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Introduction
Tokyo Sonata is a film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, a prolific director in Japans television and film industry. The film is Kurosawas most internationally applauded work as it depicts real life rather than his usual supernatural films. Kurosawa uses this film to show social issues by observing the cracks in the family fabric using the fictional family of the Sasaki. The most highlighted feature is the notion of the salaryman as the ideal portrayal of masculinity and how it influences family relationships and oppresses the male gender. Consequently, the director focuses on the Japanese family structure and gender norms which continue to plague ordinary and middle-class families leading to social struggles and generational misunderstandings as each individual tries to find their identity. This essay points out the social conditions addressed in the film by reflecting on the circumstances of the films fictional characters in the Sasaki family set-up.
The Salaryman
The Sasaki family represents a typical Japanese family struggling with the challenges of everyday life in society. Kurosawa discusses how the socio-economic patterns in many Japanese households affect relationships and the concept of family. Japanese society depicts the father as a salaryman in charge of providing for the familys financial needs and the head of the family. The Japanese ideology of the salaryman for the family has been their culture since the late 20th century (Mathews, 111). The belief results from social construction and loyalty to the nation through hard work and maintaining the familys living standards (Dasgupta, 9). Society demands fathers to be authoritative figures and role models for sons through earning a living and showing devotion to their careers to the extent of neglecting family ties.
Ryuhei is always at work to fulfill his duties as a responsible father despite the family detachment resulting from his absence at home. Japanese view less attachment to the family because of work as usual, and society does not consider it negligence since the man must work to provide for the family, which requires complete dedication (Dasgupta, 15). However, Kurosawa shows how the physical and emotional absence of the father affects family relations. Since Ryuhei follows the idealistic notion of the salaryman whose life revolves around work more than family, he rarely talks with his sons or wife, leading to emotional and physical alienation (Kurosawa, Tokyo Sonata). The Sasaki family lacks effective communication and refrains from exposing their emotions and thoughts regardless of the weight it carries. The alienation affects children like Kenji, who find it challenging to associate with classmates and teachers (Xu, 351). Kenji confides with a teacher about his preference to be alone due to parental isolation and lack of communication skills. Although young, Kenji struggles to find his place in society but faces communication challenges leading to more alienation.
Masculinity and Gender Roles
The Japanese societal view of masculinity also influences the notion of the salaryman. Mathews defines masculinity as a social construction of particular behavior and attributes that a man must possess to show manliness (110). Following the ideology of a salaryman, Japanese fathers view themselves as epitomes of masculinity who sacrifice their lives and autonomy for the sake of their family, the nation, and their employers (Mathews, 119). Being the breadwinner gives men a sense of power and control over the family, which is demonstrated by dictating each family members path toward the desired future. Due to the masculinity concept, Ryuhei keeps his dismissal from employment a secret from his family (Kurosawa, Tokyo Sonata). The family man feels shame and guilt over losing the only source of income, and letting his family know would lead to disrespect and a decline in social status. The masculinity belief is overrated in Japanese socio-cultural norms and oppresses the male gender, who are reluctant to let go of the egoistic notion leading to depression and broken families.
As role models and masculine figures, fathers expect their sons to follow the same dedication in their studies to meet societal expectations of becoming salarymen and supporting their families and old parents. Sons must ensure the continuity of the family by following the fathers footsteps in the corporate world and aiming for a higher rank in the company to maintain the dynamic standards of living (Mathews, 119). The masculinity notion forces Ryuhei to impose his will on the sons despite their reluctance to follow the orders. The film depicts the young mens frustrations and efforts to find individual identities in a world ruled by unfavorable social conditions and culture.
Since fathers are breadwinners, the mothers role includes staying at home and taking care of household chores. As a mother, Megumi is the epitome of the home, which is seen as a multifaceted entity in sociology. Dasgupta states that the concept of a home is a display of emotional attachment, harmony, and a place of comfort that provides a haven from the adversities in society (17). However, Kurosawa shows that the reality of a home is different from the romanticized version of a haven. Women are burdened by social conditions of displaying harmony despite ordinary families challenges and emotional struggles. Megumi feels constrained and oppressed by the duty of portraying a perfect home despite their emotional and financial struggles (Dasgupta, 17). Megumi battles with herself over finding a sense of identity and freedom to escape the confinements of the home. In the end, she accepts the breakdown of her perfect home and thinks of starting afresh as a better person.
Generational Resistance
The film shows generational evolution and change from the homogeneity notion of masculinity. As the eldest son of the Sasaki family, Takashi is responsible for following his fathers footsteps in attaining proper education to enter the corporate world. Although education could lead to better opportunities, the young man does not believe in Japans notion of masculinity and the salaryman (Guarne and Hansen, 16). Due to generational differences, Takashi and his fathers constantly argue over what society demands and his belief in progress outside Japan. Takashis decision to join the United States military shows broad thinking on a global scale which differs from his fathers local thinking on the family level (Guarne and Hansen, 18). Kenjis insistence on playing the piano rather than studying shows generational resistance and freedom from masculinity (Dasgupta, 20). According to Ryuhei, playing the piano is not rewarding, especially when one is a male and is required to sustain his family in the future. Nevertheless, Kenji defies his fathers orders to pursue a fulfilling dream and obtain freedom of expression.
Conclusion
The film shows the societal notions of a perfect nuclear family in Japan and their everyday battles, which portray a different perspective of a functional family. The films director, Kurosawa, shows that the home is the foundation of human interactions and influences many aspects of individual and societal expectations. The film depicts the concept of masculinity and salaryman and how they influence changes and conflicts in the family. Tokyo sonata suggests that static social norms and cultures are poisonous to individual identity and risk losing societys sanity and sense of self which is essential for progress and mental well-being. Although the film depicts a Japanese family, it reflects contemporary issues affecting society universally and needs addressing to make a better world.
Works Cited
Dasgupta, Romit. Re-imagining the post-bubble Family in Tokyo Sonata and Hush! Configurations of Family in Contemporary Japan. London and New York: Routledge, 2015. 9-20. Print.
Guarne, Blai and Hansen, Paul. Escaping Japan: Reflections on Estrangement and Exile in the Twenty-First Century. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2019. 1-26.
Kurosawa, Kiyoshi, director. Tokyo Sonata. Netflix, 2008.
Mathews, Gordon. Can a Real Man Live for His Family? Men and Masculinities in Contemporary Japan: Dislocating the Salaryman Doxa. Ed. James E. Robertson and Nobue Suzuki. London: Routledge, 2003. 109-25. Print.
Xu, Jing. The Strange Child: Education and the Psychology of Patriotism in Recessionary Japan. Andrea Gevurtz Arai. Stanford: Stanford University Press, Journal of Anthropological Research, vol. 73, no. 2, 2017, pp. 351353., doi:10.1086/691774
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