London ultra-Japanizes Japanese

[imomus]

Within hours of arriving in London I was in Japan. Or rather, I was at the British Museum, killing time until my nearby hotel could check me in, looking at the Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan exhibition.



As soon as my brainstorming session at LSE was over, I was back in Japan -- in the grocery under the Japan Centre and then the Japanese Embassy on Piccadilly, where they currently have an exhibition called Hand in Hand: Japanese graduates from Central St Martins College of Art and Design.

Once I got past the embassy's rather over-strict security X-ray (they were very worried by a pen in my bag, the one I used to take notes in the gallery), I found Hand in Hand an interesting show. Not so much because the work was strong, and not just because I happen to live "hand in hand" with a Japanese Central St Martins graduate (BA Honours Graphic Design) I met in London. No, what I found so interesting was the cultural angle the curator had worked into all the interviews with the artists, displayed on boards next to their work. Basically, this show was about how life in London had impacted on the students' sense of their Japaneseness. Or, as the blurb puts it, "fizzing with energy, the creative talent featured underlines the relationship between the college and Japan".

I say "cross-cultural angle", but that's not exactly the picture that emerges. As much concentration as hybridization of national identity seems to be going on. Here's what some of the thirteen students featured had to say on the issue. "I feel more Japanese than when I first arrived in the UK," says Rie Funakoshi (BA Honours Fine Art). Asked how her friendships have evolved since she moved to London, Rie says, pointedly, "I've met some great Japanese people." Broken any hearts? "I hope not." No miscegenation -- cultural or sexual -- going on here, then.

Sawa Tanaka (BA Honours Graphic Design) presents her Japaneseness as a series of self-deprecating but slightly sarcastic failings: "Here I feel I'm too organized, too concerned about cleanliness, too shy, too short-legged, and have too much good taste in food!" These self-reproaches... aren't.

Yuko Nasu (MA Fine Art) spells it out for her embassy. "You still feel Japanese. I'm absolutely Japanese. Staying in London makes Japanese more Japanese." Asked if she can remember her first day at Central St Martins, Emi Miyashita (BA Honours Fine Art) says: "Yes, too many British students, it was very, very uncomfortable... I feel really Japanese now. Much more than I realised before I moved here."

What does that mean? "There is nothing straight in UK. The manners, behaviour, expressing, weather, art and food. Better or worse, so many things are so different. Which gives me a very strong realisation of my nationality."

If culture shock and an enhanced sense of difference and separateness characterizes most of these students' London experience, there are some who seem more positive about London. Momoko Mizutani (MA Creative Practice for Narrative) and Emi Sekiguchi (BA Honours Fashion) pinpoint the reason most of these young Japanese women (and they are almost all women) have come here: "We think London has the coolest culture background, which is beyond important."

Nakaba Ikoma (MA Textile Design) is unique amongst the students interviewed -- she actually sounds as if she wants to renounce her nationality. "London has had the greatest influence on me. I am Japanese. I was born in Japan and grew up there, I have a Japanese passport. But I am not sure if I am feeling Japanese. These days I do not want to belong anything if it is possible." Wanting to renounce all nationality and all belonging almost sounds like a suicide threat.

The Japanese are much more aware than most Westerners of the fact that the national-cultural self is a blessing as well as a curse. Sure, don't fence me in, but remember that there is nowhere outside of society, outside of specific social habitus. Azumi Yamada (MA Ceramics) lays out rather more realistically than most the pleasure / pain (or should we say limitation / possibility?) dialectic of the national-cultural self: "I feel my identity is constructed in Japan and I still want to go back to Japan when I'm old."

Comments

[yuliacrystal.livejournal.com]

I think trying to define who you are is quite a miserable task

and then, again, it says a lot about one who performs the attempting

=)

[(Anonymous)]

when's the last time you spoke to (or listened to) a Japanese MALE?

[imomus.livejournal.com]

You're obviously not a regular reader -- Hiroshi last Monday (http://imomus.livejournal.com/321478.html), Nao (Yximalloo) on Tuesday (http://imomus.livejournal.com/321673.html)...

[(Anonymous)]

Momus, does living in Germany make you feel more British?

[imomus.livejournal.com]

It does -- I shop regularly at the British food shop in Kreuzberg. Only for Twinings Chai, though. Not Cheezy Wotsits.

But seriously, living in New York and Tokyo definitely made me feel more Scottish. You can hear that on my New York album (Folktronic) and my Tokyo album (Oskar Tennis Champion).

