered to answer thinking I would understand how they felt about it based off of that silence.

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1) Blog entry #11—What makes YOU American?

Think you have lived in a different country for a long time. Someone asks you “Where are you from?” Your answer is “I’m from the United State.” Do you consider yourself an American? Or something else? What value do you put on being American? Why do you think so?

I do consider myself an American. I grew up in the United States from a very young age. I grew up learning the American culture through TV and friends that I had made through my young years. I feel very Americanized in my lifestyle, way of thinking, and way of acting. More so than I feel that I am Romanian. I value being an American because I think that the morals we grow up on here are to treat people very fairly even if they are different and that anyone can become successful no matter what their background is or how they grew up. I think this is a very great attitude to have because of the equality and opportunity it gives everyone. Despite being born in Yugoslavia I feel I am much more American than I am Romanian.

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B#10 Questions for Guesha

1.  Today’s Japan is very much like the West. The Japanese wear jeans and T-shirts, listen to Hip Hop, dance at the club to the dance music, sit on the couch, etc.  In modern Japan, geisha in Kyoto Gion district symbolize the old, traditional Japan. What kind of arts and lifestyle of traditional Japan does geisha, “a person of art,” maintain and practice?

They are often quiet which represents Chinmoku. They dress in traditional kimonos and make up which represents wafuku. They also pour tea and dance traditionally as was discussed in Bigaku, Wabi-Sabi, and the Do spirit of Japan.

2.   Considering Bigaku, the Japanese sense of aware means “people are aware of the beauty of full blossoms, of course, but are more touched and deeply moved when these blooms are falling or beginning to wilt” (p.37). Can you find a moment in which you can relate to this Japanese aware in your life? Describe your example and experience. Explain the reasons why you think so.

I have a passion for cars. I like old cars because they have so much character. It doesn’t matter to me if it has scratches or paint fade or doesn’t run well anymore. I still appreciate very much how beautiful it once was and love them for that.

3.   Comparing with the other Japanese films we have watched in this class, in Memoirs of Geisha, do you think it lost ma or aware because they speak English? Why? Why not? Explain the reasons why you think so.

I think it did lose some because you do not hear the beauty of the proper dialect or the pauses between parts in sentences. It felt like the movie was too Americanized so it wasn’t as real as it could have been. I feel like that about movies or shows that are dubbed as well.

4.   Considering Kisetsu, are there any events (e.g. Tanabata, Omisoka, etc) where you appreciate Kisetsu in the U.S.?  Find one and explain what it is. If you were Japanese, how would you enjoy the events differently from Americans.

During the winter I enjoy seeing Christmas lights at houses, buildings, parks, and lots of other places. It makes me feel happy and joyful that time of year because it reminds me of how beautiful the holiday season is and brings back nice memories from my childhood. If I were Japanese maybe I would think that the lights are just decoratory lights and aren’t very special.

5.   Considering Otogibanashi, in the film, can you discover “sense of emotional beauty, of a feeling of aware, which embodied in feelings such as patience and pity” (p.172). Describe the film and explain why you think so.

I think the sense of emotional beauty was most prominent in the scene when the chairman had first met Sayuri and bought her the cherry ice. The chairman felt sorry for her so he had compassion and was very nice to the poor girl. He even might have been late to his show because of it. The beauty of the store becomes even more touching when she was telling it to the Americans in the hot spring and the chairman remembered it and was happy that she still cared so much.

6.   Explain Wabi-Sabi with your own words. Compare the sense of aesthetics in your country with the notion of Wabi-Sabi in Japan.

Wabi-Sabi is the appreciation for, as well as seeing the beauty in, simplicity. In Japan they like very simple art, simple clothing, simple tea, simple music, many things like this. I have my own appreciation for it. In August I had traveled back to my home country for the first time in many years. I was so very much amazed as to how simple people live there. Many people still work in the fields growing crops or tending to animals for a living. In my village there are fountains that flow natural water out of the ground in front of peoples homes and anyone walking by can help themselves to drinking from them. Some people still travel by horse and carriage. It was beautiful to see people living such simple lives and being so content and happy with it. I miss being around that kind of lifestyle. It seemed more happy than how some live here.

