The social stigma attached to tattoos
"Because you are a girl" is a legitimate reason here in Japan
Marriage hunt
The status of a girl in society
One thing that really shocked me in Japan was when I first went on the train and I looked
up and there were posters of girls and bikinis
Hey guys and girls on Japanese its Cathy cat
this time we're gonna talk about five things that foreign girls don't particularly like about Japan.
Let's find out what that is how to prepare yourself for that
and how to live with. Let's go!
Number one the social stigma attached to tattoos
You got a cute tattoo that's great for you
but is not so great here in Japan where tattoos are still seen as
something rather negative
they used to be put in connection with syndicates and
similar things like that so if you have a tattoo, even though it's for fashion
reasons and not because you are a social reject or bad person
you still might
get a little bit of that stigma. You will not be able to wear your tattoo
to pools, to onsen, to hot springs, to beaches... there are lots of places where
you will be barred from and even though you're not a bad person having a tattoo
people will go like "oh how daring" or you might even get a little bit of a
reputation of being a bad girl because you have a tattoo... it's just a cultural
thing. Japan is trying to grow out of that right now. The younger generation is
much more tolerant than the older generation about it but unfortunately many
people still have a very negative image of tattoos
Number two: "because you are a girl" is a legitimate reason here in Japan. I was
really surprised about that one. I've never heard that so much in Europe as
I've heard it in Japan. It can be taken for many things as y"ou like sweets because
you're a girl" or "you shouldn't go there because you're a girl" and I heard that
so many times here in Japan it really surprised me. It's still a legitimate
reason here for better and for worse. Sometimes people will treat you better
for it... sometimes people will tell you you can't do certain things because of
that ... it is again a cultural thing you need learn to live with it
you can try and call people out for it but it might not go so well so again
sometimes I'm just smiling through it and go
"okay it's a different culture I think you mean well" but sometimes it might hit you a little
bit harder, especially if you're very outspoken you might not be able to keep
in those emotions and those sentences that you want to tell those people but
for a moment just listen to what they have to say... Also read around it...are
they telling you this to put you down or they're telling you this to protect you
are they telling you this because that is their image of girls? Just listen to it
for a little bit before you state your opinions and yeah don't let it get to ya.
Konkatsu! There is a thing called Syushoku katsudo which is what young
people will do after school at university, meaning "job hunt" ... But there's also
Konkatsu which is pretty much "marriage hunt" meaning in Japan
legitimately not going to look for a job but just looking to become someone's
housewife is still a thing for some girls. I was very surprised that some girls
will just say hey you know.... I asked a couple of my fellow students when I was
exchange student. "I said what do you want to be in the future?" and she just said
"I want to marry... fast" that was her dream for the future and it's different
because it might be unusual in your country it's not a thing that's
happening so much in your country but for some people it might work out so
don't judge people it is still different. It's a different culture and if that's
their dream there's nothing I can say about it.
So let them do their thing. What I found interesting though is a little trivia
The girl that told me when she was 17 that all she wanted to do is marry,
travelled afterwards to India. She has become a kick-ass girls doing quite
well in her life so you never know how things will go
The status of her girl in society ... now in Japan it is in the change
but they're still quite a lot of things where a woman will stand beyond the man
and it's a man's world many people have been telling me this
"Why are you're in Japan it's a man's world!"
there's still certain privileges that get out for the guys and
it in certain jobs it might not hit you as hard... in other jobs that might hit
you harder... where you see that people around you get promoted and promoted or
are you asking for the same thing but you're not getting it and it can get
frustrating and I've seen.....
I've seen some of my colleagues were female who worked
so hard, harder than everyone else and not much of a pay-rise or anything for
her in stock so....
it is on the change and I'd like to think it's changing but it
can be quite tough if you're going out into the working life here in Japan and
just see that there is still a gap between guys and girls. Also maternity
leave is officially ok in Japan, it has arrived here. But many don't really get
it and many will kind of not get any support during that as well so
again it's really hard for women then to decide to raise kids and stuff but we've
talked about this in detail actually with our interviews. We asked this to
Japanese people too. So if you want to hear more about that one be sure to check it out.
One thing that really shocked me in Japan was when I first went on the train and
I looked up and there were posters of girls in bikinis
that were full maybe in their teens in their early teens 12 13 14 15 and that
was an idol group in their new album and it was winter and they were all there in
the bikinis. And then I looked around at all the other posters and they were
pretty much everyone who was older or older than teenage or 20 years they were
all wife's who were like cooking for their husbands and stuff so this brings
us to the topic of ageism... there is quite a idealization of youth here in Japan so
meaning everything in your teenage is great once you go to your mid-twenties
that's your expiry date. There used to be the thing of the leftover Christmas cake
meaning if you're 25 you don't married yet 25 ... you know but that's that's like
the last age but once 26 after Christmas you know the 26 no one wants to eat the
Christmas cake after Christmas... meaning if you're not married by the age of 25
no one will wanna eat ya.... yeah that used to be a thing it seems to be
changing a little bit upwards but generally many young girls will try and
marry as soon as possible so they're not becoming the leftover Christmas cake...
I mean it's hard to see women in media... it's generally either kids or
wives.. it's hard to see independent women trying things out for themselves which
makes it hard if you are an independent girl and you're trying to make your way
in Japan ...makes it very very hard you'll feel a lot of time out of place
You feel like you're not good enough you feel like you're not reaching the things you
want to do but... Japan is trying more and more to support the girls that are out
there and the women they're out there and are trying to make their way in life.
But it's still very much a man's world, just be prepared for that when you come to Japan.
So those were the five things that foreign girls struggle with when
they come to Japan... remember guys it's a different culture here, it's not easy but
if you especially if you're by yourself and you're trying to make your way here
try hard, I really I I support you girls you can do it!! And also it's not easy for
guys as well we're gonna talk about that in a future video so don't forget to
subscribe for that!
Also how is that in your country? What do girls struggle in your country?
Let us know in the comments down below, looking forward to
finding out. As always be kind to each other and I catch you soon for a future
video with Ask japanese! Give us a like on the way out and i'll see you soon for
more. Bye!