Introduction To Cultural Anthropology: Rites Of Passage In Japanese Culture
Rites of Passage
Sheena Griffy
ANT101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Instructor Animikha Dutt
6/8/2015
Rites of Passage
Rites of Passages are defined and celebrated in altered ways for individual cultures. Rites of passages whether a ceremony or procedure represent a change for an individual within their given society. It’s easy to feel your culture’s rituals are better and you may not even understand why each culture’s rituals exists. It’s difficult to appreciate and understand culture’s outside of your own. Looking from an emic, or insider’s perspective allows for a greater appreciation. All too well cultures tend to form biased opinions pertaining to other cultures. It’s important to learn the true understanding …show more content…
In the article Rites of Passage to Death and Afterlife in Japan, Tsuji (2011) discusses the rites of passage in Japan and elaborates on the passage ages. The article highlights the rituals of Japan in comparison to American rituals for death. The world of the dead is handled culturally different in Japan where in America death is more secluded. From an Emic perspective, I will review how the Japanese culture celebrates many different stages of age.
The Japanese culture celebrates the age rites of passage from age 60-111. One celebration is the Kanreki(Tsuji, 2011) which is the celebration for turning age 60. The Kanreki is a huge celebration mainly due to the fact that in recent times many Japanese did not live to be of such an age. The Kanreki celebrates this milestone life by the recipient wearing a padded sleeveless Kimono jacket. Once the ceremony is completed the recipient will start a new cycle of life. The Kanreki is the first of many milestone birthday’s celebrated in Japanese culture. After the Kanreki (sixtieth) comes the Koki (seventieth), Kiju (seventy-seventh), Sanju (eightieth), Beiju (eighty-eight), and many more up to age 111. (Tsuji, 2011) The celebrations continue to honor the different stages of old age. Although the last few milestones are rare occasions due to life expectancy of the Japanese, they are as equally important. As Tsuji stated, “These …show more content…
H. (2013). Cultural anthropology[Electronic version].
Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu
Larson, S., & Martin, L. (2012). Risk Taking and Rites of Passage. Reclaiming Children & Youth, 20, 37-43. Retrieved from ESCBCOhost Database https://content.ashford.edu
Miner, H. (1956). Body Rituals among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist, 58, (3), 503-507
Retrieved from https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/miner.html
Tsuji, Y. (2011). Rites of passage to death and afterlife in Japan. Generations, 35, (3), 28-33. Retrieved from the ESBCOhost Database
Sheena Griffy
ANT101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Instructor Animikha Dutt
6/8/2015
Rites of Passage
Rites of Passages are defined and celebrated in altered ways for individual cultures. Rites of passages whether a ceremony or procedure represent a change for an individual within their given society. It’s easy to feel your culture’s rituals are better and you may not even understand why each culture’s rituals exists. It’s difficult to appreciate and understand culture’s outside of your own. Looking from an emic, or insider’s perspective allows for a greater appreciation. All too well cultures tend to form biased opinions pertaining to other cultures. It’s important to learn the true understanding …show more content…
In the article Rites of Passage to Death and Afterlife in Japan, Tsuji (2011) discusses the rites of passage in Japan and elaborates on the passage ages. The article highlights the rituals of Japan in comparison to American rituals for death. The world of the dead is handled culturally different in Japan where in America death is more secluded. From an Emic perspective, I will review how the Japanese culture celebrates many different stages of age.
The Japanese culture celebrates the age rites of passage from age 60-111. One celebration is the Kanreki(Tsuji, 2011) which is the celebration for turning age 60. The Kanreki is a huge celebration mainly due to the fact that in recent times many Japanese did not live to be of such an age. The Kanreki celebrates this milestone life by the recipient wearing a padded sleeveless Kimono jacket. Once the ceremony is completed the recipient will start a new cycle of life. The Kanreki is the first of many milestone birthday’s celebrated in Japanese culture. After the Kanreki (sixtieth) comes the Koki (seventieth), Kiju (seventy-seventh), Sanju (eightieth), Beiju (eighty-eight), and many more up to age 111. (Tsuji, 2011) The celebrations continue to honor the different stages of old age. Although the last few milestones are rare occasions due to life expectancy of the Japanese, they are as equally important. As Tsuji stated, “These …show more content…
H. (2013). Cultural anthropology[Electronic version].
Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu
Larson, S., & Martin, L. (2012). Risk Taking and Rites of Passage. Reclaiming Children & Youth, 20, 37-43. Retrieved from ESCBCOhost Database https://content.ashford.edu
Miner, H. (1956). Body Rituals among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist, 58, (3), 503-507
Retrieved from https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/miner.html
Tsuji, Y. (2011). Rites of passage to death and afterlife in Japan. Generations, 35, (3), 28-33. Retrieved from the ESBCOhost Database