November 19, 2005
Japan's Internalized Racism in Comic Form
The comic book image is classic cool Japanese anime style, except perhaps the message that goes with it. This is a female character from "Hating the Korean Wave" -- a very popular Japanese comic book. In the caption above, the young Japanese woman says, "It's not an exaggeration to say that Japan built the South Korea of today!" Hm...do I hear someone (or some country) whining beneath the facade of arrogance?
The NYTimes today published an article today (Ugly Images of Asian Rivals Become Best Sellers in Japan) that highlights Japan's growing insecurity as a nation, as manifested via pop culture in these hate inspired comic books -- Hating the Korean Wave and Introduction to China.
For those who have traveled lately to these countries, it is quite apparent that transnationalism and the rise of global capitalism has had a profound effect on each country. There is a lot of cross-fertilization occurring (economically, socially, and culturally) and it seems some Japanese are having a hard time accepting their now equal status with South Korea and China, perhaps feeling it has been a decade of descendency for their country. At the same time, the Japanese continue to be fascinated/enamored/emasculated by the West (principally, USA) and seem to be retreating into this idealized, illusory alliance -- like seeking comfort from a father after falling off the top of the mountain. It really is an amazing case of internalized racism in Japan that the public seems unaware of.
Of course, as a realist, I recognize that this sort of ingroup-outgroup adolescent outrage is occurring in Korea as well (and probably in China). Koreans continue to denigrate other ethnic groups, especially migrant workers from the Phillipines and Vietnam who help sustain the Korean economy, and even other Koreans, such as those refugees from North Korea.
Posted by richlee at November 19, 2005 10:40 AM