Blog #7
1. Bushido refers to not only the spirit of the samurai, but also the skills. I'd say that Magoza demonstrates this by his extreme devotion to his superior leader. The first example of this is when he runs through the entire estate, battling his way through many enemies, just to deliver a message. The fear of death was most certainly overcome. The second was when he accepts the duty to be the primary caregiver of Kane.
2. Self-sacrifice is an extremely empowering feat due to the sheer nature of giving someone else everything you have but expecting nothing in return. An obligation is usually when something causes you to return some sort of favor. For example, if you wash the salt off of my car, it is my obligation to make sure I do something in return. Magoza's willing to take care of Kane was an act of giri.
3. With bushido having ties to Zen Buddhism and an overall state of no-mind and to maintain a good name, giri seems to be vastly different from bushido in the sense that you have an obligation to maintain a good name versus wanting one just to be "pure".
4. The two scenes that I can vividly remember are when Kane leaves the courtyard after being asked who she was in love with. I believe she was handling vegetables? The other scene is when Kichiemon enters Magoza's house without knocking and Magoza returns with a weapon.
5. I see no contradictions, but rather conflicts. The two seem to be fairly secluded to each other and when they are together, it seems almost stressful and anxious, as if one is paying attention (Magoza) and the other is always almost ready to leave (Kane). For instance, asking for a kimono and when she was questioned about it she grabs it anyways and changes the subject.
6. I'd say that as time goes on, relationships in the household tend to be evening out. I mean, when I go home my mom still puts food on the table and enjoys the house and kitchen life but I feel that each gender kinda just does whatever they want. It is not the same in the workplace, however, as I believe men make $1.20 for every woman's dollar.
7. Magoza's wish to have the two be married may not have been his personal choice, but more or less the proper thing to do and to set up a proper family lineage of good fortune. It can be seen on Magoza's face that he doesn't necessarily believe in his choice, but he knows it must be done. I don't believe Kane's wish is ignored (See #8)
8. I think that Magoza has been hiding many things for many years. He initiated the sword fight to protect Kane, he asked for ten days before the marriage due to making sure his decision was right. I believe the movie will end with Magoza killing Kane and performing seppuku himself to maintain his samurai's integrity. He was supposed to die after all, right?
9. I think that bushido and the Ie system are the most apparent concepts. A lot of this film takes place indoors which feature the sliding paper. Bushido is prevalent due to the majority of the cast being samurai.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015
Discussion Response
Blog #6 - Reflection over Aoi Tori and Swing Girls
One issue that seems to be rather prevalent between these two movies is the idea of bullying. It appears more so in Aoi Tori, and focuses more on it's effects, but it can also be seen in Swing Girls. I think that there is less of a care for "telling somebody how it is", which contradicts the definition of aimai; which means to not speak your mind (the nail that sticks up gets hammered down). The example that best fits this from Swing Girls is when the teacher who was taking lessons was completely made fun of by the little boy who was also practicing. In Aoi Tori, the act of bullying is a much more powerful one; the act has already happened and the audience has to sit through the aftermath and the recovery.
I think there is an extreme fear of not fitting in with the group. Bullies usually have a group that stick up for each other because it is easier to feel included than excluded. Due to gamabari, the fear of failure and to not be accepted is sometimes so great that one will do anything to fit in. Noguchi's willing to have friends and the things he'd do (steal chips) was an act of gamabari. Going through middle school, I was slightly overweight. If I can remember correctly, I was called "fat fuck" on the daily. I tried to not let it get to me, but it instilled a ideal inside of me that being a little chubby was wrong, so I changed my eating habits. It eventually led to self-starvation and a loss of weight.
Although bullying may not be visible to anyone's eye off hand, it is always an internal struggle that is not always thought about.
One issue that seems to be rather prevalent between these two movies is the idea of bullying. It appears more so in Aoi Tori, and focuses more on it's effects, but it can also be seen in Swing Girls. I think that there is less of a care for "telling somebody how it is", which contradicts the definition of aimai; which means to not speak your mind (the nail that sticks up gets hammered down). The example that best fits this from Swing Girls is when the teacher who was taking lessons was completely made fun of by the little boy who was also practicing. In Aoi Tori, the act of bullying is a much more powerful one; the act has already happened and the audience has to sit through the aftermath and the recovery.
