Tag: #modernity

Where we go.

I think the future is uncertain because we keep referencing the past to decide where to go.

Japan’s systems are constantly looking to old traditions and outdated thinking and trying to apply those things in a modern lens.

It’s odd. Japanese people themselves are frequently comfortable with foreigners, different customs, modifying the status quo or adapting to outside views. The media, government and corporations are not.

Those adaptations, such as women’s rights, gay rights or even something as mundane as tattoos aren’t immediately rejected by most everyday people. Those things are immediately rejected by the most comfortable in the most comfortable positions, however.

It’s easy to see and difficult to fix, however, the standardization of inequality. As a foreigner living I. Japan, I am aware of unfair wages, lack of benefits and lack of protections. Likewise, even Japanese women are aware of the inequality of being forced into being homemakers or having to work multiple part time jobs while not receiving childcare or benefits. The people at the top don’t see that, and as thus, do not care or wish for change.

I recently read about Thailand moving further towards legalization of marijuana. Regardless of cultural conservatism or moral focus, they are approaching a jump that many countries have already taken. That is, if it’s not hurting anyone and also makes a lot of money, why not?

Japan, however has very few voices toward that issue, not strictly due to the people themselves, but the government’s control over the identity of the country. There are many pushing for it, but they remain unheard because they lack the voice of media or acknowledgement of government.

This, however, is also vastly artificial since prior to post WW2 occupation, Japan used it medicinally, and it was even a component of class in ancient Japan. Wealthy people had access to alcohol and the lower classes had access to cannabis. The entire history is conveniently forgotten. So therefore the argument that is frequently brought up about how traditional values are the only ones that matter is mute. Those traditional values have been modified for modern convenience of the few.

It’s a confirmation bias that affects everyone. it has nothing to do with true history or true traditions. it’s been co-opted to define current systems as correct, not an introspection of past and present viewpoints.

Issues as simple as a woman keeping her maiden name, gay marriage, paternal leave from work, or even a raise in minimum wage are being refused any advancement within the system. They aren’t even being addressed as the defense of “traditional values” as immediately volleyed at them by both the government and the heavily government confirming media.

I love Japan. I love the people and the acknowledgment of history. However the lack of true understanding of that history and the lack of sympathy for those outside the strict ideal are hurting the country and its people to its core. They are crippling it automatically when people are asking for freedoms.

I will keep fighting to showcase these imbalances. Women deserve more, foreign workers who give their all deserve more, children and even the systems that are in place now deserve more, but the hungry will rarely be fed by the well-fed. I fight these problems because I love this country.

Where we are.

Like many this year, I’ve been struggling to make progress and keep my thinking from spiraling out. More recently, I have tried focusing on simple things.

In Japan there are a lot of these small details. Having lived year for as long as I have, it’s akin to any relationship. They change and mature into something that may at first have been a fascination or infatuation. Japan has a lot of those. The pop culture media explosion has been bizarre to view external from the USA’s labeling of Japan as high tech, super modernized and frantically strange.

In truth though, Japan still uses fax machines, still has dvd rental stores, still has cd stores. Those things show no signs currently or being replaced. I assume this is due to older people that refuse to change, but also this “old ways are best” way of thinking that permeates business culture. Businesses say change is risk so it’s better to keep everything the same and safe.

My argument, however is that this latching into outdated mindsets about gender, family, civil rights, development and a whole host of other things, is that the systems and components of the system tend to suffocate slowly over time.

Putting the dvd shop analogy to the side, an easy way to lay this out is in the cyclical nature of outdated thinking. Within the majority of business and politics are older men. Because older men are placed into those positions (or buy into it) it sends this message to many that of course older men should get those jobs. Why else hire them, and why take the risk of hiring someone different gender, status or race-wise?

From this cycle we get modern issues. Japan has been fearing and warning of the declining birthdate for a long time. The aging society will need care and who will do it? But the people that could do anything often do nothing. It would be pretty simple to open new child care facilities within cities, raise the pay of part time workers (a majority of which are women young to old), and reform and incorporate a culture of equality. Doing so would allow many more women to feel comfortable having families.

Yet, silence answers a lot. Old men often do not understand, much less empathize with women. So that inequality continues.

It’s difficult to think this isn’t on purpose. As a foreigner living in Japan, I’ve become more aware of gaps in society and the exclusivity of job availability, pay, housing choices, etc. However this phenomena, the “next in line” phenomena, is an issue that delays and cancels out progress within society.

Next in Line brings the issue of argued priority for gaining rights or betterment. It could be described as follows. Japanese women should have equality as soon as possible within Japan, then perhaps the disabled should be considered, then maybe foreigners, ad infinitum.

This isn’t solely a Japan issue. America does this often as well. I’ve observed both internal and external hatred for people even within the same communities fighting for what should be the same thing but with different beliefs. The trans community is one as it’s slowly progressing toward acknowledgement and fair, equal treatment/ status within society, but because many in the community have different views of “true labeling”, there is a lot of vitriol. However I don’t have much direct interacting with people in the community or their hardships so that’s all I will comment on.

While Japan’s growth is stunted due to this infighting by people all struggling at different levels, the controlling people just sit idle doing what they have always done; be comfortable.

Equality, fairness and respect need to be given to all or they are meaningless to almost everyone and ineffective to almost all.