[(Anonymous)]

That sounds like an interesting exhibition

However one thing strikes me is that the number of students in CSM from Hong Kong certainly outweighs that from Japan but seems that few people are interested in knowing how Hong Kong-ish do those students think of themselves are and the culture shock they encounter.

and the other important thing is how genuine are the asian artists about their cultures in the creative process and how much of their opinions and ideas are comprimised in order to fulfil the 'exoticness-expectation' from foreigners so as to attract attentions from foreigners and cash in(can it be called internalised orientalism?)

define who you are

[pay-option07.livejournal.com]

I guess it's the next step from living by yourself.

one thing strikes me

[pay-option07.livejournal.com]

I've been amazed by your whirlwind culture tour over the last few weeks.
I would only last for a few daze! It seems Deutchland suits you!

39

[(Anonymous)]

You know you’re not old if dot matrix is folksy.

[(Anonymous)]

My question is: do the Japanese really need someone to be a booster for their culture? They're probably the most proud people out there ... on the surface they're yielding and all, but if anyone believes in their superiority over other societies, it's the Japanese, drastically more so than Americans or the French (probably the two battling "we're superior" cultures in the West). And this is coming from experience working for a Japanese corporation.

The first exhibition?

[spaglet.livejournal.com]

What are your thoughts on the British Museum exhibition?

[(Anonymous)]

I always wanted to more about Hisae and her graphic design. Does she still do design or she more into acting in movies now? Maybe you should do a Hisae feature!

Christopher

[lord-whimsy.livejournal.com]

How wonderful would it be to see a building constructed entirely of red glass bricks that were all shaped like that Tatsuaki box?

[(Anonymous)]

"Wanting to renounce all nationality and all belonging almost sounds like a suicide threat."

I don't why. My days of signing 'N/A' in nationality boxes were the happiest of my life and I'd continue if it was practical. Why should someone feel a sense of belonging in some utterly manufactured 'homeland' (and they all are).

[imomus.livejournal.com]

Because beyond the lands of life there are only lands of death, which we call "no man's land" because no man has ever come back from there.

Ownership

[(Anonymous)]

Isn't it a weak sense of identity one gets from nationality anyway? Even 'Taureans' or 'Sagitareans' cuts society into twelfths - there is some attempt at diversity. But 'you share specific traits and think in parallel with everyone around you'. Accent, er, that's it for most people. But then why open your mouth if they know what's coming anyway..

Re: The first exhibition?

[qscrisp.livejournal.com]

Hidden charges for booking tickets - one pound booking charge per person.

For the money, it could have been more extensive, I thought. At least it afforded me personally the pleasure of someone I was with being prompted to say that I was a national treasure.

But I did like what was there? Some really nice pieces like the square Bizen-yaki dish, and the some of the ceramics opposite that display. Also liked the kimono and lacquerware.

Sorry to butt in. I know you weren't asking me...

Re: The first exhibition?

[qscrisp.livejournal.com]

Sorry, there should be no question-mark at the end of "But I did like what was there."

Re: The first exhibition?

[imomus.livejournal.com]

Well, it's quite small, but it's at the centre of the new courtyard, which amazingly I was seeing for the first time on Monday, so that was exciting. And to be honest the thing that made the biggest impression on me was the voice of the narrator on the artist videos at either end of the room. That sort of keigo arts and crafts narrative tone melts me. I love how the woman's voice sounds. Like a robot goddess mother.

Re: Ownership

[imomus.livejournal.com]

Isn't it a weak sense of identity one gets from nationality anyway?

Maybe for some people, but Americans are very conscious of being American, and Japanese are very conscious of their Japaneseness.

why open your mouth if they know what's coming anyway..

One thing I've noticed is that Japanese love to state "the thing that we're all already thinking". Like, you say samui when it's cold, and you're all feeling cold. You know you're all feeling cold, but still someone says "Samui!" and someone else replies "Samui!" And, you know, there's a great delight in it. I think perhaps you have to spend quite a lot of time with Japanese people to understand what that delight is all about. The delight of "we", and of alikeness.

Re: Ownership

[microworlds.livejournal.com]

We were having a discussion in my English class about immigration, and I brought up some points:
1) When discussing heritage, people don't say they're American. Usually they say "I'm Scottish, Irish" etc etc, even if that part of their heritage is generations away. They're more American than Scottish, etc. Except when they leave the country, they say they're American and not Scottish and Irish.

