Globalization- The Japanese Version

(Japanese man in St. Patrick's Day Parade, 2007. Image from www.daylife.com)

Nothing says globalization more than a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Japan. The Irish Network Japan (INJ) organizes a St. Patrick’s Day Parade on the street of Omote Sando, Harajuku, a part of Tokyo, Japan every year. The parade was first organized by the organization in 1992 with the support of the former Irish ambassador to Japan, Mr. James Sharkey. Since then, the organization has continued the tradition each year to bring to the Irish community in Japan a meaningful and fun St. Patrick’s Day. This year was no exception. The 2009 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Japan did not miss the mark compared to parades organized by larger Irish communities elsewhere, most probably in the West. There were giant floats, Irish music, men wearing kilts, Irish flags, things adorned with images of shamrocks. Anything that could be associated with St. Patrick’s Day were there and more.

However, it was quickly noted that this was no typical Irish parade that one finds in the West. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade this year in Tokyo had a blended flavor of Irish and Japanese culture, more specifically Japanese kawaii pop culture. Everything looked very “authentic” from the outset; there were men in kilts playing the bagpipes, big green floats with shamrocks plastered all over, Irish flags that lined both sides of the street. But a closer look and suddenly you realize that beside the group of 50 Westerners (who may or may not be Irish descents) walking ahead, the rest of the parade consisted of Japanese followers. Of course it was also a bit unusual to find half of the bagpipe players to be Japanese. Given the friendly relations that both Japan and Ireland have cultivated, one may not be so surprised to learn that many Japanese people have come to welcome and embrace Irish culture and traditions. Yet, it is interesting to note the way Japanese people have learned to merge their own culture with Irish traditions.



It is probably not too hasty to assume that Japanese people have injected their own kawaii (cute) concept into the theme of the parade this year, as they may have in previous years. The most visible trace of course was the giant dogs that were dressed in cute dogs’ outfits. Of course, not to miss the theme, the Japanese St. Patty’s Day Parade dressed all of their dogs in green from head to tail. They even played with the styles of the outfits. There were dogs that wore capes and hats, while others that were dressed in shimmery outfits.



One dog, dressed in a dog’s kimono outfit, stood out in particular. It is interesting to note the sort of local ideas that Japanese people take to mesh up with foreign practices to create something totally different but totally fitting to their taste. Here is one example of how Japanese people glocalize a foreign form of celebration to fit something of which they can be direct participants. From globalization to glocalization, that’s how Japan does it. Find anything global and fit it into its local taste. And this is the Japanese version of globalization.

Information about the history of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Tokyo has been obtained from the INJ’s website: http://www.inj.or.jp/stpatrick_e.html.