A Canadian Living in Japan

Krista Rae Wakelin

My name is Krista Rae Wakelin. I'm originally from Prince Edward Island and am currently living in Oita Prefecture, Japan, where I teach at a private English conversation school owned by a fellow Islander. I have always been interested in women's issues and consider myself to be a strong woman and a believer in women's rights. When I moved to Japan three years ago, I was extremely surprised to see the differences in women's roles from Canada to Japan. I had read books and articles about Japan describing the submissiveness of the woman's role in Japan but was still surprised when I witnessed it first hand.

In North America the goal of obtaining equality between men and women has been pursued for decades. In Japan this venture is just beginning.Being an active part of the working world can be difficult for a Japanese married woman. A wife is expected to do all the cooking, cleaning, and child-rearing. This leaves little time and energy to have a job outside the home, although many women do. Once married, a wife's first priority is her husband, and once a mother, her priority is her family. A wife's education, hobbies, and often times friends, are pushed aside and her focus is her family. When her children go to university, her free time is finallyregained and many housewives start have swimming, piano, and English lessons, or practice a Japanese hobby such as flower arranging or the intricate tea ceremony. Women have recently started returning to work a few years after having children, but traditionally a woman's role as a mother wasn't completed until her child either moved out and started attending university, or got married.

Japanese women are expected to perform certain obligations while outside the home. In a restaurant, the seating arrangement is often
male-female-male-female or female-male-male-female. There is always a woman close to a man because it is her duty, as a woman, to refill his beer glass with the large bottle on the table. Salarymen finish their work at 6pm, then head to a pub or snack bar to drink with male coworkers. Women are often excused from these drinking outings because she must prepare supper for her husband and take care of her children -- the exception being a special event such as an end-of-the-year party.

If a woman has hobbies or a social life, it is frowned upon and she is thought of as a bad mother. A woman must devote herself to her family at the expense of giving up her free time and hobbies. The thought of a mother enjoying her life while her overworked husband is home supper-less forced to look after his children makes other housewives cringe.

Japanese women are renowned for their stylish clothes. It is not uncommon to see a woman in a stylish outfit, with high black boots, a Louis Vuitton, Coach, or Gucci handbag pushing a baby carriage with a two month old. I'm not saying Canadian women are not stylish, but the Japanese seem to regard style as a defining characteristic. The latest brands and styles can be seen strolling the streets on any given day. The average handbag costs over $1000CAN. Japan is a brand-based society and having a Louis Vuitton designer handbag is a status symbol.

Certain mannerisms play a different role in Japanese society than in Canada, and are often gender dependent. Japan is a very apologetic society, and the word “sumimasen” can be heard numerous times throughout the day. “Sumimasen” is a versatile word has many meanings including excuse me, thank you, and I'm sorry. That being said, certain things Canadians consider good manners is not so in Japan. I've had doors slam close on me countless times while entering a restaurant or department store. I've also had people apologize to me for holding the door for them--it is seen as an inconvenience to hold a door because in Japan everyone is in a rush.

Conversely, certain mannerisms which would not be socially tolerated in Canada, are perfectly acceptable in Japan. For men, nose picking, passing gas, and belching are all acceptable but are not acceptable practices for women. I'm still surprised at the amount of time some people spend with their finger up their nose while in public. I had a teacher who I would team teach with who would be digging for gold up his nose while explaining the next activity to students.

I grew up on Prince Edward Island and was, therefore, ill experienced when it came to using public transportation. Japanese public transportation was my first experience traveling by bus and train. In Japan, on morning trains many women step aside to allow the men to exit first. This is because of the traditional view that men have a more important job to do than women. While this practice is slowly disappearing in the larger cities, it can still be seen in smaller cities and towns. When it comes to certain expected behaviours like this, I plead ignorance and stream out of the train with the men.

Japan is slowly adjusting to women's equality. They still have a long way to go, but at least the journey has started. Women have their own money, are marrying later, and are having fewer children. These three factors are having a dramatic effect on Japanese society. In upcoming editions of Edwards, I will go into greater detail about cultural differences between Japan and Canada, regarding the sexes. I will explore such ideas as the importance of being accepted, the changing Japanese society, and the merging of traditional and modern women's roles. While it is interesting and educational to note the differences in the two societies, I am aware that I am viewing Japan through a Canadian lens, and make no judgment whatsoever.