Just as it can no longer be
said that all Japanese women fit into a traditional mold, neither can this be
said for Japanese men. Perceptions of Japanese men by non-Japanese women vary
greatly, but one point remains constant, Japanese men are not always what is expected.
An informal survey of 25 English-speaking
non-Japanese women living in the Kansai region revealed that while initial expectations
of the Japanese male as "hard working," "business oriented,"
and "less interested in their families" than non-Japanese men were often
met, they were not the only characteristics of Japanese men.
In
fact, the respondents were nearly unanimous in pointing out that, while the stereotypical
Japanese male exists, each has met Japanese men who definitely do not fit the
stereotype.
In the stereotypical view,
Japanese men spend all their energy on work to the exclusion of family, leaving
decisions about the home to their wives. Work continues long past 5 p.m., and
evenings are often spent socializing with colleagues to enhance careers. Families
often become an unwanted obligation with "Sunday Father's Duty" more
punishment than reward.
While this
type of Japanese male exists, a more positive male can also be found. Respondents
noted that Japanese men who come into regular contact with people from other countries,
especially non-Japanese women, are outgoing, family-oriented, and generally pleasant
people to be around. They also come in all types, working in areas ranging from
business to the arts, preferring activities from reading to rock climbing, and
spending time in a variety of ways.
There
were, of course, a number of points respondents felt uncomfortable with in Japanese
males, including the tendency to view non-Japanese women as sexually promiscuous,
a complaint voiced by women from both western and Asian countries. The abundance
of sexually explicit material on TV and in comics (manga) was seen as encouraging
this trend. Other areas non-Japanese women found difficult to accept included
the over reliance by some men on their mothers for advice, the lack of communication
and socialization between men and women, and the surprise men express when finding
women engaged in business beyond the secretarial level. All respondents noted
instances when Japanese men acted in accordance with the stereotype. Obviously,
while the stereotypical male may be disappearing, it is a slow process.
All in all, though, the respondents said they
had learned to judge each Japanese man based on his own strengths and weaknesses,
not the stereotypes they had arrived with. All had encountered men who "fit"
the stereotype, but others who did not. This prompted one to express that pin-pointing
a single characteristic of Japanese males was like looking at snow flakes, they
are similar but never the same. Each is an individual. |
Page
Top