Literature of Modern Tokyo

Literature of Modern Tokyo
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Literature of Modern Tokyo
The world is made up of different cultures which help to showcase diversity. When people come together and learn about each other’s culture, they help to spread these cultures which then leads to a world that is more receptive of each other. However, as people spread their cultures and try to sell their image to the outside world, there is bound to be instances when some people will esteem their cultures beyond those of other people. It should be noted that this happens only when people start viewing other cultures based on their own. Looking at other cultures from the perspective of another culture is bound to provoke instances of prejudice. People want their cultures to be better and highly esteemed than others. They want their cultures to be superior to others and hence the prejudice. Looking at the Western cultures from the standpoint of the East cultures, there are many inconsistencies, and instead of using these to learn about the other people and cultures, often, people take these as the de facto image of the other side. The same goes for the East cultures when viewed from the standpoint of the West. So, this article seeks to discuss Japanese culture but from the standpoint of the West.
As already indicated, every culture seeks to showcase and wants to be viewed as superior to others, and this is evident in film, literature, and other works of art. Often, and even in works of art, people like to focus on issues and aspects that appear to belittle other cultures while showcasing their own as superior. Kang (2017) discusses the movie Lost in Translation and through it shows how the West view the Japanese culture. He notes that from the movie, “not a single Japanese person is relatable as a fellow human being.” This is but a way of showing how the Japanese people are uncourteous and uncouth people. Looking closely, one understands that the movie is simply delivering a one-sided view or verdict of a people who are industrious and respectful. In another instance, Kang (2017) shows how the director appears to only focus on the weird and most derogatory images of Japanese culture. He notes that “Coppola’s camera also runs through the most banal images possible of “Japaneseness”: geishas, kimonos, Buddhist temples, neon-dominated cityscapes, pachinko parlors, Mount Fuji, flower arrangements.” On most occasions, film and art is used to sell the image of a country or the culture of a country. However, in this particular film, the director appears to focus on things that seem to demean the Japanese culture. It is indeed possible that some people’s views were influenced by the movie and unknowingly to them, a great culture was summarized in several takes which while true, aimed at watering down the country’s image. Concerning the movie, Kang notes that Koohan Paik lamented over the racist depiction of the Japanese in the movie. He said, “the Japanese are presented not as people, but as clowns…The hilarity is rooted entirely in the ‘otherness’ of the Japanese people. We laugh at them, not with them.” So, from the onset, the goal of the movie was clear. Howe...