ADV20001_ Coley_ Group-Project

ADV20001 - Group-Project
Ben Coley: 2280973 1
2026 FIFA World Cup
Japan

Introduction:
This assignment will explore the cultural attributes of Japan, as the host country for
the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The cultural aspects explored in this analysis will be,
Japan's core values, the position of women in the workforce, and the inequality they
face, how foreign residents are treated, Stereotyping, the treatment of the LBGT
community, advertising regulations for children's advertising. A summarisation of the
findings will conclude the analysis.
(Accessed 12th August 2015 for illustrative purposes only)
<http://www.sportal.com.au/football/news/spain-brazil-and-switzerland-among-fifa-
world-cup-seeds/xwla5x4ccfe61r5yd0fow04a7>

Japan's Core Values:
Japan's core values are largely about looking after one another, respecting the elderly
and knowing ones place to name a few. This is instilled into Japanese children from a
young age. Western culture tends to have a more individualist view on life, where
independence and self-interest are the priority, (Kanagy 2013) which can be seen in
table 1.
Japanese culture is very subtle and nuanced. Japanese people have a strong level of
respect for one another and visitors from overseas, making it a friendly culture for
FIFA to explore. Japan has one foot in the past and one foot in the present; the
blending of the two creates cultural diversity.
Table 1:
<http://www.coastal.edu/business/cbj/pdfs/articles/spring2004/gaumershah.pdf >

Positionof women in the workforce:
The position of women in Eastern countries has changed rapidly within the last 2
decades. However these changes have started to cause concern for the Japanese
government with birth rates on the decline, and an ever-growing ageing population.
Marriage is very much sacrosanct in Japan; however there has been a steep incline in
the divorce rate, at approximately 20%, compared to 2 decades ago when it was as
low as 2%, which is heading towards the western divorce rate of around 50%. (Asian
Demography 2011)
Japanese women are forgoing their traditional housewife role in order to forge a long
lasting career. With more women in Japan and around the world choosing to focus on
a career, has started to have a flow on effect of women putting off or forgetting
marriage all together. This increases at every stage of education. Women's education
in Japan has greatly improved over the last few decades. This increase has changed
women's perceptions on what they really want out of life. This newfound freedom has
allowed the women of Japan to decide if marriage is for them or not. 'Marrying up'
was very much expected due to the fact that female education was not possible to
ascertain and female literacy was very poor. (Asian Demography, 2011) These times
have very much changed as women are now bettering their male counterparts. Table 2
illustrates Asian women in prominent jobs
Table 2:
<http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2012/09/steinberg.htm>

It can be extremely for Japanese women to juggle a career and bring up a family. One
or the other is bound to suffer, as it can be extremely hard to find a well paying job in
Japan when children are in the picture. Women are also stigmatised for choosing to do
both, communally referred as oniyome (devil wives) (Asian Demography 2011)
These stigmas associated with having a career, a family or both has led to a steep
decline in birth rates. Birth rates in Japan had reached a critical low in 2005 with
1.26%, and then dipped again in 2014 by 0.01%. This rate is well below the 2.07%
that is necessary to maintain the Japanese population. The low birth rates are a major
ongoing issue for the government to combat, which could take decades for this down
turn to rectify itself. Japan's government spending on child rearing and support is
some of the lowest in the world, with just 1% allocated to the future of Japan.
(McDonnell 2013)
It will be hard to make the dramatic increase needed to maintain the Japanese
population, especially when women feel they are forced to make the choice between a
career and family. Living off one wage has become increasingly difficult, so the need
for two wages is almost a necessity. The Japanese government needs to make sure
that the issues that Japanese women face on a daily basis. The fears faced are very
real and integral to society.

