The Mickey Mousification of Japan

by admin | January 27, 2021 | Blog, Culture

The Mickey Mousification of Japan

When thinking about Mickey Mouse, what is the very first thing that comes to mind?

ΩNE’s image of Mickey Mouse has always been two things.

First and foremost, the joy this dearly beloved character brings young and old alike, and is so very cherished and dear to the Japanese heart.

Indeed, Mickey Mouse, along with the many other characters produced by this large American entertainment conglomerate, embodies the Japanese cult-like worship of kawaii.

MickeyMouse-01

Mickey Mouse also has a highly negative connotation encompassing slipshod workmanship on shoddy products, and a flippant attitude toward others.

ΩNE could even go further and say the mind-set and behavior of certain groups of people having been observing over the last few years, represent an extremely Mickey Mouse approach to life.

In the run up to the 2016 American election, pondering to ΩNESELF said

“We are surely to see the end of what once was the United States, beamed out on realty TV” and so it was, there for all to see.

Just to be clear, ΩNE does not have the right to vote either in country of birth, nor the country where resides permanently.

These are mere observations from the point of view of an arm-chair theorist, watching various media feeds from afar.

Let us examine some examples of what could be considered, Mickey Mouse.

Exhibit A

A major American vehicle manufacture desired to enter the Japanese market.

Seeing 126 million affluent consumers had these Americans executives with lucrative stock options, salivating over green, lots of green.

Unfortunately, while these executives’ green-shaded glasses were clouded by the promise of vast troves of treasure, they failed to notice a couple of important things.

First and foremost, the narrowness of most Japanese streets, and the fact the Japanese drive on the left-hand side of the road, with the steering wheel on the right, seemed to have slipped by the profit hungry, very large American automobile manufacture.

Narrow Japanese Street

If this wasn’t glaringly obvious enough, they also failed to take into consideration the following:

The vehicle owners of Japan must pay tax based upon the size of their vehicle’s motor.

First off, there is the yearly prefectural (state/province) vehicle tax, and just to make sure all residents of our fair nation pay dearly for the privilege of driving in Japan, every two years the vehicle must receive the federal government inspection, which is not only based upon the size of the motor, but also upon the weight of the vehicle.

When ponders the expense entailed in owning and operating a 6,700 cc motor, with a tank-like weight profile, let us also all remember gasoline is approximately double the price of the U$A.

You too can own a cadillac

Herein lies the recipe for a failed attempt to enter the Japanese automotive market by these corporate executives with large stock options, who were also wearing very thick green-tinted glasses.

This is also why there are countless small vehicles with yellow license plates roaming the nooks and crannies of Japan.

These popular vehicles boast an engine size of 660 cc, fully 10 times smaller than the above mention American tank.

軽自動車ナンバー

ΩNE would have to say the lackadaisical attitude of this very large American automobile manufacture concerning their desired entry into the Japanese market was really quite…Mickey Mouse.

MickeyMouse-02

Exhibit B

Often in the role of interpreter, and in this particular case, between a medium sized American health supplement company and their prospective Japanese partner.

The president of the American company gave a PowerPoint presentation, which was known to have been originally produced in Spanish for their Mexican market.

The presentation was overlaid with Japanese text, but the original graphics remained the same.

After the presentation, the Japanese members keeping their stoic faces and low-key tone said, “this approach will never work in the Japanese market.”

To which this president of this Mickey Mouse corporation replied “If it worked in Mexico, it’ll work in Japan”.

It did not.

ΩNE would not only claim the atrocious attitude and narrow-mindedness of this abjectly clueless simpleton of a so-called executive was not only extremely Mickey Mouse, but also somewhat of a clown as well.

Stupid Looking Clown

Exhibit C

As mentioned above, paying attention to the reality show going on over yonder on the great North American continent over the last few years.

The images of the recent pandemonium and chaos live-streaming from one of the most sacred chambers of the last remaining superpower being defiled, left the author of this article not only aghast, but dismayed at the degradation of American society.

capital hill insurrection-01 capital hill insurrection-03

ΩNE would even dare say, this grand melee looked somewhat like a Worldwide Wrestling Federation event, although this particular event involved a tragic loss of life, which makes it even all the more deeply shameful for the Americans.

