Kimonos Prohibited
KATO Junpei / Professor at Tokiwa University
January 30, 2003
On January 15, Asahi Newspaper carried a small article: On Himejima Island in Oita Prefecture - a small island with a population of a mere 2,800 - young women who planned to attend the Coming-of-Age ceremony on January 14 were told by the head of the island's education council they would be prohibited from attending unless they changed into western clothing. They were told that "since some homes cannot afford to buy a kimono, it would highlight the gap between rich and poor" and that "village custom calls for refraining from wearing the kimono."
In any other country, the traditional costume of the community would be worn at times of ceremonies and festivities, not the internationalized western clothing of today. Everyone dresses in local clothing to create a festive atmosphere, because ceremonies and festivities are occasions for renewing an awareness of the community's culture and traditions, and reinforcing the sense of unity.
In Japan, the greatest festivity is Shogatsu, celebrated at the start of a new year. During Shogatsu, adults - the masters of the house - and children take center stage. According to tradition, the Little Shogatsu, which takes place in the middle of January, was reserved for women and young men who remained behind the curtains during the Shogatsu festivities. The Coming-of-Age ceremony on January 14 celebrates the gaining of adulthood by men and women aged twenty, and has its origins in this Little Shogatsu event.
It was a ceremony based on such ancient culture and tradition to which participation in traditional clothing - the kimono - was prohibited. And it happened not in any major westernized city but in a small, rustic, rural island where vestiges of ancient culture are still to be found, and furthermore was ordered by the head of the education council responsible for the education and cultural events of the community. We here witness the perversion and decadence of post-World War II Japan which outsiders find so difficult to understand. And this is not unrelated to the stagnation and decadence of today's Japan.
The head of the education council apparently decided that the wealth gap on the island that exists in reality must be made invisible. It is also peculiar that he considers wearing western suits rather than Japan's traditional kimono to be the custom of the village.
In the post-World War II era, under the influence of policies introduced by the occupying U.S. forces and Japan's left-wing intelligentsia and educators who willingly embraced them, the trend of worshipping western-style democracy, egalitarianism and internationalism dominated educational institutions and journalism throughout the nation. Nationalism became a subject of criticism, and time-honored culture and tradition scorned and ignored in school education.
This trend was most strongly impressed upon the generation of Japanese currently in their 50s and in leadership positions today. The younger generation tends to be critical of this trend. In fact, the younger they are, the stronger their criticism. The head of the education council in Himejima is most likely around 50 or so. His words are indicative of the sense of hostility against Japanese culture and tradition and the penchant for seeking the semblance of equality that are characteristic of that generation.
It is interesting that it was the Asahi Newspaper - which had been a powerful advocate of the trend in the aftermath of World War II - that ran the article. Japanese women are most beautiful when dressed in the traditional kimono. A young Asahi reporter in his simple appreciation of that fact must have written the article out of his disagreement with the head of the education council who prohibited it. As the younger generation with such unclouded sensitivity gains a greater voice in society, Japan's post-war perversion will be overcome. And that is where hope lies in the future - thus were my thoughts upon reading the article.
The writer is a Professor of international relations at Tokiwa University. He is a former Ambassador to Belgium and a former Vice-President of the Japan Foundation.
In any other country, the traditional costume of the community would be worn at times of ceremonies and festivities, not the internationalized western clothing of today. Everyone dresses in local clothing to create a festive atmosphere, because ceremonies and festivities are occasions for renewing an awareness of the community's culture and traditions, and reinforcing the sense of unity.
In Japan, the greatest festivity is Shogatsu, celebrated at the start of a new year. During Shogatsu, adults - the masters of the house - and children take center stage. According to tradition, the Little Shogatsu, which takes place in the middle of January, was reserved for women and young men who remained behind the curtains during the Shogatsu festivities. The Coming-of-Age ceremony on January 14 celebrates the gaining of adulthood by men and women aged twenty, and has its origins in this Little Shogatsu event.
