Teenagers "escaping everyday life" and salarymen disappearing out of the blue

NihonGaijin · 18 Nov 2005

I'd like to find out more about these things, but without knowing what these "phenomena" are called it's hard to find books and websites on the subject. Perhaps someone can help me out?

1) Teenagers (especially in Tokyo) are known all over the world to dress up in strange fashions, manga style clothing, impersonate Elvis etc. (Yoyogi park by Harajuku, Tokyo in the weekends). I've also heard of kids taking the train to a far-away neighborhood where they spend the whole day pretending that they live there.
I assume these things are a sort of escape from the everyday pressures and expectations of school as well as the rigidity of the Japanese society, making it a "mini holiday" of some sort where they can be whoever they want.
Is there a name for all of this?

2) Japanese men (and women perhaps, or maybe not?) that lose their jobs are too ashamed and "loose face" to return to their families and face their neighbours, friends etc. that they never return, or even tell them about it! Instead they become homeless or commit suicide.
Is there a name for this?

Thanks

Kinsao · 28 Nov 2005

NihonGaijin said:
1) ... Is there a name for all of this?

Escapism?
Everyone has some sort of escapism... some people more than others... and different ways in different cultures and fashions.

2) ... Is there a name for this?

I don't know if there's one single name... I would think of it as depression, exacerbated by social pressures.
(I mean 'depression' in the clinical sense that drives people to suicide - not 'depression' as in just feeling a bit down... that's a different thing...)

Dollporn · 29 Nov 2005

I think these are different things, the first part.
They dress in street fashion(extreme clothes, decora, EGL, gayru, cosplay etc.) basicly to make the most of their youth I think.
Because when they grow up they'll have to wear suits and aprons, they just go real crazy when they're young.
All though they don't really do much other than dressing up, just stand around waiting for people to take their picture
I don't think this phenomena has a name... often referred to as street fashion, and lately fruits, but that is only the style of dressing.

Jack · 29 Nov 2005

Kinsao said:
Escapism?
Everyone has some sort of escapism... some people more than others... and different ways in different cultures and fashions. :-

...)

escapism for me is everytime i close my eyes things begin to look clearer then.

Elizabeth · 29 Nov 2005

2) Japanese men (and women perhaps, or maybe not?) that lose their jobs are too ashamed and "loose face" to return to their families and face their neighbours, friends etc. that they never return, or even tell them about it! Instead they become homeless or commit suicide.
Is there a name for this?

Thanks

I remember reading an article in the Sunday New York Times magazine three or four years ago on this, so I'm sure there probably is a name for it. I'll ask around a little and try to find it in Japanese -- testing both our translation skills.

Hiroyuki Nagashima · 30 Nov 2005

NihonGaijin said:
1) Teenagers (especially in Tokyo) are known all over the world to dress up in strange fashions, manga style clothing, impersonate Elvis etc. (Yoyogi park by Harajuku, Tokyo in the weekends). I've also heard of kids taking the train to a far-away neighborhood where they spend the whole day pretending that they live there.
I assume these things are a sort of escape from the everyday pressures and expectations of school as well as the rigidity of the Japanese society, making it a "mini holiday" of some sort where they can be whoever they want.
Is there a name for all of this?

:?
Is it this?
"GothLoli"----Gothic Lolita

Gothic Lolita or "GothLoli" (ﾆ担ﾆ湛ﾆ陳哉椎?, gosurori; sometimes alternatively "Loli-Goth") is a youth fashion among Japanese teenagers and young women. It emphasizes Victorian-style girl's clothing and often aims to imitate the look of Victorian porcelain dolls. Gothloli's name and origin is a combination of lolita fashion—appearing deliberately cute to the point of looking childish—and certain styles found within gothic fashion. The style started as a youth subculture sometime around 1997/1998 and became a well-established genre available in various boutiques and some major department stores by around 2001. Some observers consider it a reaction to the "Kogal" aesthetic.

Gothic Lolita is one of the subcategories of the Lolita look. Other categories include "Classic Lolita" (more traditional, light-coloured, also more mature-looking) and "Sweet Lolita" (childish pastel-coloured clothes, lots of lace and ribbons).

Lolita fashion - Wikipedia
mail order
http://daisy.cocolog-nifty.com/lolita/cat136184/

Kinsao · 30 Nov 2005

Yeah, I've also heard it as 'elegant gothic lolita' (EGL) and for guys 'elegant gothic aristocrat' (EGA).

It is kind of like 'escapism meets fashion'... I guess that all types of fashion have elements of 'escapism' - otherwise we would all be walking around naked! (it would be more our 'true' self!)

I think EGL kind of originated in the escapism of getting away from boring ordinaryness of life; also as Dollporn pointed out, making the most of being young and carefree and not yet have to wear a suit to an office, course it's natural that when you're young you want to dress 'different' and let ur hair down a bit

And then of course it becomes fashion and people just like to wear it cos it looks pretty!

Although, I like to see the nice clothes, but I couldn't wear it myself - it would look just too stupid!

MajideSaiaku · 23 Dec 2005

I dunno about japanese blokes but i once lost a job and wandered about into the countryside for hours before comming home, and then i sat outside for ages because i didnt have the ability to show my face to my family.

But i got over it pretty quickly.

As for japanese teenagers strange activities, thats...well thats just a mystery.

Mike Cash · 23 Dec 2005

nurizeko said:
I dunno about japanese blokes but i once lost a job and wandered about into the countryside for hours before comming home, and then i sat outside for ages because i didnt have the ability to show my face to my family.

But i got over it pretty quickly.

Imagine how it would have been if you had been their sole means of support, as is normally the case with those restructured salarymen.

