BUNKA bunco

[Taro Toporific]

Sheesh...

American billed in public ad as model Japanese

The American in a kimono bows deeply with a polite smile, daintily arranges flowers and kneels to put her traditional Japanese slippers in their proper place. The message of this TV public announcement starring Jeanie Fuji, innkeeper at a hot-springs resort, is clear: Japanese have grown so out-of-touch with their own culture that they need a bit of help from an American who's doing it better. "It's calling on Japanese to re-examine our identity," Eiji Ga of the Japan Ad Council, which created the commercial, said Monday. "Here's an American who is more Japanese than a Japanese."

[Steve Bildermann]

Is is cutural misadventure or social cosplay? Same as the Japanese guy I know who lives in Carlise amd *always* wears a kilt and highland bonnet. Most people think he's sort of weird but harmless.

Now if it's cosplay she's interested in I think this would be much more appropriate ... phew I feeling a little under the weather how about a visit to the hospital.

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/japano/0212/cosplay/13.html

[Andocrates]

Well, if I have one criticism of the Japanese I personally know in America is this adoration of the media view of America - America is a unique country, one in which almost anyone can make it and by and large you are not judged by your race (unless your middle-eastern, and they pretty much did that to themselves) This is the strong suit we bring to the world.


But the one thing we lack in this country is good solid tradition, I know that's a dirty word to some people, but I like tradition - I feel as humans tradition helps us deal with life. If you only watch the media then you would conclude that at 30 years, life is over. That if you are not young, muscled, rich, bright white perfect teeth, with a full-head of hair you are not desirable. Traditions allow some cultures a happy fulfilling and rewarding place in society from the cradle to the grave.

The ideal Japanese woman would be able to put on her kimono to entertain my boss, serve tea like a Geishi, jump on the internet and pay the bills, and then turn into a freak when we went to bed. Oh wait, did I just say that outloud?

The fact that an American can discern and then act out the ideal Japanese woman should not surprise anyone since outsiders can step back and see the romantic side of Japan. I'm quite sure the average scotsman doesn't really want to wear a kilt, and who can blame them? Like wise I'm sure blue-jeans and a hello kitty blouse is more comfortable then a kimono.

I would like to see Japan return to some of the traditions that spawned the Economic miracle of the 70's and 80's, but I fear it's too late for them. It was the group think and work ethic that did all that, and yet it was not balanced because men by and large ignored their families, which is why Japan struggles now.

[Steve Bildermann]

[GomiGirl]

The ideal Japanese woman would be able to put on her kimono to entertain my boss, serve tea like a Geishi, jump on the internet and pay the bills, and then turn into a freak when we went to bed. Oh wait, did I just say that outloud?

Sorry I am a bit confused - is this your opinion - or is this your take on generally held (male) beliefs in Japan? In either case it is a really selfish take on an extremely multi-dimensional issue. You have not mentioned anything about the wishes and ideals of the women in question. It reminds me of the horrible saying about being a chef in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom... *shudder*

I know a heap of Japanese women of all ages and opinions - none of them would meet these sort criteria. Some are single career girls who have more often than not studied overseas and are now shooting up the career ladder in large Japanese companies, some are happy to be house wives and are very controlling of the household finances and their husbands, and some are just working and looking for husbands and some are living a very interesting independent/semi independant lives in obscure industries and loving it.

With the exception of the career girls, most women I meet, I am sorry to say, don't feel they are successful unless they a) have a husband and b) the husband is successful. But when said husband has been "caught" the power shift is immediate and enough to knock the average person off their axis. Again this is a HUGE generalisation as I also know some very well adjusted couples with wonderful supportive and equal partnerships.

There is such a paradox in Japan which appears like such a patriachial one when compared with other developed countries, but the reality is somewhat different.

I am interested to hear the take from others as I am only looking at this through my eyes with only my experiences as evidence. I am not a huge raving feminst - but to have women compartmentalised as cooks, house fraus, entertainers and whores is doing both sexes a disservice.

[Andocrates]

Well the female version of this might go exactly the same way (except maybe serving tea - so input swordsmanship "(he) could stop a mini-invasion of our home with a sword" etc)

I think, in fact, you are a feminist to jump to such awful conclusions as you arrived at.

So far as I know I have never personally persecuted a female ever, in fact for most of my life I have been jumping through their hoops.

[GomiGirl]

So far as I know I have never personally persecuted a female ever, in fact for most of my life I have been jumping through their hoops.

I don't for a second think that you have persecuted a female - my message was just that the neat tidy package of the ideal Japanese woman was too confined for the reality.

I also don't think that it is fair to describe men in a few short sentences either.

Pigeon holes are for pigeons.

My biggest gripe for both sexes is that they list off what they are looking for... I have no problems with people preferring the look of blondes, brunettes, asians, caucasians or whatever, that is a matter of personal taste - but to try to do the same with personality is unfair to everybody as people are multidimensional and are also changing all the time.

