Faked Japan

Several month ago, I read a News Week's special issue about Japan. The writer said Japanese traditional culture was vanished. The reasons he said are that Japanese young people was not moved by Yasujiro Ozu's "Tokyo Monogatari(Tokyo Story)" and that They can't understand what actors said in olden Japanese respect language and that Japanese Students are westernized while western young people has been Japanized.



I've been looking at this magazine with skeptical eyes since then. Even though he said as if Yasujiro Ozu is one of the greatest master of movie director, he isn't such a great artist. The reason that Ozu's works is not hit with young people is that his works has not an appeal for young stars. The reason that young people can't understand Japanese olden respect language is that Japanese language has been changing.



A professor of Colombia university contradicted the writer's opinion in Japanese edition of News Week. He said Japanese traditional culture isn't vanished, it is just has been changing. I agree with what the professor mentioned. However, his opinion wasn't inserted in English Edition. Namely, the misconception of News Week wasn't corrected.



Such kind of misunderstanding is not rare. There are many foreign students misunderstand Japan. They may believe what magazines and books writers mention and they place Japan in their mold given by the writers. It seems that they were already educated that Tokyo Story is the greatest master piece of Japan, that is the Japanese before that they come to Japan.



However, the misconceptions can be a base of correct understanding. We also misunderstand other countries. I will write about it later.



The photo is Shinjyuku in Tokyo.