2) When I think of going to other countries, I cringe at the thought of telling people I'm from America. I've never identified myself as American for some odd reason. Really, I'm not that conscious of it until someone points it out to me.

Re: Ownership

[microworlds.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm saying I'm not what you call a stereotypical American.

Re: Ownership

[(Anonymous)]

I think I see what you mean (http://video.xnxx.com/video4435/Mass_Jap_Fucking).

[cerulicante.livejournal.com]

Japanese either become hyper Japanese upon arriving at a foreign country or they renounce their Japaneseness and try to assimilate completely in a ridiculous way.


There is never any middle ground with the naicha. We Okinawans are infinitely more adapatable!

[cerulicante.livejournal.com]

I don't get to flit about Tokyo and meet art students. I, too, work for a Japanese corporation, so I meet more blue collar people.

And these Japs are exactly as you say.

[akabe.livejournal.com]

what often happens in diasporas is people becomming aware of wider or different circles of 'belonging' (or denial thereof). japanese realizing they're 'asian'... etc .. personally, being thought to be french for years, i'm almost on some level starting to believe it , evidently feeling enough direct empathy to allow that, again possibly using it to simply identify myself as not-anglo-saxon. the variations are endless.

Re: Ownership

[lord-whimsy.livejournal.com]

You'll find out just how American you really are if you go to Africa--both in a good and bad sense.

Re: Ownership

[microworlds.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, definitely. I had that feeling while watching the Invisible Children documentary last year. I've always wanted to travel there and see what's happening first hand, documenting my progress from day to day. Unfortunately, I don't have the expenses needed to travel there. :(

[lord-whimsy.livejournal.com]

I think trying to define who you are is quite a miserable task

Well, expressing an opinion is a form of self-definition, no?

Enjoy it--it's always shifting, and better it be on your own terms than someone else's.

[maybeimdead.livejournal.com]

This is true. And certainly one can't even go beyond being Japanese even if they wished to. Hell fence me in. The currency is race, the relative price of inclusion. Long live soft power and the path dependent nature of the unfolding of history on this structure of the world. There is no veil of ignorance.

Re: Ownership

[maybeimdead.livejournal.com]

Maybe for some people, but Americans are very conscious of being American, and Japanese are very conscious of their Japaneseness.

In my experience I would say the observation only applies to those outside of the hubs of creativity (think Richard Florida). However I have found Japanese creative classes use Japaneseness (particularly women) as an explicit marketing feature.

Re: The first exhibition?

[spaglet.livejournal.com]

I'll ask anyone who's been to it with a better critical sense than me... I loved it all, with the unconditional fervour I knew before only in the numinous haze of Asuka (http://www.asukamura.jp/english/index.html) (to which we were taken on a trip on the way back from Nara to Nagoya.)

I did seem to notice something about the dates of the artists: they started work either in the 20s (ish) or the late 50s early 60s, ie. renaissance periods, when it wasn't the case that seemingly everybody young wanted to leave, and certainly wanted nothing to do with other Japanese in terms of future families. These were anecdotes, not data, but I don't know if you've found similar among people you've known. I suppose that's what I'm looking for confirmation of.

Re: The first exhibition?

[spaglet.livejournal.com]

It is beautifully liquid, though having been on the end of "ganbare" for too long a period five years ago it's very much a two-edged thing for me, and while on the subject I couldn't believe how bad the video quality was on the videos themselves, doing neither the artists, their works or the curatorial staff any justice.

I'm surprised none of the pieces really stuck, though, or have I misunderstood?

[(Anonymous)]

it can be, but not necessarily - say, expressing an opinion that crab meat isnt the best choice for an occasional salad, or that the five minutes before sunset on a summer day light is perfect for melancholic portraits, would have nothing to do with defining the person who expressing it

but then, again, anything can turn into the task of self-definition. its a question of priorities, I guess =)


how I see is pretty simple - its hard to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if its not there

[yuliacrystal.livejournal.com]

um, yes, I didnt realise that I wasnt logged on yet, so that was me a minuite ago =)

Re: The first exhibition?

[qscrisp.livejournal.com]

"I'll ask anyone who's been to it with a better critical sense than me"

Well, I'm not sure I qualify. I don't think I was quite unconditional, though, but I did like most of the stuff on display. I just wish there had been more of it. It felt a bit like a nouvelle cuisine experience.

I'm afraid I can't confirm your observation, either, but it's an interesting one. There did seem to be a great many people there who had been designated living national treasures in the fifties (having started their work earlier), but I didn't pay that much attention to the years mentioned.