Japan: Identity, Purpose, Role Challenges of Change and Survival in a Global Era © Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus University of Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii 96802 I became fascinated by Japanese history, culture, and identity, during my first visit to Japan, fifty years ago in 1967. Japan, as a relatively homogenous nation and culture, was in recovery from WWII traumas; there was much ambivalence about accepting and adopting imposed Western culture and institutions. While Japan, and Japanese people, understood the harsh realities of economic, social, and political events and forces, issues of identity, purpose, and role remained topics of debate. The debate continues today! There was, I believe, a strong willingness among Japan’s leaders, to believe centuries of self-imposed isolation and respect for homogenization, would result in a superficial acceptance of the West, without abandoning traditional ways and identity. Japan as Western Culture In subsequent decades, Japan emerged as a world economic and cultural power, producing scores of quality products demanded by a waiting world. There was a brief period of Japan ascendancy (Yamato Damashi). Japanese people felt a new pride in being Japanese. This was especially true in Hawaii and Western U.S. States (e.g., California, Oregon, Washington). The USA and other Western cultures were in shock at the speed of Japanese product dominance in cars, cameras, electronics, and home products. The tinsel era was over, and there was prestige in owning Japanese manufactured products, and in eating sushi, sashimi, and shoyu. Japan’s national wealth and prosperity reached a crescendo of national indulgence and display as gold flakes were eaten on foods as 2 demonstrations of affluence. Gone, at least temporarily, were feelings of inferiority and shame. Japan had risen from the ashes, and Japanese culture and identity entered a new crucible of debate and decision. My interests in Japan and Japanese culture and identity blossomed when I received an appointment as a NIMH Culture and Mental Health Fellow at the Social Science Research Institute at the University of Hawaii in 1968. The appointment included an affiliation with the East-West Center, located on the university campus. Hawaii and the University of Hawaii was filled with visiting international people and students. It was impossible in Hawaii to avoid “internationalism” as an ideology, orientation, and future scenario. Japanese studies as the University of Hawaii thrived. Later, as a professor and vice president for academic affairs, I proposed Hawaii consider becoming the Geneva of the Pacific. A noble idea, but one inconsistent with governmental and military visions of Hawaii as a bastion for national defense. Even Japan, pledged to non-violence, soon found itself a military and cultural ally. Interest in Japan and in Japanese Culture and Identity I continued to develop my knowledge of Japan and Japanese culture and identity under guidance from Anthropology Department Professors, Bill Lebra and Takie Sugiyama Lebra, and various visiting scholars, especially Frank Johnson, M.D., a brilliant psychiatrist, who grasped the importance of cultural determinants of behavior, long before it became fashionable. Eventually, I took an intensive course in Japanese language. I was a failure in my language studies, but my training in cross-cultural psychology, and my long-term residence in in Hawaii (35 years), offered me further opportunities to develop my early interests. Graduate degree supervision of Japanese-American graduate students furthered my knowledge and learning, and resulted in numerous publications. When my language Sensei advised me to cease my studies, I bowed and asked: Should I commit seppuku. His reply: “Not necessary! Just cease language studies.” I was 48 years old, and struggled with the complexities of Japanese culture. I believed language skills would help my research. 3 As a professor, I specialized in cross-cultural studies of psychology, personality, psychopathology, and psychotherapy, garnering grants, writing articles, and teaching at UH and guest lecturing across the world. As Director of WHO’s Psychiatric Research Center in Hawaii, I focused much of my attention on Japan, and the many changes in Japanese culture and identity. Discovering the Past Recently, as a Professor Emeritus, I discovered many of my early research notes and lecture materials. My mind wandered back to my prior work. I was delighted to find I had accumulated considerable material useful for others. I found I had begun a paper on this topic in 2006. Charts and prose traceable to 2006 were postponed at that time as I struggled to survive cancer in a new residence (Atlanta, Georgia), far from the Hawaii I loved. Living in Hawaii for 35 years brought colleagues, students, and