The issue that I have always found intriguing is the dark side of Japanese culture because on the surface, it appears that Japan is a well-organized and a traditional society; however, the agonizing truth is that my culture is full of contradictions.
Most Japanese people are fully aware of their dark side; however, most choose to practice what the Japanese would say “mite mitenai furi” or in other word, we chose to not acknowledge what is blatantly obvious. One issue that comes to mind is the issue of the recent low birth rate that is being experienced in both Japan and Korea. It is estimated that there are more senior citizens living longer lives versus babies being born, thus begging the question of the future of the Japanese Social Security also known as MOFA. MOFA is considered universal and comprehensive because it combines both public pension and medical insurance. The low birth rate is jeopardizing MOFA because who will be paying into MOFA if the population is already on the decline? It was estimated that during 2022, the birth rate has fallen to its lowest rate of 799,728 recorded birth versus in 1982, it was recorded at 1.5 million. The low birth rate crisis in Japan is being perpetuated by vital concerns such as the high cost of living, working unpaid overtime is considered the norm, expensive and few daycare centers, lack of funding from the government to assist parents with young children, sexless marriages on the rise, and the rise of Japanese women choosing higher education and careers over getting married to start a family.
Another issue that is at the forefront of the dark side of Japan is the “kodokushi” or lonely deaths that appear to be on the rise. It is estimated that people as young in their 30’s and 40’s have been found dead due to living alone, perhaps suffering from a chronic illness with little to no communication ties with family, friends, or the outside world. These poor souls are discovered only when their bodies begin to decompose, and a neighbor reports an unbearable smell emanating from the decedent’s apartment or house. Another issue that goes hand in hand with kodokushi is hikikomori or social reclusion. Quite often, those who die alone has fallen out of touch with their family, friends, or neighbors, in addition to pretty much keeping to themselves to not “burden” others with their problem.
Lastly, another topic at the forefront of the dark side of Japan is discrimination on all levels amongst its own people. Japanese people in general resist change because their philosophy is “if it works, why fix it” thus, clinging to the traditional ways and not allowing for individuality to flourish. One can be discriminated against for reasons as simply as being disabled, being divorced, being a single parent, lacking higher education, not earning an “adequate” salary, inability to climb the corporate ladder, inadequate financial and social ranking, a family member who has been incarcerated or has connections to the underworld, being a woman, migrants, asylum seekers, ethnic Koreans, LGBTQIA people, and choice of profession to name a few.
Quotes:
1. “When we protest, we are also demonstrating to the world who we are, what we believe in, and how we’d like the world to be,” page 90.
This quote is poignant for this assignment because my “concerns” are basically.
Form of protesting the social injustice and prejudice directed at the vulnerable population. I feel that whenever we feel the need to discriminate against another person because he/she does not meet our expectations, we are sending a signal that we feel some sort of superiority complex towards that person, thus we are minimizing and discounting them. Furthermore, we are also revealing our personality indirectly because we are demonstrating our shallowness and the need to feel superior to others by putting others down.
2. “In order for history to be useful, we need to use it-to learn from it and then put those lessons into action,” page 129.
Japanese parents are known to “brainwash” their children from a very young age, and I was no different; however, after I moved out of my parents’ house some twenty-five years ago, I began to define life on my own terms and consequently, began to question all that I was taught about what it means to be Japanese. Although I was raised in a strict and traditional Japanese household, it was my father that implanted the seed of questioning authority whenever I felt something was wrong or unjust and not to simply follow the crowd. I was also taught how to think on my own and to not rely on others for anything. I am no longer afraid to “think outside the box” even if that means that I stand alone in my convictions and allowing my moral compass to guide me and something that was set during my formative years by my father.
References:
Annual Births in Japan Below 1 million for Third Straight Year. (2019, January 15). Nippon.com. https://www.nippon.com/en/features/h00365/
Bremner, M. (2015, June 26). In Aging Japan, Dead Bodies Often Go Unnoticed for Weeks. Slate Magazine. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2015/06/kodokushi-in-aging-japan-thousands-die-alone-and-unnoticed-every-year-their-bodies-often-go-unnoticed-for-weeks.html
Koreans living in Japan without nationality. (2018, June 6). Koreatimes. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2018/06/103_250233.html
Pictures of Life in Isolation: Japan’s Hikikomori. (2018, February 14). Photography. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/japan-hikikomori-isolation-society
Stokes, B., & Devlin, K. (2018, November 12). 3. Perceptions of immigrants, immigration, and emigration. Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project; Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2018/11/12/perceptions-of-immigrants-immigration-and-emigration/
Tokyo court upholds same-sex marriage ban but also offers hope for equal rights | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News. (n.d.). NHK WORLD. Retrieved May 14, 2023, from https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/2152/
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