Blake Foster
Winter Quarter Japan Exchange 2010-2011
Women In Japan
To quantify Japan as a male-dominated culture would be accurate, but at the same time missing a bigger picture of the culture itself. The way in which Japanese people interact with the opposite sex remains traditional even after feminist movements in Japanese have propelled women into higher societal positions than the role described in the old Japanese catchphrase “Good wife, wise mother”. Femininity and vulnerability remain desirable traits in women, and the effects of feminist movements have not influenced Japanese women to try and emulate their male counterparts. Homemaking is still highly-regarded and virtuous on some level, even as women entering the workforce makes it difficult to settle into a traditional marriage lifestyle, which is still sought after by Japanese men. The view of sexuality and gender roles in Japan makes some behavior and interactions that would be deemed sexist and reprehensible in American culture appear normal and acceptable in many settings. This makes lawsuits for sexual harassment in the workplace a contentious debate, as some forms of behavior that are thought of as normal (many women who work office jobs have to tolerate or give in to their male superiors' advances or flirtations, on some level, in order to progress in the corporation) by men are progressively being viewed as unacceptable by young women (I admit, I cannot cite these claims directly other than what I have come to understand through personal experiences; I cannot claim this as a cultural norm and have no intention to). An example of how women are treated in group settings is from the Folk Song Club- one older female member is particularly well-endowed, and many male members jokingly make excuses to get a first-hand feel. Her response to it is embarrassment but not indignity. While nobody but the person can vow for how they feel about the situation, the amount of respect she receives in the club does not change in spite of the sexualization she receives from male members. In short, she does not seem to care. Female members who do care are not treated the same way and their personal space is respected. This behavior may not be all that uniquely Japanese, but the view on such behavior in the United States is somewhat of a contrast (I probably would be lynched for the type of spin I have already written in this paper by feminists at Evergreen). Another case came from meeting some students at a neighboring school next to the University of Hyogo, which was a group of male and female students. One of the male members of the group made sick and twisted jokes about one of the girl's bodies in front of everyone (funny because based on her actual appearance the jokes were baseless), which drew laughter from her and all the other group members, male and female alike. The two were probably dating and therefore made the jokes “appropriate”. If this occurred in the United States, however, I cannot imagine how offensive it would be to most people. The sexist nature of the situation seems like a big deal to an American witnessing it, but on appearance, the situation is normal to the Japanese. The normality of such gender relations brings into question its nature: are Japanese women in these situations being oppressed in a chauvinistic way, or is it simply how genders interact? How are women exploited in Japan? Dogmatic views on gender relations found both I conservative and progressive elements of American culture would dictate the answer, but in Japan's case, gender roles are not the same as they are in the United States and other Western civilizations. While I do not want to get into a full-on study about gender or feminism in Japan, there have been several aspects of Japanese culture and society that have provoked some thoughts about the subject.
First off is the adult entertainment and sex industry in Japan, or in broader terms, an industry of women being employed to entertain men in a variety of ways. This industry is an undeniable and integral part of Japanese society, particularly prevalent in Kobe, namely the Sannomiya area. Surely, the amount of pachinko parlors in Japan draws a connection between the gambling industry and sex industries (just as there is little wonder as to why prostitution is legal in Las Vegas). A common progression for Japanese men is to win big at pachinko and spend the money on adult services. While sex is the basis of these industries in Japan, it should not be confused as a simple matter of prostitution, as in a majority of situations, prostitution has nothing to do with the service being provided (I would like to explicitly state that I do not know about prostitution or these industries in Japan from experiencing it myself, but as the culture in Japan is so common it is hard not to learn about it through others, whether it be people met around Kobe or from people within school clubs like Folk Song). Just as the traditional geisha culture is often misrepresented as prostitution in Japanese history, the culture of women entertaining men still exists in Japan in many forms. Geisha were entertainers foremost, and not always there to provide sexual services to patrons. In this tradition, there are various types of bars and clubs that provide similar experiences.
The most common and flashy of these are Cabaret and Clubs (キャバクラ Kyabakura short for “Cabaret Club” in Japanese rendering). They are easy to recognize in their gaudy and exteriors and the amount of hosts and hostesses outside of them calling people to come in and spend money. These establishments advertise their rates outside, often charging a cover fee of 6,000 yen (around $60) for 60-90 minutes. In these clubs men pay the cover fee and are given private rooms where beautiful young women talk to them and flirt while coaxing the customers into buying expensive drink and food items for them off of menus. Most of these places have strict policies and do not allow anything beyond what the rules state. Many of the women who work at these places are only allowed to interact with customers within the work setting, and are not allowed to give out their actual contact information. In addition to being attractive to the eye, these women have to be entertaining and skilled in conversation in order to get a steady flow of customers. Although these clubs usually do not offer sexual services to customers, Japanese men, particularly salarymen, will drop loads of cash on these places when they are out on the town. I knew one girl who worked at a Cabaret at school, and she seemed embarrassed by the fact that she worked there, as the culture is generally frowned upon by Japanese society even with its massive presence in many large cities.
