Marital issues have an important role in Asian cultures. The concept of marriage is overviewed by many researchers, either of Asian or foreign origin. Indeed, there are a plethora of perspectives from which the question can be investigated. The studies under consideration provide the readers with two viewpoints: Chigusa Yamaura gives an account of cross-border marriages between Japan and China, and researchers Woojin Chung and Roeul Kim explore the impact of marriage on health in Asian countries.
In her article “From Manchukuo to Marriage: Localizing Contemporary Cross-Border Marriages between Japan and Northeast China”, Chigusa Yamaura tells the reader about the town of Xinghai that sends Chinese women to marry Japanese men. To thoroughly analyze the issue, the author surveys some local inhabitants who let her into the historical background of, the reasons for, and their personal attitude toward the enterprise. It is stated that such marriages are possible mainly because of “the feelings of familiarity and closeness residents of Xinghai feel towards Japan” (Yamaura 566).
Furthermore, the local government actively encourages such relationships with Japan because what they get in return is a boost of economics (Yamaura 574). It is notable that the Japanese men seeking Chinese wives are usually unable to marry their countrywomen due to their financial position (Yamaura 576). Another reason the author states is the men’s desire for “exotics” (Yamaura 566). The brides themselves feel solely positive and “excited about going to Japan” as opposed to their hometowns in terms of social opportunities (Yamaura 581).
The article “Are Married Men Healthier than Single Women? A Gender Comparison of the Health Effects of Marriage and Marital Satisfaction in East Asia” by Woojin Chung and Roeul Kim, contains detailed research on the correlation of marital and health status of people in Asian countries. Given the cultural background of the issue, the authors point out that marriage is still a social must in Asian countries and that divorced (or never married) people fall under social stigmatization (Chung and Kim 3).
Remarkably, in the course of their research for Japan, it was discovered that highly-educated Japanese women tend to stay unmarried while those who seem to be not entirely satisfied with their marriage (Chung and Kim 3, 6). Another discovery concerning Japanese people is that both men and women tend to either lack any health benefits from unsatisfactory marriage or, in fact, be in poor health (Chung and Kim 10).
The common points of the two articles are quite visible. First of all, the necessity to get married is without question. It is the desired status of a married person and the unwillingness to be socially stigmatized that drives the “unmarriageable” Japanese people to look for Chinese wives and, vice versa, the Chinese women of not too wealthy backgrounds to seek Japanese husbands. In addition, there is the issue of highly-educated Japanese women who refuse to get married; it could be yet another reason Japanese men go abroad to find their spouses. Besides, the statistics of Japanese men and women dissatisfied with their marriages is humbling; consequently, determined to find a more gratifying alternative, men are engaged in cross-border marriage enterprise.
As I see it, the subject under consideration is very urgent for modern Asian studies. The authors have worked a lot to make such detailed researches on the topic. They refrain from providing a personal view, acting because of sheer academic interest. However, the tone of both works implies that the traditional concept of marriage in Asian cultures is gradually dissolving in favor of something more modern and less socially marked.
Works Cited
Chung, Woojin and Roeul Kim. “Are Married Men Healthier than Single Women? A Gender Comparison of the Health Effects of Marriage and Marital Satisfaction in East Asia.” PLoS ONE 10.7 (2015): 1-16. Print.
Yamaura, Chigusa. “From Manchukuo to Marriage: Localizing Contemporary Cross-Border Marriages between Japan and Northeast China.” The Journal of Asian Studies 74.3 (2015): 565-588. Print.