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B#6

1. One example of this was when he had to help Kane grow. Any great warrior will help someone else in need because it is there duty. Another time was when Magoza was told to confess about giving up being a samurai but he would not. This is bushido because he was faithful to his secrets and they could not be scared of out him.

2. The word obligation has a negative connotation to it. It is something that someone does not really want to do but feels as though they have to. Giri is people wanting to display support and gratitude. 

3. Bushido is more of a way of spiritual life while giri is smaller acts. Bushido affects a smaller amount of people while giri affects more of the society.

4. When the store owner spoke to Magoza on behalf of his son. Since he is the head of the household, it is his job to speak for his wife and children. The other would be Magoza adopting Kane to keep Oishi’s family going.

5. Magoza raised Kane as his daughter, but as she gets older she starts developing real feelings for Magoza, this be dishonorable of Magoza. Another conflict is the fact that Kane does not even want to marry anyone while Mogoza is trying to find someone suitable for her.

6. I think in American culture men and women are considered to be more equal in rights and to do as they please. I know multiple families that the mother is the “bread winner” that pays the bills while the man just makes the fun money for the family to go on fun vacations.

7. I would say this is the scene is best described with bushido. This is because a samurai does not escape or run from battle, they stay and fight and even suffer an honorable death.

8. All of Magoza’s emotions exploded that he had been bottling up for so long. He could no longer hold them in and he had to tell them. He was torn between what he thought was right “Samurai valued honor in an extreme and strict way” (46). Magoza did not feel as though he was not being honorable because he did not know what to do about Kane.

9. I think chinmoku was effectively illustrated because until the end of the movie, Magoza was filled with silence about all his secrets and desires.

10. From my perspective I thought the movie dragged on and was boring in trying to get its point across. Not my favorite 

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B#8

1. Bigaku

“However, with the opening of Japan in the nineteenth century after many years of seclusion, and especially after World War II, the Japanese have tried to “keep up” with Western people and become like them. As a result, lifestyles from the Western cultures have been increasingly accepted and adopted in Japan, and a Westernized way of life is now widespread among the Japanese people” (35).

In regards to bigaku, I can compare this to my parents and all the older people in my family who love hard and classic rock 80′s music, as that was their generation. They do not understand how I can stand listening to “mumble rap” and music that does not require any talent or real instruments as they would say. To them it is strange that I do not know and listen to the same classic rock music that they listened to growing up. “Hogaku, or traditional Japanese music, is also heard much more rarely in Japan these days. Some people try to maintain an interest in these musical traditions, but most Japanese, especially the young, have developed different tastes” (36). This is exactly like me and my family, I try to enjoy their taste in oldies music but have my own taste of music that developed through mine.

“In conclusion, the traditional Japanese sense of aesthetic can still be found in Japan, but it is rapidly changing” (38). This is also prevalent in the U.S. because although there are some people of our newer generation that do not interest themselves with old ways and only want to focus on the hot new things, fads come and go back around. You can see young people dressing like hippies, wearing their hair long, wearing high wasted jeans, and listening to the hippie era music. 

I can see why a lot of people try to preserve traditional Japanese culture because of how long it has been around and how much they value tradition and their ancestors. But, times and fads change and people want to catch up with that. 

2. Kisetsu

“Japan has four well-defined seasons consisting of spring, summer, fall, and winter, as well as a rainy season called tsuyu, which prevails from June to July throughout most of the country, except for Hokkaido; and from August to October, typhoons spawned in the South Pacific arrive, often spreading havoc and destruction in affected areas. Thus, if the rainy season and the typhoon season are included, it can be said that Japan has six seasons (Kawazoe & Kuwabara, 1972)” (153). 

There is one season that me and my friends do like to celebrate. The kick of to summer. Although we have to wait a while since spring semester does end in the spring, we have to wait a little while after to celebrate, but Memorial Day weekend we kick off the summer with cookouts, pools, and pure sunshine. It is our favorite time of year.

In America generally we do not have festivals and holidays that celebrate the exact season. “There are many annual events in Japan that are closely connected with the season; for example, hanami (flower-viewing) in the spring, tanabata in the summer, various autumn festivals, and omisoka (New Year’s Eve) in the winter” (155). We do not have things like this, we may go to the carnival in the summer, sip eggnog in the winter but no huge festivals or celebrations. 

I like the fact that the Japanese celebrate the seasons. They value the seasons and what each brings to them and are always prepared for them.

3. Otogibanashi

“In Japan, as well, there are many folktales that are still popular among the people and that illustrate certain key cultural values, especially in terms of the Japanese sense of beauty, the concept of nature, and the ideal of perfect human beings” (171). 

In American culture, we have the same type of folktales, they have hidden symbolism and connections to nature. Although, not most of the folktales in America originated here. Since we are a melting pot of people from every corner of the world, usually they are brought here with them.

I like how the Japanese people portray the beauties of nature in them especially. “Japanese folktales often contain animal characters that take the form of human beings, and these elements help explain the Japanese concept of nature in which people are thought to coexist with the nature in a rather vague way (ibid., pp. 194-195)” (173). 

