From up of Poppy Hill

1.       “…So if one presents an entirely opposing point of view, no matter how logical or effective it might be, it will be seen by others as losing face and insulting.” Nemawashi is the behind the scene politics of decision-making in business-world Japan. I found this quote about nemawashi interesting because it is different from American ideals. For example, there was recently a debate between Bill Nye, a famous scientist, and a well-known creationist. This would not happen in Japan where people are supposed to reach decisions with little conflict. America sensationalizes opposition and conflict.

2.       “…causes individuals to refrain from becoming independent.” This quote shows how group-consciousness of Japan is deeply related to Nemawashi. For example, both are about choosing harmony over your own views, and both are about self-sacrifice for the sake of group cohesiveness.

3.       Sempai-Kohai:

(191) “For example, third-year students have great power in junior high and senior high schools, and especially in clubs, these relationships are important.” This is similar to American culture. Even though it is not necessarily based on rank, more often than not the leaders of clubs will be seniors. Another similarity is that the as you move through the ranks at school, you gain more responsibility.

(191) “in most classes students would never criticize or talk back to the teacher.” This is the opposite of American culture where student are constantly testing their boundaries with teachers. I have observed my fellow classmates, throughout school, purposely trying to show that they are smarter than the teacher; and, goofing off just to prove that the teacher has no control over them. Also, it is portrayed in American media that it is cool to rebel against authority.

4. According to Sempai and Kohai, Syun is a higher ranking than Umi. This is because he is in a higher grade level and because he is in charge of a literature club. Therefore, in their relationship he is dominant.

5. I do not believe the club house embodied wabi-sabi. Wabi-sabi deals with quite, solitary, empty space. The club house, however, was always loud, full of people, and filled with clutter.

6. One of the themes of otogibanashi is patience and pity, this can be seen in the scene when the kids wait for the head of education: it shows the kids patience, and the pity of the head of the education. Later in this scene, Umi acts as the tragic heroine when she describes the loss of her father. Otobanashi women often had to endure grief; therefore, it was significant that Umi used the death of her father to win the favor of the head of education.

7. When I watched the movie I had thought that Miyazaki did not know that they were not actually brother and sister. If this was true then it would have been an example of ambiguity in Japan. I thought it was all a misunderstanding based in aimai.

8. The club house served as Nemawashi because it was similar to a place of business and it was where decisions where made behind the scenes. Moreover, it was a place where the background decision making of nemawashi could take place.

9. I do not believe so because she was an independent woman. The textbook says that “women were not allowed to be superior to men”. She however, did not have a man to define her. Another reason I do not believe so is because Umi did all of the housework. The book says that “women have the additional pressure of doing the housework.” If any character captured the concepts of Ryosaikenbo it was Umi and not her grandmother.

10. I think she has already developed the housework and childrearing aspect of Ryosaikenbo. However, because of the independent women around her, I doubt that she will ever consider herself subordinate to a man.

11. I thought the film had a strange plot. At the same time though, it followed the same basic plot of American movies: couple meets, start to like each other, something happens that they can’t be together, then they overcome that obstacle. I thought it was interesting that there were two mostly unrelated plots happening simultaneously.