Frankly, this event goes far beyond the pale of the Mickey Mouse stories being discussed here, and can be seen as the American society coming to a brand new level.

viking wrestling costume-01

Regrettably, it is now plain to see the American’s own democratic house in dire turmoil, as they continue to preach the the gospel of “freedom and democracy” throughout the world.

Now “freedumd and demagoguery” has certainly worked to a certain degree for Japan.

After the Japanese went through the ugly process of a nation re-birth in the aftermath of the Second World War, there was a new found mission and purpose to unite the Japanese nation around the battle cry of economic growth.

Japan is now several decades into the colony experience, and the desires is for the Japanese to do what they do best; take imported ideas, and merge and improve them into something different and better, all the while being infused with the Japanese Way.

Let’s continue to build strong communities, based upon mutual respect of differences, and even more so, acknowledge and embrace our commonality, as all strive to create a better future filled with hope and aspiration for our children and those to come after.

Gloabl Peace and Harmony

Kata – Way Forward – Part 6

by cybersensei | January 20, 2021 | Blog, Culture, Shinto

Kata – Way Forward – Part 6

What does the future hold for Japan?

Seeing the Japanese as katified throughout the evolution of this ancient civilization, one would have to say there are some bright spots, not only for the future of Japan, but for the shared future of an advancing civilization based upon ancient moral codes.

These codes bind members of a society through accountability, a shared purpose, and a common vision, along with obligations to one another based upon the desire for a peaceful, harmonious, and healthy society.

Japanese Cultural Code Words

Even though the Japanese are looked upon as insular people, one could honestly say, based upon over 3 decades of living in the countryside of Japan, the Japanese are understanding and accepting people.

kimono clad girl covering mouth while laughing-01

It is the mask which one must wear here which perhaps leaves those in the outside world with no exposure to the Japanese in any meaningful way as them being somewhat “mysterious”.

Indeed, the Japanese will take what has been brought, and make it better, much much better, as this is the Way of the Japanese.

So why are the Japanese able to take such good ideas and process them into something anew along with the special Japanese touch?

This is because the Japanese are still, and will always be, instilled with order, process, and form, throughout one’s life as a matter of being Japanese.

Indeed, the true wonders of our advanced civilizations has been a collaborative effort, and all must continue to strive toward to deeper understanding of others, and a deeper understanding of one’s own-self, as all reach in unity to create a harmonious future, for children, grandchildren, and those who are to come after this chapter is long dead and gone.

Here, one submits.

Known by many different names since the dawn of civilization, Amaterasu Oomikami is the Japanese Sun Goddess.

Amterasu Oomikami-01

Let us all be thankful for our shared Mother Earth’s Star illuminating our common existence each day, and beaming life to all of our shared earth.

While one gives thanks every day to the Sun for her life giving rays of warmth and hope, let us also give thanks to one’s Ancestors for the hardship and perseverance they endured as they walked a treacherous journey bringing us to this extraordinary point in civilization.

We are all citizens under the Sun, and products of our Ancestors. Now is the time to look toward the future and create a new paradigm in unity for the sake of our shared earth and the future of life on our planet.

Mother Earth

Thank you so very much for stopping by the Land Of The Rising Son. If one finds this blog interesting and informative, please share it with your friends and anyone who may be interested in Japan, and as one does so, our beloved sun Goddess Amaterasu Oomikami Sama, will continue to shine her brilliant rays of life on you, as she does on everyone of our shared earth.

Amterasu Oomikami-02

Kata – Way Of Writing – Part 5

by cybersensei | January 13, 2021 | Blog, Culture, Language Study

Kata – Way Of Writing – Part 5

The deep influence of a writing system and language on a society can not be overstated.

Language is a concept, and the Japanese society is built upon the constructs rooted in complex ideograms imported from China around 700 CE.

There’s an incredible effort put into learn these complex characters and is definitely something that undoubtably forges the Japanese spirit of perseverance, forbearance, and patience.