4. Wabi Sabi

“Simplicity and elegance are often considered two of the essential aesthetic qualities of Japanese culture, and they have been important features of Japanese life since ancient times” (223).

I personally appreciate the beauty in simplicity and elegance, there is a certain wonder to it that over done things cannot show or top. “Traditional Japanese architecture, for example, seems simple because of its emphasis on empty space, lack of ornamentation, and quiet subdued colors” (223). I think there is beauty in all of these things. There is so much the mind can wonder in simple beauties.

In America overall though this is not quiet the case. People think loud and explosive features make things beautiful. There is colors and sights that will make your senses tingle.

In Japanese culture I feel as though they appreciate simplicity because the know beauty exists in everything in natural beauty.

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B#7

1. I believe the Do Spirit is best shown through the soldiers. Japanese soldiers believed that an honorable death was the best way to serve. Also, all of the military personnel are dedicated to defending according to their set doctrine, no way around it.

2. At first Kaegura did not want to speak to the siblings because they thought of him as shameful, which is not how Kaegura knew him. He knew him as an absolute honorable man and pilot.

3. They all called him a coward because they did not see why he would put his life before the battle. They had a similar view as a samurai. Dying in battle is honorable while at war, not returning home to die a coward.

4. Miyabe was an instructor to the other pilots. Although Miyabe was ranked above Izaki, Izaki still did not respect him because he thought the same as the others, that he was cowardly for wanted to keep his life.

5. I think Miyabe was not afraid to tell Izaki that he did not want to die because he was not one to go alone with traditional Japanese ways such as bushido. He was not afraid to speak his mind. I think this is why Izaki loathed him.

6. The Kamikaze pilots and suicide bombers are both taught that it would be for the greater good and more effective to fly straight into another plane to destroy it and walk into a room full of people to blow them up. It is more effective this way. They group all of them together and make sure they understand that none of their lives or more important than the others.

8. Miyabe switched his plane with Oishi because he wanted Oishi to return home to take care of his family because he knew he wont not be able to.

9. Kagura. He wanted to be a swordsman and said that his sword thirsted for blood. 

10. Gambari because all of the soldiers showed patience. They stayed and were patient with the war and did what they had to. Also, bushido because was also a large concept. All the soldiers seemed to accept the fact and be willing to know that they would have to die and this is a samurai mentality. 

11. I was surprised to see how many of the pilots and soldiers were willing to die and expected to. This is one negative aspect to group think.

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B#9

1. Unlike other modern Japanese, the geisha do not practice anything that is from the west. They paint their faces in a traditional manner, wear kimonos, walk a certain way to look elegant and beautiful. They listen to and practice only traditional Japanese music. They dance perfectly that symbolize beauty with fans. Only certain people can appreciate this and know if it is well done. 

2. I find beauty in the flaws of people. This might sound strange but this is how I feel bigaku. I think every scar and every wrinkle can tell just how beautifully flawless the world can be. As my example, I want to use my friend Michael. Michael is one of the more sincere and true friends I could possibly have the honor of knowing. Drew has a disease called Alopecia. This is a disease that made all the hair on his body permanently fall out when he was very young, he has no head hair, eyelashes, eyebrows or any other body hair. As he grew older he developed Vitiligo. This is another disease that causes lack of pigmentation to his skin. All over his body he has big pale white patches on his body that contrast with his deep olive skin tone, which is especially prevalent around his mouth. On top of these two things, a few years ago Mike got in a car crash on the highway in a convertible car. The car flipped three times and then slid upside down on the pavement. He slid 300ft on his head and arms since the car had no top. He now has large road rash scars all over the top of his head and his arms. You can also he where they had to place metal plates and bolts under his skin because of how see through and delicate the skin still is there, giving his a slight “bionic man” look as he likes to say. After Mike told me these things about him and the stories and struggles he has gone through in his life, he said “it’s okay.” He said that everything that he has gone through in his life is okay because it makes him a warrior. If anyone is not okay with that then it is their problem. When they asked if he wanted shots to make his hair grow back he said no. When his mom begged him to put makeup over his pale spots he said no. When the doctors suggested over and over again to get skin graphs over his deep road rash, he still said no. They is beauty in the imperfections of life. This he taught me. Now every time I look at a scar on my body, a wrinkle near my eye, or a freckle on my skin, I love them. It reminds me that my scars were from me doing outlandish things, my wrinkles remind me that I smile too much and the freckles remind me that I love the sun and the fresh air. This, is bigaku to me. Simple beauty that others may find flaw filled and ugly. 

4. Personally, I dread any season these days. Living in Ohio, they are so unpredictable. One day its 47 and raining and the next its 75 and sunny! Make up your mind, weather. But, in America as a whole, we do not particularly celebrate the seasons. We have holidays within the seasons that we celebrate but not the season itself. We have daylight savings time that we are either moaning or growing because that means it gets dark earlier, or people are cheering because they get another hour of sleep. The only way that I can think of that Americans “celebrate” the seasons is in the fall when we go apple and pumpkin picking while going on hay rides and going through corn mazes, go to the pool in the summer to celebrate the warmth, or drinking eggnog by the fire in the winter. These are hardly celebrations compared to Japanese festivals and events. The only other days of the year that the seasons really get a holiday is summer and winter solstice. But these are still not particularly celebrated. The Japanese have annual events to celebrate the seasons such as the flowing viewing celebration, Hanami, in the spring and many others throughout the different seasons to celebrate and appreciate them. I think this is because of their deeper appreciation for nature than Americans.

