Session 6 - 10/26 (morning), Saori Katada

[Haena Shin]

This is definitely a very interesting but unspoken topic. Knowing that husbands are the primary financial providers for their families, I wonder how women feel about divorce and whether they view that as an option when their marriages are not successful. I wonder if divorce rates occur as often compared to China and Korea. Custody would also be a topic of concern when divorce may occur. Knowing that women are the primary caregivers and spend much more time with their children, I'm curious as to what the perspective of men might be. 

In relation to the topic of divorce, I'm also interested to learn about the statistic rates of remarriage in Japan.

[Cynthia Stults]

Kurt, I completely understand the shock that a 1940s mindset still exists in regards to women's roles in Japan. That exists here as well. I grew up in a religious/societal culture in which women are/were expected to be at home caring for the children (better designed for caretaking) while men were to provide for all temporal needs. My mother bucked that tradition in the 1970s by going to medical school and becoming a doctor (she was considered an old maid when she married my dad at 27, and he was from a different religion), but a well-intentioned friend once expressed concern at my older sister pursuing a PhD because she would "scare off all the boys".  While this culture has softened its stance, and has encouraged women to get all the education they can and have marketable skills, this is so that they can be better mothers and pass this knowledge onto their children, and be able to support their family just in case their husband dies young, loses his job, or becomes disabled and cannot work. I have many friends who do this (granted they have 4-7 kids), but there are many who feel guilt over having kids and choosing to work, even if they "don't have to". When you have grown up with cultural expectations it can be incredibly hard to leave them behind. 

[Kurt Hansen]

After all the success of the Japanese economy after World War Two, much of that due to United States support, many Japanese rebelled against the United States as far as limits put upon them by the United States. The Japanese often have issues with being inferior to the west. These feelings of inferiority led to the adoption of western ideals to  be taken seriously by the west, It also led to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in World War 2. After the war, Japan was assisted heavily by the US to rebuild their infrastructure as well as help rebuild their entire economic structure. This heavy dependence on the US caused a movement toward, "subordinate independence." Ths was an idea of saying “No” to the United States. Once again Japan felt inferior to its western counterpart and felt the need to exert its independence. Japan had made such strides economically and the United States was suffering through some economic trials that Japan felt they could survive without the restrictions the United States had placed on them. They expressed their inde[endence, but because of the global economy growth a nation could no longer survive without trade treaties with other countries, including the United States. I’m sure it helped the Japanese insecurity, but the Japanese economy did suffer and growth definitely slowed.

 

[Lizette Bernal]

Kurt,

I agree with you completely! It is amazing how much a student sacrifices while studying to get a degree just to put it all aside when deciding to start a family. I'm thinking however, if this topic is an actual conversation in Japanese households. In other words, are Japanese families comfortable with the idea that women should raise children rather than pursuing a job? If it's a norm in the Japanese society, it'll definitely take some time to readjust,

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Angela,

Pokémon Go was/is such a pop-culture game - still very relevant to our society. I would even go as far to say that it is going down in our American history books. 

Almost every Japanese store I visit has very intricate pieces. Their attention to detail never goes unnoticed, especially with smaller items like writing materials, dinning tools, and decor. I would like to visit Daiso Japan to pick a lucky cat magnet myself. Thanks for your post!

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Matthew,

First and foremost, yes to charts and the presentation of data! I'm a visual learner, and like you mentioned, the visual information provided more clarity. Andrew (also attended the seminars) and I were talking about how effective the presentation by Professor Katada was because of the standstill slides. We'd also like to incorporate the same presentation/lecture skills we saw during the seminar.

[Dennis O'Connell]

In reviewing my notes for this session, I was struck by how long Japan had been in a wartime economy!  After the Meiji Restoration, you had the Sino-Japanese War, the Russian War, the invasion of Manchuria, and the occupying of the Korean peninsula.  It is interesting to me that part of the reason given for these wars was that Japan wanted to be taken seriously as a world power.  Looking at history, they saw that the success of other nations was based on at least having some colonies from which to extract labor and natural resources.  

After World War II (another war involving Japan), the economy of Japan was really given a boost by two other wars in which they were not involved, at least not directly (Korean War and the Cold War).  Japanese manufacturing was nicely positioned to assist the war efforts of participant nations (namely the USA).  

For third graders, war is generally viewed as a bad thing, especially in regards to the loss of life.  It is a difficult discussion to have regarding what is worth fighting for and what is worth dying for.  There are no easy answers and people will often disagree.  Even harder to understand is how some people or even economies might benefit from war.  Is it right for people to benefit from the tragedies and losses of others?  Are there always winners and losers?  Can you win militarily but lose morally?  Can you lose militarily, but somehow win in the core of your being?  It is not only third graders who have difficulties thinking through these kinds of issues!

[Robert Docter]

The women's role in the modern Japanese family caught my attention as well. The six days a week/sixteen hours a day work week creates such a toll and interesting dynamic on the family. I was wondering the same thing about educated women and the availbility of simultaneously pursuing a professional career and a family. Additionally, it's interesting to see the similar changes to the family structure with the milennial generation in Japan. As Katada mentioned, the age to marry is moving later into adult life. Less children are born, and the country is facing a growing size of aging citizens. Hearing about the increased attention of elderly care made me think about the same issue occuring with baby-boomers here in America. 

[Robert Docter]

I was struck by the cost of the economical success to the public enjoyment as well. Thanks for bringing this question up. 

The increase in production demands since the 40s and the 50s, with the rise in the 90s has created new challenges for Japan and the rest of the world. One of the many factors for the economy is new industries. Communities dependent on a specific industry could be wiped out due to sudden changes. Additionally, the combination of an aging population and rise/overbuilding in cities is creating an enormous strain where, "The aging of the population made it harder to shift workers to new skills quickly, creating an atmosphere of human disposability with painful implications for both economic efficiency and personal satisfaction." They're also facing a problem that most countries will increasingly face which is the depletion of resources, distruction of natural resources and lands, combined with climate change. Perhaps new industries for Japan to explore is to look at the growing dependency of renewable resources and provide products for the rest of the world. 

[Robert Docter]

I think it's also hard to consistently rise and rise and always expect growth. I was trying to understand the reading from this session, and it was explaining the factors of the Japanese economy after they eased away from the American intervention. It seems that they depend on the new industries. Yes, Japan is a frontrunner for innovative technology and ideas, but are they approaching a ceiling? Is the ceiling being brought down due to an aging population along with a culture of overworking emplyees? It's interesting to see the next twenty years for Japan, especially with local competition in Korea. 

[Katherine Oh]

These replies made me realize that maybe the reason for the lack of young people, especially women, getting married earlier than 30 is because of the huge impact it would have to a woman's life. Many women try to attend university so they can get a good paying job in a company after graduation. Many of them even learn English and try to study abroad to make themselves better candidates in the work force. But to have it all thrown out after having a husband and becoming pregant seems not worth it. As a newly married woman without any kids, I can begin to imagine what my life would be like after sacrificing my entire educational career as well as my professional career because of societal limits. In the US, women are being highlighted and praised for becoming CEOs and business leaders, but at the same time shamed for having a full time job while raising kids. I am sure that is one reason why women in Japan choose not to pursue a career, because they do not want to receive the critisim for neglecting their family and kids.

[Katherine Oh]

I also think Professor Katada's lecture on the role in society made perfect sense for the 1940's. The fact that she is also a Japanese woman with a successful career made me think about how her influence and life might've been different if she stayed in Japan. I wonder if people, esepcially women, try to leave Japan to fullfil their dreams and aspirations because they don't see themselves getting married, having children, and establishing themselves and settling down. I mentioned this before in another post, but I really don't know if I would've been willing to sacrifice so much for the well being of my family. I can see myself taking time to go on maternity leave and spend time raising a family one day, but I don't know if I would be willing to go the far distance like these Japanses women in the 1940s. I commend them and respect them so much for their dedication and willingness to put their needs aside despite their own wishes. 

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