Just in case my list of things that bemuse me sounded too much like a negative rant, here is one of the many things that I think are great about Japan.
As far as I can tell, the Japanese seem to have far less hang-ups about nudity than many Westerners. After our glorious football victory in Tochigi yesterday, we decided to treat ourselves to an onsen on the way home. Most onsen are divided into baths for men and baths for women. However, little girls often get in the bath with their Dads, or little boys with their Mums. Yesterday, there were 2 girls in our bath, one about 5 years old, and the other maybe 8 or 9 years old. They were surrounded by naked men, young and old, of various sizes and shapes. The girls were not fazed in the slightest, and nor were any of the men.
In fact, in many parts of Japan, men and women still bathe in the same baths, without separation by gender. Some examples of mixed baths are listed on the very good webpage of Jens Olsen.
Apparently the only reason that most onsen are separated is because, after World War Two, the occupying Americans found the idea of mixed bathing to be uncouth. Compare this somewhat innocent Japanese attitude to the naked body with that of the US, where an ageing singer's nipple sent ripples of shock around the country, or the UK, where naked pictures of children in art galleries spark police investigations...
Posted by Gary at April 12, 2004 11:34 AMThis is the reverse side of your "things that make you..."
Posted by: Dirk at April 12, 2004 01:14 PMI remember in the US when I was a kid (maybe seven), my family and my parent's friends' family were hiking up the side of a volcano.
We were stopping to play in the hot springs along the path, and before long this guy came along, stripped down and got into the pool. I remember being shocked. Not because there was a naked guy, but because he got naked in front of my mom, her firend, and her friend's daughters.
A while later we passed a hot-spring where there were also some women. I begged my dad to let me go closer and see, but he wouldn't let me.
Frequent visits to the public baths in my neighborhood and hot springs when we travel or visit my wife's hometown have really loosened me up as well. I used to be pretty self conscious about getting naked around other people, but now I don't even think about it. I agree that this is definitely a positive aspect of Japanese culture.
You're more daring than I am to take a photo at the hot springs though. I'd be afraid of being mistaken for some sort of pervert.
Posted by: Quinlan at April 13, 2004 01:08 PMYour post reminds me of something I really hate about American culutre: it's ok to show all sorts of violence on every day television but if a nipple is shown all hell breaks loose. I have always thought this is just so ridiculous. I'm not a father (yet), but I'd rather have my future kid see the occasional nipple on TV instead of watching people getting their heads blown off.
Posted by: Jonah at April 13, 2004 09:28 PMOk Ok let's stop blaming all of the worlds quirks on the US. According to my Japanese studies it was not the US after the war but all of the Christian missionaires from Europe that had a problem with co-ed bathing.
As a former Marine I find it hard to believe that military guys would not want to go to a public place with lot's of nude women. Except that most of the women are 70.
And yes, I agree with the above post that everyone's fears of small portable photo cabable devices have now been realized.
Seriously though, there is a problem in Japan with perverts and small children. As a father of two, one boy and one girl. I did not like going to public beaches in Japan (as opposed to Hotel beaches) because of number of wierd guys not in swimsuits walking up and down the beach taking photos of little girls. If you don't know what I am saying just go to SHONAN beach this summer and watch for the men who look very out of place. And it seems that that the Japanese are completely oblivious to it. Having said that I would not take my children to a public hot spring. There are plenty hot springs you can reserve.
Posted by: Paul at April 13, 2004 10:22 PMi have linked you at my blog cause not only do i love your blog, and tales of japan but rosey is so cute.
Posted by: eunae at April 14, 2004 09:19 AMPaul, and any other offended Americans,
It appears as though I mistakenly blamed the US for stopping mixed bathing in Japan. Just goes to show that a) you should check your facts before writing drivel on your blog (that goes to those commenting as well!), and b)don't take anything written here as the gospel truth. After all, if you can't believe the quality press, like the NY Times, why believe some clown in Saitama who has NO checks and balances in place...?
I found this on the net, so it must be true...!
Mixed bathing was written about as early the 7th century. Again, during the Edo Period the government tried to stop the mixed bathing, with some success at least in Edo. In 1869 the government of the Meiji Period outlawed mixed bathing. This was not in response to anything desired by the Japanese people but was done to present a more "acceptable" public image to the outside world (and the outside world's hangups about anything to do with sex).
Posted by: Gary at April 15, 2004 12:17 PMIt's still the American's fault, because they could have permitted AND encouraged it at the time of occupation.
Hi Paul! :)
Right country, wrong time. The first prohibitions against mixed bathing were passed in 1870 to placate the Americans who arrived after Commodore Perry (1853).
American culture has become more perverse about the body than I, who grew up in the 70s, can begin to comprehend. I used to be able to skinny-dip in the lake with my family, but now the government has decided it knows better how to protect my children. Guess that's what I get for living in the Bible belt.
Ah to be in Japan again with an onsen down the street...
Posted by: M Sinclair Stevens at April 18, 2004 11:03 AMKudos, Dirk.
I can testify for myself that during my single days I did my best to promote mixed bathing and public nudity as often as possible.
Gary, all in good fun mate.
Posted by: Paul at April 19, 2004 11:18 AMMy night for comments. 30 years ago, when I just got to Japan via Haight Ashbury and the nude beaches down the coast, I felt the guys I ran into were quite shy in the bath with their strategic positioning of towels. And as someone mentioned, the only "mixed" baths I ever came across were mixed by female septegenarians.
Suggesting that Japanese have less hang-ups about naked flesh than Americans doesn't seem to hold true for large sectors of the population, although same sex groups may spend more time in the hot water together on their own sides of the Fuji wall.
Certainly, the interest in bare boobs and flesh on the late night TV can be as stupid and childish as anything in the U.S., although the old 11 p.m. seems to have been driven off the air by some new wave of puritanism or it has simply given up trying to compete with the Internet.
As for the pop-out boob by the aging rockstar that you mentioned, despite my liberal attitudes, I was offended, because there was no where left to hide. The half of the nation watching with thier families had no reason to expect that they would be exposed to that, and have to turn off the half-time show so that they could watch the organized violence unviolated. Actually, the game was so good that by the end of it, I had forgotten all about it, until CNN reminded me what a big deal it was.
We should all have the right to turn-on and turn-off what we want to watch. We should also have ample warning. I am against both unwelcome prono pop-up screens and pooped-out pop stars showing me more than I want to see.
But I expect the world will continue to have radically different positions about the proper exposure of flesh up to the point when interest in sex goes away for good.