The Fifteen-Year War was a time of great turmoil and uncertainty in Japan. Various facets of the country were tested and driven to their limits. During the occupation, race and gender began to evolve in ways that had not exactly be seen before. War had a tremendous impact on every part of the life of a Japanese citizen. Both men and women began to fill roles that were completely novel to them. Race became a part of the definition of who people were. As the war progressed and American troops landed on Japanese soil for occupation, more drastic changes occurred. Economic hardship and rations befell the people of the Land of the Rising Sun. Prostitution began to rear its ugly head and rape transpired. Through memory, research, and vivid creativity, the evolution of Japan during the Fifteen-Year War can be analyzed with great scrutiny. Grave of the Fireflies is a tragic film from the late 1980s that draws on the issues of war and presents them explicitly to the public. It follows the story of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko as they fight to survive during the air raids of World War II. The movie addresses several issues concerned with war but the two most prevalent are gender and race. Race is seen far less in the film than gender. It is critiqued with a great subtleness and almost tact on the part of the filmmakers. The male gender role is the one most emphasized during the length of the movie. Men are supposed to exemplify the masculine standard and even women are inadequate unless they exude virile strength, hard-work, and courage. While the roles of men and women had been completely and precisely separate before the war, Grave of the Fireflies offers a second opinion of the time period. As men became one-hundred percent... ... middle of paper ... ...direct assistance of a male. In Japan’s Comfort Women, the “weakness” of women is seen again. Rape and sexual trade became a power play by individual men all the way up to the highest levels of government. But it was also a story of strength and courage on the part of victimized women. The Pacific War changed many things in Japan and the evolution of those institutions of Japanese society happened rapidly. The changes, however drastic, however gruesome, however sorrowful, were what shaped the history and future of Japan. Works Cited Grave of the Fireflies. DVD. Directed by Isao Takahata. 1988; Japan: Toho Company, 2000. Cooke, Haruko Taya. & Cook, Theodore F. Japan at War: An Oral History. New York: The New Press, 1992. Tanaka, Yuki. Japan’s Comfort Women: Sexual Slavery and Prostituion during World War II and the US occupation. New York: Routledge, 2002.
Much of what is considered modern Japan has been fundamentally shaped by its involvement in various wars throughout history. In particular, the events of World War II led to radical changes in Japanese society, both politically and socially. While much focus has been placed on the broad, overarching impacts of war on Japan, it is through careful inspection of literature and art that we can understand war’s impact on the lives of everyday people. The Go Masters, the first collaborative film between China and Japan post-WWII, and “Turtleback Tombs,” a short story by Okinawan author Oshiro Tatsuhiro, both give insight to how war can fundamentally change how a place is perceived, on both an abstract and concrete level.
...ir eyes off of the naked women dancing. The outbursts towards the black men is farther evidence that during that time, blacks had little to no say and had not felt equal to their white counterparts. Perhaps the most conspicuous symbol of all is the battle itself. The white men pitted a group of black men against each other; the black men were in a no win situation. Instead of expressing their displeasure with the white men, the black men were forced to take their anger out on each other. The narrator also seems to seek approval by the white men; remembering his speech as he fights the other men. According to the protagonist: Should I try to win against the voice out there? Would not this go against my speech, and was not this a moment for humility, for nonresistance?” ( ). He’s worried about defying the white men; letting them down by not performing well enough.
Known for her work as a historian and rather outspoken political activist, Yamakawa Kikue was also the author of her book titled Women of the Mito Domain (p. xix). At the time she was writing this work, Yamakawa was under the surveillance of the Japanese government as the result of her and her husband’s work for the socialist and feminist movements in Japan (p. xx-xxi). But despite the restrictions she was undoubtedly required to abide by in order to produce this book, her work contains an air of commentary on the past and present political, social, and economic issues that had been plaguing the nation (p. xxi). This work is a piece that comments on the significance of women’s roles in history through the example of Yamakawa’s own family and
Nolte, Sharon H. and Sally Ann Hastings, 'The Meiji State's Policy Toward Women, 1890-1910', in Gail Lee Bernstein (ed.), Recreating Japanese
Throughout his book, ‘The Sisters Matsumoto’, Phillip Gotanda has participated on the commemoration of the Japanese internment as he has presented his play that can be viewed as a general narrative for Japanese American who had suffered from the event that had been long forgotten in the US. The play itself is more delved into the theme pertained with resilience and hope as all Japanese American characters try to reinvigorate their lives again after suffering emptiness both physically and mentally from the extent of the internment. Although the executive branch of the government in the U.S has dealt this uncomfortable part of its World War II history by granting apologies and reparations to the Japanese American community, it is tragic to see
Japanese immigration created the same apprehension and intolerance in the mind of the Americans as was in the case of Chinese migration to the U.S at the turn of the 19th century. They developed a fear of being overwhelmed by a people having distinct ethnicity, skin color and language that made them “inassimilable.” Hence they wanted the government to restrict Asian migration. Japan’s military victories over Russia and China reinforced this feeling that the Western world was facing what came to be known as “yellow peril”. This was reflected in the media, movies and in literature and journalism.4 Anti-Oriental public opinion gave way to several declarations and laws to restrict Japanese prosperity on American land. Despite the prejudice and ineligibility to obtain citizenship the ...
