Session 7 - 10/26 (afternoon), William Tsutsui

[cgao]

Postwar Japanese Business and Pop Culture

William Tsutsui, Hendrix College
 

Readings:

William Overholt, "Japan's Economy at War with Itself," Foreign Affairs 81.1 (Jan. 2002): 134-147.
William Tsutsui, "Introduction" and "Forms and Themes in Japanese Popular Culture," from Japanese Popular Culture and Globalization, Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Asian Studies, 2010.

Optional: Etsuo Abe and Robert Fitzgerald, "Japanese Economic Success: Timing, Culture, and Organisational Capability," Business History 37.2 (1995): 1-32.

Attachments:

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[Sara Newman]

I found "Japan's Economy, at War with Itself" both somewhat hard to follow, as I lack much background knowledge about global economics, but I also found it interesting how the article traces the rise and fall of Japan's cultural and economic power in the aftermath of WWII. One thing that was odd to me is that although the article talked a lot about how Japan's banking, employee-focused job force, and lack of miltary all shaped Japan in various ways, the article didn't really talk about how Japan's geography places certain limitations on it. I know that Los Angeles has the 10th biggest economy in the world, and that makes sense because the city is contasntly growing and expanding. Japan, however, as a small island nation is limited in the ammount of space it can expand into. I wonder if when Japan was having such economic success in the 1980s if people started moving into and inhabiting previously uninhabited parts of Japan. Specifically, when the article mentioned the massive expansion of Japan's construction industry, I wondered how Japan, as a small island nation approached geographical expansion. 

[Sara Newman]

I found the final paragraph of if the millions of "Japan's Economy, at War with Itself" really interesting:

" Japanese now trapped in unproductive jobs are given better opportunities, Japan could enjoy the kind of renaissance now occurring in China and South Korea. If the role of women changes as fast in Japan as it has in China and South Korea, then the flood of highly educated women into productive jobs could further augment this boom." 

Recently Japan has become the new Reykjavík, replacing the Icelandic city as the most hip/popular vacation spot. The text was written in 2002, so I don't know much how Japan's economic status has changed in the past 17 years, but for most travelers and travel publications I know of, Japan, far more than China or South Korea, is among the most desired destiations for Western travelers to visit. I wonder if the influx of visitors helped change the job availability and/or gender roles in Japan, or if changes to these two things were important in inspiring the current wave of tourism. 

[Iris Marin]

idea 1: It is bittersweet that War has definitely helped the Japanese economy grow. Based on the graph shown in the lecture those spike during war are irrefutable. Once the economy had gone up people wanted to be able to spend so consumerism post was also an avenue of growth. 

idea 2: Some ideas that resonate with me on the Japanese Employment Practices: lifetime employment, seniority wages, unions. Stake holder vs share holder mindset. Taking care of employee. This reminded me of LAUSD salary schedule, CAL strs retirement , medical. But there is so many fine line rules that you need to abide by in order to reap full benefits. 

idea 3: Japanese believed in  " buy the first machine abroad, make the second machine at home." this type of thinking has helped the Japanese be comptetitive. Yet now they are having difficulty to be the leaders. So it seems they can replicate and catch up, but what now? Could this be because they don't like risks (country with highest insurance acquisition) and its low entreprenurship spot on the list?

[Lizette Bernal]

 

Professor Tsutsui covered the fascination Japan has with disaster movies - and huge, rather angry, creatures. The distinction made that Hollywood films are more “colorful” than Japan’s darker film customs makes total sense. What’s also interesting though, is that the darkness in Japanese films is also seen as joyful and humorous! Professor Tsutsui discussed the idea that the Japanese culture tends to translate their worst fears into something approachable and easy to defeat which is why huge turtle monsters are brought to life. The reality found in some of these movies is incredible. Today’s seminar taught me to trust my younger brother a lot more. He actually told me that Godzilla’s first film, the original made in 1954, is named Gojira which was confirmed in today’s seminar. I thought he was kidding! I should have known that his interest in everything Godzilla would have led him to do some research about it and therefore, I should have trusted him. It’s pretty awesome to think that an 11 year old can discuss the origins of a film that was made way before his time. He would have loved this session!

