Wallpaper Wednesday – August 2010 Edition
Posted in Personal by lunarskye | Tags: Personal, Wallpaper
Wow, it’s the end of August already, which means it is time for our monthly wallpaper cache. Enjoy and feel free to contact us if you have any wallpaper you’d like to share and have posted! Read more »
The Enigma of Gender Roles in Japan and the Takarazuka Revue
Posted in News/Opinion by Lithobolos | Tags: Feminism, Gender, Japan, News/Opinion
In my opinion, despite all the media that it exports to America and the whole world, Japan’s cultural personality is very hidden and confusing to even the well educated. I guess it is hard to really apply our sociological imagination, or our ability to connect the dots between group and individual actions and motivations, to a different culture like Japan.
The greatest difference that always seems at the forefront in my thought is American individualism versus Japan’s sense of duty, collectivism, and strict norms on public behavior. Another is the competitiveness and inflexibility of their educational system. There is also the perception of widespread xenophobia and racism in Japan, which may annoy or infuriate a Japanophile and make the idea of relocating very troubling.
Though these differences are great, I believe that one of the greatest areas of misunderstanding deals with the personality traits of Japanese women in a country seemingly defined by strict patriarchy and media portrayals of women that seem incredibly shallow compared to even Hollywood standards. The stereotypes, ranging from the hyper super cute anime character to the shy, “better seen not heard” student, worker, or wife, contrast greatly against the dynamic roles often played by and lived by men in movies, business, and politics.
One recent example I discovered, which both entertains and illustrates just how much I don’t know about this area, is the Takarazuka Revue. The Takarazuka Revue is a theater company composed of an all female cast which was started in 1913 as a sort of response to there being no women in Kabuki (traditional Japanese all-male theater). Since its inception, the Takarazuka Revue has become a huge hit and draws millions of fans. Read more »
