Meeting: #4 Subject: Life in Japan Date: 7-11-97
Women. Although the male is the dominant figure of the household, the female has control over the household and family expenditures. When a husband receives his paycheck, he is expected to turn it over to the wife. What she gives him for all his hard work is pocket money (about 10% of his earnings). This inspires the very popular scenario of an overworked husband who goes home everyday to a nagging wife and gets zilch for all his troubles.
The wife also oversees her children's education. If her child is sick, a mother will go to school and sit in the class so that her child does not miss anything. Mothers also prefer that their sons do not acquire a steady girlfriend as this would distract from their studies. To discourage a son from thinking about such things, a mother will sometimes sleep with him.
Finding work is difficult for women. A young woman usually works for a lower salary than her male co-workers. When she marries, many companies expect or require her to quit, as a job may interfere with her duties as a wife. There are many companies who will not hire women because "they are overeducated for the jobs open to them."
Marriage. For the most part, marriages in Japan were usually arranged by the families who wanted to promote each interests. The bride and groom really had no say in the matter since they were subject to their fathers' will.
A bride has to be feminine and courteous to catch a husband. She should also know the art of flower arranging and tea ceremony, otherwise her chances of marriage drop dramatically. And if she should be smarter than and have higher academic scores than her future husband she must not show it. A wife that is more intelligent than her husband is ridiculous in Japanese society.
There are no requirements necessary for the groom to be married, other than having to satisfy his bride's family as a prospective husband.
The wedding itself is very expensive. The average family cannot purchase a wedding kimono and must rent one instead. The wedding ceremony itself, before and after, is complicated (and much too extensive to go through).
Education. Japan's educational system is based on six years of elementary school, three years of junior high school, three years of senior high school, and four years of university. The schools in Japan are very strict. All students are required to wear uniforms -- of course, there is a different uniform for every school level. The uniform should always be clean and neat. For a time (but not so much now) the children were required to cut their hair, and some girls did not go to school just to avoid that.
The students in the highest grade level are referred to by the younger students as "sempai," a title something equivalent to "upperclassman." Younger students are expected to respect and obey them.
Rather than have the students shift from classroom to classroom, they stay in the same classroom throughout the day and the teachers rotate room to room.
Because there is a lack of space in schools, students must compete to gain attendance. Every year there is an entrance exam that decides if you go to that school or not. The schools only take the top students with passing marks.
The purpose of high school is to prepare students for the university entrance exam period known as "examination hell." It is not uncommon for student to suffer physical and mental breakdowns as a result of their effort to get into a university, and even commit suicide. The white-collar job with a large company, desirable bureau, agency, etc., depends largely on one's education and the schools they have attended.