Is there a lot of bullying in Japan?
I think we have a lot.
Recently some videos about it got uploaded.
Protecting your uniqueness is one way of saving yourself.
Bullying has been a big thing in Japan recently.
It's been featured a lot in the news so today we
are here at Bunka fashion college for their annual school festival
We're gonna ask Japanese people what bullying in Japan is actually like
So let's go and Ask Japanese.
Because someone is a little bit different from the others
kids will excluded them from primary school age, middle school and such.
But if you copy that person's uniqueness, that person might get angry too.
Some students don't want to be like everybody else but
at the same time they are scared to get excluded from the group.
That's a very specific thing in Japanese culture.
That problem is born in our school days, in my opinion.
There was bullying in my school.
It was the worst in middle school.
My school had bullying too.
Even still in high school.
What type of bullying was common?
They would exclude one person who was different.
That person would always be left out.
If a girl was a bit chubby they would call her "fatty" and such.
Were there certain physical or personality traits that the targeted ones had?
Like you said earlier, that chubby ones would get targeted.
If you are chubby, if you have a different opinion from everyone else,
also, bodily odor.
Students would call out that they stink and such.
Personality would be generally left out, but a chubby girl
she was getting bullied for it a lot.
What were the bullying kids like?
They were generally mean. They had that aura about them.
They would only spend time with girls they get along,
but everyone else would be called "Ugly".
That one had a really loud voice and thought of himself as a leader of everyone.
That student would first say something.
Do you think there is a lot of bullying in Japan?
Yes I think there is a lot.
I think there is a lot of bullying.
What type of bullying happens the most frequent?
When everyone spends time together...
only one would never get invited.
And then in the shadows, on Twitter and such, they would write mean comments.
Or they would ignore if that person wrote a message.
They would talk bad about her behind her backs.
Did you have bullying in your school days?
I personally didn't get bullied.
I didn't bully anyone ever, nor did I get bullied.
Did you see any bullying around you though?
I saw a lot of students getting bullied on Twitter and other SNS.
So the cyber bullying was done from people from school?
I didn't have it at my school at all.
But I saw it in the tweets from other schools.
How did you find out about it?
I saw it in movies that got uploaded and I started seeing it.
At my school there was so much bullying.
Students would say things, that would damage others psychologically
There was a lot of that.
What did they say?
Everyone in class would gang up against one single person.
This happens a lot in primary and middle school.
Was there bullying at your school?
- There wasn't. - There wasn't.
I only saw it in TV dramas, but she and I have never seen any.
It's not quite bullying but I am tall as Japanese person being 173cm
Even when I was small, I was always the tallest so people around me would say
"bean pole" or "you are so tall"
people would keep pestering me and I really hated that.
But when I joined this fashion school, I met so many tall people.
That was the first time when I realized being tall is a good thing.
The things you are weak at, might not be your bad points.
If you turn them into your strength you get the last laugh.
When you personally... see bullying what did you do?
In primary and middle school I felt like I could not do anything.
I also thought I could not stand out of the group myself.
I thought it was wrong to break the rules and split from the group.
I couldn't do anything.
I wanted to help the victims but...
I couldn't speak to them unless in a place when others won't look.
Since I joined this fashion college, I stopped worrying about this.
Even if that would happen to someone I like, I would stand to my words and like them.
That's why I would speak out now.
I learned to speak out now.
I learned to see eye to eye.
That's an important lesson.
I couldn't help the girl that was getting bullied.
And when I was getting pestered myself, I got really depressed
I was wishing so much I had been born in a smaller size.
But my bad points turned out to be my strong points.
Be proud of your difference
Even if others find something bad on you,
it would be best if you changed your thinking, that that might be a good thing about you.
I think one way of saving yourself is to be proud of your unique attributes.
If you were to see bullying what would you see.
I would tell a teacher. - I would tell a teacher.
You would not do anything in that situation?
Why not?
- I would be too scared. - I would be scared.
What would you be scared about?
I would be scared what they would say to me then.
Scared of them turning on your instead? - Yes.
I think it will get sorted quicker if you tell an adult.
What did you do when others were getting bullied.
I only watched it.
If I had stopped them, they would have attacked me instead.
I was afraid of that, so I just looked and didn't help.
I was the same. I didn't join but...
I could not say "Stop this".
I would be too scared to say anything.
If I was to see bullying nowadays, I would try to do something.
If I was to see bullying now, if they didn't do anything to me
I would be nice to that person.
And try to become friends with them.
Those were all questions.
Bullying in Japan is a big issue because
there have been several suicides related to bullying
in schools. Students have left notes for the teachers to find.
It has been picked up in TV dramas and anime
It's a topic that people talk about differently than maybe in the West.
Japan has a culture where it's very important to be part of a group.
Instead of being individualistic
it's better to be part of the group and make sure everyone in that group is happy.
That's why most bullying in Japan seems to go about singling out one
person and saying "You are the different one."
"You're not part of our group. Everything is wrong with you."
Just singling one person out of the group and making them feel like they
don't belong. With big classes, being that one person who is solely bullied,
leaves a heavy scar. Bullying in Japan is less physical as it is in the West
it seems to be more mental and mentally going at the people.
Things to stop bullying at schools, teachers, who have realized there is bullying
in their class, the have to report that to the whole board of teachers when they
have their morning meeting. The teacher will also have to tell the board what steps
he or she is taking to change the bullying. But the most important is...
Of course teachers are important but the most important is
the people in the class and you could see many people did not
want to stand out, they didn't want to actually be the next target.
It's up to everyone else's strength to realize something is wrong with this.
And help them out. And luckily there are a couple of people
in there who would actually stand out and help out.
Stand up and help out. That's really important.
If there is bullying happening around you, if you know someone is bullied
don't leave that person alone. If you are too scared of actually going up and facing the bully
Maybe get in touch with the person who is being bullied
just let them know they are not on their own.
In a safe environment maybe you can come and support them.
There are lots of bullying helplines, be sure to check them out in your country.
Don't let people on their own. So that was the topic of bullying in Japan.
Would you like us to do more serious topics?
If so then leave us suggestions in the box down below. I hope you enjoyed this.
We try to sometimes focus on more serious topics so
Please let us know if you enjoyed this, if you'd like us to do more like that
on serious topics. And catch you soon on Ask Japanese. Bye...
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