Many Westerners perceive Japan as weird. While many aspects of its culture differ considerably from that of the United States and Europe, it is this difference that -- while “weird” to some -- is fascinating and even tantalizing to others. One of the most apparent of the cultural phenomena unique to Japan is the idea of kawaii. Kawaii is a difficult term to translate into English, but the term “celebrates sweet, adorable, innocent, pure, simple, genuine, gentle, vulnerable, weak, and inexperienced social behavior and physical appearances” (Kinsella 220). The idea of kawaii appeared in the mid-1960s through the 1970s and initially started with Japanese school girls. Around that time, as indicated by advertisements and articles from magazines, the desire for a youthful look evolved into a desire to emulate a cute, child-like look. Since then, the term kawaii deals mostly with the …show more content…
In investigating the history of kawaii, this theme of rebellion surfaces with the ideas of rejecting traditionally Japanese culture in favor of more of a European or Western culture which was perceived to be more fun. This in a large part includes the idea of “cute handwriting” that Japanese schoolgirls would practice in the 1960s and 70s where the format read like Western writing – left to right – and included English words and exclamation points. This was an experimentation by the youth in being able to speak more freely and through this they expressed themselves more easily with a style of writing that they felt more connected to as a result of their manipulations (Kinsella 224). The adults and older generations did not share the same positive reaction to this “cute handwriting” as they felt it was blatantly rebellious against Japanese traditions and cultural values they upheld
Hello, my name is Mariko Makishi. I am a second year student in Linn Benton Community College.
"In the summer of 1911, at age 20, he broke the American 50-yard record by more than a second, and beat the 100-yard world record by more than four seconds" (Duke Kahanamoku | Encyclopedia of Surfing). Duke didn't stop there, in 1920 he went on to set another world record in the 100-meter freestyle (Duke Kahanamoku | Encyclopedia of Surfing). Among many of the unique nicknames that Kahanamoku had aquired throught the years was the "Bronzed Duke" (Duke Kahanamoku | Encyclopedia of Surfing). This may be coincidence and it may not, but it definitely interesting as many, if not all, of the sculptures made in Duke's likeness were casted in
Kamehameha was a furious warrior from the day he born because before he was born, kamehameha’s mom had a craving for a tiger sharks eye. He was trained as an ali’i in combat and strategies in warfare by Kekuhaupio his trainer. Kalaniopuu was his uncle and the ali’i of hawaii, he gave kamehameha the task of being the keeper of Ku the god of warfare before he died. Kamehameha is a very respected person because he was the first Hawaiian person to conquer all the Hawaiian islands and unite them. Kamehameha was an effective leader because he was responsible and cared for his people.
12 days have gone by from the start of free agency and Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned. Spike Lee believes the fact that Kaepernick, who has played for the 49ers since 2011, is unsigned "smells mad fishy." There are more than a few people who believe Kaepernick’s lack of a contract is a grand NFL conspiracy and Kaepernick is being blackballed for his National Anthem protests last season. Any front-office conversation about Kaepernick must to begin with his poor play, he also showed some flashes of the player he once was last year, but nowhere near enough to override all the bad film he’s amassed in the last two seasons.
In this day and age, people tend to avoid being different. Fitting in with the status quo when it comes to physical attractiveness is considered the proper thing to do, yet in The Samurai’s Garden, the characters show their beauty in a unique way. Due to their circumstances, Sachi, a once beautiful member of a leper colony, Stephen, a young Chinese student diagnosed with tuberculosis and Matsu, a quiet man who chooses to live in near seclusion, are all regarded as outcasts. However, these challenges give them a chance to grow and mature into truly beautiful people, especially on the inside. Through unveiling Matsu and Sachi’s distinct personalities, Stephen discovers another dimension to beauty; through this, Tsukiyama conveys that the most
Modern Oni have transformed over the years since its conception. They can look more eclectic than their ancestral cousins. They have been seen as benign and sometimes benevolent beings. They can still shapeshift but choose more sexually attractive females who are alluring and can also be naughty a child in some cases. The commercial interests that writers and artists face in the modern age has forced those changes to adapt to societies wants and views. Japan’s socio-economic evolution into one of the most industrialized nations in the world reflects the change in art.