7.   In the film, what scenes do you see Wabi-Sabi? Describe the scenes and explain why you think so.

One scene I can correspond to Wabi-Sabi was when Sayuri received a large amount of money but donated it to that temple for prayer. She could have bought something nice or had fun with the money but she was more wise and was content with living modestly. Another scene was when Sayuri was living in the mountains to hide away from the war. It was very beautiful the way everyone was working together in the river in order to provide from themselves. They were living a simple life just to be able to survive. 

8. Movie- how did Hatsumomo end up? What is the relationship between Sayuri and Chairman at the end? Do you think Sayuri is happy about the her life or not? Why do you think so?

Hatsumomo was kicked out after she fought with Sayuri and the house caught fire. It didn’t really show what happened to her after that. Sayuri and the Chairman finally got together in the end. I think she is very happy because that was her goal since she was a little girl.

9. Movie-Who did Okaasan adapt? What do you think Pumpkin’s life?

She adopted Chiyo but not her sister. I felt bad for pumpkin’s life because she eventually gave in to what appeared to be prostitution and that made me kind of sad. Also it was kind of sad how she was so bitter towards Sayuri towards the end.

10. What Japanese key concepts that we have learned did you see in this film? Explain why you think so.

I think many of the concepts we learned were in this film as was discussed in previous questions. There was definitely Bigaku, Wabi-Sabi, Chinmoku, and wafuku. Wafuku was seen with the traditional kimonos that the geisha would wear. Bigaku was seen in the traditional dance and music performed by the geisha. Wabi-Sabi was seen with the simplicity that the geisha lived by.

11. What do you think about the movie overall? Share your personal opinions.

I enjoyed the movie but some parts were hard to follow. I didn’t quite understand what was going on with the rice cakes. I had trouble telling the motives of some of the characters throughout the movie. Scenes where there was dancing or celebrations it was nice to see what that looked. The ending I thought was very touching and made me happy.

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B#9

①Bigaku

Learning about bigaku made me sad for Japanese culture. Although this can be seen in many cultures, romanian including, it is still sad to see traditional styles and arts fade out. “This is not the case with the Japanese sense of aware-people are aware of the beauty of full blossoms, of course, but are more touched and deeply moved when these blossoms are falling or beginning to wilt.” I think that’s a very romantic thing to be moved by. Instead of appreciating the best parts of life the most the appreciate the reality that comes after more. “Today, the Japanese language is changing as people express themselves more decisively and directly and sometimes become irritated with vagueness for its own sake.” I do think this is a good adaptation people have taken so that communication becomes less open to interpretation and so that you don’t accidentally take something the wrong way.

②Kisetsu

The seasons in Japan sound very beautiful. Spring and summer sound exceptionally nice. “The yukato is an exception. It is the most informal type of kimono and can be worn not only as pajamas or for relaxing after taking a hot bath but also for going out on hot summer evenings, and many people look forward to wearing this type of clothing when summer arrives.” I wonder how this corresponds with young people dressing more western like? Do they also still wear yukatos when going out? “Hanami last hardly a week, however, as the life of the cherry blossom is short, a fact that many Japanese poets throughout history have had cause to lament.” I would very much like to see one of these cherry blossom festivals because I love flowers and I feel like it would be very fun to enjoy them in the company of many others.

③Otogibanashi

Folk tales in Japan seem fairly different than the Romanian ones I remember from my childhood. “This is illustrated in folktales based on the notion irui-kon; that is, a person *usually a man) marries an animal that has transformed itself into a human being.” I do not remember hearing any traditional folk tares where someone marries an animal. Some of their folk tales seem to interestingly go against their cultural class system. “In this folktale, the woman is very active, in striking contrast to the tragic woman in the bush warbler tale.” This is interesting because since women were thought to hold small responsiblities in the household back then it is surprising that there would be such popular tales of brave outgoing women.

