Analysis of Lolita Fashion through the Movie "Kamikaze Girls"

Although the title is kamikaze, this movie does not relate anything with the World War II. On the contrary, the story is about the main character, Momoko, who wishes to live in the world which was filled with lace, pink colours and the music of Johann Strauss. During the movie, she kept saying “I wish I was born in Rococo period”. For her, wearing this kind of clothes is only exit from her monotonous daily life.

Not only In addition to Momoko, there are more people who are crazy about this stuff. We call them as ‘lolita fashion lovers’. So-called Lolita fashion includes doll-like appearances, frilly dresses. Many accessories such as tiaras, ribbon bonnets and parasols which help them to appeal their grace are considered necessities for Lolita girls. This style obviously became popular fashion in Japanese subculture. One store which specialized on this industry recorded $13.4 million of the revenue only in one year (Yukari Iwatani, and Thomas Lisa). 

Now the question is that how this fashion attracted so many Japanese. Since Japan is well known for their harmony-loving culture, this phenomenon seems to be irrational. If we look at it into the big picture, it will all make sense.

One remarkable characteristic of Lolita girls is that they refuse to be mature. In the movie, Momoko was offered job from top fashion designer, but she declined the offer. Working means she has to be grown up. She is the typical NEET. Whole Japanese society is suffered from this new trend, NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training).

Unlike their parents who devoted lives to the work, the NEET in Japan even does not have willing to find a job. They are ‘post-bubble’ generation. Because they saw how their parents lives changed from the ‘bubble era’ when Japan enjoyed the economy boom to endless recession. From this experience, they became skeptical to keep the same path as their parents’. Although the reaction between NEET and Momoko is slightly different, their hidden desire – prolonging the adolescence period - is same. Wearing a replica of Victorian children dress certainly gives a big relief to them.

Contrary to its’ analysis, the concept of clothes is just lively and vivacious. They do not care about how the other people look at them. They do, because they like it. What is wrong to be different? They simply overcome all the ponderous criticism with smile.

“People often choose to be unhappy to be a ‘normal’. I would rather choose which may seem to be weird but happy one” (Kamikaze Girls).

  

Works Cited

Yukari Iwatani, kane, and Thomas Lisa. "Japan's Latest Fashion Has Women Playing Princess for a Day." Wall Street Journal 20 11 2008, n. pag. Print.

Kamikaze Girls. Dir. Testuya Nakashima. Perf. Anna Tsuchiya. 2004. DVD.

Analysis of Japanese Funeral Culture Through the Movie 'Departures'

Orpheus must have been a great musician. Even Hades, the dreadful god of death, was impressed by his playing and allowed him to bring back his wife, when Orpehus went to underworld to revive her. However, there was one condition that Orpheus must not see her face before they reach the earth. It failed, and the second chance was never given to him. 

There are many similar stories to this sad legend over the world. The Japanese myth of Izanagi and Izanami also shares the same desire. Ancient people also knew that it is impossible to bring back the dead, as no one can see any of their beloved ones in myths was able to come back. Instead of heading to the underworld, people found a proper way to say good bye to the decreased. 

For example, in Tibet, people throw the dead into the mountain so the eagles eat the corpses. It may seem to be a barbaric custom for strangers. However, actually this sky burial shows generosity of the dead, since they devote their body to the living things until the very last. By this funeral, they are becoming the part of nature once again. The way of funeral is various. But the fundamental reason, to mourn the dead is same for every culture. 

The movie ‘Departures’[1], portrays the Japanese funeral practices with the fascinating winter sceneries of Japan and the full rich tone of cello. Daigo is the main character who turned cellist into undertaker in this film. Japanese undertaker, nokanshi (納棺師) is in charge of cleaning the corpse and its makeup. Obviously people need undertaker to conduct a funeral, but this occupation is rather considered as despised one in Japan. In the movie, Daigo’s wife also refused him to touch while saying ‘odious’. In Japan, the bereaved gives small pack of salt(called Giyome Siyou, 清め塩) to visitors. Because it is commonly believed that the dead man’s foulness(Gegare 穢) can be passed from the funeral, visitors need to be purified with salt (Sung 251). Since Daigo insists his job, people do not understand and leave him.

After pondering, he finally decided to quit the job. The boss glared him at first, and suggested having a lunch together. During the meal, the boss poked octopuses with his chopsticks and said, “This one is also corpse. We need to eat all these if we do not want to die. If we eat, it would be better to be delicious” (Departures). Not only eating dead thing, but also preparing death is a destiny for living thing. Only after funerals, the family of the decreased accepts the death and find solace. An undertaker plays the most important role here. He gives the gift of last memories. By making the dead beautiful, the decreased can be remembered as they are in their living years forever. Daigo waited a moment and replied, “It’s delicious”.

Works Cited

Sung, Hae Jun. The characteristic of funeral rites filled with Japanese thought about Life and death. Pusan: 2011. Print.

Departures. Dir. Yojiro Takita. Perfs. Tsutomu Yamazaki, Masahiro Motoki. 2008. DVD. Shochiku, 2008. 




