흰 피부의 숭배 - 여성미(女性美) 인지에 나타난 옥시덴탈리즘 -

The Cult of White Skin : On the Occidentalist Reception of Female Beauty

Departing from Mary Pratt's concept of "transculturation," the following article examines the cultural reception of "otherness" as a process of differentiation and hierarchialization in an intra-cultural sphere. Japanese "Occidentalism" emerges as a phenomenon of "transculturation" developed by Japanese intellectuals following their close contact with occidental cultures. Like European Orientalism, the Japanese view of the "other' is characterized by exoticism; however, it is also accompanied by a distinct feeling of inferiority. Japanese intellectuals have always felt inferior towards the Occident, while attempting to establish a position of superiority over the lower classes of Japan and other non-European, especially Asian cultures. The formation of Occidentalism in Japan depends on whether another culture is regarded as either superior or inferior. A good example of this ambivalence is the reception of beauty, especially the reception of female beauty in literary discourses. From Japanese people's first encounters with European cultures, the Japanese perception of beauty changed. By the end of the 19th century, a new and distinct ideal of beauty had emerged among women. A slender white skinned woman living an urban life style became the core standard of the beauty ideal of the time. These elements were used to build a social hierarchy among women. The discourse on "white skin" in Japanese literature was a focus in the work of Tanizaki Junichiro. In his novel "Naomi" for example, the metaphor of "white skin" stood for a yearning for a distant Europe, even while Tanizaki maintained a feeling of inferiority towards Europe that he was not able to overcome. Japanese culture, as it can be seen in his novel "In Praise of Shadows"(1933), turns out to be a mere aesthetic construction. It should help Tanizaki to come to terms with his inferiority feelings. Elements of Occidentalism can still be detected even in contemporary Japanese literature. In the work of Murakami Ryu, the discourse on female beauty is closely connected to a narcissistic longing for an unlimited male power. Contrasting concepts - such as male vs. female, healthy vs. ill, or strong vs. weak - help to explain modern democracy as a feminine, ill, and weak culture that should be valued as negative. Occidentalism in Japan, however, cannot be regarded as a phenomenon that is gender-specific. It has both, male and female followers. They take Occidentalism as a viewpoint from which they can analyze Japan and Japanese culture as a whole. From the beginning of modernization, this has served as an intellectual trap in which Japanese intellectuals and writers are caught. Even today, the impact of Occidentalism on Japanese discourses regarding other cultures remains persuasive.