weeping / crying by Izumi Nishimura Introduction Humans have a lot of feelings and emotions such as anger, happiness, loneliness, confusion etc. Feelings are common all over the world. However, how people express feelings is different all over the world. For example, how people express joyfulness can be different between America and Japan. Moreover, how people express joyfulness becomes different if the situation is different. To know how people express feelings in other countries is helpful to understand other cultures. So, I will show and explain some ways in which Japanese people express feelings of weeping and crying. 5 examples of weeping/crying feelings As I wrote in the introduction, weeping and crying become different if the situation is different. In addition, weeping and crying change their meanings according to the situation. The 5 situations that I want to explain are “achievement”, “being moved”, “fear”, “delight” and “vexation”. First, I will describe the “achievement” situation. On the day for the announcement of those who passed a school entrance examination they are weeping or crying for joy because they have passed. One of the women in the middle of the picture is crying and covering her mouth with a handkerchief in her hand. She might say “yatta!” (the words means “goody, I did it!” in English) to see her name on the list of successful applicants. |
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| Most countries may have school entrance examinations, but they are much more common in Japan than in other countries. Japan has many types of school entrance examination, such as kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, high school and university etc. Of course, every school does not have an entrance examination, but most Japanese have experienced school examinations. Next, I will explain reaction in a “vexing” situation. This situation is that a high school student is weeping or crying for in vexation because his team lost a baseball game at “Koushien,” the place where the high school baseball tournament is held. He is weeping or crying “uu…” to hide his face with his cap and his teammate is supporting him. It is unusual for men to weep or cry in public, but in this case, it is a very familiar sight. The game in this situation is high school baseball tournament that is held every spring and summer. All high school baseball teams participate in preliminary games for the tournament, and as a result, only about 50 high school baseball teams that win the preliminary tournament can go to “Koushien.” If they lose even one game, they must leave “Koushien.” “Koushien” is a dream for high school baseball team students; so, it is not unusual for them to weep or cry when they lose a game.  |
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| Third, I will describe the feelingof “being moved.” This picture’s scene is a wedding reception. The bride’s grandfather is crying because he is moved at the figure of his granddaughter in bridal clothing. The bride’s clothing is Japanese traditional wedding kimono. Fourth, I will describe the feeling of “fear.” >>> This is a picture showing two junior high school girls who have just come out from a haunted house. The girl in the right side of the picture is smiling, making a peace sign. On the other side, another girl is crying from fear, covering her face in her hands with a towel. Probably, she has been terrified by ghosts in the haunted house, and she must have cried “kyaaaaa!” (“kyaaaaa!” is the girls’ and woman’s voice expression of crying in Japanese.) when she saw the ghosts.
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In the end, I will explain the situation of a “delightful” scene. They are Japanese, but one of them was left behind in China at the end of World War II by her parents when she was a child. This picture shows a Japanese woman who lived in China meeting her relations who live in Japan. They are glad to meet each other because this is their first meeting and the woman in the right side of the picture is weeping for delight. In China, there are still many Japanese like the woman in the picture. This has happened because a historical reason; before World War II, before many Japanese lived in China because Japan ruled China. However, their parents had to come back to Japan because World War II broke out. But, it was difficult to take their young child to Japan, so they decided that they would leave their children with Chinese. The parents believed that it was safer for the children to live in China than go back to Japan. So, the Japanese children grew up in China, but they have longed to meet their Japanese relatives for a long time. As you can see in this picture, the dream comes true now. Their delight at meeting each other is invaluable. |
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