Title Eiki Matayoshi's Pig's Revenge: the Dismemberment of A

Eiki Matayoshi's Pig's Revenge: The Dismemberment of a Title Community Author(s) Hamagawa, Hitoshi 沖縄キリスト教学院大学論集 = Okinawa Christian Citation University Review(2): 69-81 Issue Date 2006-01-31 URL http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12001/9513 Rights 沖縄キリスト教学院大学 Okinawa Christian University Review No.2 (2005) Eiki Matayoshi's Pig's Revenge: The Dismemberment of a Community Hitoshi Hamagawa ABSTRACT This paper examines Eiki Matayoshi's Pig's Revenge (Buta no Mukui) —the 1996 winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize —in an attempt to uncover a form of Orientalism by Okinawans against their fellow Okinawans. It argues that during the process of modernization, local communities throughout Okinawa experienced a series of transformations within which intellectuals have come to harbor ambivalent opinions about their home islands and cultures. Such ambivalent feelings charac terize the attitude of the protagonist, Shokichi, towards the three food-devouring female characters who represent the backwardness and the provincial elements of Okinawa. This paper demonstrates how Matayoshi's Pigs Revenge presents Okinawa as a political and cultural "other" in relation to Japan. Readers sense in the person of Shokichi the same kind of sorrow and loneliness as held by the Okinawan intellectual elite —victims of discursive self-exclusion, who, born and raised in Okinawa, were nevertheless forced to adopt foreign perspectives through which to "discover," ironically, what had always been theirs to begin with. Introduction mixing their admiration with a hint of conde When The Okinawa Program was first scension. published in 2001 with its ambitious subtitle: In Okinawa Ryori no Chikara (Power of How the World's Longest-Lived People Achieve Okinawan Cuisine), Asako Kishi also describes Everlasting Health—and How You Can Too, the traditional ways of living on Okinawa under traditional culinary culture of Okinawa enjoyed the same favorable light. Kishi says that there more widespread popularity among English exist on these southern isles some qualities of speaking people. Speaking on behalf of the living that have been long lost in modern Japa people of Okinawa, which they call "Shangri-la," nese society, due to selfish individualism ram the Willcox brothers claim, "Their low-calorie, pant there. These "good old" aspects of life are plant-based diet high in unrefined carbohy what Kishi finds among Okinawans in their re drates not only meets the dietary recommen spect for their ancestors, in what is known as dations of the U.S. national Cancer Institute yuimaaru (generous spirit of mutual helpful (NCI) but exceeds them, and more than ful ness), and also in their generous custom of shar fills the criteria recommended by most other ing foods at the times of festivities and scientific and medical authorities" (6). While it observances (43). In keeping such good old is not my place here to examine the credibil traditions alive for so long, Kishi claims, the ity of scientific data or the bold claims made happy islanders were able to sustain cultural in the book or elsewhere in support of the integrity in an environment with no modern Okinawan dietary system, I would like to advantages such as supermarkets, convenience stress the fact that such statements often pro stores, or access to processed or packaged foods. mote, or are often promoted by, certain cul Such high opinions and praises about tural images of Okinawa that Westerners and Okinawa coming from the Willcox brothers and Japanese alike have come to foster, somehow Kishi, however, never completely reflect the -69- Okinawa Christian University Review No.2 (2005) realities of Okinawa. Their observations com such people as "them" and not part of "us" in municate, rather, some negative feelings to troduces a troubling obstacle over which we ward the societies they themselves belong to. stumble on our way towards true understand Seemingly referring to Okinawa, their words ac ing. The way we perceive the problem could tually evoke certain nostalgia for things lost predetermine our answer in ways we may have through the process of modernization in the never intended. As is well known, Edward United States or mainland Japan. Thus, their Said introduced the notion of "Orientalism" to praises, while seemingly addressed to Okinawa, describe this mode of contradictory thoughts in fact reveal their own ideals concerning what or ambivalent feelings among western intellec their own societies should be like. Last year, as tuals in contact with the eastern cultures, socie many as five million people —mostly Japanese ties, and peoples. mainlanders —visited Okinawa, drawn to Ryu- This paper examines Eiki Matayoshi's Pig's kyuan history, traditions, and ancient customs Revenge (Buta no Mukui)—the 1996 winner of quite distinct from their own, looking even for the prestigious Akutagawa Prize—in an attempt some spiritual insights or healing experiences. to uncover a form of Orientalism by Okinawans