BLOSSAY: Blepharoplasty

Beauty Ideals and Plastic Surgery in Japan:

A closer look at blepharoplasty

Beauty standards. They exist worldwide, portrayed through nearly every platform of visual media consumable to the public. White teeth, clear skin, perfect glossy hair, careful attention to fashion, the list goes on. This same concept of “standards” we are familiar with here in the United States is applicable around the globe, across modern borders, different countries across the map, over 6,000 miles away: Japan.

Focusing in on the modern Japanese woman, what is the first thing you see? Her clothing? Hair and makeup, perhaps? Height, weight, ethnicity—all of it, if she is the common follower of social rules, norms, and expectations, is the streamlined product of visual culture. The image of “woman” is dictated by what is shown to be the next trend, be it deliberately in ads for products specific to the purpose, or by example as it is paraded around by celebrities and iconic leaders. Many trends are brief and pass quickly, but others are deeper; some are more sinister than others because they are so commonplace, so normalized that they are expected of nearly everyone. Even more so when this expectation can go so far as surgery.

The kawaii trend in Japan has been a long standing one. Girls with high pitched voices, girly skirts and dresses even in colder months, delicate nails, countless accessories and cute ornaments, the list goes on. While there are many different degrees to which this trend can be exhibited, the general benchmark features large, bright doe-eyes, and innocent makeup. But, if you look closely, there is a very subtle detail that can be easily missed.

Take these two photos for example. They are makeup tutorials for Japanese girls, most likely found in one of many beauty magazines. Both are very similar; they feature an innocent, expressionless girl with large, bright eyes. While the entire layout of the page seems to suggest cuteness as the main focal point, the coy expression and poses of the models relay an undercurrent of "forbidden sexuality", making the look all the more alluring. However, look even closer and you'll notice a few more interesting bits. To achieve this makeup look, girls will need to invest in a few extra products; a natural Asian face will not do. Both photos even emphasize some of this--false eyelashes are a necessity. The models are also sporting colored circle lenses, contacts designed to change the color of darker eyes while at the same time enlarging them to appear more doll-like and innocent. The last detail is something that isn't very often noticed or even considered to many people--their eyelids. Both models have double eyelids. 

What exactly are double eyelids? To have double eyelids means there is a crease above the lid of the eye that defines the brow bone from the eyelid. For many Asians, this is a defining trait of their ethnicity. While there is a percentage of Japanese people who have naturally occurring double eyelids, most must use other methods to create this coveted look. As seen in the photo below, a double eyelid serves to open the eye significantly, also allowing makeup to be applied directly on the lid, crease, and brow bone separately. 

Asian mono lid versus double eyelid - before and after blepharoplasty surgery

There is a great multitude of products marketed to Japanese women in order to achieve the desired style. These products can include eyelid glue, tape, stickers, mesh/lace, trainers, or even improvised techniques like using band-aides. As shown above in the magazine makeup tutorials, there aren't as many advertised makeup looks that feature mono lid eyes. What's more is that many of the looks depicted cannot be completed on mono lids. For this purpose, it is almost mandatory to purchase products like those shown below in order to be "in" with the latest beauty trends.

Beauty magazine advertisement for double eyelid products, including the band-aid trick, glue, tape, and fibers

Above shows ads for double eyelid products. The layout of the page is similar to the first two photos showing makeup tutorials; a pink background, large close-up images of the models, and step by step processes for how to achieve the look. Looking at the models, similar trends can be seen in this ad as the other two. All models wear false eyelashes and circle lens contacts, some models now have blue or golden eyes. They also all have the same coy look on their faces as the other makeup models shown earlier, innocent yet sultry, positively alluring. Of course, they all have double eyelids; that's what these products aim viewers to focus on. This product is obviously shown to be a positive change, an enhancement of a woman's image.

Looking at some of these products, another interesting trend shows up. Take  a look at the two ads below. What does one notice? Obviously the absurdity of the first product, claiming that wearing the special glasses can train your eyelid to hold a new shape, attracts one's attention immediately. The other has a more relaxed feel, almost spa-like. However, these two ads show a common theme--blue-eyed Casucasian models. The people shown to represent this product, designed for Asians, are actually Caucasian. Not even half Asian. Full-on Caucasian. They also are different from the Asian models shown above; they don't appear as cute or coy, less innocent and instead features a face full on. There is no shy tilt to the model's head, and they have a more direct piercing and mature stare than the Japanese girls. Both models appear relaxed, but again, neither truly embody the kawaii look that is exuded by the Japanese girls.

One student mentioned in class that the eyeglasses don't even work on some Asian eyes; because of the fatty layer on the eyelid (typically removed during blepharoplasty procedure, shown below) the crease cannot be made with such a product. From my sub-par understanding of the Japanese language, if looks like the other ad may also be a trainer of sorts, as it claims that if you use this product while you sleep you will get double eyelids. Either way, the Caucasian model gives no indication as to how this product functions with it's intended audience: Asians.