It was a ceremony based on such ancient culture and tradition to which participation in traditional clothing - the kimono - was prohibited. And it happened not in any major westernized city but in a small, rustic, rural island where vestiges of ancient culture are still to be found, and furthermore was ordered by the head of the education council responsible for the education and cultural events of the community. We here witness the perversion and decadence of post-World War II Japan which outsiders find so difficult to understand. And this is not unrelated to the stagnation and decadence of today's Japan.
The head of the education council apparently decided that the wealth gap on the island that exists in reality must be made invisible. It is also peculiar that he considers wearing western suits rather than Japan's traditional kimono to be the custom of the village.
In the post-World War II era, under the influence of policies introduced by the occupying U.S. forces and Japan's left-wing intelligentsia and educators who willingly embraced them, the trend of worshipping western-style democracy, egalitarianism and internationalism dominated educational institutions and journalism throughout the nation. Nationalism became a subject of criticism, and time-honored culture and tradition scorned and ignored in school education.
This trend was most strongly impressed upon the generation of Japanese currently in their 50s and in leadership positions today. The younger generation tends to be critical of this trend. In fact, the younger they are, the stronger their criticism. The head of the education council in Himejima is most likely around 50 or so. His words are indicative of the sense of hostility against Japanese culture and tradition and the penchant for seeking the semblance of equality that are characteristic of that generation.
It is interesting that it was the Asahi Newspaper - which had been a powerful advocate of the trend in the aftermath of World War II - that ran the article. Japanese women are most beautiful when dressed in the traditional kimono. A young Asahi reporter in his simple appreciation of that fact must have written the article out of his disagreement with the head of the education council who prohibited it. As the younger generation with such unclouded sensitivity gains a greater voice in society, Japan's post-war perversion will be overcome. And that is where hope lies in the future - thus were my thoughts upon reading the article.