[Marcos Garrido]

Professor Tsutsui’s presentations were full of passion. First, we were able to learn about the pre World War II economic model that the Japanese market practiced. I was completely unaware of the Zaibatsu, and their economic influence from the Meiji period to their role in WWII. With American occupation and the forceful democratization, Japan experienced this rigorous attempt to catch up with the rest of the leading nations of the world, economically and politically. I honestly enjoyed Professor’s Tsutsui’s first presentation, and it explained the main factors that enabled Japan’s success in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, discipline and sacrifice. It seems that Japanese society, private sector and government worked collectively knowing their place in the system in order to achieve economic growth and a better quality of life. It was a bit shocking to learn about the different kinds of treatment that Japanese workers receive in Japan, and how it is more likely for a Japanese worker to work in one company for a lifetime. It is clear to me that Japan has cherry picked what they think best for them from the West, and have recreated their own culture and economy from that.  

 

[Iris Marin]

I have actually never seen a Godzilla movie in its entirety. Now I am thinking of maybe using it as my review movie just so I can be forced to see it in it's entirety.  In response to the PM lecture, I had never thought of these monster movies and destruction of Japan in movies as an outlet for the pain from the bombings. It was interesting to note that Professor William Tsuitsui reviews it as a co-existence of venting/healing  and enjoyment of the fantastical destruction in addition to hope and optimism woven throughout. I agree with this view. It was interesting to learn that the Godzilla movie maker was a pacifist and wanted to end nuclear testing/bombing and creation. 

 

In closing take aways: Japan's apocolyptic imagination remains realistic and continues to believe in the government/military ( very nationalistic ) . Japanese spirit is indominable.  There is not many people from WW2 left to remember the continued hauntings of painful period.  It is now used as black comedy.  However, it does serve as a social function : preparing us for the time it actually happens.

 

[Lizette Bernal]

The topic of disaster films such as Godzilla was the target in today’s seminar. While the movies are dark, Professor Tsutsui mentioned that the aftermath of the destruction in these movies is also extremely important. It signifies a rebirth; something relatively close to a cleansing. This is because after the famous fights and demolition of cities, people need to rebuild what was once there. The term Tsutsui mention to describe this act is “resurrection”. To think of movies like Godzilla as a self-reflection of the current state of Japan is fascinating. Since Japan was changing rapidly each week, especially in Tokyo, it seems that destruction was actually approachable rather than alarming in movies and maybe in real life, too - people really loved this stuff! I think it’s safe to that Americans wouldn’t be able to rise to the occasion of a natural disaster. Perhaps we need to watch and create more disaster movies to really wrap our heads around the idea of unity, order, and communication. What do you think is truly responsible for Japan’s calm approach to natural disaster: culture, government, or the movies?

[Cynthia Stults]

The dichotomy in Japanese pop culture is incredibly stark when one stops to really think about it. This is the country that has been destroyed thousands of times in stories and movies, (and has also suffered man-made and natural disasters in real life) but produced Hello Kitty, Sailor Moon, Pokemon, Mario Brothers, Harujku style and even maid cafes, where young women and men cosplay as servants or anime characters and serve patrons. Were these pop culture depictions of Japan's (or in some instances, the world's) distruction and consequential rebuilding a means of coping with the trauma inflicted by the atomic bomb and natural disasters, or were they simply a means to capitalize on fear? I did appreciate that Dr. Tsutsui presented many different perspectives on how scholars view the destruction themes in culture. I had never known that Godzilla was meant to be anti-nuclear weapons testing, and pro-science and pro-Japanese government and military. I also found it interesting that one perspective is that all of these depictions of Japan's destruction led to its population reacting and responding incredibly well when 3/11/11 or other, more modern disasters have happened. 

