Ernest Schaal wrote:

> I don't know if I would say that by most standards Japan is doing
extremely
> well. While it is true that it has made great strides in a lot of areas,
in
> the areas of lack of respect for others of different races, or different
> backgrounds, or different sexes, it is way behind the other developed
> countries.

Well, it's true that there isn't the kind of legislation against
institutionalised prejudice that has developed in the West. I'm still not
sure whether that makes Japan "behind" or just "different", just as, say,
laws on gun control in much of the US are different from those in other
countries, but that doesn't make anyone more "advanced" or more "behind"
anyone else (or perhaps it does, and we've got a whole new issue to get our
teeth into!).

I'd also point out that young black males in the United States are more
likely to be in prison than university, and the UK seems headed to go the
same way and I can't quite see how this puts either country very much
"ahead" of Japan.

> Your description of the "parasite singles" shows the same sexism that is
> found in the quoted leaders, for it conveniently forgets that half the
> "parasite singles" are male.

I stand corrected. I let the media representation colour my own judgement
there. It was not only the fact that most media reports are of female
"parasite singles", but I think I actually read some kind of explanation
that, since there were not the same career expectations of women, females
were more prone to becoming "parasites". I checked a bit more thoroughly,
though, and I see you are right; there are as many male "parasite singles"
as females.

> I agree that an "aging population" is a looming crisis, but that is due in
> large part to the sexism that remains dominant in Japanese society.

I wouldn't disagree out of hand, and am probably as upset as you are at the
waste of human resources I see here in Japan. Even so, the fact that a few
right-wing politicians have their heads stuck in the sand doesn't reflect
the degree of maturity of the Japanese people any more than, say, a leader
who dismisses anything more sophisticated than "good=us, evil=anyone who
disagrees with us" is a reflection on the degree of maturity of the people
of the United States. You could say the whole world has a lot of growing up
to do, but no one's in a position to throw stones here.

> For instance, one reason given for the low birth rate in Japan is the
> male-dominated medical profession does not consider pain-control to be
> important in childbirth. My wife has told me that some women have told her
> that they would never give birth in Japan because the Japanese
male-dominate
> medical profession dismisses their pain as unimportant.

I'm surprised about that. Firstly, women are kept in hospital for about a
week after giving birth in Japan, which they *used* to be in the UK, until
the National Health Service decided to economise by booting them out on the
same day. Secondly, my wife had the most wonderful birthing experience,
despite some complications after delivery, and we could not have been
treated more sensitively and kindly. I say "we" because I was there
throughout, and all three of us were treated so well it was a wrench to
leave! True, we paid a bit extra for a private clinic, which provided all
the basic facilities available under the standard national insurance system
and then piled on extras (like a room to ourselves and beautifully-cooked
meals), but it's clear that if you do your homework there is a very wide
choice of birthing facilities available, and some very caring and competent
specialists.

> Another reason is that women don't want to give up their careers, and they
> realize that the typical Japanese male will not share the work at home.

Yes, obviously there's a lot of truth in that. An even bigger problem is the
lack of facilities. Home helps and babysitters are not a regular feature of
the landscape the way they would be for working mothers in the UK, and
childcare facilities generally do not keep long enough hours to enable a
parent to do a full-time job and pick up the child(ren) afterwards.

Part of this - I think - is because the shift from a traditional
extended-parent society to a nuclear family set-up has taken place too
quickly, and the compensatory social structures haven't had time to grow up.
But equally, because the changes have been so fast, many people (especially
those in power) are stuck in a mindset that's woefully out of date.

> Modern Japanese men are improving, but the ones in power tend to be the
> reactionary types that still believe that Koreans wanted to have Japanese
> names in WWII, and believe that the Japanese Imperial Army was a force of
> good, and that Japanese snow is different from gaijin snow.

Yes, I'm with you there, too. Even worse, they appear to be presiding over
Japan's slow decline, rather than trying to revitalise it through a
programme of economic and social reforms.

Apart from this idea about Japan being immature, it doesn't seem we have all
that much to disagree about.

--
John
http://rarebooksinjapan.com