Day 10: Men, Women, and Marriage (男と女と結婚)

There's a huge outcry in the United States pertaining to sexism, but Japan has its own problems as I've come to find out. Women are afforded basically the same opportunities here, as men, but sketchy things go on behind the scenes. It's important to remember that Japan embraces a "shame culture," which means that, unlike America, it's less about "standing up for yourself" and more about "making sure not to shame yourself." So, for example, the woman who gets abused by her boss or molested on the train is very unlikely to speak out against it. It's not to say, of course, that such a thing would never happen in the West (it does), but it's fair to say the the social consequences are even more severe here in Japan. You simply just don't make a fuss. It's shameful and unseemly.

The same sort of thing goes for men to a certain degree, but the rules are more lax for them. Men can simply get away with more because of their gender and this unfortunately allows them to take advantage of women quite often. These problems can really even be traced back to childhood. It is common for boys to be disciplined quite lightly and for parents to be more strict with girls. The idea is, "If we spoil a boy now, he will spoil us later in life when he's rich. Right?" Once again, we sort of see the thoughts of the Japanese loop back to work and money. 

These unfortunate mindsets don't make marriage any better either. Murray has told me that there are more marriages in Japan based off nothing but money than one would expect. Apparently there is even a saying--"A good husband is healthy and absent." In other words, a good husband is one who is healthy enough to work, and spends all day there making money. Japanese men, as a general rule, spend obscene amounts of time at work, often 6-7 days a week. When the men do happen to be home, they more often than not expect their wives to be there too.

The members of Agape Bible Church are mostly women, and there are many women who would like to come but don't--It has a lot to do with these problems. The church is mostly women because most of them are wives who have the time and opportunity to come on Sunday mornings. There are next to no men because they're either still working on Sunday, or are taking their "well-deserved morning off." Then, there are many women who would like to come but don't because their husbands forbid it, as church is simply robbing them of their wife on the only day they have off. And, as mentioned earlier, the wives don't want to speak up or take a stand--It's all ingrained in the culture. 

There are a lot of difficult cultural barriers to overcome here. It's evident why Japan is not the most popular mission field, but its rocky soil is nothing to an Almighty God. We trust in His ability to break down even the most troublesome cultural walls. 

On a lighter note, have some pictures. 

A very pretty pedestrian area near where I live.

Young children and their mothers watch English class.

つづく。見ていますか?　この偽光。