While there are all these products around to create the desired look, they're still not a permanent "fix". Some people may be satisfied with going through the same beauty routines day after day, others are looking for a procedure that can offer long-term results--blepharoplasty.

Look up images of blepharoplasty on the internet, and you'll probably see a lot of smiling Caucasian faces with eyes that have been relieved of their bags or had their hoods lifted off them. It's not until you type "asian blepharoplasty" or "double eyelid surgery" that you end up seeing the surgery in question. Conducted on both men but mainly women, this surgery offers a more permanent alternative to double eyelid products that take up time every day and can get expensive over time.

Surgical process for blepharoplasty. Note "beautiful" double fold is the result.

While the surgery is used for many different purposes today on many different races and ethnicities, the procedure finds it's roots deeply in racism. The first surgery performed was as early as 1895, however the first notable case was that of Shima Kito in 1926. A Japanese man dating a Caucasian woman from Detroit proposed; while the relationship was a loving one, her parents simply couldn't agree with interracial marriage. To win her parents approval, Shima Kito went under the knife, altering his face shape, nose, and eyelids to erase is Japanese ethnicity. Going so far as to change his name, the newly born William White was able to marry his dream girl. It only cost him his own identity. 

Besides "William White", other Asians sought to change their identities to get ahead in life. In a sick twist of fate, Vietnamese bar girls underwent the procedure to catch the eyes of foreign soldiers deployed in their country. To become more similar to their oppressors was to gain respect and attention from them, and so they sought to change their identity to do so. This practice seems to continue to this day. Many Asians undergo the surgery to elevate their places in society. For another example, let' have a look at Julie Chen from CBS News. After being criticized by an old boss for appearing "disinterested" because of her Asian eyes, she decided to get double eyelid surgery to make them appear more open and bright. She also mentioned that as soon as she changed her eyes, her career improved significantly. But was it really because she seemed more interested and invested in her work, or because she looked less Asian and was subject to less racism as a result?

Julie Chen, before and after double eyelid surgery

More modern day women do have the procedure for similar reasons, however more people speaking about their decisions on online blogs and social media reveal that there are more reasons behind getting the surgery than trying to avoid looking Asian. Many girls get unsolicited offers from their parents to get the surgery, or are encouraged by friends to go through with it. Others watch all their friends go under the knife so they end up joining in. One Japanese blogger reports that she had used eyelid tape for years and was just sick of having to put it on every day. She describes the procedure she underwent (different from the normal cut a sew; this technique is less invasive and is reversible) as well as what went on during her consultation with the doctor. Below shows the different options she was given for surgery, and her before and after photos.

There are a multitude of ways to craft the "perfect" Japanese double eyelid

The Japanese blogger's eyes pre-surgery, sporting circle lens contacts and showing evidence of years wearing eyelid tape

The Japanese blogger's new look features lash extensions, still wearing circle lens contacts, and of course, her new surgically created double eyelids.

While she stresses the reasoning behind her surgery was because she didn't want to have to wear tape or glue anymore, she never discussed why  she wore the tape or glue in the first place. Was it because that was the trend? Because that was what was expected of her? Because she felt ugly or oppressed because of her natural mono lid? We may never know.

Some Japanese women are trying to re-take the surgery, stating the reasoning behind it is because they want to be the best version of themselves, not because they're trying to be Caucasian. The surgery is used to open up the eyes to make them look larger and brighter, and for those who have a very heavy mono lid, they report feeling like they look tired or too serious. Many times the surgery is simply a gift for graduating, securing a full-time job, or a show of social status and wealth. There is also the peer pressure and a certain "going with the flow, following friends" mentality that can spur a person on. Since there are many different way to perform the surgery alongside different styles, bold or subtle, many women seek to have a small change while keeping their Asian looking eyes.

While there is no real answer today what the main motivation is for changing one's eyelids, when people are forced to alter an integral aspect of their identity in order to show status, move ahead in the workplace, believe themselves to be more beautiful, or worse, to avoid racism and bullying, it truly says something. This procedure, so rooted in racism and cultural imperialism, has effectively become normalized. While modern trends and the cuteness craze in Japan offer a different standpoint for going under the knife, there is no denying that in every surgery performed, there is a small piece of cultural imperialism left behind in the newly carved eyelids of Japanese women. 

References:

Chow, K. (2014, November 17). Is Beauty In The Eye(Lid) Of The Beholder? Retrieved April 18, 2017, from http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/11/17/363841262/is-beauty-in-the-eye-lid-of-the-beholder

Connor, M. (2014, July 27). Is Race Plastic? My Trip Into the 'Ethnic Plastic Surgery' Minefield. Retrieved April 19, 2017, from http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/07/ethnic-plastic-surgery.html

Jones, A. (2010). The Feminism and visual culture reader. London: Routledge.

McLelland, M. (2016). The end of cool Japan. Ethical, legal, and cultural challenges to Japanese popular culture. Basingstoke: Taylor & Francis Ltd.