④Wabi Sabi

Wabi Sabi seems like a very beautiful concept that contrasts alot of what other ancient cultures appreciated. In many ancient cultures you see them use vibrant colors for clothes and paintings and decorations and wanting to plate things in gold and make them stand out. “From this, they gradually developed an attitude in which the forlorn and desolate was thought to contain its own inherent beauty, and leading a simple, austere life came to be thought of as elegant and tasteful.” To many other cultures a simple life wouldn’t seem elegant. It saddens me that this idea seems to have been lost throughout time. “Although millions of people continue to learn calligraphy, tea ceremony, and flower arrangement, most do so not to develop their own distinct inner sense of beauty but simply as an imitation of models.”

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B#8-Questions to Zero

1. Considering The Do Spirits of Japan, Zen Buddhism is “ So thoroughly integrated into the Japanese psyche…” (p.73). What kinds of aspects did you see in the film? Explain the reason why you think so. 

I could see the Do spirit in the way that Kentaro did not give up trying to find out who his grandfather really was. People kept telling him that he was a coward but he kept talking to more people until he found out who his grandfather truly was. This repetition and not giving up until he he pretty much everything I believe is a good reflection of the Do spirit.

2. Movie—Considering Hedataru to Najimu, what was the relationship between Kentaro, Keko and Kageura the first time they met? Why do you think Kageura act like that? 

When they first met Kageura was very stand offish and not welcoming towards them after Kentaro said that his grandfather was probably a coward. He didn’t want to speak to them and wanted them to leave until they had better knowledge of what really happened. He did not want them in his personal space being that ignorant.

3.Movie— Considering Bushido, what is the perspective of old people (Hasegawa,etc) toward Miyabe? What word did they use to describe Miyabe and why did they use the word.  

They called him a coward because he did not want to engage in air combat for fear of his life. According to bushido a warrior should not behave this way.

4. Movie—Considering Hedataru to Najimu and Shudan Ishiki, the sense of “uchi to soto” is more reinforced. What was Miyabe’s situation in the Kamikaze (around 1914). Think about the relationship between Miyabe and Izaki and answer the question and explain why you think so.

Izaki respected Miyabe a lot even though Miyabe went against the Kamikaze group mentality of being alright with dying. He was not well liked within the squadron because of his caution but Izaki still thought he was an amazing pilot.

5. Movie—Miyabe said to Izaki, “I don’t want to die” and Izaki felt an “intense loathing”. Why is that? Use the Japanese key concepts and explain why you think so.   

Because of Shudan Ishiki Izaki felt the same way as the group mentality of being ready to die for country. He felt that Miyabe was not honorable for wanting to live.

6. Considering Shudan Ishiki, what is the negative effect of groupism in this film?  Explain it comparing with Kamikaze and suicide bombers. 

The negative effect is that even Miyabe said that Kamikaze wasn’t a good way to go about war. It kills off your good pilots when they could live to fight another day. Even though this strategy was bad the group mentality was for it so most people weren’t questioning it. When Miyabe tried to say that the attack swas too far away and that it wouldn’t go well he was beaten. 

7. What is the connection between this film and “The Last Ronin”?  Do you see “bushido” in this film? How do you think it affected this war? Explain the reasons. 

I definitely see bushido and a connection between this film and The Last Ronin because once again a warrior was given the responsiblity of taking care of someone else’s family after their death. I think this affected the war because with Kamikaze many families must have been broken up from losing loved ones.

8. Considering Haragei, Haragei related to Amae, Aimai, and Honne to Tatemae, etc “~concepts are important in maintaining face and not hurting the feelings of others” (p.104). Did you see Haragei in this situation, the war? Did you see Haragei more because the situation is the war? Find the scenes and explain why you think so. 

