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The infamous 'anti-pornography laws' actually predate Perry by a significant period of time. Those were a Tokugawa era law originally. Post WWII occupation ha

The infamous 'anti-pornography laws' actually predate Perry by a significant period of time. Those were a Tokugawa era law originally. Post WWII occupation has had very little actual impact on Japanese culture, no matter how impactful the occupiers think they were.

sampullman 13d ago
It's the first time I've seen this put forward, I thought the effects of occupation were obvious and undeniable. To me at least there is a clear influence in art/music/cinema, technology, and food. Though over time, it fuses to the point of being its own thing.
- naishoya 13d ago
  Certainly the impacts of American culture from Hollywood and Elvis are impactful, but that effect has reached nearly every corner of the world. One memorable point is Richard Gere finding himself recognized as "Officer Gentleman" in one of the most remote jungle villages in Papua New Guinea that only had one TV set for the whole tribe. However, the Japanese social and legal reformation following the end of the war took as much influence from the greater western world as from the US. Half of the country used primarily German technology imports for developing it's power grid, and this legacy remains today, as there is a division into 60Hz and 50Hz regions of roughly equal size. Japan adopted a very English form of democracy, uses a similarly English approach to the division of public and private education, and while the Meiji Restoration did away with legal and formal caste divisions, there is still a strong hierarchy of culture which instead of feudalism, uses financial means as a basis for class. Much of the former Samurai class was in unique position to transition into the merchant class at the time of Meiji and thus the system changed but also stayed the same. The Japanese have been adept at both appearing to be influenced from the outside and remaining unchanged on the inside. There is a concept that is central to Japanese culture and consciousness, which is a duality of existence called Tatemae and Honne. This mistakenly gets conflated with Yin and Yang, but is wholly unrelated. This duality is the 'view from the outside' and the 'internal truth' and is the societal construct which underpins the strong tendency to reduce public conflict and direct contradiction. The Japan that is visible to the outside, between individuals and among nations, is highly influenced by this concept and is why Japan can appear to be influenced and changed, and can at the same time cling to traditions and customs which are rooted firmly and unchanged since the 16th and 17th centuries. It means that the same 'James Dean' lookalike rebellious youth groups in places like Shinjuku and Akihabara can exist, and yet most of them do 'grow up' and go to work in an office as a 'Salaryman' even if they still dress up and hang out on the one day off they get every week. The influence of foreign food is much in this same vein, Tempura being an excellent exemplar. Originating with Portuguese sailors centuries ago, it has been embraced and taken on such change as to become recognizably Japanese cuisine around the world. Ramen as well, unmistakably Chinese in origin, yet integrated and given a truly Japanese transformation until it is nearly wholly identified with the Japanese menu. These foreign influences do appear, but only when they are in tune with, and can be adapted to fit the underlying 'core truth' of Japanese culture. The Tatemae may shift and appear to have changed, the Honne remains stable and forms a durable foundation, for individuals and for society as a whole. And so, for the occupiers it may appear as if they have made a significant influence on the whole of Japanese society, and they may perceive themselves as somehow similar in effect to 'colonial influences' while at the same time, having had no more real impact to the formal and traditional activities of society than a new coat of paint or sponsorship label has on the driving characteristics of a race car.
  - sampullman 13d ago
    This is exactly what I meant, and Japan is not special in this regard. In nearly all cases, with a few exceptions, external influences are molded and integrated into the underlying culture. It's the same story with American influence on Filipino culture, which was significant but still integrated, or "in tune" as you say. Another good example is French influence on Vietnamese culture, which appears more seamless to me than American influence on Japan. It's a few generations older, so it makes sense.

sampullman 13d ago

It's the first time I've seen this put forward, I thought the effects of occupation were obvious and undeniable. To me at least there is a clear influence in art/music/cinema, technology, and food. Though over time, it fuses to the point of being its own thing.

naishoya 13d ago
Certainly the impacts of American culture from Hollywood and Elvis are impactful, but that effect has reached nearly every corner of the world. One memorable point is Richard Gere finding himself recognized as "Officer Gentleman" in one of the most remote jungle villages in Papua New Guinea that only had one TV set for the whole tribe. However, the Japanese social and legal reformation following the end of the war took as much influence from the greater western world as from the US. Half of the country used primarily German technology imports for developing it's power grid, and this legacy remains today, as there is a division into 60Hz and 50Hz regions of roughly equal size. Japan adopted a very English form of democracy, uses a similarly English approach to the division of public and private education, and while the Meiji Restoration did away with legal and formal caste divisions, there is still a strong hierarchy of culture which instead of feudalism, uses financial means as a basis for class. Much of the former Samurai class was in unique position to transition into the merchant class at the time of Meiji and thus the system changed but also stayed the same. The Japanese have been adept at both appearing to be influenced from the outside and remaining unchanged on the inside. There is a concept that is central to Japanese culture and consciousness, which is a duality of existence called Tatemae and Honne. This mistakenly gets conflated with Yin and Yang, but is wholly unrelated. This duality is the 'view from the outside' and the 'internal truth' and is the societal construct which underpins the strong tendency to reduce public conflict and direct contradiction. The Japan that is visible to the outside, between individuals and among nations, is highly influenced by this concept and is why Japan can appear to be influenced and changed, and can at the same time cling to traditions and customs which are rooted firmly and unchanged since the 16th and 17th centuries. It means that the same 'James Dean' lookalike rebellious youth groups in places like Shinjuku and Akihabara can exist, and yet most of them do 'grow up' and go to work in an office as a 'Salaryman' even if they still dress up and hang out on the one day off they get every week. The influence of foreign food is much in this same vein, Tempura being an excellent exemplar. Originating with Portuguese sailors centuries ago, it has been embraced and taken on such change as to become recognizably Japanese cuisine around the world. Ramen as well, unmistakably Chinese in origin, yet integrated and given a truly Japanese transformation until it is nearly wholly identified with the Japanese menu. These foreign influences do appear, but only when they are in tune with, and can be adapted to fit the underlying 'core truth' of Japanese culture. The Tatemae may shift and appear to have changed, the Honne remains stable and forms a durable foundation, for individuals and for society as a whole. And so, for the occupiers it may appear as if they have made a significant influence on the whole of Japanese society, and they may perceive themselves as somehow similar in effect to 'colonial influences' while at the same time, having had no more real impact to the formal and traditional activities of society than a new coat of paint or sponsorship label has on the driving characteristics of a race car.
- sampullman 13d ago
  This is exactly what I meant, and Japan is not special in this regard. In nearly all cases, with a few exceptions, external influences are molded and integrated into the underlying culture. It's the same story with American influence on Filipino culture, which was significant but still integrated, or "in tune" as you say. Another good example is French influence on Vietnamese culture, which appears more seamless to me than American influence on Japan. It's a few generations older, so it makes sense.