MovieChat Forums > Tonari no Totoro (1990) Discussion > Japanese children seem to be really matu...

Japanese children seem to be really mature for their age...

posted 13 years ago by Shiroyasha
17 replies | jump to latest

It really surprised me in this movie (and on other japanese movies) that young children are always surprisingly mature and self-sufficient. I wonder if it really is a cultural thing or if movies are just too idealistic.

For example, Satsuki was 10, and yet she prepared the lunch for all the family, she went to school by herself, she took care of her sister as if she was an adult, she cleaned the house and prepared the bath. Also, her reaction after hearing about the situation of her mother was really rational. In spite of this attitude, she still seemed to be enjoying her childhood at its fullest, even more like some spoiled kid would.

I have a 25 year old sister that doesn't even know how to boil water!!!

So, is there any explanation about this cultural aspect?

-----------------
EL GATO

[–] Suzume-san 13 years ago

Well, I think there are several things to consider -

The date - the film is set in the 1950s, isn't it? I was a child, not in the countryside but in a quiet suburb, in the 50s, and we were certainly free to go alone to school, visit our friends, run errands to the shops for our mothers. Also we helped in the house - there were few labour-saving devices such as we have today, so it was a case of everybody helping to get things done. And I recall I was often left in charge of my younger brother, taking him to watch the trains from the railway bridge or to throw stones in the brook; this got us both out of our mother's way while she prepared meals or whatever.

Then the main danger to modern children is traffic, isn't it? In this rural community there is almost none, so even quite young ones can roam about in safety.

Japan is, even now, a very safe place with a strong sense of community - street crime is almost unknown and children are able to go about by themselves without fear. Notice how all the neighbours take a kindly interest in the new family and are concerned when there is a crisis - Mei's getting lost.

The other consideration is of course that Satsuki has had to grow up and take on responsibilities because her mother isn't around.

[–] amandabom 11 years ago

We just came home from Japan and I was impressed by how self sufficient the kids were, compared to Swedish children today. When I was 10 I took the bus myself and made my own food and cleaned my own room. This is not the case with kids now.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Humanophage 10 years ago

A child can learn to cook steak, peel potatoes, or clean up in less than 10 minutes. It really doesn't take much of brain to learn such elementary things, and there is nothing to admire here. As for travelling alone, it is simply dangerous rather than difficult or 'mature'.

Why should a child spend their morning preparing complicated meals when they could sleep more to have better concentration at school? Rural children who do lengthy and unnecessary 'mature' things don't seem to have any advantage over urban children in adult life.

[–] fun-niji 10 years ago

Wow! Completely disagree with your last statement there.
It depends on the individual at the end of the day. To say "rural children..." have less of an advantage in adult life... first, what does it even mean? Secondly, personally, I think kids who can do stuff from an early age have FAR more advantage over kids who don't i.e. some of the people I have met at University who really weren't taught anything even basic at home (Yes, sure they have smarts but nothing else and this digresses from the topic from here on). Thirdly, it's down to how the kids are raised whether it be in rural or urban areas. Forth point, it is down to parents or adult who is looking after the child.

If you are just pointing out that there is no advantage between both, then maybe I can see where you are getting on with that statement. This is because it is down to various circumstances and conditions of being brought up. But... about entering adult life..... then, "don't seem to have an advantage"... Hmmmm..........

Perhaps you are, unlike the OP (I presume), have been taught these "elementary" things from a young age too. Good for you. Me too and most of the posters on this board. But, as I briefly mentioned, there are a few people who, when they were kids, were not taught to do these things. Like I said, I met some of these people at University. I lived with one of them, in fact, and he was the eldest among us in that shared-house at the time. He was 27 at the time and he, for example, couldn't fry or cook rice. In fact he ruined one of my pans for trying. When I asked him if this was because he never cooked or did any of that sort when he was much younger, he said yes. So it really depends on where and who is bringing up the child.

To counter that person, I know another friend from University who is the same age as me, who, for example, cooks really well and can do other things in the house. He made his own door for example. Yes, it's not a big deal for some people, but, again, depends on the individual. Some people find this a big thing. This person I mentioned is also super smart and is right now employed at a laboratory. So again, down to the individual and down to how that individual has been raised etc.

Sorry, your last statement just came off offensive (even though you didn't mean it that way) to me as it just makes a mockery of people like my parents who HAD to make "complicated meals" and "unnecessary 'mature' things". when they were in their youth. The advantage was, it made them who they are today and the reason why we are lucky to be living abroad. Sorry, it just seemed like a sweeping comment...

[–] RottenBeauty 10 years ago

Why should they? So they learn the value of doing things themselves, so they can take on mature responsibilities who won't have a giant culture shock when they finally become adults.

I also don't see any logic in saying that somehow doing these things will lesser their concentration in school? You send your kids to bed at a decent time, they get plenty of sleep and they wake up and help out, how is that going to give them less focus at school?

What came first, the music or the misery?

[–] Yooka333 8 years ago

Swedish children are spoiled little brats who are permitted everything. As a matter of fact, they are pretty despicable. But, surprisingly, they turn out to be really nice adults. Go figure.

