"Feminine" or "Masculine"?
QUESTION:
Is it possible for an entire culture to be classified as "Feminine" or "Masculine"?
Could we for example catagorize America, Canada or Mexico as "masculine" cultures?
Could we on the other hand catagorize Japan as a "feminine" culture? Could we classify Tokyo as a "feminine" city?
Would this be a fair and proper thing to do?...for me to make such comparisons, Actually I'm not exactly certain what I would like to articulate here,
And It may not exactly be "politically correct" Well....to be fair such" corrected-ness" is culturally dependent anyways.
So here goes;
I have found Japanese women and Japanese culture as well as Tokyo to be more "feminine" than Canadian women,
Canadian culture and Canadian cities. This aspect of Japanese culture is refreshing, interesting and in my opinion makes
Japan a "well balanced" place to live.
Think about it for a second;
What are typical/traditional "masculine" personality traits?
Aggressive behavior, a loud and direct way of speaking, a competative nature as well as selfishness?
Japanese frown upon such people.
To re-phrase myself Japanese culture frowns upon masculine behavior.
What about the West?
Isn't it the culture of "individualism"? Isn't business fast and aggressive?
Isn't there more violent crime in the United States or Canada than in Japan?
Don't get me wrong,
I understand the social complexities involved within the statements I've made above.
But I don't have time to go on and on defending myself in this BLOG.
You see as a Canadian man, especially as a former art student and the son of a "strong willed modern woman",
I have been raised to with the idea that anyone or anything which displays a "feminine nature" is a sign of weakness.
It is something negative, something "regressive" or "old fashioned". Do you agree or disagree with this idea?
How often are we told to "stick up for our opinions", "Only the strong survive" in Canada.
Westerners, especially western Canadians believe that a women as well as men should be strong, independent, have their own jobs, wear comfortable clothing (men can dress like "women", women can dress like "men"), because there is in fact NO difference between men and women.
We've been told over and over again that a housewife is the worse possible "job" someone could possibly have. This is how I've been raised.
However, it seems to me that "the baby has been thrown out with the bath water" and PERHAPS Canadian and American culture has gone too
far towards "the masculine".
To over-state the obvious the women here in Tokyo dress well.
They ware sun dress', do their nails, dress in high heels as well as skirts etc.
Their mannerism are very different from men and initially this was a shock to me. This was something of extreme interest.
Perhaps it touched a "biological nerve" inside me but every time I head back to Canada it is something which I talk about with my male friends.
"You wouldn't believe how well Tokyo girls dress man!" Is usually how the conversation goes.
These sorts of observations I've made are clear and easy for any Canadian to see when they make a trip out here
to Tokyo. But upon further investigation "feminine" behavior, or that which would be traditionally labelled as "feminine" in the west
extends far beyond the appearance of women. It extends deep into the social fabric of the lives of those who live and work in Tokyo.
Think about how often "freshmen" both men and women express submissive and obedient behavior towards their boss or senior managers.
If you asked any male or female Canadian office worker to "hold their tongue"...you'd quickly get the answer "I ain't his Bit&$*tch".
Japan is the land of the Samurai
and I being a "Budo Otaku" that I am study MMA (mixed martial arts) with some of the best teachers this city has to offer.
Believe you me, I get thrown around, kicked and slammed on my head like a little rag doll a couple of times a week by men who
a). pluck their eyebrows
b). and would never dream of starting a street fight.
So trust me,
I am going out on a limb here by labeling the Japanese as "feminine".
I think that Japanese and Canadian cultures as well as people both have such a great number of wonderful things to learn
from one another. The purpose of this blog was not to label one country as being "this" and the other "that"
but to shed some light on the thought that perhaps some cultures could be labeled or thought of as "male" or "female".
Certainly I wish that life was a little easier for women in Tokyo, They work hard, many of them are my freinds.
I wish they could make a little more money, sometimes they ARE underpaid.
I truly believe that salary should reflect ability not sex, age or seniority. And at the same time Canadian women can and should
be proud for all that they've accomplished; equal wage and rights. I'm also happy that my fellow Vancouverites can dress as they please
and get married to who so ever they choose.
Yet after having lived in Tokyo for the past 2 years I must say to some extent "we threw out the baby with the bath water".
Long live all that is "Kawai"! Sailor Moon, 300 dollar Manicures, Samurai with Plucked Eyebrows and well.....Maid Cafe's?
hm...I'll have to get back to you on that one, that ones even a little over the top for me!
So for all of you living over-seas, you just HAVE TO come to Tokyo to "get what I mean".
Especially you good "modern" Canadians and American's. Trust me, we've been told for too long that anything
"submissive", "soft" or "co-operative" is not worthy of mention or glorification.
You'll see just how POWERFUL "the art of understatement" and "Kawai Culture" really can be!
