Body modification in Japanese culture

EAS314- Contemporary Japanese Culture

Spring 2016

Melvin Ellis

Body modification in Japanese culture

Throughout the modern world, across every culture, there exists physical augmentation in one form or another. Whether it be tattooing on neck rings, we as humans have historically used the practice of physical alteration for a multitude of reasons. However, going into this project, being that it is within a “contemporary Japanese culture” course, the first thing I thought of was Japan. Most specifically, I recalled the segment on Japan I’d seen weeks earlier on nation geographic. There was a program featuring body modification; the “devil woman” with over 300 piercings, the neck rings of Keyana, and the bagel heads of Japan. The bagel head phenomenon was surprising enough, being that it is a relatively new process; on which I had never heard of. More than that, I was surprised to find that in regards to extreme body modification; Japan seems tame by comparison. The question persists in two major ways.

1-      Why has body modification developed lesser in Japan than other Asian countries

2-      What can Japan original body mods such as bagel heads say about Japanese ideology or body-image?

To begin; I first utilized various web sources (listed in the bibliography section) to explore the basic fascist of body modification; as it exists in a historic aspect.

Back In the Day

            Throughout the course of human’s progression, the concept of the body has held a wide range of significance.  The earliest and most well-known method of marking one’s body is tattooing. Today, a tattoo can be seen as everything from a form of art, personal expression, religious devotion or even criminal affiliation.  However, the oldest human body to be discover with tattoo markings has proven date from the around the year 2000 B.C. Located near the what todays is known as the Italian-Austrian border, the being labeled, “iceman” has markings on his hands, arms and chest, similar to the tattoos Maori people.

 Likewise, mummies discover in the lost tombs of Egypt prove the same concept of ancient tattooing existence. Utilizing a combination of text unearth from burial sites and biological diagnostics, archaeologist have inferred that the markings  found on these ancient people were often made with heated, pointed devices, an ancestor of today’s modern tattoo machines.  Nevertheless, the question of why ancient humans marked themselves persists. Historians have discovered that ancient Egyptian tattoo markings were used both in a cataloging and designating methodology. Slaves of the palace were often tattooed with markers, keeping track of their duties. Accordingly, royal concubines as well as palace-woman were also marked for their duties; dancing, servant, or whatnot. Presently, tattooing is considered a craft by which individuals may express themselves.

Still human?: cases and methods of modding

            In a larger sense, body modification exists in a wider range of forms beyond tattoos. For this research, I had a chance to look into a few fascist of this topic: social, individual, and temporary. I chose to break it into three differing reasons and practices of body modifications, before discussing them as they relate to a Japanese context.

Social: The topic of “social modifications” is a specific branch of body modification differing from the other two in the underlying reason of its application.  As I have established, across cultures there has always existed a form of body alteration, varying from one culture to another in both process and reasoning. The type which I designate as “social modifications,” is in essence a category of physical alterations done to an individual for the general purpose of a social responsibility.  In this case, the one subjected to the alterations do so for a present social construct in their culture. This can mean a forced modification or one done in accordance with society’s expectation or a perceived implication of enchantment form another. This section excludes some themes such as some cosmetic surgeries, as it drifts into the second category of individual reasoning.

The trait of societal pressure comes into play in the area of social body augments. An example of these could be the retired Chinese practice of foot binding. The practice in itself was done in the Chinese upper-class during the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279). It is known as the ritualistic binding of a woman‘s feet, beginning from childhood into puberty; In order to stunt their growth and give them a more pointed shape. Ancient text speculates that this practice has other advantages, ranging from a “delicate walk” which the woman develops to a “tighter vagina which will latch the husband’s penis during intercourse.” Ultimately, the process leaves the woman’s feet and lower leg muscles weakened in their later years as well as other health issues. The overwhelming social propitiation idealized foot binding as a womanly, wealthy beauty practice; leading to hundreds of women undergoing this lifelong process.  The interesting thing about this process is that it was a Chinese custom; however it was not adopted in Japanese ideology the same way other Chinese characteristics.