[–] asprettyasme 10 years ago

Its how you're raised that make you mature or not. I was lighting an oven and stove with matches when I was 8 years old and that's not even the worst of my childhood. I even once saw 3 little boys who look really young, crossing a busy street on their way to school and it seemed like the "norm" for them. I think kids in poverty and kids that are dealing with family distress are most likely to be more mature than kids who are well to do. Satsuki mom was sick so she was barely home which means Satsuki felt she had to fulfill the role as mom to Mei and that's why she was so mature. Just because your dealing with poverty or distress doesn't mean you lose your innocence as a child. You're imagination and creativity actually become a lot greater, if you ask me, because you make happy memories out of nothing. Their house was broken down but yet it was filled with happiness because their imagination and their pure hearts.

[–] fun-niji 10 years ago

I sort of agree. In the Philippines for example, as it is considered Third World, the kids are pretty mature for their age.

I agree with your opening statement, but I just think the OP is a bit taken aback how the kids are portrayed in this film. I also agree that kids in a well-to-do family do not know much either.

When I was growing up I had to do those things too, cook, iron, hover, wash laundry, etc. But that was how my parents raised me and how their parents raised them. My nieces on the other hand, as we are all living abroad, are under 10 years old and quite well off compared to kids back home. They don't know how to clean, turn on or off the stove, etc.

Back in the day, if it was us - well, it happened to us anyways, we were taught to do those things from such a young age.

Also your last statement strikes a cord with me. As I mentioned, when I was growing up we were already expected to do those things mentioned by the OP, but also at the time of growing up and where we were living at the time, we didn't even have cable TV etc. As a result, my brothers and I have quite an active imagination, we drew a lot and we built stuff out of mattresses, and chairs and anything we could get our hands on.

Children from those generation are far different from children of this generation of technology. Where I live concurrently, my nieces included, there are NO kids playing out in the streets anymore... All of them have tablets, smart tv, internet... etc. It's kinda sad... because when my nieces and their friends get together at family dos, you can tell they enjoy physical playing MORE then sitting around... loitering in front of the telly for example... kinda sad.

Of course it is different from places to places. I am just broadly speaking and talking about my personal experiences.

[–] asprettyasme 10 years ago

I agree with you, but lucky for me, I'm an adult but I am still young enough to have experience what the new generation is going through. I don't think this generation suffer from lack of imagination at all. I use to do what u did becuz I was in poverty, so I would build couch forts and I would turn small bibles and socks into bedrooms for my barbies, but at the same time my family could afford a computer and I got my hands on all these electronic devices from friends or other family members. I still used my imagination, Instead of playing legos, me and my cousin was battling pokemon, instead of playing monoply, me and my step brother was playing sonic on game cube. You still play together and u still have an imagination but its just advanced.

Its funny becuz there was some video games that I use to play as a little girl that I recently started to play again as an adult just to reminisce and when I played them I realized that they r so got dang boring!! The games were so cheap and stupid looking now and I was going through my memory of how fun they use to be and how real and alive the game use to feel to me and thats what bought me to this conclusion that my old imagination and other kids imagination are still being in use even when playing video games. Those games be so alive and vivid and its so much more fun because it makes the imagination feel even more real. I use to have no one to play with and sometimes after all the imaginating, life use to be so boring, but online you have a ton of people to play with and a ton of games to play. Too much of anything is never good but a little video game playing here and there I feel is def healthy especially for kids who are the only child or constantly gets bored a lot.

[–] Makarov-324 10 years ago

I know this is an old thread but I have to say I didn't get the impression they're any more mature than average kids. Yeah they clean but they also goof off and run around the house. They get into fights and cry, even the older one cries after hearing about her mom.

Perhaps there is a cultural difference but in this movie atleast they seem like any kids.

[–] fun-niji 10 years ago

Its the culture. For example, in Philippines its the same. Majority of the kids HAD to learn to do those things you mentioned. 'I' had to learn those things when I was a kid. My parents too. I'm in my twenties now.... at this stage, I meet people from all kinds of culture and background and it amazes me how some of them seem, in my dad's words, primitive because they can't even cook a simple meal for example. That's just sharing an experience of myself when I was moving into a dorm at University.

[–] Unicorn_Blade 10 years ago

A lot of children I knew that came from countryside from various countries were a lot more self sufficient. Some helped around on the farms and worked there from very young age, or their parents spent days on the fields and they had to take care of themselves, the same goes for families with many children. I believe it is more about the environment you come from and your family upbringing, as well as the historical background.

I do not think Japanese children in particular are a lot more mature than children in other countries, but if you base your opinion on films only, you will mainly be getting very mature children. There are not many (if any) films I can think of with lazy, immature, boring characters as mains.

In the beginning there was nothing, and it exploded.

[–] allisonjoys 9 years ago

Two things- birth order and family situation (sick mother).

I have 5 children and my oldest has always been more responsible than the younger ones.

[–] Gwasgray 8 years ago

It's a cartoon. Isn't this like assuming American children are as resourceful and wily as Kevin in Home Alone?

I have a 25 year old sister that doesn't even know how to boil water!!!

She must be a moron.

[–] kaustin1067 8 years ago

"I have a 25 year old sister that doesn't even know how to boil water!!!"

And you think that's more normal than a 10 year old preparing lunches?

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."