Radio 4's "Off the Page" covers Japan

Ian Wolf

Ian Wolf

Mushi-shi
AUKN Staff
On Tuesday 22nd November (15.30), Radio 4 culture programme Off the Page is covering the subject of Japan.

For those who haven't listened to it (which I must confess includes me), the show features three people giving an introductory column on the subject, before greatest talks with the host, Today Programme reporter Dominic Arkwright.

The people covering Japan are Hiroko Kawanami (a Japanese lecturer in Buddhism), Richard Lloyd Parry (Asia Editor of The Times) and Imran Yusuf (stand-up comedian and Naruto fan).

Info on the episode
 
I've just listened to the show and found to be very interesting. Anime and manga were mentioned briefly, mainly covering the subject of how we in the west view it. The one thing that struck me was the rigidness of Japanese society and how conformist it is.

The show is currently on the iPlayer.

Also, for those interested, there is another documentary on tomorrow at 11am called Mastering the Art of the Kimono
 
Thanks Ian! I will certainly listen to this.

The rigidity/repression of Japanese society is definitely undeniable, and this is one of the main reasons I think a lot the "crazy" side of Japan exists i.e crazy porn,train groping, sexism, ect, ect. Repression doesn't work and those desires just come out in more extreme forms if left repressed and not dealt with.

Of course I'm saying all Japan is all crazy and repressed, but I think there is a link between some of the more crazy stuff and the traditional conformity/ rigidity of Japanese society, especially in the now extremely materialistic age we now live in.
It's like a lot of a beneficial traditional wisdom has been lost while some of the more dogmatic unnecessary tradition has been retained, which is not a good combo. But this is true of many modern societies not just Japan.
 
Really interesting documentaries. I've always wondered about sexism in Japan - I've felt that the level of fan-service in some shows reveals, what I in my liberal way thought, was quite a misogynistic mindset but then I'm a gaijin and developing any views of Japan from anime is generally not a good idea.
 
Genkina Hito said:
Really interesting documentaries. I've always wondered about sexism in Japan - I've felt that the level of fan-service in some shows reveals, what I in my liberal way thought, was quite a misogynistic mindset but then I'm a gaijin and developing any views of Japan from anime is generally not a good idea.
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I can see how you can link the two togther, it's the same with all the female archetypes in Rom-Coms, you always see girls doing housewife kind fo stuff in them shows like cooking and cleaning, and it's even more apparent in the Magical Girlfriend subgenre, maybe it's just playing off our fantasies? We're no better really.
 
memorium said:
Genkina Hito said:
Really interesting documentaries. I've always wondered about sexism in Japan - I've felt that the level of fan-service in some shows reveals, what I in my liberal way thought, was quite a misogynistic mindset but then I'm a gaijin and developing any views of Japan from anime is generally not a good idea.
Click to expand...
I can see how you can link the two togther, it's the same with all the female archetypes in Rom-Coms, you always see girls doing housewife kind fo stuff in them shows like cooking and cleaning, and it's even more apparent in the Magical Girlfriend subgenre, maybe it's just playing off our fantasies? We're no better really.
Click to expand...
I've always thought it depends what people consider misogyny. Lecherous characters like Lupin and Ataru Moroboshi love women. I'd never class them as misogynists in a million years. So if in enjoying fan-service we emulate them to some degree, then it proves that we too love women. I know that if women (of a certain level of attractiveness) physically lusted after me like that the last thing on my mind would be that it was in any way a bad thing; and that just speaks of the unfathomable gulf between the minds of the sexes, I think. And another reason I like my women to think like men.
 
ayase said:
memorium said:
Genkina Hito said:
Really interesting documentaries. I've always wondered about sexism in Japan - I've felt that the level of fan-service in some shows reveals, what I in my liberal way thought, was quite a misogynistic mindset but then I'm a gaijin and developing any views of Japan from anime is generally not a good idea.
Click to expand...
I can see how you can link the two togther, it's the same with all the female archetypes in Rom-Coms, you always see girls doing housewife kind fo stuff in them shows like cooking and cleaning, and it's even more apparent in the Magical Girlfriend subgenre, maybe it's just playing off our fantasies? We're no better really.
Click to expand...
I've always thought it depends what people consider misogyny. Lecherous characters like Lupin and Ataru Moroboshi love women. I'd never class them as misogynists in a million years. So if in enjoying fan-service we emulate them to some degree, then it proves that we too love women. I know that if women (of a certain level of attractiveness) physically lusted after me like that the last thing on my mind would be that it was in any way a bad thing; and that just speaks of the unfathomable gulf between the minds of the sexes, I think. And another reason I like my women to think like men.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't say that Japan is generally misogynistic, misogyny is the hatred of women and I think of it as being violent towards women and is present in indiviudals from all cultures so I do agree with you on that, we just love women, whether we lvoe them in a way that can be deemed as positive or negative is another matter.
 
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