書きなおしてみた。今度はうまく行くかなあ。
The
purpose of this paper is to discuss the Oedipal issue among the Japanese.
Before elaborating on this topic, I would like to mention some of the
characteristics of the Japanese that are rather antithetical to the Oedipal
manifestation of capacity and power. Japanese
culture is often noted for its passivity, secretiveness and non-expression in
various social contexts. What is hidden and obscure tends to be given a deeper
meaning than what is external and eye-catching. In his work “In Praise of
Shadows,” Tanizaki (1934) describes the Japanese inclination to give aesthetic
value to “darkness seen by candlelight.” Japanese culture has more affinity to
“penumbra” (a partial shadow), the opposite of the “too-much-light-explicit
false-self world” (Abram, 2016).
This inclination of the Japanese mind
toward passivity and non-expression coincides with my own trans-cultural
experience. During my extended stay in the United States, I had many chances to
see American family members hugging and kissing each other in airport lobbies
when they were reunited or departing. Some of my American friends were puzzled
to see Japanese family members showing very little emotion in these situations.
Some Japanese would say, however, that overt shows of affection, such as
hugging and kissing, as well as verbal expressions such as “I love you” or “I’m
proud of you” strike them generally as too blatant and conspicuous, sometimes
to the point of being empty and ritualistic.
Another
poignant example that may well depict the above-mentioned Japanese
characteristics is Japanese people’s behaviors in group situations. They tend
to be very quiet and keep a low profile in situations such as lectures and
discussions at universities, while students from different countries are rather
more assertive and expressive. Quite often, Japanese students are mistaken as
subdued and dejected in these situations. (以下略)