5. Chiyo was pitied by others because she was Hatsumomo’s slave. Even through her dance people could see the deep sorrow in her. I found emotional beauty in the girls’ dances because although perfect and strict dances, they told a beautiful story.

6. Wabi-Sabi is the simplicity of beauty. In Japan, simple beauty is everywhere from architecture, art and literature. This is very different from America. In America almost everything is loud. That is considered beautiful. Crazy decorations and architecture with obscure and crazy colorful art. Also, we have violent and crazy movies with intense and crazy characters and plots. We have sexual fantasy books like Fifty Shade’s of Gray. Everything in American is flamboyant and loud.

7. At the end the chairman still saw beauty in Sayuri even though he knew what she had done.

8. Hatsumomo tries to burn the things that Chiyo kept in remembrance of the chairman and she knows she will never return. Sayuri and chairman fall in love at the end. I think she is happy in the end because she had wanted the chairman. The only reason I think she would be unhappy is because of all the things she had done in her past that the chairman had seen. I think this because she is still embarrassed about them.

9. Okaasan adopted Sayuri. Pumpkin had a sad life. She was always controlled by Hatsumomo and never considered a good geisha like the other girls. She had always wanted to get adopted.

10. The ie system was shown throughout the film. All of the men in the movie held a higher power and always had control over the girls. Another concept is Amae because Okaasan had a dependency on the geishas to provide.

11. I did not like the concept of this movie. I cannot image growing up like this and being objectified and property to men and having to be perfect to be accepted. 

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B#12

1. Considering Ryosaikenbo, Suzu and Shusaku, Suzu has to learn how to be a housewife and provide for her new family in Kure. When she went to collect berries and plants that were edible she showed that she would do whatever she had to make sure her family would survive the rationing.

2. Although after Suzu got married she became a stereotypical housewife. But before moving to Kure, she was just a child in her family that loved to draw and worked for her grandmother’s cultivating business. The way Suzu takes critisism from Shusaku’s family and still learners how to be a good wife, she keeps trying regardless. She is showing danjyokankei. She is trying her best to be the best wife possible no matter what.

3. At the end of the movie when Suzu and Shusaku adopt a war orphan. During the credits it shows their new daughter learning from Suzu like sewing her own clothes. This shows how an elder to her has taught her how to work and she listens to her new parents, despite how she lost her own family and was taken in by two people were not actually her real family, she still respects them.

4. Omiai was in the film between Suzu and Shusaku because their marriage was arranged. Her parents tell her that a man had come to them saying that he wanted her to marry him. Although the decision was left to Suzu whether or not she wanted to marry him, it was arranged between families not the individuals. There was no dating or getting to know each other, she was just given the option to just do it or he would surely move on to find another suitable wife. Although not entirely random, the two had only met once when they were children that Suzu could barely recall at first.

5. After they had found the bomb, it had went off and took Suzu’s right hand, also killing her beloved Harami. The bomb had a delayed reaction. Suzu then loses hope and falls into depression.

6. Sumi is suffering from a radiation illness and then she finds out that her parents had perished.

7. I do not think it is that similar. For starters, when men and women in America get married, they date and get married because they are true loves, not because the other person is suitable for them. Although parents and family members have some influence on the manner, it is over all the husband and wife’s to be decision. Also in American it is uncommon for newly weds to live with the husbands entire family. Usually they are trying to start a family of their own and want their own space, and the rest become relatives. Another difference is the amount of affection shown between a husband and wife, they tend to show their emotions more and broadcast them more publicly. I think this is because in America people are so much more open with relationships and family, while Japanese are more modest and reserved.

8. I learned that I think an anime version of a story can let it be portrayed in a different way that it can be with live actors. It was able to put a lighter and less graphic feel on a story that is just that. I feel like the difference between Zero and Corners was the visual medium. It is also in an animated version that theatrics are used as key to making the film interesting instead of expensive special effects and visuals from actors that are easier to show through animation. You can make the characters act and be however you want.

9. In Japanese literature and entertainment emphasis the importance of the seasons. The term kisetsu (153) is what explains this. In the film you see the changing of clothes on the characters depending on the season and there are fresh blooms and dandelion seeds flying through the air and birds in the clear sky showing spring or early summer. I think the beauty of the weather portrays Suzu’s outlook on life. Showing that in the first half of the movie no matter how dark life may get, she is always the bright light that is shining. I think this is different then in American culture because the only time we ever put emphasis on the seasons is if its a Christmas or beach movie. Or just to show the setting of the movie or book, so the reader/viewer can see the where something is taking place. If they want you to know it is taking place in California, they will show you the west coast and palm trees. If they want you to know that it is circled around Christmas time, they will play slay bells and and show you some red ribbons.  