The Japanese writing system is made up of 3 different syllabaries.

Primarily the Japanese use Chinese ideograms, along with 2 indigenous Japanese syllabaries; hiragana and katakana.

Evolution Kanji

These pictographs, otherwise known as kanji are complex ideograms and each kanji is made up of one to a dozen or more joining strokes.

Here is an example for the uninitiated, of a more complex kanji to ponder as one continue the story.

Complex ideogram

To write Japanese properly, the stroke order is crucial, and to be executed in a carefully prescribe, no deviation allowed manner.

Sometimes a sympathetic Japanese will say “stroke order is not important”, but one always disagrees.

Learning how to draw these kanji also instills the Japanese with a highly developed sense of harmony, form, and style.

As a matter of course, the Japanese are instilled with a deep appreciation of aesthetics via the ridged training it takes in order to write in such a complex fashion (famous American talk show host flustered by Japanese schoolgirl’s gift of the kanji name).

One could even go so far as to say the Japanese are all highly skilled artists.

Since these ideographs depicted actual things and concepts they communicates much more than just the mere sounds of a familiar alphabet.

The Japanese system of communication and recording information and concepts embodies a much more personal experience, accompanied by deep and strong psychological content, as well as evoking emotions.

The mental concentration in the complex and mechanical effort required to memorize and write kanji correctly has a fundamental effect on the psychology and physical development of all educated Japanese.

It has instilled them with patience and diligence, enhanced manual dexterity well beyond the norm, and this has prepare them for a life which form, order, and process are paramount.

In times gone by, the Japanese must have had to learn kanji by the thousands, however, the Ministry of Education thankfully reduced the official number of mandatory kanji one must learn in school at 2136 kanji, known as joyo.

Adding family names, places, and specialty language vocabulary, the Japanese are in all likelihood able to recognize closer to 3,000 kanji, as a matter of course.

The long-term practice and usage of kanji shaped and defined the Japanese physically, emotionally and intellectually, while harmonizing them and binding them to their culture.

Again reaching into the past, during Japan’s long feudal ages the pupils did not only have to mastering pronunciation, meaning, an intricate stroke order, but they were also required to become adept at drawing the characters in a stylized matter known as shodo, “the way of the brush” or calligraphy in English.

Engaging in calligraphy is still very popular to this day, and an important part of the New Year tradition, where the Japanese engage in kakizomei, or the first calligraphy of the New Year.

For an excellent place to view high level calligraphy check out Shinei’s social media feed here.

Come again next week as we present the last part of kata, where one ponders the continuing role of kata in the evolving Japanese society, and the implications on the future of the Japanese and our shared humanity.

Learn Kanji

Kata – Part 4 – Katafication

by cybersensei | January 6, 2021 | Blog, Culture, Shinto

Kata – Part 4 – Katafication

Keep in mind the social harmony one see in Japan is based upon following proper kata etiquette in daily behaviour, and remains the guiding constitution in all Japanese relationships.

To understand this further one must look back into the indigenous belief system of the Japanese, known as Shintoism, and then one can see from whence this all came.

Shintoism is an animistic believe system based upon cosmic oneness among god’s, spirits, people in the physical world, and nature.

Small Shinto Shrine

Indirect, but culturally permeative, it is the genesis for the attitudes and customs that distinguish the Japanese from all other people.

It was under the influence of Shintoism that led the Japanese to refer to themselves as the people of Wa (harmony), substantiating the very early commitment by the Japanese to the principles of Wa as the foundation of Japanese society.

Early in Japan’s history the function of religious and secular leaders were combined, and these combined entities were equally concerned with both form and essence, with the overriding principle adopted from Confucianism, which is harmony between heaven and earth, and between those who ruled and the ruled.

heaven earth harmony

From this there evolved a highly controlled behaviour system prescribing subservience and respect towards superior beings, with stylized ceremonies associated with worship infused into the conduct of daily affairs of Japanese life.