I believe there was Haragei in the war. I think there definitely was more because of the war. In the scenes were Miyabe told the general or officer or whatever that man was that the pilot who accidentally crashed his plane was a good pilot he was pretty much non verbally saying that the general was not correct and that he didn’t know what he was talking about. The general understood what Miyabe was saying and then beat him. The students understood what happened as well and they were very thankful towards Miyabe after that.

9. Movie- To whom did Miyabe switch the plane and why did he do it? 

He switched planes with Kenichiro because he knew the engine wasn’t going to last so he wanted to fight to the death and for Kenichiro to live on and care for Miyabe’s family. 

10. Who do you think the person who saved Matsuno with bloody sword was? 

 I believe it was Kageura because he said that the sword at his house thirsted for blood and it hadn’t had it in a long time.

11. Considering the prior concepts we learned in our classes, which one did you see in this film? Explain why you think so. 

Shudan Ishiki was probably the most prominent concept that I remember from the movie for reasons discussed in previous questions. Also I would say Gambari was observed in the movie because of how hard Miyabe worked to be an amazing pilot and how hard he trained his students so that they would be great pilots as well.

12. What do you learn from this film? Tell us the most striking fact from the film.

I think the most striking fact that I took from the movie might have been that pilots actually had to sign Kamikaze forms before going out for those missions.

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B#7

①Hedataru to Najimu 

The way Japanese build relationships through hedataru to najimu is interesting in many ways. One interesting thing talked about was when the book talked about living together with family but still having privacy. “Each person has his or her own privacy even through they are in the same room.” It didn't go into too much detail about what exactly that meant. If I am in the living room or family room with my family and I see they’re on their phone sometimes I ask them what they’re looking at or what they’re doing. I wonder if that is being too personal in Japan. One thing I liked was the atmosphere of the hot springs. “Many elderly people go to hot springs not only for their physical health but also for a kind of psychological pleasure; it is a good place for escaping from solitude and mixing with others as part of a larger community in a warm atmosphere.” I notice around here elderly people like going to cafes or restaurants during the day to pass the time and maybe chat with others. I feel like hot springs would be a much nicer alternative to that. 

②Shudanishiki 

I think that shudan ishiki would cause it to be very difficult to make friends if one moved to Japan. “These three categories, two uchi and one soto, are said to be formed by one’s twenties and seldom change.” From the sound of this and other statements that say something along the lines of how Japanese alienate people outside of circles leads me to believe that if you did not grow up with certain people that there is a very small change that they will take you in as a dear friend. I also do not agree with the group mentality importance. Choosing the ideals of your social group over your own seems very dangerous and stressful. “In public, they try to maintain an attitude of support toward the group, even if their own personal ideas are at odds with group values, a typical example of honne and tatemae. in Japan.” I disagreed with honne and tatemae’s ideals of saying something to please someone else even though you don’t mean it so I’m not surprised I disagree with the group mentality as well.

③The Do spirit of Japan

The spirit of Do seems to be very similar to gambari. Some people follow Do to work extremely hard towards perfecting a skill. “Then there are patterns or forms to follow, practice is repeitive, and moves must be repeated thousands of times and perfected before new techniques may be learned.” This explains how long and hard people work towards being good at something. I feel like I should probably do this more in my life so that I could be a better student as well as worker. “Japanese companies have a lot of problems when there is no blueprint or manual to learn from”. I can relate to this myself. When I am doing homework or studying and come across a problem that looks very unfamiliar then I have trouble determining the best course of action to take to solve it. 

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B#6 Questions to Ronin

1. Considering Bushido, how did Magoza’s acting demonstrate Bushido? Choose two of his actions and explain the reasons.

One way Magoza showed Bushido was looking after Kane by orders of her father and keeping her safe and trying to make sure people didn’t know who she was as he had requested.

Another way was when he was meditating and he was saying how he had empty feelings and other traits of warriors.

2. “Giri does not have an equivalent concept~” (p.95). What is the difference between Giri and the English word “obligation” Compare and explain the differences of each word.

