Spot the Disney!

Disneyfication is the transformation of society to imitate Walt Disney’s theme parks. Usually used to say that there is a homogenization of theming, consumption, merchandising and emotional labor.

An example of disneyfication in Japan is the foreign-countries theme parks.

In northern Hokkaido, there is a Canadian World; a Swiss Village in Tohoku region; Praque Espana in south central Japan to represent Spain etc. There are several of these theme parks sprouted up all around Japan, from Russia to Germany and Thailand.

All these theme parks are set up for both tourists and locals to experience the scenery and culture of the various countries.

Characteristics of Disneyfication

Theming

They follow the model of Disneyland, adopting the idea of setting an amusement park for people to experience the theme (foreign countries’ culture in this case). The theme parks have a similar concept of showcasing the iconic structures of these countries, merchandises, way of life and scenery.

Hybrid Consumption and Merchandising

Is know as a general trend where concepts of consumer products are interlinked with one another such that they are quite similar or no difference at all.

Everywhere we go, souvenir shops definitely would have key chains, mugs and t-shirts with their iconic symbol, statue or flower. The idea is so that customers would bring back a representation of their country so as to remember by, and hopefully enticing them to come back and visit again.

Well, these foreign country theme parks also has all these for sale, with the themed country as the main focus, but below would have been stamped: “Made in Japan”.

Performative Labor

It is the growing tendency for service providers, the employees, or mascots and actors/actresses in this case to be viewed as performing instead of working, showing visitors to the theme parks a certain expression or mood, for them to better understand the country’s culture.

The people working would also adhere to standard operating procedures when dealing with visitors, like to take photographs with them, educate them about that particular country and what they are doing.

These theme parks based on foreign countries’ themes are a result of globalization. It is through globalization that Japan is able to adopt the ideas and imitate these various countries so perfectly that visitors feel that they are in that particular destination itself and not in Japan.

This idea was started in the 1980s but failed a few months later due to economic downturn. However, it is now back in trend and attracting a constant flow of visitors.

Hence, I agree with this statement: “The result of globalization has ‘disneyfied’ many cities in the world.” Globalization has brought in the culture, technology advancement of the visitor to the host country. It is through these activities of interacting with one another that cause the countries involved to be influenced by each other, causing them to adopt the “better” ideal, for the purpose of, let’s say, increasing economic growth.

Take Singapore for example, foreign countries are able to fly to Singapore through the invention of airplanes in a shorter period of time, just to visit our National Library Board and observe how we use the Auto Return Kiosk. To them it’s fascinating, being quite high-tech, that returning books can actually be automated.

Changes brought on by tourism

Japan has been thriving on their advance technology all these years. Famous brand names like Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi have expanded into every possible technological sector (car, television, mobile phones etc.). But because of this, the have finally reached their peak, and is now overtaken by China and India as the two most fast-growing industries in the world.

Hence I feel that changes brought on by tourism into Japan are a good way for them to continue growing. Tourism always exists, especially more so now with places made more accessible with better transportation systems.

Tourism: Culprit in commodifying cultures and traditions?

I do think that tourism is the mastermind behind our commodified cultures and traditions, even though tourism is a result of globalization, and globalization due to our human’s greed. We have unlimited wants but with limited resources, hence the need to develop more and more advance technology, media, so as to “gain” the whole world.

Therefore we come up with things like Internet, email, global broadcasting, airplanes, cruise liners, and many others, just so we could travel and explore the world, see for ourselves, feel them at our fingertips. And this created tourism.

When we travel to these other places, we’ll tend to adopt their ideals and beliefs. “The grass is always greener on the other side.” That is also why more and more people are migrating, but as they do so, they bring along their own culture, those that they are more familiar with, practicing them unconsciously in foreign countries, and impacted the people there as well.

As we travel and mix our cultures here and there, eventually everyone has similar beliefs; everyone has a similar culture that they follow. And that is commodified global culture.

Indigenous Tribe

There is only one group of indigenous group in Japan.

The Ainu are mainly found in the Hokkaido, and some other parts of Japan. There are about 150,000 of them today, some in hiding so as to avoid racism. This happened as the Japanese population grows and started moving north (towards Hokkaido) and forced them to give up their land. There were some fights involved but always with Ainu on the losing end. Hence they were restricted to work on farms provided by the government or in fishing industry.

Ainu means “human” in their own language. Their culture also differs from traditional Japanese culture. The Ainu are not allowed to shave after a certain age, resulting in this belief that Ainu are hairy people. All of them have the same hair length (until the shoulder). Women have tattoos on their mouths and foreheads, with traditional clothes made from tree barks and undergarment from Japanese cloth. Animal skins will then be used in winter to keep themselves warm.

Accessories are greatly appreciated and cherished by both genders. They can make earrings out of grapevines, and tamasay (beaded necklaces) but now just simply bought from the Japanese.

Religion among the Ainu is very similar to the Japanese, that everything has a kamui (god)* living inside. The Ainu believe that there are two worlds, one by humans and one by gods, both resting on the back of a fish. When the fish moves, that’s when earthquakes occur.

