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Clear me up on this Japanese trait...

gwendy85

~*Proudly Mestiza*~
30 Aug 2005
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Hello guys!

I know it's been a while since I posted here. To the few who remember, I'm writing a novel set in the 1940s, with a male Japanese lead. As time went on, I dug further into character development and decided to have his mother as half-Japanese...a reason why she and her mother were ostracized and forced to move out of their town in Hokkaido to start a new life in Yakushima.

This stemmed from something I read about, if you were only part Japanese, you're still considered a foreigner (remember, this was the 1940s). I'm thinking the half-Japanese mother to be either part Russian or part Chinese, maybe even Korean (I have to research more on this though, 1905 something). The son (1/4 foreign blood) knows about his foreign ancestry but was forced to hide it, causing him shame as he grew up, and with tensions running high against other countries during that time. It's one of the reasons why he was compelled to join in the war effort, to prove how true of a Japanese he was (prove it more to himself since it's a secret that he's part foreign).

All I'm asking is, would these situations, attitudes and traits be accurate for people of that time? Appreciate the input 😊
 
Hmmm.... that's a difficult one. Back in the 1940s, folks around the world connected ethnicity with a a certian cultural aspect from a specific country. During the War, common citizens are made to feel patriotic and the same term to describe a culture, ethinicity, or nationality becomes obscure as one word can mean all three of the above. So I believe, yes, it is appropriate since Japan wanted to create a "Pan Asianism" or something, and Japan used excessive force to conquer and in essence, spread Japanese people (ethnicity), culture (once the Japanese settled, they talked & wrote in Japanese and did Japanese things), and nationality (to keep on conquering for Mother Japan). So yes, I would think this is appropriate for the time.


But one thing you should think about. Here in the United States, many Japanese Americans who regarded themselves as loyal US citizens joined the Army/Army-Airforce and fought in the ETO. In fact, an all-Japanese American regiment (I think it was 442nd - Go For Broke Regiment) fought in Europe, and many Japanese AMericans did so to prove to themselves and to their country that they were Loyal to the United States and were American.
 
Hmmm.... that's a difficult one. Back in the 1940s, folks around the world connected ethnicity with a a certian cultural aspect from a specific country. During the War, common citizens are made to feel patriotic and the same term to describe a culture, ethinicity, or nationality becomes obscure as one word can mean all three of the above. So I believe, yes, it is appropriate since Japan wanted to create a "Pan Asianism" or something, and Japan used excessive force to conquer and in essence, spread Japanese people (ethnicity), culture (once the Japanese settled, they talked & wrote in Japanese and did Japanese things), and nationality (to keep on conquering for Mother Japan). So yes, I would think this is appropriate for the time.
But one thing you should think about. Here in the United States, many Japanese Americans who regarded themselves as loyal US citizens joined the Army/Army-Airforce and fought in the ETO. In fact, an all-Japanese American regiment (I think it was 442nd - Go For Broke Regiment) fought in Europe, and many Japanese AMericans did so to prove to themselves and to their country that they were Loyal to the United States and were American.

Hello Marky!

First off, yes, I am aware of Japanese-Americans fighting during the war for Americans. In fact, one of my cameo characters (not developed, but important nonetheless) is a Japanese-American spy named Kenneth Tokudume, who disguises himself as an outpost guard so he could let in the resistance from the outer cities.

But...I was kind of confused about your reply. Was it accurate that my character (the 1/4 foreigner, 3/4 Japanese) would be ashamed of his foreign blood? That his mother and grandmother had been ostracized because of their association with a foreigner? That even though you are part Japanese, you're still considered gaijin?

Thanks again.
 
I would say so. Back in the day, Xenophobia was widespread and spoken. As for today, it is still widespread, but people are afraid of discriminatory lawsuits that may be filed against them if they spoke their minds.
 
I would say so. Back in the day, Xenophobia was widespread and spoken. As for today, it is still widespread, but people are afraid of discriminatory lawsuits that may be filed against them if they spoke their minds.

Thanks again, Marky! You've been a great help! I can continue writing the story now :D
 
That even though you are part Japanese, you're still considered gaijin?
I think so .
you are an outsider of Japan.
I think the Japanese is not a race.
I think it is a religion.😌
if you believe it, you would be a Japanese:p
 
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Hi Caster,

You gave a very interesting answer!
The Japanese are a religion, more so than a race.
Maybe that is the reason why so many people are fascinated by the Japanese. Your parcs and gardens look like a beautiful religion.

Thank you Caster!!!
 
Mary Florence Denton was an American woman and a missionary in Kyoto.
She was loved by local Kyoto people, so she could stay here during the war.
 
