Western+culture+with+Asian+culture

 Yukio Mishima's // The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea // is set in post-war Japan, when the mass introduction of Western culture is replacing the Japanese predecessor. While these Western concepts are perceived by the adults as more advanced and representative of higher class, they are also portrayed to be a symbol of deception. Meanwhile, Asian culture is displayed as a catalyst to carry out beauty. Thus the increasing presence of Western culture taking over Asian culture in Japan serves to illustrate the deception and false sense of beauty, which the boys believe to be contained within adults.

The adults decorate their lives with Western items, believing it represents higher class. Fusako trades foreign goods, and embellishes her store with “imported Spanish tile, a small fountain […], a bronze Bacchus, [and] some Vivax neckties” (24). The overwhelming presence of Western designs in her store, and the absence of Japanese traits, demonstrates her view of Western elements as superior, and thus appealing to wealthier customers. Similarly, the ship’s crew eats “Miso soup […], stewed white radishes, raw onions, mustard, [and] rice”, although “lunch [is] Western style and always [begins] with soup” (75). The Western structure in Asian cuisine, even amongst a lower class such as sailors, indicates the old lifestyle of sailors aboard Japanese boats being substituted with life on Western steel ships. The sailors must then begin to accept the new rules, as in terms of dining. Similarly, Yoriko, an actress, covers her life with “Lancome lipstick and Pelican fountain pen[s]” (119). She attempts to further elevate herself by selecting brand-name products, among other Western goods. However, in comparison to Yoriko and Fusako, Ryuji refrains from swathing his life in such manner. He “[does not] want to appear in an expensive English suit” (168). His reluctance illustrates his humility, refusing to elevate himself to a higher class through Western possessions.

On a deeper level, Western elements also become a means for adults to deceive each other, and express false emotions. Customers flock to Fusako’s shop to purchase goods to hide their true selves, such as perfume and clothing. Yoriko, buys gifts to bribe the jury, a false expression of friendship with an alternate objective. Similarly, the housekeeper reminisces that “New Year's Eve (with the Western family) always meant […] at twelve o'clock on the dot everybody started kissing everybody like it wasn't anything" (108). The Western people are portrayed as shallow people, performing false displays of affection, and abusing the intimate act of kissing. The housekeeper expresses her shock at the foreigners' ridiculous act of romance, which she herself was also subjected to. Furthermore, when Fusako finally requests to hire an investigator for Ryuji, “Yoriko [takes] out the fountain pen she just bought and, fumbling through the contents of her alligator pocketbook, [comes] up with a small, white card" (127-128). The process towards obtaining the investigators contact is marked with Western artifacts, such as fountain pens and alligator pocketbooks, hinting that deceptive and underhanded acts such as spying on a future husband are introduced to Japan through the arrival of Western culture.

Meanwhile, the boys notice the trickery contained in Western culture, and uphold Asian culture as the carrier of true beauty. When Noboru spies on his other, he immediately thinks of “a blond, hairy body [that] once huddled in [the] dusty space in the wall. The thought sour[s] the close air and he [is] sickened" (6). The body represents a Caucasian soldier from the War. However, it is not mostly the soldier’s act of spying that disgusts Noboru, but rather the idea that his space was once occupied by a repulsive foreigner. The crossover from the virtual thought to the physical air underscores his utter disgust towards Western people. In comparison, his mother “wear[s] a kimono of black lace over a crimson under-robe [and] her [white] obi brocade” (9-10), and Noboru finds her beautiful. Her Asian outfit portrays her as a stunning woman. Unfortunately, she cannot maintain this gorgeous image, as “the moment [Ryuji] had sailed, her zeal for tennis and embroidery [increases]” (99). The inverse relationship between Ryuji’s presence and Fusako’s passion for Western activities suggests that the loss of the sailor, a hero in the boys’ eyes, forces her back into unpermissible acts. Meanwhile, at the restaurant, “Fusako [has] to order for Yoriko because she [cannot] read the French menu" (120). Ironically, Yoriko lavishes herself in luxuries, believing she is superior, but her inability to master the Western language represents her false outer wealth and beauty. Word Count: 750

Mishima, Yukio. __The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea__. Trans. John Nathan. New York: Vintage Books, 1965.