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B#16

1. When Japanese are asked how they identify and why they identify as both Shinto and Buddhist the answer is because they refuse to identify themselves to a single concept. Although Shinto and Buddhist are two complete different religions, many people in Japan believe in accepting each of their different parts and combining it into one. They may think it is contradictory for the combining of two religions, but it's more open-minded. Both religions are being practiced  instead of practicing just one religion and leaving the other forgotten.

2. When it comes to gift giving in the Japanese culture, it is seen as sometimes “private gifts”. “Gifts are more often seen as going from family to family” (240). One good example of a “private gift” is the stones that Daigo exchanges between him and his father.  Although the stones may not seem to have value and are unimportant to other, for Daigo and his father, the stones mean everything. If the two men that came for Daigo's father's funeral saw the stones, they would most likely throw them away because they wouldn't know how significant the stones truly meant towards the father and son. It is something indescribable to others.

3. In the film Daigo was a cellist before he had to become a nokanshi. A nokanshi is a person who respectfully prepares dead bodies for the family's final goodbyes at funerals. Many people in Japan believe this job title however is inconsiderate and disrespectful because they are messing and deforming the body for the preparation of making the dead body not look like them because they do not know them. Once Diago likes his new job, he is almost sick to his stomach because of his beliefs on what this job entitles. The only reason Diago does not back away at first was because of the money he would be making to support him and his wife. Once Diago gets settled in with his new job, he starts to realize the importance of what the nokanshi people really do for the family that have had a loved one pass. At first Daigo’s wife was in disbelief of her husband's new job and felt the same way others do about nokanshi people. She believed what they did was disrespectful towards the one that had passed. However, the wife started to turn her disbelief around about her husband being a nokanshi when she realizes what greater good the job is.

4. I believe the major difference between American and Japanese culture when it comes to funerals is the preparation that goes into it. In Japan the bodies are prepared right in front of the family. This makes it easy for the family to see what is being done before the body is put underground. Where in America, the bodies are already prepared before the showing of the body. Therefore, the family are not seeing what goes on to prepare the bodies because that is considered disrespectful in our culture.

5. In the movie Diago father has a stone he was going to give to his Diago before his passing. The stone he was given to from his father was not smooth but rigid with sharp edges. Therefore the stone could have had the meaning of his father knowing he was going to pass away soon and wanted to give Daigo a message through the stone itself. He wanted to let Daigo know the stone represented the inner and outer surface of him.

6. Daigo was only able to meet his father when he had passed away. Therefore, Daigo was only able to meet his father in a spiritual way. Throughout the movie Daigo could never understand why his father just got up and left his family behind. He believed his father gave up on him and stopped caring about him for the years until Daigo found a symbolic message in his dad's hands. Before his father's disappearance Daigo gave his father a stone to symbolize a certain meaning between the two and when his father left he believed the meaning was lost and gone for good. When this stone was in this dead father's hand, Daigo felt a sense of relief.

7. One prior Japanese key concepts i saw throughout the film was giri. This term was used when it came to the exchanging of the stone Daigo passed on to his father and his father returning the stone back in his passing. It shows care and compassion the father felt towards the son all those years even though Daigo thought his father did not care for him anymore.

8. During this film i learned the many difference Japanese culture has compared to American culture in a spiritual sense. The main difference that caught my eye was how dead bodies are prepared in front of the family instead of it being done behind closed doors. That struck me as different and strange because in America, we are so use to seeing our loved ones already prepared and made to look elegant. Overall, I thought this film was a great lesson because it showed how different they view and do certain things from us.

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B#15

1. Zoto

My personal impression towards zoto is the Japanese customs to gift giving. According to Befu, “there are eighty-five occasions on which gifts may be given” (233). Therefore meaning every holiday Japanese celebrate there are always going to be gifts given. I cannot personally relate because they only time my family gives gifts is for birthdays and Christmas.

In american society, we believe gift giving is very important when it comes to holidays. It shows care and compassion towards family and friend just like it does when it come to the Japanese customs. But we do not particularly think its necessary to always reciprocate them.

I believe the Japanese are right when it comes to zoto because of the symbolic meaning towards the gifts.

2. Soshiki

My personal impression towards the term Soshiki is what the word stands for, which is Japanese funerals. Within these funerals they follow a certain guideline containing to religions in one. “Because there are many points in common between the two religions, the Japanese were able to combine without much difficulty” (201-202).

In American culture we tend to do funerals a lot differently then the Japanese would. For Americans we give the ones that passed to the funeral home for them to prepare and clean the body up before the family views and says their final goodbyes. We don't watch them prepare the body before the showing.

I believe the Japanese do funerals this way in a sense of respect. They want to make sure their loved ones are being treated right because they believe their loved one soul is still with them until they are put under the ground. Therefore they want to make sure the soul is at ease.

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B#13

Nemawashi

To me this concept of business is strange. Being in a business academy in high school, we ran a t-shirt company ran by all students and one teacher. We would have meetings in the morning with everyone in the academy making decisions together while the teacher oversaw it. There was no secret meetings

In American business we do not have meetings with individuals before coming together as a group to make a general consensus. To us that would seem like shady work and favoritism because you do not know what other people are saying in private and who the boss might listen to more over others. Everyone sits together and makes the best decision all together. I think this is because American’s are not as  sparing of others feelings and will always speak up in front of others when they have a particular opinion. 

