Maiko's blog

essay about "sexuality"

2007-01-12T00:55:00.000-08:00

Most of the Japanese people are not willing to discuss the topic, “sexuality.” Though we have sex education at elementary school, middle school, and high school, it is usually just an explanation of the difference between men’s and female’s body, teachers taught words “birth control” and “abortion” (there was not detailed explanation but they just taught the word), and venereal disease. When I went to junior high school in Australia, I was very surprised to see Australian sex education which shows students various condoms. That was completely different from Japanese education. In Japan, sexuality shouldn’t be mentioned over even though it is for sex education.
Japanese people feel the topic “sexuality” is kind of taboo. As the Video made by Waseda students shows, they always say “はずかしい” when they discuss this topic. They always use pronoun instead of saying “sex.” Even parents avoid this topic. Before I left my hometown and started living alone, my mother just said, “I never want to nag you, but please be careful. It is always girls who will be hurt if something…..wrong happens.” Many Japanese people are now very confused because Japanese society came to fill with exaggerated information about sex but they are supposed not to talk about sexuality.

friendship

2006-12-14T19:58:00.000-08:00

In Japan, “ともだち　づきあい” ( or companionship) is too complicated. As White said, we have “group friends” and “shinyu.” Many Japanese people get relief surrounded by many friends. As the proverb says, “you can cross a dangerous suspension bridge if you have many friends,” or “you can run a red light with your friends… if everyone does it, don’t be worried…” It’s kind of strange concept. Why Japanese people get relieved in group?
Japanese people think following majority is virtue. So, they are always in group. But, as White said, the number of people who have trouble in establishing friendships is increasing. Though fear of relationship is not common in Japan, otaku people are very common. They are regarded as people who can communicate only with virtual people though the Internet. So, they are getting more and more difficult to establish friendships even if they want to make friends.
Japanese way of thinking is focused on grouping. These pressure “if you can not join the major group, you will be regarded as those who can not establish NOMAL friendships like otaku people…” is the most biggest reason why “hikikomori (reclusive and unsociable) people” and crimes like “enjyo kosai(sugar daddy business)” are increasing in Japan. There is similar phenomenon in Korea, but I heard not in America. So, I think the different friendships between in Japan and in America must be relevant.

Report; Materialism

2006-11-30T08:20:00.000-08:00

The media play the important role in modern material culture by connecting the industry and the consumer. Japanese material culture began in 1920s and the market is essential, now. The youth market targets the fifteen-year-olds who put importance on the identity. Especially in Japan, the entrance examination stresses them and they need something that makes their identity clear. They create trends for young people using the idea of young people that they must manage in group by having the same products. So, for gain the attention from the teenager, what the market do?

First of all, they research the youth trend by getting close to the younger generation. They use “katakana” method (put katakana name on the product or something, and it is attractive to younger generation). NHK, Hakuhodo Institute of Life, and Dynax use the same method to get close to the younger. Dynax provide the younger generation with the opportunity to get to know someone by the telephone system. Now, the market can get the information from “2ちゃんねる” which is the Internet site, and “mixi” which is kind of blog, and also, 価格.com where we can search the cheap products are used. The Internet is a great resource for marketing.

Secondly, any kinds of information about trends are published. For example, the fashion magazines drive children to buy the cloth by showing the model in fashionable style. Machikomi is kind of this information of trends. Machikomi means collect the trens information by observing the younger people who are in the street. The comic books are very familiar in Japan, so they are sometimes used as the trends creator.

And also, the market creates trends by themselves. For example, making character for the products is common method in Japan. Events for the product selling and using celebrity for CM are famous.

The spread of “kawaii” culture in Japan promote the material culture and this market. Japanese prefer cute cloths than tough or sexy cloths. The kawaii culture shows what Japanese material culture is. They enjoy cute material products in the moratorium span as cuteness makes them released from the responsibility.

So, In Japan, the old method is out-of –fashion now. For example, the exchange diary disappeared, then “mixi” and cell phone e-mail is common in Japan.

What is common between Japan and America is that even though the market uses different method (White said the magazines are not common in America), they target young people by getting close to them. Young people is a great target in this material culture.

Report; School

2006-11-10T05:11:00.000-08:00

I went to junior high school and high school in Japan. I went to so-called 進学校, which intends to improve students’ ability only for entrance examination. There was –surprisingly, no club activity. Students just spent time in studying. Teachers told students to study saying that happiest life will be there after students will pass the entrance exam (it’s a kind of visualized success as White said “the more you work, the better life you will have). It’s a serious problem that all students do is studying because some people leave university that they passed the difficult exam. They leave because they feel uncomfortable in university teachers recommended them. In Japan, many students choose highly evaluated universities which teachers recommend.
By the way, I was surprised that children seldom follow father whose workplace changed are strange for Americans. It is natural for us. Changing school is very serious problem for Japanese children because entering new school and group is too difficult in Japan.
As White said, schooling defines a child as a future member of society. Children learn how to manage social life by learning “sempai-kohai” hierarchy system in club or in the classroom. As White said, we learn “keigo” in order to smooth life in the hierarchy system. But I think most Japanese people learn “keigo” only for pretending to respect “sempai”. So I really suspect “sempai-kohai” relationships are important for social system.
Now, the news about bullying in school is very popular in Japan. The number of students who committed suicide because of bullying is increasing rapidly. It’s one of the most severe problem Japanese schools are facing. In Japan, “school partner system” is developed. The system is that volunteer school partner guide students who have any anxious or bullied. I think it will be very effective but difficult to expand because of lack of human resources.
I think schools have many problems but they are obviously important for every student. It can teach social relations in some way (if some of them seem doubtful for me). Schools must teach not only social relations, but also guide for students future and find the most effective way to solve the bullying problems.

report for the topic "family"

2006-10-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

The most surprising thing in this book was that family is blamed for every bad affect of adolescents. I don’t think academic pressure is caused by family. The pressure is owing to school system. Schools evaluate children only with score, not with volunteer work or attitude toward study. Schools emphasize tests too much, and it makes children feel academic pressure and frustrated. Family rather than softens the pressure than causes pressure. Family can support children economically and mentally though there may be some exceptions.
The reason why children feel frustrated is that the way of thinking is completely different. Adults know the world well, so they try to lead children properly. But children try to be independent because independence is required by society. Children want to do something -study, friendship, and so on- in the way they think best. Here, however, adults know the correct way to do something and they are sure it’s correct. So adults force children to do in the way they told, but children never obey. This mismatch causes the pressure in family, I think.
Also, I don’t think the divorce makes children distressed. I heard that some children –although not every- say the divorce of their parents made gave them peace because they need not to see the domestic violence. I know that this is a special situation, but I think the idea that divorce is very bad for children is wrong.

Self-introduction

2006-10-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

はじめまして！　
奥野麻衣子（おくのまいこ）です。
早稲田大学で勉強しています。
Now, i am studying many foreign languages at waseda uni; Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean.
my native language is japanese, and also, i can speak 関西弁 which includes with a certain accent.
Also, i am interested in linguistics.

出身は京都です。
京都は、観光地として有名です。
it's famous for temples and maiko. (its spell is same as my name, but the pronounce is different)
祖母、父、母、妹、弟、そして私の、６人家族です。

よろしくお願いします！

test

2006-10-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

test