The writer is a Professor of international relations at Tokiwa University. He is a former Ambassador to Belgium and a former Vice-President of the Japan Foundation.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
着物を着てはいけない
加藤 淳平 / 常磐大学教授
2003年 1月 30日
1月15日の朝日新聞に、こんな小さな記事が載った。日本の西部に広がる内海に浮かぶ、大分県の姫島という、人口わずか2800人の小島で、1月14日の成人式の式典に、日本式の着物を着て出席しようとした女性の新成人が、島の教育長から、「着物を買えない家庭もあり、貧富の差が出る」、「着物を避けるのが村の伝統」などの理由で、着物を現代風の西洋式スーツに着替えて来るよう指示され、着物姿のままであれば出席を拒否すると通告されたという。
日本以外の他の国であれば、式典や祭りの際は皆が、現代の国際的な西洋の服装ではなく、皆が共同体特有の衣装を着る。式典や祭りは、共同体の文化伝統を再認識し、共同体に属する一体感を確認する場だから、そろいの伝統的衣装を身につけて、場を盛り上げる。
日本で最も盛大に祝われるのは、「正月」と呼ばれる年初の祭りであるが、それは家の主人である大人と、小さな子供たちのための祭りであり、この祭りを陰で支えた女性や青年たちが、新しい年を祝うのが、古来、年初一月の中頃に行われる「小正月」の行事である。1月14日の成人式は、この小正月の行事に基づき、20歳になった青年男女が、大人の仲間入りをすることを祝う式典だ。
そんな古い文化伝統に基づく式典に、欧米化した大都会ではなく、今もなお古い文化の残る、地方の鄙びた小島で、共同体の教育と文化行事をとり仕切る教育長が、伝統衣装で行事に参加することを禁止する。ここに第２次大戦後の日本の、外部の人からは理解し難い倒錯と退廃がある。そしてこのことと、現代日本の沈滞と退廃とは、無関係ではない。
着物を禁止した教育長は、島に実際にある貧富の差を、眼に見えないようにしなければならないと考えたようだ。日本古来の着物ではなく、西洋風のスーツを着ることこそ、村の伝統だとの言い分もおもしろい。
第２次大戦後の米占領軍の政策と、それに迎合した日本人の左翼インテリや教育者の影響のもとに、日本の文化伝統を否定し、欧米指向の民主主義、平等主義、国際主義を信奉する風潮が、日本全国の教育の場やジャーナリズムを風靡した。ナショナリズムは非難されなければならないものとなり、古来の文化伝統はさげすまれ、学校教育で無視された。
この風潮に最も色濃く染まったのは、現代日本の指導的地位にある今50代前後の人たちだが、それより若い世代は、若くなればなるほど、この風潮に対する批判が強い。恐らく姫島の教育長は、50代前後の人だろう。この世代特有の、日本の文化伝統に対する敵意と、似て非なる平等主義が彼の言葉から窺われる。
第2次大戦後の風潮の強力な鼓吹者だった朝日新聞が、上の記事を掲げたことは興味深い。日本の女性は、伝統の着物を着たとき最も美しい。素直にそう感じた朝日新聞の若い記者が、禁止した教育長に対する反感から、記事を書いたに違いない。素直にものを感じる若い世代が、このまま日本の社会で発言権を増大して行けば、きっと戦後日本の倒錯は克服される。そこに将来への希望をもとう。私はそう思いながら、上の記事を読んだ。
（著者は常磐大学国際学部教授。元駐ベルギー大使、元国際交流基金専務理事。）
日本以外の他の国であれば、式典や祭りの際は皆が、現代の国際的な西洋の服装ではなく、皆が共同体特有の衣装を着る。式典や祭りは、共同体の文化伝統を再認識し、共同体に属する一体感を確認する場だから、そろいの伝統的衣装を身につけて、場を盛り上げる。
日本で最も盛大に祝われるのは、「正月」と呼ばれる年初の祭りであるが、それは家の主人である大人と、小さな子供たちのための祭りであり、この祭りを陰で支えた女性や青年たちが、新しい年を祝うのが、古来、年初一月の中頃に行われる「小正月」の行事である。1月14日の成人式は、この小正月の行事に基づき、20歳になった青年男女が、大人の仲間入りをすることを祝う式典だ。
そんな古い文化伝統に基づく式典に、欧米化した大都会ではなく、今もなお古い文化の残る、地方の鄙びた小島で、共同体の教育と文化行事をとり仕切る教育長が、伝統衣装で行事に参加することを禁止する。ここに第２次大戦後の日本の、外部の人からは理解し難い倒錯と退廃がある。そしてこのことと、現代日本の沈滞と退廃とは、無関係ではない。
着物を禁止した教育長は、島に実際にある貧富の差を、眼に見えないようにしなければならないと考えたようだ。日本古来の着物ではなく、西洋風のスーツを着ることこそ、村の伝統だとの言い分もおもしろい。
第２次大戦後の米占領軍の政策と、それに迎合した日本人の左翼インテリや教育者の影響のもとに、日本の文化伝統を否定し、欧米指向の民主主義、平等主義、国際主義を信奉する風潮が、日本全国の教育の場やジャーナリズムを風靡した。ナショナリズムは非難されなければならないものとなり、古来の文化伝統はさげすまれ、学校教育で無視された。
この風潮に最も色濃く染まったのは、現代日本の指導的地位にある今50代前後の人たちだが、それより若い世代は、若くなればなるほど、この風潮に対する批判が強い。恐らく姫島の教育長は、50代前後の人だろう。この世代特有の、日本の文化伝統に対する敵意と、似て非なる平等主義が彼の言葉から窺われる。
第2次大戦後の風潮の強力な鼓吹者だった朝日新聞が、上の記事を掲げたことは興味深い。日本の女性は、伝統の着物を着たとき最も美しい。素直にそう感じた朝日新聞の若い記者が、禁止した教育長に対する反感から、記事を書いたに違いない。素直にものを感じる若い世代が、このまま日本の社会で発言権を増大して行けば、きっと戦後日本の倒錯は克服される。そこに将来への希望をもとう。私はそう思いながら、上の記事を読んだ。
（著者は常磐大学国際学部教授。元駐ベルギー大使、元国際交流基金専務理事。）
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