Japanese Culture Through Film

 Japanese Culture Through Film

Cultural interpretation is primarily guided by people's presumed beliefs, popular

stereotyping, or research-based findings about a particular culture. In most cases, when different

artistic works genuinely describe a common cultural aspect, that cultural feature is likely to be

authentic in real life. For the Japanese culture, its expression and interpretations, when presented

in artwork, often rely on one's knowledge about the culture itself or the guide offered by credible

research findings. Based on Davies and Ikeno (2002), if someone wishes to analyze Japanese art

or a movie on Japanese culture critically, they should first challenge the preconceptions about the

culture and then focus on unveiling the hidden layers of Japanese society. Essentially, Davies

and Ikeno's implicit communication offers an enlightening revelation of the core principles that

define Japanese culture, like Bushido, mastery of fighting styles, explicit understanding of life

and death, and the concept of harmony with nature. In this case, the connection of ideas of

implicit communication from Davies and Ikeno's book "The Japanese Mind; with the movie

Ghost Dog; awakens a newfound appreciation of Japanese culture.

One idea presented in the book and the movie is the aspect of the Samurai Code of Honor

known as Bushido. The central theme of the Bushido in both Davies' book and the film is

represented in the present (Davies & Ikeno, 2002). The Bushido is a code of ethics and a moral

set of ideals that guided the samurai lifestyle. Loyalty, honor, and self-driven discipline are some

of the most essential principles of the samurai that defined their lifestyle. In his investigation, he

describes how the basic ideas on which the bushido code of conduct is based still impact present-

day Japanese culture and people's mindsets. The bushido code is the very brain and nerves of

Japanese society, forming its moral system, people's outlook, and their view on life. In the

movie, the main character, Ghost Dog, follows a rendering of the samurai code in the modern

version (IMDb, 2000). This is portrayed in writing after stealing the car from the lady who was

shopping, where the screen text describes the meeting that necessitates one not to be involved

(1:12:44-1:29:00). He is the type of hitman who is extremely faithful to his mentor and obeys

and adheres to the stringent principles of Bushido. Ghost Dog's behavior and life choices portray

honor, respect, and self-control, demonstrating samurai ethnicity throughout the movie. Both the

book and the movie illustrate the continuity of Bushido in Japanese culture and how it still

shapes individuals nowadays. This underpins the fact that the world has come to be heavily

impacted and influenced by samurai morality until the present. It is important to note that the two

sources consist of implicit communication, which reveals the significant role that values of

tradition and ethics play in shaping a person's mindset and conduct. This shows that the samurais

code of honour remains relevant among Japanese and other cultures.

  Davies;s book emphasizes the achievement of mastery of fighting styles in Japanese

culture. Knowing martial arts is a physical skill and a way of showing self-discipline, respect,

and deep knowledge of this world and who one is (Davies & Ikeno, 2002). Rather than being just

combat skills, martial arts training in Japan has, for some traditions, also served as a means of

personal growth and touched the Japanese on a spiritual and philosophical level. The moral

message that the Ghost Dog Master &;{martial arts}; stands for is not so much about physical

power but also about displaying what he captures in his values and beliefs in his deeds depicted

in his extensive practice scene (32:50-33:30). Disciplined manners, strict samurai code, and

profound values rein in his creative side and thus let him establish quiet communication, which

reflects his devotion to art and his determination to put all of his actions in as much order as

possible (IMDb, 2000). The theme of mastery of martial arts in both Davies's book and the

movie can be said to discuss the idea that the highest achievement is not in the physical

techniques but requires deeply emerging yourself and seeing the truth, as well as having a spirit

of honor, discipline, and respect. As such, the resemblance of the narrators in these novels

highlights that the best thing about being a martial arts practitioner is to live oneself through

discovering the true self, which in the end is to become a good person and have an honorable

title.

