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.
