Globalization and Japan

When speaking about globalization, what usually comes to mind is economics; the integration of national economies into a larger global system, through foreign investments, trade and multinational corporations. The whole picture of globalization is the transformation of all facets of life, from regional structure to a collective global one. This includes culture, media, communication, economic and political forces. The theoretical end point being a homogeneous global society where conventional boundaries between nations have more or less disappeared. So where are we today? Thomas Friedman describes it as "globalization 3.0", 1.0 being a system where nations drive globalization, 2.0 where multinational corporations are the main proponents, and 3.0 where individuals have an influence in globalization.

So what is Japan's place in globalization today? No doubt large corporations like Toyota and Sony come to mind when people think about Japan, high tech exports are the driving force behind the Japanese economy. Japan also must import %55 of its food in order to sustain it's population. So clearly, the global system has not just benefited Japan, it is essential. With America being one of Japan's top trading partners, its no surprise that many American companies sell their products here. These products however are often altered to fit Japanese tastes, and in some cases are exclusively marketed in Japan. If the McDonald's Ebi burger or Fanta jelly soda was sold in the US, I doubt they would be very popular. For the same reasons, you don't see root beer or Dr. Pepper in Japan, while many other Coke products can be found. This is most likely because most Japanese people I have talked to that have tried it say that it tastes like medicine. This is an important part of global business; no matter how willing a company is to do business in other countries, some things just never catch on with local tastes.

Traditional Japanese Culture: Youkai

Supernatural beings and monsters can be found in the stories of any culture around the world. Japan in particular has a great of these tales in it's traditional culture. The Japanese words youkai or obakemono are used to describe a wide range of mythical creatures found in old stories told throughout Japan. Some are common everywhere in Japan, while other creatures are tied to local legends. What I find most interesting about youkai are the sheer number and diversity of these creatures, ranging from the beneviolent to the mischeivious, to downright strange. When I think about the monsters of european based stories, they seem to all have similar roles. Witches, goblins, werewolves, vampires; they are almost always exclusivley evil and seem to always want to eat us. This isn't the case with a most youkai, something I find much more interesting. While stories about youkai have are very old, you can still find youkai "appearing" these days.
I took this picture along a waterway near Makino. Along with pictures describing the dangers of entering , such as strong currents and broken glass, the sign also warns children of possible Kappa attack. Kappa can be described as small water imps that are a cross between a turtle and a duck. The bowl shaped area on the head is a pool of water which is the key to the kappa's power. If a clever human is able to trick the kappa into bowing or in some way spilling the water, the kappa becomes weak, allowing the human to escape. Legends about dangerous monsters as a way to keep children out of trouble seems to be common in most any culture's history.
The tanuki is another youkai often seen today. No doubt many foreigners wonder about the odd looking statutes with giant testicles found outside of many stores or resturants. A tanuki is a sort of mischievious raccoon-dog based off of a real animal native to Japan, Nyctereuctes procyonoides. Tanuki are known to use their transforming abilities to satisfy their love for sake, women and food. They are able to take many different forms, as well as disguise useless leaves as money. While not usually harmful to humans, they can very very troublesome and enjoy playing tricks on travelers. Youkai are also popular in manga and anime. One well known example is Studio Ghilbli's Pom Poko.


An index of youkai
Pom Poko Trailer