Comments on: perverts http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/11/03/perverts Notes from my self-study and my Japanese lessons Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:20:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: heather http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/11/03/perverts#comment-134 Mon, 07 Nov 2005 11:57:25 +0000 http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/11/03/perverts#comment-134 for some reason, i'm always surprised when i hear about the roles of men and women in japan. i mean, for people in 'my generation' even, it sounds like things have not changed, nor are they likely to any time soon. i guess i'm ready to accept that things are different culturally, and i'm ready to accept that japanese has a different history of women's roles in society... but for some reason i expect it to just be 'in the past'... and it's not! in taiwan, the roles are certainly more traditional, and the family structure is great and strong. but women have found more independence. and so- even accounting for cultural differences- i would not expect women to tolerate that kind of public humiliation and abuse. and not in japan either. i'm a cultural relativist as far as no one is getting hurt, but i can't quite reconcile, do women prefer it that way? something i can find out more about when i get there! but i also have to say i'm glad you're in oita, because even though i'd come to you if you were anywhere.. i'm glad it's not in tokyo. sounds a bit too much for me. please write more about how women are treated on your site, k? i'm v curious! for some reason, i’m always surprised when i hear about the roles of men and women in japan. i mean, for people in ‘my generation’ even, it sounds like things have not changed, nor are they likely to any time soon.

i guess i’m ready to accept that things are different culturally, and i’m ready to accept that japanese has a different history of women’s roles in society… but for some reason i expect it to just be ‘in the past’… and it’s not! in taiwan, the roles are certainly more traditional, and the family structure is great and strong. but women have found more independence. and so- even accounting for cultural differences- i would not expect women to tolerate that kind of public humiliation and abuse. and not in japan either.

i’m a cultural relativist as far as no one is getting hurt, but i can’t quite reconcile, do women prefer it that way? something i can find out more about when i get there!

but i also have to say i’m glad you’re in oita, because even though i’d come to you if you were anywhere.. i’m glad it’s not in tokyo. sounds a bit too much for me. please write more about how women are treated on your site, k? i’m v curious!

]]> by: Ronan http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/11/03/perverts#comment-132 Mon, 07 Nov 2005 06:34:47 +0000 http://japanese.nearlythere.com/2005/11/03/perverts#comment-132 I must ask some of my female friends whether this has happened to them here. And if it has, what, if anything they did about it. Certainly most Japanese women would say nothing, as embarrasment and shame would generally overcome them, I think. The thing is, public transport in Oita is really nowhere near as crowded as one of the big cities so I'm not sure it could be quite as common here. The fact is Japanese women put up with a lot more every day than their western counterparts ever would. Even in the work place, women are often called fat, or told to lose weight or asked why they're not married yet. The men don't see a problem with speaking in this way and the ladies usually laugh it off with a false and far too generous smile. Usually, I sit there flabbergasted at what I'm hearing in the school office. (Even students often get away with this sort of thing with their female teachers.) I must ask some of my female friends whether this has happened to them here. And if it has, what, if anything they did about it. Certainly most Japanese women would say nothing, as embarrasment and shame would generally overcome them, I think. The thing is, public transport in Oita is really nowhere near as crowded as one of the big cities so I’m not sure it could be quite as common here.
The fact is Japanese women put up with a lot more every day than their western counterparts ever would. Even in the work place, women are often called fat, or told to lose weight or asked why they’re not married yet. The men don’t see a problem with speaking in this way and the ladies usually laugh it off with a false and far too generous smile. Usually, I sit there flabbergasted at what I’m hearing in the school office. (Even students often get away with this sort of thing with their female teachers.)

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