In many ways things have changed, but for older generations of Japanese, the lives of men and women are/were very different — both in regards roles and responsibilities. A gap that sometimes isn’t all that obvious, but then at other times seems like an almost insurmountable gulf.
I was just reading an article in the Japan Times about “herbivore male” and “carnivorous women” and the fact that men and women just don’t want to spend time together when I noticed a school class walking by my window and noted that the kids were all paired up in boy-girl pairs; looks like there might be hope yet for love in Japan when the kids get used to the other sex and stop seeing each other as aliens
(This is the article I referred to: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/ek20120618a1.html)
Cheers for the link. I’m not too sure how true all that stuff is. Or at least how common it is, anyway. What’s your take on it?
The older generation, like the ladies in the photo, however, really do seem to live separate lives. Even separate trips too judging by the coach tours one sees. There again, if they are happy with it, then why not?
Sometimes, I do not understand why they will outcast each other so much.
Might be because even till today, some of them are still very traditional in their ways?
Yes, I think tradition and perceived roles certainly have something to do with it. Quite a lot to do with it actually.
Is that spot Nihonbashi by any chance? Just as you approach the bridge…maybe…
It is. Well spotted! I like the walk from Ginza to Jimbocho. Nice on a sunny Saturday or Sunday.
Wow, what a great shot. So many elements contribute to telling the exact same story. I think one of my favorites is how the man’s suit color matches the color of the water, which the women are observing/trying to describe by painting, but not looking directly at the man himself (obviously while the man is directly observing the women while relaxing during a smoke break).
Thanks a lot Evan. Very kind of you.
What struck me was how the man was totally invisible to the ladies, but at the same time he was very aware of them. Although what he was thinking will forever remain a mystery.
Not quite sure that this picture really exemplifies this. These women look to be at that age in life where the husband may still working but the kids, if there are any, are gone or at school.
That’s a fair point. They may not be quite the right age, but I was thinking of those forever working husband and housewife since marriage couples. Pairings that often seem to live totally different lives with equally different interests.