Photographs from a small group of islands
Japan’s prolonged economic stagnation and a rapidly changing job market have not only consigned the myth of all Japanese being middle class to the rubbish bin, but, for a nation well known for its habit of hoarding, even saving a little something for a rainy day is now more or less unmanageable for many.
With The Cove currently getting plenty of coverage, and Japan’s ‘scientific’ whale hunting programme almost never out of the news, it seemed like a good time to cull, so to speak, a bit of cetacean-related stuff from the Tokyo Times archives.
A post that is still just as timely today as Japan comes under increasing pressure due to accusations of sheer bloody-mindedness and misplaced national pride, and yet when all is said and done, and although it’s difficult to condone the killing of such beautiful beasts, it simply cannot be said that the Japanese don’t take their research seriously, with very little of the mammals left untast untested.
Plus, while critics vociferously claim that the results from non-lethal techniques could prove to be equally as productive, proponents opine that they would be far less palatable.
When it comes to the street photography seen on so much of this site, I generally have no qualms in quite often surreptitiously snapping people as they busily go about their business, but in regards to Tokyo’s increasingly visible homeless, picture taking seems somehow exploitative, or at the very least invasively voyeuristic.
And yet at the same time, with the number of those living on the streets rapidly growing, combined with very little support or assistance — and sometimes even a hindering of what help there actually is — it feels like to not photograph them, and therefore their plight, is to be equally culpable in what could easily be classed as a cruel and uncaring cover up.
So here, for what they are worth, are a few,
of the unfortunately not so very,
few.
Despite Japan being notorious for fast to appear and equally fast to fade fads, the so-called Japanese pet boom, which has amazingly been ‘booming’ for years now, stills shows no signs of abating — at least as far as decidedly diminutive dogs are concerned. And as such, the likes of fancy pet foodstuffs, fashion and constant cries of kawaii! are unfortunately far from uncommon.
In fact, it’s a trend that some suggest is possibly being driven by a considerable number of these pets being seen as child substitutes, which, given their often over-the-top treatment and Japan’s low birth rate, could well be true. Plus there are benefits of course, as boozing on a Sunday afternoon at least is considerably easier and more carefree with a canine than it is with a kid.
The trouble is, it’s not all fun and games, and after years of depicting these dogs as cute and cuddly little accessories, one TV channel at least has bravely opted to air the dark side of the dog boom. A video that I should warn is undoubtedly distressing (at least from the 5 minute mark) as it shows how a large number of unwanted and unable to be cared for canines end up — quite literally. And viewing is made even more uncomfortable by the knowledge that it’s a practice that apparently is performed practically everyday.
There are no subtitles I’m afraid, but the last part at least needs little in the way of explanation. But once again, I should reiterate that it is far from easy viewing.
It’s arguably not so many moons ago that the vast majority of Japanese considered themselves middle-class. If indeed they were even concerned with such classifications.
But now, with the job for life system long gone, and a third of all workers on temporary contracts, Japanese society is in real danger of fracturing; irreconcilably separating into the have and the have-nots. Or, in the case of the nation’s working poor and homeless, the have-nothings. An ever-growing group that is often referred to as the underclass, which very sadly is sometimes quite literally true.
With seemingly little in the way of support to help them pull themselves out of their predicament.
The gold-tinted glow of Ginza, or the neon-lit nightscapes of Shinjuku and Shibuya, can easily lead one to conclude that while the Japanese may well spend a lot of time at the office, their work ethic at least means they are wealthy.
A situation that is undoubtedly true for many, although for a growing number of working poor, it is way off the mark, with hardship rather than happiness much more to the fore, whether it be in the hours they do, or their home life — if indeed they have one.
But despite this, it’s a topic that’s not covered too often, although whereas this photo can only hint at any such hardship,
the excellent documentary, Japan: A Story of Love and Hate, does the job properly. Both in-depth and directly.
Which is now, thankfully, on YouTube, albeit in slightly irritating ten minute chunks. And here is part one.