Don’t believe everything you read: An analysis of Japanese cultural representation in picturebooks

Abstract

This study looks at how Japanese culture is portrayed in three English-language children’s picturebooks using the theoretical concepts of culture, authenticity, and mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors. As a literary analysis of three children’s picturebooks, the study considers what part of Japanese culture the picturebooks portray, if these are authentic portrayals and lastly if, and if so, how, the books act as mirrors, windows or sliding glass doors. The selected picturebooks analysed are Yuko-Chan and The Daruma Doll by Sunny Seki, Suki’s Kimono by Chieri Uegaki, and The Way We Do It in Japan by Geneva Iijima. The study found that the same culture can be portrayed in various ways, ranging from surface and below surface levels of culture, to different perspectives and focal points. It also found that what an authentic representation of a culture is, is open to interpretation by the reader, but needs to be founded in experience and knowledge of a culture. One’s cultural background alone does not define one’s ability to create authentic literature. Nor does it dictate how it will be perceived by cultural insiders. The study found that both cultural insiders and outsiders can create literature that is both authentic and less authentic. Authenticity and accuracy of cultural representation in a book affect the potential it has in becoming a mirror, window and sliding glass door. The findings illustrate the need for multicultural literature representing minorities in the classroom. In addition, they underscore the importance of teachers assessing literature before it is presented to pupils, in order to avoid unintentional reproduction of stereotypes and prejudice. While the examples here have been taken from Japanese culture, the principle of this study can easily be applied to other cultures.