General Japanese Culture Thread

I don't see it.

It's in the eyebrows, I think.

I await his appearance in a hentai manga

Pft. Pretty boys.

I think it's overall his stare, and his demeanor.

The true test is simple: what do lady gorillas think.

He's apparently a father too.

Don't doubt the power of my fellow primate's sexiness, cause that look is inter-species hot. Even the plant and algae and alien kingdoms women would find him sexy.

Martians have delayed irrigating their planet just to come here and look upon his face.

Interstellar aliens have re-routed Galactic-class colonizer ships just to have the chance to meet him.

Angles put down their trumpets and line up for selfies with him.

He is the most interesting gorilla in the world. He doesn't always drink beer, but when he does, he prefers Dos Equis.

Being a father automatically erases any attraction women have toward him.

I can say from personal experience that that is not necessarily true. But not always in a good way.

edited 1st Jul '15 7:05:55 PM by DeMarquis

So Japan made it to the World Cup final!!!!

USA VS JP.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2015/07/02/soccer/womens-world-cup/japan-reaches-womens-world-cup-final-late-goal-sinks-england/#.VZS4bPl_Oko

One one hand they got there by beating Australia in the quarters so (booo!!!), but on the other hand being beaten by the eventual victors does take some of the sting out of it....

So I'm kind of torn.

So what exactly are Japan's views on lesbian relationships? One Reddit poster (this is all about the recent Fire Emblem Fates controversy) said this:

"In Japan, there's this cultural thing where a lesbian relationship among young females is considered a sort of "practice phase" for a "real", heterosexual relationship. It's as bad as it sounds."

Is this true, or is this just pulling stuff out of one's butt?

I've heard that being said, but I can't personally give any kind of confirmation. Japan is generally very ambivalent towards homosexuality. Sexuality is not something you're supposed to publically talk about. And even then it gets mired in stereotypes...

Interestingly, homosexual couples from abroad can claim benefits, but Japanese citizens themselves cannot.

Before the misconception that African nationalism = homophobic became a major thing, homosexuality was traditionally seen as quite neutral in traditional cultures... if you made sure to continue the family lineage in some way (adopting a nephew or cousin is always socially acceptable if you just can't face the full implications of the marriage mat).

The same is true of Japan: homosexual and lesbian relationships don't raise questions about who the father actually is, if familial duty is officially seen to. -_-

It's those who can't bear to conceive children at all and who don't have extended family to adopt from who had better find a spiritual or social role the family, clan and tribe can accept as a face-saving substitute, or face trouble. <_<

edited 2nd Jul '15 3:03:24 AM by Euodiachloris

My understanding is that lesbianism is seen as something you "grow out off".

But I think this is because woman in their 20's face a lot of cultural pressure to marry in Japan also...

On the defence of this conception I will say that woman sexuality is very fluid. Where I live if any "homosexual" act made a woman a lesbian, then half the woman I know would be lesbian...

edited 2nd Jul '15 8:58:56 AM by BAFFU

they could be bi or pan you know. if they do something gay, it doesn't mean they 'are' gay. just not straight.

but in general, I don't really believe women's sexuality is any more fluid than men's. it's just that women are allowed more freedom to explore their sexuality because of gender roles/expectations. but that's a topic for another thread.

in terms of Japan's issues with homosexuality, it roots back to Japan's idealization of what it means to be Japanese (which is where most of their issues spring from honestly).

Japan has a very strict notion of what an ideal Japanese person is. the ideal Japanese man is a straight cis hard working Salaryman with a wife and kids, and the ideal Japanese women is a straight cis Yamato Nadeshiko wife taking care of those kids. Japan's gender roles are still so rigidly enforced because of this idealization.

any deviations from this ideal is impossible to that mindset. basically, X person can't be gay, their Japanese. of course, friends and family members have to be polite, and won't ever say that out loud, but that's definitely the mindset.

Japan doesn't view homosexuality as a bad thing per-say. "person X isn't a bad person for being gay, they're simply aren't gay. they are simply misinformed about themselves. it must be a phase or something."

the "it's a phase" notion shows up pretty much anytime someone (usually a teenager) does something that doesn't fit the ideal. the notion that they'll grow out of it is a very dismissive attitude, but it sadly has evidence to back it up. due to Japan's extensive pressure to conform, most people do 'grow out of it' by adulthood, though whether it was because it was a genuine phase, or they were pressure out of their behavior is unknown, and likely differs from person to person.

and the reason foreign homosexual couple don't face such issues is because they are foreigners. they automatically fail to live up to the Japanese ideal, so people don't hold them to it. hence why foreigners often get the powers of Gaijin Smash and the like. they are not held to the same standard as native Japanese people, even if they've been living in japan for years, so they are allowed to get away with more.

edited 2nd Jul '15 9:45:48 AM by Jetyl

Jetyl's right, "it's a phase" would go down the same way, it's just that Schoolgirl Lesbians isn't really a trope outside of Japan, but it would be the same thing if parents caught their daughter with her super BFF making out, if they were less accepting, would say "well, it's just a phase."

I've never heard of such a phenomenon before - would you please bother to enlighten me?

See Uganda and their Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2014.

As for the "fluidity" thing, (which I wholeheartedly believe) http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014/09/26/why_the_sexual_fluidity_trope_is_sexism_in_disguise.html

As for the Japan thing, I think you make a lot of good points. But beleive me, Japanese people dont view "salaryman" as an ideal.

I meet regularly with Japanese backpackers, and I've lived in Japan. I definitely agree that there is a lot of pressure, but people can opt out of it if they really want to.

Is not like Tokyo doesn't have a lot of young yuppie, hipster, artistic people just like any other developed country.

But I digress...

edited 2nd Jul '15 9:34:38 PM by BAFFU

"Of course it's a phase. One day I'll be dead."

the link doesn't work for me. it goes to the site, but they say the page I was sent to doesn't exist.

however, from the section you quoted, you mean to say women are more likely to be bisexual than men, I still disagree. I could probably write a whole mini-essay on my opinion's in that regard, but this is barely on topic to begin with, so I'll probably just hop over to the Sexism & Men's Issues thread after this and dump my opinion there.

however, on topic, yes you are correct, Salaryman probably was not the best trope to pull out. I was looking for something to compare with the Yamato Nadeshiko in terms of expected roles/personality for males in Japan.

the opting out, form what I've seen, basically means leaving Japan in some fashion. basically there is little room for change in the systems there.

"young" is the key word there. Japan allows the young some free room to 'rebel' in some fashion. the idea being that they'll grow out of it, cause "it's just a phase" and they'll conform eventually (or again, leave).

as for the arts, most cultures allow artist to be eccentric and weird, but it doesn't mean they are not held to their own standards. hell, look at Japan's Idol Culture for a perfect example of that.