Into Japan: Understand in One Afternoon

By Tim Odagiri

For those who grew up overseas, Japan's long history and complex social structures can seem inscrutable. Some naysayers even claim that outsiders can never really understand Japan. But this island nation, its people, and its systems are knowable, and for those who have made Japan their permanent home, gaining cultural literacy is a vital first step to full participation in society. Into Japan helps prepare the way by examining what Japan is and how it works. Its high-level overview of Japan's history and civic structures will help immigrants and tourists alike acquire the same background understanding of the nation that its citizens learned just by growing up here.

 

Part of the Understand in One Afternoon series, the book's five short chapters can be consumed in just a few hours. In that brief time, you will learn about Japan's history, its modern Constitution, its economy, and the key symbols and principles that residents need to know for effective civic engagement. Whether you arrived at Narita last week or have been a Tokyo denizen for decades, Into Japan will prepare you to be an informed, involved, and contributing member of one of the world's most fascinating and revered nations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Owani Press
• Release date: Sep 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9780996465458

Book preview

Into Japan

Into Japan

A Starter Kit for Understanding Japanese Society

Tim Odagiri

Seattle • Tokyo

Copyright © 2023 by Tim Odagiri

Published by Owani Press in Seattle, Washington, and Tokyo, Japan.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles and reviews.

The Peace-loving Crocodile logo and Understand in One Afternoon are trademarks of Owani Press. Visit Owani Press online at OwaniPress.com.

Cover design by Tatsiana Tsyhanova under a license from Shutterstock.com. Cover includes assets from Freepik.com. Owani Press logo designed by Kenneth Low.

Publisher's Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Odagiri, Tim, author.

Title: Into Japan : a starter kit for understanding Japanese society / Tim Odagiri.

Series: Understand in One Afternoon

Description: Seattle, WA; Tokyo, Japan: Owani Press, 2023.

Identifiers: LCCN: 2023917257 | ISBN: 978-0-9964654-4-1 (paperback) | 978-0-9964654-5-8 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH Japan. | Political culture--Japan. | Japan--History. | Japan--Politics and government--1945-. | Japan--Economic conditions. | Japan--Social conditions--1945- | BISAC HISTORY / Asia / Japan | POLITICAL SCIENCE / Civics & Citizenship

Classification: LCC JQ1681 .O33 2023 | DDC 342.52--dc23

ISBN-13: 978-0-9964654-4-1 (paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-0-9964654-5-8 (ebook)

Contents

Introduction

1. Japanese History

2. Japan’s Modern Constitution

3. State Symbols of Japan

4. How Japan’s Government Works

5. Japan’s Economy

A. Text of the Constitution of Japan

Index

Introduction

I know what you are thinking. A book on Japanese government and history. Ugh! What could be more boring than that? Perhaps you are right. I mean, this is Japan we are talking about! As a foreign resident living in this archipelago at the eastern edge of the world, you have direct access to the food, the artistry, and the technology of one of the most historically fascinating, culturally rich, and gastronomically delicious nations on earth. There are castles to explore that were once home to authentic samurai warriors, endless varieties of sushi and ramen, and bullet trains that will whisk you off to some of the most scenic and meaningful experiences of your life. Who has time to read about constitutions?

Japan is certainly amazing, but it didn't get that way by accident. The Japanese spent millennia transforming their island home into what it is today. During those centuries, they experienced political upheavals, a sobering number of natural disasters, and a world war that devastated major cities. Despite such tragedies, the people flourished, and by their ingenuity and fortitude, Japan became one of the most important and respected countries in history.

Naturally, there were key individuals that helped guide Japan's path: the fifteenth century shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu; the modern educator and founder of Keio University Fukuzawa Yukichi; authors and poets such as the country's first great novelist, Murasaki Shikibu. And don't forget the emperors.

You will no doubt find such eminent dramatis personae in the annals of other nations. But what makes Japan different is the expectation that ordinary citizens have a duty to fulfill their societal roles for the benefit of the country. Hierarchical social structures and distinct class divisions refined over the centuries have helped instill these obligations into the mindset of the populace. But this communal understanding is even codified in the text of Japan's postwar Constitution, which insists that rights and freedoms shall be maintained by the constant endeavor of the people.

What about the immigrants? For several centuries, during Japan's sakoku period, the only duty placed on foreigners was that they turn their boats around and take their religion and their foul alien ways back home. But now Japan is open to all comers, for both tourism and residency. Some of these arrivals commit to Japan for the long run. More than three million foreigners now live in Japan on some kind of official visa, around 2.5 percent of the population. At least a quarter of these have opted for permanent residency. Add to that those who have already made the transition to naturalized citizenship and you now have a significant and established base of expats who call Japan their home.

