heavenlyfury asked:

Hello! I have a question regarding a character for a short story I’m developing. Here’s the general gist of it : there’s a curse physically spreading on earth, and it’s unstoppable. The people it comes in contact with suffer tremendously, going mad with pain and a sense of grief so strong that they can die in minutes. But for years, this curse seems to stop… Until it hits the western coasts of Spain and Portugal one summer (the curse actually traveled under the ocean). So people die or flee, but a few of them survive and become cursed, with marks on their bodies showing the influence of the curse. Among them is a group of teenagers in Galicia (the region of Spain that is just north of Portugal, where my family comes from), some of whom are tourists. Specifically, a young Portuguese boy (Pedro) and a young Japanese girl (Mitsuki) who both lived in France (my home country) and are now stuck in Spain, unable to return home. 

My question is about the Japanese girl, and her religious (shintoist?) practices specifically. After some research, I’ve read that Japanese people tend to follow rituals seriously, but don’t necessarily consider themselves very religious. But I am not sure how those rituals could be applied in a setting where there is no Japanese community. Would this girl create a sort of shrine for herself? Would she follow some celebrations on her own? And if so, which celebrations would she be familiar with, as a Japanese living in France?

Another question I have regarding this character is about the curse. The signs it leaves on the body are very visible and would kinda look like moving tattoos. But I remember that tattoos have a criminal connotation in Japan. I thought that Mitsuki would try to hide those tattoos under her clothing and would have an initial distrust of anyone wearing something similar out of their own volition, but is there something I should be careful about with this?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me!

Regarding Mitsuki’s Religion: 

You need more research on Shinto, Japanese Buddhism and current religious trends for Japanese individuals domestically and abroad, in addition to more research on Japanese diaspora and their modes of identity expression. And I mean fairly serious research. The above would be like me writing a story about a girl in a Catholic school in France without having ever read the Bible, while also having no familiarity with the the religious history of Europe, the structure of institutions within the Catholic Church and further not knowing terms like “mass”, “eucharist”, “communion”, “confession”, etc.

Similarly, your context is clear but not why a Japanese character makes sense for the story you are telling. Why is Mitsuki living in France? How did she or her family come to live in France? Which country does she consider “home”? France? Japan? Both? Neither? What is her relationship with her Japanese identity? Does she have a French identity? If so, what is the interplay between both of her identities? All of these would in turn inform her relationship with religion and personal perception of norms surrounding physical appearances. It’s not that Japanese diaspora don’t exist in France. They do. It’s rather that the circumstances that result in someone’s family leaving Japan and ending up pretty much anywhere in Europe (as opposed to more common destinations like the Americas or other parts of Asia) are going to be distinct enough to have an impact on how that person turns out to be the person they are.

- Marika.

I think what you’re missing is that I don’t have a sense of what her personality is, or what her personal values are, or why she is assumed to be a typical, mainstream specimen of her society.

You’ve opened with the generalization that Japanese people are spiritual & ritualistic but not strictly religious, but I feel like that’s only a thesis statement to a much longer and complicated explanation about mixing religions and philosophies (plus westernization) in Japan. And more importantly, there’s nothing that binds you to include this in Mitsuki’s characterization. 

~ Rina

Regarding Mitsuki’s Markings, Tattoos

With respect to tattoos, sure, negative associations with tattoos exist among mainland Japanese individuals due to traditional associations between irezumi (Japanese traditional tattoo artistry) and organized crime. Think about how people in Russia or the US might regard prison/ gang tattoos. The presence of these tattoos makes legitimate employment and participation in general Japanese society difficult for those who have them when they are obviously visible. However, younger generations, many Japanese diaspora and minority groups within Japan looking to reclaim tattoos (ex.: Ainu, Uchinanchu) don’t make the same associations. However, consider: A number of businesses (like hot springs and bath-houses) will often bar anyone with tattoos from entry, regardless of the tattoo’s origin. Similarly a landlord in Japan or a company in Japan could justify not renting to someone or hiring them by the presence of a tattoo, and there’s not much the individual could do about it. The practical realities of stigma against tattoos is something of which most people who have regular interaction with mainland Japan are aware. Does Mitsuki have this awareness and how does this awareness shape her?

That said, I don’t think anyone would look at a curse marking that effectively serves as a proxy for a disease/ pandemic and associate it with tattoos, however much their discomfort with tattoos. Irezumi in particular are so distinctive in design and motifs that it’s not going to be mistaken for a something that functions as a rash and lets others know who is affected by the curse. Similarly, if this curse has been spreading around the world, I can’t imagine people not being familiar with its appearance. 