Giri is when someone does something nice for you so you feel like you must make sure that you return the favor and have them be happy even if it is at your own expense. Mogazo was spared his life by Kane’s father so he felt that he must obey his wishes to take care of his daughter no matter what. Obligations are when you are expected to do something because it would be morally right to do so. This is different because I feel like obligation has some more leeway as to you don’t necessarily HAVE to do what you are obligated to do if you don’t want to, it’s just the right thing to do. For Giri you generally really want to do the nice gesture and don’t necessarily feel forced.

3. Considering Bushido and Giri, what are the differences between Giri and Burshido? Using scenes from the movie, explain both concepts. 

Giri is when one person does something nice for you so you feel like you must return the favor somehow. An example of this can be how Kane wants to make a robe for Magoza because he is so nice to her. Burshido is when you have duties and morals as a warrior like when Magoza was asked who is the girl he kept her identity concealed because he promised her father that he will try to keep her identity concealed.

4. Considering the Japanese Ie system, what scenes of the movie represent this concept? Choose two scenes and explain the reasons.

One example was when the rich merchant man was saying that if Kane would be married into their family that she still wouldn’t be able to have all of the privileges of one of their higher class family members. Another example was when Magoza needed a letter just to be able to see the rich merchants because he was not of their rank. 

5. Considering the Japanese Ie system, what kinds of conflicts/contradictions does this concept bring into the relationship between Magoza and Kane?

A conflict was when Kane was asking if Magoza missed her while he was gone and he was saying something along the lines of since he is a warrior he cannot have those sorts of feelings for her and that he doesn’t need a women.

6. Considering the Japanese Ie system, “51 percent of people think that men are treated better than women in the family, while 40 percent think that men and women are treated equally”(p.124). What do you think about it comparing with American culture. Use your experiences and explain the reasons why you think so.

I think there is more equality here in America. Since the women’s rights movement women are treated a lot more fairly and usually receive the same wages as men in their profession. I would say women probably have more say in the household in America as well. If my parents are making a decision then usually both of them have to agree on the outcome, sometimes my mom even has more say than my dad. Sometimes my dad does have more say in something than my mom. It seems to differ on a case by case basis.

7. Among 3 concepts we learned in this session, what term does it fit to explain the following scene from the movie?

When Kichi heard that Magoza escaped from the important battle, Kichi was very confused and puzzled. Why was Kichi confused? Explain it using one of the concept and why you think so.

Kichi was probably confused because according to bushido it would not be honorable for a samuri to run away from his partners before a battle. He did not understand why Magoza would do such a thing so he was very confused and went to him to ask him why. This is not how bushido said a samuri should behave.

8. What do you think of Magoza’s acting at the end? Using citation from the textbook and guess the ending.

I think that even though Magoza told Kane that it was good that she decided to marry into the merchant family I think that he wasn’t too happy about it. He wants her to be happy and maybe he thinks that she will not be as happy with them as she would be if she stayed with him. I think in the end he will try and stop her from going into that family.

9. Considering the prior concepts we learned in our class, which concepts do they use effectively in the film? Why do you think so?

They definitely display bushido well in the movie as was discussed in previous questions. I think they use chinmoku well in the movie too because there are scenes when Kane and Magoza are talking where a question is asked and lingering silence communicates what the other person is feeling.

10. Reflective inquiry— Share whatever you want to tell considering your personal perspective.

I thought this movie would have more action in it. It ended up being more geared towards the drama of the situation. I still like it and think it is a good story so far. I wonder how much of it is true and how much actually happened. I feel bad that Magoza is trying to give away Kane even though he raised her from a baby and clearly will miss her a lot. She definitely cares a lot about him. I also like how at first Magoza was fighting off Kichi and didn’t want to tell him why he did what he did but after Kichi found out he wasn’t really upset with him. That shows strong bushido on Kichis end because he understood how important those duties were to Magoza. 

