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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| Japan's Older Men Fight Back | |
| 2005-10-31 | |
Moritsuna Arakaki entered the boxing ring last Sunday, making his way through the cheering crowd while speakers blasted the Village Peoples' disco anthem Y.M.C.A. The well-known English lyrics: "Young man, there's no need to feel down. I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground!" reverberated across the venue. The intended humor was not lost on the crowd. Mr. Arakaki is making his amateur debut in this brutal sport at the age of 38. In the opposite corner was 40-year old Naoto Hirose. Last weekend the Maki Dojo Kick Boxing Gym hosted the third "Oyazi Battle in Okinawa," bringing together a scrappy brunch of fighters in their late 30's and early 40's eager to fight not only each other, but a society that has been marginalizing the status of older men. Hiroshi Miyake, left, waits the for the judge's decision. Japan's decade-plus economic slump has not been kind to the nation's middle-aged men. Deemed as overpaid and a step behind the Internet era, these men here have been finding themselves at the unforgiving end of restructuring and downsizing across Japan Inc. Hoping to infuse more creative "young blood," businesses have introduced merit-based pay systems, doing away with the traditional seniority-based wage systems. Outside the workplace as well, the status of graying men in Japanese society has been on the ropes. Youngsters addressing their elders do not hesitate to use the derisive term of "oyaji", which can be loosely translated as "gramps" or "pops." Even worse, juvenile crime statistics now include an offense known as "Oyaji Hunting." This is the practice of young delinquents mugging white collar older men staggering home from a late night of drinking with clients. So much for respect for the elderly. Delinquents might want to think twice before trying to "Oyaji Hunt" Hirsohi Miyake, who works for a real-estate management company. At 45 years old, he was the elder "Oyaji" at Sunday's fights. A tall man with his 85 kilograms of bulk built around a broad frame, Mr. Miyake was an imposing presence in the ring. "I started kick boxing just to stay in shape. I continued practicing for some time and then decided that I wanted to jump into the ring myself," he told me before the fight. The fact that a kick boxing debut at 45 raised a few eyebrows among acquaintances did not deter Mr. Miyake. "I don't want to be the guy that goes out drinking every night so he can moan about his job. Life is much more fun when you set a goal for yourself and then work toward that goal," he said. Back in the ring, however, Mr. Miyake did not look like he was having much fun. His younger opponent, at 39, seemed to be beating him to the punch. Mr. Miyake was staggered by a solid hook, forcing the referee to give him a standing eight count. But Mr. Miyake cleared his head and stormed back into the fray. His pluck and determination thrilled the crowd that had piled into the dojo. The mood was festive with family, friends and curious onlookers munching on rice balls and downing cans of beer, while cheering on the fighters. The opened windows filled the room with a salty breeze coming off the Pacific Ocean just a few miles away. The dojo was so packed that some spectators had to sit on punching bags laying on the floor. "This just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Last year we had six matches, this year we have eight. Next year we may even add women's boxing," said Masaaki Asato, director of the Maki Dojo. Back in the ring, Mr. Miyake was again taking the worst of the exchange between the two aging boxers. But Mr. Miyake's somewhat flabby stomach belied the fire in his belly. He struck back with a nice flurry of punches that briefly put his opponent in trouble. A few more solid punches from his opponent, however, staggered Mr. Miyake once more. Fortunately, the bell sounded to bring the two-round fight to its conclusion. The "Oyazi Battle" uses a combination of ring-side judges and audience participation to determine the outcome of each bout. The judges concluded that Mr. Miyake was beaten by his younger opponent. But the audience had yet to have its say. There was only a smattering of claps when the referee pointed to the younger fighter, but the room erupted with applause when the referee pointed to Mr. Miyake. So with the crowd picking Mr. Miyake and the judges giving the nod to the other fighter, it was up to Mr. Asato to give the final word -- it was after all his dojo. "I think what we had here was a classic showdown of skill versus heart. I am calling it a draw," he shouted into the microphone perched on the judges' table. Everyone in the room seemed satisfied with the outcome, even Mr. Miyake's opponent. "A lot of these guys work in an office all day, but this gives them the chance to show their family a different side. Show that they can take their knocks and not give up. That is something they do not only in the ring, but in life in general," Mr. Asato said. I asked Mr. Asato if he thought these battles, which are also staged in Tokyo and Osaka every year, are helping to bolster the image of middle-age men in Japan. "Without a doubt. It gives them an opportunity to show the true strength of the oyagi," he said. | |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #9 Eye of the Tiger and Viagra is a dangerous combination. Not nearly so dangerous a combination as taking a sleeping pill and a laxative together. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2005-10-31 23:51 |
| #8 yucky pornography Agreed. Especially the kiddy porn (appearance thereof). shudder |
| Posted by: lotp 2005-10-31 21:03 |
| #7 It's a cultural thing..."oyaji" is a term for "not a spring chicken any more". They're considered mired in routine. Also, they create the demand for all the creepy pornography. They are 'old' but not 'elderly', if you get my drift. |
| Posted by: gromky 2005-10-31 18:06 |
| #6 30-40 is old? In comparison to me, yes, absolute dinosaurs, but when I think older men, late 60s pop into my mind, not 38. |
| Posted by: SJB 2005-10-31 17:54 |
| #5 I lived there for a year...I heard those horrid two songs over and over. And not just anywhere, but fancy-shmancy clubs and such. Ugh. Sure, executives in international business are going to speak English. Not many other people do, despite the fact that it's taught in school. Ah well, I don't want to get into a "I know XXXX country" debate. |
| Posted by: gromky 2005-10-31 16:56 |
| #4 Japan is going to revise their pacifist constitution -- and guys like the ones in this story will back that. If that doesn't catch your attention, it's probably because you haven't talked with anyone who fought them in WWII. Gromky, how many Japanese do you know? The ones I did business with were quite fluent in English, although the senior executives use translators as a matter of privilege and negotiating tactic. |
| Posted by: lotp 2005-10-31 14:07 |
| #3 Eye of the Tiger and Viagra is a dangerous combination. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-10-31 13:18 |
| #2 while speakers blasted the Village Peoples' disco anthem Y.M.C.A. The well-known English lyrics: "Young man, there's no need to feel down. I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground!" reverberated across the venue. The intended humor was not lost on the crowd. It was indeed lost on the crowd. The Japanese don't care what the English lyrics of songs are. "Y.M.C.A." is bafflingly popular there, as is "Dancing Queen" and other horrifying songs from the 70s. Stupid writer putting his own (nonexistent) views on the story. |
| Posted by: gromky 2005-10-31 12:57 |
| #1 I'll bet they can't wait for "Rocky 6"... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-10-31 12:49 |