- Marika.

Again: Personality. Is Mitsuki reserved, conservative? Unapologetic, countercultural? Artistic, fashion-forward?
Whether or not she is averse to body markings should be primarily because of these traits you choose. Every single time we talk about stereotyping & generalizations on this blog, this is the whole issue. Someone’s ethnicity or religion or race—or the mainstream values held by a particular ethnic or religious or racial group—should not constrain their personality or character. Of course, someone’s background can & will influence their beliefs system, and that can clash or match their personality in interesting ways. For example, Mitsuki may be totally down to get tats, but may try to hide them or the markings from other Japanese people, because she knows there’s taboo/judgment on a wider level or in her family/community. Or she might be a more traditionalist type, meaning her values align with the taboo, meaning she feels her shame or disgust more strongly. It completely depends. 

Also consider Mitsuki’s home is in France and the people around her are wearing them freely. A lot of American Nikkei folks have tattoos, too, and their relationship with them can be as complicated as “I was torn about it because of my cultural upgringing, parental pressure, and admittance to onsen affecting my sense of belonging in Japan but I also acknowledge that as diaspora I am viewed as an outsider and it empowers me to flout conventions to reclaim this abjection” or as simple as “I got an origami design cuz I’m half Japanese and also it’s neat idk.” 

~ Rina

P.S. Japanese people—yes, in mainland Japan, not criminal—have tattoos! Japanese people who are tattoo artists exist! And they are currently advocating for the destigmatization of tattoos and lower legal barriers for tattoo artists to practice! And with western media & celebrity becoming more available than ever on the internet, it’s a cultural tide that is turning overall! Again: generalizations of cultures are not helpful when taken at face value!

Finally, congratulations, you have unlocked the Motivation Matters PSA achievement! See the PSA and its explanation here:

@honeybutteraddict asked:

I have a fantasy setting that is partially based off of Japan, with some elements of the culture drawing from Shinto traditions. Would having a character carry an omamori be cultural appropriation?

If you have to ask this question, I’m afraid you don’t yet know enough about Japan to be using Shinto coding in your fantasy setting. The frustrating thing is I can’t give you a clear yes/ no, either. This is not because we don’t have examples of egregious IRL omamori cultural appropriation. They exist aplenty, including a thriving online trade in used omamori and fake omamori (That is to say: omamori not from a legitimate shrine or temple).

Weirdly, the issue is also not a big deal because Japanese people have varying opinions as far as Shinto and Buddhist tradition on correct omamori usage. However, many perpetrators of this kind of cultural appropriation are not the kind of individuals who would patronize a Japanese religious establishment or comply with proper Japanese religious etiquette even if given the option. Perhaps because the legitimacy of omamori and the etiquette for their handling overall falls under a more intra-community issue, I would argue that poor omamori etiquette would be viewed as hurting the purchaser more than anyone else. 

I think my concern is more that I worry for your cultural competency when it comes to coding Japanese culture if your research hasn’t helped you answer this question on your own. It’s not as concerning as that one time someone asked us if a Japanese character could eat rice (linked), but it’s close.

Marika.

@kanehon submitted:

Hello! I’m Latinx, planning a story set in a Urban Fantasy-equivalent of my own city. One of the main characters is Japanese-coded, as my city also has a large immigrant population, I plan to include her family as background characters too. In this setting almost everyone has some kind of magic power, or is a magical creature, so that is seen as normal and common. For this character I planned for her to be able to interact with ghosts and, only if she allows, they can possess her to do things she wouldn’t be able otherwise.

In the story she’s a Coroner and her powers would help with that, talking to them, viewing their side of the story, etc. Not only that, but there is the ghost of one woman in particular who is often with her, with them being lovers.

However, when considering the character’s religious beliefs, I could only find that in Shinto, Death is seen as impure so it seemed disrespectful to go with that. On the other hand, when I looked up at Buddhist views, the best I could find was that Buddhism views organ donating positively as a way to help the others.

Can I respectfully keep those powers/profession with her being Buddhist, being that she uses it to help people, or would it be better to not mix the two things and take a different route entirely? Is there something I’m overlooking and should be aware of?

Secondly, the ghost lover is a butch Japanese-coded woman, Are there any stereotypes I should be aware of and avoid? This is not the only queer relationship or character in the story, and I want to make sure those are shown in a positive light. Ideally, I also want to avoid it seeming like “bury your gays” by showing that, she is as much “There” as anyone else for my character thanks to her powers.