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B#5

①Bushido 

I find it interesting that the national morality of Japan had come from warriors who had developed it partially from Buddhism. One thing that seemed strange to me was seppuku. “As this case suggests, seppuku, or suicide by self-disembowelment, was the most honorable death for a samurai.” I feel like fighting to the death would be more honorable than taking your own life. Another thing that I found interesting was how it says that, “Moreover, in modern times, some Japanese are driven to commit suicide when they want to clear an unsavory reputation or when they want to apologize for their sings or mistakes in their company or family.” I find this interesting because for the Samuri it was saying that they would live by certain morals and a noble lifestyle so that they wouldn’t have any regrets when they die. If the Samuri strived to live a regretless death why would people now accept and glorify people who kill themselves because of the mistakes they made?

②Giri 

I very much like the idea of Giri. “Both these gifts require giving a present in return, called okaeshi: In Japan, “a person receiving gifts without doing okaeshi and sending gifts [in return] is regarded as being ignorant of social obligation.” I like this because sometimes when you do a nice gesture for someone like giving them a gift of paying for a meal or something and they do not put effort into returning the favor later on you feel almost as if you were just used and not respected. Giri helps prevent feelings like this. “According to a recent TV program, however, the cost of ochugen and oseibo gifts is almost equivalent to the cost of justice in the USA, meaning that the cost of keeping harmony in human relations and that of mediating legal disputes is almost the same.” This clearly shows that if people respected acts of kindness more here in Western culture then we would have less conflicts among each other.

③ Japanese Ie system

The older Japanese family system seems very different than recent American and European systems. For example Western culture never really worshiped their ancestors as spirits. “In this system, people worshiped their ancestors because it was believed that they provided the foundations of the existence of ie and looked after the family and guaranteed its welfare, and if people did not honor their ancestors, it was thought that they would be cursed.” This isn’t seen often in many European cultures. One thing I feel is unfair and rude was when it says that, “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.” I feel like that is a very selfish reason not to marry someone and it is very disrespectful to your elders who had raised you. This seems to go against the idea of worshiping your ancestors. 

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B#4-Questions to Blue

“Although the Japanese may not be conscious of aimai, its use is regarded as a virtue in Japan…” (p.9). In the film, find the scene that you think that aimai is regarded as a virtue and explain why you think so.

I think aimai was demonstrated when Kirishima was explaining to Endo that she liked her. This is because Endo could have understood it as she liked her as a friend or she could have taken it and she liked her as a lover.

Considering Aimai, you can see a lot in the relationship between Kirishima and Endo.  Describe the scenes and explain why they use Aimai in the specific scene.

A scene that demonstrated Aimai was when Endo told Kirishima that she didn’t want to move to Tokyo because she wasn’t there. They used Aimai in this scene because she had many reasons for not moving to Tokyo, not just because Kirishima wasn’t there.

What are the differences of schooling between Japan and US? Think about one Japanese key concept and explain it with the concept.

There is definitely more Kenkyo in Japense schools than in American schools. You can see how the class system more prominent between the teachers and the students. When  Kirishima was accused of falling asleep in class and the professor was being mean to her she was too scared to talk back to him like how some students might in America.

Considering Uchi to Soto, find the scene that you think that Uchi to Soto regarding the relationship between Kirishima and Nakano (Endo’s old friend)?

I felt Uchi to Soto between Kirishima and Nakano when Endo told Nakano about where she was going and what she was planning to do with that man instead of telling Kirishima because she felt more comofortable telling Nakano perhaps because they were friends longer.

When Endo asked Kirishima whether she listened to the CD, Kirishima answered that it was difficult because it was English. However, she hadn’t listened yet and one second later, she told her the truth. What kind of Japanese concepts you have learned before did Kirishima used in the situation. Explain it with Japanese concepts and why YOU think so.

Kirishima used Chinmoku at first by being silent and slowly saying that she did. She then felt bad about lying so she told her the truth that she hadn’t listened to it. She lied at first because she didn’t want to disappoint her.

Considering Chinmoku, what affect do you think Chinmoku in the whole movie gave to the audiences?