[1]
The Japanese title is Okuribito, which literally can be translated as ‘a person who sends’.

Observation of Japan's craftsmanship through 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi'

"exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey". – The Michelin Guide [i]

Three stars on Michelin guide can be interpreted as the quotation. This one is the world’s famous restaurant guide book and also well known for its severity. Such Michelin guide appraised one tiny Japanese restaurant by giving their best grade. Compared to a historic and fancy restaurant in French, this sushi restaurant has very poor facilities. Its capacity for customers is only for ten people and it is located nearby subway station. How could they impress all the conceited Michelin inspectors?

It takes approximately ten years to make 'proper' tamago-yaki(grilled egg). Apprentices, their first job is squeezing a hot towel. This is very hot, the temperature is very high, at least hundred degrees. It is almost torture rather than training. All kind of chores including going fish market at four o’clock in the morning, cleaning the toilet are asked to be certified his/her sincerity. They are allowed to ‘practice’tamago-yaki only after ten years doing that. This is just one example showing their rigor.

Jiro, who is the main chief of this restaurant, is eighty-five years old and he spent all his life on sushi. He literally dedicated his life for sushi. He entered this world when he was twenty years old. About sixty years, he always wears a hand gloves when he goes out, to protect his hand. He does not like holidays because he cannot work. He even works in his dream as well.

It is easy to find someone like Jiro in Japan. Usually, a family succeeds their own techniques and spirit for generations. How did it possible? Interestingly and unexpectedly, the theory comes from samurais. After the war, the demand for samurais was getting lower. In order to survive, they needed to find another ‘job’and that was joining in a cottage industry. They had to work very hard to be selected as a successor, since as the place was limited. With this desperateness, the peculiar spirit of samurais,　一生懸命[ii], which means ‘work hard even if it is dicing with death’ created this Japan’s unique craftsmanship.

One food critic commented Jiro’s sushi as, ‘eating his sushi is same as understanding his philosophy.’ In general, money is the drive to make people work. But someone like Jiro, for them, job is not only for a living, but a life itself. They love their job and work every day with a sense of duty. Sushi, it would seem insignificant for some people. Jiro raised it to a higher level. He had elevated this to a beautiful artwork. That is how we call them as ‘Master of Crafts’ This spirit made the world fascinated including Michelin reviewers.

Young Ah








Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Director : David Gelb

Cast : Jiro Ono[iii]

* Last modified on : 29 October 2012

---

[i] The New Yorker, 23 November 2009, p. 44

[ii] 鎌倉時代の武士の生活は、先祖伝来の領地を必死で守るというのが基本だった。

「武士の館」: [図説日本史] (1997) 東京書籍

[iii] The official website. Retrieved from http://www.magpictures.com/jirodreamsofsushi/

Departures -1/2-

The story about someone who’s helping people to start their new lives

 Sadly, for human being, death is inevitable thing. There is no exception for this. All living things are pretended to not think about it, because there is only endless fear if they try to figure it out. However, I dare say, losing a person whom I love is tougher than confronting our own. Every stuff around you will remind about the dead. I tried to find the book which I had not read for ages. When I opened the book, suddenly the small photo popped up and touched my feet. To be honest, I was not prepared for this. I did not have a choice except looking at the photo blankly. The left one has to take his own all the burden, loneliness and sadness by himself. No matter how much if you want to express the thankfulness or apology for the dead, simply they do not exist in this world anymore.

Last year, there was a terrible earthquake happened and huge number of people lost their lives. Japanese government compensated enough money to the victim’s families, but their sadness could not be erased by this. 11^th of March in 2012, it was the date of one year of Tohoku earthquake happened. Many Japanese came to mourn on this memorial. There were many article about the ceremony, the one story of the undertaker caught my eyes.[1] Jiba Asushi lived in Tohoku area as well, he survived. He said he still remember what he saw at the first. All the dead body was decomposed and stinks. Their arms and legs all twisted with mud. Jiba decided to have a funeral for them. He washed them and put make up for the dead sincerely. He did this job for 10,000 people.

The movie, ‘departures’, is the story about Japanese undertaker as well. The main character, Daigo was the cellist. But he is fired because of what the orchestra’s director’s said. His unexpected unemployment made him depressed. He could not imagine carrying on life without playing cello. But life cannot be sustained without eating either, so he tried hard to find job. He easily got a job except the problem was undertaker is not that socially high-respected job unlike cellist. So he could not tell his wife about his new job, but as time goes on, he becomes the real undertaker who understands the importance of his job’s role.

 Even though the movie deals with the topic which is not something to be taken lightly, it balances with the joyfulness of life and respect for death. From the movie and the story of Jiro, we can realize the importance of the funeral director. They allow people to have an opportunity to think about the dead and say goodbye to them. The one girl said thank you to Jiro. She could not say farewell to his father until Jiro gave a funeral service for him.

Young Ah Kim

---

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/world/asia/a-year-later-undertakers-story-offers-japan-hope.html