Are you “Hafu” / Half Japanese?

I received an email from the creator of  ”Hafu” regarding upcoming events in Japan. I am sure that many of you have read the Japan Times article,”Hafu, focuses on whole individual” which was published back in February 2009. The creator states that: “This is an ongoing project that creates a dialogue about being in between cultures. By increasing discussions about culture, ‘race’ and ethnicity we hope to achieve a deeper understanding of these issues. For this reason we actively give public lectures and organise events.”  

Jacqualine Kurio in her piece, “Nationality, Identity, Language and Culture – Making the Pieces Fit” examined three articles, one of which was on the website Hafu. She writes: “So while we can see that language, culture and nationality all have some bearing on identity, neither one can be said to be more important when it comes to establishing a sense of place or belonging. Clearly it is a combination of all these things, plus many other elements too subtle and numerous to list.” 

Ms. Kurio also wrote: “Cross-cultural marriages have been steadily increasing in Japan over the last few years, yet the divorce rate among such couples remains high (1 out of every 2.5 marriages) with ‘irreconcilable cultural differences’ being cited as the most common reason for the break-up. As a result of these marriages, more than 3% of births in Japan are to parents of mixed cultural backgrounds, yet the provision of education to enable these children to maintain close affinity with the non-Japanese side of their heritage (including language and culture) is extremely limited and depends more or less solely on the parents’ efforts.”

We here at Black Tokyo like to examine the issues and encourage dialogue found on websites such as Hafu. Please checked out the Hafu website, the Hafu Facebook Group and the dates for the upcoming events. There is information on how you can participate in the photoshoot (I believe it is for those 18+) below and on the Hafu website. Be sure to tell a friend about Hafu and the wonderful work they are doing!

The Hafu Blog states: “Our events are designed to create opportunities to instigate fruitful discussions on cultural diversity, identity and ‘race’ in a profound and thoughtful way. Typically, our talks are 30-45 minutes long with plenty of images and quotes from interviews, followed by a discussion. Our exhibition can also be booked, usually for a period of at least one week, with the option of an event ‘In conversation with the curators’.” 

Here are the upcoming events in Japan:

Calling all half Japanese people living in Japan (over 18s only)
 
Tokyo Photo Shoot                 20 & 21 June (Sat & Sun) 10am – 7pm as well as 24 June (Thu) 5pm-8pm

The Glass House Studio
Kokubunji, Tokyo
www.theglasshouse.info

Osaka Photo Shoot                 28 June (Sun), times to be confirmed 

Information: Our photo shoot in Tokyo will take place in a studio in Kokubunji, which is around 20 to 25 minutes from Shinjuku. The studio in Osaka still needs to be confirmed but if you are free and can attend please let us know now so we can slot you into our schedule. The photo shoot should not take more than 20 minutes.
 
In addition to the photo shoot, we will select a number of people to be interviewed. The interviewing process will take about 60-90 minutes. We can meet in a mutually convenient time and place. You will be asked a number of questions about your identity and experience in relation to your half Japanese background.
 
If you are interested in taking part, we would love to hear from you. Please fill in our online entry form:

The project:  Hafu is a collaborative project between artist/photographer Natalie Maya Willer and social researcher Marcia Yumi Lise. The project is made up of portrait photographs of half Japanese people (or Hafus as they are called in Japan) and their stories, extracted from in-depth interviews. As part of the exhibition we will organise a range of events including an academic seminar, family art workshop, networking night, live photo shoot and a cultural evening.
 
The project tries to give insight into the experiences of ethnically mixed Japanese individuals. It offers an opportunity to explore the ways in which Hafus construct their identities and establish a sense of belonging whilst being in between different cultures.
 
The work we carry out is highly respectful to everybody portrayed. The format provides an intimate and safe environment where subjects’ stories can be heard. We place much value in respecting people’s opinions and integrating them in the dialogue we are trying to create. Our work is carried out to a high standard and we aim to achieve further intercultural understanding based on the trust of the people we work with.