A step down in the pricing range and elaborateness of Cabaret are Girls Bars and Lounges. Both of these types of bars have beautiful women working at them to attract male customers, and have hourly charges in the form of “all-you-can-drink” specials that usually cost about 5,000 yen for an hour. Although all the girls usually work in one place, customers still can request their favorites to serve them while they are in the bar. Customers also request working girls to sing karaoke with them and sing themselves. These types are more popular for female college students, as they are generally safer and have less of a seedy reputation than the aforementioned Cabaret clubs. When I asked a girl from the Folk Song Club who worked at a Lounge in how it was different from Girls Bars, Cabaret and other adult services, she explained that it consists of sitting in the customers' laps and feeding them food by hand, among other things, but nothing overtly sexual. When I asked if she felt it was wrong that young girls are exploited in such jobs, she completely disagreed. She said that the money is good, and that uglier women can find jobs using their intellect and talents, and that pretty women can make their own money simply through their looks. The confidence in which she spoke about the type of work she did provided a counterpoint to how progressive-minded Westerners would typically view such work. Another girl from the Folk Song Club, however, who worked in a Girls Bar, hated a majority of her work, as the nature of it can be extremely stressful and tiring especially to a college student. She later quit working at the bar because of the stress.
A more traditional type of bar in Japanese culture are Snack Bars. While the aforementioned types of clubs and bars mainly exist in urban areas with much younger customer bases, Snack are located in more rural and residential areas and usually are visited by middle-aged to elderly men. These bars are run by women who work both the bar and sit and pour drinks for customers, offering conversation. These type of bars are generally considered the least ill-reputed in terms of the adult industry, as they often simply entail drinking with women. Customers also more commonly interact with the women outside of the bar setting as well. The women who work at Snack tend to vary in age from lower-middle age to college-age. The more conservative nature of Snack contrasts to the flashier and eroticized Cabaret.
These adult establishments offer men (there are also locations that cater to women and, undoubtedly, gay customers in that there are all-male Cabaret and Boys Bars) a chance to interact with women in a controlled environment, so that they know what to expect and can relax rather than trying to interact with the opposite sex through self-willed approach, as is often the case in the bar and club scenes in the United States and other Western countries. On the surface they appear exploitative of women, but to look at it in that way alone would ignore the intricacies of gender relations in Japan.
Another emerging trend that exists beyond the adult industry is the entertainment industry in Japan itself in its production of all-female musical groups such as AKB48. Originally formed in the electronics district of Akihabara in Tokyo, AKB48 has become a major cultural phenomenon in Japan. While similar groups came before, such as Morning Musume, the way that AKB is marketed captures not only a male fan base but a prominent female fan base who even look up to the members as role models. Beyond simply being pop idols, they are the voice of pop culture in Japan. Because of the popularity of AKB48, similar groups from Korea such as Girls Generation and Kara have gained massive followings in Japan. The music that these groups produce almost becomes secondary to the merchandising that includes DVDs and scantily-clad photo books that are sold. AKB also has a prominent following in Korea and other Asian countries, leading to a possible trend of trading girls as pop culture commodities as an industry. The reason for it being a trade comes from the fact that girls who become too old for the group are released from their contracts and younger girls are recruited, sometimes as young as ten years old, to be the next generation of the pop group. Their adolescence and young adult lives are consumed by touring and receiving the spotlight, and many ex-members who are less popular move into adult entertainment (many pornographic magazines advertise the debuts of former AKB members). More so than Cabaret and Girls Bars, this kind of industry does more to exploit women in that they are treated as products, tempting young girls into a life of stardom that usually only lasts temporarily, often depriving them of a normal childhood.
As a foreigner and a man I cannot attempt to understand what the women who work in these industries feel, and the amount of abuse and exploitation that undoubtedly goes on in the shadows. To demonize the culture as simply being chauvinistic and sexist, however, would be to miss the larger picture of gender relations in Japan. The conventions of gender roles may not work for all Japanese, just as they do not work for all peoples of any society, but the functions of these relations in society are still valued as an important part of Japanese culture by both women and men alike. Whereas feminism in the West might dismiss gender roles such as homemaking as a way of keeping women in a subservient position to men, the role in Japan is still well-respected. Television commercials in Japan would likely be deemed too sexist in their portrayal of gender roles, such as laundry detergent commercials portraying energetic women balancing their morning duties like making breakfast for the family, getting the children ready for school and taking care of the laundry. Even though the gender roles portrayed in Japanese society are still a basic part of the culture and society, the real problem comes not so much from gender issues as it does from the outdated nature of Japanese work institutions that are less compatible with a more Westernized younger generation of Japanese. Japanese women often want careers and family, but the way that employment works in Japan makes it extremely difficult for women to do both. While gender relations will inevitably evolve and have evolved in post-World War II Japanese society, it will likely be a change in Japanese work institutions that include both sexes rather than being simply being an issue of gender.
In spite of the nature of what I have discussed in this paper in terms of women in Japan, there are several aspects of moder Japanese culture that are empowering to women. The way that girls play a role in school clubs like the Folk Song Club has been impressive in that female members can express themselves and stand out playing music with all-female groups, and are equally valued along with male members. Some behavior which would be considered sexist and inappropriate in the United States that is normal for many Japanese in terms of gender relations may make it hard to judge how women are valued in Japan, but it is important to remember the vast differences that make up foreign cultures before applying judgement. On this exchange I have learned more about gender relations in Japanese culture and how it contrasts to the United States. Though I do not agree with all of it, I respect the fact that as a foreigner I cannot ever fully understand how other cultures interact, but that the attempt to do so provides valuable insight that can help bridge the cultural gaps in understanding gender roles.
No comments:
Post a Comment