Chinmoku gave the movie much more dramatic effect. The dramatic pauses between phrases and words added meaning and depth to them. You would hang on to the dialogue waiting to see what they would say next.

MOVIE—What kind of college did Kirishima go and where?

She went to an art school in Tokyo.

MOVIE—What did Kirishima and Endo end up?

I think they are just friends at the end because Endo didn’t move to Tokyo with her, she just send her a letter and the video tape of the sea.

What did you think about the ending of the movie? What kind of Japanese key concepts do they use and why?

The ending played soft music and showed the sea. Endo did not talk much in her letter, she chose to just show the landscape. That demonstrated Chinmoku.

Reflective inquiry—-How does your brain work in regard to watch this movie? What is the most difficult concept for you that was shown in film very well but you don’t understand? Why is that?

I didn’t understand why Endo wasn’t more straight forward with her feelings. She chose to tell Kirishima what she wanted to hear instead of the truth. For example she said she was on vacation with her friends instead of with that guy. This was an example of  Honne to Tatemae.

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Blog #3

①Aimai

If I ever went to Japan I feel like Aimai would be one of the things I would struggle with the most. I prefer straight forward dialogue with others so the idea of people being very indirect with what they want makes me a bit uncomfortable. For example in the book it says, “When people are asked, “How did you do on the examination?” for example, they will answer, “Maa-maa” even if they did well.” If I were speaking with someone and asked how they were doing and they told me they just said they were doing alright then I might assume that something might be the matter with them or maybe I had done something wrong. The book also says “In Japan, however, if you against someone and create a bad atmosphere, your relations may break  off completely.” This would make me even more nervous in conversation. Accidentally misinterpreting something with duel meanings may lead to completely ruining a meeting or even a relationship.

②Uchi to Soto

Uchi to Soto does not seem unique to Japan, but the degree to which it is taken there I would say is unique. “Yet inside, walls consist of sliding doors made of paper so that privacy is kept to a minimum.” I feel like as people grow out of childhood privacy would become more desired especially once someone is married and starts a family. If everyone can hear what you are discussing through paper thin walls I feel like this could lead to a lot of conflicts arising in the households. I feel badly about how people of Korean dissent are treated in Japan. “They face discrimination in education, job opportunities and marriage prospects”. If someone is born in the same country as you how can you discriminate that they are so different that they do not deserve the same opportunities that you have. This is a very selfish attitude in my opinion.

③Chinmoku 

I myself am more often silent when in group conversations whether it be at work, school, or social. “The Japanese have long treated silence as a kind of virtue similar to “truthfulness”. I wish more of this would catch on in Western cultures because I feel like the less people know about a topic the more they want to discuss it when it should be the other way around usually. If I do not know much about something, I will normally listen to what other people are saying about it rather than throwing out my uneducated assumptions. In the past I have been frustrated when people are too silent and not too great at expressing their feelings. “In fact, it is not unusual for people to feel irritated and impatient when they cannot understand each other because their expressions are too indirect to follow.” It is not often that I’ve experienced this but when I do it definitely gets annoying because you want to know what the other person is feeling but they just cannot seem to express it well.

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B#2 Questions to Jiro

B#2 Questions to Jiro

1.Considering Gambari, the textbook mentioned that “As Matsumoto (1994, p.142) also notes, in Japan working hard and straining when serious are considered to be good; it is neglectful not to try hard, and the ideal is to make an effort seriously, regardless of the results” (p.86). Describe how Jiro approaches his job with the relationship with his two sons.

Jiro wants to accomplish as much for sushi as he can. He works morning to night in order to get as much work done as he can. He pushes both of his sons to apply themselves to their trade very diligently as well. His oldest son didn’t really want to work in sushi as he was growing up. He wanted to be a racecar driver. As he got older he accepted that it was his duty as oldest son to take over his father’s business so he became his most trained apprentice. After his father had his heart attack he took over the duty of going to the fish market to get the fish for the restaurant. Jiro pushes him so that when he finally cannot work anymore his son will continue on his legacy. His younger son also is pushed to work hard. Jiro told him once he leaves to start his own restaurant he cannot come back. He then said that he told him that in order to encourage him to be successful. 