Public lecture
“Hafu Japanese Identities”
25 June 2009 (Thu)
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Sophia University, Institute of Comparative Culture
http://www.fla.sophia.ac.jp/icc/index.htm
写真撮影

東京
６月２０日（土）午前１０時～午後７時
６月２１日(日)午前１０時～午後７時
６月２４日（水）午後５時～午後８時
国分寺スタジオ

大阪
６月２８日（日）
時間帯は現在調整中
スタジオ確認中

【エントリーフォーム】
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=cHBVN2VQUklDejQxOUxRM2FVSGp3Y3c6MA

講演
「ハーフ・ジャパニーズのアイデンティティ」
６月２５日午後５時～６時半
上智大学（四ツ谷キャンパス）
＊英語での講演です。
http://www.fla.sophia.ac.jp/icc/index.htm

Good news! Younger farmers blogging their way to success

I enjoyed reading this story on young farmers. I used to grow my own veggies when I lived in Detroit and most recently on my balcony at my current location. For the past two-weeks, I have been eyeing property an hour away that sits on 10 acres of land. It’s priced right, large enough to grow a variety of vegetables and fruits, start a mini-winery (I have wanted to make my own wine since living in wine country) and far enough to get away from the hustle and bustle of work. That is, if I learn not to take my work home with me. The problem is that I hate driving and traffic but after looking at the picture above, something is making me want to live outside the city not only to escape “the city” but to grow premium fruits and vegetables, write books, blog, create videos and drinks lots and lots of wine with friends.

Natsuko Fukue writes: “Hard work, low pay and a gloomy future. That’s the image many young people have had about farming. Figures back this point. In the next 10 years, the majority of farmers in Japan will be 70 or older according to an Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry survey, mainly because the younger generation doesn’t want to take over the family business, many young farmers said.

But a growing number of young, savvy farmers are trying to make the industry more attractive and profitable through the Internet — a modern contraption through which they hope to paint a rosier picture of agriculture.

Shinichi Soga of Niigata Prefecture may be one of the most successful farmers so far. His tomatoes are selling like hot cakes thanks partly to his popular Web log, which he started in 2006.” Click here to read more of the Japan Times article. Photo: Shinichi Soga

Tokyo population nears 13 million

The Mainichi Shimbun reports that old Edo is close to hitting the 13 million strong mark. Here is the lastest:

“The population of Tokyo stood at 12,942,366 people as of April 1, an increase of 33,510 over the previous month, according to a metropolitan government estimate.

According to the estimate, women significantly outnumber men, with 6,502,937 women in the area versus 6,439,429 men.

The estimate is based on increases and decreases in the Tokyo residency register as compared with national census figures from Oct. 1, 2005. The estimate pegs the population of Tokyo’s 23 wards at 8,772,826, that of the cities at 4,083,610 and that of rural districts and counties at 58,540. The islands under Tokyo jurisdiction had an estimated population of 27,390.

The area with the greatest population increase as compared with both the previous month and the previous year was Koto Ward, a trend the metropolitan government said was related to a rapid increase in housing construction in the ward.”

Does becoming bilingual also involve being bicultural?

Roger Pulvers follows up on his previous post about raising bilingual children. In his latest piece, his discusses the importance of culture in language learning. I agree with his take since I consistently  stress the need to understand and incorporate culture in language learning and language usage. Check out Pulvers two articles and please feel free to leave a comment. 

Several weeks ago in this column, I wrote about some of the nonlinguistic aspects of raising a bilingual child. These can be social, financial and marital, involving the milieu the child grows up in, the necessity to move back and forth between countries, and even the periodic separation of husband and wife in the interests of exposing the child to one of the native-language environments.

I want to return to the subject of bilingual children because some readers have responded with letters following that earlier column, and it’s also surely a matter of concern to many others who aim to give their offspring the benefits of being both bilingual and bicultural.

Fukushima Diaries

Okay, I know it’s not Tokyo but none-the-less this blog is a very interesting read on life in rural Japan. The Jamaican New Yorker, Irie Otoko, takes a very nice approach on reporting his experiences by using a various pictures and keeping his stories short and to the point. 

Irie Otoko:  ”It was interesting to hear what these Japanese people are doing in Ethiopia. In my previous job I trained Japanese volunteers for rural community development work in Ethiopia so this was seeing another aspect of community development–a more academic, yet integrated approach.” Check it out more of the Fukushima Diaries here!

Race, ethnicity and identity in Japan

JAPAN’S MINORITIES: The Illusion of Homogeneity, edited by Michael Weiner. London: Routledge, 2008 (1st edition 1997), 234 pp., £19.99 (paper). Jeff Kingston writes for the Japan Times:

“Japan is a multiethnic society largely in denial about its diversity. Here we can examine the contradictions and consequences of this discourse. This second edition published a dozen years after the first is a welcome update with 10 chapters analyzing, inter alia, Japan’s six principle minority groups — Ainu, burakumin, Chinese, Koreans, nikkeijin(Japanese return migrants and their descendants) and Okinawans. Examining contemporary Japan from this perspective offers many insights about identity, ideology, race, ethnicity and the narrative of homogeneity. There may be a better book covering this range of subjects, but I haven’t read it.”

