I interviewed M-kun whom I met through kendo (Japanese fencing). He is a fellow kendo club member from high school. We played kendo together several times and I noticed he likes anime and kendo at the same time. When I asked him whether he just liked anime if he was an otaku (nerd), he clearly said he used to be an otaku. That was why I interviewed him because I wondered whether there are any connections between anime and kendo. As I analyzed his interview, I found three interesting connections between anime and kendo. They are cool image of Japanese culture based on anime, unconscious practice of cosplay through kendo and dynamic identity change from being an otaku into a sportsman.
According to M-kun, he started playing kendo when he was a junior high school student because he was an otaku. Before he started kendo, he almost did not do anything related to Japanese traditional culture. Even when he did, he had never felt that he was engaged with it. On the other hand, he watched a lot of anime which gave him cool images of Japanese culture. For example, he watched Gintama, Bleach, Inuyasha and Naruto. Among these anime series, he liked Gintama the best and collected all the manga. He wished he could be like Gin-san, the main character of Gintama because he is cool and liked by many people in the anime. In the interview, M-kun said “I did not have as many friends as Gin-san. The only friends I had at the time were those who also liked anime and who were shy. I wished I could be a cool guy like him who has samurai heart.” After watching these anime series, he became interested in Japanese traditional culture even though he had never felt close to it. At the time, he entered a junior high school and needed to belo...
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...ms that otaku are influenced more strongly because their passion toward anime can support keeping up with the difficulty of kendo. This behavior pattern is similar to what a cosplayer does. Ironically, an otaku need to abandon their identity as otaku to purely enjoy kendo. Experience with kendo gives otaku confidence to be one of the members of a bigger community.
Works Cited
Lam, Peng Ur (2007) “Japan’s Quest ‘Soft Power’: Attraction and Limitation.” East Asia 24: 349-363.
Freedman, Alisa (2009) “Train Man and the Gender Politics of Japanese ‘Otaku’ Culture: The Rise of New Media, Nerd Heroes and Consumer Communities.”
Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and Pacific, Issue 20, April 2009. http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue20/freedman.htm Winge, Theresa (2006) “Costuming the Imagination: Origins of Anime and Manga Cosplay.” Mechademia (1): 65-76.
Ken is the main character in the book “The Tattoo”. Ken is brought up by a twisted code of samurai traditions. His life is an odyssey in which he has to battle the world and himself. Ken has a really rough life when he was younger. At the age of six, Ken's mom died because of sickness. He doesn't have much memory of his mom since she died when Ken was really young. After his mother's death, his father started to drink a lot. Ken had a rough life when he was growing up. In his teenage years, he met Koa Pauhi Puana. They both met in Junior year and became best friends, more like brothers. In Ken's adult years, he got a job as a bartender and he met his girlfriend/wife Claudia Choy. As he got older, Ken somehow ended up in prison. In prison he met a guy named Matthew "Cal. Brodsky. He got a tattoo that
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Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today deriving directly and indirectly from the beliefs of the Samurai.
...feat of Japan in World War 2). With the changes of the nature of power, Japan by balancing out aggressive economic policies and a quiet military buildup, was able to build herself up to become a prominent player in the international sphere today. In closing, while Japan’s policies today in general have been skewered towards the arguments of the ‘Gentleman’, increasingly Japan has considered more realist concerns of security in the escalation of tensions of the East Asian geopolitical sphere. Chomin’s Discourse has nonetheless served as a prophetic blueprint for more than a century of Japan policy-making.
Many people often see little similarity between the country of Japan and Europe. However, there are actually several similarities between these two countries. In fact, Reischauer and Jansen note that Feudal Japan had departed so far from East Asian norms that it was more similar to medieval Europe than it was to China. Thus, the knight of Europe and the samurai of Japan despite a lack of contact with one another shared several common elements. This was a result of many similarities social and cultural influences experienced by the two distant countries.
I interviewed another adherent of this culture, and I was shocked by his remarks, such as,“Sometimes the saddest part of residing in this country of 'freedom of expression', is no matter what time period it might be, we will always be treated differently, or criticized for adhering an idea for just expressing ourselves as humans, and in my case I am shamed by others for watching anime and playing video games because of the repulsive, degrading, and ignorant remarks others make about the what I enjoy.” confirming the idea otakus get outcasted by the masses.(Rogers)(Here you should explain how you talk about how the others perspective did not affect how you feel about your
Werle, Simone. Fashionista A Century of Style Icons. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1977. Print.
Peacock, John. The Chronicle of Western Fashion: From Ancient times to the Present Day. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1991. Print.
...high power status, Japan had to have a self-reliant industrial common ground and be able to move all human and material resources (S,195). Through the Shogun Revolution of 1868, the abolition of Feudalism in 1871, the activation of the national army in 1873, and the assembly of parliament in 1889, the political system of Japan became westernized (Q,3). Local Labor and commercial assistance from the United States and Europe allowed Japan’s industry to bloom into a developed, modern, industrial nation (Q,3). As a consequence production surplus, and food shortage followed (Q,3). Because of how much it relied on aid of western powers, Japan’s strategic position became especially weak. In an attempt to break off slightly from the aid of the west Japanese leaders believed that it would be essential for Japan to expand beyond its borders to obtain necessary raw materials.
Fedman, David. "Rethinking Asia: “Smart Power” and US-China Policy." The Olive & Arrow. The Word Press, 8 Mar. 2009. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .
...e respect, honor, and loyalty make this difference for me, but there is something to be said about the comparison. I find that the knights are very efficient, great warriors, and are very similar to samurai’s in a lot of ways. They both wear armor, they both train from a young age, and both are taught about honor, loyalty, and respect; but samurais are taught more effectively in their training, and the Japanese concepts were better. So to answer the essential question of this essay, I would say that there is certainly a large amount of similarities between the two warriors, but if you would consider the samurai’s skills that are better, or enhanced; to be differences, than I would have to conclude with no. The ‘differences’, are far too great in my opinion to say that the similarities are so great that they are almost the same, because they are very different indeed.