Blog #7

Hedataru to Najimu - The two concepts of Hedataru and Najimu have to do with the idea of personal space and how it relates to relationships for the Japanese people. Hedataru was defined as "to separate one thing from another, to set them apart". (P 109) For relationships in japan both currently and historically the concept of Hedataru is very important. The idea of letting another person know that you will respect their personal space there by creating a mutual understanding between the two individuals. "In fact, bowing at a distance of one meter is still a common form of greeting in Japan and creates a sense of familiarity for people by letting others know that one will not violate their privacy".  (P 111 )As one deepens a relationship with another they must move past Hedataru and allow that person into your personal space. A relationship without Hedataru is called Najimu. Najimu is defined as "to become attached to, to become familiar with, or used to". In a relationship Najumu strengthens friendships through physical closeness. "The physical scenes also play an important role in the development of Najimu, such as the kind of unity people feel sitting together during the winter under a kotatsu warming their legs."

Shudan Ishiki - This concept deals with the group conscious of the Japanese people. "In Japanese society, people are primarily group-oriented and give more priority to group harmony than to individuals."(P.195) Honne to Tatemai have a huge importance in this group conscious. manipulating what is said and what you really mean can help avoid bad situations. "If people carelessly and directly express what they really think, there is the probability of hurting the feelings of others, disrupting the group ambiance, or destroying harmonious relations. The ideas of Uchi and Soto also play a large part in Shudan ishiki. The difference between who is inside the group and who is outside the group will determine how those people are treated and how the relationship with that person will develop.

The Do Spirit of Japan - The kangi do can be found in many expressions in modern day Japan. "Many of these expressions are used for the traditional Japanese arts, both material and aesthetic; some express religious, philosophical, or spiritual doctrines, others reflect the common usage of everyday life."(P71). The origins of do come from ancient Chinese Taoism. In Chinese Tao literally means "way" it can also mean the way to be fallowed or a code of behavior or doctrine like Japanese Bushido, the way of the warrior. In China the Tao cannot simply be had it must be earned by learning from a master of the art. This concept of Taoism was picked up by the Zen Buddhists of Japan during the Kamakura period. "After its adoption from China in the sixth century, Buddhism gradually permeated the whole intellectual, artistic, and social life of Japan for well over a thousand years."(P73). This is why many of the names of various artistic and martial skills have the kangi do in them. In recent years the rigid structured ideas of the do spirit has become some what of a handicap for Japan. It has made it difficult for people to think outside the box and become more creative. The president of Mitsubishi Electric, Tachi Kiuchi called it Japans "Achilles' heel" saying "Japanese companies have a lot of problems when there is no blueprint or manual to learn from"(p78).

Reflection
After the discussion last class i had been thinking about how after Kane got married, Magoza decided that he would do the honorable thing and commit suicide now that his mission had ended. I remember how we discussed why he decided to die, he had finished his mission of raising Kane on the orders of his master, the only reason he was alive instead of dying during the mission was to raise her. He had nothing else to live for. But then i thought about Kichie the other samurai that had lived after the mission. He had also been given an order by his master to deliver messages to the families of the men who were to carry out the mission, however his orders were different, he was ordered to live on even after he completed his task. Why didn't their master also order Magoza to live on after the mission? I think Kichie felt the same as Magoza but he could not kill himself without disobeying his master.