From the dawn of Japanese history, stylized rituals were preformed dozens of times throughout each year, and made up an intricate part of routine Japanese life, even so now now unto this very day.

Even if one is simply but a casual observer of Japan, one can see the Japanese have a deep affinity for formalizing and institutionalizing procedure and processes.

Perhaps one cannot say this stylized behaviour originated in Shintoism wholly, but surely these characteristic Japanese behaviours have been infused with these pervasive ceremonial practices, which were indeed prevalent from early on in Japanese life as related to the evolution of Shintoism.

香取祭山車

In order to have a deeper understanding of Japanese society and the foundation of Wa, one can always consider Wa to be the central pillar of Japanese cultural, influencing Japan in its texture, essence, spirit, and in the continuing evolution of the Japanese Way.

An important point to note when examining kata is when wet rice farming was introduced to Japan from China sometimes between 1000 and 300 BCE. This lead to a profound effect on the country social system and subsequent character and behaviour of the Japanese.

rice fields in japan

The process of rice farming was prescribed down to the last detail, and the lifestyle accompanying wet rice farming instilled the Japanese with an extraordinary degree of patience, perseverance, diligence, cooperativeness, and group dependence.

The whole economy became based upon the way of rice and made group behaviour, cooperation, self-sacrifice and harmony obligatory.

Along with the introduction of wet rice farming and also having a profound influence on the evolution of the Japanese was the introductions of the kochikomin system.

This means the land and the people belong to the emperor, with no right to private property, or to be independent.

This was the catalyst for virtually absolute control over the people by the state and the evolution of many of the cultural traits that make up Japanese society.

With Wa firmly established as the essence of the Japanese social system, the ruling class of Japan fashion all of their social rules and institution as well as their language to contribute to the cultural goals of Wa.

See you again next week for Part 5 of Kata as we peel away the mystery of kata and the continuing influence on the Japanese.

Shintoism, the way of the Japanese

Akemashite Omedetogozaimasu Reiwa 3

by cybersensei | December 30, 2020 | Blog, Culture, Shinto

Akemashite Omedetogozaimasu Reiwa 3

Akemashite Omedetogozaimasu

One grew up in the occidental tradition in central British Columbia, Canada.

When recalling the way New Year’s Eve was celebrated so many years ago now, the images of these New Years Eve parties were very boisterous and rollicking, ringing in the Happy New Year with drink, dance, song, mirth, merriment, and gaiety.

On January 1, one’s family would gather and have one’s mother’s homemade traditional New Year’s Day buffet, then back to work on the 2nd, and life would continue on in the sameness as in the previous year.

One always found a deep and stark contrast between this and the celebration in Japanese New Year tradition.

The Japanese view the turning of the year with more solemn eyes. They take this period as a time for reflection on what had transpired in the previous year, and look toward what is to come.

Traditionally, families gather in the ancestral home and watch the NHK Red and White song contest, an important feature of the Japanese New Year tradition to be certain (about kōhaku uta gassen here).

Snacking on osechi ryori (about osechi ryori here), and sipping the night away with excellent sake; this tickles the fancy.

お節料理

Always included on the celebratory table (about kotatsu here), is a delicious array of raw fish and crab (delights of the sea; sashimi here). I am particularly fond of the brains of the hairy crab, an exquisite and delightful treat.

毛カニ味噌

Chiba prefecture, where I have lived for the last 34 years, is also renowned for their extraordinarily delicious locally grown peanuts, and one is always delighted to taste the incredible pea-nutty peanuts over the course of the evening, as well as slowly nibbling on the above mentioned hairy crab brains and the delightful assortment of raw fish.

Chiba Prefecture

千葉産落花生

Continuing along with the Japanese New Year’s Eve tradition, the song contest ends at 23:45, and the government run NHK then goes to different scenes all around Japan of people lining up at Shrines and Temples for the first pray of the year.

Hatsumode is one of many Japanese New Year’s Customs, and the most important custom of the many of the “first of the year” rituals, in one’s humble opinion.

香取神宮初詣

Whatever the customs and rituals are in one’s own family traditions among the rich and diverse peoples of our shared earth, all must reflect upon 2020 as the time when the planet experienced a seismic paradigm shift into an new reality.

