Blog 7

Blog 7

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

Firstly, he obeyed the order to raise his master’s daughter, Kane, even though he knew that it would make him look shameful and maybe even cause him harm.  He knew that, because he could tell no one the reason he left the night before the revenge, he would look like a coward who was scared to die.  This causes him to give up samurai status and also makes him a target of violence from other samurai.  However, in true “bushido” fashion, he accepted all of the risks and devoted his entire existence to the task he was given.

Secondly, he continues this mission long after his master was dead.  Technically, he is no longer tied to the house he served, since his master was dead and he is essentially an exile.  He has even given up the title of samurai, and the social recognition that goes with it.  Even so, he does not give up.  He has devoted his entire life to this task, and he will not stop until it is complete, regardless of circumstance.

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.

 I think that the main difference between the two words is that of specificity and connotation: while “giri” is an obligation to those one owes a debt of gratitude, such as close friends and family members, the English word “obligation” is used much more broadly – it refers feeling that a certain action is required socially.  In English, we can feel obligated to a complete stranger.  (For example, imagine that a stranger has held the door open for you as you enter a restaurant.  After eating, if you and that person are both exiting at the same time, you may feel obligated to hold the door open for them as a way of repaying them for opening the door for you.)  The reasons for obligation in English is also different – for instance, we may feel obligated to not speak to those we share an elevator with because of existing social “rules”.  “Giri”, on the other hand, refers to repaying a debt of gratitude; meaning that “giri” only exists when one has done something helpful for you.   There is also a matter of connotation: in English, the word obligation carries a slightly negative connotation, as if you have been locked in to a certain action regardless of your will.  From reading the entry on “giri” in the text book, I feel that “giri” has a positive connotation because it has its origins in creating a cohesive community.

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

“Bushido” is a set of rules developed and followed by samurai in regards to their devotion to their master.  “Giri”, however, is applied to everyone, not just samurai. 

As discussed earlier, an example of “bushido” is the way Magoza fully devotes his entire life to the task given to him by his master. 

“Giri” can be seen in the interaction between the wealthy merchant Magoza; when the merchant wants to know who the beautiful girl his son saw at the theater was, he asks for Magoza’s aid.  Even though Magoza has no desire to help him find out Kane’s identity, he feels obligated to help the merchant because of the favor the merchant did him by purchasing his goods.

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

We can see the “ie” system in play in the wealthy merchant’s household; the merchant works hard to gain Kane for his son’s bride, effectively ordering everyone else around in order to do so.

The “ie” system is also seen in the first scene of the movie, when the widow gives the gold she has received to her husband’s shrine and calls him “my honored husband”.  Even though he has been dead for almost twenty years, she still reveres him as the head of the household, symbolically giving him the money she has just received.

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

According to “ie”, Magoza and Kane cannot truly be together, because it is Kane’s obligation to marry well, and it is Magoza’s obligation to assist her in that.

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’m a feminist, so this could go on for quite a while.  I will try to keep this answer short.  In America, we are trying to move forward to a society where men and women are treated equally.  We have definitely made strides in the right direction, but we are nowhere near done yet.  Women still make less money than men doing the same work in many fields, and there are still many people (and politicians) who feel that women belong in a lower social hierarchy than men, including the group of people who show up on campus every semester with their “women belong in the kitchen” signs. 

7. Considering Omiai, “The wish of the people who were getting married were most often ignored….” (p.166). What was Magoza’s wish as the head of the family? Kana refused the initial Omiai because she likes Magoza, but once she understood how Magoza felt about this Omiai, she told Magoza to accept Omiai. Here it is said “wish” meaning is NOT “wish that she doesn’t like the son” but “wish that she doesn’t want to get married because of Magoza.” Does it mean that Kana’s wish is ignored?

I’m not entirely sure what this question means. I think that both characters try to cope with the fact that their duty requires them to set aside their personal desires in order to obey society’s expectations for them.

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

I think that Magoza will stay true to “bushido” and allow Kane to marry the merchant’s son.  I also suspect that, once the marriage happens and his task is complete, Magoza will commit suicide, ultimately giving his life to his task, demonstrating the nature of “absolute submission and self-sacrifice” (45).   

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

I think this movie is an excellent portrayal of the origins of many of the concepts we have studied.  Many of the entries in the book state that the origins of the concepts we study are based in history, so it is interesting to see one of the most important historical eras of Japan.