Perhaps, it is safe to suggest, however, that their against their fellow Okinawans. Some readers yearnings will never be entirely satisfied by may find it difficult to accept, but I believe Okinawa alone, since their cravings emerge that it is easy, and in fact quite natural, for from a socio-cultural distance between these Okinawans to fall victim to self-directed dis resort islands and their own modern societies. crimination through which they regard them In fact, these very words of praise from selves either with contempt or envy, or perhaps, the Willcox brothers and Kishi may be easily with both at once. turned against them and imply, instead, how Ever since, or perhaps sometime before, backward Okinawa actually is. Wrapped in the disposition of The Ryukyuan Kingdom, ambivalence, their statements at first may Okinawa has imported new thoughts and com sound like pleasantries made with good inten modities from the West directly or through tions, but in fact can be found to hide dark Japan. In the succeeding periods, ideas and prejudices. Statements of their kind typically values long held among Okinawans underwent rest upon an innate presuppostion—itself never massive and widespread modifications. Local really questioned—that behind the subject and communities throughout Okinawa experienced object of observation lies the binary opposi a series of fundamental shifts in the culture tion of strong over weak. As the subject always which forced intellectuals into ambivalent per has power over the objects it observes and la spectives about their home islands and their bels, the observations that the Willcox brothers native cultures. They were in love with "the and Kishi make are characteristic of the colo good old" Okinawa even when they lamented nial conventions of discourse. Trapped in such its backwardness. They struggled to raise a rhetorical power structure, the statements — public awareness of folks while at the same no matter how well-intended—will never reveal time being caught up in the simple ways of the truth they claim to express. This is a fa their traditional living. A close look at the miliar dilemma we face as soon as we try to cultural history should convince readers that it describe those whom we define as members of would have been nearly impossible for Okinawan the political and cultural "other." Perceiving intellectuals to be completely free from such — 70 — Hitoshi Hamagawa: Eiki Matayoshi's Pig's Revenge: The Dismemberment of a Community Orientalist biases. Matayoshi's Pigs Revenge by them. Their remarkable appetite seems to presents Okinawa as a political and cultural indicate their desperate vindictiveness against "other" in relation to Japan. The story is filled the bourgeois family ideal that they have mis with a sense of sorrow and loneliness held by erably failed to achieve. For when it comes to victims of discursive self-exclusion who, born marriage, they are clearly losers. and raised in Okinawa, were nevertheless forced Miyo, the mistress of a drinking establish to adopt alien perspectives through which to ment, once aborted a child she had with her "discover" what always belonged to themselves. husband with whom she had lived for nine years. Yoko, one of Miyo's bar girls, lost her Eating first husband. After that, she had an unhappy Pig's Revenge is full of descriptions about marriage with his younger brother, which ended eating foods. Generally speaking, descriptions when she happened to see him in bed with an of food consumption are often closely tied to other woman. Shokichi, the main character, is broader observations of and opinions on the secretly in love with Wakako, another of Miyo's cultural customs and social values of which the girls, but she was once abandoned by her den customary manner of eating food is a part. tal hygienist boyfriend after a miscarriage of For instance, the contributor of the last article their baby. The three women, with whom of the third volume of Okinawa Shoku no Dai- Shokichi takes a trip to his home island of Hyakka (The Encyclopedia of Okinawan Foods) Maja, are trying to heal their broken hearts by states, "enjoying an active life as a positive in stuffing themselves with food. Their impressive dividual has much to do with appreciating eating seems to function as a substitutionary foods," stressing at the same time how impor act for building an ideal family, in addition to tant the mutual help between men and women being a symptom of the romantic traumas is for the sake of good eating habits (206). It caused by their miserable episodes with men. is the wife's role to prepare dishes, while the Let us, here, ask a fundamental question. other members of the family are expected to What is eating? That is to say, what figura appreciate and enjoy the foods on the table. tive meanings can we find in the act of con This image of an ideal family unit—consisting suming foods? According to Maggie Kilgour, of the mother as food caterer and of father and the act of eating is a mode of incorporation.

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