Organizer and Chair: Yohko Tsuji, Le Moyne College
Discussant: Susan O. Long, John Carroll University
Old age in Japan seems to be stereotyped in polarities. While the view of Japan as a haven for the elderly lingers, the image of modern Japan overwhelmed by aging problems is also prevalent. This panel sheds light on old age in Japan-both past and present-hidden behind these stereotypes. Our approach is multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural, representing history, sociology, gerontology and anthropology and mobilizing analyses, using historical texts, classic literature, surveys and interviews as well as ethnographic field work. To explore old age in Japan, four papers address different issues: (1) the ambivalent image of elderly women in Noh plays and legend in relation to their actual lives in Japan's past; (2) social support systems among the contemporary elderly with special focus on non-familial relationships; (3) history of marriages narrated by aging couples in comparison with a similar study among older Americans; and (4) reconstruction of shattered lives by elderly victims of the 1994 Kobe earthquake. We hope the panel will illuminate the complexity of old age in Japan rather than perpetuate the simplified pictures depicted by stereotypes.
The Image of Rojo or Elderly Women in Japanese Legend
Tetsuo Yamaori, International Research Center for Japanese Studies, Kyoto
This paper explores the lives of elderly women in the early modern period of Japanese history by examining and comparing various images of "rojo" in Japanese legend. Unlike the generally positive image of "ro-o" or elderly men, the image of "rojo" in Japanese legend is sometimes touched by gloom and eeriness. For instance, "yamauba," one of the well-known types of the legendary "rojo" is depicted as eerie and ghostly.
To illuminate this ambivalent image of "rojo" in Japanese legend, I will examine three different types of "rojo" in Noh plays of Medieval Japan. The first type is the "rojo" "Yamauba," a Noh play written by Zeami. The second type appears in "Takasago," another Noh play by Zeami. The third type is the protagonist of the masterpiece, "Obasute."
The first type, the "rojo" in "Yamauba," gives a strong impression of a specter or a demon. By contrast, the second type, the "rojo" in "Takasago," is accompanied by the "ro-o" or an older man and represents the "rojo" as an indispensable half of the long-lasting marital partnership. The third type of "rojo" is a granny abandoned by her relatives. She is the "rojo" in the famous "obasute" story.
The paper also addresses the dichotomization of "rojo" into the gentle "ouna" and the frightening "uba" and considers how this dichotomy is related to the three types of "rojo" mentioned above.
Social Support System and Family of the Japanese Elderly
Wataru Koyano, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology
Social relationships of the elderly in Japan, as in Western countries, have attracted research interest for a long time. While previous studies repeatedly emphasize the family-centrality of the social support system of Japanese elderly, few studies focus on the characteristics of dyadic relationships between elderly persons and others surrounding them.
A survey research conducted in Metropolitan Tokyo and a regional city provides a basis for understanding the characteristics of these social relationships of Japanese elderly. Subjects were 882 elderly community residents ranging in age from 65 to 79 years. They were asked to name all family members living together, all children and children-in-law, up to five siblings and relatives, up to five neighbors, and up to five friends, and to report social relationships with them.
Analysis of mean factor scores reveal the differential roles others play in the social support system of the elderly. Two principal dimensions, labeled "Social Support" and "Emotional Closeness," constitute important social relationships of Japanese elderly. The most interesting finding is the situation of daughters-in-law who live with elderly parents-in-law. The former are closely involved in providing the latter with essential support, but the latter rarely feel emotionally close to the former. This asymmetrical pattern of social interaction is manifested in serious conflicts between elderly parents and daughters-in-law.
"Till Death Do Us Part": A Comparison of Aging Couples in the United
States and Japan
Ruth Campbell, University of Michigan
With increasing life expectancy, more married couples are aging together. The "post-parental" years of Japanese marriages are now roughly equivalent to one third of total married years. The percentage of couples-only households increased from 19.6% in 1980 to 29% in 1994 and should continue to grow as more Japanese couples choose to live apart from children. In 1990, 54% of older Americans lived with their spouses only. This study compared Japanese and American couples married, on average, more than forty years. Thirteen American couples and eleven Japanese couples were asked to tell the story of their marriage jointly using a story board of key events (e.g. how we met, children growing up, retirement). Interviews were taped, translated and coded by the four researchers using Ethnograph. We found that cultural differences were more marked in the early years of marriage. The majority of Japanese were in arranged marriages, living with other family members and having sharply divided gender roles, producing more intense feelings of dissatisfaction among Japanese wives than Americans. However, despite the "sodai gomi" image of Japanese retired husbands, this life course perspective revealed positive changes in marriages in both countries influenced by life transitions such as retirement, death of in-laws, and failing health. Japanese emphasized complementary interdependence in which each spouse had distinct roles, while Americans focused more on equality of roles among spouses.
Surviving the Kobe Earthquake: Elderly Earthquake Victims Rebuild Their Lives
Diana Lynn Bethel, Independent Scholar
The second most devastating earthquake to strike Japan in this century occurred on January 17, 1995 in the Hanshin area, killing over 5,000 people, the majority of whom were 60 years of age or older. Over 300,000 homeless and disoriented victims gathered in emergency shelters where they lived until temporary housing facilities were built to accommodate those with the greatest need. Elderly earthquake victims, together with the physically challenged and single parent families, who had no other options were given first priority in relocation to temporary housing settlements. As a result, in the housing settlements occupied in the months immediately following the quake, elderly comprise nearly 80-90% of the residents.
This study considers temporary housing settlements as one example of a nearly age-homogeneous residential setting and focuses on the development of communal structures and social patterns of the elderly residents who have been traumatized, uprooted, and relocated in an entirely unfamiliar social environment. The officially stated length of residence in the temporary housing facilities is six months, renewable up to a maximum period of two years. Elderly residents reconstruct their social universes within this framework of temporal uncertainty and social uprootedness. Their perceptions and expectations regarding social relationships, male and female interaction styles, and strategies for developing social ties are explored in this context. The initiation and development of social structures and patterns of interaction in this new aggregate living situation provide a glimpse of Japanese perspectives on the nature of human relationships and the practical considerations essential to communal cooperation and survival