[Andocrates]

O.K. Point taken and recieved.

[Mulboyne]

[Charles]

[quote="Mulboyne"][b]One,

[Taro Toporific]

[Mulboyne]

Thought I'd seen it before then I decided it must have been the FG woman running the sake brewery. Clearly, I was thinking of "I Dream of Jeannie" rather than Jeanie when I did a quick search.

[Mulboyne]

Sadly, it's all over for Jeanie Fuji. ZakZak reports (Japanese) that the Fujiya Ryokan has gone into a form of receivership with outstanding liabilities of around 500 million yen.

As it turns out, things went sour earlier for her. She apparently took off for San Francisco with her children two years ago after what the article describes delicately as "difficulties". The ryokan still officially described her as the okami ("mistress") but staff say she hadn't been back since she left.

Fuji had put a lot of effort into the ryokan and a source says she was unhappy with a major remodelling project undertaken by her husband in 2006. It cost around 400 million yen but Fuji felt it no longer matched the local environment. In 2004, the Fujiya saw turnover of 190 million yen but business fell off, whether as a result of the new interiors or the sluggish economy is unclear. When Fuji left, customers who came expecting to see her grew increasingly unhappy that no-one could explain to them where she was and staff say that contributed to a downturn in the business.

Fuji was regularly picked up by the local media and frequently helped with a tourism campaigns, often at a national level, so she had become reasonably well-known in Japan.

The ryokan is still in operation while it goes through Civil Rehabilitation but its future is uncertain.

[Bucky]

Sadly, it's all over for Jeanie Fuji. ZakZak reports (Japanese) . . . She apparently took off for San Francisco with her children two years ago after what the article describes delicately as "difficulties". . . .

So is this a case of reversed rolls as we all chirped in about with the Christopher Savoie fiasco last fall?

American mother takes her children and returns to her home country. Are we going to hear about Hague Convention issues with Jeanie? Oh, I forgot, Japan hasn't signed the Hague Convention have they?

[Mulboyne]

So is this a case of reversed rolls as we all chirped in about with the Christopher Savoie fiasco last fall?

There's no suggestion that in the article that she abducted the children. It does say her husband went to the US and implies that he may have asked her to return to work at the ryokan but that's as far as it goes.

[Catoneinutica]

Sadly, it's all over for Jeanie Fuji. ZakZak reports (Japanese) that the Fujiya Ryokan has gone into a form of receivership with outstanding liabilities of around 500 million yen.

As it turns out, things went sour earlier for her. She apparently took off for San Francisco with her children two years ago after what the article describes delicately as "difficulties". The ryokan still officially described her as the okami ("mistress") but staff say she hadn't been back since she left.

Fuji had put a lot of effort into the ryokan and a source says she was unhappy with a major remodelling project undertaken by her husband in 2006. It cost around 400 million yen but Fuji felt it no longer matched the local environment. In 2004, the Fujiya saw turnover of 190 million yen but business fell off, whether as a result of the new interiors or the sluggish economy is unclear. When Fuji left, customers who came expecting to see her grew increasingly unhappy that no-one could explain to them where she was and staff say that contributed to a downturn in the business.

Fuji was regularly picked up by the local media and frequently helped with a tourism campaigns, often at a national level, so she had become reasonably well-known in Japan.

The ryokan is still in operation while it goes through Civil Rehabilitation but its future is uncertain.

Very nice follow-up. Her husband probably spent the 400 million yen shlockifying the ryoken with shiny chrome and linoleum.

[Bucky]

[TennoChinko]

It's still a pretty effective formulae for anyone who is white bright and Western to secure a ton of admiration from many Japanese people.

That is, pick a traditional but obscure or dying art form and devote your life to it. For example, hakuhachi (that John Kaizan Neptune guy) or that fat annoying Canadian guy (who is NOT bright nor good-looking) in Kyoto who obsesses about Kyoto geisha (Peter MacIntosh). However, too many of those types already in Kyoto so it wears thin quickly. Pottery? passe.

For extra popularity power, add a strong dose of criticism for one's home country and decadent Western values and adopt reverent beaming admiration for old-fashioned dying Japanese values and custom. Be the ultimate Mishima with blue eyes and blond hair (sorry McTojo .... you're bleck so the Japanese simply assume you're merely trying to trade up from an inferior social position. Same goes for Canadians ) That nut Bill Totten - who made a shitload with his software distribution company Ashisuto - had a decent run in the 90's I hear with his very popular "America is bad - Japan is good" schtick on the TV programs during the "trade wars".

There are also people who are into certain kinds of shit because they really really like it. It's nothing to do with their race or ethnicity which just happens NOT to be Japanese. Sports (martial arts etc) and booze (sake tasting, making) are pretty fucking "pure". Lots of FG totally into it outta pure love. More power to 'em for that.