The term is now “widely used in Japan today, especially in business circles, to mean groundwork laid unobtrusively in advance”(p.159). I believe the reason they do this is to solve conflicts of interest and ideas in private rather than presenting them all to a group at once. They want to make sure whatever is being laid down is the right idea for everyone and not just themselves. Also because Japanese are very focused on sparing feelings of others and try not to step on toes.

2. Sempai-Kohai-

Personally in a social aspect, I can relate to this because of the social hierarchy of my friend group, the older girls of the group are respected by the younger girls because we have experienced more than them and they confide in us for advice and leadership.

In American society, we as well give our elders a certain name and respective they deserve. This is because they are older and wise then us. It is the same respect that we give our teachers and parents, these are people that we learn from, so who are we to disrespect them?

I believe the Japanese do this as respect for people above them as well. It gives the elders a sense of dignity and importance to everyone who is younger than them. They have been around and seen more than people younger than them.

3. Litoko dori

My personal impression towards this term is Japan trying to adapt with the new foreign cultures from the old. With adapting to new foreign techniques. “Japan has a long-established tradition of adapting elements of “foreign culture” and adapting them to Japanese use”(p.127) I cannot honestly relate to this so well because American culture is always changing. New fads outdo the old ones and the ones ones are forgotten.

In my culture, it is always out with the old and in with the new. We hardly still practice the founding foundations of our society and even the ones that still exist, people are trying to change. 

I believe the reason why they try and adapt to new things is because it advances their knowledge in the world. As well as it helps them communicate with their surrounding countries. They do this while still incorporating their original values.

Feedback: It was such an amazing story to hear! It was such a personal and emotional story shared by you. I was grateful to hear a side of the story that wasn't from the american point of view because i have only ever heard stories from the american side of view. It put life and personality to someone else's story.

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B#11

1. Inkuji

This terms impression is that childbearing practices are more serious and strict when it comes to a child's life. They focus more on cooperation then individualism with the children. In some ways I can personally relate to this because of team sports as a kid. We were taught to think as a team and do what is best for everyone rather than being selfish. Like in basketball we were taught to always pass the ball and not to ball hog every time we went down the court. But, at the same time our dads were standing on the sidelines yelling at us to keep the ball and shine.

“The main principles of childbearing focused on creating individuals who knew how to get along with others in the group” (135). This is not the same as it is in American culture. When we have children we want them to be different and to stand out in a group; someone that will be a group leader and someone we can show off and say “that’s my kid”.

I believe the reason the Japanese focus more on cooperation than individualism when it comes to children is because they want them to learn and do things the right way rather than having them learn by doing everything themselves and making mistakes. Japanese also focus more on group-think. General ideas coming from the whole group and not just one person.

2. Ryosaikenbo

“Japanese women are troubled by the social expectations of females in Japan” (p.179)

I can relate to this term very well considering the woman that I was raised by. I think of my mom as super woman. She can do anything! She cooks and cleans every single day, took me to and from school and sports practices, attended almost every single sports event, all while working an 8-5 job every Monday-Saturday. I swear that woman could fold laundry with no arms if she had to. This is the exact standard of women in Japan today. With changing times and women pursuing careers of their own, they are still expected to maintain the classic duties of a women as a wife and mother.

In American society we do have gender role expectations for women just like my mom. Most women are either housewives or they are working women and housewives to support and take care of the family. It is hard to find the middle ground in this because women try their hardest to live up to society's expectations. I even know a lot of families with stay at home dads because the wife carried most of the income anyway.

I believe the Japanese struggle with genders rules similar to Americans do. I believe it is almost world wide because of how much women are changing from their stereotypes. People in Japan are diligent workers which does not disclude women. Women are honest to god super heroes.  

3. Danjyo Kankei

I can honestly say personally I do not think the “men outside women inside” stereo type is completely alive today. But you still see it everywhere. Even in my family, although I have a very independent mom, my stepdad still checks her oil, changes the air filters, grills food on the grill and mows the lawn. All while she does the laundry and cooks.

In American society both men and women are now treated more equally in their abilities with the whole “anything you can do I can do better” thing women have going on. We go through the same education and we are offered the same jobs. However women are still being paid less in today's society. Which can be very difficult for women especially in the working class. They are doing more heavy lifting and dirty work that may be “harder” for women.

I think the Japanese are considered equal when it comes to both men and women in work force because they are all driven and hard workers. Although, I see why ancient values still apply (like women raising kids and doing the house work) because it is very alive in American society as well.

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B#14

1. In the film, I think the fact that they compared the parents to pigs could be used as a reference to American culture. Americans are greedy and are considered pigs to a lot of the rest of the world. This is because of the way we eat. The parents eating themselves into pigs is an example of that. Japanese are known for their adoption of foreign culture. This is shown because it is a reference that I feel like American’s would make in a movie. But Japanese adaption is not always the same meanings as they are in other cultures. 

