On the other hand, the Japanese still apply the usage of matchmaker. This is quite similar to the arranged marriage which some Malays still practised. The Shinto wedding also has four main ceremonies. It started with a matchmaker who will look for a suitable man for the young woman. After a suitable man has been found, the matchmaker will convince the woman to attend the ‘omiai’ or arranged meeting. The man and the woman are usually accompanied by close friend and relatives. The ‘omiai’ will be held at a cosy, conducive and expensive place or restaurant. If they like each other, they will continue to meet and this time without companions. When they are ready for commitment, the ‘yunio’ or the engagement ceremony follows. They will change gifts such as dried bonito, seaweed, fan, dried cuttlefish and abalone but nowadays they will exchange rings. Next is the wedding ceremony and at this ceremony will be held the ‘san-san kudo’ ceremony. It is a ceremony where the bride and groom will exchange three nuptials cup for each of them. They will drink Japanese liquor, ‘sake’, using those cups. After that, they will procee to the sanctuary and trade twigs of sacred ‘Sakake’ trees in worship to end the ceremony. The Japanese society also gives the bride and groom gifts and some money that has been put into a special envelope tied with red ribbon.
Nobody lives till the end of the world. Every culture has its own way of holding a funeral. The Malays society has to go through a few procedures before they can bury the body. First, the family members will bath the body using fragranced water and some herbs. Then the body will be wrapped in ‘kain kapan’, a piece of white cloth without covering the face. Close relatives and friends will then give the last respect to the dead. Next, the body will be wrapped again in another ‘kain kapan’ including its face and put into a coffin. A ‘sembahyang jenazah’ or prayer for the deceased is performed before the body is taken to the cemetery. At the cemetery, the body is taken out of the coffin, faced the ‘kiblat’ and then being buried. A ceremony called the reading of ‘talkin’ follows. ‘Takin’ is prayers taken from the al-Quran. The family members then held the ‘tahlil’ ceremony, where ‘Yasin’ and other prayers are being read, three days in a row and on the hundredth day. To show their deepest condolence, the visitors will give some money to the family.
The Buddhist Japanese funeral starts by washing the body and dressed in suit for men or white kimono for women. The body will then put into a casket. In the casket, a traditional white kimono, leggings, sandals and paper money also being put as payment to pay the toll to cross the River of the 3 Hells. Other than this four things, a white headband with a triangle in the centre and things that were fond in life are also put into the casket. Next, the visitors will sign their name in the registry book and present ‘kode,’, the condolence money that has been put into a special envelope wrapped in tiny black and white ribbon to the family after the funeral. At the wake service, the Buddhist priest will turn to the altar, bows, lights incense and reads sutra. During the sutra reading, family members will take turn to bow, offer incense and bow again. This is then followed by the visitors. The funeral will be held on the day after the wake service. A wooden tablet inscribed the posthumous name of the deceased is placed on the altar in order to prevent the person from returning every time its name is mentioned. The family members and visitors pay the last respect before the casket is sealed. At the crematorium, the body is burned and the family members will use a pair of chopsticks to pick up the bones to put into an urn. The filled urn is wrapped in a white cloth and taken to the cemetery. A memorial service will be held everyday for the first seven days, on the 49th day and on the first year of ‘Obon’ or Festival of the Dead.
Etiquette is a set of rules for behaving correctly in social situations. There are similarities and differences in way of behaving between these two societies. One of the similarities is it is impolite to eat or drink while you are walking. The Malays believe that this will upset the digestion of the food. Another example is if you must use a toothpick, at least cover your mouth with your hand. In restaurants, using the toothpick without covering your mouth is considered as a disgusting act. In more formal circumstances, it is rude to unwrap a gift someone brings you as soon as possible but it normal in casual surroundings to ask the giver if it can be opened at the moment. Other example for similarities is the Malay and the Japanese Society usually brings some food when they visit someone. This etiquette is to show guess’ appreciation towards the host. There are also etiquettes that differ in these two societies. For instance, when eating with others, the Malays will pour drinks for everyone including their drinks but it is different in Japan. It is indecorous to pour your own drink, what you should do is to pour your companion’s drink and your companion will pour yours. The Malay society always count the change after paying the bill. However it is considered rude in Japan, but the Japanese themselves do give it a cursory look-over. The Malays usually eat and drink quietly and they are supposed to eat with their mouths closed. Unlike the Japanese, it is normal and good to make slurping sounds when eating noodles and loud gulping noises when drinking. It is expected to hear a lot of it especially in advertisements.
