Gender Roles vs Individualism: Japanese Husbands

 

"The husband will feel ashamed if his wife has to work; people will look down upon him."

 

This isn't the exact wording, but the general gist of a conversation I had with a Japanese husband and wife (some of my host parents). I was curious as to why all of my female host parents had written on my forms that they were house wives; whilst, all (except one) of them had some other kind of job also. For example, they had jobs as Dance Instructors or as Office Reception Staff.

 

"Do you help with the house chores?" I asked  the husband, curiously.

"Oh no," his wife interrupted, happily, folding the washing. "In Japan, that is the wife's duty."

 

The next morning the husband was complaining about how his wife leaves him to do all of the housework. "Shougenai ne". He then proceeded to prepare breakfast, hang out the washing and do the dishes.

 

Some things are the same no matter where you live in the world!

Australia; Japan: Asian or Western Countries?

In Australia students are taught in school that Japan is an Asian country. But, I have seen newspaper articles in Japan debating whether Japan is an Asian or Western country. I've seen similar articles debating whether Australia is an Asian or Western country in Japan.

This year, the Opposition Leader of an Australian political party came up with a plan to make Australia the food bowl of Asia if he is elected. There has been some academic talk about whether Australia is an Asian or Western country. I think if you asked most Australian people, they would say that Australia is a Western country. But, the first time I heard of the debates about whether Australia is an Asian or Western country, I was a little confused because I had an image of an older Western USA, with cowboys in mind when I thought of the word "western". There are not many cowboys in Australia.

Yesterday, I was hanging out with a friend who has heritage ties with Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey. He asked me if I'd ever eaten Asian food before.
"I just told you that I'd lived in Japan," I laughed.
He thought seriously for a moment. "I thought that Japan was a Western country," he said.
My Chinese Tutor is also under the impression that Japan is more of a Western country than an Asian country.

Is Australia or Japan an Asian or Western country ~ what do you think?

War Australia and Japan

War isn't something that I am particularly fond of because I feel that there is great sadness in war.
So, when a work colleague invited me to a World War II tour I was a little reluctant to go. However, this was an important project for her as she was writing an article for a Japanese newspaper and so I wanted to support her. I also wanted to know how to be supportive for those who survived the war and later developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

An Australian soldier who survived 'the Bombing of Darwin' came with the tour group as well as a Japanese civilian who had survived the air raids in Japan as a child. It was interesting listening to their stories and to see no resentment or animosity between the two fellows. Our host was enthusiastic about piecing together an honest account of what had happened during World War II from the perspectives of Australian and Japanese people of that time. I found the tour forgiving, warm and honest. I recommend it!

 

I've also been to the Hiroshima Museum and the Hiroshima Peace Park before. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a digital picture of that for the moment. But, I was impressed about how the plight of other countries was acknowledged in the museum and I felt moved by the stories of hardship that many people had to endure as the result of the atomic bomb, particularly the stories of wounded children. :(

 

In War movies there is often a "good guy" and "the enemy". This is not the impression that I got from my World War II tours. Of course, I was not alive during World War II, so my views may be a little ignorant or naïve. I found that all of the people I met and learnt about seemed to be warm hearted, kind and forgiving human beings.