2. Yubara makes decisions for herself and to accustom all her guests. In one instance where she let No Face do what he wanted to the other guests was spontaneous and money driven. No matter how gross No Face acted, she said that she still needed to please her guest, and sent Sen to do her dirty work. Throughout the film she got more and more spastic with decisions as things got out of order and chaotic. If she would have kept her plans then Haku would have never gotten hurt so badly and if she would have been true to her sister and not made Haku steal from her, there would have been kept peace.

3. The relationship between Lin and Sen perfectly represents sempai and kohai because Lin has seniority over Sen. She takes her under her wing and shows her how to work accordingly, while also sneaking her around. At some points, Sen has to sneak around Lin because she has sometimes has to do things that Lin had said not to do, like leaving bed at night when she should be asleep.

4. This film gives classic examples of folk tales like cursed food (turning people into pigs) and the classic princess and dragon (literal dragon). Examples of do not wander into the unknown and to never forget where you came from (dont forget your name thats how she controls you).

5. Sen broke her contract by identifying which of the pigs she drew from the pin were her parents. Sen knew that none of them were her parents and won the deal, breaking her contract.

6. I think Haku will stay in his world, working, but will always remember who he was and where he came from, never again losing full control of who he is or his name.

7. I learned that they have such a great way of telling stories. In American anime, the audience is children and in Japanese anime is for everyone. Japanese anime seems a little more exaggerated than American with also less detail in the animation. It is more simplistic.

8. Amae is a good example from the film because of all the workers that work in the bath house. The hierarchy of the bathhouse is shown between all the workers while they also work harmoniously to show a good experience for all their guests. Gambari is shown in the patience that Zeniba has with her sister Yubaba. Although she puts her through hell, Zeniba is patient and understanding about all of Yubaba’s controlling personality and their differences. 

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B#5

1. Bushido

Personally I cannot relate to bushido because growing up I did not know anything about samurais besides what I say on a Disney Channel movie that I can not even remember the name of. 

What I can compare this to in American culture is our American soldiers “but also absolute loyalty to one’s lord, a strong sense of personal honor, devotion to duty, and the courage, if required, to sacrifice one’s life in battle or in ritual” (42). Although there is no American ritual that says that you should kill yourself, American soldier creed does say that you defend the honor and freedom of our country. Although we hope our soldiers will make it back home to us, we know that signing up for war, they are willing to die for us in battle. Loyalty to the American people and our soil.

I think this is important to Japan because they believe that it is an honor and duty to die in such a way. An ancient concept that is still practiced today. It is with honor and loyalty to Japan that they are willing to do it.

2. Giri

To me, giri is very selfless and good for relationships between people. Personally speaking though I do not think gifts have to be reciprocated with more gifts. If someone were to help me with a task I know it is important to thank them but I do not necessarily think you need to give them anything in return because I know that if that person was in the same position, I would help them all in the same way. On people’s birthdays I always give gifts and help make them feel special but In do not except anything in return.

To my culture, I know that older people will always thank people with gift bags or kind cards sending thanks. To my generation though, I see a lot more taking than giving. I went and celebrated a lot of peoples birthdays this year that did not bother to return the favor or even give me a happy birthday back.

I see why this is important in Japanese culture because they care much more about keeping good relationships with people and they have a much more mutual respect for each other than people in the United States show one another. 

3. I.E System

“These ancestors were perceived as a unity of souls of all the ancestors who had been part of the family line since the ie was founded (Takeda, 1981, p.7)” (120). 

Personally I do not think that I can relate. In my family we worship God and Jesus because of our religion. We do not worship our ancestors that came before us.

I do not know anyone else in my culture that can relate either because most of us hardly know who our ancestors are or even where exactly we came from. This is considering that America is a “melting pot” of people from all over. I know that I am a little bit Irish and a little Germany but that is all I really know about my ancestry.

To the Japanese people, ancestry is important because it is easier to identify their family history and know exactly where they came from. It is easier for their elders to pass down the information they have about them because it is more important to the Japanese people. I could not tell you one story my parents or grandparents have told me about our family that I never got to meet.

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B#4

1. One specific example of this was when the mother came home late and sat down and seemed like she was going to have dinner that Kyoko prepared and help Akira with his homework and not even 5 minutes later gets up and goes to her room to talk on the phone. She was showing one thing and meant to do another.

2. A good example of aimai in the movie is honestly all the instances where the mother told Akira that she was going to stay and then ends up leaving. She says that she is going to make it up to them and that she is there to stay with them and then ends up leaving again. Even when she leaves them with some money, saying that it will be enough to last, it never does and the Akira has to try to find ways to provide for the other kids.

3. Being a kid in Japan is very different from being one in the U.S. Growing up we are just expected to be kids, nothing else. We are told to go outside and play until dinner is ready. No real responsibility or knowing how to work. Kids should just be kids while the adults take care of everything else. As shown in “Nobody Knows” kids in Japan are expected to help around the house and do chores. They are told to do things and they do it. The parents do not do it all. I would assume this is where the Japanese work ethic and gambari is started to be taught.

4. The fact that the kids never talk about what is going on at home with their mother is a huge example of uchi to soto. They think it is nobody else’s business. Also, nobody seems to say anything about the Akira not being in school. This is because it is an uchi matter to them rather then a soto one. People do not want to be rude by making comments about the matter.

