Traditional Costume- Kimono

• Literally means “things to wear”

• Basic Japanese clothing• Various types

– For different occasions• Yukata

– Summer kimono

• Shiro-maku – Wedding kimono

Traditional Costume- Kimono

During graduation

Shichigosan(a festival for

children)

• Still worn in different occasions When going to temple

• Clothing Accessories Obi - belt

Shoes - Scandals

Socks – Tabi socks

Traditional Art• Performing art

– Noh• Musical dance-drama• Actors usually wear

masks

– Kyogen• Spoken drama

– Bunraku• Puppet play

Traditional Art

• Arts and crafts– Origami

– Ikebana • (flower arrangement)

Western Japanese

Festivals• Shogatsu (New

Year)• Hanami (Cherry-

Blossom Viewing)• Tanabata (Evening

of the seventh)

Music• J-Pop (Japanese Pop)

– Music affected by the west

• Karaoke

Manga (Comics)

• First appeared after World War II

• Readers – wide range

• Types: – Fictional, romance, fun, mystery

• 23.2% of sales and 37.8% of the volume of all books and magazines in Japan

• Popularity through the world: Exported to Europe, America, Asia– eg: Dragon Ball (by Toriyama

Akira) into movie

Video games

• NDS• Wii• PlayStation• XBox• GameBoy

Technology

• Architecture - safe building (protection against earthquake)

• Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yss4vn6ERj8

Technology

• Transportation – Mature transportation

network – eg: Shinkansen

(Bullet train)• Covers most parts of

Japan• Maximum speed: 270

kilometers per hour

Technology

• Robots which can…– Play music

instruments– Do core housework– Act as a pet,

accompany the elderly

Downshifting Culture

• From the west• Original idea

– Encourage people to adopt less well paid life instead of financially rewarding but stressful one

– To have time for the important things in life– To have a less work-focused lifestyle

• Twisted in Japan– Interpreted as living a easy life everyday, without

specific goals

Downshifting Culture

• “Underclass Society: Emergence of a New Class Society” Miura Atsushi

• Characteristics

1. Spend a whole day at home surfing the net or playing video games

2. Just looking for a simple, not challenging life

3. Think that is best to live their own life

4. Follow one’s inclinations, just do the things that they like

5. Undisciplined personality, think that things are troublesome and prefer staying at home

6. Like to stay alone

Downshifting Culture

7. Think that one’s own personality is plain and simple8. Think that showing own style is trendy9. Always eat snacks and fast food10. Sometimes think eating is a troublesome matter11. Annual income is less than 10 times of the age in

terms of Yen12. Single (male 33 or above, female 30 or above)

• Different from the original idea

• Self-centered

• ‘working’ is not important anymore

Impact on society

Child pornography– Immoral thoughts added to teenagers’ minds

– Compensated dating (Enjo-kōsai)

Fictional anime Downshifting culture

– Give rise to Otaku and freeter– Create delusion of the reality

Impact on society

• Otaku and freeter– Freeter

• NEET – Not in education, employment or training• No permanent job• Usually indulge themselves with foreign travel,

hobbies or other passions• Parasite Single (feed on family)

– Living with family, pay no rent– Do no housework– Come and go freely

Impact on society• According to an article from the New York Times - Income gap in

Japan: Part-timers sink below poverty line

• …A Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare survey released last year revealed that the percentage of Japanese workers who are not in full-time jobs rose to 35 percent in 2003 from 28 percent in 1999. This group of workers - including part-timers, contract workers and those holding temporary jobs - earns an average of ¥2 million or less annually, Morinaga said. …

• …Economists pointed out that a pattern of widespread poverty may emerge when the current generation of parents retires and their low-income children eventually run out of parental resources to rely on. …

would create great challenges to Japan economy

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/10/your-money/10iht-masia.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=japan%20freeter&st=cse

Impact on society

– Otaku• May have permanent job• Tend to spend income on their

hobbies• eg: comics and video games, but

ignore other social or international issues

– eg: cosplayers,

anime products collectors

Impact on society

• Another example of Otaku (from the New York Times - Love in 2-D)

• Indulge in relationship with imaginary characters

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/magazine/26FOB-2DLove-t.html?scp=4&sq=otaku&st=cse

“Of course she’s my girlfriend,” “I have real feelings for her.”