            
Nevertheless, Japan had developed a similar ideology surrounding social body modification. The custom of Ohaguro which emerged during the Kofun period (古墳時代 Kofun jidai) 250 to 538 AD; and retired in the Meiji period, 1868.  Like foot binding in china, Ohaguro was exclusive to the noble higher-us and deemed a mark of beauty. It was a method of teeth blackening by ingesting liquids consisting of iron, dyes, and spices. It is designed to give the woman’s teeth a blackened, liquored appearance, similar to Japanese pottery and art.  It was especially popular among geisha. Nevertheless, the process proved detrimental to the health of the individuals, as injecting heavy metals and weakening the enamel of the teeth lead to infection.

Individual: The Idea of individual modifications lingers closer to the realm of cosmetic augmentation and ones done for more individualistic reasoning.  A few examples of this would be tattooing, piercings, and even dental pressures.  The differing factor between social alterations and individual is the cultural and societal expectations placed on individuals to undergo them. In Japanese ideology, tattoos hold a precarious potion, via its historic affiliation to organized crime as well as Ainu culture.  The Japanese mafia, better known as the Yakuza has characterized their top ranking members by their large, graphic back pieces.  Accordingly, Japanese culture adapted to restrict the spread of Yakuza activity by banning individuals with tattoos from entering public bathing institutions. It can be said that tattoo culture in present day Japan has boiled down to two main categories: fission and criminal affiliation. Nevertheless, due to a differing variety of social expectations or acceptability in terms of body treatment, excessive piercings, implants and visible tattoos are seldom seen.

            Speaking of Japanese cultural ideology, the growing trend of Yaeba is a surgical augmentation stemming from a concept in “cute” culture. Popularized among J-Idols (specifically, the group AKB48) around 2013, Yaeba is the process by which Japanese woman get cosmetic dental surgery, misshaping or altering the orientation of the teeth in order to achieve an “adolescent” or “impish” cuteness. According to an article on Japan Today, the process is typically charged per tooth, and is intended to render a more innocent smile, similar to a child’s.

Temporary:  The last category of body modification I researched was Japan’s temporary augmentation. As noted in the earlier section on individual modding, Japan’s general social climate against self-harm and the implication of impressionable children; more extreme surgical and visual modifications aren’t widely practiced. In its place, Japan has opted out by cultivating a system of extreme yet temporary outward expression. This can typically be seen in the realm of Japan’s fashions and more temporary physical augmentation.  According to JapanTimes as well as national geographic, the idea behind tempera modding culture is that “you can express yourself while maintaining public image.” The two main practices I’m discussing aspect of ganguro and bagel heads.

            Ganguro, Yamanba, and Manba are Japanese fashion trends from the late 90 are, characterized by bright colors, blond hair and skin tanning. While Ganguro is the basic trend, Yamanba and Manba are branches of Ganguro. Ganguro is generally considered a style practiced by some young women in Japan, in which they dress in Hawaiian-printed or other bright colored floral patterns; juxtaposed to tanned skin. Yamanba differs in that the clothes are more neo-tented and the skin is a darker color, reminiscent of blackface. Manba follows Ganguro in the same general context; difference being the facial makeup. Manba often features heavier facial makeup around the eyes, reminiscent of panda coloration. The style has been controversial on the basis of ethnic insensitivity and can be tanning lasts for 5-10 days.

            Baelheads is a relatively new method of temporary body modification in Japan. The process involves injecting a saline solution in one’s forehead, causing it to swell and forming a bagel shape on the individual’s head.  The result has been called “fun,”  and “cute”. It was first practiced in Tokyo underground parties by Ryoichi "Keroppy” in 2007. Reports given by individuals who underwent bagalheading reported that “bagel head of one night only is so visited by a lot of people to experience." It is designed to allow for a short-lived exciting experience which will fade by the morning, allowing you to return to work the next day unsaved.