I think there is an extreme fear of not fitting in with the group. Bullies usually have a group that stick up for each other because it is easier to feel included than excluded. Due to gamabari, the fear of failure and to not be accepted is sometimes so great that one will do anything to fit in. Noguchi's willing to have friends and the things he'd do (steal chips) was an act of gamabari. Going through middle school, I was slightly overweight. If I can remember correctly, I was called "fat fuck" on the daily. I tried to not let it get to me, but it instilled a ideal inside of me that being a little chubby was wrong, so I changed my eating habits. It eventually led to self-starvation and a loss of weight.
Although bullying may not be visible to anyone's eye off hand, it is always an internal struggle that is not always thought about.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
The Spirit of the Samurai
Blog #4 Bushido, Giri, The Japanese Ie System, and Omiai.
The spirit of the samurai, or bushido, was an integral part of Feudal Japan. Out of a 4-class system, the samurai were ranked the highest, with the others being farmers, artisans, and tradesmen. The object of bushido refers to not only the skills of the samurai, but also the spirit; "a strong sense of personal honor, devotion to duty, and the courage, if required, to sacrifice one's life in battle or in ritual" (Page 42). One of the most important, if not most important aspects of bushido, is the application and reference to en Buddhism. The sense of enlightenment given by this way of thinking can be attributed to a feeling of mushin or "no-mind"; an unconsciousness that one is completely aware of, much like a lucid dream.
"The state of no-mind unites the body with the spirit" and by practicing this, the samurais were able to overcome their fear of death. Bushido was influenced mainly by Confucianism and the four principles which included humanism, faithfulness, respect for social norms, and wisdom. These four principles sound much like the idea of being modest and showing restraint internally. To one samurai, Yamamoto, "bushido means the determined will to die" and by believing in this, one must live admirably and honorably to maintain a glory and everlasting good name after death.
In modern times, the idea of bushido and the devotion to one's work led to eventual work-overload and can lead to death (karoshi).
Caring for others through the ways of self-sacrifice in order to repay a debt of gratitude is the idea of giri. Although there is no literal translation in English, this helps us understand it's concept. In today's world, returning something for goodwill is the equivalent. "If you receive a present from someone, you should return something which is of equal value" (Page 97).
As mentioned in a previous blog post, the Japanese Ie system is a rather traditional way of home life;
a) a building that is used as a residence
b) a family or hosuehold
c) a groupd that consists fo a family according to the old Japanese civil code
d) the family line that descends frmo one's ancestors and will continue to in the future.
Based on the Ie system, the head of the household was given "privileged treatment and was normally served by other family members". The (his) meals were richer, was welcomed when he came home, and the seat had to be higher at the table. Basically, the woman's position was much lower than that of the man, because it was believed that women were inferior to men. They were also the sole proprietors to bearing children.
Arranged marriages is no foreign concept to anyone, however, it seems to be more of a traditional way of keeping a lifelong partner. Since the ie system was very centralized to one controlling household male, the decisions for the children were usually made by him. Because the ie system was so prevalent in the Japanese way of life, the way of omiai is still followed to this day, because it seems to be fairly successful.
The spirit of the samurai, or bushido, was an integral part of Feudal Japan. Out of a 4-class system, the samurai were ranked the highest, with the others being farmers, artisans, and tradesmen. The object of bushido refers to not only the skills of the samurai, but also the spirit; "a strong sense of personal honor, devotion to duty, and the courage, if required, to sacrifice one's life in battle or in ritual" (Page 42). One of the most important, if not most important aspects of bushido, is the application and reference to en Buddhism. The sense of enlightenment given by this way of thinking can be attributed to a feeling of mushin or "no-mind"; an unconsciousness that one is completely aware of, much like a lucid dream.
"The state of no-mind unites the body with the spirit" and by practicing this, the samurais were able to overcome their fear of death. Bushido was influenced mainly by Confucianism and the four principles which included humanism, faithfulness, respect for social norms, and wisdom. These four principles sound much like the idea of being modest and showing restraint internally. To one samurai, Yamamoto, "bushido means the determined will to die" and by believing in this, one must live admirably and honorably to maintain a glory and everlasting good name after death.