I am one of those foreign residents. My relocation to Japan came with the understanding that I would enjoy many of the rights afforded to native citizens. Not all the rights, of course. I can't vote in elections, and some government jobs are off limits to me. Plus, there are various procedures that require more paperwork on my part due solely to my immigrant status. But overall, I enjoy the same benefits that Japanese citizens have access to.

This is where we must return to that constitutional stipulation concerning the constant endeavor of the people. As a foreigner living in Japan, I have been guaranteed a legal grant of so many civil rights. But in line with societal expectations placed on the citizenry, those rights are paired with certain duties as expressed through cultural traditions and constitutional pronouncements.

Japan has a surprisingly high expectation for civic engagement, even down to mundane tasks like sorting garbage. These standards also apply to the knowledge of societal structures and cultural principles. Without a basic understanding of Japanese history and civic organization, it may be difficult or even impossible to perform some of the duties of residency that the native population does without even thinking about it.

This is why Into Japan exists, to provide tools that foreign residents need to better participate in Japanese society. A common frame of reference is essential for a functioning democracy. Some commentators link America's current woes with a reduction in shared experiences and diminished cultural literacy among its residents. As the number of immigrants in Japan grows, it is essential that these newcomers acquire a grounding in basic cultural expectations and civic responsibilities already common to everyone else. Without such training, misunderstandings and turmoil are inevitable.

This book provides a starting point for further cultural exploration. This short work will not make you an expert on Japanese society. Instead, the goal is to construct a core foundation on which newcomers can further build. As I wrote each chapter, I asked myself, What do average adults in Japan still recall about history and civics from their high school social studies classes? My hope is that by reading this and similar texts, foreign residents will be able to wander around Japan with some of those same foundational memories rattling around in their heads.

Some say that because Japan is a highly structured society with designated insiders and outsiders, there is no point in trying to fit in. But that is precisely why basic training in cultural literacy is necessary. Despite what the naysayers claim, it is possible to adapt to Japanese society. It might take many years to accomplish, perhaps even a generation or two, and anyone who is fresh off the boat will always feel ill-at-ease. But as we advance in our understanding of our new homeland, we will be ready to play the role that, frankly, the native population is already expecting us to perform.

Acknowledgments

If you ever decide to write your own book about Japan, I highly recommend a visit to the National Diet Library, Japan's equivalent to the Library of Congress in the United States. This government institution is stuffed with primary and secondary sources about Japan, its people, and its history. I was fortunate enough to spend several days on site engaged in research for this volume and had a chance to view key documents and memoranda covering the development of Japan's modern Constitution. Especially moving was The Origin and Development of the Draft Constitution of Japan, by Satō Tatsuo, one of the Japanese government officials who spearheaded the development of the document. An English edition is available if you want to read a first-hand account of history in the making.

I am also fortunate to have several people in my life who are skilled enough and blunt enough to review this book and offer essential corrections and insights. Since I know all their last names, I decided to mention them here in that order.

Harold Archer, a long-term Tokyo resident and infamous car guy, provided big-picture insights, especially when he wisely told me to ditch the book's original bland title. He has also been a regular source of inspiration and guidance for Nihon Plus You (日本＋YOU), a new research center we are setting up to help foreign residents in Japan and the native Japanese population work together for their mutual benefit. (Stop by nihonplusyou.org if you are curious.)

Jon Heese provided feedback on the government and economics portions of this book, expertise he gained from being one of Japan's few foreign-born politicians. Although he was busy serving the citizens of Tsukuba Science City and Ibaraki Prefecture as their elected representative, he still found time to offer valuable observations on the text and on the political process in Japan.

Ishikawa Kaoru, an éminence grise of Japanese foreign diplomacy, also read through the book's government-related content. As a former Japanese ambassador to both Egypt and Canada, his knowledge of the Japanese governmental systems is nothing to be sneezed at, and it was my honor to have him scan through the text and offer key improvements.

Dermot Vibert's understanding of Japanese history, especially in a global context, is amazing. This isn't surprising given that he himself came to Japan decades ago from elsewhere on the globe and now spends his days dealing with international business concerns. I'm blessed that he could use his knowledge to improve several of this book's chapters.

Brandon Whittaker was my first choice to look through the book's coverage of the Japanese Constitution. He was once the Executive Editor of the Harvard Business Law Review, but now resides here in Japan and works as a professor of law. He provided corrective feedback on the government portions and kept me on my toes with grammar.

As always, my wife Maki and son Spencer restrained themselves from rolling their eyes each time I mentioned the book. Instead, they offered support and encouragement in spades. Love you both!

Japanese Names

Before jumping into the text, a quick word about names: This book adopts the Japanese pattern for names of Japanese origin, placing the surname first followed by