Blog#11

Nemawashi-  Nemawashi refers to a type of groundwork done before a business decision can be agreed upon. "Nemawashi was originally a gardening term meaning "to dig around the root of a tree a year or two before transplanting it".(P 159). This idea of getting work done before it is time to make a decision is very important in Japanese business. This is because a Japanese business meeting is very different from a western meeting. in the Japanese meeting it is rude to voice a strong opinion on something unless you have support from the majority of the decision makers and any one of the decision makers can vote down an idea for any reason even if its made up. therefore one must meet with all the individuals involved in the decision making and make sure you know where they stand before the meeting. "Japanese tend to make most decisions before discussing them at a meeting because people attending the meetings often feel uncomfortable being too open and forthright or find it difficult to state their opinions frankly."(P 161). 

Sempai-kohai - This refers to the vertical relation of people in the Japanese society most notably in school or business. The Sempai is the older and more experienced of the two and usually refers to some one who entered or graduated earlier form the same school, or a older member in the same job as you. "Kohai is the opposite of Sempai: Ko meas "latter" or "after words," and hai signifies "fellows" or "mates."(P. 188). So just like it sounds the Kohai are the juniors to the Sempai and have entered the same school or job after the Sempai. A good example of the Sempai Kohai relationship is that of school interactions. "For example, third year students have great power in junior high and senior high schools, and especially in clubs, these relationships are important. It is common in sports clubs for kohai to clean the rooms, collect balls, and manage the equipment for sempai". (P 191)

Ryosaikenbo - The term literally means "good wife and wise mother" and denotes a kind of unconscious concept of how women are supposed to be in Japanese society. The concept originated during the Edo period, "In the Edo period, the upbringing of females was designed to develop "good wives" who could be responsible for the household and produce many children."(P 179). Although the term didn't originate until the Meiji period when standardized education became mandatory. Now wives were also responsible for the education of their children. This standardized education was for both boys and girls, because it was felt that in order for mothers to be able to teach their children they must also be educated themselves. "As a result, women played a significant role in the Japanese people becoming a well-educated and cultivated people, and is widely believed that schooling for females was an important factor in Japan achieving such rapid industrialization."(p 180).

Reflection
During our reflection of the last film the part that has stuck in my head is when we talked about how hard it was on all the geisha after the war had ended. their whole way of life was turned upside down in an instant. They had once been these elegant walking works of art who were well respected for their talents but after the war ended any random could put on a kimono and act like a geisha and get away with it since the occupying U.S. troops didn't know the difference. How humiliating it must have been to see that.