WIT Life #165: 自粛
Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers 
Comments Off on WIT Life #165: 自粛
WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Recently in my work interpreting for Japanese groups and in casual conversations with Japanese friends, certain expressions keep popping up. In my mind, they have become a sort of post-disaster vocabulary, phrases which are unique in their relevance to the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan on March 11. I would like to discuss one of those words, 自粛 (jishuku), which means self-control or voluntary restraint.
Immediately after the disaster, 自粛 referred to people holding back from going out and enjoying themselves as usual, in order to show respect to the victims and people in the disaster area. Nomikai were postponed, vacations were canceled and people forced themselves to put on somber faces that reflected the seriousness of the tragedy. It became enough of a phenomenon to received the name of 自粛ブーム (self-restraint boom).
However, soon there was a backlash to this movement as seen in the above image of “No More 自粛!” The lettering above the slogan reads: “Spend your money to help Tohoku’s recovery!” This message was actually put on the Internet a month after the disaster by those in the affected area (http://team-fukko.com/). People all over Japan began saying that the best way to aid those in the disaster area get back to normal was not by conserving one’s economic resources, but by using them to stimulate the region’s recovery.
Then the end of April brought the start of Golden Week, Japan’s largest holiday which is especially long this year due to the way the calender falls. During this time, Japanese often splurge on vacations abroad and make up for their typically zangyou– filled schedules. But due to the timing of the disaster, some people reconsidered their travel, thinking it more prudent to spend their time close to home less extravagantly. Though the debate has far from concluded, it seems like lately Japanese are leaning toward the anti-自粛 sentiment. Though this is not to say they don’t feel any guilt about it. People will often preface their statements with, 「自粛するべきですが。。。」 (“I should be practicing self-restraint, but…”).
However, it is not always a simple black and white 自粛 issue. A close friend of mine from Tokyo was visiting NY last week on her way to a vacation in Mexico, and she shared her doubts about coming with me. “One part of me felt like I should cancel, but a bigger part knew that this trip was necessary for my mental health. I had to clear my head so I could go back to Japan feeling fresh. When I return, I think I will be able to do more than if I had stayed home being emotionally stressed. ”
Thinking in terms of the greater good is supremely valued in Japan, but sometimes it is also important to take care of yourself even if it means putting your own priorities over others. In the end, this will often enable you to give more of yourself to others who need it.
Comments are closed.