The post-war period in Japan was a time of rapid change due to the Western influence of American occupation. Japan was being reconstructed and as a result, old traditions clashed with the new modern values. As Phillips argues, Ozu’s films “vividly enacted a particular contestation between tradition and progress in Japan’s immediate postwar social order at a time when the concept of a new formulation of nationhood was intertwined with a concurrent and inevitable sense of loss due to change” (155). Ozu’s films showed the struggle felt by Japanese citizens due to the conflicting viewpoints of adapting to change and holding on to the past. I will be looking at Ozu’s films, Late Spring and Tokyo Story, to articulate the struggle for young women
The militarization of Japanese society during the 1930s and 1940s was total and absolute. Military rule dominated nearly all aspects of life, from politics to education, a shift that seems incongruous with the democratic attitudes that defined the preceding Taishō era. However, this shift was in fact not so radical; rather, militarism progressed naturally out of the rapid modernization that Japan had undergone in the decades prior, and the fundamental values that formed the basis of the Meiji Revolution and Taishō democracy would continue to power Japan’s war engine through World War II.
"Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour US naval base left the nation reeling in shock. For the past 3 years and even before, the United States had succeeded in keeping out of the war in Europe and the Pacific. Then, all of a sudden, the country was in the throes of a second world war, one that had scarred many nations already. The war had ravaged most of Europe and the American people feared a similar fate. Many Japanese-American citizens inhabited the island of Hawaii, shared by Pearl Harbour. This coincidence led to the thought that the Japanese in America might
Matsumoto studies three generations, Issei, Nisei, and Sansei living in a closely linked ethnic community. She focuses her studies in the Japanese immigration experiences during the time when many Americans were scared with the influx of immigrants from Asia. The book shows a vivid picture of how Cortex Japanese endured violence, discriminations during Anti-Asian legislation and prejudice in 1920s, the Great Depression of 1930s, and the internment of 1940s. It also shows an examination of the adjustment period after the end of World War II and their return to the home place.
The mid 1800’s was a dreadful time to reside in Japan due to a fatal famine that transpired at that time. Innocent lives were being derived due to the scarcity of food. The inauspicious weather was to blame, as it hadn’t sustained the crops. The lack of nourishment for the crops affected them remarkably; it had halted the harvestation of the Japanese crops, disrupting the harmony of their accustomed routine. The lethal famine had primarily affected the farmers and peasants, causing emaciation to spread throughout the country. The citizens of Japan started to question the competency of the Japanese government, since they couldn’t find any strategies to overcome this difficult period in Japan. The shogun and Bakufu became distressed as they
Hasegawa, Tsuyoshi. “Racing the Enemy: Stalin, Truman and the Surrender of Japan.” Taking Sides: Clashing View in United States History. Ed. Larry Madaras & James SoRelle. 15th ed. New York, NY. 2012. 289-298.
In addition, shortly thereafter, she and a small group of American business professionals left to Japan. The conflict between values became evident very early on when it was discovered that women in Japan were treated by locals as second-class citizens. The country values there were very different, and the women began almost immediately feeling alienated. The options ...
Marston, Daniel. The Pacific War Companion From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. Oxford: Osprey, 2007. .
... becoming characterless and bland. The rising female generation refuses to explore their personal individuality and instead caves to the pressure of society. Because of this overabundance of the West, there have been negative side effects among their mental and physical health. Like the geisha, the trend of crooked teeth, and the Lolita fashion, Japanese women must find their own originality. It is tolerable to look elsewhere for guidance into the future. However, Japan must recall their celebrated history as a protection and remembrance of their cultural history. Though the Japanese culture will never be what it was in ancient times, it is still grappling with old versus new. The influx of ideas of the West will continue to drown out the praised ideas of the East. Japan will escape from this battle as a country forever changed, forever marked, forever transformed.