Without any priests, it’s the village chief that performs most ceremonies, with wines, willow sticks and short prayers. They also “say grace” (praying to their gods) before meals and also deliverance from sicknesses to the fire god. Heaven and hell are both underground, according to Ainu belief; and hell, being all hot and fiery, is naturally believed to be among the volcanoes.

The Ainu are now governed by Japanese laws and tribunals, way different from the past, where crimes were only punished through beating and murder would be cutting off the ears and nose or severe the tendons on the feet of the murderer.

*Notice that to Japanese, gods are called “kami” while the Ainu called them “kamui”. Their languages may be similar but perhaps different pronunciation as with all languages where there are dialects, or same language but pronounced differently by different nationalities.

For example: the Chinese language. Compare the intonation, sentence structure and way of speaking between China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

{http://www.japan-101.com/culture/culture_ainu.htm}

Education System

The Japanese education system was modeled after the American’s since they took over once they won World War Two. Thus kids will have to attend six years of elementary school, three years of junior high, three years of senior high as well as a choice of attending four years of university or two years of junior college.

Their school term is also similar to Singapore’s polytechnics as they too start a new semester in April (as that is when the cherry blossoms starts to bloom and is believed to be a good sign), with short holidays in Spring (June) and Winter (December), and a one month long summer break (August).

Also, both Singapore and Japanese children has to attend elementary and junior high schools (Primary and Secondary schools).

{http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2150.html}

Language

Konnichiwa! Watashi wa Patricia desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

{Hello! I’m Patricia. Nice to meet you! (: }

The Japanese language is a very interesting subject. It is made up of Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. Sometimes, we can write them in Romanji (just like what I have done above).

They have five vowels, “a”, “i”, “u”, “e”, “o”. Mix together with consonants to make a sound, similar to the Chinese’s Han Yu Pin Yin.

Japanese sentences are formed in the order of subject-object-verb order, different from the English language, which we have the subject-verb-object order.

For example,

English: I-eat-apple.

Japanese: I-apple-eat.

Then adding in the particles (like, “a”, “the”, “is” etc.), a proper sentence would be formed.

In different context, Japanese uses different style of languages, the informal with family and friends, formal in general with anyone else, and the super formal used in business settings.

For example, a simple “Please wait” can be spoken differently in the three contexts.

Informal: chotto matte

Formal: chotto matte kudasai

Super formal: shosho omachi kudasai

{http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/japanese_language/japanese_language.htm}

Leisure Programs

Statistics based on a 2004 survey done have shown that the top leisure activity that Japanese participate in is dining out, followed by domestic travel and driving (O.o).

Amusement and theme parks are very popular with the Japanese as well, what with their Disneyland, Universal Studios and the various parks based on foreign country themes (like Canada, Spain and Germany).

Of course, major festivals attract a huge crowd of Japanese, as they are all very patriotic and proud of their own culture and country.

Some examples are:

Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing)

Sakura or cherry blossom is known as Japan’s national flower, though unofficially. It is an important part of the Japanese culture and has been used in many areas, such as their coins, arts, and even the police force logo. 

Cherry blossoms bloom around the period of end March to early May. As it is very much enjoyed by everyone, they even have a Cherry Blossom Forecast so that people would know the exact time and date to visit parks like Ueno Park or Shinjuku Gyoen as the flowers are only in full bloom for two weeks. What the people would do is to just sit down under the tree and have a picnic, socialize with friends and relatives, enjoying the scenery of petals flowing down.

For cities like Tokyo, Hanami is usually celebrated at night (known as Yozakura / night sakura), hence they also have paper lanterns around to boost the atmosphere.

The Hanami Festival started in the Nara Period (AD 710-794), where it was just flower viewing, and the most popular being ume (plum), instead of sakura.

cherry blossoms

plum blossoms

Shichi-Go-San Festival (7-5-3)

Celebrated on 15 November (as it is believed to be an auspicious day in the Japanese Almanac), it commemorates the Japanese children turning three, five, or seven years old. Usually at seven years old being more significant for girls, and five more significant for boys. The reason being that at three years of age, both genders are allowed to start growing their hair longer; at five, boys started wearing their first hakama pants in public; and at seven, girls are wearing their first obi.

Parents would bring their children to the shrine and buy chitose-ame (thousand-years candy) for them. The candies are usually in the shape of cranes and turtles, representing prosperity and longevity.

History of the Shichi-Go-San festival goes a long way back, dating from the Heian Period (AD 794-1185}, celebrating the growth of children in the royal families before passing down to the commoners.

Here are some of the more common festivals and events available in Japan:

-       - Hanami

-       - Shichi-Go-San

-       - Obon Festival

-       - Tanabata Festival

-       - Koinobori Festival

-       - Hina Matsuri (Girl’s Day Festival)

-      -  Hadaka Matsuri Festival

-       - Bean Throwing Festivals

-       - Fertility Festivals

-       - Firework events

And many others that vary from cities to cities, islands to islands.

