Yamato nadeshiko
Yamato nadeshiko (やまとなでしこ or 大和撫子) is a Japanese term meaning the "personification of an idealized Japanese woman."[1] The term is the archetype of conservative and traditional femininity.[2]
Name origin and connotations
[edit]Yamato (大和) was an ancient name for Japan and, therefore, has nationalistic connotations. The name also contains a floral metaphor. The word nadeshiko refers to Dianthus superbus, a frilled pink carnation.[3] The word nadeshiko (撫子) also means beloved or dear child (lit. "child being petted"). The combination of these two meanings indicates a flower of the Japanese nation, that is, a standard of female beauty that is uniquely Japanese.[3]
While the term refers to the Japanese ideals of femininity, possessing grace and beauty, it also describes the Yamato nadeshiko's inner strength.[4] She exhibits delicacy and deference, as well as quiet determination.[5] Both dignified and modest,[6] the Yamato nadeshiko is believed to embody characteristics of delicacy and fragility, as well as elegance and sturdiness.[7] Though outwardly submissive and obedient, she is internally strong.[8] As the Yamato nadeshiko is one of mature character, she has a nurturing yet uncompromising personality.[9]
Modern use of the term
[edit]The term Yamato nadeshiko is often used to describe a demure young woman and, in a contemporary context, nostalgically of women with good traits which are perceived as being increasingly rare.[10][11]
Modern media
[edit]Though Yamato nadeshiko is no longer considered an ideal for women to reach for, it's still referenced in pop culture media such as novels, manga, anime, TV dramas, and movies.[9] It is typically used to refer to female characters that possess traits of maturity, modesty, gentleness, grace, uncompromising determination, while also being nurturing.[4]
The Yamato nadeshiko character type is often portrayed in anime. Attractive due to having a more mature personality than the other characters, she is often slightly older, sometimes even represented as a teacher or a mother. Her appeal lies in her sexual maturity and traditional Japanese virtues of a caring yet subservient nature.[9]
Nadeshiko Japan (なでしこジャパン)
[edit]The official nickname of the Japan women's national football team is Nadeshiko Japan (なでしこジャパン), which was derived from Yamato nadeshiko.[12]
Despite being more successful than their male counterparts, Samurai Blue (サムライ・ブルー), Nadeshiko Japan gets significantly less recognition; instead, the media trivializes their impressive skills and success[opinion] by emphasizing the femininity of the members of Nadeshiko Japan.[5] For example, although they emerged as champions at the 2011 FIFA World Cup, the team was bombarded with comments about their "femininity" or "lack thereof."[13]
In order to combat the assumed incompatibility of sports and women, in 2004 the Japanese Football Association chose the nickname based on a contest of around 2,700 entries. It was chosen because it embodies femininity and athleticism, features presented in the media as contradictory, as well as a nationalistic identity.[13] The team's decision to keep the name was to promote the "hidden image" of strength and boldness that the Yamato nadeshiko possesses.[8]
See also
[edit]- Culture of Domesticity
- English rose (epithet)
- Eternal feminine
- Gentlewomen
- Good Wife, Wise Mother
- Ideal womanhood
- María Clara
- Marianismo
- R. Mika, who has a wrestling partner named Yamato Nadeshiko
- Seven Heavenly Virtues
- Yamato-damashii
References
[edit]- ^ Kenkyūsha's New Japanese-English Dictionary (5th edition, 2003)
- ^ Irene Gonzalez-Lopez, ed. (2018). Tanaka Kinuyo: Nation, Stardom and Female Subjectivity. Edinburgh University Press. p. 82.
- ^ a b Kakihara, Satoko (2014). Flowers in Contradiction: Japanese Imperialism and Gender Construction Through Women's Writings, 1895–1945 (Thesis). ProQuest 1551196516.[page needed]
- ^ a b Ashikari, Mikiko (January 2003). "The memory of the women's white faces: Japaneseness and the ideal image of women". Japan Forum. 15 (1): 55–79. doi:10.1080/0955580032000077739.
- ^ a b Kelly, William W. (2017). ""From Gender Binary to Sport Androgyny? Female Athletes in Japan's Modern Sportsworld."" (PDF). Manufacturing Masculinity: The Mangan Oeuvre-Global Reflections on JA Mangan's Studies of Masculinity, Imperialism and Militarism.
- ^ 小笠原敬承斎 (2008-06-13). 美人の〈和〉しぐさ: 大和撫子のマナー (in Japanese). PHP研究所.
- ^ Becke, Carolin (2022). "Negotiating Gendered Identities Through Dress: Kimono at the Coming-of-age Day in Contemporary Japan" (PDF). University of Sheffield.
- ^ a b The Asahi Shimbun Company. "なでしこと大和撫子 - ことばマガジン：朝日新聞デジタル". 朝日新聞デジタル (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-05-21.
- ^ a b c Starr, Rebecca L. (February 2015). "Sweet voice: The role of voice quality in a Japanese feminine style". Language in Society. 44 (1): 1–34. doi:10.1017/S0047404514000724.
- ^ ゆーゆ (2010-03-25). "大和撫子なんているの？ | 生活・身近な話題". 発言小町 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-05-29.
- ^ Frank, Diane (2003). Blackberries in the Dream House. 1st World Publishing. ISBN 978-1-887472-68-5.[page needed]
- ^ Kietlinski, Robin (2011). Japanese Women and Sport. Bloomsbury Academic. doi:10.5040/9781849666701. ISBN 978-1-84966-340-3.[page needed]
- ^ a b Ho, Michelle H. S. (April 2014). "Is Nadeshiko Japan 'Feminine?' Manufacturing Sport Celebrity and National Identity on Japanese Morning Television". Journal of Sport and Social Issues. 38 (2): 164–183. doi:10.1177/0193723513515891.