Hi Pipokun,

I learnt from the Japanese professor Mr. T. Muraoka who lives in Leiden, the Netherlands, that there are 1 million Christian Japanese living in Japan.
It simply has nothing to do with that war.
 
I think so .
you are an outsider of Japan.
I think the Japanese is not a race.
I think it is a religion.😌
if you believe it, you would be a Japanese:p
A religion? as in shinto...?
Or do you mean it's a myth?:?
 
Hey guys!

These are very interesting insights here, and I'm amazed to hear about the 1 million Japanese Christians. Is that really a true statistic?

I'm still at my wits end on what nationality my character's grandfather should've been. Russian? Chinese? I wanted him to be Russian, just to add to the tension of the Russo-Japanese war, but I dunno if Russians were even able to enter Japan, (specifically Hokkaido) sometime in the early 1900s, before 1905. Because I was thinking this Russian married a Japanese woman, had a child with her, but at the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese war, was killed by local extremists, which also forces his wife and daughter to leave Hokkaido towards Yakushima. The daughter's foreign blood is also kept secret.

Oh, and I'm still looking for beta readers, preferably ones who are very familiar with Japanese language and culture (even better if the person is Japanese).

Appreciate all the input you put here guys 😌
 
A religion? as in shinto...?
Or do you mean it's a myth?

I think it is nihon-kyo.
that is , the value or moral things that the most Japanese belive..

for example
Ramos Rui is said " he is a Japanese more than the Japanese"

but at the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese war, was killed by local extremists, which also forces his wife and daughter to leave Hokkaido towards Yakushima. The daughter's foreign blood is also kept secret.

there were so many white Russian refugee and exile..

was killed by local extremists, which also forces his wife and daughter to leave Hokkaido towards Yakushima.

I think Japan was heaven for Russian at that time before ww2
Victor Starffin
Victor Starffin - Wikipedia
 
Really? But this was back during the Russo-Japanese War when the Russian grandfather was killed.... you think that's accurate?☝
 
But this was back during the Russo-Japanese War when the Russian grandfather was killed.

No,at that time Bushido was still alive because it was not in Jungle
even Russian POWs were heaven in Japan
they could marry with the Japanese women as a prisoner of war
playing tennis, free to walk in town..so on
that is why there were many white russian whao decided to stay in Japan

◆◆KUMANODAI Class presents...◆◆
 
Hi Pipokun,
I learnt from the Japanese professor Mr. T. Muraoka who lives in Leiden, the Netherlands, that there are 1 million Christian Japanese living in Japan.
It simply has nothing to do with that war.

Yes. It was closely related to the war.
Why your Dutch govenment deported many Japanese to Australia before the Japanese army took you as a hostage? I don't think they had nothing to do with the Japanese militarism as you clearly stated that you had Japanese acquaintance, right? I think Japan should have exchanged the hostages with Australia then, though.

A Russian baseball player could not play baseball.
 
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Hi again guys!

I've come to a decision. I'm making the character a Russian missionary, who came to Japan sometime in 1900, and was killed in 1905. I just remembered that his daughter, my character's mother, is Christian.

What do you guys think? Is it more plausible now?
 
was he a Spy like Richard Sorge?
Richard Sorge - Wikipedia

I've thought about this angle, but no. He's a missionary, since he came to Japan in 1900, and died around 1905. It's his grandson, my character, who will be enlisting himself for the army during WWII, because of his need to prove himself a true Japanese.

That, and to prove himself worthy of his fiancee, though no one but his mother and late father knew the truth of his ancestry.

BTW, what are bad words for mixed bloods? (eg Harry potter verse, they call 'em mudbloods, half-mudbloods, whatever). Ainoko? Gaijin?

Thanks again!
 
Complete agreement

I think so .
you are an outsider of Japan.
I think the Japanese is not a race.
I think it is a religion.😌
if you believe it, you would be a Japanese:p

Yea, I've come quickly to the same conclusion myself. I recently married a Japanese woman in New Zealand, and we are here in Hokkaido having our baby. She displays in her Japanese-ness (not so evident in New Zealand) all the traits of being well indoctrinated into a religion. And, if her behaviour, thoughts and mannerisms don't accord to the standard, there is of course the resulting, stress, shame, guilt and sense of failure that goes with strong religious indoctrination. She's not even aware of it, or how unhealthy it is. Basically to be "Japanese" is the equivalent of being born in a fundamentalist muslim, catholic, or christian home. Mentally, not that healthy.
 
What is the fundamentalist trait of some guys insisting he pays all money for dating (even though his girlfriend is richer) in your country? I just thought only Asian fundamentalists do so.

The treatment by a change of air works for some.
 
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