{http://whatjapanthinks.com/2005/10/27/leisure-time-activities/}

{http://us.okwave.com/qa20001048.html}

{http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011_where.html}

{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanami}

{http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/culture/shichi-go-san.html}

Culture & Traditions

Performing Arts

Japan’s traditional arts performances include:

-     - Kabuki (Japanese dance-drama, performed by men only, even female roles as well)

-     - Noh & Kyogen (a masked dance, depicting stories from history or classical literature)

-     - Bunraku (a highly-skilled puppet show where each puppet requires three puppeteers to operate)

However, though these performances still remains popular, more modern culture has evolved due to influences from foreign countries. Such as classical music where a Performing Arts Network Japan is created to cater to these needs and has also invited musicians from all over the world to perform in Japan.

Anime and manga has also produced music related comics such as Nodame Cantabile.

{http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/culture/}

{http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/noh/en/nohgaku.html}

{http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/bunraku/en/contents/whats/index.html}

{http://performingarts.jp/}

Fashion

In the past, Kimono and Yukata used to be in trend and is worn everyday and everywhere even in the streets on an average day, by both men and women. It is a T-shaped piece of cloth wrapped around the body to act as an overall, then tied with an obi (sash) at the back.

Nowadays, people seldom wear that except on special occasions, such as attending a firework festival, matchmaking session, or New Year visitation to friends and relatives.

In the streets, you can only spot professional sumo wrestlers wearing Kimono, as it is required of them.

As for other people, obviously influenced by western culture, you can see people wearing the exact same thing as seen in Singapore. A T-shirt and jeans, Japanese/Korean fashion, blazer, tie and pants for businessmen etc.

Though there are some exceptions in teenagers and certain groups of people who are majorly into anime and manga, dressing themselves up as their favorite characters, known as cosplay.

{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimono}

 

Festivals & Events

For more information on their festivals and events, please go to LEISURE PROGRAMS.

Religion

The two most prominent religions in Japan are Shintoism and Buddhism. There are also other religions that are relatively small in numbers, like Christianity, Confucianism and Islam.

Shinto, meaning “the way of the gods”, has no concrete beginning. Without any founder, sacred scriptures or preaching required, Shintoism is already deeply engraved in the Japanese’s way of life and tradition.

They believe that Kami (Shinto gods) exist in each and every living thing, elements, nature, concepts that are essential to life. Examples are wind, rain, trees, mountains, and fertility. Thus they pray to the gods for everything (good weather, have a child, pass examinations etc.).

Shinto priests are well respected and even made state officials in the Meiji Period (1868-1912).

Buddhism came in the 6^th century, causing minor conflicts but then eventually resolved to co-exist peacefully till now, each complementing one another.

[How did Buddhism come about in Japan?

The general story is that a Korean political delegate visited Japan in AD 538. Some of the gifts brought along consisted of a bronze Buddha image, sutras and other religious objects. A temple was built to house these spiritual gifts, which is eventually accepted and blended into the Japanese culture.

From here we can see that through the action of travelling from one place to another (i.e. tourism), our own culture and practices are brought along and able to influence the destination’s own culture. The changes brought about by tourism in general have shaped the culture of the world to be slightly homogeneous, and only then will they be known as “developed” countries. Though some still tries to maintain and preserve what they used to have in the past, culture is greatly diluted and modified to suit tourists’ needs and wants instead of what it was supposed to be.

Taking the Maori in New Zealand for example. Their dance was supposedly performed by males only, a very strict and solemn ceremony; and now performed by females in restaurants for the guests’ entertainment.]

{http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2056.html}

{http://viewonbuddhism.org/history_japanese_buddhism.html}

Miscellaneous

Japan also has other distinctive culture elements such as:

-     - Geisha (Female artistes or performers. However, there is a misconception of them being high-class social escorts.)

-     - Tea Ceremony or Chado (A highly respected form of leisure activity. Tea ceremonies can take up to hours, as there is a standard procedure for making the tea and enjoying the tea.)

- Flower Arrangement or Ikebana (Also a form of art. Usually it’s the females who learn all these skills to show that she has feminine qualities, sophisticated and elegant.)

Introduction

Welcome to Japan! :D

Japan is located in the northeastern Asia, right in between North Pacific Ocean and Sea of Japan. It is 377,873 square kilometres in area, that's about the size of Malaysia.

They have four major islands, starting from the north, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Also, there are about 4,000 smaller islands surrounding them.

{http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/about/overview/index.html}

They are also one of the top most volcanic eruption and earthquake-prone area, with about 10% of the 840 active volcanoes in the world.

{http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/japan/geography.html}

When somebody says:"Japan", what's the first thing that you think of?

- Advanced technology?

(shinkansen)

Also known as Japanese bullet train.  It connects Tokyo with the rest of the major cities as well as Fukuoka on Kyushu Island.

{http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2018.html}

(ASIMO)

Stands for Advanced Step in Innovative MObility. It is currently the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, produced by Honda.

{http://asimo.honda.com/} 

- Fast-growing economy?

- Anime and manga?

 

 

Japanese comics. “Anime” is short for “Animation”. There are different types of manga: for the adults, kids, girls, as well as boys.

- Sumptuous food?

vinegared rice with toppings