daver 0 Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 i started off my career here in japan as an eikaiwa teacher, and one of the first things i was told was that any attempts at using irony or sarcasm would fall on deaf ears, regardless of the students level. and sure enough, any attempts made at using irony or sarcasm for humor were invariably lost on my students. perhaps their english simply wasn't strong enough to understand. i have since made attempts with my co-workers in japanese with similar failures. perhaps my japanese simply isn't strong enough. i have even made attempts with my friends whose english is near perfect, but even they have trouble finding the humour value in what i am saying. perhaps i am just not that funny. none the less, my experiences had led me to believe that sarcasm and irony are not valued as comic institutions here in japan. however, anyone that teachers adolecent kids and teenagers here will surely attest that sarcasm and irony are alive and well in that portion of japanese society. this thought was spurred on by an encounter i had with a student the other day. she is a typical smart teenage girl; quick witted, outwardly coquettish, and slightly jaded. i noticed while studying that she had a child's "shinkansen" clip board. hoping for some banter i asked her with a lampooning tone if she like the shinkansen. her response, oozing of irony, was that she "loved" the shinkansen. obviously, caustic humour is not lost in japan. it is alive and well amongst the youth. my questions then to all of you are, where does it go? when does this happen? and most of all, why do you think it is something not commonly found in adult japanese society? Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 not sure that it does entirely disappear. I use it a bit amongst the staff at work who I get on really well with (in Japanese) and listening to them banter amongst themselves I hear it from time to time too. I think maybe the bigger issue is how it is used. I can't think of an example right now but I know I can't just throw it out there like I would in English. It is a little (perhaps a lot) more subtle and isn't used quite so much to put the other person down (even in a friendly way like we might). Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 They get this big vacuum and suck it all out during Jnr. high school. Personality, sarc, thinking individually etc.. Link to post Share on other sites
rigor mortis 0 Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 yeah i find at work or kind of formal, or slightly formal situations it goes down like a lead ballon and often end up looking like a wierdo. But with my japanese mates who i hang out with, its duely appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites
IIIII 2 Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 They are probably used to you rigor - I found that sarcasm didn't go down well at first but they are used to it now. Strangers often don't get it. The less than perfect Japanese surely has something to do with that of course. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by Indosnm: They get this big vacuum and suck it all out during Jnr. high school. Personality, sarc, thinking individually etc.. That, and manzai, the dual comedian stuff on telly just isnt funny (occasionally but rarely). Humor here is just null and void. My students are used to me in class now and always say, sensi amerikan jokku da ne! Omoshiroi/tsumetai.. I tease my kids and say if you say tsumetai Ill genten your daily points I miss people tellin jokes like we have in the states... Link to post Share on other sites
HoTRoD 2 Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 Well, whether we find it amusing or not, the Japanese seem to find it amusing. Don't think you can just go out there and call it "null and void". Link to post Share on other sites
daver 0 Posted June 26, 2006 Author Share Posted June 26, 2006 several friends of mine from japan went to university in canada. upon first arrival, they were really confused with our use of sarcasm. they always though that we were serious, and often were a little hurt. after a few years though, they learned how it works, and have since become rather scathing experts of the craft. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 no need to take it so literally hotrod... Link to post Share on other sites
HoTRoD 2 Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 wonder how else it should be taken when it's written like it is...... I should brush up on my mind reading skills. Whatever! I know what you mean anyway Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 what, youre not good at 以心伝心 ? Link to post Share on other sites
HoTRoD 2 Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 Er, don't know. What might that be then? Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts