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Oral Stories about Westernization in Japan
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"How to Westernize (or not to)" has been a big theme for the Japanese society. The theme has still influenced the Japanese society consciously and unconsciously.
Westernization in Japan mainly started from the end of 1860's or the beginning of 1870's. The new government, which had overthrown the Tokugawa government, decided to introduce the Western civilization.
The first train was constructed between Shinbashi (a town in Tokyo) and Yokohama in 1972. It is said that people were afraid of taking it at first. This funny conversation at that time has been passed on:
A: I heard you had taken the Oka-joki (old Japanese name of a steam locomotive).
B: Yeah, I took it.
A: What a brave man you are! How was that?
B: I was very surprised! A telegraph pole and something like that flew toward us!
A: It's dangerous!
B: Yeah, dangerous! But the Oka-joki dodged them quite well! After that a mountain flew toward us. But the Oka-joki dodged it again. Finally, the sea flew toward us!
I don't know whether this conversation was real or not. Someone might make it as a joke. But I think it represents the surprise of people at that time well.
The first telegraph line in Japan was installed in 1869. Some people could not understand the concept of telegraph and it is said that they hung letters and luggage over the telegraph line to send them.
Westernization in Japan mainly started from the end of 1860's or the beginning of 1870's. The new government, which had overthrown the Tokugawa government, decided to introduce the Western civilization.
The first train was constructed between Shinbashi (a town in Tokyo) and Yokohama in 1972. It is said that people were afraid of taking it at first. This funny conversation at that time has been passed on:
A: I heard you had taken the Oka-joki (old Japanese name of a steam locomotive).
B: Yeah, I took it.
A: What a brave man you are! How was that?
B: I was very surprised! A telegraph pole and something like that flew toward us!
A: It's dangerous!
B: Yeah, dangerous! But the Oka-joki dodged them quite well! After that a mountain flew toward us. But the Oka-joki dodged it again. Finally, the sea flew toward us!
I don't know whether this conversation was real or not. Someone might make it as a joke. But I think it represents the surprise of people at that time well.
The first telegraph line in Japan was installed in 1869. Some people could not understand the concept of telegraph and it is said that they hung letters and luggage over the telegraph line to send them.
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hahah funny!
the word "westernization" is something i don't understand too well.
i'm not sure whether it means "adopt western culture," meaning, using forks and spoons to eat, and wearing jeans and baseball caps,
or.. the development of government, transportation and technology.
because i feel like the "westerners" didn't give too much "culture" to japan.
japanese never wore traditional german clothing, or adopt italian architecture, etc.
so,
i wonder what japan would look like now, in 2011, had they (you) remained totally isolated all along?
would you have made it to today's world with electricity and the internet and cell phones?
i think japan could have invented/ discovered the modern world by themselves.
so i can't pinpoint what westernization means and what japan would be like without it.
"Westernization" would be broken up into two facets for convenience.
One is to adopt technologies derived from the industrial revolution which was occurred in England at first. A steam locomotive and telegraph are examples. We call it "civilization".
The other is to adopt customs in the West. Clothes (especially, necktie!), literature and languages are examples. We call it "culture".
The border between civilization and culture is blurry though (is a car race civilization or culture?). In the process to adopt civilization, our ancestors import some Western cultures (beer, necktie, literature, Western drawings and so on), though not all.
I don't know whether Japan could invent the internet and cell phones by themselves. Even if it could, it would take one thousand years or so because our ancestors had rode these vehicles 150 years ago:
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:Kisokaido08_Kumagai.jpg
Wow! とても面白い記事です
今度は楽しみしています
Someone might have made it as a joke. //made it to be a joke.
But I think it represents the surprise of the people at/during that time well.
Some people could not understand the concept of telegraph, and it is said that they hung letters and luggage over the telegraph line to send them.
I enjoyed reading your journal entry^^
As some like to say, every joke has some truth..