I think a key difference between Japanese versus Western views on ghosts/ spirits is that we differentiate between 幽霊 (yuurei) or specters and 精霊 (seirei) which are the spirits/ souls of the dead as a whole. Yuurei are almost always viewed negatively, while seirei are simply dead people who haven’t moved on. While seirei may have general attachments to the real world, yuurei have particularly negative attachments: desire for vengeance, memories of betrayal, histories of pain and oppression. The key point for both, however, is the cultural belief that both should move on. 

As you say, in Shinto traditions, death is unclean, and so ghosts should be purified and go to the underworld (i.e. Yomi/ Yominokuni/ Yomotsukuni). In Buddhism, attachment is viewed as a barrier to achieving enlightenment (Nirvana/ Nehan) and thus, for a ghost, attachments to a previous life delay their re-entry into Samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth necessary for their soul’s spiritual progression. Thus, even if your coroner character is only culturally Japanese-coded (and not religious in any way), I imagine they would feel some level of discomfort doing anything to allow a dead person’s spirit to linger. Thus, I question the utility of having their love interest character be a ghost. I can picture more transactional relationships where her interactions with ghosts and use of their powers are done in the interest of helping the ghosts move on such as: 

• Completion of a task left undone
• Resolving regrets
• Pacifying malevolent specters

However all of the above are poor fits for a long-term love interest, particularly one who is Japanese-coded themselves. A short, intimate fling with a ghost would certainly be an interesting pitch, but the distinct expiration date would make it quite bittersweet.

- Marika

One thing that stood out to me was that you are Latinx writing a story set in your own culture, which I figure has its own beliefs around ghosts. Considering, as Marika said, that you’re employing ghosts in your story in a way that doesn’t jive with Japanese Buddhist-Shinto beliefs, I think it may be better to draw from your local religious lore rather than to push a round peg in a square hole. Is your character’s Buddhism important to the plot, or did you make her Buddhist because she’s Japanese? Is your character’s Japanese-ness important to the plot, or did you make her Japanese because it was one of the more populous minorities in your home city/country? 

Second: with regard to the girlfriend herself, I must stress that a deceased gay character does not inherently a “bury your gays” make. You do appear to have a sense of this as you mention her “there”-ness in the plot, but that’s exactly why you had nothing to worry about in the first place. The trope, and the issue with it, is withholding the happy ending of, AND screentime for, a queer character, because they are seen as disposable. A story can even bury-its-gays without actually killing them (comas, disappearances, abruptly written off the show, etc). Death is not the important component. 

Also, I don’t think we are able to answer to the point of the girlfriends’ butch Japanese-ness because you gave us no other information about her personality, ethnic/immigrant background, or relationship dynamic with the coroner. 

~ Mod Rina

Note: Due to Japanese pop culture, the notion of the yuurei vs. seirei divide has blurred, particularly as Westernized notions of ghosts/ apparitions have made their way into urban legends, manga and anime, however, I advise against going with these interpretations as we have more than enough of them in Japan already.  

- Marika

@thecoldestcultist said:

I know you get a lot of questions about yokai, but recent posts got me curious. I have a spin-off of my supernatural story that follows a character’s Japanese grandfather, and part of the story takes place in 20s-30s Japan. The worldbuilding already has its own rules in place, but I was wondering how it would come off if certain elements were interpreted by the Japanese in their own culturally specific way. In other words, is it fine to write spiritual forces viewed as yokai if they’re not?

First: some historical context:

Japan during the Taisho/ Early Showa eras (the time period you describe) was all about competing with the West, shedding any “outdated” traditions or superstitions that stood in the way of modernization or unifying the nation. This was particularly true for regional customs and beliefs, and yokai fall under this category. Think of yokai as rather like how the fae would have been regarded in the UK and Ireland during the same time period. Though most people would have regarded them as being culturally real as opposed to literally real, the range of belief would have varied by things like income, education and loyalty to regionality. Particularly within the upper classes, overt belief would have been seen as evidence of being backward or superstitious. For any country, anywhere in the world, regardless of era, interpretations of folklore are never unanimous. Japan would be no different.

Japanese Religions versus Cultural Christianity

For the purposes of your worldbuilding, syncretism between Buddhism and Shinto allow for a broad range of interpretations of yokai-related phenomena from a spiritual perspective, but I think you want to tread carefully here and make sure that your particular world-building when it comes to spirituality is actually compatible with these religions. If the supernatural elements of your story are heavily influenced by cultural Christianity, for instance, I think you might have some problems. Some greater details on the world-building rules for your main story would be helpful.

- Marika.