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Robert Kyle Miller History 396 Some Prefer Nettles 10/20/13

A Look Back
In the decades following the Menji Restoration, Japan took on drastic changes in every aspect of life. The Western practices learned from Europe and the United States heavily influenced Japans politics, economy, and society. With its new capitalistic economy, Japanese citizens were able to identify themselves on a larger scale with the global community. (Gordon 160) Through their interactions with Europe and America, Japanese society developed the desire for western culture. These desires were met with much confusion. While commercial publishing led to an increase in the availability of Japanese art and literature, the emergence of modern media allowed the Japanese to experience things outside their traditions such as Hollywood movies. Society was torn between the traditional lifestyle of old Japan and the newly found interest in western culture. This clash heightened in the 1930s as some Japanese indulged socially and culturally in the remembrance of old Japanese traditions known as Nihon e no kaiki, or a return to Japan. Junichiro Tanizakis novel Some Prefer Netteles describes the internal battle to return to traditional Japanese ways in the wake of a social reconstruction influenced by western culture. Through its characters behaviors and various settings, Some Prefer Nettles reflects how the return was experienced differently by all sectors of Japanese society. Kaname is the main character of the novel. He is married to a woman named Misaka and they have one son, Hiroshi. His marriage with Misaka is failing, but they both prolong their

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divorce because neither of them want to upset the marriage values set by traditional Japanese ways. Kaname represents the individuals in Japanese society who are torn between the old Japanese society and the new opportunities presented by western influence. Only a year into their marriage, Kaname begins to withdraw sexually and emotionally from Misaka. Kaname wants Misaka to become more modern by dressing nicer and even pays for her to take a French course. This further shows his admiration of the western culture. He visits a whorehouse once a week in Kobe to see his favorite prostitute name Louise. Louise puts up a front that she is from Poland, but learns that she is really the Eurasian daughter of a Russian and Korean.(Tanizaki 162) His relationship with with Louise symbolizes his infatuation with foreign women, and their dominant personality. All of these modern thoughts and actions are conflicted when Kaname begins to attending traditional puppet theatre shows with Misakas father and his mistress O-hisa. O-Hisa is far younger than Misakas father, and is extremely submissive to him by waiting on his hand and foot. Kaname had seen these shows before, but he had not been impressed-he could in fact remember only that he had been intensely bored. (Tanizaki 25) But after he attends, Kaname is overcome with excitement and interest about the play. In his younger years, he would have laughed at his father in laws infatuation with these plays, but now he realizes that they symbolize the charming nature of the old Japanese way of life.(Tanizaki 38) Kaname also ponders the thought of what he will be like at his father in laws age. He believes that maybe, in ten years, he too may have a mistress like O-hisa.(Tanizaki 26) Kaname cannot make up his mind whether he wants a submissive woman like those in the Japanese plays, or an individual free thinking woman like those in the Hollywood movies. His indecisiveness is symbolic of the struggle younger men faced during the return to Japan phenomenon in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. On the other hand, Misakas outlook is geared more toward the escaping traditional Japanese

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culture in an effort to become more independent. Although Kaname completely withdraws from her a short time after their marriage, Misaka is still a good wife and wonderful mother. She does not want to cause problems in fear that she will upset the Japanese traditions of marriage and cause shame upon her family. It is not until Kaname insists that Misaka become more modern that she begins It is not until Kaname insists that she start modernizing, does Misaka begin abandoning her traditional Japanese ideals. This is evident in a few cases. She does not like the traditional Doll Festival that her father so dearly loves. She dreads gathering the antique dolls and would leave them buried in their closet if the choice were hers, since she had no daughters and she was not the sort to go through old routines for their own sake. (Tanizaki 63,64) Misaka begins to develop her own views on her marriage and does not want to pretend that everything is fine with her marriage. This independent thinking is something against the role of a wife in traditional Japan. Although Kaname initially wanted her to modernize like the women of America, he wanted her to be submissive and wished that she would restrain herself and play the part of the wife. (Tanizaki 31) Misaka becomes very confused throughout the novel due to conflicting forces acting on her, but ultimately wants to become more independent like women in the western world. Kaname and Misaka were both adopting new ideals and practices associated with western civilizations, but Misakas father represents the older generations of Japanese society that wanted to hold on to the traditional Japanese way of life. Misakas father, or the old man, loved the traditional way of life in Japan before western influence entered the country. He loves the puppet shows that depict old Japanese ways of life, and sought to make his mistress his own life-like doll like those in the shows. His mistress, Ohisa, is many years younger than the old man. She is completely submissive to his every order.

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The old man dressed O-hisa up like the old dolls presented in the puppet shows. He believes that the old Japanese ways are rapidly decreasing. When at a puppet show he tells Kaname that these are almost the last of the great puppeteers. I wonder how it will be when they are gone".(Tanizaki 27) Another example of his traditionalistic outlook resides in his opinion of Kaname and Misakas marriage. He criticizes them by saying, you talk about being modern, but there are some things you simply cant do in that free, open way of yours. (Tanizaki 188) The old man explains that although they may believe they are not meant for each other, time will certainly bring them together in the end. He believes the individual thinking brought on from western ideals are complicating Japans society. The old man represents the elder class of society that wishes to return to the traditional Japanese way of life. All in all, Some Prefer Nettles, is an excellent portrayal of how western ideals and practices affected the Japanese society and culture after the Menji period started. The novel reveals how the return to Japan movement in the 1930s conflicted with newly introduced aspects of western civilizations. While Misaka becomes set on becoming more individual like the woman portrayed in America, her father is stubborn to the westernization and seeks to continue living within the traditional way of Japanese society. Kaname is torn between the two ways, but does not fully associate with either side by the end of the book. Tanzinaki ends novel with Kaname in this conflicting state. This symbolizes that society will always be torn between the traditional ways of Japan and the new ways introduced by the West. Tanzinaki believes that a combination of the two create a society that makes Japan a unique country compared to those of the West.