Kintama: PC – Japanese Style

I discovered this post (and blog) today after the writer replied to recent BT post. PC: Japanese Style fits into many of the topics here and provides great fodder for those budding linguists, activists and all-around person just curious about why certain thing are the way they are in Japan!

[PC: Japanese Style]  If you looked at the title and thought I was talking about the personal computer, the whole concept of political correctness has failed. OK, I’m bound to have critics hounding me for making such a broad statement on such little evidence, but I see that as evidence of PC’s failure in America and beyond. That is not to say that women’s rights have not made progress in recent history. One group recently wrote a paper for President Obama to show the areas where progress needs to be made. I’m all over the concept of pay based on merit and not on sex, color, or political affiliation.

Daily living guide in four languages

The municipal government of Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward has released the “Guide to Living in Shinjuku,” a daily life manual in four languages aimed at new foreign residents.

The illustrated guide is in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese with furigana phonetic readings above the kanji characters for easy reading. The guide covers details of moving into an apartment, such as the deposit and so-called “key money,” as well as etiquette such as polite greetings to neighbors after moving in, not playing music too loudly at night, and making sure to check with the landlord before getting a pet.

Kimono Girl

The 963 Group, LLC of Pebble Beach, California brings you one of Japan’s top selling cosmetic gift items, Kimono Girl oil-blotting tissues. Kimono Girl is 100% natural, hypoallergenic, fragrance-free and powder-free! Each Kimono Girl package is an actual hand-drawn Kagayuzen Kimono pattern. No two are the same!

The Kimono Girl concept was developed by Nakahama-san, the co-founder of The 963 Group. She is a veteran of the fashion and cosmetics industry with over 15-years experience in Tokyo’s upscale boutiques and in companies such as Shiseido, Chanel and Za Ginza. She says:

“People should use a quality skin (and lipstick) blotting tissue. Too often I see women and men wiping the oil off their face using their hands, a tissue or handkerchief! This actually spreads the oil and bacteria to other parts of their face. This can also potentially create skin rashes and blackheads, especially if the person’s hands or handkerchief are not clean.

In Kanazawa and other parts of Japan, women and men use a high-quality and affordable blotting tissue to keep the oil off the T-Zone. This really helps prevent breakouts. Additionally, women do not worry about lint or other residue from tissues when they blot their lipstick. Kimono Girl Oil Blotting Tissue has been pressed the old-fashioned way which means the fibers has been pounded over 10,000 times. This makes our product super-absorbent! Commercially produced blotting tissues do not utilize this old-style Japanese technique and thus are not as absorbent as ours! Actually, the process to make Kimono Girl oil-blotting tissues is the same technique used when we in Kanazawa make the gold leaf paper found on many beautiful Kanazawa products and on the Kinkakuji (The Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto, Japan. We get it right the first time! Whether you wear make-up, lipstick, or keep the natural look, Kimono Girl Oil Blotting Tissue will help keep your skin looking healthy!”

Each $12.00 order includes six (6) Kimono Girl packs. Each pack contains 30-sheets of Kimono Girl Oil Blotting Tissues. In Japan, one (1) pack of Kimono Girl oil-blotting tissue costs 350 Yen (approximately $3.50). As a special introductory offer, we are offering the six (6) package set at a $9.00 discount and with FREE SHIPPING in the Continental USA, Hawaii and Alaska.

We hope this great value will introduce our wonderful product to people around the world. Thank you very much for shopping with The 963 Group, LLC. Be sure to follow Kimono Girl on Twitter. Sayonara!

Manufactured and imported from Japan by The 963 Group, LLC

     

Kimono Girl Gift Set

6 package set (180 sheets) $12.00

Free shipping in the USA

   

Searching for Equality in Japanese

These two videos by Tamarah Cohen of Kansai Gaidai University deal with the use of kanji and its interpretation in Japanese society. When I taught English for Special Purposes in Osaka and Tokyo, I often used similar examples shown in the videos to discuss language usage and various issues faced by Japanese women. Special ARIGATO to Steve Silver for posting the videos to Face Book.

According to Ms. Cohen, “In KANJI, after engaging in a little “dictionary research,” the presenter makes a startling discovery regarding who, according to the writing system of Japan, qualifies as a person — and who does not!”

Ms. Cohen says of What is Equal, “There are, according to presenter, 989 words in contemporary Japanese that include the radical ‘onna’ (woman), and many if not most are negative. There are, in contrast, no “negative” words that include ‘otoko’ (man).”

The presenter argues that this is an obstacle to sexual equality. Watch and see why!