Now in raising a child in Japan my wife
and I have been exposed to various Japanese children's stories and
books. This has led to our exposure to Otogibanashi, or
Japanese Folk Tales. Each story can reveal the influences on the Japanese people from
Shintoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, as well as other traditional
thoughts. Often it is thought that a nations folk stories for
children are meant to teach morals and values important to those
people. What are the main differences between Japanese and Western
stories?
If you read some of the Otogibanashi
from the previously linked website, you will see some of these common
themes: importance of the group, strong value of nature, and ideal
morals to be practiced. For instance Japanese stories often focus on
modesty as opposed to pride, inward beauty as opposed to outward
beauty, dependence as opposed to independence, and acceptance as
opposed to rejection. These values from the Otogibanashi
reinforce what children learn from Japanese society as being either
acceptable or unacceptable. If you are into reading manga or watching
anime you will most certainly notice many Japanese cultural motifs
that may influence you whether you notice it or not! This kind of
cultural soft power has influenced many people around the world to be
highly favorable toward Japan and to actually move here.
Although some of the values in folk
tales are favorable, some of them are not. No matter which country we
live in, we must be discerning of what exactly is being taught to our
children. For instance, in America the mainstream entertainment
industry specifically geared toward children always seems to
influence thought based upon some kind of agenda. Often times those
values are the opposite of Biblical values, and are therefore
governed by the ways of the world. As is in the case of any type of
media we consume, we must be highly discerning as to what is being
taught to our children. Does it line up with Biblical values? Are you
willing to see if your influences line up to the word of God? Please
pray for us as we seek to find a balance between what is acceptable
and what is unacceptable for raising children in this culture.
