Personal Space

I have always had the impression that Japanese people had the largest 'personal space' in the World. This still might be true, as I think if I tried standing close to a stranger, it might make them feel very uncomfortable. However, I never realised how 'tactile' Japanese people can be. My students are especially touchy and equally violent in a playful'ish way. But they are only affectionate in this way with students of the same sex! If they have to touch someone of the opposite sex, as in the dances I've seen for the annual sports day, they looks positively disgusted with having to interact with someone not of their gender. If such same gender touching went on in a British playground, it wouldn't be long before the childish name calling of “oh your so gay” would be batted around. Not so in Japan. Maybe this is because (And as always, this is only my single observers option) that to be gay here is almost a myth. It does feel like homosexuality is shunned in Japan and maybe in the city the gay community have their place; however, here in the hilly farmland of Okayama, its seemly not only non-existant, but doesn't even seem a reality. Another ALT I know here was talking to a Japanese person about their gay friend and the Japanese person understood them to mean 'camp'. When they were corrected, they told me the Japanese person looked positively shocked and a little in denial that someone could actually be gay.

Two male junior high school students came up to me for a chat before the class with their arms around each other, one announcing that the other boy was, in English, “...my boy friend.” I like to think of myself as a liberal minded individual, but I believed they were mistaken. I clarified in Japanese at which point their happy faces dropped, pushed each other away and said “No, no, no, no!” It's good that children of this age can be affectionate, but it's really sad that homosexuality isn't as accepted.

Adding to the physical interaction seems to be the Japanese mind set on comedy, or at least what is considered funny. The Japanese sense of humour seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator, slapstick; or as it's similar referred to as, Manzai. For me I miss the eloquent wit of British comics like Steven Fry and the rest of the QI bunch, where a punt is something one must earn through intellect. Or the story telling observational comics like Rhod Gilbert or Eddie Izzard. Or even the randomness of the classics like Monty Pythons Flying Circus. But no, in Japan, what gets a laugh is hitting a man around the head in a silly way, “... sigh”. And so this is what the kids find funny and there is a lot of slapping and wrestling which at first is actually quite shocking. Even with the teachers the students are very physical. I've seen students push teachers like its nothing, and the teachers look of the same option.