Throughout time, the role that Women had in the early twentieth century to the present has changed drastically and it has changed for the better. Japanese American Women residing in the United States, has experienced the evolution of their culture, tradition, values and their role in society. However though it seems as if there is no time in this ever so rapid society, they still continue to pass down culture and tradition through each generation. Some key terms that are crucial in order to understand the essay are, Issei, or the first generation, Nisei, the second generation ,and Sansei, known as the third generation.Over time the Women slowly moved away form being the average Homemaker and transforming into a respected and valued member of society.
Post-war Japanese society is a world where High and Low art is blurred together by otaku, such as anime, and social class. However, Takashi Murakami straddles the line. Murakami spills a mix of Nihanga and Otaku into the canvases, plastic toys, handbags, shoes, etc; endorsing his own theory/style named “Superflat”. Using strategical subject matter such as popular Japanese comic figures combined with ukiyo-e(traditional Japanese block prints), and addressing these contrasting qualities to outside cultures; Murakami intensifies what Pop Art accomplished, art versus material. On other feelings, one could argue that “Superflat” isn’t a unique, Japan-identified style, that “Superflat” is a humiliation to the Contemporary Art world because of its commercialism. Lastly, that is a continuation of the already well developed Pop Art. On the supporting side, Murakami’s “Superflat” is a high-energy, cross-culture style that serves as a new way to represent the high and low of art that is considerably unique to Japan. To support this, Murakami’s past and present artwork will have to be established chronologically to illustrate how the timeline affects his work.
In 1910, Japanese are banned from marrying non-Orientals and the practice of arranging for picture brides began. During the first two decades of the 1900s, more than 20,000 Japanese women arrived, more often than not as picture brides (Mei T. Nakano, p. 24). These women only knew their future
Japan is an unique oriental country in many aspects, especially in politics and economy, both western practices and traditional nationalism are coexisted in this country. The period 1890-1940 was just followed the Meiji restoration, and was typical in the history of Japan, at that time, Japan was on the way from a feudal country to a capitalistic country, called modernization. Many western practices were being more and more adopted, however, at the same time, traditional rules still had strong influences in Japan. Under this background, this report will discuss the Japanese cultural factors during 1890-1940 that influenced the disclosure
It is no secret that for centuries, the Japanese woman has been, to most observers, a model of elegance and graceful beauty. A picture of a kimono-clad, modest, and often silent woman has been plastered everywhere, allowing for the upmost passive subjection. If we look deeper into this image of woman, can we tell if this picture is complete? How do these women painted in representative images far in the modern world? The ideal woman in Japan is expected to be both a good wife, and a wise mother. Though these seem like reasonable expectations, there is a much deeper meaning to them that has shown signs of being outdated. During the 1800’s and 1900’s, women were subjected to society’s vision of them, and could not break free for fear of the
They are the ritualization in Japanese culture, women’s implicit expression of love, women’s hierarchy in 18th Japan, and how the landscape of Japan influences the prosperity of Geisha culture.
Ukiyo-e is the name given to one of the most important art forms in all of Japan. Arriving as a new form of art in the 1700's these prints served as a record of daily life and pleasures in a newly wealthy Japanese society. The Japanese themselves had long regarded pleasure as transient because of their Buddhist heratige, because of this the word Ukiyo-e actually means "pictures of the floating world". These prints were truly art which reflected the whims of the masses. They record popular styles of dress, new hairstyles etc. They also record the popular Kabuki theater actors, the most beautiful geisha's (or prostitutes), and later even landscapes. Within the realm of Ukiyo-e there are many masters, but there is one master,
In 1635, millions of people were sealed within the island nation of Japan where they remained undisturbed until 1854 when Commodore Perry forced opened Japan’s doors. It was only a short sixty years later that Japan would defeat one of the great powers in the Russo-Japanese War promoting itself as a world power and a model for other eastern nations. Japan had arrived as a modern country; however, this quick development ignored social issues in favor of policies and laws. It would not be until the twentieth century that Japan would come face-to-face with the societal ills that it had overlooked during the Meiji period. Through the situation of the protagonist and his lover, Toyotarō and Elise, Mori Ogai’s “Dancing Girl” addresses Japan’s uncertain
The Maasai are a pastoralist tribe living in Kenya and Northern Tanzania. Much of their land falls within the Great Rift Valley. The main source of their livelihood remains livestock, consisting of cattle, sheep, and goats. Traditionally, Maasai do not feed on game meat as this is associated with the hunters-gathers (Dorobo people). They have relied on their livestock, mainly cows, for most of their nutritional needs. Milk, meat, and blood constitute the basic components of the Maasai diet.