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May 18, 2007
Post-Modern Anxiety Appearing in Odd Places
The Japanese economy only grew 0.6% in the January-March quarter. Other than the restructuring and suicide, the long 90s recession included a pleasurable indulgence in "recessionary chic." The decade acted as a time to reflect and to expurgate the excesses of the Bubble Era. But now that the economy is again "booming," everyone expects compensation for their long sacrifice in the form of the bigger paycheck, the bigger car, the brighter sun - none of which have really materialized. Whether true "recovery" is upon us or not on a macro scale, consumer spending hasn't budged, and no one but the top tier of oligarchs and their charlie hustle recruits are having very much fun.
The Japanese organized crime syndicates have chosen this period of disappointing results to explode in gun violence - killing mayors, cops, loved-ones, and fellow gangsters. The ultra-genius Statist plan to condone the institutionalization of crime in order to assure a stability and secrecy of felony only works when the valiant knights of dishonor decide not to employ all the handguns they have amassed over the years outside of their closed-off world. I do not personally think the government has the guts to cut out the cancer festering inside their own guts at this particular point in time, but whether there is a final showdown or not, the yakuza and yakuza pensioners are signaling to the world that they would be happy to explode in an orgy of violence and take every man, woman, and child down when their time comes. They feel cheated: The State promised them social stability, but this dream has evaporated for them too.
The promises of globalization have failed to produce an outstanding economy in the short term, and now an angry eye turns to a proxy fight with its by-products - especially, multiculturalism. Leah Dizon, of all people, has become a symbol of this discontent. For a while, the weekly magazines were obsessed with her secret Japanese conversational ability, but now Naispo has gone to the outer limits of paranoia in the conviction that Ms. Dizon is actually Japanese. The author of the previous post makes a good point that Japanese elderly conservatives cannot wrap their minds around a non-ethnic Japanese female succeeding in Japan on the same level as native Japanese women and learning to speak passable Japanese so quickly. The conspiratorial narrative of her undercover identity appears to be more soothing to the nation than the implications of the non-fiction. National myths and cultural conditioning are much easier to discard when there is gold on the other side of the obstacle course.
Posted by marxy at May 18, 2007 11:36 AM
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Comments
...sorry, I'm still thinking about creampies.
Posted by: Rory P. Wavekrest at May 18, 2007 2:19 PM
I shouldn't have brought it up, sorry. Marxy, are you really Japanese by any chance?
Posted by: Laotree at May 18, 2007 2:32 PM
No.
Posted by: marxy at May 18, 2007 7:27 PM
Leah Dizon & Utada Hikaru on Utaban
Posted by: Mulboyne at May 18, 2007 7:50 PM
Full version with more of Leah Dizon's Japanese
Posted by: Mulboyne at May 18, 2007 7:57 PM
I do not think she is secretly Japanese.
Posted by: marxy at May 19, 2007 2:02 AM
Enjoyed this entry. It makes me wonder, if the people in the shadows of Japanese society (however quietly they are legitimated) did decide to come out and cause a real racket - who would stop them? If they really decided to cause damage - they could... And who would stand up to them?
Posted by: 6810 at May 19, 2007 2:27 PM
The entire system is predicated on the idea that no one will disturb the order. Great when it works.
Posted by: marxy at May 19, 2007 2:53 PM
That's right. Now Japan has enjoyed relatively stable social conditions since the war. Prosperity and the swelling of the middle classes has helped to ensure that.
Nevertheless, such "peace" is a rare commodity throughout Japanese history... so who's to say whether or not various aspects of Japanese society will "take up arms" and take what's theirs.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist or a pessimist, however, as a stable moder nation state, Japan, like many other Asian nations is rather young.
Posted by: 6810 at May 19, 2007 7:22 PM
How do "secretly Japanese" conspiracies rank beside "secretly Korean/Zainichi" conspiracies among media idols?
Posted by: j at May 21, 2007 2:26 PM
"Secretly Zainichi" strikes me as more plausible, but more taboo because they are likely true. "Secretly Japanese" is so outrageous there could not be taboo. Leah Dizon will not be discriminated against because it turns out she is secretly Japanese. Kimura Takuya will be thought of differently if his Korean heritage came out in the public.
Posted by: marxy at May 21, 2007 3:01 PM
I don't think Zainichi Korean factor is that negative now,for everybody knows film star Matstuda Ryuhei's father,the late action star,Matsuda Yusaku was a Korean,and Matsuda junior is now playing the leading role in a movie called "Purukogi"(means Korean Berbecue)directed by zainichi Korean Gu Suyong.
Posted by: Aceface at May 22, 2007 9:04 PM
What about anti-学会 discrimination?
I think there are still a lot of secret Koreans who are not coming out any time soon.
Posted by: marxy at May 23, 2007 9:26 AM
I agree.Although J－entertainment world queen Wada"Akko"Akiko came out a few years ago in Shukan Bunshun.Akko is pretty much a one woman Johnny Jimusho.If you mess with her,you die in the tube.If you befriend with her,you get some jobs.Being Korean is not bad at all bad thing today for Japanese.Mindan and Chosen Soren may not gonna like it if you don't have Korean name printed on your business card.
"What about anti-Gakkai discrimination?"
What about anti-Gakkai discrimination.学会 rules Japan.They NEED to be discriminated.
Posted by: Aceface at May 23, 2007 11:41 AM