Cultural Conspiracy

A Titanic Takeover?


The Questions I Asked,
The Answers I Received

The Westernization of the Japanese Film Culture

Definition Questions

What is traditional Japanese Theater?

An example of traditional Japanese Theater would be Kabuki. Kabuki is a form of Japanese drama on stage that has been around for almost 400 years. Okuni, a young priestess of the Izumo Shinto shrine at Kyoto had an act in 1603 in which she mimed people. This soon turned into Kabuki. In 1629 the government banned Okuni's "Women Kabuki" because though it was a theatrical performance, the afterward was designed mostly for prostitution. Later "Men's Kabuki" formed and Kabuki continues in this way. (Men now play the Women's parts.) "According to All-Japan: The Catalogue of Everything Japanese, Contemporary black English translates it (Kabuki) perfectly: 'to get freaky'." The background music is an ensemble of No drums, flutes, the three-stringed shamisen, and a bunch of other percussion. The scene is sometimes painted black, brown, and green and may have a picture of downtown Edo. Kabuki is still performed today and many people attend the performances.

What is modern Japanese Theater/Film?

An example of modern Japanese drama would be Japanese TV Dramas. Japanese Dramas are similar to American soap operas except they only go on for up to about twelve weeks. According to the Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture by Mark Schilling, "One advantage of the twelve-week format is that the show's producers can respond quickly to trends in society at large." The characters are often done up fashionably no matter what their status. TV dramas started because in the 1980s Japanese working women dreamed of a different sort of lifestyle. TV did not show those dreams. However in 1988, Dakishimetai! (I Want to Hug You!) a TV drama played on the Fuji Television network. Dakishimetai! was about the friendship of two women. The two women often just talked during their time on-air. In addition the show was very trendy. The two women were dressed in trendy fashions and decorated their homes in the latest interior styles. Now more than 20 contemporary dramas are shown weekly during prime time viewing hours.

What is Western film/theater?

An example of western film drama is a western movie. The best way I can describe a Western movie is a movie that is made by or considered American or European. A movie such as the hit motion picture “Titanic” would be a good example of the Western movie. This movie has been playing in Japan for a few weeks. At first the cinemas were packed. This is not surprising, though, considering the number of foreign first run films is greater than the number of domestic first run films in Japan. Also according to, Mark Schilling in an article for the Japan Quarterly, “Many Japanese moviegoers, particularly younger ones, take pride in not buying a ticket for a Japanese film...”. I think this says that many young Japanese people would much rather see a western film than a Japanese film because of the trending of a western film. The Western film industry is popular maybe because of the increasing number of younger moviegoers (teenagers more specifically) to western films. In the early 1990s the “Japanese movie industry began fighting a long, losing defensive battle, according to New Signs of Life in Japanese Cinema by Mark Schilling.” Today, domestic films are at a decrease in profit due to the prosperous western films and the popular arrival of TV and video games.

Specific Questions

How many Japanese films are shown per year compared to the number of Western movies are shown per year in Japan?

289 first-run films are Domestic and 321 first-run films are Foreign. Out of the 321 Foreign films, 176 are from the USA. This could be because there is more demand for Western films since the Westernization of Japan.

How many dramas are shown per year compared to how many hours of foreign TV are shown per year?

In 1984 there were 30 contemporary dramas. In 1985, 88,616 hours of foreign television programs were shown. This could be due to the fact that contemporary dramas are increasing in popularity and foreign television is well-liked.

Broad Question

How/Why has the entertainment industry changed since the Edo Period?

The entertainment industry has changed quite a bit since the Edo period. Over the years the entertainment industry (more specifically the Dramatic Arts Industry) has changed to fit the trends of the Japanese people. Since the opening of Edo in 1868 many actors and directors have tried to adapt a Western style to their performances. In the early 1900s a few Kabuki actors began to "study abroad, and (be) the first to act in the new Western Theater, according to Low City, High City." The article continues and says, "It has become common for Kabuki actor in these latter days to appear in Western or Westernized vehicles. In many a subtle way the influence of the West has insinuated itself into Kabuki." I think this statement describes a bit of the Westernization of a traditional Japanese art form, Kabuki. The Japanese TV Dramas are relatively new to Japanese culture. As they change with the trends they are constantly changing. The difference is that women are getting different roles. This is because in Japan the role of the woman is now more of a career role than homemaker or mother. This change is reflected in many of the TV situations today. Finally more and more western films are being shown in Japan. This is probably due to the demand of teenagers and other young audiences to view western films. Also some of the Japanese filmmakers are using western techniques in their movies. Many Japanese films have won awards and a few have won worldwide recognition. However, the Westernization of the Japanese film culture still continues.

Sources

Dalby, Liza, et al. All-Japan: The Catalogue of Everything Japanese. New York: Quarto Marketing Ltd., 1984.

Seidensticker, Edward. Low City, High City. New York and Toronto: Alfred A. Knopf, inc., 1983.

Schilling, Mark. "The Trendy Drama." The Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture. 1997, first edition.

Schilling, Mark. "New Signs of Life in Japanese Cinema." Japan Quarterly. October, 1994, 450-453.

"Film". The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Japan, 1993.

"Television and Radio". The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Japan, 1993.

Toshihisa, Nagasaka. “The Failure of Japanese Film.” Japan Echo. November 3, 1991, 85-88.

Yasuko, Muramatsu. “For Wives on Friday: Women’s Roles in TV Dramas.” Japan Quarterly. April, 1986, 159-163.

Brandon, James R. “Kabuki.” 1997 Groliers Multimedia Encyclopedia, (CD-ROM).

Foreign Press Center/Japan. Facts and Figures of Japan. Japan: Foreign Press Center/Japan, 1997 edition.

What did I discover?

My aspect of culture, film, is becoming more Westernized. However, the traditional is still persisting because Japanese people still believe that tradition is important. Today the modern aspects of culture are very important. I believe that the Western aspects of culture are becoming more significant than the modern ones. I believe this because more Japanese people are attending Western motion pictures than modern Japanese motion pictures. The traditional art form, Kabuki, is still performed today and many people attend. However, today Kabuki actors themselves are becoming more Westernized. “The entertainment industry has changed quite a bit since the Edo Period. Over the years the entertainment industry has changed to fit the trends of the Japanese people. Since the opening of Edo in 1868, many actors and directors have tried to adapt a Western style to their performances.” This explains how the film culture is changing. The traditional film culture continues though it is becoming slightly less popular. This is due to the fact that Japan is becoming more modern. However, Japan is not modernizing because though the modern is still significant today more people are going to Western movies. So the Western aspects of culture are becoming more popular than the modern aspects.
More and more Western films are being shown in Japan. I think this is happening because of the demand from teenagers and other ages of Japanese people for Western things. I think a lot of the Westernization has to do with the American Occupation from 1945-1952. During this time Americans occupied Japan and possibly greatly influenced them. This was a time in which the Japanese could have borrowed Western ideas and adapted them to their own culture. I also think that the Japanese have a bit of envy for Western things.

"Cultural Conspiracy Home Page"

Prepared by Allyson Levine, from Mr. Hoover's 8th Grade social studies class on April 15th, 1998.