Tell me about blue-collar Japanese culture

March 22, 2006 11:50 AM

Where can I learn more about blue-collar Japanese culture?

The only images of Japanese culture we seem to get here in the US are of executives, students, or the rural poor. Surely there must be a working class — after all, Japan was a real manufacturing powerhouse in the 70s and 80s. Where can I learn about them?

First-hand reports or links to other sources are both appreciated.

posted by nebulawindphone to Society & Culture (10 answers total)

Sanya Blues: Laboring Life in Contemporary Tokyo by Edward Fowler talks about a northeastern part of Tokyo called San'ya where a lot of homeless/down-and-out guys squat or stay in seedy hotels and look for day labor. Fowler says that the neighborhood is so bad they don't even list it on official Tokyo maps, though I'm not sure if this is true anymore. Definitely worth the read, as it shows you a Tokyo not often seen on film or in popular literature, much less in academic works.
posted by ibeji at 12:03 PM on March 22, 2006

Speed Tribes covered some this territory.
posted by frogan at 12:06 PM on March 22, 2006

Natsuo Kirino's wonderful novel "Out" is about four women who work in a box-lunch factory in the middle of nowhere, Japan. It's also a murder story and a fascinating read.
posted by GaelFC at 12:14 PM on March 22, 2006

Actually, I would reccommend against Speed Tribes. It's good if you want an overall sketch of different underground personalities, but it seems to be a bit loose on the facts. I keep waiting for it to get James Frey-ed.

How about Staying on the Line: Blue-Collar Women in Contemporary Japan ?
posted by Alison at 12:21 PM on March 22, 2006

Despite its Scrubs-esque magical realism, the recent hit film Kamikaze Girls depicts some rarely seen (if a bit comically exaggerated) blue-collar backdrops. One of its heroines rebels against her tracksuit-clad innercity origins and big box store obessed rural neighbors to achieve her dream job in glorified piece-work, while the other abandons her middle-class life for a biker gang. It's an interesting commentary on contemporary Japanese teens' views of working class life, plus it's just dang cute.
posted by ellanea at 3:06 PM on March 22, 2006

Burakumin, maybe.
posted by bardic at 4:43 PM on March 22, 2006

Here's a site about Kamagasaki, Japan's biggest slum - http://www.icpress.com/Gallery/Kama/

Most of the homeless in Kamagasaki are/were blue collar workers.

There was a Metafilter post about a few years back:

http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/22946
posted by Jase_B at 7:22 PM on March 22, 2006

Oops, sorry for not providing actual hot links.
posted by Jase_B at 7:23 PM on March 22, 2006

Dorinne Kondo's "Crafting Selves" is a study of workers in a Japanese candy factory.
posted by fourcheesemac at 7:11 AM on March 23, 2006

Actually, I would reccommend against Speed Tribes. It's good if you want an overall sketch of different underground personalities, but it seems to be a bit loose on the facts. I keep waiting for it to get James Frey-ed.

I'd second this. KTG really pushed the definition of 'artistic license'. And his diction ain't too great either.
posted by saturnine at 2:44 PM on March 23, 2006