T. (2014, August 11). How Japanese Girls Manipulate Their Eyelids. Retrieved April 18, 2017, from https://tokyogirlsupdate.com/japanese-girls-eyelids-20140825553.html

Japanese Fashion

JAPAN FASHION NOW

Find two images of Japanese fashion and discuss them - describe, analyze, discuss why the image/fashion interests you.

I like the Japanese fashion trend of layering. I feel like the trend stems from modesty, however I think it has a certain charm and cuteness to it. It allows women to wear skirts and dresses even in cooler/winter weather, which is really cute and not typically seen in America. Someone wearing long sleeves under a dress would get strange looks here, but in Japan and representations in media, the trend seems to show up time after time. Something like wearing a t-shirt and jeans under a sundress seems awkward, but ends up working very nicely as an everyday look for almost any Japanese women. The trend doesn't seem to abide by any kind of tropes or subcultures, but instead seems to be common street fashion. This trend extends even to very loose fitting clothing, varying the lengths and concealing the shape of the body in a kind of fashionable tent. This can even be done with two dresses, leaving on unbuttoned on top of one worn normally. This layering technique can be used in all sorts of fashions, from dresses, to flowing clothes, to outdoor wear; it adds a certain flair and chicness to a basic fashion trend as well as adds functionality when accounting for colder weather. While these two images of layering only show a small window of the possibilities, there are actually many many different ways to layer using clothing other than dresses, shirts, and pants together.

Sontag

The Effect of Photography

1.  What is your main takeaway from Sontag’s essay?

My main takeaway from this reading was the importance of photos as a medium to impartially convey the atrocities of war and suffering. The point is emphasized that a single image can capture a moment, and in that moment a thousand different things can be felt in an emotion that cannot be evoked through word or video. The image has nothing to say other than what it presents, no backstory or narrative, only the plain truth of what is shown. It can be interpreted in many different ways, and tell a story that cannot otherwise be articulated without being seen.

2.  Give at least two smaller takeaways from the essay.  Things that you found to be of particular interest.  This can include things that surprised you or provoked some thought.

One smaller takeaway I noticed was the discussion on how captions can affect how someone views a photo. Much like the photo series by Beato that we viewed and discussed in class. While those photos were clearly staged to present a specific idea or show, the war photos discussed in this reading wipe the slate clean and instead presented raw facts. However, when a caption is introduced it can skew the ideas presented much in the way Beato's photos were carefully crafted to show a specific idea or belief. This made me think more about images that I have seen or been shown, and how an applied context changes the way I interpret the photo.

Another takeaway I got was how these photos can be twisted into propaganda or even desensitize people to this kind of suffering if the victims are successfully branded as "the enemy". With such heavy exposure to horrors like this, some people learn how to not look at it, to become numb to the destruction. As media indulges in the "shock factor" that some images create, many times the message that these images would send fall on deaf ears, or blind eyes in this case. However, there are some photos that are just so raw and chilling, such as the ones not shown in the news and are instead tucked away in small folders, that can actually make a serious difference in people's views no matter how they are painted.

3.  Upload an image of pain/suffering to your blog and discuss it.  You can be straightforward about this, or you can take a well-known image that you may look at differently after reading Sontag.  

I scrolled through the entire album (somehow), and this photo struck me the most. While I don't think the reading affected the way I look at it, the information in the reading brings to my attention how much a photo like this conveys without any words or context. Something is going on with every one of these soldiers, and all of it is awful. The faces of every man is deranged, either sick with grief, stunned in death, mad from war, or simply blank and numb. There are so many emotions that are evoked for me, because every one of these expressions is so charged with suffering and the way war twists people's minds into mangled husks of humanity and civilization. 

In Praise of Shadows

a.  Present what you think is the main point of the essay.

The main feeling this essay evoked for me was that of slowing down, stopping to smell the roses, if you will. The point was breaking down the simplest things into very small parts, such minute details that even the action of trying to observe every single aspect of an action or object turns into an act of meditation. Taking painstaking effort in picking out the details of a seemingly ordinary object or setup was a staple for the author, from the layout of a room to a toilet, and through all this taking into account the lighting, sounds, and overall atmosphere that completed the scene before them. This atmosphere seems to be the most important aspect of them all--without the proper setting, this "slowing down" may not have been able to occur. If not for the setting so perfect it suddenly hits someone, one would not suddenly stop to hear the buzzing of mosquitoes, trickling of water, or moss growing on rocks. 

b.  Discuss two items/discussions from the essay that you found interesting, and post images that illustrate points made by Tanizaki.  Even if you don’t necessarily agree with his points, try to find images that illustrate the points from his perspective.    

I'm going to write this in the most professional sense possible. It seems very silly to write about toilets, but that is exactly why I was interested by the discussion. Something very simple and everyday turned into a meditative moment. I remember this image I found a while back, it was captioned, 'this would be the most glorious bathroom break.' As ridiculous as it sounds, this part in the essay made me think of it: 

"No words can describe that sensation as one sits in the dim light, basking in the faint glow reflected from the shoji, lost in meditation or gazing out at the garden. The novelist Natsume Sōseki counted his morning trips to the toilet a great pleasure, “a physiological delight” he called it. And surely there could be no better place to savor this pleasure than a Japanese toilet where, surrounded by tranquil walls and finely grained wood, one looks out upon blue skies and green leaves."

I remember in one essay we read the Japanese regarded the western tradition of bringing a newspaper or book into the toilet as odd. I personally agree with this regard because I feel sometimes people need to take the time to stop and take themselves away from everything. While I don't think western toilets have the same atmosphere as the Japanese toilets described in this essay, I do think that there are many things people can stop and mediate over.

This is a photo I took. It seems very simple, but I took it for a very specific reason. I was pretty busy this day, but the lighting and atmosphere of this room suddenly struck me, and I had to stop to try to capture it. There is seemingly no care into how this room was put together, no traditional or modern look that anyone was going for, but even still the aesthetic still struck me as something serene and noteworthy. I really resonated with this essay in the sense that I do notice the small things in life and stop to appreciate them. The way the light shines softly through the curtains, the way the room is so carelessly kept evokes a homey sense, the combination of the light reflecting off the hardwood floor and table makes me want to stop and sit down for a while. The house itself was once a home, an old Victorian turned dorm, even when it was changed so much to become more functional and an apartment, the aspects that scream home still linger and remain present. 

The way I set my dorm up is also reflective of this. I yearn for the warm glow of home. As such, I work for an aesthetic that evokes softness, a yearning to be cozy, to relax and feel at peace. To do this I start with the lighting, just as the author so often mentions. I don't use the harsh overhead lighting and instead use Christmas lights, the glow of an artificial fireplace from my TV screen, and a scattering of smaller glowing salt and lava lamps. This essay really made me realize how much work I put in to have the perfect atmosphere, paying attention to the minute details in order to create the ideal mediation zone to live my life and complete my work.

c.  Present one or two questions or topics for discussion in class.  You can include points he makes where you don’t understand what he’s trying to say.

This essay really made me think of how often people miss the little things. It seems that today not many people slow down or ever stop to appreciate the atmosphere of a room or place or action. So many times people are absorbed in their phones, even when going to the toilet. My question is: what settings today truly take people away from their technology, and have such a strong pull that it stops people in their tracks so that they actually take the time to appreciate it? What stuns people into a meditation moment?

"Dorothy" in Japan: Mom-to-be with Baby Fever

Meet Dorothy:

Dorothy is a mom-to-be enjoying one last trip around the globe before finally settling down with her family back in America. Because she is so enthusiastic about her child on the way, she just can't take her mind off all things children for one minute, not even when travelling and exploring a new country. Obviously sporting a massive interest in children, she decides to spruce up her new nursery with some memorabilia from Japan, including an authentic photo album featuring Japanese children. She is looking forward to raising her future child, and so looks to find inspiration from what she sees in the images.

((Image analyses will first be written from Dorothy's perspective, followed by my own in the following paragraph underneath.))

Photo #1: "Japanese Baby"

This photo is so adorable. There is nothing more beautiful than a child at play. I can't tell if this is a boy or a girl though--the haircut is very odd and so are the clothes. It seems like it should be a girl, but that's definitely not how I would dress a young girl. She doesn't even wear a diaper or any kind of pants at all. the child is also playing in water with a boat, which seems like more of a boy's activity. If this is a girl, she should go play with dolls. However, it may just be that the Japanese aren't really advanced enough to have stricter gender roles in children? I don't want to judge because she's just a little girl, but I think females should be treated more gently so they grow up to be more feminine.

This picture depicts a "young child laughing and playing with [a] boat that is in a tub of water". I'm really wondering about the water in that tub; it doesn't look like real water at all, but that may just be because of the way it has been colored in. The photo itself is very simple--there are no extra props in the background, no apparent setting or scenery, the only thing to focus on is the child, the tub, and the boat. I believe the child's gender to be a bit ambiguous, but I would also say that it is a girl.

Photo #2: "Japanese Children" (Boy and Girl among the Chrysanthemums)

This photo is so adorable, the children look like a little couple. It is almost as if someone took two adults  and shrunk them down to size before snapping this picture. I find it weird that the children wear almost the exact same things as the adults, but it does give them an interesting kind of mature look. This reminds me of those photo shoots you can get done with your children at a young age, something I would really like to invest in. Maybe even replicating a shot like this!

This image features a "young girl and boy dressed in kimono sitting on a bench, surrounded by chrysanthemums". The two appear to be staged in a garden of sorts, however all the plants look to be potted and not actually outside. The chrysanthemums are colored to be a very vibrant magenta, almost unnaturally so. However the color of the girl's kimono and obi seems to balance it out nicely.

Photo #3: "School Children" (School children sitting on the edge of a porch laughing)

I love the colors in this one. The dress in this country is so elaborate and interesting. The boys and girls basically wear the same things, save for some color changes I guess. It is nice to see the kids spending time outside in the sun, and this picture makes me think of my family in a few years, sitting on our front porch before or after school. This doesn't look like a family though, so it makes me think of all of my future child's friends coming over to play after school is out. I think if that happens, I would like to take a photo like this one of them all sitting out together.

This shot is described as "children in kimono laughing". This photo, unlike the others, appears to have actually been taken outside. While the children and the chrysanthemums photo may have also been taken outside, the way the lighting is in this photo seems more convincing to me. The coloring in this photo is also admirable, and I think that this one out of all five chosen looks the most natural. There are two boys and two girls (I'm assuming the baby is a girl based on sock color) all sporting satchels, perhaps schoolbags. They do not wear just kimono but also hakama, which interests me a lot. There are a few occasions when one would wear hakama, but I really don't know enough about Japanese 'dress codes' to be sure of any idea I may have in my mind as to why these children would be wearing them for any special reason. In any case, the girl on the right also holds a pink umbrella, and the boys on the left both have hats in their hands that look very western.

Photo #4: --No Title--

Such a shame the photographer did not name this photo. I really enjoy all the colors here, and the bows in the girls' hair are so adorable. This country really seems to emphasize cuteness of their little girls since they dress them up so elaborately every day. They all look like beautiful dolls, just like the ones in their arms. Such a big difference from the first photo, I must have been wrong. If the Japanese treat their girls like this, then that must have been a boy in the first photo. They have such serene motherly looks on their faces--I am reminded of me when I look at the girl cradling her baby doll in her arms. All I want is my baby to come already, to become the mother I was meant to be!

This image features "two girls in kimono, playing with dolls". The image has been heavily colored to showcase the fabric of their clothing and the dolls' clothing as well. The girls are seated very close to one another, one gazing down at her doll as she cradles it in a mother-like embrace while the other reaches down to perhaps fix the hem of her dolls clothes. This is another image that looks very posed. I feel that if the girls were truly playing, they would be having a bit more fun than their solemn downcast eyes suggest. This image does an amazing job of painting the picture of Japanese girls being delicate dolls to foreigners.

Photo #5: "Tsusrumaki Primary School, Tokio, Lesson in Etiquette"

What a dream to have a child as obedient as the ones in this photograph. In America, I don't think anything like this exists today, and I am afraid my child will grow up to be a troublemaker. When that time comes, I think I can show them this photo so they can see what good children look like in Japan. It is good that in Japan they teach their girls to be so respectful, ladylike, and civilized. It also surprised me to see such a primitive country so invested in discipline, although I suppose when I think about it now they probably have to be or else they would all be wild.

This last shot is decribed as "group of girls in tatami room watching as another pair of girls perform for their two teachers". The room seems to be quite large alongside having tatami as the flooring, so my assumption would be that this school is at the very least fairly respectable. All the girls in the class are seated seiza style, which is important to learn at a young age in Japan because it can be extremely uncomfortable for someone who is not used to doing it. Their hair is neatly tied back, almost all of the decorating it with bows. Their posture speaks discipline and respect, even when not performing in front of the teacher.

Globetrotters' Japan: Places, Foreigners on the Tourist Circuit in Meiji Japan

GLOBETROTTERS

1. TWO takeaways from the article.

Seeing as travelling took an immense amount of time, it seems logical to think that those travelling are almost always wealthy enough to not only spend a large amount of money to pay for the trips but also miss work. That said, most people visiting Japan and touring it were wealthy westerners, likely steeped in western etiquette and stereotypically condescending, easily entertained by these 'simple' people and customs. Keeping in mind the audience being pandered to, it makes a lot of sense they would invest in Beato's photo albums and why Beato would include what he did in them.

These globetrotters who visited Japan often times constructed their souvenir photo albums according to their own tastes and experiences. That said, they could re-create stories and personalize their experience of Japan to share with others. In this way, many different views of Japan could be created from the stock photos, and so stories other than those initially intended could be told using a different arrangement of photos than what was originally taken. This could be for better or for worse as photos can be taken out of context completely and then tell their own original tale separate from the other photos in the initial series.


2. ONE image analysis, & why a foreigner may want to purchase the image.

I feel that this is an image many other people would choose because I definitely find it appealing to look at. It features almost everything: Japanese people in Japan, nature, spiritual aspects, art, and wildlife. This photo really drives home the connection between nature and the Japanese people living in harmony with it. However, while on the surface it just seems like a beautiful photograph, there are also some negative connotations for depicting the Japanese so "at one" with nature. Presenting animals in a public setting, especially a religious one that is supposed to be sacred, it seems like it promotes the idea that the Japanese are primitive, savage, or barbaric. Could you imagine a horse or pig in a place of worship--how would an image like this be received by a westerner?

Felice Beato's Japan: People

PEOPLE

1.  Write at least three things that you take away from the article.  These should be major, significant points that you found to be thought-provoking and/or helpful in analyzing and understanding Beato's photography.

Beato was unafraid of setting up the exact scene he wanted to create. From the battle scenes he was first famous for to catering to the tastes of foreigners in Japan, everything in the photo was posed in a strategic manner to evoke all kinds of feelings from disgust to quaint admiration. In this way, he could paint Japan as whatever picture he wanted: intriguing, primitive, and even savage or barbaric.

Alongside creating the entire scenes himself, he also worked with others to contrive unique captions for each photo. At a glance these captions would appear to be a wonderful way to learn about the photographs and what is going on, as well as learn about Japanese life and culture itself. However, because there are many errors and misconceptions within these captions, many times theses albums only served to widen the gap of misunderstanding that already existed as well as give birth to a multitude of stereotypes that still exist today. The captions typically contained the author's opinion, and could be downright derogatory, blatantly racist, and overall exude an air of ignorance that tended to hang around western society as a whole at this time in history.

An extensive amount of care and artistry went into the binding of the albums. The covers themselves were a work of art apart from the photographs they protected. I often wonder if the album covers were bland or cheap, would the photo albums be as popular? Many times people buying photos today (hahaha, people buying photos today, that's rich) end up getting just the prints of what they want and skip out on extras. That's also because they often run the buyer a lot more money to have a finished product. I wonder about the price ranges of Beato's albums--what sort of people had accessibility to these works? While investing in photos itself is a practice typically reserved for people who had extra money to play with, was there a way for people who were less fortunate to get their mitts on one or two photos to share with their family and friends?

2.  With reference to some of the concepts you acquired from the article, copy two photographs from Beato's album into a post on your personal blog and present your analysis.  You should give as detailed an analysis as possible, but put an emphasis on your analysis of the "gaze" as it relates to the article, including "the non-Western subject's gaze," but also including "the reader's gaze," as well as any other gazes that you find relevant.

I'd like to start off by analyzing this photo of "Girl Playing the Shamisen". The photo features a Japanese woman playing the shamisen while seated on what looks like a clothing trunk. The room she is in appears to be meticulously arranged, with shelves containing bowls in the back and a teapot on a tray next to her. The irony in the photo is that the room seems entirely too cluttered to be putting on a performance or even practicing. What's more is normally she would be seated on the floor while playing. It seems a little unnatural to me that she is seated in such a western way when the rest of the photo is trying so hard to be as Japanese as possible, at least in Beato's eyes. Finally, it doesn't even look like she is playing but tuning. The most cringe worthy aspect of this photo, however, was entirely the caption. Obviously written from a western perspective, the explanation of what was going on was entirely condescending and ignorant. It describes the shamisen as a "simple instrument" comparing it to a guitar. The worst comes with the critique of the music the player produces; the sound of the instrument is described as wild and harsh, and the voices of the Japanese people are said to be 'by no means pleasant to the ear'. The caption also comments the place of women in society as always learning music, but then turns around to talk down to the masters, as if to say, 'what a shame, these people work so hard and even still their music and culture is so primitive that even masters of the art sound awful and disgusting.'

Another gem I'd like to analyze is "Fencers". Ha. This is another prime example of the author of the caption not knowing what they're talking about and just writing whatever they see fit. While I am not familiar with kendo and all the rules, I am confident I can tell the difference between kendo and fencing. However, after reading the caption, it seems as if westerners have just assumed that kendo was their childlike attempt at something sophisticated like fencing. The caption also included bits about some payers losing their temper and resorting to grappling, giving off the same impression of believing the Japanese to be barbaric and in need of western control. The caption os synonymous to the other photo I discussed in that it does a wonderful job of perpetuating stereotypes about the Japanese being below westerners in some way, and that their attempts at art and production are quaint and primitive at best.

Felice Beato's Japan: Places

Four Chapters

1.  Give three important things (concepts, ideas, etc.)  that you take away from the essay.  These are things that should be helpful as you continue to think about the visual culture of Japan and what can be called "the politics of representation," which has to do with how such things as myth and ideology and codes appear in images and their captions. 

The essay mentions right off the bat that while the images Beato had taken were of Japan, they were conceptualized in a very western manner. Beato was highly influential and successful when it came to photography, and eventually came to develop his "Views of Japan" albums for sale. These albums contained captions next to each photo, including information on the history shown in the photo and cultural interpretation of whatever was going on. This must have served an extremely important purpose in educating the westerners who invested in the photos on Japanese life and customs in a very subtle way. They bought the images because they thought they were beautiful, but then also inadvertently came to learn about that beauty's origins and meaning.

Beato's photography brings attention to the scenic views in Japanese life--not only does it depict nature on its own, but it shows people existing within that same space going about their lives. Nature in these images is not untouched and free as it is often depicted in the west, but inhabited seamlessly. The beauty of Japan is depicted by its intimate relationship with the world around its inhabitants. It speaks volumes about the values of its people and how they choose to live their lives. The photographer paints Japan as the perfect beautiful and exotic place westerners want to see. By focusing on this, Beato has a poignant selling point in all his albums which is why he ends up being so successful.

The subjects of all the photos were places of interest for the westerners. This is an important point in that people already want to visit and know more about these places--they find them interesting and want to see them for themselves. The combination of the images capturing the everyday lives of the Japanese people alongside captions that explained everything clearly served to help assimilate westerners into the Japanese culture.

2.  Upload the two images that you have chosen to your personal blog.  Give your analysis of the image, and your "critical analysis" of the captions.  Be on the lookout for any language or ideas in the concepts that may seem to represent myths, ideological prejudices, or coded language (sort of like the "dog whistles" of contemporary politics).

14.) The caption for this photo begins by explaining who the statue represents and what they are attributed to. The various features of the statue, from its bald head to the stone trough before it is explained plainly. The method of prayer is also explained, letting readers know how to, if they ever visit the statue for themselves, properly go about interacting with it in a respectful way according to tradition. The importance of these captions is incredible--what seems like a simple interesting tidbit actually opens a window into Japanese culture and their way of life. Things like washing hands to purify ones self before the gods, bowing ones head out of respect are discussed; the photo albums represent a journey, and the captions tell you how to navigate it.

49.) This next photo describes less the Japanese way of life and more how life is built. Different from western style homes and structures, the caption explains the Japanese style of architecture was designed keeping the frequent earthquakes that occur in mind. The photo provides a lens into the basic standard in place for Buddhist temples all throughout Japan, going so far as to state that all the temples look essentially the same. 

Yokohama Boomtown - Depiction of Foreigners in Japan

Yokohama Boomtown

1.  Give at least three main points made by this reading.  Think in terms not only of the specific content of this unit, but also about the broader questions of signification, visuality, representation, myth, ideology, codes, etc.  

This reading points out the strategy used by Japan when dealing with the foreigners. Recognizing that they were not as developed, they formed treaties with the "five nations" knowing they would not be able to resist. Because treaties were made, interactions between the Japanese and westerners were less confrontational after the initial introduction of western influence to the country. There is a certain "going with the flow" atmosphere exuded by the Japanese, since they are essentially helpless in the situation and looking to cut their losses when dealing with the Japanese. 

While the Japanese were not as technologically advanced as the westerners coming to their country, they were still able to adequately prepare for the influx of trade and travelers, going so far as to create a new city as a platform to hos foreigners without disrupting the port town that was originally supposed to serve the same purpose. They used their culture and tradition as a selling point, benefiting greatly from exploiting the 'exotic' qualities of their everyday life to cater to the desires of the westerners.

Artwork representing these processes were often influenced by the artists' imaginations and interpretations. Many artists did not depict the city of Yokohama from firsthand experience but from popular western publications. They also include their feelings of potential regarding the relationship between westerners as something that can be positive--the art reflects a sense of excitement caused by the new influence of the west, and opening up to the world to receive new things and opportunities. Unlike depictions of Perry, the newer artwork of westerners showed less hostility and demonization, and more inquisitive and genuine interest for the incoming possibilities.

2.  Give at least two questions for discussion from the reading.  They can have to do with interpretation, analysis, or personal responses (e.g., "What do you think?" type of question).  

What does the way westerners inhabited Japan say about their presence in the country? (i.e. simply plugging their own culture into a Japanese setting, not bothering to assimilate into the culture and instead imposing their own)

Are there any depictions of westerners embracing Japanese culture? Besides imploring their own onto Japan, what did westerners take away from their experiences with Japanese life, tradition, and culture? Is this depicted at all?

3.  Select one image from the Visual Narratives section and analyze it.  Upload it to your blog post.  Go beyond any description you find in the text as you analyze the image.  Think about what/who is being represented, how, and why.  Note that in the Visual Narratives there are often links (in a brownish color) to other images.   

The image above is described as "the first American firm to reach Yokohama, Walsh & Company, who established their compound in 1859...a new multi-culturalism pervades their headquarters." In this photo, There are both men and women present from both American and Japanese looking backgrounds, based on their attire. The westerners appear to be completely at ease while the Japanese are depicted looking around, almost in awe. The setting itself is Japan and Japanese architecture, but clearly inhabited by Westerners. The people inside the house are shown seated around a high table on chairs, and appear to be wearing their shoes inside as well. While the house itself seems to be filled with western influence, there are plenty of scrolls on the walls featuring Japanese texts. The gardens appear to be very Americanized, and in the view out to the water, a few American ships can be seen. The scene evokes feelings of a melting pot, cultures mixing together and learning from each other. The westerners seem oblivious to their cultural insensitivity, while the Japanese marvel at this new and intriguing way of life. 

More ukiyo-e: a visit to the Berman

Utagawa Toyokuni - Actor Onoe Matsunosuke II

This Ukiyo-e is a depiction of kabuki actor Onoe Matsunosuke II. The man is rolling up his sleeves while glaring menacingly at the mice/rats. He's about to open a can of whoop ass. He has seriously had it with these vermin. His clothing billows around him as if his rage is producing a physical current around his body. The mice don't even seem to notice as they continue to provoke him by prancing around happily like the oblivious little shits they are. Perhaps they know and actually enjoy enraging this poor man. They think it's funny. Utagawa does a wonderful job of displaying the frustration of the actor while keeping with the tradition of kabuki since the picture captures the comedy in the theater as the mice dance around as if toying with him. I find it very interesting that the only color used was the soft reddish-pink of the Matsunosuke's clothing. One's focus is also immediately drawn to the mice at the bottom since they are almost completely filled in with black. The bold mice against the soft flowing fabric of his clothes provide a nice balance in the photo that also goes hand in hand with the darkness of his obi and hair. I was attracted to this photo by that very aspect--I found the simplicity very appealing, as it seemed to subtly combine the traditional black and white only prints with a tiny modern twist to brighten it up.

Unlike Kiyomasu Torii's "Goro Uprooting a Bamboo" ukiyo-e, which also depicted kabuki theater actor, Utagawa's work seems to take on a far more realistic approach to representing actors in action. The actor looks completely human, depicting the actor themselves as opposed to the character the actor was trying to portray, like Goro and his red skin and bulging muscles. While I found a lot of information about Kiyomasu's piece, I was unable to get any search results with this particular piece. Regardless, I was determined to do an analysis because the more I looked at this print the more I enjoyed it.

Ukiyo-e: "Goro Uprooting a Bamboo"

Kiyomasu Torii - "Goro Uprooting a Bamboo" (1697)

Some light research reveals that this woodblock print is a depiction of kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro, playing the character of Goro. This "Goro" is seen to be straining considerably as they pull from the ground a stalk of bamboo. The muscles in their legs and arms bulge as they yank on the stalk, digging their heels into the ground in the process. They appear to have thrown off the top half of their clothes to complete the task, while their long black hair is allowed to flow freely over their shoulders. The main colors shown are a simple combination of black, stark red against a muted yellow, and some warm grey shading in some places. Additionally, the entire image differs from those we viewed and discussed in class in that the style is far more exaggerated and bold as opposed to realistic depiction of daily life or people. This art seems to be more for entertainment than for the narcissism of a noble, as it is a depiction of an actor performing rather than a few normal people sitting down for a drink or going about their daily business. While it can be considered a part of real life, the exaggeration of the depicted actor to truly become a demonic looking ogre with large bulging muscles really shows how artistic the work is--this is not real life, but a taste of fantasy that is born from theater. 

Self Introduction

Name

Alli Hemp

Hometown

Smithtown, New York

Majors & Minor

East Asian Studies, Psychology & Japanese

Class of

2017

Why are you taking this class?

To fulfill my graduation requirements

Because I love taking classes with Mizenko Sensei

Because I enjoy learning about Japan & its culture, and I'd like to do just that!

What aspects of Japanese culture?

The nuances of daily Japanese life as compared to western countries that often go unnoticed

Experience?

I have had the privilege to travel to Tokyo over the summer, experiencing firsthand daily life and language

Image making

I enjoy drawing images with pencil and colored pencil. I typically draw using manga style, however recently it has shifted to some sort of cartoon hybrid.

Images

This image features some decorations for the annual star festival in Japan. When I visited the country over the summer, I happened to be there for a portion of the celebrations. I had the opportunity to see many of the decorations as well as participate in some festivities. I wanted to include an image of this to emphasize the effect Japan had on me as well as some of the beauty I had the privilege to witness. For me, this image represents happy memories. I wanted to choose something simple--like we investigated in the last post, there are many grand and beautiful things about Japan. However, I wanted to zero in on something specific. Japan has hundreds of festivals, and you can always find a festival in Japan. So really, the star festival isn't all that unique. This is why I chose it; when lost in the shuffle of festivals, one of them in particular is important to me. This is why this image of Japan appeals to me when in another context it could just be another festival to someone.

This is not a screenshot from a movie I watched for another one of Mizenko Sensei's classes, Japanese film. The title was "I Was Born, But..." and the scene occurs after conflict within the family. The film class really opened my eyes to scene analysis, and so I had more interest in this visual culture class since I had some experience dissecting frames and the meaning behind everything they encompassed. Between the closeness of the couple and their children, the expressions on their faces, even down to the angle of the camera and the layout of the frame, the scene emanates a level of intimacy not shown before in the film and not often present in Japanese culture. I really enjoyed analyzing the depth of the work that goes into these frames, and I hope to come to appreciate the same in what we look at in this class. Japanese film appeals to me based on the deep themes that often go with them, as well as typically being set in Japan with all of its beauty and culture.

For the last image, I chose some artwork done by myself. I tend to do very simple work, only featuring one subject with no background because I can't draw backgrounds lol typically in black and white. I do however do color images using colored pencils and ink outlines, but that is the extent of my abilities. In this picture, I drew some fan art from the show Mermaid Melody, one I frequently watched and re-watched throughout my school days. I chose this specific one not only because I feel proud about the way it came out, but also because it symbolizes one of my guilty pleasures: useless girly fodder with fantasy and frills and no deep meaning to ruin my overbearing optimism and overall carefree outlook on life I'm looking at you Mizenko. All in all, there's always room to improve, but the real point is that I really like mermaids and fantasy and silly cartoons that make me feel happy for no good reason. This image appeals to me because it represents something that makes me happy, and was important to me growing up.