Are the opposing themes of cuteness and innocence prevalent in Japanese popular culture (many of which have made their way across the Pacific) a means of escaping the horrors of the destruction? This culture of cute started and flourished with more recent generations of Japanese, but the obsession continues into adulthood. It's not just kids who are collecting Hello Kitty, playing Nintendo video games, dressing in costumes, or reading/watching anime. This reminds me of the countless adults I know with Disneyland annual passes who don't have children, or all of the people who flock to ComiCon and dress as their favorite characters. For some, escaping reality and returning to a more innocent time is more desirable than confronting the struggles of reality. 

One culture, two very different means of coping.

[Sara Newman]

During the lecture, someone mentioned the telephone booth to nowhere that was erected in Japan after 3/11 to create a way for people mourning to gain a sense of closure. I’d heard about that previously on a This American Life Episode, and hearing it mentioned again made me wonder about how children in Japan who endured the ordeals of World War II or the 2011 natural disaster healed or are healing from the trauma they experienced. If, because of cultural expectations, the adults were unwilling to talk about these issues and their reactions to them with their children, how do the children process these events? 

 

Additionally, I know that epigenetic science has shown that children whose parents were affeted by the Holocaust or 9/11 suffer from intergenerational trauma even if they weren’t alive during the event itself. I wonder beyond the effects of radiation exposure how children could be genetically or emotionally affected by their parents’ experiences of these traumatic events.

 

[Sara Newman]

I’ve been familiar with Murakami Takashi’s art for a while now, and was entirely unaware that, as Professor Tsutsui’s pointed out, his art is not just a fanciful Alice-in-Wonderland-eque creation, but rather it’s part of a larger national tradition of Japanese artists trying to help the nation process and deal with the traumatic past of the two atomic bombs and World War II military defeat. Even now, I have a hard time seeing how the majority of his sunny, floral prints are in fact responses to horrific acts of violence and national trauma. Still, I am really intrigued by this idea of film makers, artists, and storytellers becoming responsible for helping a nation process their grief when cultural norms and expectations prevent people from talking about the loss and dealing with it publicly. I know that the tradition of art therapy encourages people to use art to process their own loss, but I wonder if students could use art to deal with intergenerational, local, ethnic, or national tragedies.

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Iris, 

You really should watch Godzilla. It's more than the "viscious" monster, the storyline is awesome! I didn't see the connection between destrcution and healing but it makes total sense after our lecture yesterday. What is broken needs to be fixed. It's inspiring that Japan maintains hope instead of letting defeat shape their country. Thanks for sharing!

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Cynthia,

In response to your question about whether the animated characters (Hello Kitty, Sailor Moon, etc.) were created as a means of coping with the trauma of the threats and destrcution, I think yes. It's almost as though producing these characters and similar animation shows creates a false sense of reality from Japan's actual state of mind. There's a clear division between what's real and what's made up, but there must be a reason on why peopl choose to blend the two (fiction and non-fiction) so closely together. I view it, similar to your perspective, as a mans of escape or rather momentary "break" from what's at stake.

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Marcos,

Japan deserves all the credit for restoring and having to match the success of other countries. I think this plays a major role in why they are praised for learning, implementing, and perfecting the practices of others. I'm not sure how well-received other areas of the world would be if they started to behave and work the same way as other countries - if that makes sense? It's inspring to think that Japan did not stop at simply recreating what has proven to work in other countries. I think we can all learn a thing or two from them also, such as working in unity and with an obatinable objective. Thanks for sharing!

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Sara,

I also was unaware that Takashi's art is a symbol for restoration. Now, I've definetly heard of art as an escape to cope with internal feelings, but I've never put that idea to a larger scale. Takashi's art, as Professor Tsutsui put it, is a coping method for an enture country. They see his art as theraputic - that's pretty awesome. I'm wondering now however, if Takashi has to create art with this purpose in mind. What would happen [ie. Japan's response] if his colorful and uplifting art suddenly become dark and moody? What do you think?

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