2.  Considering Gambari, do you think Yoshikazu who is the oldest son will ever exceed his father, Jiro’s  gambari? Explain why you think so.

I cannot say for sure if he will exceed his father but from what I could tell from the movie he definitely has the potential to exceed him. It was said in the movie that people cannot really tell the difference between Jiro’s sushi and Yoshikazu’s so that tells me that Yoshikazu is already nearly at the same level of expertise as his father. As time goes by he could make the restaurant even better. Towards the end of the movie I believe he even said something alone the lines of that he wants to bring new things to sushi.

3.  Considering Kenkyo, which scenes do you consider Kenkyo? Explain why you think so.

There were many aspects in the movie where I could recognize Kenkyo in Jiro. A chef as successful as Jiro could easily let the success and wealth get to his head if he wanted to. An example of that could be Gordan Ramsay whom one might say flaunts an extravagant expensive lifestyle and belittles some people less successful than him. Instead Jiro lives a fairly simple lifestyle portrayed in the movie. He wears fairly modest clothes, didn’t really say what he buys with his money, and treats people very respectfully. After he won his 3 star award it said that he went on to work later that day. He didn’t seem to celebrate the award much. He was also modest when he went back to visit with his childhood friends and got along well with them after all the years. That shows modesty as well.

4.  Considering Kenkyo, when “Jiro” got Michelin’s 3 Stars, almost all Sushi was created by Yoshikazu. How important do you think Jiro is to the restaurant? Explain the reasons why you think so.

I think Jiro is still extremely important to the restaurant. Taking Kenkyo into consideration, he is the most senior one at that restaurant so he holds the most authority there. The one apprentice said he spent 10 years before he was allowed to make the egg dish. He then said that he tried over 200 times before Jiro would accept it as being good enough to serve. This shows how much power Jiro still holds in the restaurant. Yoshikazu may be making sushi but Jiro is still the mastermind behind the sushi itself. 

5.  Amae (dependence) is related to another characteristic of Japanese, Enryo (restraint) which stands alongside Amae in the Japanese human relationships. Is Amae present or is Enryo present in the relationship between Jiro and Takashi (the second son)? Use a scene in the movie that demonstrated this in order to explain your opinions.  

I definitely think Jiro demonstrated Enroy with his second son. In the scene when Takashi talks about his restaurant they discussed how Jiro told him once he leaves and starts his own restaurant he cannot come back. Jiro pushed him to succeed by leaving him almost much no other option. Jiro explained parents now who say the children can come back if things don’t work out aren’t doing the kids a favor because then they will not try as hard.

6. What is the advantage and disadvantage of Gambari in the U.S.?  Explain why you think so.

The advantage of Gambari is when you work extremely hard towards something you are capable of achieving great dreams and becoming very successful. This could be seen with Jiro working in sushi for 75 years and being one of the best if not the best in the world. A disadvantage is that you do not have much outside of work. Jiro said he doesn’t see his family at home much. I think family is an important part of life so I would definitely consider this a disadvantage. 

7. Write the BEST Jiro’s quote that shows Gambari very well. Why did you choose the specific quote?

A quote that demonstrates Gambari very well in the movie and I also saw online is when Jiro said, “Even at my age, in my work... I haven't reached perfection.” Even though Jiro scored that 3 star award and may be the greatest sushi chef in the world he still does not consider it to be perfect. This leads on to believe that he will work towards perfection as long as he can or die trying.

  8. Reflective inquiry— Among the four concepts, which one is the most difficult to understand. Analyze why you think so comparing with your own experiences and American (or your country’s) standard.

I think the hardest concept to understand was Amae. This is because the book made it out to sound like many people in Japan are dependent on each other. While helping each other is great I feel like the people should work to achieve more on their own so that if anything happens to the people they work with or rely on the people will still be alright moving on with work and life on their own.