Is Japan finally embracing a more inclusive definition of what it is to be a Japanese thanks to sport?
Japan is a uniquely homogenous country on a planet in which most countries are steadily becoming more and more diverse. Immigrants make up just two per cent of Japan’s population with the majority from Korea and China. A melting pot it is not. The definition used by most Japanese, about what it means to be Japanese, could be roughly summarized as “one is born to Japanese parents and raised in Japan through the Japanese school system”. Anyone outside that narrow definition would be considered a Gaijin, the word for foreigner in Japanese. The word “Gaijin” is made up of two Kanji characters, the first meaning “outside” and the second meaning “person”. Outsider. This year Japan is hosting the Rugby World Cup, and a miraculous thing has happened. The success of the Japanese team and the role of the foreigners on the squad is changing the way many Japanese look at the criteria used for who can and cannot be considered Japanese.
Almost half of the 31 players on the Japan National Rugby Team are made up of naturalised Tongans, Samoans, New Zealanders, Australians and South Africans. The Japanese populous has embraced the entire team, both Japanese born and naturalized players, as truly representing the country and spirit of Japan. The nationalized players have all spent many years playing pro-league in Japan and they embrace Japanese cultural and societal norms. When Kimi Gai Yo, the Japanese National Anthem is played, and the nationalised players sing the words, most Japanese cannot help but to feel emotional and warmth towards the players. Many Japanese see the nationalized players as embodying the Japanese spirit, and they are thinking less of the players as foreigners and more as full-fledged members of the Japan national team.
The team captain, Michael Leitch, has been living in Japan since the age of 15. His main goal over the years has been to strengthen the Japanese team and win respect for Japanese Rugby on a global stage. His Japanese is very smooth and he is hardworking and very humble. He embodies the best of Japanese qualities as well as anyone I have met. He has won over the Japanese fans as a great leader and deserving to wear the captain’s armband.
There are many mixed-race Japanese who have excelled for Japan in numerous areas. Naomi Osaka is a good recent example. Naomi came to prominence just two years ago after she won the US Open in 2018 and 2019 Australian Open in Tennis. Now, at 21 years old, she is the second highest paid Female athlete for endorsements after Serena Williams. Naomi moved from Japan to the USA at three years old. Her father is Haitian and mother Japanese. Naomi does not speak Japanese, but it is easy to see she was raised by a Japanese mother and imbued with many Japanese values. She is a bit shy, self-deprecating and humble. This is a big attraction to Japanese fans. Still there was a feeling in Japan that “great, a Japanese person has won a major tennis tournament, but she is not really Japanese”.
With one Japanese parent and one foreign parent, Naomi is considered a ‘hafu”, which is the Japanese pronunciation of the English word “half”. To non-Japanese speakers the word sounds derogatory, that someone is “half”. However in the Japanese language “hafu” is not thought of as derogatory and considered by Japanese to be a bit of status. “Hafu” are often considered cool with their unique looks and often multilingual capabilities. In Japan a disproportionally large percentage of models and TV personalities are “hafu”. While “hafu” can be considered cool, often they are not considered by Japanese to be real Japanese. My 2 daughters are “hafu”. They have both USA and Japanese passports and they speak both English and Japanese. When one of my daughters was 8 years old she said “why does everyone in Japan say we are American and everyone in America say we are Japanese.”
With a shrinking and aging population, it could be a pragmatic solution for Japanese citizens to take the positive view that foreigners can come to Japan, learn the customs, and benefit society. The thinking that “Only Japanese can understand the Japanese spirit and represent Japan” is changing. The success of the national team at the 2019 Rugby World Cup has been a strong symbol and a big step in showing that both Japanese and foreigners can embody the Japanese spirit and work together to strengthen Japan.
-Darren McKellin