There is this saying of ‘behind a successful man, there is a woman’. Women play an important role in shaping the future of her family and children. These days, women are able to work and have higher position then men. In the Malay society, women are encouraged to work by the religion to gain their own salary. In Malaysia, most women received similar payment as men. Men and women also usually attend the same programmes and courses. Women who are working are sometimes not expected to do all the house chores. They are allowed to hire a housemaid to help getting the chores done. Where as in Japan, women are allowed to work and have higher position the men but they are still expected by the family members to do all the house chores. It is rare to see a Japanese family with a maid. Career women in Japan also receive less payment than men even though they have the same position and job. The company too always have separated programmes and courses for men and women.
Cultural universals can be defined as general traits that exist in all cultures in the world. Cultural universals exist because all societies face many of the same problems in maintaining their social life. Societies can share the same culture universals but every society has its own way of expressing it. Take for example, marriage and wedding ceremony. According to the dictionary, marriage is a close union between man and woman. The main purpose of having marriage is to unite two hearts that are in love with each other. Marriage also helps the society in preventing social illnesses such as pre-marriages sex and children out of wedlock. Every society has the same concept of marriage. However, every society has its own way of holding the wedding ceremony. In Malaysia itself, there are many kinds of wedding ceremony since it is multiracial country and every society has its wedding ceremony.
A baby born is to replace a man’s death. Death will come to any of us when the time is right. When we died, everybody will try to capture the memory when we are still alive. A funeral will be held in order to give a last respect to the deceased. Funeral is also an example of cultural universals. Funeral is a ceremony that takes place after someone dies which include a religious ceremony and the formal process of taking the body to the place where it is buried. Every society has different ways of holding the funeral. Some society will have the body buried and some will have it burned and after that the ashes will be spread in the ocean. A funeral also is to mark that the deceased will be gone forever and family members have to finally let go of him or her. What is left for the family is the memory of the deceased in their life.
Comparing and contrasting between two cultures is actually a fun and enjoyable thing to do. By doing this, we get to learn about another culture and differentiate it with our own culture. Indirectly, we gain knowledge of the world communities. Culture is an interesting topic to explore. Culture will help us in guiding ourselves to live in today’s world. Without culture, can we identify ourselves and our roots? It is hard to do so devoid of culture. Culture helps us to accept people the way they are and the way they live their life. There is no right or wrong in one’s culture. On the other hand, culture will lead a society to cooperate and work with the members of the society since one society lives by the same culture. A society would not exist exclusive of culture because culture is actually a solution in dealing the demands in life.
Reference:
Gunalingam Krishnan, Yong, Caroline, Rozanna Noraini, et al.(2003).Social Studies
Course Book.Institut Perguruan Bahasa Antarabangsa
http//:www.dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/Japan/Arts_and_Entertainment/Traditional.html (13 September 2003)
http//:www.japanaccess.com/html (13 September 2003)
http//:www.japanesegifts.com/culture.html (13 September 2003)
http//:www.japan-guide.com/e/e622.html (13 September 2003)
http//:www.japan-guide.com/e/e2060.html (13 September 2003)
http//:www.tanutech.com/japan/jfuneral.html (13 September 2003)
http//:www.pantheon.org/area/mythology/asia/Japanese/articles.html (13 September 2003)
Rundell, M., Fox, G., et. al.(2002).Macmillan English Dictionary For Advanced
Learners.United Kingdom:Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2002 and Macmillan Publishers
Limited 2002
IPBA
SOCIAL STUDIES
CODE: CSS102
- MALAY AND JAPANESE CULTURE
- CULTURAL UNIVERSALS
NAME:
FAZLIN FARIEZA YUSSUFF
STUDENT NO.: 022
CLASS:
FOUNDATION 1.4
LECTURER’S NAME:
PN. ROZANNA NORAINI
DATE SUBMITTED:
13TH OCTOBER 2003