Treatment of foreign residents:
2015 has seen approximately 2,800,000 registered foreigners make their home in
Japan. This is an increase of around 40% since the start of the decade. This is a
welcome sign in light of the ageing population and decreasing fertility rate. Foreign
residents are positioned to change the demographic face of Japan.
The multicultural coexistence has become more prevalent in Japan, but still remains
an outlier with one of the lowest percentage of foreign residents. Like many of the
other competing FIFA countries the Japanese public remain divided on the issue of
residential foreigners. Some locals believe that foreign visitors and foreign residents
are adding to the crime rate, by bringing in their own culture and customs. (Hardeep
Singh 2011) This view is not representative of the entire of Japan, but these prejudices
do exist, and are widely prominent in many other countries and cultures.
Residents in Japan:
<http://nbakki.hatenablog.com/entry/Population_Foreign_People_Japan>

Stereotyping in Japan:
Japan and the surrounding Asians countries all share cultural similarities based on
Confucianism. The Confucianism culture has been blamed for it's rigid beliefs, where
there is a clear division between the genders. This division has exerted a negative
impact on the discrimination on women. This stereotype permeates directly into
visual advertisements. TV advertisements in Confucian societies are depicted in their
traditional gender roles. (Hagiwara Ivanov Prieler 2015)
The type of product advertised is a strong predictor to the type of primary character to
be used in the advertisement. Female centric products like cosmetics and toiletries
usually depicted by young women in Japan, this is very much in line through different
cultures. The depiction of young women solidifies gender stereotypes in a negative
way, as youth is more sought after than an aging woman. The underrepresentation of
older women in cosmetics advertising subliminally tells this demographic that society
is telling them that they are not as attractive as their younger counterparts. (Hagiwara
Ivanov Prieler 2015) The sexualisation of younger females in Japanese advertising
emphasises the importance of attaining an unrealistic view about one's body, as
viewed below.
<http://www.devwebpro.com/how-to-create-a-japanese-coke-zero-advertisement/>

Females in Japan are more likely to be found advertising home related products,
allowing the stereotype to continue. The traditional gender role advertisements are
still expected in Confucian society as the traditional gender roles are only just starting
to make a turn around from the norm. This also applies to Japanese men is
advertising. Most male roles in Japanese advertising are a show of strength. The male
demographic in advertising are portrayed as older and wiser. The age concern does
not apply to males in advertising. (Hagiwara Ivanov Prieler 2015) Men in most cases
were fully clothed, where as females, mainly young females were more likely to be
scantly clad. Voice-overs in Television are predominantly done by a male personality
to add a sense of prestige and dominance. This is very much evident in western
advertising.
Stereotypes in a visual medium are very clichéd if not strangely comforting.
Confucian cultures may be some ways off from pushing the advertising stereotypes,
but so is the rest of the world.

LGBT Community - Attitudes/Treatment:
Like much of the world, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and transgender community are
still fighting for the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. Many Western
governments are now in talks or have implemented the legalisation of gay marriage.
However it is not in the Japanese governments consciousness. This important issue
amongst the large and thriving sexual minorities is largely forgotten, something that
can be seen as Japan's largely 'homophobic' attitude towards queer individuals.
It is a tough subject for the Confucian culture to talk about, let alone act in the best
interests for this community. The Japanese have had a rich culture of homoeroticism
in historical and more contemporary contexts, both in film and Manga, which shows
this minority in a very clichéd but positive light. (Suganuma 2005) This positivity has
dissipated over the decades, which may have been done to keep in line with Western
societies beliefs.
While this is a generalised view of the Japanese people and government, it does not
represent the entire population. There is more understanding about sexual minorities
especially from the younger generations. It will take time, but the attitudes are starting
to swing for the better.
Japan Gay Pride March:
<http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/08/12/us-japan-gay-
idUSTRE67B1GB20100812>