me into immediate contact with Japanese and Japanese-Americans from various generations. We studied first, second, third, fourth, and fifth generations, of Japanese and Japanese-Americans. Combined with extensive intermarriage, we explored substantial examples of ethnic identity, acculturation, accommodation, adjustment, and adaptation; this was the stuff of social, cultural and national change. I remain captivated by Japan and Japanese cultural and identity amid my ageing years. I continue to find interest in Japanese behavior expressions and manifestations, especially the impulse and inclination to retain traditional Japanese cultural customs, artifacts, and ties in language, religion, foods, clothing, and social relations. In Hawaii, there remains a strong sense of identity with Japanese cultural identity, even as we enter fifth and sixth generations. Many Japanese-Americans in Hawaii often claim they have a stronger identity with “local” culture (an amalgam of Japanese, Filipino, Hawaiian, and mixed groups, with food, pidgin, and entertainment favorites). There was an obvious struggle among Japan to resist the profound social and political changes brought by unavoidable contact with others; yet, in my opinion, there was an obvious recognition, times were changing. It 4 seemed to me, Japan sought to understood the need to preserve traditional ways, but perhaps, no longer valorized these was beyond reasonable limits. Economic and political priorities dominated cultural and historical concerns. An effort was made to live in two worlds; it was a gamble. The consequences of the gamble were not anticipated. Identity became situational, and often yielded to acceptance of Western priorities. The result is this paper, with its charts, tables, and prose, designed to offer a summary of Japan today, and a commentary on Japanese and Japanese- American culture and identity amid change. I wanted to share a condensed material – a useful summary. I hope my intentions will be fulfilled. CHART 1: POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIETAL, FINANCIAL AND ENVIRONMENT CHALLENGES (Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D.)© April 15, 2016 (Updated) Paternalistic Economic Government Monetary (Secretive) Energy Instability Dependent (Recession, Inflation) Endemic Keiretsu Natural Business and Conglomerate Cartels Human Disasters JAPAN Prone Political Internal: Economic Ethnic-Racial Environment Yakuza Minorities Security Foreign Workers Crime Prejudices Cartels Growing Auto Industry Right-Wing Recalls: Militarism USA –EU Nationalism Challenges High Risk Military Few Region (China, North Natural Korea, USA) Resources 5 CHART 2: SOCIETAL, CULTURAL, MORAL CHALLENGES © (Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D.) April 15, 2016 Foreign IE Influence Ageing and FAMILY Population MANAGEMENT Presence (Low Birth RELATIONS Rate) Sordid & Salacious Karoshi Crimes Overwork (See Tokyo Syndrome Reporter) JAPAN: Socio- Social Cultural- Cartoon Formation Psychological Fantasy World Role Changes: Events & Obsessions Forces Parental, Marital Anime Familial Manga Social Class Crisis: Crowding Changing (Population Traditional Decline) Identity, Minimal Values, Customs HIGH Livable & Arable Land Misogyny Cost of Living Male LOW Domination Quality of Life 6 CHART 3: MAJOR NATIONAL AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL COMMUNITY Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D. April 28, 2016 GLOBAL IDENTITY: PROFOUND Japanese MILITARISM SOCIAL AND Culture NATIONALISM TECHNICAL And Economy CHANGES Strategic Role (AI, Robots) And Alliances DISASTERS DEMOGRAPHY Resiliency Elderly Recovery Ageing Costs JAPAN: Population; (e.g., Fukushima) Major Survival Low Birthrate Challenges IDENTITY “One in Many, INDUSTRIAL Many in One” COMPETITION Collective Auto, Electronic, Identity ENVIRONMENT Technical, Pharm DISASTERS NATURAL Toxic RESOURCES Volcanic Nuclear And ENERGY Earthquakes 7 CHART 4: JAPANESE CHARACTER AND PERSONHOOD: KEY VALUES YAMATO SUNAO DAMASHI ON (Ascendancy Inner Sacred Land) Reciprocal Harmony Obligation Purity In Debt TATAMAE Debtedness GIRI Displayed debtedess Burdens of Feelings ni Duty Loyalty HONNE True Historical ENYRO Feelings Traditional Social CULTURE Harmony VALUES DO Process for GISEI Oneness Sacrifice AMAE Impose CHUGI Dependency Loyalty Benevolence SHIKATA JOGE GA NAI KANKEI Accept Authority Fate Deference 8 Chart 5: Historical Bushido Personhood Values & Ethos GI Righteous ness WA NINJO Courage Spontaneous KENSON GIRI Conform Burdens of to Group Duty KOKORO Gaman Suru Matters of Historical the Heart Bushido (Endure) Values & Ethos SEISHIN Ittaikan KYOOIKU Oneness Acceptance with Group Situation Feeling Seppuku Mono No Ritualistic Aware Accept Suicide SUMANI SASSHI Temporary Apologetic Sensitivity Guilt Aware in Interactions mmunicatio n 9 Table 1: Structure