The topic, an entry point in Roger's book, is philosophy-related and underlines the

meaning of life and death in Japanese culture. The book depicts how these concepts are built as a

core system in the Japanese mentality and how their way of life is formed based on them (Davies

& Ikeno, 2002). The film has two dimensions, as the story emphasizes the same topics. Ghost

Dog, the movie's protagonist, lives by these philosophies, like his code, as he thinks his life is

founded on honor, loyalty, and duty. His thoughts and beliefs on being alive and dead are shaped

by embracing chivalrous codes organized around discipline, selflessness, and accepting one's

mortality. An example of these philosophies is the scene before the people hunting him down

killed one of the Black Americans in an attempt to kill Ghost Dog (IMDb, 2000). The ethos is

quoted from one of the elders stating that "taking an enemy on a battlefield is like a hawk taking

a bird" (36:45-48:30). The movie shows the gorgeous interactions about life and death that frame

the film, going between bleak situations and optimistic moments as Ghost Dog wheedles his way

through complex relationships and muses about his mortality. The film's philosophical

discussions on life and death, which are the ideas and beliefs brought forth by Davies that best

resonate with the cultural aspects of the movie, emphasize the criticality of these concepts in

Japanese culture and the film's plot. The overt themes of the film, along with the pointers given

by Roger, plainly indicate a correlation between the hidden nuances in the movie and the

subsequent philosophy on life and death that are their adjoining insights.

Harmony with Nature in Roger's book is one of the essential aspects of the Japanese

lifestyle reflected in their culture. It sees the harmony between humans and nature as the most

significant factor and the necessity of dwelling perfectly and peacefully with the natural

environment. This truth is rooted in Japanese society and has contributed to different

compartments, such as art, literature, and philosophy. In this movie, harmony with nature is

quietly but distinctly displayed by the character of Ghost Dog, as he feels comfortable sitting in

the park with pigeons and a dog (34:50-38:00). Not only does Ghost Dog dubiously stay in

company with nature, but he also has a hut in which he lives with pigeons (IMDb, 2000). All of

that demonstrates inner harmony and a striking connection to nature. He does less meditation,

honors every living creature, and adheres to Bushido, a code of behavior that the samurais

follow. Not only in the film does Ghost Dog's nature, especially the pigeons' world, manifest his

peace with the world, but he also tells about his very existence. On the one hand, this coincides

with the traditional belief of Japanese culture that human life and the environment have to

coexist at the same level mutually. The actions and choices spirit dogs perform give their

primary purpose a deep positive sentiment towards all the living creatures in the world and

nature, and it seems to be the same philosophy that Davies writes about, namely, Harmony with

Nature"

In the movie, a character named Ghost Dog becomes a personification of the themes of

"Duty of Sense and Loyalty." He is seen staying adamant in this role and is dedicated to his

master, a mobster, Louie. Through this, Ghost Dog objectifies loyalty, honor, and duty as the

main attributes of the Samurai one should embrace. Davies's book gets down to the notion of

inborn loyalty and duty in the traditional mindset among Japanese people (Davies & Ikeno,

2002). Regardless of the title or position of Japanese workers, they typically hold loyalty as high

as honor, uphold their integrity, and fulfill their related duties and responsibilities. It is evident

from the film that Ghost Dog is entirely devoted to Louie's family (IMDb, 2000). He would

make any sacrifices, even if he had to face daunting decisions, like in the scene where he shot

one of the brothers' in-laws (50:40-53:00). He aims to maintain his Bushido and code of

responsibility as a samurai. However, he is given orders by his lords that are questionable

regarding their moral standards. This message comes through the body language, not only from

the raven but from other people he meets, and shows his loyalty and responsibility as a person

throughout the movie.

In summary, the ideas on implicit communication expressed in the book “The Japanese

Mind” directly relate to the picturing and performance of the movie “Ghost Dog”. To a

considerable degree, the similarity between the book and the film in internalizing some cultural

aspects is significant in expressing and defining the Japanese culture, especially by reflecting

how well-established and credible the culture is. Notably, the manifestation and description of

the Japanese culture through writings and movies is a substantive approach to ensuring the

information shared about the culture is authentic and correctly represents Japanese society.

Contact: 

Email address: researchwriters087@gmail.com  

References

Davies, R. J., & Ikeno, O. (2002). The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese

Culture. Tuttle Pub.

IMDb. (2000). Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) - IMDb. Www.imdb.com.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165798/