When I was reading the chapter, I found the part of ceremonial haircuts funny. Does it mean something like this?
or something like this?
or maybe something like this?
Okay, so the last one was overrated. But the previous pictures reminds me of myself doing the same thing to focus on a swim meet. Note that not many on my team did this, and it was a bit embarrassing when reflecting on it. However, thanks to Shackleton, I guess it was common sense. Japanese youth baseball teams often do this style of uniformity. I did not know why they did that. Not only because it was hot outside like I guessed, but also for ceremonial means, people shave their heads. Even Buddhists do it as in the second picture. The third one is a teru teru bozu, a traditional symbol for praying sunlight and a charm to repel rain. Since I did a google search of it for the first time, I realized that it also had to do with this topic. Some people may still do this tradition, especially athletes, because most outdoor sports can be affected from the climate. Here's the link to the origins of teru teru bozu. Hope it interests you too.
http://educationinjapan.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/pondering-the-teru-teru-bozu-%E3%81%A6%E3%82%8B%E3%81%A6%E3%82%8B%E5%9D%8A%E4%B8%BB-tradition-and-its-origins/
The last video is a traditional Japanese song I learned when I was in kindergarden. So this is how the tradition goes, I guess. Teru teru bozu can be concluded as a team message for a sunny day.
I think this hair shaving business is a really strange custom. Shackelton may have done it for this mighty expedition, Buddhist may do it for religion and often when fighting in an army hair tends to be either shaved off or cut really short; but in Japan, I get this feeling that every occasion that needs firing up your self(気合い-KIAI-) men especially, practice it. I feel that it is does happen very often in Japan, and is part of a culture that other`s don`t have. It seems to me rather absurd that whenever there is a big event coming up (especially in sports), they lose, or as a way of showing remorse people immediately turn to the hair clipper. To me it just doesn`t seem like solving the base of the problem, rather it seems stressing on something that has nothing to do with the issue. At times I even feel like by shaving off their hair, in a way people are trying to justify whatever bad things that they have done.
返信削除I made Teru Teru Bozus when I was young!! The song is, darker than I expected I guess...not very child oriented is it?haha It is interesting though how these Teru Teru Bozus can also be a symbol to unify everyone, except there isn`t anything really that you can do about rain even if you have teamwork.
Good thoughts here, Masa. I am thinking of another time in which people shave their heads—to show sympathy to a friend who has lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatment. I know of a bunch of teachers as the American School in Japan who did this to support another teacher undergoing such treatment. I thought this very touching.
返信削除Hi Masa,
返信削除We haven't heard from you for awhile blogwise, but I wish to thank you for this earlier work as you were doing very well.
I know you got very busy this term and had trouble staying on top of all your work, but you seem like a great guy and I nonetheless enjoyed having you in class and I wish you the very best with all your future endeavors.
Ken