Flashjeff · 23 Dec 2005

Sure, I've heard of the Goth-Lolita craze. In fact, a very popular movie over in Japan, called "Kamikaze Girls" (which is supposedly on its way to the States) focuses in part on that very thing, or so I've heard. I'm sure that Hiroyuki Nagashima can enlighten us on the movie.

As for the salaryman stuff, that's not limited to Japan, I've heard of men here in the States who, after losing their jobs lie to their wives and children about still being employed, including pretending to leave him for "work" every day, only to spend the day futilely looking for new jobs or goofing off somewhere. A sad thing indeed.

MajideSaiaku · 6 Jan 2006

Sad indeed...

abc de reveuse · 3 Feb 2006

human robbot or not that's the question

Big different interpretation of image of laborhood between West and Japan lies in what workers are treated like in society. In Japan labor gets workers reputation such as a good citizen .To avoid having them judged F-rank worker, they would avoid too much complaining of business environment, intendedly would become more conservative than they should be, and they would even give up using proper right such as a demonstration march, being on strike, pointing out problems to public on media and lawsuite to withdraw bad treatment at office etc.
In exchange of showing royalty to company, they were first given tasks to do at work and gain status in a society automatically. While company is committed some works instead. Calculation annual income tax, declairation it to tax office, saving pension for retired life, search for a residence at reasonable price, hotel or air reservation service, banking and insurance service and finding a bride!!--often seen in 60's to 80's, promoting a blind date for single workers used to be one of mission of boss.
Imagine the worker too much protected by company and just being passive toward all tasks to do for ages. And one day company suddenly orders him/her to leave from here now. Clever you might imagine how much he/she put oneself into confusion.
To make yourself relieved , let show you the story of workers who failed to be silent sheep or good giant baby at company very briefly. They have prepared for any risks such as layoff, hospitalization, natural disaster,etc. Anytime they need, they could get a stick quickly. There are many indeed.

gaijinalways · 3 Feb 2006

problems in Japan

let show you the story of workers who failed to be silent sheep or good giant baby at company very briefly. They have prepared for any risks such as layoff, hospitalization, natural disaster,etc. Anytime they need, they could get a stick quickly. There are many indeed.
I haven't seen so many, as the number of hikikomori and the depressed committing suicide keep rising. I do know that more workers and students in university are starting to question the 'overwork' culture (or the appearance of) and trying to find alternatives to it. One of my private students in the past told me that he passed up a promotion as it would have meant only a little more money, but more time in the office. He told his coworkers that he would prefer to spend more time with his family than going to the worker drinking sessions and staying in the office later. He later transferred to a American company here with more liberal policies concerning work hours (basically 9-6).

AllMakesCombined · 4 Feb 2006

Going to another naighborhood? Are you talking about something when I used to go to the college part of town to window shop, eat pizza, play pool? Or are you talking about wandering around apartment complexes making friends for no reason?

Hiroyuki Nagashima · 4 Feb 2006

NihonGaijin said:
2) Japanese men (and women perhaps, or maybe not?) that lose their jobs are too ashamed and "loose face" to return to their families and face their neighbours, friends etc. that they never return, or even tell them about it! Instead they become homeless or commit suicide.
Is there a name for this?

The ratio of job openings to job seekers in December in Japan was exactly one to one for the first time in 13 years.
Already,
Probably, a salaried worker is not in a park.

NANASE · 12 Mar 2006

hello! i'm new in here...
wow! kinsao, you'r everywhere o.o...you never say hi to Nanase :'(
hoho, realy it hapends frequently, i knew a man who every morning goes out his hose pretending his going to work, but instead he goes to a cafeteria, and he didn't come back till night, because his wife doesn't know that he got a pension, and he has pretending like 15 years long and he still do that

Kinsao · 12 Mar 2006

Hi Nanase! Ok? lol...
Wow... the ultimate skive... wish I could do that! He should do something more interesting than go to a coffee shop though... ^^

budd · 8 Apr 2006

Join Date: 18-11-05
Posts: 1

man, that's a crying shame...
umph

Nuala · 8 Apr 2006

I played MMORPG video games to escape from my life a few months ago. I obviously got over that.

Tokis-Phoenix · 8 Apr 2006

Thor said:
I played MMORPG video games to escape from my life a few months ago. I obviously got over that.

What does "MMORPG" stand for?

Kara_Nari · 8 Apr 2006

Actually, I used to drive away to far places when I was 15,16... spend the day somewhere just to get away from it all.... isnt that common?
These days though I prefer to get on a plane and fly far away from everything, and lose contact with people... my form of escapism.

Well, im not sure if the man in this picture lost his job and ran away to be a pretty little doll looking creature in Harajuku... but maybe next time im there I could ask?? Quite interesting all the same, he really has taken cross dressing to a different level.

Nuala · 8 Apr 2006

Tokis-Phoenix said:
What does "MMORPG" stand for?

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Tokis-Phoenix · 8 Apr 2006

Thor said:
Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Ohhh....So like that World of Warcraft game that everyone is talking about? I saw some pics of that, its been over a year, probably longer, since i played any sort of videogame properly, it looks good though- i could really imagine one getting lost/escaping from reality in a place/game like that :77: :16: .

Flashjeff · 9 Apr 2006

When I was 15 or 16, I didn't have time for escapism. To tell you the truth, I never needed to really as I thought my life back then was okay. I'd go to school, study my rear end off, come home, do my homework, hang with my friends, watch some TV at night, go to bed then repeat. All things considered, I had it pretty good, so it's hard for me, especially now that I'm an old fart to understand that need for escapism, but then, I have no frame of reference since I was, for the most part, a happy, well adjusted teenager back in the day. Just lucky I guess!

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