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Gender Relations in Japan
In the previous chapter I discussed anxieties in regard to a generalised
perception that Japanese youth are reluctant to grow up, symbolised in the
nation’s apparent infantile mentality expressed via an obsession with cute
things, or kawaisa, and the fear that it could lead to the downfall of Japanese
culture. More importantly, though, I also argued that this resistance to
growing up, or postponement of maturity and reversion towards childish
things, demonstrates a rejection of responsibilities determined by traditional
expectations and strict social hierarchies.
This notion of revolt by, and the widespread attitude of, the youth of
Japan, reflected in an attraction to cuteness and a desire to escape the
pressures of adulthood, comes across as even less superficial if examined in
relation to gender roles and hierarchies, placed in context with Japan’s
political history.
Returning to Yuko Hasegawa, she explains that kawaisa as a paradigm
becomes profoundly significant to Japan when considered in its connection
with youjika, or the “infanticisation” of Japanese post-war culture:
There is a strong connection between [youjika]… and the establishment of a
system of patriarchal control as a result of the psychological sense of despair and
loss of confidence amongst the Japanese, particularly the male population,
following the country’s defeat in the Second World War. 137
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