Blog#4 Bushudo, giri, ie system

Bushido

                “Live admirably and honorably in order not to have regrets when they died” (45). This quote reminded me of the term “YOLO”, which means “you only live once”. This is usually used to excuse regrettable or idiotic behavior. I found it interesting that the Japanese, when faced with death, find the need to live admirable; whereas, Americans, when faced with death, live more selfishly. The two cultures definitely have a different meaning of the phrase “live without regret”

                “Because they may think that suicide is the easiest way to be released from all pain.” (49)This was relevant in the first movie we watched. I am curious to know what the different motivations for committing suicide are in Japan and America. I am also curious to know if Japan is, like America, affected by clusters of suicide. In America it has been documented that suicide, especially among teenagers, are more likely to happen in clusters over the period of a couple months. (It is thought that this occurs because kids see the attention that the dead kids receive and want that for themselves.)

Giri

                “A custom of returning something for goodwill” (96). This is very similar to karma. I was interested in the history behind giri and how it relates to Japanese seasons and farming. I am curious to know how the concept of good and bad karma became part of American society.

                “Contemporary Japanese society in custom of giving presents in the summer and at year’s end, called chugen and seibo, respectively.” Learning about when and why Japanese give gifts made me wonder if they celebrate birthdays. In America birthdays are (depending of the individual and whether or not it’s a “major” birthday) widely celebrated. This makes sense because birthdays celebrate independence and individuality, which are core concepts of American culture. However, in Japan the group is more important than individual recognition; therefore, I and curious to know how they celebrate birthdays.

Ie system

                “Japanese houses have butsudan (family altars) for this kind of worship” Unlike Japanese culture, America does not place value on ancestry. I am a painter and my current body of work involves taking old photographs of anonymous people and turning them into iconic figures. This is possible for me because my culture does not care about old family member and sell’s their photographs on eBay or at estate sales. After learning about butsudan, I suspect that Japanese people are not as easily forgotten and discarded after death.

                “Expressions such as ‘for the ie’ and ‘the shame till the last generation of the ie” (123). The English language has similar phrases, such as “shame on you” and “where you raised in a barn.” The difference, however, is that in America there is a separation between the individual and the family. In Japan, what you do reflects your entire ie.