Ben Coley: 2280973 10
Advertising to children:
Advertising to children in Eastern countries is very desirable for companies; due to
the influence children have on what is purchased by the family. This influence usually
extends to many every-day products and services. Japanese children spend
approximately 1.5 hours a day watching television, which is considerably less than
their American counterparts who average up to 3 hours a day. Japanese children are
consuming less due to rigorous study habits and regular bed times. (Gaumer Shah
2004)
There is juxtaposition when it comes to advertising regulations in Japan compared to
western countries where advertising is very strict when directed to children to
children. Japans' advertising is less regulated concerning children. The difference is
the way the ads are shown in Japan. Japanese children are more attentive to
advertisements and inturn less sceptical to what was shown. This is due to the fact
that adverts in Japan have a soft sell approach, with a more emotional appeal. In the
US the hard sell approach is the norm, and information is direct and to the point.
(Gaumer Shah 2004)
The soft sell approach allows the viewer to become more engaged to what they are
watching. The level of bias is mitigated through the interactions the Japanese children
have with their parents or elders. Japanese children are taught to not be pushy and
demanding, this is why advertising to children in Japan is still somewhat a novelty.
McDonalds Children's Advertisement:
<http://nintendoeverything.com/nintendo-and-mcdonalds-team-up-in-japan-for-ds-at-
mcdonalds-service/>

Ben Coley: 2280973 11
Conclusion:
After tying with South Korea to host the 2004 FIFA World Cup, Japan conceded and
allowed all matches to be played in Korea, with just the final to conclude in Japan.
The Confucian culture has a strong sense of community, something that is greatly
needed in a world that is becoming divided. Japan will bring all cultures together to
create strength in unity.
Japan's cultural attributes align congruently with many of the countries playing in the
FIFA World Cup, however there are some concerns in relation to the inequality
women face on a daily basis. This unfortunately remains a significant and ongoing
issue amongst the competing countries. Inequality also plagues the Lesbian, Bisexual,
Gay and Transgender community. Sexual minorities still face government bias in
relation to gay marriage. Their issues are still regarded as unimportant. However the
wider community in Japan are slowly changing their stance and demanding some
change.
One thing that has not changed is stereotyping in Japanese advertising. Men and
women are portrayed in their traditional gender roles that are very stereotypical.
Advertising to children is still somewhat of a novelty. There are very little advertising
regulations in regards to what is advertised to children. Many Eastern countries adopt
a similar approach, which is culturally different to the way Western countries
approach advertising regulations when it comes to advertising to children.
Japan's cultural differences are varied. There are some concerning aspects, however
the positive aspects about the culture far out way the negative. The Confucian culture
of Japan is the perfect venue to bring the FIFA players and spectators together as a
cohesive whole.

Ben Coley: 2280973 12
References:
Kanagy, R, 2013, 'Cultural Values of Japan', Moon Travel Guides, viewed 10th
August 2015
<http://moon.com/2013/08/cultural-values-of-japan/>
Asian Demography, 2011, 'The Flight From Marriage', The Economist, viewed 16th
August 2015
<http://www.economist.com/node/21526329>
McDonnell, J. 2013, 'Japan Struggles With Women in the Workforce', The Diplomat,
viewed 20th August 2015
<http://thediplomat.com/2013/12/japan-struggles-with-women-in-the-workforce/>
Hardeep Singh, A. 2011, ' Creating the ‘Multicultural Coexistence’ Society: Central
and Local Government Policies towards Foreign Residents in Japan', Social Science
Japan Journal, vol. 14, pp. 213-231.
Hagiwara, S. Ivanov, A. Prieler, M. 2015, 'Gender representations in East Asian
advertising: Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea', Communication y Sociedad, vol.
28, pp. 27-41.
Suganuma, K. 2005, 'Festival of Sexual Minorities in Japan: A Revival of the Tokyo
Lesbian & Gay Parade in 2005', Intersections: Gender & Sexuality in Asia & the
Pacific, pp. 8-8.
Gaumer, C. Shah, A. 2004, ' Television Advertising and Child Consumer: Different
Strategies for U.S. and Japanese Marketers', The Coastal Business Journal, vol. 3, pp.
1-35. Viewed on 20th August 2015
<http://www.coastal.edu/business/cbj/pdfs/articles/spring2004/gaumershah.pdf>

ADV20001_ Coley_ Group-Project

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