The wish for the coming year, and into the shared future to which we all belong, is for the citizens of the world to look to the examples described in the first constitution of Japan, established in the 7th century, which codified the idealized virtues of the Japanese.

Honesty, integrity, goodwill, trust, confidence, and selflessness.

One believes all agree (unless you are a psychopath), that these are all things to aspire to, as we set examples to each other of tolerance and goodwill, noble aims to be certain.

Dearest readers, thank you so very much for coming by this last year and being a part of the Land Of The Rising Son as we continue the journey together into the future of Japan, one’s society, and our world.

PS: Please come again next week as one continues the exploration of kata and how kata continues to influence the Japanese and our society. If you missed the beginning of kata one can discover it here.

Kata – Part 3 – Harmony

by cybersensei | December 23, 2020 | Blog, Culture, Language Study

Kata – Part 3 – Harmony

The core principal of Japan’s kata cultural from the earliest times has been the promotion and maintenance of harmony.

Personal behaviour, as well as all relationships, both private and public, was based upon strictly controlled harmony in the proper inferior-superior context of Japanese society, which continues up until this day.

Welcome to our tate shakai or “vertical society”.

Does one know the Japanese actually already had their own original constitution?

Japanese Constitution

This original constitution is the one the Japanese still function under today, spiritual speaking of course. This constitution is ingrained into the Japanese as they move through the form, order and process of daily Japanese life, regardless of one’s rung on the labyrinth ladder of the Japanese society.

Once upon a time there was a wise prince; Prince Shotoku was the regent to Empress Suiko in the 7th century, and it was he who codified the idealized virtues of the Japanese in what can considered to be Japan’s first constitution.

The first article of the original Japanese constitution made harmony the foundation for all of the other following articles.

Furthermore, the 17 articles of this constitution provided the framework for all subsequent development of Japanese culture thereafter.

In case one is yet unaware, the original name of Japan was Yamato, which translates to Great Harmony.

So it figures, and is so very profound, that harmony would be embodied as the founding principal into the original constitution of Japan, think one not?

Interestingly enough, the 17th and final commandment of this original constitution was: “You must never decide great matters on your own. You must always discuss them with all kinds of people”.

Now one can see where this society’s roots of consensus thinking comes from.

Indeed the mentality of maintaining harmony was not only mandated in the constitution, but developed from the historic personal relationship the Japanese have with the land as wet rice farmers.

The cooperation necessary to maintain the complex irrigation systems demanded not only a spirit of cooperation, but also harmony.

Furthermore, any threat to the harmony of the group is always viewed as a life and death situation, and the group does whatever is necessary to protect and maintain the group harmony.

Life roles in Japan prescribed strict guidelines as to relationships between parents and children, younger and older siblings, workers and their superiors, samurai warriors and their lords, and ultimately between the nation as a whole and our beloved emperor, Naruhito.

All of these relationship were stylized by kata, and were deemed to be functioning properly when each person knew ones own place and keeping it according to the prescribed form and order.

On top of these rigorous and strict protocols was the mandate to display honesty, integrity, goodwill, trust, confidence and selflessness.

義理人情

There are specific obligations each person owes to the others. Relationships are to be maintained using the principles of giri and this is embodied into kata.

One has explored giri in detail in a podcast entitled “Ongaishi: Covering With Obligation”.

Shame still plays a very important component in how the Japanese are molded into one’s society built upon kata, and one should always be aware of the shame factor in Japanese society.

kimono japanese laughing

Needless to say, avoiding bringing shame to one’s own family, and creating shame upon others is to be shunned at all cost.

Fundamentally, most Japanese are unable to feel comfortable in anything but it clearly define socially ranked relationship.

One submits, it is these harmonious relationships based upon wa and kata, which enabled the Japanese to rise from the ashes of the second world war, with a single minded determination to rebuild Japan and the dignity of the Japanese people.

Come again next week for part 4 of kata as one continues to explores katification of the Japanese and our society

World Harmony

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