Blog #6

Blog #6

The part of the discussion that struck me most was the fact that Japan has the highest suicide rate in the world.  I’ve been wondering why.  At first, I considered over-working: the influence of gambari had forced people to feel insecure and inferior, no matter how hard they worked.  In Western culture, though, many people struggle from feelings of inferiority, and our culture also values hard work.  Yet, even with a much larger population, we have a lower suicide rate in the United States.  I wondered about Japan’s rich heritage and long-standing traditionalist culture.  Is it that people feel trapped?  Do people feel as if they cannot escape the traditions they don’t admire?  Or is it the rigors of social order?  Do some people feel ostracized in a culture where community is everything?

In the end, I realized that suicide is a deeply personal decision.  Every person in the world would have a different reason for wanting to end their life; everybody struggles with different problems.  Maybe we have a lower suicide rate in the United States because help is more readily available to those who struggle to cope with whatever problems they might be facing.  In the past, admitting to a weakness would have been unforgivable, and an adult – even a young adult – who stood up and said “I’m not ok, and I don’t know what to do” would have been accused of being weak and told simply to “toughen up”.  In recent times, however, our culture and society seems to have accepted each other’s weaknesses.  As a nation, we’re starting to appreciate what our neighbors and co-workers and even family members might be fighting against.  Now, it is not only acceptable but encouraged to seek one of a myriad forms of therapy. 

Maybe, due to the limits created by ideals such as aimai, chinmoku, and kenkyo – social constructs that all idealized silence and restraint in order to keep a community peaceful – those who need help in Japan feel as if they cannot speak out; maybe they feel trapped in a world where asking for help is unacceptable.

Blog #5

                “Bushido” is “the ethics that were formed among the samurai” (41).  The samurai are known (at least in Western culture) as legendary ancient warriors; a more accurate way to describe them would be as private police.  They were “self-defense groups to protect private manors and maintain public order” (41), and they were always high in social ranking, so it is not surprising that their “code” would be adopted by the whole of Japanese culture as a moral and ethical guideline.  Bushido “involved not only martial spirit and skill with weapons, but also absolute loyalty to one’s lord, a strong sense of personal honor, devotion to duty, and the courage, if required, to sacrifice one’s life in battle or ritual” (41-42). 

Giri is one’s “social obligation”, and is based in “bushido”.  It ties back to the idea of community being more important than the self.  Defined as “1) moral principles or duty 2) rules one has to obey in social relationships, and 3) behavior one is obliged to follow or that must be done against ones will” (95), “giri” would help with community cohesion by forcing all the individuals in the community to obey a set of rules that help the community work together without offense.
                “Ie” is defined as “a network of households related through their respective heads, comprising of main houses, branch houses, and the branches of branch houses traced down through generations” (119), but it is more than just the physical household and the members that live within it.  An ancient social order that places a single male at the head of a community, “ie” was the basis for most of Japanese government until modern times.  The father is in charge of the household, which includes not only immediate family but servants, servants’ family, and extended family.  The household passes through male offspring, although (surprisingly), the parentage of the successor is not as important as it would be in Western culture.  In ancient Western culture, step-sons or adopted sons could not succeed their father (step-father or adoptive father) as head of a household.  In Japan, however, the ability of the successor is more important than their parentage; although a family’s line might not be “direct” in the Western sense (father to son, all connected by blood), it is able to be traced through centuries.

“Omiai” is the system of arranged marriage in Japan.  It is based off of ancient ideals of tying communities closer together through family alignment.  It is still, to some degree, used today, although not in the same manner as it was in the past.  Today, young women are not so much forced into a marriage they wouldn’t naturally chose, but rather, screen potential husbands by the same criteria that their parents might have in the past, choosing a partner based on social-economic information instead of emotional attachment.  The “omiai” system is endorsed by Japanese government, as the list below describes:

·         “Through omiai, people can learn in detail about a large number of prospective partners”

·         “It costs less money finding a marriage partner through omiai than using a marriage agency”

·         “Women who do not want to marry an eldest son and live with their husband’s family can find other suitable partners”

·         “Omiai includes parents in the process of selection, thus avoiding later conflict”

·         “People can determine whether or not a prospective partner meets their standards and can get to know something of one another’s character and sense of values through tsurisho [a document that families interested in marriage exchange]”

·         “People do not have to suffer many of the negative consequences of dating, such as finding opportunities to meet others or suffering face-to-face rejection.  Japanese people are often very busy and do not have the time or energy to meet and date a variety of prospective partners, so omiai provides a meaning of overcoming this obstacle” (166-167)