In modern times, the idea of bushido and the devotion to one's work led to eventual work-overload and can lead to death (karoshi).
Caring for others through the ways of self-sacrifice in order to repay a debt of gratitude is the idea of giri. Although there is no literal translation in English, this helps us understand it's concept. In today's world, returning something for goodwill is the equivalent. "If you receive a present from someone, you should return something which is of equal value" (Page 97).
As mentioned in a previous blog post, the Japanese Ie system is a rather traditional way of home life;
a) a building that is used as a residence
b) a family or hosuehold
c) a groupd that consists fo a family according to the old Japanese civil code
d) the family line that descends frmo one's ancestors and will continue to in the future.
Based on the Ie system, the head of the household was given "privileged treatment and was normally served by other family members". The (his) meals were richer, was welcomed when he came home, and the seat had to be higher at the table. Basically, the woman's position was much lower than that of the man, because it was believed that women were inferior to men. They were also the sole proprietors to bearing children.
Arranged marriages is no foreign concept to anyone, however, it seems to be more of a traditional way of keeping a lifelong partner. Since the ie system was very centralized to one controlling household male, the decisions for the children were usually made by him. Because the ie system was so prevalent in the Japanese way of life, the way of omiai is still followed to this day, because it seems to be fairly successful.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Listening Earnestly to Earnest Words is Only Proper
“ Although the Japanese may not be conscious of aimai, its use is regarded as a virtue in Japan…” (p.9). In the film, find the scene that you think that aimai is regarded as a virtue and explain why you think so.
-- One of the scenes that I thought that regarded aimai as a virtue was towards the end when Murauchi spoke to Sonobe about responsibility. It wasn't so much of a putting-him-in-his-place situation, but more of less of a group understanding and acceptance of one's actions.
Considering Aimai, ambiguity is a big part of bullying in Japan and the film. Describe the scenes of them and explain why you think so.
-- The scene that jumps out to me the most is when the classmates (who were all guilty of bullying Noguchi) mentioned that Noguchi laughed along with them and joked, but on the inside, it really hurt.
What are the differences between bullying in Japan and US? What kinds of American characteristics would cause the kinds of bullying in the US?
-- I think that bullying is the same no matter where you go. I'd say it's more popular within the younger generations; I was bullied in middle school for being overweight, believe it or not. Did it change the way I thought about things? Of course it did. I just wanted to fit in, quite literally, really.
Considering Uchi to Soto, what kinds of concepts of Uchi to Soto are Noguchi’ bullying caused? What kinds of characteristics make the other students bully?
-- Due to Noguchi's extroverted personality, it could be presumed that he was taken advantage of for the sake of joking around.
Considering Danjyo Kankei, the textbook mentioned roles of male and female in Japan. What kinds of relationships exist between male and female in the classroom.
-- I think that the female classmates seem to be a little more subdued than normal. Other than that, I didn't see too many differences when it came to bullying. The girls bullied the one girl about her e-mail (?) and the boys bullied Noguchi.
What did reflection papers differ for students from the first paper and the second paper?
-- The length. However, at the end of the movie, Murauchi gives no minimum requirement. They were writing it for themselves and not for the school.
Considering Chinmoku, what affect do you think the stuttering teacher had on the students?
-- The pauses between sentences and the impact of his words helped reinforce what the poster said, "Please be considerate of others." I have a feeling we all knew as viewers that Murauchi was bullied for his stuttering.
MOVIE---Who is the 3rd person that Noguchi wrote in his will?
-- Everyone else.
MOVIE---What is bullying? What did the stuttering teacher, Murauchi-sensei tell to Sonobe?
-- Bullying is hurting others to hurt them. It is not a disliking of someone, but more or less the will to cause another person pain on purpose.
What did you think about the film? Have you had similar experiences? Share anything that you thought about this film.
-- It was a tear jerker, that's for sure. I won't lie, the aspect of bullying is something I have known before and to see the effect on a student (albeit it is just a movie) is quite powerful.
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