generations (harajuku, tokyo)

Posted by timothy sullivan (Tokyo, Japan) on 14 November 2007 in Art & Design.

another amazing opportunity that shichi-go-san offers is to see three generations coming together as a family to celebrate this transition in age.
i have found that one of the largest differences between Japanese and American culture is the large number of family-oriented festivals and events in Japan-- events aimed at bringing the family together. as, traditionally, Japanese society has been extremely important, this is not very surprising; however, what does surprise me a little is the strong effect that modern times have had on the Japanese. as prices and living expenses have risen, more income has been necessary; consequently, many workers have moved to the large cities (like Tokyo and Osaka) to get the high-salary jobs. this has led to a surge in the number of commuter marriages: mom or dad lives in Tokyo; dad or mom and family live in a rural area. where families have decided to try and stick together, a commuting time of between 60 and 90 minutes (one-way) is often viewed as normal, with some people commuting 2 hours or more!
as families move farther apart, they denuclearize; recently, more and more grandparents are living by themselves, whereas before they would have lived under a single roof.
thus, family-oriented festivals have been of paramount importance in recent years to provide time for families to reunite.
(day 6 of 8)

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