The victory by the Japanese National Woman’s Soccer team at the woman’s World Cup captured the world’s attention for a number of different reasons. First, of course, was the obvious fact that the team was the overwhelming underdog throughout; first in their quarter-final victory over host Germany, again in their semi-final victory over Sweden and finally in their inspired comeback victory over the heavily favored Americans. Another reason was that their victory occurred barely 4 months after Japan was devastated by the triple whammy earthquake/tsunami and nuclear accident and furthermore, it was the first World Cup victory by an Asian side. Personally, however, I became fascinated with their team name “Nadeshiko.” I became fascinated because the historical references to a fragile flower and the associated adjectives like quiet, beautiful, elegant, silent and obedient were incongruous with what I saw on the pitch.
A quick search of “Nadeshiko” on the internet results in definitions like: “a Japanese woman with all the traditional graces, an ideal Japanese woman,” and “a figure of speech for the beauty of Japanese women who are neat and tidy.” Other definitions include terms like: feminine; chaste and devoted to her husband; always respectful and obedient to her husband, a woman who would never oppose her husband, even when she thought him to be wrong; a woman who looks weak, delicate and gentle (like a flower) outside her family, but is able to cope with housekeeping, raising children, etc.
During WW2, the term Yamato Nadeshiko was “politicized” to suit the times. As such, a Yamato Nadeshiko was expected to demonstrate the same patriotism and courage as her husband/soldier and be willing to endure pain and suffering in support of Japan. Yamato Nadeshiko would therefore be ready to fight and die for her country or to preserve her chastity. These characteristics were not particularly feminine, but rather characteristics of a good Japanese citizen.
But what about the modern Yamato Nadeshiko? Who is she? What characteristics does she have? How does she behave? In discussing “Nadeshiko,” both the team and the concept, with Japanese people following their stunning and stirring victory, several interesting “modern” ideas emerged. The most important, for me, came from the word “dokyoo,” which is generally translated to mean “courage.” Further investigation however, revealed another interpretation- “audacity.” Audacity and courage are quite different. Courage is associated with overcoming fear in the face of danger or difficulty and not being deflected from a chosen course of action. Audacity refers to a willingness to challenge assumptions or conventions when tackling something dangerous or difficult. The adjectives bold and daring are more associated with audacity than with courage.
Another incident, involving Hope Solo, the American keeper and Aya Mayama, also intrigued me. As retold on American TV during an interview following Japan’s victory, Miyama came over to Solo and “apologized” for winning, demonstrating “kikubari” toward her friend. Kikubari means being extraordinarily sensitive to the feelings and needs of others. Miyama’s concern for Solo’s feelings in defeat were more important than her own feelings of joy in victory, and it was only after assuring herself that her friend was OK that Miyama could enjoy her victory. This display of “selflessness” is pretty unusual in the modern “trash talking” sports world and lies at the heart of the concept of being a humble winner and a gracious loser. A very classy gesture to my way of thinking.
The banner “To Our Friends Around the World, Thank-you For Your Support” displayed following their semi-final victory and again after the final was a stark reminder of their motivation to win and their loyalty to Japan. Loyalty seems to be a recurring theme in any description of Nadeshiko.
The Japanese, like all peoples, have words or sayings which convey a particular cultural value. One such term is “gai ju nai go”, which means “soft on the outside, hard on the inside.” This refers to the fact that Japanese culture conditions people to appear, in peaceful situations, as soft and gentle, while inwardly they are tough, resilient and persistent in achieving whatever they set out to do. To some extent, that term could be applied to the traditional concept of Nadeshiko in that the typical Japanese woman was to be viewed as gentle and meek, not revealing her inner strength except to her family. That, of course, contrasts sharply with the western idea of being hard on the outside, soft on the inside. The gruff, aloof, untouchable persona of the stereotypical cowboy, hoodlum or hooker in western drama comes to mind. The Nadeshiko of the world cup didn’t appear to be too soft at any time during the tournament, other than after they had secured victory. Perhaps, to some extent, their diminutive size and smiling dispositions were their form of disarming gai ju nai go.
The term exotic is frequently used in the west when referencing people from the east. By definition, exotic means “strikingly unusual and often colorful and exciting.” What exactly is “strikingly unusual?” “Striking” is another word for beautiful, but with the connotation of conspicuous or notable beauty, or beauty that attracts attention in an impressive or unusual way. That contrasts sharply with the notion of the “quiet beauty” of traditional Nadeshiko. “Striking,” “exotic” and “impressive” sound like words made precisely to describe the appearance, if not the behavior, of the modern Japanese woman.
From my English background, The Knights of the Round Table were the personification of courage. Robin Hood, on the other hand, was the epitome of audacity. In my lifetime, Cassius Clay’s victory over Sonny Liston was my introduction to the personification of audacity. From my perspective, Cassius Clay, who became Mohammad Ali, embodied audacity. Throughout his amazing career he repeatedly defied convention and baffled the prognosticators. He did as much or more than any black man of the 60’s to break the conventional image of being black and inspired future generations to be proud and strong. Being audacious is sometimes good.
So what can be learned about the concept of “Nadeshiko” from the team Nadeshiko and the recent victory by Ai Miyazato at the Evian Masters in France. Their respective and timely triumphs united and inspired Japan allowing the Japanese a brief respite from the ongoing aftereffects of the triple tragedy. Briefly, albeit from females, the Japanese fighting spirit of which Japanese are so proud, was on display for the world to see, and allowed the Japanese people, as well as the world, a temporary respite from the dysfunctional, chaotic, vacuous leadership at TEPCO and in Tokyo.
Nadeshiko are stepping into the 21st century maintaining the highly valued qualities of loyalty and sensitivity to the feelings of others. On the other hand, “gai ju nai go” is perhaps giving way to a more striking, exotic physical persona complemented by a bold, almost audacious attitude toward their futures. The qualities of the modern Nadeshiko can be embodied in my acronym CLASS: Clear. Loyal. Audacious. Sensitive and Striking. Nadeshiko CLASS-works for me.