5. Considering chinmoku, “silence” the movie shows it in many ways. I think the biggest way that it shows is when Yuki dies and Akira and the other siblings do not reach out to anyone to help. They keep quiet and leave it as a family matter. This is crazy to me because the second that I thought I could not help my siblings in this situation with such a terrible mother, I would reach out for help right away. I think I would wonder where my mom is and realize there is no way that I would be able to do all of that on my own. Especially if someone died. I would be running on the streets screaming for help. I would not stay silent no matter how personal of a family matter it may be.

6. At the end of the movie, Yuki falls off a chair and dies.

7. The ending is very sad. The kids still never reach out for help or to their mother and decide to go far away and bury Yuki in a suitcase with her stuffed bunny and her favorite chocolate. Akira said he wanted to show Yuki the airplanes so burries her near a plane runway. The kids are shown walking away together and go on to keep living the way they had been. I think this is because they still did not think it was anyone else’s business to help beside their one friend that is there with them and Akira through it. Nobody says anything. Uchi to Soto. 

8. The film over all is very messed up and sad. I cannot imagine ever being abandoned like that, especially as just a kid. This would never go this far in American society. People stick their noses in everything and it is uncommon to only have one adult figure in your life. It is expected that kids of neglect are found and taken to another family member or put into foster care if they were this mistreated. Kids are not supposed to fend for themselves, they are just kids.

9. I have a hard time wrapping my brain around something like this happening to children. The chinmoku was very hard for me to understand in this movie because of the way the kids handled the situation. I do not understand how they could keep quiet the death of their sibling and just bury her in a suitcase. This is because I could never manage to do that and I do not personally know anyone that could.

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B#3

1. Aimai

Personally I do not agree with the concept of aimai considering the culture I have been raised in. The way I was raised was made crucial that you always keep an open mind to all people. Judge a person by who they are and how they treat others rather then their social standing and what their social status is. “When people meet, they first try to determine the group to which the other belongs, such as their school or company, and their status within that group, rather than their personal traits” (10). This is the exact opposite as to what I was taught growing up and how I currently treat others. To me social standings are not important in comparison to who you are as a person.

This is not exactly true considering the people I grew up around. In the town that I grew up in, people and kids are taught that social standing is much more important then who you are as a person and how you treat others. People were mostly categorized by the clothes they wore, what their dad/husband did for a living, and how big your house was. 

I think that Japanese think this way because of how hard they work and how much they value work ethic. If you are lazy and do not work for what you want in life and are not always working to keep achieving goals, then you are not seen as great as others and probably not worthy of someones time if you do not have the work ethic to be successful. 

2. Uchi to Soto

“Uchi can be defined as inside, my house and home, the group that we belong to, and my wife or husband; in contrast, soto means the outside, outdoors, other groups, and outside the home (kokugo Jiten, 1991, pp.99 & 706). The Japanese clearly distinguish insiders from outsiders in daily life, depending on whether the others belong to an uchi or soto group” (217).

I personally think the same with this certain term. I keep my friends and family close and tell them personal things, while it is much harder and takes a longer time for me to warm up to other people from the outside. Where their is family there is trust and safety. My close friends I can almost consider family.

I cannot say I see the same in the rest of American society. Mostly anyone you are friends with on social media posts their entire lives on the internet. Whether it is political views, posts about family, or their jobs, it is usually all there. Most people do not have a sense of privacy. 

I think uchi to soto is important in Japanese culture because they do not like to talk to people on the outside and feel like they are gloating about themselves. If they were to talk about everything that happens to their lives then it would seem like they are talking too much about themselves or they are gloating.

3. Chinmoku

Personally I agree with this because I am one to always bite my tongue to spare conflict and other peoples feelings. I do not want to hurt anyone else or cause strain in my friendships.

This is not the same for many people that I know. Most people in America will always speak their minds despite what the circumstances are. They always want you to know how they feel even if they are telling you that you are wrong.

I understand why chinmoku is important to the Japanese culture because they do not want conflict with others and they think that it would be rude to not spare someones feelings and let them think for themselves. 

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B #2

1. Jiro was the prime A example of gambari in the documentary. He was always working to maintain is business. This means he was not around as much to be a father to his two sons. “Japanese are often said to be workaholic, characteristics that are best exemplified in the expression gambari” (83). Although all of his work and time spent away from home may have effected his relationship with is sons, Jiro is a perfect example of gambari.

2. I believe that after Jiro is done, Yoshikazu will be able to maintain the good name that his father had created but I doubt that he would be able to be more great. All his life Jiro has worked hard on his own starting from nothing to make a name for himself and his sushi. Although Yoshikazu has been able to learn from his father, I do not think that he would be able to surpass him because he had a great foundation to start from. He also exemplifies gambari because he is a good learner from his father, but the ultimate example of gambari is already exemplified through Jiro, who built himself a sushi empire.

3. “Modesty or humility is one of the most important aspects of proper behavior in Japan. In Japanese society, people are expected to be modest regardless of their social position” (143). In every scene that Jiro talks about his work, he never acts arrogant or flaunts himself. He lets people see for themselves when they experience his work and the sushi he prepares. He exemplifies Kenyko perfectly by never letting his ego show or boasting his own self esteem. His work is his own and even if he knows he is great, he never slacks in proving it rather then talking about it.

4. Yoshikazu is the perfect example of kenkyo in this instance. Even though the work should be credited to him in ways, he will be modest and not try to take credit from his father who built the empire up. Jiro is also the one Yoshikazu learned his skills from, so it would not be right to take credit when it was basically all of his fathers doing.

5. It seems like there is no amae between Jiro and Takashi. Takashi decided to go off on his own to be apart from his father and no longer in his shadow. In the movie Jiro tells Takashi to never come back if he decides to open up a restaurant apart from him. Takashi did not depend on his father like Yoshikazu did to be successful.

6. The advantage of gambari in the U.S. is that it can teach people to work hard for what they want in life rather then to be lazy and just accept the bare minimum and teach them to not be so lazy. A disadvantage is that most people do not have a sense on kenkyo and would flaunt their great achievements and gloat about how hard they work to achieve their goals.

7.  “I do the same thing over and over, improving bit by bit. There is always a yearning to achieve more. I'll continue to climb, trying to reach the top, but no one knows where the top is.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1772925/quotes

This quote inspired me more than any other because it really shows gambari in the perfect light. It means that no matter how successful you become and how much you accomplish or how comfortable you become, never settle. Always reach higher and higher no matter how close to the top you may be, there are no boundaries to what you can accomplish.

8. Honne to Tatemae was the most difficult for me to understand. This is because as an American, we are generally taught that whatever you want to do is the right thing to do. There are no social boundaries to be wary of. You always do what you personally feel is right and you never hold back despite what society has told you is right. In Japanese culture, the social and personal are kept separate.

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What Makes You American?

The identity of someone can be made up by a lot of things. In my 21 years of being an American, I have never once been asked what exactly makes me American. 

After giving it some thought and really exploring who I really think I am as a person, I realized that there is one thing that I can honestly say makes me the American I am. No, it is not that I love McDonald’s or that I believe that baseball is still “America’s past time”. I think the thing that makes me most American is that I still believe in the founding basis of this country. The simple fact that I still believe that this country is still the land of the free. I still think there is hope of the “American Dream” no matter how much turmoil that this country suffers through, everyone and anyone has the ability and right to stand up for what they believe in. You can rise up to any challenge and make life exactly what you make it. There are no limits to challenging this nation. The fact that I know that we all have the equal opportunity to be who we want, and fight for the freedom we deserve when we don’t think we have what we have the right to. That, makes me the American I am.

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(my textbook has not come in the mail yet so i had to google things)

Gamabari: I can easily compare this to my personal life because of how hard I like to think I work for the things I want and need. When I need to pay bills or get good grades I always work hard for it.

This is also easy to relate to everyone’s daily life. There is a quote by Lebron James that says, “Nothing in Northeast Ohio is given, everything is earned.” While this is very true for all of the hard working people in the Northeast Ohio area, I believe it can ring true for all people of all backgrounds and places around the world. 

The Japanese think this way because of the hardships and rebuilding they had to go through after WWll. This is where people starting referring to them as “workaholics”. 

Kenyko: The meaning of this word can relate to me because I always make sure that no matter where I am in life and no matter what I fail/succeed at, I make sure that the experience always humbles me. There is nothing worse in life then letting something either bring you down or trying to put down others because of you. 

I think it is important for everyone to be humble and modest because no matter what you experience in life, it should always effect you first, not other people. People should not flaunt what they have and know.

I believe the Japanese think this way because of how hard they must work to have and accomplish what they have. Although they take pride in all that they accomplish, being humble and modest is what should be most important to someone.

Amae: I can really relate to this one because I think that the people around you are important to your own success. Without others there so encourage me and support me, it’s hard to care about succeeding. Without others, there is no one to succeed with when you get there or anyone to enjoy it with.

It is always important to keep people close that you can rely on no matter what situation you are going through in life. People may succeed at things on their own, but it’s hard to build something up without the help of others.

I think this relates to Japanese culture because they understand that it is important to not only depend on the kindness and help from others, but also, to allow people to also rely on them. 

Honne to Tatemae: I can relate these two things to my life very well. Although I do believe that being honest with people is right, some things are sometimes better left unsaid. I am vegan. Which means I do not consume any food that contains any animal products. When I see my friends eat meat especially, I may think it is gross but I would never say that to them. I would just politely deny and say no thank you (honne). Or I may say “that looks good but none for me” (tatemae). This may have not been the whole truth but it is definitely better than saying “ew no way! that’s gross!”

This can also relate to all people because all people may tell little white lies to not hurt others. There is always a time to tell the whole truth to someone, but sometimes a little white lie is not such a bad thing when you want to spare the feeling of others, especially when it is something small and it is someone you really love and care about.

I think the Japanese people separate honne and tatemae because they care for others. They understand the importance of others. This is much like how they use kenkyo and amae. The people in your life are so important and should be put first above yourself.